Pros and Cons on Flexible Grouping in Grades 7-12

Pros and Cons on Flexible Grouping in Grades 7-12 Every student learns differently.  Some students are visual  learners who  prefer using pictures or  images;  some students are  physical  or  kinesthetic who prefer using their bodies and sense of touch. Different learning styles mean that teachers must try to address the variety of learning styles of their students to target instruction. One way to achieve this is through flexible-grouping. Flexible grouping  (flex grouping) is the purposeful  and  strategic  grouping/regrouping  of students within the classroom  and in combination with other classes in various ways based on the subject area and/or type of task. Flexible grouping is used in middle and high school, grades 7-12, to help differentiate instruction for students in any content area.   Flex-grouping  allows teachers the opportunity to organize collaborative and cooperative activities in the classroom. In creating flexible groups teachers may use  test results, student in-class performance, and an individualized evaluation of a students set of skills to determine the group into which a student should be placed.  Regular review of placement in flex-grouping is recommended. In flex-grouping, teachers can also group students by levels of ability. There are ability levels organized in three (below proficiency, approaching proficiency) or four (remedial, approaching proficiency, proficiency, goal).  Organizing students by ability levels is a form of proficiency-based learning which is more common in the elementary grades. A type of assessment that is growing at the secondary level is standards-based grading which ties performance to proficiency levels. If there is a need to group students by ability, teachers can organize students into  heterogeneous grouping  mixing students with different skills  or  into  homogenous groups  with students in separate groups based on high, medium, or low academic achievement.  Homogeneous grouping  is used for improving specific student skills or measuring student understanding more often.  The student grouped with students demonstrating similar needs is one way a teacher can target identified needs students have in common. By targeting the help each student needs, a teacher can create flex groups for the most remedial students  while also offering flex groups for higher achieving students.   As a caution, however, educators should recognize that when homogeneous grouping is used consistently in the classroom, the practice is similar to  tracking  students. The sustained separation of students by  academic ability into groups for all subjects  or specific classes  within a school is called tracking.  This practice of tracking is discouraged as  research shows that tracking  negatively impacts academic growth. The key word in the  definition of tracking is the word sustained which contrasts with the purpose of flex grouping. Since the groups are organized around a particular task, flex grouping is not sustained. Should there be a need to organize groups for socialization, teachers can  create groups through a drawing or lottery. Groups can be created through pairs spontaneously. Once again, each students learning style  is an important consideration as well. Asking students to participate in organizing the flex groups (How would you like to learn this material?) may increase student engagement and motivation. Pros in Using Flexible Grouping Flexible grouping is one strategy  that allows the teacher opportunities to address each learners  specific needs, while regular grouping and regrouping encourage student relationships with teacher and classmates. These collaborative experiences in the classroom help to prepare students for the authentic experiences of working with others in college and their chosen career.   Research shows  that flex grouping  minimizes the stigma of being different and for many students helps to  reduce their anxiety. Flex grouping provides an  opportunity for all students  to develop leadership skills and take responsibility for their learning.   Students in flex groups need  to communicate with other students, a practice which develops speaking and listening skills. These skills are part of the Common Core State Standards in Speaking and Listening  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 [Students] repare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. While developing speaking and listening skills are important for all students, they are particularly important for students labeled as  English Language Learners  (ELL, EL, ESL or EFL). Conversations between students may not always be academic, but for these ELs, speaking to and listening to their classmates is an academic exercise regardless of topic. Cons in Using Flexible Grouping Flexible grouping takes time to implement successfully. Even in grades  7-12, students need to be trained in the procedures and expectations for group work. Setting standards for cooperation and practicing routines can be time-consuming. Developing stamina for working in groups takes time. Collaboration in groups may be uneven. Everyone has had an experience in school or at work of working with a slacker who may have contributed little effort. In these cases, flex grouping may penalize students who may work harder than other students who may not help. Mixed ability groups may not provide the support needed for all members of the group. Moreover, single ability groups limit peer to peer interaction.  The concern with separate ability groups is that placing students into lower groups often results in lower expectations. These kinds of homogenous groups organized only by ability can result in  tracking.   The National Education Association  (NEA) research on tracking shows that when schools track their students, those students  generally stay at one level. Staying at one level means that the achievement gap grows exponentially over the years, and academic delay for the student gets worse over time. Tracked students may never have the opportunity to escape to higher groups or levels of achievement.   Finally, in grades 7-12,  social influence can complicate grouping students. Some students may be negatively affected by peer pressure. Student social and emotional needs require that teachers need to be aware of their students social interactions before organizing a group. Conclusion Flexible grouping means that teachers can group and regroup students to address student academic skills. The collaborative experience of flexible grouping can also better prepare students for working with others after they leave school. While there is no formula for creating perfect groups in class, placing students in these collaborative experiences is a critical component of college and career readiness.

Quotes From President Andrew Jackson

Quotes From President Andrew Jackson Like most presidents, Andrew Jackson had speechwriters, and as a result, many of his speeches were elegant, brief, and rather low-key, despite some of the chaos of his presidency. Andrew Jacksons election to the United States presidency in 1828 was seen as the rise of the common man. According to the election rules of the day, he lost the election of 1824 to John Quincy Adams, although in fact Jackson had won the popular vote, and tied Adams in ​the electoral college, but lost in the House of Representatives. Once Jackson became president, he was one of the first to truly utilize the power of the presidency. He was known for following his own strong opinions and vetoing more bills than all presidents before him. His enemies called him King Andrew. Many quotations on the internet are attributed to Jackson, but lack citations to give context or meaning to the quotation. The following list includes quotes with the sources where possibleand a handful without. Verifiable Quotes: Presidential Speeches Verifiable quotations are those that can be found in specific speeches or publications of President Jackson. In a free government, the demand for moral qualities should be made superior to that of talents. (from a rough draft of his Inaugural Address) It will be my sincere and constant desire to observe toward the Indian tribes within our limits a just and liberal policy, and to give that humane and considerate attention to their rights and their wants which is consistent with the habits of our Government and the feelings of our people. (from Jacksons First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1829) Without union, our independence and liberty would never have been achieved; without union, they never can be maintained. (Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1833) There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses. (message to the U.S. Senate regarding his veto of a proposed Bank of the United States, July 10, 1832) Verifiable Quotes: Proclamations The individual who refuses to defend his rights when called by his Government deserves to be a slave, and must be punished as an enemy of his country and friend to her foe. (Proclamation before he became president, declaring martial law in New Orleans during the War of 1812, December 2, 1814) The moment we engage in confederations, or alliances with any nation we may from that time date the downfall of our republic. (Warning to John C. Calhoun who had announced to Congress that he was going to be attending a conference in Panama to improve relations and discuss the possibility of Northern intervention in Latin America, in 1828) The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality. (Proclamation to the People of South Carolina, written by Edward Livingston and issued by Jackson on December 10, 1832, at the height of the Nullification Crisis) Unverified Quotations These quotations have some evidence that they may have been used by Jackson, but cannot be verified. Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error. (also attributed to General Peyton C. March) One man with courage makes a majority. (This is an old adage which was written by the 16th-century Scottish reformer John Knox, that may or may not have also been quoted by Jackson) This quotation appears on the Internet as attributed to Jackson but without a citation, and it doesnt sound like Jacksons political voice. It could have been something he said in a private letter: I can say with truth that mine is a situation of dignified slavery. Sources Dirck BR. 2007. The Executive Branch of Federal Government: People, Process, and Politics. Sacramento: ABC-CLIO.Farwell B. 2001. The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.Keyes R. 2006. The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When. New York: St. Martins Griffin.Northrup CC, and Prange Turney EC. 2003. Encyclopedia of Tariffs and Trade in U.S. History. Volume II Debating the Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.issues : selected primary documents.

Early Childhood Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Early Childhood Development - Essay Example at in preschool days between birth and age 5, most of the child development happens through family inputs and all children feel pride in their family members and that pride will decide about how the child thinks about herself. The development of child happens in an orderly manner, for example, crawling happens before walking. Though learning period differs child to child but usually it follows a definite order or pattern. Physical development follows a certain and set pattern. Large muscles in legs and arms grow first and then small muscles in the hands and fingers grow. The act of walking precedes the act of drawing. Development process is initiated from the head to the toes. How to keep head straight is learned by the child first before learning other processes such as crawling on stomach or on knees (Cherry, 2012). Large muscles in the arms and legs that promote the activity of walking, running, lifting, riding fall in this category. Proper nutrition and environment play a crucial part in the development of these activities (Goodheart-Willcox 2012, p.71). Small muscles of the fingers or hands that are used to hold, grasp or related activities fall in this category. Good physical growth leads to the healthy development of other faculties namely cognitive and emotional (Goodheart-Willcox 2012, p.71). Physical activities such as running, jumping, cycling on extended basis will help strengthen muscles. Strong and powerful body muscles not only increases the work stamina but safeguard the children from illness. This also helps forming a healthy social and emotional relationship with colleagues and a positive view point about life. Physical growth is accompanied by cognitive growth. Cognitive abilities such as reasoning, thinking, logic, memory, recognizing continue to grow side by side. Jean Piaget made a pioneering research on the child psychology and their learning abilities. According to him, children are as intelligent as adults. He listed some of the basic

Racial Profiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Racial Profiling - Essay Example Moreover, the racial biased activity cannot be sanctified under any legitimate body and across the history of human crimes, it has been noted that at times the Racial Profiling gets limited to a very narrow activity, but there are also evidences where the act of Racial Profiling has been very stark and broad as in the past, police authorities have been found critical of a particular race or ethnic class in forming a reaction against suspicion and taking action against an individual based on a racial suspicion. In the United States particularly, the issue of Racial Profiling is gaining a very serious and a growing ground. With Americas first African American President elected four years ago, a considerable point of turning in the century old battle of America’s racial equality was being noticed. Yet, the government and the society of America have still left miles to cover when instances like frisking another former president and a global dignitary prop up. Former President of I ndia Dr, APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked twice at the JKF airport, New York, under a suspicion framed on his being a south East Asian and Muslim moreover. This essay shall throw light on the narrow shortcomings of the system of Racial Profiling and will also uphold the subtle factors that are hampering the growth, unity and position of the United States for maintaining Racial Profiling in the global domain and within the country as well (Debate.org, â€Å"History and Debate of Racial Profiling†; The Times of India, â€Å"Former President APJ Abdul Kalam Frisked Twice in US†). RACIAL PROFILING AND ACCEPTANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE At the outset of the argument itself, it is quite evident to quote that Racial Profiling should not get a proper and uniformed sanctity from law enforcement authorities across the nation. Already in many jurisdictions in the United States itself, the practice of Racial Profiling facet has been termed illegal. In the year 2001 itself, former p resident of America George W. Bush summoned a Joint Session of Congress and made a declaration that Racial Profiling is viewed by America as illegal and America is soon going to put an end to the practice. The United States of America, from its name to its founding ideals, envisage the philosophy of liberty, equality and fraternity. Upon these three pillars of liberty, equality and fraternity, did the founding fathers laid the pavement for America’s unity and integrity. However, the founding fathers of the nation while framing the constitution of America were least aware of the complexity, it was about to face. Suspecting any individual based on his race or ethnicity without a probable reason of suspicion actually curbs his or her individual liberty and dignity (Department of Justice, â€Å"Racial Profiling†). Under this light, Racial Profiling can be viewed as a battle of an individual against his race or color. African Americans, Hispanics or Asians who have the citi zenship in America and pay a considerable amount in the development of the nation are also not being spared. A man black in color if waits long at the corner of the street, waiting for his bus, definitely will be picked up by the patrolling van and asked questions about his backgrounds. Black teenagers in America are the softest targets of interrogation and they actually fear their free movement within the country. Situations for the Asians and specially Southeast Asians after the attacks of 9/11 are worst; they are stopped,

The evangelist included the signs in order to make people believe Essay Example for Free

The evangelist included the signs in order to make people believe Essay There is much speculation from scholars as to why John chose to include the signs, which are unique to the fourth gospel. Broadly speaking, there are two main views. The first is that the signs were intended purely to be accurate accounts of Jesus miracles, featuring historically and topographically factual details. The second, and perhaps more widely held, is that John had an evangelistic purpose in mind when he wrote the signs: he wanted to make his readers believe. John chooses to use the word semeia, meaning signs, rather than the dunameis (mighty act, used in the synoptics) to denote the miracles that Jesus performs. Whereas act is a word firmly rooted in a particular place and timeframe, the word sign evokes the idea of the miracles pointing to something else, or foretelling a future event. It implies a greater role and purpose to Jesus miracles than the acts themselves, a divine scheme, thus helping the reader see the link between Jesus (who looks like an ordinary person) and the Father. Johns choice of words alone suggests he wanted the signs to be seen by the reader in a theological light, not an historical one. In fact, John explicitly says of the signs: These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31) Tasker mentions that some scholars in the past believed this statement to be a later addition to the gospel, by a later author or redactor. However, since there is no evidence for this, it is necessary to assume that the original author of Johns gospel wrote the statement themselves. For this reason, it cannot be denied that one of, if not the, main purpose of the signs is to fulfil an evangelistic role. Some might argue that there are parts of the signs that seem to contradict this purpose. For example, neither the third or fourth sign ends with true faith from those involved. In the third sign, the Healing at the Pool, the crippled man does not embrace Christs teachings but instead goes straight to the Jewish authorities, and even tries to shift blame onto Jesus for disregarding the rules of the Sabbath. At the end of the fourth sign, the Feeding of the 5,000, the crowd tries to make Jesus king by force. They do not understand that, as Sanders and Mastin put it, Jesus was a king, buthis kinship was not of this world. Both signs three and four end in the same way: with Jesus quietly leaving the scene, because he has failed to inspire people to faith as he had hoped. Although these signs do result in negative outcomes, they are quite possibly a tool John has deliberately employed to help his readers understand the nature of faith. By giving clear examples of people not recognising Christ as the Messiah, either by falling back on the comfortable familiarity of Judaism (as did the crippled man) or misunderstanding the nature of Jesus authority (like the crowd that were fed), the reader is better able to understand what it means to believe. They can also empathise with Jesus frustration at the fact that he is not producing the effect he intended, even having performed great miracles before peoples eyes, and so begin to know Jesus as a person as well as his divinity. Another objection to the statement in the title is that John includes many details that seem to serve no other purpose than to document the particulars of the sign. For example, in the third sign, there is mention of the Sheep Gate at the Pool in Bethsaida, the five stone colonnades and the fact that the man in question had been crippled for 38 years. However, these are not necessarily included by John for the sake of being historically and topographically accurate. Some details could be symbolic. For example, Marsh suggests that the 38 years could be a deliberate parallel to the 40 days that Moses spent wandering the desert. This parallel might be intended as a subtle message to the reader that Christ has fulfilled Judaism, making it good, just as Jesus makes the crippled man better in the sign. The details that John includes in the signs may also be a way of validating them and convincing the reader that Jesus miracles did take place. It seems that the title claim is justified, and that Johns main purpose for the signs was in fact to make his readers believe. Not only is it explicitly stated in John 20:31, but there is evidence for it throughout the signs. Whilst it appears at first that the gospel being a theological piece of writing and it being an accurate account are mutually exclusive, the two attributes do overlap. As Marsh notes, the historical and topographical details in John often give rise to symbolism and provoke theological thought, and can be just as important as the fictitious component of the signs in encouraging faith in the reader.

The Dysfunctional Family in Brontë’s Wuthering Heights Essay -- Wuther

The Dysfunctional Family in Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights Creating a haven from the cruel outside world, families ideally provide protection and support for each of their members. In Emily Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights, however, bitterness grows between the Earnshaws and the Lintons. Within these two families, siblings rival for power and parents fail to fulfill their roles as caregivers. The intertwining relationships of the Earnshaws and the Lintons are marked by physical abuse, degradation, and emotional negligence. These reduce each of the family members’ life to a lonely and meaningless journey though the cold and misty moors. Unforgiving as the moors that surround them, the Earnshaws and the Lintons often resort to physical violence when interacting with one another. When Lockwood first visits the protagonist Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights, he tries to caress one of Heathcliff’s dogs but is met with angry snarls. Heathcliff, seeing this, kicks the dog and informs his visitor: â€Å"You’d better let the dog alone. She’s not accustomed to be spoiled – not kept for a pet†(12). Like Heathcliff’s dog, no one in the Earnshaw or the Linton family is accustomed to affection. Nelly, the servant who has worked for the Earnshaws and the Lintons for many years, is considered to be a part of these two families. She has grown so accustomed to her master Hindley Earnshaw’s physical violence that she is unfazed when he sticks a knife between her teeth. Hindley tries to use physical violence as a means of re-establishing his power within his household, for he has lost his stranglehold on it when he spiralled into depression over his wife Frances’ death. An alcoholic and a gambler, Hindley is unsuccessful in obtaining his son Hareton’s a... ...s purposes. When Edgar Linton marries his beloved Catherine, Heathcliff revenges on his adoptive brother-in-law by marrying Isabella so that he may inherit the family fortune. He is only playing a game of emotions though, for he does not love Isabella at all. As Isabella laments to Nelly of her husband Heathcliff: â€Å"I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death, and flung it back to me† (168). Cruel and false, the Earnshaws and the Lintons wreck havoc with each other’s hearts. They abuse each other physically, degrade their children, and withhold affection. The family structure collapses as the spirit is crushed. These two families banish the warmth of love and care from their midst and embrace the coldness of the still, harsh moors between their two houses. WORK CITED Brontà «, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: New American Library, 1959. The Dysfunctional Family in Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights Essay -- Wuther The Dysfunctional Family in Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights Creating a haven from the cruel outside world, families ideally provide protection and support for each of their members. In Emily Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights, however, bitterness grows between the Earnshaws and the Lintons. Within these two families, siblings rival for power and parents fail to fulfill their roles as caregivers. The intertwining relationships of the Earnshaws and the Lintons are marked by physical abuse, degradation, and emotional negligence. These reduce each of the family members’ life to a lonely and meaningless journey though the cold and misty moors. Unforgiving as the moors that surround them, the Earnshaws and the Lintons often resort to physical violence when interacting with one another. When Lockwood first visits the protagonist Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights, he tries to caress one of Heathcliff’s dogs but is met with angry snarls. Heathcliff, seeing this, kicks the dog and informs his visitor: â€Å"You’d better let the dog alone. She’s not accustomed to be spoiled – not kept for a pet†(12). Like Heathcliff’s dog, no one in the Earnshaw or the Linton family is accustomed to affection. Nelly, the servant who has worked for the Earnshaws and the Lintons for many years, is considered to be a part of these two families. She has grown so accustomed to her master Hindley Earnshaw’s physical violence that she is unfazed when he sticks a knife between her teeth. Hindley tries to use physical violence as a means of re-establishing his power within his household, for he has lost his stranglehold on it when he spiralled into depression over his wife Frances’ death. An alcoholic and a gambler, Hindley is unsuccessful in obtaining his son Hareton’s a... ...s purposes. When Edgar Linton marries his beloved Catherine, Heathcliff revenges on his adoptive brother-in-law by marrying Isabella so that he may inherit the family fortune. He is only playing a game of emotions though, for he does not love Isabella at all. As Isabella laments to Nelly of her husband Heathcliff: â€Å"I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death, and flung it back to me† (168). Cruel and false, the Earnshaws and the Lintons wreck havoc with each other’s hearts. They abuse each other physically, degrade their children, and withhold affection. The family structure collapses as the spirit is crushed. These two families banish the warmth of love and care from their midst and embrace the coldness of the still, harsh moors between their two houses. WORK CITED Brontà «, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: New American Library, 1959.

Myths of the Native American Cherokee Tribe

Myths are sacred to all Native American Tribes, and the two popular myths for the Cherokee Indian tribe is The Creation Myth, which explains how the world was made, and the other myth is The First Fire which is about how the fire was discovered. The Cherokees are a very large and powerful American Indian tribe and has a lot of history background and interesting facts. They use their cultural myths in their day to day lives in many different ways. The creation myth is used more in their religion beliefs than the first fire is, but they both are similar with each other. The Cherokee Indians have a personal and trusting relationship with the earth, animals, and Plants to show that they love the earth and trust in it. The creation myth is about how the world was made in the Cherokee Indians point of view. This myth explains how the world was created and all the background information about it, and how and why we have mountains and valleys. The Indians believe that â€Å"The earth was a great island floating in a sea of water, suspended by a cord at each of the four cardinal points, hanging down from the sky vault, which is solid rock†, (Cherokee Beliefs Creation Of Earth), nd they fear that once everybody dies on this earth the earth will go back underground like it was before everyone was created. There was a arch floating on this island of water with a few animals aboard, and on this arch was a little Water-beetle, who went on a journey to see what was under the water, and what he discovered was some mud. The mud some how created a soft surface so that the animals could then walk on, which became the earth which was flat and very wet at first. All of the animals were very anxious to see if the ground was ready to walk on, so each bird on the arch was sent on to check, but they could not find a place to land. Each time something was discovered or complete they would send out a different animal to do that task to help get the earth ready to live on. The father of all Buzzards than flew out to get everything ready, he is the one who made the valleys and mountains. This happened when the Buzzard got very tired of flying, when he was in the Cherokee country his wings would touch the ground Ahich turned into a valley than it turned in a mountains. The sun was created after the earth was dry, the animals saw that it was still very dark. So then the animals got the sun in track so it would come up each day across the island from east to est. The first inept didn’t work due to it being really hot, it took a different animal and seven attempts to get the sun in the sky at a just enough spot. The Indians believe that there is another world under the one we live in. They call it the underground and they say everything down there is the same with animals, plants, and people, the only thing different is the seasons they have. Its not known to whom and when the animals and plants were made, but they were a great use of help when the earth was being created. The animals did a lot of work on trying to get everything in order so they could have some where to live. The plants and animals had to stay up seven nights to test their abilities. Only the owl, the panther and two other animals were able to stay up the full seven nights and were rewarded with the powers to see in the dark and stay awake at night. The tree’s that were able to stay up was the Cedar, the Pine, the Spruce, the Holly and the Laurel, they were giving the ability to always stay green and to be the greatest medicine. Men were created after the plant and animals were. First there was just a brother and sister that was living on earth and then the brother. Then one day he made her multiply by striking her with a ish, which she did. In seven days there was a baby and then every seven days another baby was born. It came to a conclusion that earth couldn’t keep all of the babies, because there were too many and it was dangerous. That’s how it came about that its more healthy for women to only have one child in a year. The animals and people were at one point living in harmony with each other, but then the humans speeded all over the earth and there wasn’t enough room for the animals or plants. Then the animals declared a war against the humans, the animals were really mad, so they each chose a disease to send the humans to make them ill or die. The plants were the only things that was still pure and harmless to one another, they were friendly to both men and plants but, â€Å"when the plants, who were friendly to man heard what had be done by the animals they determined to defeat the latter’s’ evil designs†(Conley pp. 10. After the trees defeated the plan that was made, they cured the humans with their medicine from themselves. The first fire myth explains how fire came about and who was discovered it. In mythology, fire appears both as a creative, cleansing force and as a destructive, punishing one, although positive aspects of fire generally outweigh negative ones. The fire was first made by some thunder that sent their lighting to a empty sycamore tree that was on a island which caught on fire. The earth was really cold, and when all the animals saw that there was fire they did everything they could to get to it. Since the fire was on a island only certain animals could try to retrieve the fire. The Raven had tried first because he was so strong he tried to bring back the fire, but he failed. In the process in trying to bring back the fire, the Raven got all of his feathers scorched black so he flew back. After most of the animals that could fly tried to get the fire failed nd got hurt in the process, none of the other animals that could fly didn’t want to try, because they were afraid. The next animal that tried was the black racer snake, he swam under he water and came up from the bottom of the tree where there was a hole at, and he made up it up the tree. The snake almost had the fire, but it burst in flames in his face and he fell in the hole and climbed out just into, but he got turned all black. By then all of the animals were afraid to try to get the fire, so the animals held a council to see what they should do next, and the rest of them made up xcuses why they couldn’t try to go retrieve the fire. The last brave animal that was willing to make the trip across the island was the water spider. For her journey she weaved a bowl and put it on her backed to carry back the fire in. she crossed over the island and came back with a piece of coal in her bowl still burning. The water spider still wears the bowl strapped around her body to remind everybody how she got the fire. Cherokee Indians were one of the largest native American group in the Unites States. They were one of the most important tribe in the United States and the most civilized. They riginally came from the southeastern region of the United States. The Cherokee people also lived in different parts of the United States, such as Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. The location of the Cherokee Indians changed in the 1800’s, due to the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears is also known as Indian Removal, is when the government created an Indian territory in Oklahoma, and sent all the Eastern native Americans to live there. The Cherokee people were treated really badly and some died on the long journey to Oklahoma, which resulted in the deaths of 4000 Cherokees. The name Cherokee comes from a Muskoge word meaning speakers of another language, and is pronounced Tsalagi in their language, but the Cherokee language belongs to the Iroquoian . The Cherokee originally called themselves Aniyunwia which means the principal people. The roles of the men and women Cherokee tribe were like their distant cousins the Iroquois. The Cherokee men and women were equal to each other, they had the same amount of power as each other. The men did the hunting, war and diplomacy. For hunting the men would make their own and weapons by hand, the material they used was tomahawks. When the Cherokee man hunters would prepare to hunt for their food, they would pray to the animals to ask for forgiveness from them, than they would continue to hunt, â€Å"Man fasted prayed before hunting, and then offered thanks in a ceremony after killing an animal; on returning to their village, they shared the meat, used all parts of the animal, and often danced to honor the animal†, (Cherokee Indian Heritage and History). The Indians were thankful for the animal that gave them food, but They also felt bad so they honored them to show their appreciation to the animals and earth. Cherokee man would use blowguns to catch birds and sometimes to play a small game. They were good with building things also, building canoes and house frames and roofs. The women in the tribe duties was to be in charge of farming, property, and taking care of their families. The women also made their own tools, they wove mats, blankets, clothing and pottery. When the time came for making important political decisions in the Cherokee tribe the men would step in and play the important role, and when it came down to social decisions for the clan they would be the women place to step in and make the decisions. In the modern time in the Cherokee history women couldn’t be chiefs or anything in higher power, only landowners, and the man could only be the chiefs. Times have changed in the Cherokee tribe and now woman can be chiefs, but some Indians still prefer the traditional way to live. Some activities both genders did in the Cherokee tribe was artwork which is making drums and rattles, music which included them dancing to their traditional songs, storytelling and traditional medicine the pure healing. The Indians were really serious about their ways of healing themselves and others in their tribe. The Cherokee’s would have big ceremonies relating to this process of healing and forgiving with their traditional ways and beliefs. The Cherokee’s religion and beliefs are based up on the protective spirits of the upper world to help them keep balance and harmony on earth, and it connects to the creation myth in a Many different ways. The Cherokee Indians did a lot of rituals, prayers, and ceremonies giving thanks to the earth, plants and animals. They use the creation myth as guide to lead them through their lives. This myth means a lot to the Cherokee Indians and their religion. Even though the Cherokee Indians don’t use the term religion to describe the rituals, ceremonies, the cleaning of their bad feelings, and all of their other daily life styles, every part of their world had some scared connection or religious meaning to it. They began their day and end their nights with daily prayers, rituals, and seasonal ceremonies to deal with their problems and receive guidance and forgiveness from the earth. The Cherokee did a lot of rituals and ceremonies about how to rid all the bad feelings and getting the earth and animals to forgive them. They did special rituals for the animals they have killed â€Å"a hunter was required to follow ertain prescribed rituals, and to apologize to the spirit of the animal he killed† (Conley pg. 7). One of the rituals they did was Going To The Water, the purpose of this ritual is to help get rid of any bad feelings they may have and renew them in a positive way so they can began a fresh start with a clear mind. They began by stepping into a river or creek facing east, and dipping their bodies under the water seven times to come up with a clear mind, â€Å"they prayed to the sevens directions: the four cardinal points, the sky, the earth, and the center-the spirit†, (Cherokee Indian Heritage and History). This was performed by men, women, and children. Another ceremony the Cherokee’s used was called the called The Green Corn Ceremony, which was used to help give them a fresh start and seek forgiveness for their quarrels and any crime they did. This ceremony was held each year at harvest time. The meaning of this ceremony was to forgive one another and get forgiveness from the earth from what they did in their past year. In conclusion the Cherokee Indian were a very powerful tribe, who live their lives by many myths and traditional rituals, which is very sacred to them. They focus on all of the good things in life, they are very respectful and thankful for a lot of things. To show thanks they usually do ceremony or a traditional ritual. The Cherokee Indians have a lot of balance and harmony in their lives. Cherokee Indians have a lot of love for the earth, plants and the animals, most of there stories, rituals, ceremonies, and legends are based upon those three things they love and respect the most. Animals, earth, and the plants all give something to the Cherokee Indians that they can use feed, nurture and protect their tribe.

Nursing as a Profession Essay

The question of whether the practice of nursing is considered a profession or an occupation is an ongoing debate, much like the ongoing debate over what defines a profession. Several scholars have outlined criteria for considering an occupation to be a profession. Given a list of scholars and their criteria for what characteristics define a profession, I have chosen the list formulated by Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN. Although the scholars’ works seem to share similar criteria and any could be selected for comparison, I have chosen Kelly’s criteria based on her background in the nursing profession. In addition to being a nurse, Dr. Kelly is a writer and a teacher. She compiled a list of eight characteristics of a profession in 1981 (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). Though they were written over 30 years ago, Kelly’s criteria are still relevant to modern nursing practice. According to Kelly’s first criterion, a profession should provide a service to humanity and to society as a whole (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). I believe that there is no sustainable argument against the fact that this is exactly what nurses do. Nurses provide a service by caring for individuals in our society who are ill or injured, and they educate and promote wellness in their communities. I believe that the nursing establishment certainly meets and possibly defines the requirements for this particular standard. I believe nursing also meets the second standard, which states that a profession should possess a special body of knowledge that is constantly advanced through research (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). Nursing is based on science, but what sets the profession apart is the focus on the individual as a unique being and their response to health problems. Nursing is constantly being refined through evidence-based practice. â€Å"Nursing is no longer based on trial and error but increasingly relies on theory  development and research as a basis for practice† (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). The third characteristic of a profession, according to Kelly, is that the service involves intellectual activities and that accountability is an important feature of those activities (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). I believe nursing also meets these requirements through the nursing process. In order to provide care for an individual, a nurse must assess the problem, decide on an approach (or plan of care), and implement that plan. The nurse has to be able to evaluate the outcome of those actions and adjust the plan accordingly. Autonomy is an important part of this individual responsibility. Nurses are held accountable for their individual actions by their employers, patients, and the public. Registered nurses today are required to meet strict educational standards before applying for licensure. Kelly’s fourth criterion requires practitioners to be educated in institutes of higher learning (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). Associate or baccalaureate degrees are the most common education levels for registered nurses. Some diploma programs are still being run in hospitals, but their numbers are steadily declining (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 149). Graduate degree programs focused on education, research, and advanced practice provide opportunities for nurses to progress in their careers. The fifth characteristic of a profession is the one that I think is most debated. It states that practitioners are relatively independent and regulate their own policies (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). Nursing is autonomous and self-governing. Over time, nursing has established its own values, ethics, and protocol. However, many would argue the actual performance of nursing itself still falls under the direction and control of physicians and administrators. Nursing is classically regulated in the facility in which the nurse works by their institutional policies. Also, many people feel that because a nurse must have orders from a physician, they lack autonomy (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). This debate about autonomy ties in with the discussion on the third criterion. Nurses provide  nursing care autonomously; they do not practice medicine. For the sixth of Kelly’s eight characteristics, the statement made is that practitioners are motivated by service and consider their work an important component of their lives (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). Nursing easily meets this criterion. I believe the majority of nurses, if asked why they chose nursing, would immediately respond that they want to help others or to make a difference. I believe most nurses derive their greatest satisfaction from nursing when they know they have done a good job, helped someone in need, or simply lightened the load that burdens a patient. Nursing is one of the purest forms of altruism as I understand it. The importance of their profession in their lives is apparent; simply ask a nurse what they do. The seventh and eighth characteristics can be addressed together. The seventh characteristic is that a code of ethics exists, and the eighth is that there is an organization that supports this code (Chitty & Black, 2011, p. 66). There are a number of professional organizations to which nurses belong. The ANA, or American Nurses Association, is the foremost nursing organization in the United States. The ANA sets policies, has established the most widely recognized code of ethics, and lobbies to promote the recognition of the field of nursing (â€Å"NursingWorld†, 2012). All licensed nurses are regulated by their state board. Each state sets standards for scope of practice. According to Kelly’s eight characteristics, the field of nursing certainly meets the criteria of a profession with little room for debate. Over the last century, nursing has evolved from a task-oriented occupation to an intellectual profession through research, education, and organization. There are some barriers to complete acceptance of nursing as a profession. Nurses have a responsibility to themselves to advance their profession both internally and in the eyes of the public. I consider nursing to be a profession, and will continue to practice as a professional nurse to the best of my ability. References Chitty, K., & Black, B. (2011). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges. (6th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier. NursingWorld. (2012). Retrieved September 26, 2012 from American Nurses Association website: http://www.nursingworld.org/

buy custom Future Directions essay

buy custom Future Directions essay Netflix is an American company established in 1997 by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings. It specializes in providing on-demand internet streaming media and serves the United States of America, Latin America and Canada. Its headquarters is in Los Gatos, California. By 2009, it had approximately 10 million subscribers and distributed a collection of 100,000 DVD titles. By April 2011, Netflix had 23.6 million subscribers. The company is famed for its excellent worker-oriented culture, which includes unlimited vacation time and enabling staff to take paychecks in stock options. Netflix rates as among the most successful technology based ventures serving the United States, Canada, and Latin America. The topic of change management is a sensitive one, especially for Netflix. This is given the company has a very large clientele who can be negatively provoked by any negative venture by the management. Netflix has recently had some problems and lost a big amount of subscribers because of the inc rease of prices among other things. This occurred during the companys shift from physical DVD rental to video streaming. Thus, extra caution should be taken in managing the activities of Netflix. There are various change management models proposed, for instance Kotters 8-step model, Bridges Change model, Kubler-Rosss 5-stage model among many others. Let us use Kotters 8-step model and Bridges Change model for this crisis audit. In its undertakings, Netflix has used some aspects of Kotters model that emphasize urgency. For example, Netflix management has been quick in responding to its market shift. This is through expansion of the DVD rental business to include video streaming. This made a lot of sense, as the firm kept the same customer base, fulfilled the same needs of the customers, but most importantly in a different format. This is outstanding when compared with, for instance, Blockbuster, which despite its physical retail locations could not make such daring market shifts Netflix saw the urgency of migrating to electronic video streaming from physical video DVDs. William Bridges, on the other hand, proposes a theory of change that involves a three-phase process. These are mainly based on contrasting the change with transition (Green, 2002). When looked at using Bridges ideas, Netflix is deficient in some aspects. The introduction of video streaming in the established DVD rental business was confusing to customers. This could have been done better through separating the two business ventures and supporting them fully. By not doing this, Netflix did not afford clients the transition envisaged by Bridges. The companys website became a mixed up entity of choices between getting instant services or joining long queues of waiting for physical movie DVDs. Netflix added the video streaming service for free. On one hand, the company used the Kotters idea that emphasizes the creation of short come wins. However, this was ignoring the expectations of customers, which are central to both Kotters and Bridges models. By introducing streaming freely, some customers were made to believe that future services of Netflix would be free. In essence, this would never happen. Kotter argues that it is important to convince the stakeholders that the proposed change is necessary. This was overlooked by Netflix by introducing a service for free (streaming)and offering incentives for them to move from physical to electronic, instead of taking the time to explain the need and advantage of the change. Netflix change management deficiencies even took a greater nosedive when the company hiked the price for DVD rental and streaming service. Customers could not understand this increment of price because of a service they did not originally ask for. Netflix further went on to introduce a separate website for the two services and made it clear that the Netflix brand only applied to the streamingg service. Instead of concentrating of removing obstacles (as proposed by Kotter), Netflix added more barriers. These careless decisions motivated customers to try out alternatives to Netflix. Change can make a firm remain relevant in todays dynamic world. Taking advantage of new trends may enable a company to earn more income and grow. Change may also enable a company to solve immediate problems or evade future troubles. This can be elaborated by the example of Netflix, whose decision to venture into a virgin field of DVD marketing enabled it make a lot of profit (Green, 2002). Netflix has remained relevant today because of adopting new technologies, for instance video streaming. Netflix should continue to shop for cutting age technologies in order to remain relevant. A good shift would be adopting model-driven development in providing on-demand internet streaming media. A decision to pursue positive change may bring Netflix out of its current mess. Applying Bridges and Kotters change models may bring the desired future in the company. The company should refocus on the expectations of its clientele. This involves determining and addressing their complaints. Key challenges faced in managing change are lack of support from stakeholders, lack of foresight and communication barriers. In the case of Netflix, the clients-who are the stakeholders in this case- did not get proper communication about the need for change, thus failed to support or resisted the change to video streaming. The managers of Netflix failed to foresee the problems of merging physical DVDs and Video streaming services. Netflix should learn from this oversight and in future, adopt public relations ventures before introducing new ideas to the market. Change and change management should be planned. There should be wide consultation with both managers and clientele on the change proposed. In addition, change should be looked at from the long-term benefits rather than the short term wins. Buy custom Future Directions essay

College Research Paper Topics

College Research Paper Topics College Research Paper Topics Choosing a college research paper topic can become a great challenge for any student being assigned that kind of project. Unlike with other written tasks the problem with research paper is entirely discovered from its notion. The topic of the research paper is totally dependent on the actual research you have to conduct. With this respect the choice turns to be very limited since students appear not to be fully facilitated to hold any research they might want, therefore they have to go along with what they can do instead of taking the topic they like. It is a quite unpleasant fact because to achieve good results and discover the knowledge a person writing a paper should be interested in the study and investigation. It brings us to the idea that college research paper topics should not only be interested to the reader or professor but also the student who is doing the research. Nevertheless, there exist positive sides of the case. For instance let us take a look at the notion of research itself. There are several types of research that can be applied to one and the same material to get the necessary result. All of them have their own specifications that can open you the space to compose a great research paper topic based on research aspects. Moreover, let us not forget that the study and investigation and you conduct can have a practical or purely theoretical aim which can deviate the topic depending on the outcome. However hard it can be for the students to generate that one idea that will give a great start for a college research paper they should always remember that it all comes with experience. The more you write the better your college research paper topics will be. is committed to provide students with qualitative custom college research papers on any topics and subjects.

Which Had A Greater Impact On Civil Rights, The Introduction Of Jackie Essay

Which Had A Greater Impact On Civil Rights, The Introduction Of Jackie Robinson Into The Baseball League Or Brown Vs. Board Of Education Decision - Essay Example One particular event that happened in the late 1940s to change the attitudes towards the equality status of African Americans was the introduction of Jackie Robinson into the baseball league. The attitudes towards Jackie Robinson were mixed and not all baseball fans, the baseball hierarchy and America were enthralled that a black man was found to be a better player of the national sport than many white red-blooded Americans. The result to Jackie Robinson of these views were in many ways devastating because he was subjected to racist comments and attacks over his color. Jackie Robinson when asked to play for a Canadian sister team in Montreal was overjoyed and taken aback by the welcoming views of the people and the city.1 He was recognized because of his color, but his talent as one of America's most talented baseball players. This helped Jackie Brown in his return to America in persevering as a baseball player, regardless of his heritage and color.

Data analysis report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Data analysis report - Assignment Example One of the considerations is the human belief on what the likely outcomes might be and how they may influence the decisions. The stronger the belief that the likely outcomes has an impact which is more favourable, the stronger the willingness/attitude to perform a certain behaviour. Another consideration is the expectations of others and how they might influence ones decisions. This boils down to peer pressure meaning that a certain age group may be influenced by another group, or rather, an individual in a certain age bracket may be influenced by what the other is the said group do. Further, the presence of certain factors which may have an impact on making the various decisions is another consideration taken into account. A combination of the above three considerations gives rise to behavioural intentions. According to Ajzen (1987; 1991; 2002; 2005 and 2008); Kimiecik (1992) and Beck and Ajzen (1991), the more favourable a certain attitude is and it’s accompanying social pre ssure, the stronger the intentions to make the decision. If a person has a personal control of the over the various behaviours, then it is assumed that he/she can perform or make decisions based on the availability of opportunities. However, as Beck and Ajzen (1991) puts it, changing only one belief has no sufficient evidence that attitude will change. Through their argument, a change in one belief may affect anticipated change in another belief. In support of Beck and Ajzen assertions, Godin (1993) believes that balancing the total aggregate of the three beliefs towards a positive direction is the only assurance of attitude change towards making a decision. To Madden, Ellen and Ajzen (1992), one can change the existing beliefs and which affect the implementation of certain behaviours by giving new information leading to the formation of new beliefs which are likely to tilt the balance towards certain behaviour. However, Madden, Ellen and Ajzen (1992) point out that the information given should be as accurate as possible and should be given to all without discrimination if a valid and reliable conclusion is to be made from the findings. This is so because, it is also possible to change believes by giving powerful false information relevant to the believes. This in the short term may produce a change which may not be felt in the long run. At last, the individuals retreat back to the original beliefs prior to the powerful false information. The other important factor is the understanding that the intentions may not always result into attitude change towards behaviour. In this regard, it is always important to link the two so that perceived outcomes can be properly linked producing results (Raats, Shepherd and Sparks 1993). Research Design To gain a deeper understanding of the roles of certain factors which influence the formation of consumer purchase intentions, a study was undertaken. A sample of 150 participants took part. 74 were from the UK while the remaini ng 76 were from Germany. The study data was collected using a questionnaire