Human Society's Impact on Ecosystems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Society's Impact on Ecosystems - Essay Example Human society engages in various activities that negatively affect the ecosystem. These include overhunting, deforestation, creating pollution, overpopulation and non-native species introductions. Overhunting affects the animals’ targeted leading to in extreme cases, extinction. Indirectly, it affects the ecosystem of other species of animals or plants that may have been dependent on the threatened animal for food or as a way to keep their population in check. An example is a white rhino in Africa because of overhunting by poachers the species is nearly extinct (Morgan, 2012). Deforestation directly affects plant life and indirectly affects other forms of life. Human society needs wood for different purposes. However, the overexploitation of forests and woodlands is detrimental to the ecosystem. Apart from plant life being destroyed, habitats are also affected. According to Butler (2005), Nigeria has the world's utmost deforestation pace. The country of Brazil, on the other hand, loses the biggest area of forest annually, while the Congolese consume more bushmeat than any other humid country all due to human activity. Overpopulation puts undue stress on the ecosystem thus forcing human society to compete with other members for limited resources. Pollution of the ecosystem is another negative impact of humans on the ecosystem. Pollution kills plants and animals and at the same time destroys habitats. Humans also introduce non-native species to new habitats for their own purposes. An animal may be introduced to a new area where it did not exist before to hel p cut down on an existing pest problem. Soon the new animal begins to have its own impact on the new area, and often it results in problems for other native species. The same may happen in the case of plants (Morgan, 2012). Grim as it sounds so far, the human society has some positive effects on the ecosystem. Environmental management and preservation, global water management, pollution control and environmental awareness are some of the ways human society positively affects the ecosystem. Although some activities in the list are forced on by human beings, they all have a positive impact (Dinesen, 2012).

Corporate Social Responsibility and Mass Media Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Mass Media - Essay Example The Story of Corporate Social Responsibility (2006), Dunne said that corporate social responsibility has eventually come to mean â€Å"responsiveness†. â€Å"Responsiveness† does not imply any particular action but a range of actions or range of possible responses based on a company’s perception of social or consumer needs and the company’s role in responding either to society’s or the consumers’ needs. Carroll (1999, p. 268) explained that meaning of corporate social responsibility has undergone an evolution from its â€Å"beginning in the 1950s, which marks the modern era of CSR.† Carroll (1999, p. 268) pointed out that the â€Å"alternative themes† in corporate social responsibility â€Å"included corporate social performance (CSP), stakeholder theory, and business ethics theory.† Against the Dunne (2007) viewpoint, the Carroll (1999, p. 268) viewpoint is that corporate social responsibility is â€Å"a core construct that yields to or is transformed into alternative thematic frameworks.† On investigating whether corporate social responsibility adds to financial return, Cardebat & Sirven (2010) concluded that the results of their study do not provide evidence that the adoption of corporate social responsibility improves corporate financial performance. Cardebat & Sirven (2010) used statistical and econometric methods in testing hypotheses on the role of corporate social responsibility on company financial performance. On the other hand, the work of Ali et al. (2010) indicated that the practice of social responsibility may or may not promote the retention of consumer. Based on the study, it can nevertheless be argued however that the practice of corporate social responsibility can promote the retention of the customer base. In my study, I have chosen two cases: the case of the Aviva plc and the case of Thames Water Company. For reasons that will be explained later, Aviva appears to be a lead ing example of a company based in the United Kingdom that espouse corporate social responsibility consistently and diligently for the last several years and has gained additional prominence for the espousal as well as practice of that responsibility. Aviva claims to have â€Å"300 years of insights† which can be interpreted as having 300 years of engagement in the same or similar business (2011). Alternatively, the company â€Å"300 years of insights† is also described as â€Å"300 years of heritage† (2011). In contrast, Thames Water, a water company appears to have experienced a period in which its public image was at its worst. Lately, however, data are suggesting that Thames Water has invested in corporate social responsibility and may be profiting today in the said investment. Nevertheless, it appears that there are still avenues through which Thames Water’s practice of corporate social responsibility can be improved and which the company can exploit for greater profitability. II. Case 1: Aviva plc Aviva claims to the â€Å"world’s sixth largest insurance group and the biggest in the UK, with 36,100 serving around 44.5 million

Land Vegetation Ethiopia

Land Vegetation Ethiopia 1. Project Summary Land cover/use Study projects provide policy makers, industry and community interest groups, and landholders with accurate information on  woody vegetation cover, information on changes in the cover, mapping and providing statistical information. In earlier times the northern Ethiopian highlands were characterized by humid climate and denser vegetation (Bard et al., 2000). Significant human impact on the land resource resulted in 65 per cent of the total land mass to be a dry land. Land clearing for agricultural activity has become an increasingly main topic in the natural resource debate that contrasts the economic aspects of land development to the people dependent on it and with the ecological need to conserve. This project is a one of the initiative to investigate the land cover and its respective slope of the study site and to recommend technologies applicable to the overall land cover study projects in the dry high lands of Ethiopia. The study combines field verification  and computer processing using state-of-the-art remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. The study specifically applies and eexplore the potential of Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) bands of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer ASTER images to discriminate land use categories where the land is fragile with mixed uses villages, patches of forest, patches of grazing land, crop land, wasteland, etc. the study will also explore the potential of ASTER images to provide stereo images for DEM generation of the scene that can be used to generate the Slope. The DEM generation task will investigate developing a rational polynomial function model. At last integration of the land cover and the DEM together with other GIS data can be used as input data to classify the suitability of land for specific land use. 2. The Problem Statement and Justification for the Research More than 63% of all smallholders in Ethiopia have less than 1 hectare of land. Population is growing rapidly and, although in the northern parts of the country the average rural population density is only 33 persons per square km, the population density per unit of arable land is much higher (138 persons per square km). Land fragmentation is common and the more fragmented holdings are, the more time it takes to manage them, with potential consequences for productivity. The national average is 3.2 parcels per smallholder, though districts averages vary from a little over 1 to more than 5. The broadest areas of high fragmentation are in eastern Amhara and Tigray, although there are also districts with high average fragmentation in Gambella, parts of SNNP, and the eastern highlands. (Ethiopian Agricultural Sample Enumeration, 2001/02. Central Statistical Authority.). As a result of fragmentation, farm sizes are very small and the use of fallow is rapidly disappearing, causing problems of declining soil fertility and erosion. Population growth increases the demand for land and contributes to farming on steep and fragile soils, also leading to erosion problems. It increases demand for biomass as a source of fuel, leading to deforestation and increased burning of dung and crop residues, thus increasing the problems of erosion and nutrient depletion. Population growth increases demand for livestock products and therefore leads to increased livestock numbers, causing overgrazing and consumption of crop residues by animals. In such situation Land degradation is a great threat for the future and it requires great effort and resources to improve. The major causes of land degradation in Ethiopia are the rapid population increase, severe soil loss, deforestation, low vegetative cover and unbalanced crop and livestock production. Inappropriate land-use systems and land-tenure policies enhance desertification and loss of biodiversity. The balance between crop, livestock, and forest production is disturbed, and the farmer is forced to put more land into crop production. The government has envisaged long- and short-term strategies to reduce the pressure on land and land fragmentation. Among the short term strategies are providing technical and vocational training to the landless youth to enable them to find off-farm employment and encouraging emigration to urban centers and to other parts of the region for resettlement. These strategies recommended allocation and reallocation of land to be based on the land use classification to be done in detail study. Understanding the current status of land use is very important and this project will come up with important elements of current land use study using remote sensing technologies to provide reliable information that help to prepare a complete land use plan. Justification Land Cover/ Slope Study To approach the growing problems of natural resource management, spatially explicit information about physical, biotic, and human factors must be available in a variety of geographic and temporal scales (USFWS 1976). Local planners and managers require detailed knowledge of the region for which they have responsibility as well as information on the regional, state, and national levels. Land cover data are essential at several scales. Current land cover data are vital to many applications including: making basic habitat assessments, delineating specific vegetative communities, calculating soil loss, and evaluating water quantity/quality within and between watersheds. The list of categories to be mapped is determined through the objectives of the mapping effort. This thesis describes such a mapping effort, one of presenting a basic land cover/Slope map, along with methods useful for land use planning applications. The conventional methods in producing DEMs need large campaigns that result in land surveying teams using analogue or analytical techniques. In the last decades satellite stereo image based topographical map production is turned into operational state from its experimental state. Recently many local scale landscape or topographical monitoring requirements are maintained by high resolution satellite images (Kanab 2002, Zomer et al. 2002, Baily et al. 2003, Su ¨zen and Doyuran 2004a, b, Liu et al. 2004). Advantages of ASTER for land evaluation The ASTER sensor is carried on board the Terra satellite that was launched in December 1999. The sensor has 14 spectral bands; three for Very Near Infra Red (VNIR) at 15 meters resolution, six for Short Wave Infra Red at 30 meters resolution, five for Thermal Infra Red at ninety meters resolution. Graphic 1 (below) shows the band coverage of the ASTER sensor. Thus with such resolution and number of bands it is possible to discriminate small fragile lands typical of Ethiopian highlands. In addition ASTER imagery has an extra channel of image data that is created by the sensor capturing a backwards looking image for the third VNIR band. So for image band three there exists one (nadir) image channel and also a backwards looking (off nadir) image channel. This creates an along-track stereo effect that provides DEM generation capability to be used for slope study. Scope This thesis presents a small watershed land cover/Slope map representing for the northern region of the country. It will provide information just beyond the local watershed by demonstrating feasibility of using selected satellite imagery for regional planning as well. It is known that Land suitability analysis is the process of matching demand, crop requirement, and supply, the quality of the land. Where it is necessary to specify the type of specific land use (e.g for forest plantation, maize, rangeland, etc.) so as to match with crop requirement, basic land characteristics, such as depth of soil, climate, amount of pH, level of soil nutrient, depth to ground water, etc.. Thus the scope of this thesis is limited to generating parameters necessary for the land suitability analysis. Project Objectives General objective To demonstrate the feasibility of Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery to provide base line data for land use planning for sustainable land management Specific objectives Investigating discriminating power of ASTER Imagery in studying land cover in highly fragmented high lands of northern Ethiopia. To develop rational polynomial function model to generate a DEM that will be further processed to develop slope information. 4. Description of Project Activities and Methodology Selecting Study Area The landscape of Ethiopia is extremely diverse. In order to map land cover on a regional scale, it is necessary to understand the structure and dynamics of land cover on a local scale. To this end, the study area will be located to approximately represent throughout the northern part of the region. Thus the site will include major physiographic regions, i.e., predominantly mountains, valleys, and plains. On top of that the study site will be chosen on the following criteria: ease of access to allow comparison of actual land cover to images in hand, availability of current digital cover maps, and representation of regional land cover. Classification Scheme The first step in land cover mapping is to determine a classification system, i.e., to list the land categories to be mapped. Several items will be considered in this process: The objectives The characteristics of the data And the accuracy requirements. As in most well planned mapping efforts, the objectives determine the classes and the procedures used. Since the objective of this study is to identify fragmented land use types rather than classifying different vegetation types, emphasis will be placed on land impacted by human activities. The data available also determined the level of detail. ASTER imagery is assumed to be the best data currently available. The relatively high spatial resolution and the number of spectral bands of this imagery offers the best opportunities for discriminating a variety of cover types among any available satellite data such as Landsat. Imagery ASTER imagery with 15m spatial resolution, which is taken in the dry season of 2003, is the basic dataset from which land cover and Slope will be mapped. The data to be used for land cover study will be the VNIR bands (Band 1: 0.52-0.60 Lm; Band 2: 0.63-0.69Lm and Band 3N: 0.76-0.86Lm) of and 3N and 3B bands for the Slope study. A DEM created from ASTER level 1A (L1A) imagery can be expected to have a vertical accuracy of approximately 25 meters. Although in areas with less vegetation or man made features, this can rise to approximately 11 meters. It is therefore useful for small to medium scale mapping applications, 1:50,000 to 1:100,000. Only the near-infrared (NIR) channel of ASTER image has stereoscopic view capability as another NIR sensor is located as back view on board Terra satellite. Therefore, one NIR sensor collects image in nadir direction while another NIR sensor gets image in back-looking direction. Using two different looking directions, stereo imaging and DEM generation can be attained (Welch et al. 1998, Toutin 2002, Hirano et al. 2003). Training Data for image classification Since this study applies supervised classification, training data are needed at the start of classification. To this effect training data will be acquired from a variety of sources such as available maps, aerial photography of the same year and expert knowledge and review. Image Classification One scene for the land cover study and another nadir scene for the Slope study will be used for classification. To georeference the image, Ground Control Points (GCPs) will be collected from easily identifiable points using Geographic Positioning System (GPS). Image classification will be done either using pixel based supervised image classification or with object-oriented image classification depending on the accuracy to be achieved. ILWIS 3.3 software format will be the major image processing tools that will be used. Ground Truth and Classification Accuracy Assessment Before a map should be used, it is necessary to know its accuracy (Congalton1996). Accuracy assessment will be made using ground truth points to be collected from the major land use/cover types using GPS. It is recommended to have a ground truth at the same time of data acquisition, or at least within the time that the environmental condition does not change. A general rule of thumb is 75 to 100 reference points per category for a large image (Congalton 1996). However; for such a small scale study quite less number of reference points will be feasible. Statistics The Confusion Matrix In order to determine the errors in the classification, the following model called confusion matrix: (IDRISI module CONFUSE.) will be applied where: Matrix columns = ground data (assumed ‘correct) Matrix rows = map data (classified by the automatic procedure) Cells of the matrix = count of the number of observations for each (ground, map) combination Diagonal elements = agreement between ground and map; ideal is a matrix with all zero off-diagonals Errors of omission (map producers accuracy) = incorrect in column / total in column. Measures how well the map maker was able to represent the ground features. Errors of commission (map users accuracy) = incorrect in row / total in row. Measures how likely the map user is to encounter correct information while using the map. Overall map accuracy = total on diagonal / grand total Statistical test of the classification accuracy for the whole map or individual cells is possible using the kappa index of agreement www.sc.chula.ac.th/courseware/2309507/lec_content.htm). Users and producers accuracy measure the correctness of each category with respect to errors of commission and omission. Accuracy of each class cannot be completely stated in one statistic; both accuracies are needed for a valid assessment. Users accuracy is obtained by dividing the number correctly classified by the total number of pixels, within the classified image, of that class assessed. A low users accuracy represents a high error of commission. Producers accuracy is calculated by dividing the number of pixels correctly classified by the total number of reference points within that class (bottom row of error matrix). A low Producers accuracy represents a high error of omission. The Kappa statistic describes the degree of superiority (expressed as a proportion), that the classification results have as compared to a random classification. DEM Generation Developments in computers, broadening of visualization applications and the availability of geospatial data, made the use of digital elevation models (DEM) an indispensable quantitative environmental variable in most of the research topics. The landscape change and process-based studies in digital Earth sciences require the excessive use of DEM (Ka ¨a ¨b 2002, Zomer et al. 2002, Baily et al. 2003, Su ¨zen and Doyuran 2004a, b, Liu et al. 2004), for landslide susceptibility/hazard assessment, erosion susceptibility, glacier monitoring, geomorphological mapping, etc., in order to quantitatively represent or to analyse the morphology or the landscape. Within this study, the major steps that will be performed are (1) pre-processing and (2) The first step in pre-processing is the orthorectification of raw L1A images. The whole scene ASTER L1A image will be orthorectified using available 1: 50,000 scaled topographic maps. DEM generation from stereoscopic imagery is dependent on establishing the mathematical model relating the scene coordinates of conjugate points to the ground coordinates of the corresponding object point. Either rigorous or approximate models can be used to establish such a relationship. Rigorous modeling necessitates a full understanding of the imaging geometry associated with the involved sensor. Moreover, it involves the external characteristics (as represented by the Exterior Orientation Parameters EOP) and the internal characteristics (as represented by the Interior Orientation Parameters IOP) of the imaging sensor. Such characteristics are derived with the help of control information, which might take the form of a calibration test field, ground control points, and/or onboard navigation units (e.g., GPS/INS). However, the derivation of these parameters might not be always possible due to: the lack of sufficient control; weak imaging geometry (especially for satellite imaging systems with narrow angular field of view); and/or intentional concealment by the data provider (e.g., Space Imaging does not release the IOP and the EOP for their commercially available imagery). Therefore, there has been an increasing interest to investigate approximate models, which do not explicitly involve the internal and external characteristics of the imaging system. (A. Habib, E. M. Kim, M. Morgan, I. Couloigne, 2005). There has been an increasing interest within the photogrammetric community to adopt approximate models since they require neither a comprehensive understanding of the imaging geometry nor the internal and external characteristics of the imaging sensor. Approximate models include Direct Linear Transformation (DLT), self-calibrating DLT (SDLT), Rational Function Model (RFM), and parallel projection (Vozikis et al., 2003; Fraser, 2000; OGC, 1999; Ono et al., 1999; Wang, 1999; Gupta et al., 1997; El-Manadili and Novak, 1996). This thesis will apply RPF; it is based on the ratios of polynomials with different degree which can vary from 1 to 3. The coefficients are estimated using a large number of Ground Control Points (GCPs). In general, the procedure for DEM generation from stereoscopic views can be summarized as follows (Shin et al., 2003): †¢ Feature selection in one of the scenes of a stereo-pair: Selected features should correspond to an interesting phenomenon in the scene and/or the object space. †¢ Identification of the conjugate feature in the other scene: This problem is known as the matching/correspondence problem within the photogrammetric and computer vision communities. †¢ Intersection procedure: Matched points in the stereo-scenes undergo an intersection procedure to produce the ground coordinates of corresponding object points. The intersection process involves the mathematical model relating the scene and ground coordinates. †¢ Point densification: High density elevation data is generated within the area under consideration through an interpolation in-between the derived points in the previous step. The image orientation with rational polynomial functions involves general transformation to describe the relationship between image and ground coordinates. They provide a generic representation of the camera object-image geometry. The RPF provided with the high resolution satellite images connect image space and object space by: Row or column = rpf (ÃŽ », Ï•, h) Where row/column is the image coordinates and ÃŽ », Ï•, and h are longitude, latitude and ellipsoidal height in geographic coordinates of WGS84 datum (Grodecki et al., 2004). Direct solutions use rational function coefficients and sensor parameters information without any control points and refinement the original coefficients. Indirect solutions use ground control points for computing coefficients without using sensor parameters (Tao, Hu 2001). Our solution is based on ground control points without any initial values of coefficients. First approximate values of parameters extract and then precise values compute with using ground control points. Rational Function Model with 20 parameters (Valadan, Sadeghiam 2002) is used in this paper as follow: Where : are the normalized row and column of pixel in image. : are the normalized coordinates of the image point in the Conventional Terrestrial (CT) coordinate system. : Rational Function Coefficients (RFCs). Estimating the RFM coefficients The method by which the RFM coefficients are recovered depends on the availability of a physical sensor model. In cases where a physical model is provided a terrain independent scheme can be applied. This scheme is based on the generation of a 3D grid in object space, using the physical sensor model. The 3D grid should contain several layers of points and its characteristics are determined by the coverage of the image and the terrain relief differences. Then, a Least Squares solution of the RFM coefficients can be derived. Finally, an estimation of the quality of the derived RFM coefficients should be carried out based on an evaluation of the residuals in a higher density 3D grid. When a physical model is not available, a terrain dependent scheme is used. As in this scheme it is not possible to generate a 3D grid, the solution is highly sensitive to the terrain relief, as well as to the distribution, number, and quality of the GCPs used. Generation The generation process involves four steps: primitive extraction, primitive matching, space intersection, and interpolation. Primitive extraction: At this stage, a decision has to be made regarding the primitives to be matched in the normalized scenes. Possible matching primitives include distinct points, linear features, and/or homogeneous regions. The choice of the matching primitives is crucial for ensuring the utmost reliability of the outcome from the DEM generation process. In this research, point features are chosen. Fà ¶rstner interest operator (Fà ¶rstner, 1986) will be used to extract distinct points from the imagery. The operator identifies points with unique grey value distribution at their vicinity (e.g., corner points).The next section discusses the matching procedure of these points. Primitive Matching: The matching criteria deal with establishing a quantitative measure that describes the degree of similarity between a template in the left scene and a matching window, of the same size, within the search space in the right scene. Either correlation coefficient or least squares matching could be used to derive such a similarity measure Space Intersection: Following the matching process, conjugate points undergo an intersection procedure to derive the ground coordinates of the corresponding object points. The RPF equation will be used for such computation. Interpolation: So far, the ground coordinates of matched interest points, which passed the consistency check, are derived through space intersection. These points are irregularly distributed and are not dense enough to represent the object space. Therefore, they need to be interpolated. In this research, Kriging will be used to interpolate the resulting object space points into regular grid. The Kriging methodology derives an estimate of the elevation at a given point as a weighted average of the heights at neighboring points. 5. Project Milestones and Expected outputs 5.1. Expected output Following are the expected outputs from this research; Based on the success of ASTER imagery in demonstrating land cover classification and slope generation, the result herein may be used as basic data to assist slope management, land use planning, and other land management efforts such as land suitability, and landslide susceptibility mapping when combined with other GIS data. Provides a procedure based on the rational polynomial function model for generating DEM directly from a stereo ASTER images, and other experimental results. In particular, the method can be quickly and easily applied to areas with little map data, and at low cost. Based on the success it can be extended for all the northern high lands of Ethiopia. 5.2. Dissemination plan The immediate users of the research result are policy makers, teaching institutes and other planning and development organization in their programming of land use management. It will also assist the local government in the design and making of policy issues. The small holder farmers are the ultimate users of the research results through well designed land management projects that are effective in ensuring sustainable development of the resources they are dependent on. 6. Work Plan 7. References Fraser, C. S., H. B. Hanley (2003). Bias compensation in rational functions for Ikonos satellite imagery. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 69(1): 53-57. Ganas, A. E. Lagios, N. Tzannetos (2002). An investigation into the spatial accuracy of the Ikonos2 orthoimagery within an urban environment. Int. Journal of Remote Sensing, 23(17): 3513-3519. Grodecki, J. and G. Dial (2003). Block adjustment of high resolution satellite images described by rational polynomials. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 69(1): 59-68. Hu, Y., C.V., Tao (2002). Updating solutions of the rational function model using additional control information. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 68(7): 715-724. MARCAL, A.R.S., BORGER, J.S., BOMES, J.A. COSTA, P.J.F. (2005) Land cover update by supervised classification of segmented ASTER images. International Journal of Remote Sensing 26, 1347-1362. www.sc.chula.ac.th/courseware/2309507/lec_content.htm YAN, G., MAS, J.F., MAATHUIS, B.H.P., XIANGMIN, Z., VAN DIJK, P.M. (2006) Comparison of pixel-based and object-oriented image classification approaches—a case study in a coal fire area, Wuda, Inner Mongolia, China. International Journal of Remote Sensing 27, 4039-4055.

The Killer Angels :: essays research papers

The novel starts out when Harrison, a Confederate spy, reports to James Longstreet that 80,000 to 100,000 Union soldiers have marched within 200 miles of Lee's position near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Harrison also bears news of a change in Union leadership. Major General George Meade had replaced "Fighting Joe" Hooker as commander of the Union Army. Lee sees this change as an opportunity to strike while the new commander gets his bearings. He decides to concentrate on Gettysburg, the small town where several roads in the area converge, where he intends to cut the Union army off from Washington, D.C. First shots are fired at dawn as Rebels attack Buford's dismounted cavalry. Later that day Lee orders Ewell to take control of Cemetery Hill. Ewell did not follow orders and the union gained control of the Hill instead. Late in the afternoon, on the second day, Colonel Chamberlain's 20th Maine regiment is moved into the woods. Colonel Vincent orders Chamberlain not to withdraw from his new position at the left flank of the Union line. The Confederates engage with the Union troops and Chamberlain’s 20th Maine time and time again. Finally when ammunition is low Chamberlain gives the order to â€Å"fix bayonets,† and charges down the hill driving the rebels back. That same day Lee orders Longstreet to attack the Union center, and Longstreet advises against it. â€Å"They will break," Lee insists. He directed Longstreet to take three divisions. Longstreet passes the order along to his generals Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble. Pickett and other commanders lose mos t of their men in the battle. As the survivors pull back, Lee finally admits his error to Longstreet, who gives his order to retreat. The two personalities that stand out the most in my mind are Robert E. Lee and Joshua Chamberlain. Lee and Chamberlain share many similarities. They are idealistic, optimistic, and have faith and pride in their men. Both care about their men, yet do not hesitate to use them, including Chamberlain’s own brother, for the sake of the cause. The men under Lee and Chamberlain show them a great deal of respect. Chamberlain is somewhat of a father figure to his men, as is Lee to James Longstreet. Joshua Chamberlain is an unusual man, formerly a college professor, and views the war and the men around him more as a philosopher then a military man. On his march toward Gettysburg he sees a row of dead confederates from a previous battle, and wonders whether the town’s people will give them a decent burial or leave them for the buzzards.

Education in the Philippines Essay

The system of education in the Philippines was patterned both from the educational systems of Spain and the United States. However, after the liberation of the Philippines in 1946, the systems have changed radically. The Department of Education (or DepEd) administers the whole educational system, which also includes the allocation of funds utilized for school services and equipment (such as books, school chairs, etc.), recruitment of teachers for all public schools in the Philippines, and the supervision and organization of the school curricula. The former education system of the Philippines is composed of 6 years of elementary education starting at the age of 6 or 7, and 4 years of high school education starting at the age of 12 or 13. In this system, education is not compulsory. However, since June 4, 2012, DepEd started to implement the new K-12 educational system,[3] which includes the new curricula for all schools (see the section). In this system, education is now compulsory. All public and private schools in the Philippines must start classes from a date mandated by the Department of Education (usually every first Monday of June for public schools only), and must end after each school completes the mandated 200-day school calendar of DepEd (usually around the third week of March to the second week of April). The implementation of the K-12 program is â€Å"phased†. The first phase of the implementation will start on SY 2012-2013. During this school year, universal kindergarten will be finally offered, and will now be a part of the compulsory education system; and a new curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7 students would be introduced. By SY 2016-2017, Grade 11/Year 5 will be introduced, and Grade 12/Year 6 by SY 2017-2018; with the phased implementation of the new curriculum finished by the SY 2017-2018. Students in 2nd year to 4th year high school this SY 2012-2013 are not included in the program. It is only applicable to students from Kinder to 1st year high school which is now called Grade 7. However, during the new educational cycle, from 2016 to 2018, college enrollment could slow down because of the entrance of the lower-year students to the new educational system. Primary Education Elementary school, sometimes called primary school or grade school (Filipino: paaralang elementarya, sometimes mababang paaralan), is the first part of the educational system, and it includes the first six years of compulsory education (grades 1-6). These grades are further grouped (informally) accordingly into: primary level, which includes the first three grades (grades 1-3), and intermediate level, which includes the last three grades (grades 4-6). The elementary school education covers a smaller but wider than the junior and senior high school because of the spiral approach educational technique. In public schools, the core/major subjects that are introduced starting grade 1 include mathematics, Filipino, and Makabayan (until grade 3, this subject is synonymous to social studies, but also incorporate values education and the fundamentals of political science). English is only introduced after the 2nd semester of grade 1. Science is only introduced starting grade 3. Heograpiya (geography), kasaysayan (history), and sibika (civics) (abbreviated as HEKASI), is only introduced starting grade 4 (similar also to social studies but focuses more on the subjects earlier stated). Minor subjects then include music, arts, physical education, and health (abbreviated as MAPEH). In private schools, subjects in public schools also include those of the public schools, with the additional subjects including: computer education and HELE (stands for home economics and livelihood education; while in Christian schools or in Catholic schools, religious education. International schools also have their own subjects in their own language and culture. From grades 1-3, students will be taught using their mother tongue, meaning the regional languages of the Philippines (also called as dialects) will be used in some subjects (except Filipino and English) as a medium of instruction. It may be incorporated as a separate subject. But from grade 4, Filipino and English as a medium of instruction will then be used. On December 2007, Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced that Spanish is to make a return as a mandatory subject in all Filipino schools starting in 2008 but it didn’t come into effect. DECS Bilingual Policy is for the medium of instruction to be Filipino for: Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyong Pangkatawan, Kalusugan at Musika; and English for: English, Science and Technology, Home Economics and Livelihood Education. Article XIV, Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine constitution mandates that regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. As a result, the language actually used in teaching is often a polyglot of Filipino and English with the regional language as the foundation, or rarely the local language. Filipino is based on Tagalog, so in Tagalog areas (including Manila), Filipino is the foundational language used. Philippine regional languages are used in the provinces in the teaching of Makabayan. International English language schools use English as the foundational language. Chinese schools add two language subjects, such as Min Nan Chinese and Mandarin Chinese and may use English or Chinese as the foundational language. The constitution mandates that Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis. Following on this, a few private schools mainly catering to the elite include Spanish in their curriculum. Arabic is taught in Islamic schools. Until 2004, primary students traditionally sat for the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). It was intended as a measure of a school’s competence, and not as a predictor of student aptitude or success in Secondary school. Hence, the scores obtained by students in the NEAT were not used as a basis for their admission into Secondary school. During 2004, when DECS was officially converted into the Department of Education (DepEd), and also, as a result of some reorganization, the NEAT was changed to National Achievement Test (NAT) by the Department of Education (DepEd). Both the public and private elementary schools take this exam to measure a school’s competency. As of 2006, only private schools have entrance examinations for Secondary school. The DepEd expects over 13.1 million elementary students to be enrolled in public elementary schools for school year 2009–2010. Though elementary schooling is compulsory, latest official figures show 27.82% of Filipino elementary-aged children either never attend or never complete elementary schooling, usually due to the absence of any school in their area, education being offered in a language that is foreign to them, or financial distress. In July 2009 DepEd acted to overcome the foreign language problem by ordering all elementary schools to move towards mother-tongue based learning initially. The order allows two alternative three-year bridging plans. Depending on the bridging plan adopted, the Filipino and English languages are to be phased in as the language of instruction for other subjects beginning in the third and fourth grades. Secondary education PSHS Main Campus. Note the disparity between rural and urban education facilities in the Philippines. Secondary school in the Philippines, more commonly known as â€Å"high school† (Filipino: paaralang sekundarya, sometimes mataas na paaralan), consists of four levels largely based on the American schooling system as it was until the advent of the comprehensive high schools in the US in the middle of last century. The Philippine high school system has not moved much from where it was when the Philippines achieved independence from the US in 1946. It still consists of only four levels with each level partially compartmentalized, focusing on a particular theme or content. DepEd specifies a compulsory curriculum for all high schooling, public and private. The first year of high school has five core subjects, Algebra I, Integrated Science, English I, Filipino I, and Philippine History I. Second year has Algebra II, Biology, English II, Filipino II, and Asian History. Third year has Geometry, Trigonometry, Chemistry, Filipino III, and World History and Geography. Fourth year has Calculus, Advanced Algebra, Physics, Filipino IV, Literature, and Economics. Minor subjects may include Health, Music, Arts, Technology and Home Economics, and Physical Education. In selective schools, various languages may be offered as electives, as well as other subjects such as computer programming and literary writing. Chinese schools have language and cultural electives. Preparatory schools usually add some business and accountancy courses, while science high schools have biology, chemistry, and physics at every level. Secondary students used to sit for the National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT), which was based on the American SAT, and was administered by DepEd. Like its primary school counterpart, NSAT was phased-out after major reorganizations in the education department. Now the National Achievement Test is administered to second year students. Higher education institutions, both public and private, administer their own College Entrance Examinations (CEE). Vocational colleges usually do not have entrance examinations, simply accepting the Form 138 record of studies from high school, and enrolment payment. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Philippines

Jane Austen’s Novels Plot-Construction

In contrast to the simplicity of her style, Jane Austen's plots are unexpectedly complex. She is not content to simply draw two or three characters in isolation. She prefers a family, with their many friends and acquaintances and she tries within her limited range to make things as difficult as possible. SETTINGS OF HER NOVELS Jane Austen's field of study is man. She is, therefore, more preoccupied with human nature than nature in the nineteenth century usage of the word. The background and the scenery of the provincial town is rich in its beauty and grandeur. But there is no attempt to look into the spirit of this country. Thus although, she has some sense of locality yet she does not paint an English community like the other writers of her time. She rather avoids those very elements of the population in which the local flavour, the breath of the soil is most pronounced. She is further incapable of evoking a scene or a landscape and cannot conjure up the spirit of Bath as Emile Bronte could conjure up the spirit of the Moorlands or Hardy that of Wessex. All this, one may say, would be fatal to her dramatic quality of construction. In all her novels, we see only a limited range of human society. Most of her characters are the kind of people she knew intimately, the landed gentry, the upper class, the lower edge of the nobility, the lower clergy, the officer corps of the military. Her novels exclude the lower classes-both the industrial masses of the big cities and the agricultural labourers in the countryside. Three or four families in the country village is the very thing to work on. She does not show any of the great agonies or darker side of human experience. There is no hunger, poverty, misery or terrible vices and very little of the spiritual sphere of experience. Nor do we see any political dimension or even discussions regarding major political happenings in any of her novels. Nature too, is rarely described and her characters are usually presented indoors with an occasional expedition or picnic thrown in. According to Andrew H. Wright, the novels of Jane Austen can be considered on three levels of meaning: first, the purely local-illustrative of country life among the upper middle-classes at the end of eighteenth century in Southern England. Second, they can be taken as broad allegories in which Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and a number of other virtues and defects are set forth in narrative form and commented on in this way. Third is the ironic level whereby the incidents, situations and characters in a novel imply something more than what they seem. PLOT-CONSTRUCTION IN SENSE AND SENSIBILITY It is one of Austen's simplest novels. The story deals with two sisters Elinor -the heroine represents a woman of sense, while Marianne, her foolish foil represents a woman of sensibility. The first volume of the book has a symmetrical pattern and a clear parallel is drawn between the two romances-Edward Ferrars and Elinor, John Willoughby and Marianne. True to Elinor's cool, sensible nature the relationship between Edward Farrar's is conducted on the level of the mind, with both displaying hardly an emotion. The theme of sense is thus exemplified through their relationship. On the other hand Willoughby who enters Marianne's life as a true romantic hero having carried her home when she sprained her ankle, exemplifies the theme of sensibility in his relationship with Marianne. While the moral seems to illustrate the superiority of sense over sensibility there is an ironic twist in the plot whereby Elinor and Marianne virtually interchange their positions PLOT-CONSTRUCTION IN EMMA The plot of Emma can be said to have an ‘inward' and an ‘outward' movement. The inward deal with Emma's self-deception- with what she thinks is happening while the outward deals with what actually is happening and this brings to light her mistakes. It is through a series of humiliations and self reproach that Emma finally awakens to self-knowledge. The reader's enjoyment stems from an awareness that Emma is wrong. From chapter 1 to 15, Emma thinks that Mr. Elton is in love with Harriet only to discover to her horror that Elton loves her. From chapter 18 to 30, Emma thinks herself to be in love with Frank and Jane Fairfax to be associated with Mr. Dixon. From chapter 31 to 46, Emma is convinced that Harriet and Frank Churchill are interested in one another. Towards the end of the novel, from chapter 46, Emma's theories about Frank and Harriet are about Jane Faifax and Dixon are destroyed and she has to face the possibility of Mr. Knightley being in love with Harriet. It is only after Knightley's proposals in the shrubbery that â€Å"what is happening† and â€Å"what Emma thinks is happening† converge and Emma's progress from self-delusion to knowledge is complete. By analyzing the plots of ‘Sense and Sensibility', ‘Emma' and ‘Pride and Prejudice', we observe that Austen's theme-her subject matter revolves round courtship and marriage in each of her novels. By the time we have reached the end of any of her novels, not only the hero and heroine but most of the other people in the story have succeeded in pairing off in marriage. And it is from the courtship of the hero and heroine that the story derives much of their tension. PLOT-CONSTRUCTION IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE The main plot of Pride and Prejudice presents the story of the misunderstanding, estrangement and union in the lives of two people-Elizabeth and Darcy. The novel begins with the flutter and eager expectation in the Bennet family at the arrival of the young â€Å"single man of large fortune†, Mr. Charles Bingley. The sub-plot of the Jane-Bingley relationship attracts greater interest for some time. They meet at a ball, are attracted towards each other and their intimacy grows through dinner-parties, balls, etc. All this while, however, the events of the main plot also gather interest. Darcy and Elizabeth are present at the same ball. Darcy is looked at with great admiration for about half the evening and is soon ‘discovered to be proud', and when Bingley persuades him to dance with Elizabeth, he says that she is ‘tolerable' but not handsome enough to tempt him. Elizabeth developed ‘no very cordial feelings towards him'. This prejudice forms in the very first m eeting and is intensified by various other factors. Miss Caroline Bingley's designs on Darcy and her efforts to reprobate Elizabeth during her stay at Netherfield are so persistent that inspite of his being attracted by Elizabeth's pair of fine eyes, he realizes that it is dangerous to pay too much attention to Elizabeth and observes a studied reticence. Mrs. Bennet's silly remarks, Mary's all too quick consent to sing at a party, Mr. Collin's sycophancy, Mr. Bennet's want of propriety and Lydia's shallowness—infact everything that the Bennet family did is enough to alienate anybody and Darcy's poor opinion of the whole set urges him to avoid closer connections with Elizabeth. When Elizabeth meets Wickham, his winning manners grow on her good-will, and the altogether false reports of his victimization by Darcy intensify her prejudice far too much. Later, when she naturally suspects that Darcy plays a prominent part in ruining the prospects of her sister's marriage with Bingley, she feels an almost irrevocably strong prejudice a gainst him. From chapter 3 to 33, the prejudice grows in better strength and so when Darcy proposes to her, she bluntly rejects him. In reply to his enquiry about why she refused, she lays the charges at his door without any apology. The first stage in the history of their relationship is convincingly developed. Chapters 35 and 36 mark the climax in this development. Darcy's letter to her marks the beginning of the second stage. Every event occurring subsequent to this helps to reverse Elizabeth's conception of him, undo all the knots of prejudice and reveal the sterling qualities that he possesses. Even at the end of the first stage, his repulsive pride completely dominates all his thought and action, but the citadel staggers at the first rude shock Elizabeth gives him. ‘She showed him how insufficient were all his pretentions to please a woman worthy of being pleased', and even though he was angry at first, he soon realized that the lesson she taught was ‘hard indeed at first but most advantageous'. When they met most unexpectedly at Pemberley, he ‘showed her by every civility in his power that he hoped to obtain her forgiveness and lessen her ill opinion, ‘Darcy's excessive pride is dec reased and Elizabeth becomes proportionately less prejudiced. Many events in the second stage quicken this cleansing process. Even in the offending remarks about her family there is an admission that Elizabeth could inspire in Darcy a strong feeling of love capable of overcoming his strong scruple of family pride; and her vanity is touched. Darcy's narration in the letter makes it clear to her that if he found Jane's behavior ‘without any symptom of peculiar regard for Bingley', it was a pardonable, even justifiable, error of judgment and the motives were certainly unchallengeable. The baselessness of her violent charge of ruining Wickham's career becomes all clear to her. Colonel Fitzwilliam's report about him is also creditable to Darcy. All these events make her conscious that she had acted despicably and that her certainty about her discernment was most unjustifiable. Her visit to Pemberley brings another surprise. His housekeeper, Mrs. Reynold's, is genuinely proud of Darcy, who is ‘the best landlord and the best master', ‘affable to the poor', ‘an entirely good brother': and she is sure to know better. Darcy's unexpected meeting at Pemberley is still more effective: he impresses her aunt and uncle by his excellent manners, and Elizabeth has to admit that her prejudice was ill founded. Finally, Darcy's most invaluable help in the eprisode of Lydia's elopement with Wickham sweeps off all her objections. And so when Darcy's second, and most polite proposal is made, her attitude has changed as much as his. The first minor eprisode is the Jane-Bingley relationship. It can be treated as an independent event, but Jane Austen has woven it well with the main theme. Jane and Elizabeth are sisters who share each other's secrets, hopes and fears and it is the simplest connection. But on the strength of Darcy's regard, Bingley has the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion, and so when Darcy suspected that Jane did not love Bingley as fervently as Bingley loved her, and found that her family had all vulgar manners and shallow tastes, he ‘readily engaged in the office of pointing out to him the certain evils of such a choice'. This was one of the very important reasons of Elizabeth's strong prejudice, and thus it is connected with the main theme. The Wickham-Lydia eprisode and the Collins-Charolette relationship is equally well connected with it. While Elizabeth has developed a prejudice against Darcy, she is strongly attracted towards Wickham— and it is very long before she knows what his real character is. One of the two strong charges she levels against Darcy is the ruining of Wickham's prospects. Darcy reveals the truth to her later, but because of her silence on this point, she cannot stop her sister's elopement and the slander on her family. It is this catastrophe, however, that brings Darcy closest to her because it is his love for her that he finds out the fugitives and makes a successful effort to bring about a marriage between Lydia and Wickham, neglecting the thought of the loss to him. Mr. Collins proposes to her, and later marries her best friend Charolette. All the threads are thus connected. Wickham and Charolette also serve as a comment on Elizabeth and Darcy. â€Å"The Darcy-Elizabeth couple is flanked on one side by the unexceptionable Bingley and Jane, it is flanked on the other by Charolette and Wickham†. The last two have the cleverness of the two main characters, but they are time-servers. The structure is therefore, most cleverly unifying. The precision, simplicity and symmetry of ‘Pride and Prejudice' evoke instinctive appreciation. So well it is constructed that the action proceeds logically from exposition, complication and climax to the denouncement and finally the resolution. The sub-plots are also thematically unified. The theme of love and marriage is exemplified through the plot and the sub-plots. Jane Austen uses the dramatic narrative mode and irony so effectively to build her complex plot that it would not be amiss to say that she â€Å"is the most perfect dramatist who never wrote a play†. Furthermore, all Jane Austen plots are characterized by a unity of tone and are compact and well- knit. There are no loose ands anywhere, no event conceived outside the actual plot and nothing usually hampers the progress of the story. JANE AUSTEN'S COMEDY OF MANNERS  IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE â€Å"The wisest and the best of men-nay, the wisest and best of their actions – may he rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke. â€Å"Certainly†, he replied Elizabeth-â€Å"there are such people, but I hope I am not one of them. I hope I never ridicule that is wiser or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can.† This brief dialogue between Darcy and Elizabeth throws distinct light upon Jane Austen's purpose and programme in her novels. For once it be supposed that Miss Bennet's point of view is but a projection of her creator's. Her intention in these novels is to present a comedy of manners – to present the follies and vices of men and to expose them to general ridicule by employing the devices of comedy, parody, burlesque, irony, wit, satire, each one of them as is suitable for the occasion and need. THE UNITY OF TONE Hence, her plots are characterized by a singular unity of tone and she often achieves it by focusing our attention at it from more than one angle. In Pride and Prejudice alone the unity of plot has been achieved from as many as three angles. We can view the novel first, as Elizabeth Bennet sees everything; secondly, by assigning to Elizabeth and Darcy a prominent place into the novel and by centering the higher and nobler comedy around these two figures; and thirdly by making the whole story a study in Pride— pride of place and responsibility in some, pride in the form of social snobbery in others and also either a perverted pride or the lack of pride in the rest. However, the unity is therefore very essential in imparting coherence and shape to her design. Thus, the structure of Jane Austen's novel is perfect and is ideally suited for the material she wanted to embody and the outlook she wished to present.

The United States of Europe Essay Example

The United States of Europe Essay Example The United States of Europe Essay The United States of Europe Essay Jacob Hawkins The United States of Europe Chapter 9 Appraise one concept (benefit, challenge, or either) relating to each of the following: Political: * A problem that EU runs into when they try to become the United States of Europe is also a problem the United States of America had when they came together to build the constitution. It is how to allocate the power in the EU throughout 25 big and small member states when writing the constitution. Economic: Something that helps them is the elimination of trade barriers, and the advent of the euro which has been the world’s strongest currency for much of its life makes the EU a financial and commercial superpower. Social: * The U. S. A. is giving people less privacy because of the attacks on 9/11/2001 while the EU is creating more laws about not being able to give out personal information. So, the U. S. A. demands the information and the EU says it’s illegal to give that information. Technological: Throughout the world, i t used to be that if you made a product to meet the U. S. A standards that you could pretty well sell it all over the world. Now, international companies have to follow Brussels’ regulations because they are tougher than the regulations that the U. S. A. abides by. Certain chemicals can be used in the U. S. A. when those same chemicals are banned from being used for certain products in Brussels. In order to sell to Brussels you obviously have to follow their regulations.

Education in Iceland

Education in Iceland Introduction Traditionally, education was viewed as a need that was optional and could be substituted to meet other life’s important basics. Today, provision of education has become a government’s social responsibility in a majority of the countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Education in Iceland specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the challenge remains on the provision of inclusive education and schooling, and how best to tailor the country’s educational system to produce citizens who can effectively meet the society’s desired qualities. The needs of the society have been continuously transformed by globalization and as such, countries and societies have had to constantly undertake reforms in their educational systems. Background Information on Education in Iceland In Iceland, the provision of compulsory education is the responsibility of the government. According to the refor ms made by the government in 2008 on compulsory education, it is the responsibility of the local municipalities to provide education to all the children in the pre-primary and compulsory school level (European Commission. 2009). Compulsory education is applicable to all children between the ages six and sixteen. The state is charged with the responsibility of providing upper secondary and higher education (European Commission. 2009). The law requires that pupils attending compulsory education to do so on a full time basis and. In addition, the state has also defined the roles of the parent as that of ensuring that children register for school (European Commission, 2009). It is also the parent’s role to ensure that children attend school. The local municipalities ensure that pupils are given instructions recommended by the law while the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture supervises the implementation process. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (2010), the educational structure of schools in Iceland comprise of the pre-primary level, the compulsory level, the upper secondary level and finally, the higher education. The compulsory level comprise of the single structure-primary and the lower secondary. Pre-primary education is available for children between the ages of 3 and 5, after which they progress to primary schools at the age six and later on enter lower secondary schools at age 11. Students enter upper secondary schools at age 14 after completing their tenth grade and graduate from the upper secondary in the thirteenth grade at age 16 or 17 (UNESCO, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All the state and municipality levels, schools are expected to follow the national curriculum provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. At the pre-primary level, the teachers in the schools are given the res ponsibility of determining the school’s curriculum. According to the European Commission, (2009), the subjects covered at the compulsory level of education include Mathematics, natural sciences, English, social sciences (including History and Geography), art and craft, Physical Education, religious studies, as well as equal rights affairs. The pupils at this level of education are also taught Icelandic as a second language. The curriculum also includes information and communication technology, life skills as well as other foreign languages like Danish, Spanish, or French. At the upper secondary level, the students are taught Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, information technology, Economics, History, arts and craft, psychology, environmental systems as well as other languages. Teaching of the Icelandic curriculum is done using the country’s native language, Icelandic (European Commission, 2009). The curriculum also provides for extra-curricular and social activities which are incorporated in the daily school activities. Teachers have the autonomy to decide on the teaching methods and materials appropriate for achieving the objectives in each situation. However, instructions for each subject are clearly defined in the curriculum and those that require exposure of learners to their immediate environment normally takes place in the form of field trips. The curriculum requires that assessment be done regularly so as to monitor the learners’ progress. There is no examination at the end of the compulsory curriculum in grade ten, however, the principal of the compulsory school awards the learner with a certificate of completion (European Commission, 2009). However, at the upper secondary and tertiary levels of education, the subjects are divided into modules and students are assessed at the end of every semester and are graded according to the unit-credit system. Theories of learning supporting Education in Iceland This approach is d erived from the Humanistic theories of learning which emphasize on the natural desire by learners to always gain more knowledge and the need to allow learners to control their learning process as the teachers are reduced to facilitators of the learning process.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Education in Iceland specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Constructivism Theory One such humanistic theory is the constructivism theory which argues that human beings develop knowledge and meaning through the interaction of their ideas and experiences. Thus, learners would normally build knowledge upon that that they have already acquired. It also implies learning from experience is very important and therefore it is essential to apply teaching and learning process that incorporates learning through experience. According to Wertsch, (1997), the learner takes an active role in the learning process. This theory recognizes that each l earner is unique and has complex needs and therefore it is important that teachers understand the entry behavior of each learner and the learner’s unique learning ability. According to Wertsch, (1997), the learners background and culture help shape the knowledge and facts that the learner discovers and acquires during the learning process. The teacher has to consider all these when planning any learning content to be delivered to the learners. Social constructivism theory According to the social constructivism theory, learners learn best through experience and therefore discovery approach should be aimed at providing experience that would enable learners construct knowledge and make sense of the concepts being learnt (Pajares and Schunk, 2001). It also states that learners can conceptualize any information no matter the level or the age of the learner provided that the knowledge is reinforced. Thus a learner centered approach should prepare learners with the specific capaciti es that are necessary for the learner to interact with and in the world that may not be acquired in any other social settings (Pajares and Schunk, 2001). This theory suggests that teachers should take into consideration learner’s interest. It is also important for teachers to provide an environment and learning opportunities that enable learners to articulate the knowledge. Repeated experience on the concepts being learnt will enable learners to internalize and apply the concepts in a more sophisticated constructs (Gardner, 2005 and; Pajares and Schunk, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These experiences provided in terms of experiments should not be provided in the school setting alone but should include the wider society so as to integrate societal experience and school experience (Gardner, 2005). This theory also suggests that there should be no limits to learning and therefore learners should always be encouraged to gain more knowledge. Purpose and Scope of the Study The main purpose of the study is to investigate the education system in Iceland. It seeks to find out what the government and the Icelandic society as a whole is doing in order to achieve an inclusive education and schooling for its multicultural society. The aim of the study is to acquire best practices employed in the Icelandic educational systems and to analyse the deficiencies that exist in the education system that needs to be improved. The objective of the study is to enable the education providers achieve highest quality of professional development for their learners especially at the primar y and secondary levels of education. This study was done so as to provide future education reformers with base line or reference for carrying out reforms. The scope of this study covers the Icelandic curriculum and pedagogical strategies applied in imparting the society’s desired knowledge, skills, values and morals. It discusses the assessment strategies applied to gauge the level of learning in the learners. The study also looks into the role played by the school environment including collaboration with the school parents in shaping the behaviuor of the learners and the learning outcomes. The study also covers the role played by the school culture in the learning process as well as the roles played by the school curriculum and school community in shaping the leadership and organization of the individuals. Methodology The study critically examined incidences in educational systems and practices so as to discover factors that help teachers and the general school community pro vide quality and an all inclusive education and schooling. This was done in order to determine the activities and practices which best foster successful learning in Iceland Schools. The research methodology that was used to collect information was a one-to-one interview. Selecting the school of study involved an underground research through the internet. The selection of the school was based on how modern, the school environment and the school’s mission statement. Finally I decided on Nordlingaskoli , a new school in Reykjavishire. The principal of Nordllingaskoli was contacted to request for a meeting with him which he confirmed and thereafter an appointment was booked. A questionnaire was designed to cover all the areas of study. The questionnaire prepared consisted of open-ended questions only; to help gather more information and the attitude of the principle towards the education system. The School’s Background Information Nordlingaskoli is a new school located in the rural Reykjavishire in RVS District. It has a small student population of about 200 students but this is anticipated to increase before the end of the year. The school uses the national curriculum guidelines in planning its school activities. However, the school’s educational system is unique since it applies a mixed-age group in its teaching and learning programmes. Besides, the system focuses more on provision of art and craft and environmental studies. The school has a very unique system of education which applies mixed-age group learning. The principal’s name is Sif Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir. Findings Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir explained that the school uses the national curriculum guide to plan and carry out its school activities although the planning of the school activities is also based on the aspirations and objectives of the school. Besides, teachers joining the school have to pass an orientation system and be fully info rmed on the objectives of the school and how the school is meeting the learners’ unique needs. The principal also explained that the assessment of learners takes different forms. Learners can be assessed in their learning groups or individually. The assessment includes both formal and informal evaluation done by the individual teachers. The school has various electives available for the learners. Although it focuses more on art and environment studies, there are also other practical and interesting programmes like home economics, music, drama, information technology among others. The school provides many elective subjects to give the students wide options to choose from and to offer flexibility to learners as well as to give the teachers the time to offer individual tutorials to learners. The school also has plans to increase the number of teachers, introduce more programmes and expand its facilities in order to meet the speculated increase in demand for its services. The sch ools programme of differentiation has been successful according to the school principal. Students are allowed and helped to choose the groups they prefer to join according to their learning abilities and their learning aspirations. Differentiation and mixed-age groupings enables pupils learn from each other particularly from the older members and therefore pupils are better enabled to grasp knowledge and thus they are better enabled to achieve their learning outcomes. Besides, the teachers can easily provide for the needs of the groups rather than for an individual. Differentiation enables teachers to plan for every individual and at the same time makes school activities to be flexible. Differentiation and mixed-age groups enable learners achieve maximum results and inner motivation to acquire more knowledge and skills. The learner identifies the area of interest and both the teacher and parent help the learner choose his or her area of interest. The teacher discusses the ability of the learner with the parent in order to help the learner choose the area of interest that best suits his or her abilities and meets is or her needs. The school is very much prepared to meet the needs of learners who join the school while they are still very young. The instruction materials are tailored to motivate them and help them concentrate in learning activities. The instruction contents given to them do not cover wider learning content and also involved more activities that develop their motor skills like play and other outdoor activities. According to the principal, school systems with shorter working periods are not able to complete their programmes or even adequately provide for the individual needs of their learners. This means that in most cases learners have to endure with daily classroom activities which may be boring if done continuously. Besides, the teachers do not get the time to expose learners to the realities in their environment and thus the learners may not be able to apply or connect the knowledge and skills learnt in class to the real world. According to the principal, the students are easily assimilated in other learning systems particularly in the upper secondary schools since most of their learning is practical. The workshops which the school organizes for the learners impart practical skills which are very much related to the vocational training offered in the upper secondary schools or even in job applications. The practical skills offered to the learners make them more competent and better equipped to solve problems that occur in real life situations. The outdoor activities and the mixed-age groups in the school enable learners develop life skills and social skills which are very important in socializing within the society. Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir explained that the school operates in accordance with the guidelines provided by the national curriculum which require that learners should be automatically promoted to the next class . Therefore the age and the year of entry determine the promotion to the next level. Surroundings and material The outdoor activities carried out as part of school activities are normally under the close supervision of the teacher who provides guidance on the activities. Besides, students are normally in their groups hence easier to manage since members of a group are responsible for each individual in the group. Students’ health is the responsibility of both the teacher and the parents. Since the goals of the school are shared by the parents and they understand what the school plans to achieve, they understand that their children need to keep their children warm always. This helps the school protect the lives of the learners from the weather conditions that might affect the learners’ lives. Besides, the learners also have free health care provided by the government. Enhancing the students’ concentration while in class is very important in the school, therefore the teachers ensure that the instructional materials provided are interesting and that the learning content and the instructional materials have been decided upon by the learners and the teacher. These enhance the learners’ concentration and also motivate the learners. Conflict resolution is a very important aspect of education in a multicultural education today. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school is committed to promoting learners’ appreciation of diversity and how to overcome prejudice. According to Wendy (1994), it is also important to teach the learners how to manager their anger and be tolerant to each other. This enables learners control their emotions (Banks and Banks, 2005). The guidance and counseling department takes the lead in helping the learners understand the need to exist in unity in diversity. According to the principal, the school understands that wherever the learners come from, there is normally prejudice instilled into them by their respective societies; therefore it is very important to teach learners to avoid acting on their prejudice that they come with from their respective communities. The school organises bonding workshops at the beginning of each academic year in autumn in what the school considers to be the biggest workshop in the school called the â€Å"The Homestead†. Since the school exists in an environment with trees it is not difficult acquiring the materials for the wood work lessons. Again, since the school is a public one, these materials are provided for by the government (European Commission, 2009). According the principal, some materials are also bought by the school and at the same time, learners are given the chance to go for field trips to observe what happens in woodwork workshops or tree forests. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school organises and sponsor many local and international community outreach programmes such as Habit for Humans. Learners collaborate with t he school community activities such as cleaning the environment, garbage collections and sorting, tree planting and many others. Languages of the school The official languages that the learners are supposed to use while in school are English and Icelandic. However, learners are also encouraged to keep their native languages since the school believes that one can better learn a second language through his or her mother tongue. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school does not find it difficult dealing with the diversity of languages since the teaching staff also comprises of diverse languages. The staff operates as a team, shares and cooperatively solves problems that they meet while dealing with the learners. School culture: Communication, collaboration and atmosphere The uniqueness of the school system is not at all a barrier to the learners’ interaction with the outside world. According to the principle, the school is involved in many programmes which ensure that they are not cut out of the outside world. They are involved in music, drama and sports activities such as basketball, football, volleyball and baseball, and tennis, dance, cheerleading, and swimming among many others. These activities are distributed across the three seasons of autumn, winter and spring which find the learners in school. The sports activities give the learners a chance to compete and interact with other schools and the outside community. Besides, the learners are also given the opportunity to participate in inter-school academic activities, science congress and other students’ forums. The school has computer laboratory connected to the internet. This gives the learners the opportunity to connect to the outside world and to even invite community resource persons of their own choice. The school also invites experts, professionals, artists and other community resources persons to come share with the learners. The school appreciates the uniqueness of the other n eighbouring schools and organises collaborative activities with the neighbouring schools to gain from the different learning experiences that the other learners are exposed to. The school also organises collaborative activities with the neighbouring schools to enable its learners better develop their social skills and to increase their network of friends. The school is aware of the diversity of cultural backgrounds among the teachers, learners and teachers. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the teachers have in mind the school’s code of conduct and code of ethics. The code of conduct provides them with a guideline on how they are supposed to carry out their duties and how they are supposed to interact. It also provides a guideline on how they are supposed to enhance teamwork in the various groups that exist in the staff which include academic departments and other activities; as well as in the staff as a whole. Besides, the leadership structures within the school admini stration enable the teachers work harmoniously as a team. They also use the internet to share the learning contents, learning materials and other resources which enhance teaching and learning. The environment created by the diversity in teachers, learners and parents is stimulating and provides the learners with a rich experience and exposure. The diversity that exists in the school community gives the school an international image and in turn an international exposure and international understanding of other people’s culture. The diversity in the school community especially the involvement of parents in the learning activities of school enriches the learners’ learning content. Since its inception, the school has applied teaching strategies that involve differentiation and co-operative learning which have ensured that each student’s work and learning corresponds to his or her needs. Nordlingaskoli believes in the uniqueness of its learners and provides the best environment for optimum achievement of learners’ objectives. The school offers tailor-made conditions that meet individual learners’ needs. The school is also on course to developing a new reference table which would better enable the school to apply its differentiation programmes to the speculated large numbers of learners in the near future. The programme is being developed in collaboration with the municipal as well as the national education authorities. This would ensure that the programme meets the national education standards in provision of learners’ areas of interest such as art and craft, environmental studies and many more. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, this would enhance flexibility in meeting the needs of the learners. Besides, the diversity in the staff would enable individual learners’ attendance. The principal also noted that the school plans to recruit even more diverse teachers to meet the needs of the expected increase in cultu re. According to Ragnarsdà ³ttir, (2010), it is important to develop a common organizational culture which respects every idea from other cultures. More teachers from different cultures will enable provision of more languages taught in the school and hence help teachers provide for individual tutorial programmes to the learners (Bennett, 1999). Collaboration with homes/families and communities Although fully engaging parents has been a bit challenging since much of their time is consumed by their work, most parents have occasionally turned up whenever called upon. The parents are very much committed to their children’s development. The first day of the learner’s attendance at school takes place at home and two teachers, male and female visit the learner and the parent(s). According to the principal of the school, the parents are involved in setting the objectives of the outcomes of their children, assessing the progress of their children, providing resources, counseli ng their children and evaluating the performance of the school. All the teachers and the administration have access to the parents’ email addresses which are available in each learner’s file and the school’s database. This makes communication with the parents to be easier in case of problems or any issue that requires the parent’s involvement. The surrounding community has also been involved in the various school activities. The surrounding school community provides security to the learners and the school as a whole. They also protect the surrounding environment which includes the local river and the nearby forest which are used by the teachers to provide the needed experience during outdoor activities. The school also collaborates with surrounding community in community outreach programmes such as tree planting and other environment conservation measures. The principal explained that modeling the school culture and environment to fit in the community inv olves creating a common organizational culture that understands the needs and applies the ideas of the community. The teaching materials and learning contents have been tailored to utilize the resources from the local community. Most outdoor activities take place in the local community environment and the experiences which learners are exposed to are derived from the local community. Leadership and organization The principal explains that the school has various outbound activities, workshops, outdoor activities and mixed-age groups which enrich the development of leadership skills and also provide opportunities for learners to practise their leadership skills. The students therefore behave responsibly and are responsible for their friends. There are student leaders in various respective levels of leadership including group leaders, class leaders and other capacities. The students are given guidance and counseling on leadership and management skills by the guidance and counseling dep artment to enable them carry out their responsibilities and duties effectively and efficiently. The student leaders are also given the opportunity to attend leadership workshops and forums with students from other schools. Besides, the school administration recognises and awards students who have demonstrated strong leadership skills in the school community. According to the principal teachers undergo an orientation process to inform them of the mission and, the objectives, the shared aspirations and goals of the school, the parents and learners and the school programmes in order to enable them adapt to the school system. This is done by the school principle, the respective department and all the teachers. The school has room teachers who are responsible for all the activities and needs of each mixed-age groups. The learners’ workshops are organized through a coordination of the respective subject teacher, the class teacher, the room teachers, the department involved and the school administration headed by the principal. Learners are also involved in deciding the learning activities of the workshops. These workshops are part of mainstream learning activities and therefore do not involve other schools. According to the principal, the teaching and learning structure of the school is unique since it involves the mixed-age groups and therefore can not be integrated with the teaching in the neighbouring schools. School development and school policy According to the school’s principal, the school is more concerned with providing education that meets individual learner’s needs and aspirations. Therefore it is in the process of completing the reference time table to enhance differentiation. According to the principal, the school is also developing a software that would enable it disseminate information to learners. The software would enable the school link its website to the National Library Consortium which is owned by the state. The school also encourages and supports teachers’ innovative programmes for developing better teaching strategies and instructional contents and materials. The school policy, according to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, is to ensure that each learner is exposed to learning experiences which best meets his or her objectives and aspirations so as to enable the learner complete his or her education as a happy, independent and strong individual. To ensure that this is achieved, the teachers evaluate the outcome of the learners and the feedback from both the parents and the learners. The teacher and the learner sign a study contract and both set the objectives for the outcome of the study contract. They decide the learning content and the instructional materials. At the end of the programme, the teacher and learner evaluate achievement of the objectives. Evaluation of learners involves the teachers and the parents and discusses the progress of each student. Theories of Learning Explaining the Educatio n System at Nordlingaskoli The school uses the cognitive theories of learning and in particular, the social cognitive learning theory as well as the multiple intelligence theory of learning. Multiple intelligence theory of learning argues that learners should be allowed to exploit their strengths. It states that each learner has multiple intelligence levels therefore the learner should be exposed to various learning experiences in order to help the learner develop all the learning forms (Gardner, 2005). Learners are always curious to acquire knowledge by themselves and therefore should be given the opportunity to do so. What the government is doing According to the European Commission, (2009), the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture provides the national curriculum guidelines for all schools. The curriculum provides pedagogical guidelines, instructional organisations and policies to be applied in schools. It also stipulates the guidelines for the organisation of school activi ties as well as the objectives for the respective levels of education. The ministry also develops and distributes instructional materials to compulsory schools for free through its National Centre for Educational Materials and is coordinated by the District School Boards. The District School Boards are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of schooling as well as instruction in the respective municipalities. They also monitor the school curriculum structure and make recommendations to the local government or the principal of the school on improvements that could be made to improve the school’s operations (European Commission. 2009). The government also recognises that the country’s demography is diverse and therefore has included many foreign languages in the curriculum as well as employs teachers from diverse backgrounds. According to Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (2004), the government has increased the parents’ participation by trans ferring the management to the municipals. The national curriculum guidelines require that the schools should enable learners acquire Christian and charity values as well as tolerance to each culture and towards each other. It requires that the education offered should enable learners who are Icelanders acquire cultural consciousness and to respect other nations cultures. Recommendations Given that the parents are given the opportunity to participate forums for discussing their children’s schooling, it is important that those heading each parents association to consider ways in which their objectives could better help each school achieve its objectives. It is also important for schools to help learners develop a common organizational culture that respects all cultures. Finally, the curriculum gives the learners more authority to control their learning process. Teachers and parents should be enabled to have more control over the learning process particularly for the younger age s in the primary level of education. Summary The study discusses the Icelandic education system and in particular the compulsory education. Provision of compulsory education is the responsibility of municipalities while upper secondary and higher education is provided by the state. The municipality monitors the progress of the education system in accordance with the national education guidelines. However, the challenge for provision of education to the Icelandic community is providing an education system which meets the needs of the multicultural society. The study discusses the measures that have been taken by Nordlingaskoli to ensure provision of education that meets the needs of all learners including their objectives and aspirations while at the same time respecting and shaping their cultural backgrounds. The study discusses theories of learning that form the basis of the Icelandic curriculum which are cognitive and social cognitive theories of learning as well as multiple intel ligence theory of learning. The major characteristic of the school is that it uses mixed-age groups in providing learning experiences for learners. Conclusion Education in Iceland has succeeded in providing multicultural education to its citizens. This programme should be recommended for many nations in Europe and other parts of the world still struggling to provide multicultural education to their citizens. However, in adopting this system the particular nation should consider its population. Reference List Banks, J.A., Banks, C. A. M. (2005). Multicultural education: Issues perspectives. New York: John Wiley Sons. Bennett, C. I. (1999). Comprehensive multicultural education. Theory and practice Boston o.fl.: Allyn and Bacon. Gardner, H. (2005). Multiple lenses on the mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. European Commission. (2009). Organisation of the education system in Iceland 2008/09. Armsterdam: EU. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. (2010). The Educational system in Iceland Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. (2004). The national curriculum guide for compulsory school. Pajares, F., Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-beliefs and school success: Self-efficacy, self-concept, and school achievement. In R. Riding S. Rayner (Eds.), Self- perception. London: Ablex Publishing. Ragnarsdà ³ttir, H. (2010). Internationally educated teachers and student teachers in Iceland: Two qualitative studies. Helsinki: CJEAP. UNESCO (2008). Inclusive education and schooling in Iceland. Helsinki: International Bureau of Education. Wendy, S. (1994). Anti-bias and conflict resolution curricula: Theory and practice. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse. Wertsch, J.V. (1997). Vygotsky and the formation of the mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield   Overview Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, known as â€Å"The Black Swan,† was considered the most well-known African-American concert performer of the 19th Century. African-American music historian James M. Trotter lauded Greenfield for her remarkably sweet tones and wide vocal compass. Early Childhood The exact date of Greenfield’s date is unknown yet historians believe it was in 1819. Born Elizabeth Taylor on a plantation in Natchez, Miss., Greenfield moved to Philadelphia in the 1820s with the mistress, Holliday Greenfield. After relocating to Philadelphia and becoming a Quaker, Holliday Greenfield freed her slaves. Greenfield’s parents migrated to Liberia but she stayed behind and lived with her former mistress. The Black Swan Sometime during Greenfield’s childhood, she developed a love of singing. Soon after, she became a vocalist at her local church. Despite a lack of musical training, Greenfield was a self-taught pianist and harpist. With a multi-octave range, Greenfield was able to sing soprano, tenor and bass. By the 1840s, Greenfield began performing at private functions and by 1851, she performed in front of a concert audience. After travelling to Buffalo, New York to see another vocalist perform, Greenfield took the stage. Soon after she received positive reviews in local newspapers who nicknamed her â€Å"African Nightingale† and â€Å"Black Swan.† Albany-based newspaper The Daily Register said, â€Å"the compass of her marvelous voice embraces twenty-seven notes each reaching from the sonorous bass of a baritone to a few notes above even Jenny Lind’s highs.†   Greenfield launched a tour that would make Greenfield the first African-American concert singer to be recognized for her talents. Greenfield was best known for her renditions of music by George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti. In addition, Greenfield sang American standards such as Henry Bishop’s â€Å"Home! Sweet Home!† and Stephen Foster’s â€Å"Old Folks at Home.† Although Greenfield was happy to perform at concert halls such as Metropolitan Hall, it was to all white audiences. As a result, Greenfield felt compelled to perform for African-Americans as well. She often performed benefit concerts for institutions such as the Home of Aged Colored Persons and the Colored Orphan Asylum. Eventually, Greenfield traveled to Europe, touring throughout the United Kingdom. Greenfield’s acclaim was not met without disdain. In 1853, Greenfield was set to perform at Metropolitan Hall when a threat of arson was received. And while touring in England, Greenfield’s manager refused to release funds for her expenses, making it impossible for her stay. Yet Greenfield would not be dissuaded. She appealed to abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe who arranged for patronage in England from the Duchesses of Sutherland, Norfolk and Argyle. Soon after, Greenfield received training from George Smart, a musician with ties to the Royal Family. This relationship worked in Greenfield’s benefit and by 1854, she was performing at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria. Following her return to the United States, Greenfield continued to tour and perform throughout the Civil War. During this time, she made several appearances with prominent African-Americans such as Frederick Douglas and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Greenfield performed for white audiences and also for fundraisers to benefit African-American organizations. In addition to performing, Greenfield worked as a vocal coach, helping up and coming singers such as Thomas J. Bowers and Carrie Thomas. On March 31, 1876, Greenfield died in Philadelphia. Legacy In 1921, entrepreneur Harry Pace established Black Swan Records. The company, which was the first African-American owned record label, was named in honor of Greenfield, who was the first African-American vocalist to achieve international acclaim.

Foreign investment in Qatar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foreign investment in Qatar - Research Paper Example y powers vested with the Ministry of Finance, Economy, and Commerce of the state to ensure that the investors and their activities do not cause any harm to the overall national development plan envisioned by the council of ministers of Qatar. As per this law, all sectors of national economy all open for foreign investors provided they have one or more Qatari partners who own 51% or more of the shares of the capital invested, thereby ensuring that the decision making authority lies with the latter (â€Å"Qatar’s Investment Law,† 2000). It also requires the company to be appropriately incorporated as per the provisions of the law of the state. Nevertheless the Government has identified certain sectors in which the foreign investors are free to pump in capital exceeding 49%, and up to 100% by themselves (â€Å"Foreign Investor,† n. d). These sectors include: However this requires a decree of the minister who shall issue the same provided the projects go hand in hand with the development of the state. Preference is also given to projects that may result in â€Å"optimum utilization of local raw materials, industries set up for export of products, or for introducing new products, employing new technologies in the state† (â€Å"Doing Business in Qatar,† 2012) Qatar has been open to foreign investment in-line with the global economic trend, though not without its reasonable share of restrictions implied upon the investors so that the economic activities are in line with the overall development plan of the State. The restrictions are in the form of secluding a few sectors from foreign investments which include banking sector, insurance, and real estate (â€Å"Investment Incentives†, n. d.). A close look reveals that these are the sectors that will have a direct impact upon the market and keeping them free of foreign investments will ensure that the indices are not pliable from outside the State, thus protecting the autonomy and financial integrity of Qatar. Apart from