Piaget and Vygotsky: compare and contrast Essay

Everyday life is characterized by conscious purpose. From reaching for food to designing an experiment, our actions are directed at goals. This purpose reveals itself partly in our conscious awareness and partly in the organization of our thoughts and actions. Cognition, as defined as â€Å"†¦ the activity of knowing and the processes through which knowledge is acquired† (Shaffer et al., 2002), is the process involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory and problem solving. Much past and present theory has emphasized the parallels between the articulated prepositional structure of language and the structure of an internal code or ‘language of thought’. In this paper I will discuss language and cognition and two famous theorists who were both influential in forming a more scientific approach to analyzing the process of cognitive development: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Jean Piaget was known for his establishment of the four major perio ds of cognitive development. Lev Vygotsky was the complement to Piaget’s theory with his sociocultural perspective on cognitive development. Both were keenly interested in the relationship of thinking and language learning. Jean Jacques Piaget was born in Neuchà ¢tel, Switzerland on August 9, 1896. His father, Arthur Piaget, was a professor in Medieval Literature. His mother, Rebecca Jackson, was an intelligent woman but Jean found her a little bit  neurotic. When he was in his late youth he had a faith crisis. His mother encouraged him to attend church to only found it foolish. So he had decided to focus less on philosophy and more on psychology (Smith, L.). Piaget attended the University of Neuchà ¢tel. There he studied natural sciences. He then attended the University of Zà ¼rich were he gained an interest in psychoanalysis. In 1919, he went to Paris, France where he met Dr. Simon at the Binet Laboratory. While in Paris, Piaget planned and administered many reading tests to school children and became interested not in their correct answers, but in their incorrect answers. He wanted to explore the reasoning process that children have. By 1921 he began to publish his research findings. He developed a new way of questioning the children; it was a psychiatric method of question and response. It is called the methode clinique or the clinical method. The clinical method is a type of interview in which a participant’s response to each successive question (or problem) determines what the investigator will ask (Shaffer et al., 2002). Piaget was interested in learning the differences between a child’s acquisitions of knowledge compared to an adult’s. He formed the theory that the growth of knowledge is a progressive construction of logically embedded structures superseding one another by a process of inclusion of lower less powerful logical means into higher and more powerful ones up to adulthood. Therefore, children’s logic and modes of thinking are initially entirely different from those of adults† (Smith, L.). By the time Piaget died in Geneva in 1980, he had written over 300 papers, book chapters and introductions as well as thirty boo ks on cognitive development. Piaget’s idea was that children had learned through action. He believed that children are born with and acquire schemas, or concepts for how to act and respond to the world. As children explore their world, they form and reform ideas in their minds. The more actively involved children are, the more knowledge is gained. McGee and Richgels (1996) note, â€Å"Because children construct their own knowledge, this knowledge does not come fully developed and is often quite different from that of an adult† (p.7). Accordingly, the Piagetian perspective of literacy acquisition emphasizes a child’s stages of development and reflects â€Å"concepts of reading and writing as the child has constructed them,† state McGee and Richgels (1996, p. 10). They add,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Children ‘s concepts of reading and writing are shaped more by what they accomplished in preceding developmental stages than by their simply imitating adults’ behavior or following adultsâ€⠄¢ directions† (p. 10). Piaget believed that children are born with the innate tendency to try to organize the way in which they think about their environment, that is, to make sense out of it. He believed that human beings organize the material about the environment in different ways as they mature. These mental changes are related to an interaction between age and environment. Piaget further believed that his theory was universal, that the stages of development he outlined would exist in all societies. He viewed the development of the child’s cognitive ability as a four-stage process. Children would move up through the stages in a fixed order. He assigned estimations of age for each of the four stages, but did not see the process as connected to specific ages. Piaget’s theory identifies four developmental stages and the processes by which children progress through them. The four stages are as follows: Sensorimotor stage (birth – 2 years old)–The child, through physical interaction with his or her environment, builds a set of concepts about reality and how it works. This is the stage where a child does not know that physical objects remain in existence even when out of sight (object permanence). Preoperational stage (ages 2-7)–The child is not yet able to conceptualize abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. Concrete operations (ages 7-11)–As physical experience accumulates, the child starts to conceptualize, creating logical structures that explain his or her physical experiences. Abstract problem solving is also possible at this stage. For example, arithmetic equations can be solved with numbers, not just with objects. Formal operations (beginning at ages 11-15)–By this point, the child’s cognitive structures are like those of an adult and include conceptual reasoning (Shaffer et al., 2002). While Piaget did not conduct cross-cultural research, his research in Switzerland was comprehensive. As the text points out, Piaget’s original observations and hypotheses were based on his observations of his own three children. He then tested his theories by designing experiments for children to perform. These experiments were passed on to teachers being trained at  the institute. Over the years, Piaget and these teachers have conducted an estimated 20,000 of his various experiments. For example, if one child had been taken on trips around the world, spent much time in museums, and read many books, she might be prepared to move up to the next stage at an earlier age than a child who spent his time playing video games and watching TV all day (Driscoll, 1994). Piaget accounted for varying levels of preparedness by explaining that each child possessed a schema, and that a child could not move to the next stage until his or her schema was at a threshold level. Schemata were expanded through what Piaget termed as assimilation (adding to prior knowledge) and accommodation (changing prior knowledge to fit new information). In this manner, children adapt to situations in response to their need for equilibrium (solving dilemmas; mastering skills). A soccer player who wishes to be a scorer, but lacks aiming skills, may practice at shooting at the goal until she assimilates knowledge of which angle to shoot from and how hard to kick the ball. When she adjusts her tactic (via accommodation) and score a goal, she moves from disequilibrium to equilibrium. Physical maturation, activities and socializing with peers to learn from them are all factors that can or do promote growth in schema (Driscoll, 1994). Piaget believed that children who speak aloud in the presence of others will sometimes adapt their speech to take into consideration the hearer(s) but at other times would direct their remarks to no-one in particular and there would be no evidence that the child was attempting to take into account the knowledge or interests of a specific listener. Piaget called this egocentric speech – the inability of the child to separate their own perspective from those of other people. Piaget saw egocentric speech as being the reflection of thought processes of the young child, and he investigated this in detail. He saw egocentric speech as having no apparent function in the child’s behaviour, so it would have no reason to survive, eventually fading away as the child became more aware of the distinctions between themselves and others (Piaget, 1955). Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky was born in the U.S.S.R. in 1896, the same year  Piaget was born. His active career as a psychologist was only around 10 years long. He graduated with a law degree at the Moscow University. After graduation, he started teaching at various institutions. Vygotsky’s first big research project was in 1925 with his Psychology of Art. A few years later, he pursued a career as a psychologist working with Alexander Luria and Alexei Leontiev. Together, they began the Vygotskian approach to psychology. Vygotsky had no formal training in psychology but it showed that he was fascinated by it. After his death of tuberculosis in 1934, his ideas were repudiated by the government; however, his ideas were kept alive by his students. While agreeing with Piaget that the child is an active learner, Vygotsky placed more emphasis on the child’s interaction with the social environment. Whereas Piaget visualizes the young child as a natural scientist, experimenting with the environment, Vygotsky sees the child as needing assistance at a critical point; he refers to the range of skills that a child can exercise with assistance but cannot perform independently as the zone of proximal development. With guidance or assistance from parents, adults, or even older children, the child is able to master a more difficult task or concept. In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky believed that the child requires more socialization for cognitive development. While recognizing that maturation is important in cognitive development, he placed less emphasis on it. Language and cognition emerge in development at about the same time and are intertwined. Children build new concepts by interacting with others who either provide feedback for their hypotheses or help them accomplish a task (McGee & Richgels, 1996). Vygotsky suggested that learning is a matter of internalizing the language and actions of others. According to McGee and Richgels (1996), â€Å"Vygotsky believed that children need to be able to talk about a new problem or a new concept in order to understand it and use it† (p. 8). As the child discusses a problem or task with an adult, the adult supplies language to assist the child in solving the problem; the child gradually internalizes the language until the task can be completed independently (McGee & Richgels, 1996). The instructional technique in which  the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task and then gradually shifts responsibility to the students is called scaffolding. Vygotsky perceived the process of cognitive development as less segmented and rigid than Piaget had. He believed that children learned from in two ways: from tools and from more capable peers and adults. Tools could be anything in the environment that children use to help them advance intellectually (e.g., the internet, cultural artifacts). He advocated that children be placed in learning contexts which were raised just slightly above their existing ability so that they would step up to reach the next level. For Vygotsky, learning was a social process from the beginning. Children learned only by interacting with adults, not with peers who were at there level of cognition. The adult provides the child with assisted learning and scaffolding until the zone of proximal development has been removed. An example of this might involve a mother teaching her child how to drink from a cup. The mother could model the action for the child; the mother could then hold the cup up to the childâ€℠¢s mouth; following that, the child could attempt to raise the cup to her own mouth; finally, the mother would help the child coordinate the activity until the child she has acquired the skill. A main area Piaget and Vygotsky are both concerned about is the relationship between language and thought. This is the concept in which they show great dissimilarity. As preschoolers go through their daily activities, they frequently talk out loudly to themselves as they play and explore the environment. Piaget called these utterances egocentric speech, a term expressing his belief that they reflect the preoperational child’s inability to imagine the perspectives of others (Piaget, 1955). Piaget believed that egocentric speech reflects an inability to take the perspective of others, and plays no useful role in development. Vygotsky believed that a child’s use of private speech – talking to himself/herself – is not an example of egocentrism but rather is pre-social conversation. Vygotsky placed a high value on private speech because it enables the child not only to practice talking but also to plan activities. Some modern investigators have suggested that private speech is a process of  planning out loud – for example, when you are going to a new place, you verbalize the instructions for getting there aloud to yourself. It is an important developmental phenomenon, which helps children to organise and regulate thinking. As the Western world has more time to assimilate Vygotsky’s ideas, we may discover other contributions that are important in the cognitive development of young children (Vygotsky, 1962). There are two cases of Piaget and Vygotsky’s differences that stand out the most in their world. First, Vygotsky was critical of Piaget’s assumption that developmental growth was independent of experience and based on a universal characteristic. Vygotsky asserted that development is complex and is effected by social and cultural contexts. Biological and cultural development are interrelated and do not develop in isolation. Vygotsky believed that intellectual development was continually evolving without an end point. Second, the other conflict between Vygotsky and Piaget was the latter’s explanation of development as the notion that concepts should not be taught until children are in the appropriate developmental stage. This conflicts with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) and developmental theories. Vygotsky noted that instruction that is oriented toward development is ineffective concerning the child’s overall development. Both Vygotsky and Piaget were exceptional men with theories that have helped shaped the world of psychology. Piaget believed the universal acquisition of knowledge occurs within a four stage process. The Vygotskian perspective of cognitive development emphasizes social interaction but places less emphasis on stages of behavior. Although both theories had conflicted with one another, it is true to believe that Vygotsky had built his educational theories on the strengths of Piaget’s. References: Driscoll, M. P. (1994). Psychology of learning for instruction. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Evans, R. (1973). Jean Piaget: The Man and His Ideas. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Hall, Wayne and Drinnin, Beverly. Instructor’s Resources for Discovering Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers, 2000, p. 254. McGee, L.M., & Richgels, D.J. (1996). Literacy’s beginnings: Supporting young readers and writers (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Moll, Louis C. (1994). Vygotsky and Education: Instructional implications and applications of sociohistorical psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press. Piaget, J. (1955). The language and thought of the child. New York: Meridian Books. Shaffer, D. R., Wood, E., & Willoughby, T. (2002). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence, First Canadian Edition. Toronto: Thomson/Nelson. Smith, L. (1997). Jean Piaget. In N. Sheehy, A. Chapman. W.Conroy (eds). Biographical Dictionary of Psychology. London: Routledge. Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Enter Thomas Hardy Essay

Enter Thomas Hardy, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Gerard Manley Hopkins and William Blake. The poets are seated around a small table in a crowded and agitated Chinese restaurant, at the heart of Texas. After the initial shock and excitement of their unwonted experience, they all meditate on the state of the world in which they have accidentally landed, poring over a newspaper cut that announces the death of a young girl as a result of heroin overdose. A heavy silence has set on the poets’ table, in strange contrast to the loud mirth of the small Chinese restaurant. Raising his brow, Hardy interrupts the silence. He speaks slowly, with a clear but tired voice: Hardy: Surely my beliefs are strengthened by this terrible mishap. If only there was a malevolent ruler of the universe to blame for the cruel death of this young girl. Then all our voices would roar against him, accusing him of injustice and absurdity. We would feel betrayed and angry that the supreme ruler of the world ill-uses his creatures so. But I see it clear now, as I have seen it and heard it so often in the mysterious and neutral voice of nature all around me: the universe is a hollow shell; there is no other voice in this world than that of nature and chance echoing through the ages and creating havoc in our poor, mortal existence. The death of this beautiful child is the answer of the impersonal and cruel force of chance to all our hopes and ideals. There are many of us who have fallen in love with the world and its wonders, as there are many of us who have always hated it. I have heard the world speak to me many times, warning me not to look for meanings where there are none. I have long heard it say to me not to look for promises in the web of uncertainties and in the play of chance. This is what the world has long said to me: `I do not promise overmuch, Child; overmuch; Just neutral-tinted haps and such’. This fair warning still rings in my ears today. There is only chance in this world, that is all there is. Nothing lasts and no sense can be made of all we see around us. We look for meanings where there are only occurrences. One happening follows another and we are at the mercy of chance and time. Despite our passionate search for answers, the nature sends back only a dispassionate, neutral response, playing its games and rolling the dices. Casualty is the most powerful governing law we have and there is no hope for escape. It is this â€Å"crass Casualty† that â€Å"obstructs the sun and rain†, giving us the good moments and the bad moments by turns. Nature follows its own logic, not ours. And time plays dice with the world, casting its sums of moans and joy and making us obey its impersonal and mute force. I do not see any other meaning in the death of this young girl. She, like the rest of us, was in the hands of chance. Had her life been long and happy, she would have owed it all to chance still. There is too much arbitrariness in everything to believe we are ruled by a God who reasons and who loves. Nothing happens for a reason. Do not further look for meaning in this my friends, for there are none and never expect much, for there is nothing more†¦ The others have listened in silence to Hardy’s disconsolate speech. When he ceased however, Tennyson began in a tremulous, shaken voice: Tennyson: Oh, my friends, these would have been my own words once. Like you, I would have looked upon this young girl’s death as the substantiation of all my aching questions. I have often felt like an infant crying desperately for knowledge, for the light of meaning to suppress the darkness of the world! At times there seemed to be no answer anywhere. I wanted to see that â€Å"nothing walks with aimless feet†, that there is no destruction of life and that everything that happens has a purpose and a meaning in the larger, unseen order of things. I wanted to understand God as the careful designer of all, the divine force that gives meaning to everything there is and does not allow anything to perish. I painfully wavered between belief and disbelief†¦ At times, I could not endure the thought that anything in the world was useless or devoid of purpose. If God was here with us, a mere worm would have its significance in the world and its place in eternity along with the whole of the creation. But oftentimes my belief and my need for knowledge stumbled on the carelessness of nature. I wondered many times whether â€Å"God and Nature† were â€Å"at strife†, seeing â€Å"that Nature lends such evil dreams†. The hope in a divine order of things seemed to be shattered every time I beheld the evil workings of nature. Truly, nature seems not to care for the individual life. It crushes and destroys and casts life away â€Å"as rubbish to the void†. To me also then nature was a nightmare I could not make any sense of. A while ago, this innocent girl’s death would have seemed another evil deed of nature, an unjust robbery. Life and man’s entire existence seemed so futile at certain moments†¦A mere girl dying for no reason, a whole life cut short because of a misplaced step†¦Oh, how easy it is for reason to doubt everything and for faith to die in the soul of man! But since, I have been shown a different path and for me faith has been renewed. Even at times like these, I feel that we have God in our souls, even if it difficult to perceive him in nature. I now know that it was the voice in my heart that has kept me from disbelief. Each time the voice of ‘cold reason’ interfered and questioned the meaning of all, â€Å"my heart stood up and answered: ‘I have felt’! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Reason made me blind at times, but my heart cried out and melted my anger with its passion. Our knowledge of God comes only in these moments when the heart answers eagerly and warmly to all our questions. The death of a child makes me sad beyond speech, but it does not harden me anymore. I now believe that death is just a brief moment that takes us from life’s shore to death’s domain and God’s infinite ocean. God awaits us on the infinite ocean and he will be our Pilot ever after, our guiding light in the infinite sea of time and matter. Once I cross over, â€Å"I hope to see my Pilot face to face†, and I hope that this young girl has already seen him†¦ Tennyson had spoken warmly and tremulously, his whole soul into the words that tumbled from him. From his shaded place at the table, Browning replied: Browning: Your soul is as pure as your faith, my dear Tennyson. We have reached this strange time and place in history to meet death itself and behold it through the eyes of a child. Mortals fear death, with its unknown grip that will surround each of us as a mist and transport us to some mysterious realm. Life is strange and death seems even stranger. Any mortal would feel shaken in front of this last and final struggle. But what could it be in the end, but one more experience and the last in this life? â€Å"I would hate that Death bandaged my eyes, and forbore and made me creep past. † I want to taste death to the full as I have tasted this life and feel the moment in its fullness. The girl has left this world but someone will be waiting for her on the other side and her soul will be filled again. Once I am gone from this world, I know that I will regain my lost love and clasp her in my hands once more. Death is but a brief moment, a struggle that will takes us to a place of eternal peace, where we will rest with God. This world is indeed full of chances and mishaps, but all these will be resolved once we are on the other side†¦If love has remained unfulfilled in this life, it will be rekindled in eternity. I do believe that we lose nothing by death and that the other life is as rewarding as this one. I do not fear death and only expect it to carry me back to my lover†¦This girl must have led a tormented life, the prey of her own restless desires and questions, like all of us. She will find her peace in the eternal life and she will find her place there. There is nothing to fear, not even death†¦I will wait for it but not as an end, only as a new and fresh beginning. Browning had but uttered these words that Hopkins began: Hopkins: Shake off the discontent that has intruded upon your hearts, my friends! You see the death of a child as a black and tragic event, and it certainly seems so when our mortal and untrained eyes behold it. Man is frail in the hands of the divine will, his powers are limited†¦. But the more mighty seems the everlasting ruler of the world! The drudgery of our existence seems to hide God’s glory from our eyes. â€Å"Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; and all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The earth itself smells of man and his works. Yet, in the midst of all this trade and toil we the world appears â€Å"charged with the grandeur of God. † His creation and power and infinite and so are the possibilities of the world. It is through God’s almighty design that we see light disappear in one part of the world, knowing that it suddenly begins to shine in another. Just like light and darkness always coexist, nothing reigns in nature for an unlimited period of time. Through the power of God, the good and the bad coexist in the world at all times. This girl’s death is compensated by another design of God, perhaps unknown to us at present. Only God could make all these different things come into existence at the same time. â€Å"Nature is never spent, there lives the dearest freshness deep down things. † Tasting life, with its good and bad moments, we taste of the very glory of God, who is careful to pour his infinite essence into everything there is. Death is not an end as long as God lives in everything, as long as joy springs up from each fresh beginning. Each day begins with a morning and ends with a night, and yet nothing is ever the same. God’s glory shines through all things, like a foil that you shake in the light. There are no dead things in this world; all matter becomes translucent and fiery with God’s light. With a death, the world may seem bent like a hunchback, crushed underneath the weight of loss, but overall I see the shining spirit of the Holy Ghost shaking its bright wings! The body of the world will ever be lifted by the wings of the almighty spirit! There is no permanent death and no reason for sorrow in a world in which we see the proof of God’s greatness in everything. Learn how to see the world anew, rejoicing in the immense power of the Lord, that is without beginning and without end†¦

To What Extent are Tutors and Students Responsible for the Learning Essay

To What Extent are Tutors and Students Responsible for the Learning Experience in Higher Education - Essay Example Many experiments have been done on the same and several critics have given the drawbacks and necessary steps that need to overcome them to have a better learning experience. On keeping this as a starting note, it is high time that equal importance is given to students and their learning experience at a higher education level. The primary factor that determines the scale of the learning experience of every student is their boredom factor. So, in order to identify the extent to which the students and teachers are responsible for the learning experience in higher education, an analysis has to be made with boredom as a critical factor.( Mann & Robinson 2009) To give a brief explanation of what boredom is, it can be attributed to person's state of mind when he has nothing to do that he likes. On an analysis on what causes boredom among students which in turn leads them to have a bad learning experience, it was found out that the teaching techniques of the lectures and the methods they fol low to be the primary reason. Some of the teaching methods followed by teachers evoke a passive environment of learning. Also, a one-way relationship between teachers and students could also lead to a dip in their learning curve. On the other side, a student's individual interest also plays a part on the grade one earns in learning. (Gjesne 1977) If the student is not open towards learning new things, irrespective of whatever the teacher presents. Then, the student is at the receiving end for all the blames of having a lean learning experience. Hence a cognitive analysis is required on both sides to determine the extent of impact on learning experience. ( Mann & Robinson 2009) Teachers' effect on learning experience The main teaching method that is followed in most of the universities is converting text to computer PowerPoint presentations and presenting them. Although studies have shown that these methods have improved the learning outcomes of students, there have been cases where it has had a negative impact on students. Hence a factual study of whether these presentations have improved the learning outcomes have not been provided yet.

Nuclear Accidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nuclear Accidents - Essay Example This paper reviews basic nuclear protocol as supplied by engineers and government agencies, looks at case studies of failure, and offers proposals and conclusions. Cases reviewed include Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and the 2002 degradation in Davis-Besse. Nuclear Protocol Nuclear safety mandates are highly detailed and specific (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2004; Health and Safety Executive, 2006; CANDU, 2005a; CANDU, 2005b; IAEA, 2006). Regulations are provided at multiple levels: Local, provincial or state, national, and international under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Reviewing these mandates is illustrative for understanding major nuclear failures. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or USNRC, emphasizes a â€Å"strong nuclear safety culture† (2004). They instruct â€Å"managers† to make comparisons between provided principles and day-to-day operation. They argue that organizational culture is as important to long-term safety as engineering issues. Safety culture and safety-conscious work environments are essential, and the USNRC argues that, in fact, there is no tradeoff between safety culture and cost-effectiveness, as the same procedures and policies apply for both. They point out that the nuclear safety of a plant is a collective responsibility. In the failures reviewed in this paper, buck-passing, attempts to duck responsibility and other factors plagued the ability of the plants to cope with problems. They recommend, among other proposals, that Partnerships along the utility corridor not be used to decay responsibility Board members and corporate officers personally assess safety Support and administration departments are briefed on nuclear safety Coaching and mentoring with supervision by managers Production goals be secondary to safety concerns, and this commitment be explicitly stated in production goal review Trust is maintained: Management and labor give concessions to keep the plant's atmosphere trust-sustaining Probabilistic risk analyses used in day-to-day operation Design and operating margins kept under control and review, activities affecting core functionality be especially reviewed The UK's HSE lists over thirty engineering principles that must be strictly followed, with risk erring on the side of caution (2006, 4-80), as well as principles of radiation protection. Shutdown systems, for example, should have two redundant and diverse mechanisms in place ( Health and Safety Executive, 2006, 80). Need for personnel access should be controlled (Health and Safety Executive, 2006, 75). Passive sealed containment systems and intrinsic safety features should trump active dynamic systems (Health and Safety Executive, 74). Each of the failures reviewed stemmed from a failure to adopt a parallel standard. CANDU (2006b) finds that the mechanism for handling problems should be control, cool and contain, or the three Cs. If reactor power is controlled, fuel is cooled an d radioactivity is contained, threats are controlled. This mean that 3C-compliance has to be in place at all times: Emergency conditions or regular, peak hours or slow, shutdown or upset operation, etc. The IAEA (2006) add a few salient principles. Principle 4 notes that any radioactivity gain must be justified by a pressing need. Principle 5 states that protection must be at the maximum feasible level at

, discuss methods to evaluate the effectiveness of your proposed Essay

, discuss methods to evaluate the effectiveness of your proposed solution and variables to be assessed when evaluating project outcomes - Essay Example ng utilized across the nation with both open and private immunization suppliers and is proposed by legislative and nongovernmental immunization projects and medicinal expert social orders. Assessment alludes to the assessment of restorative records to determine the immunization rate for a characterized assembly of patients and also to give focused on conclusion for development. This step is crucial in light of the fact that numerous studies have recorded that most social insurance suppliers, while strong of immunizations, dont have a faultless recognition of their own practices immunization rates. Pediatricians in these studies incredibly overestimated the extent of completely vaccinated youngsters in their practices. Evaluation increments attentiveness to a suppliers genuine situation and gives a premise for ensuing activities by supplier staff. Feedback is the methodology of educating immunization suppliers about their execution in conveying one or more immunizations to a characterized customer populace. Appraisal together with feedback makes the mindfulness important for conduct change. Feedback for the most part comprises of the immunization program delegate meeting with fitting supplier staff and talking about the effects of the appraisal to figure out the following steps to be taken. Nobody thing will be adequate for each supplier, and a solitary supplier may require diverse sorts of cause at distinctive phases of advancement. Things like little tokens of thankfulness and giving asset materials at gatherings have helped suppliers approach their assignment absolutely and make an environment of cooperation, yet more term objectives must be acknowledged also. Incentives represent a test to the inventiveness of the project agent additionally offer the chance to attempt new plans. The last AFIX segment, trade of information, runs as an inseparable unit with incentives. The more information suppliers have about their practices immunization scope status, how it

Power from the play Freakshow by Carson Kreitzer Essay

Power from the play Freakshow by Carson Kreitzer - Essay Example Flip, but lacking any ability to escape from their situation lacking other viable options in society. As Francine Russo of the Village Voice writes in her review of the play: â€Å"Playwright Carson Kreitzer gets Freakshow off to a ripping start. She plunges the audience immediately into the intrigues of a turn-of-the-century sideshow— tales of freaks born and made, of the genuine article and gaff, of the ‘shame of exhibition’ and the terrible need to be seen. She sketches the liaisons among Amalia; her muck-covered lover Matthew; the idiot Pinhead; Aquaboy, the human salamander; the Girl, a pert runaway; Judith, the dog-faced woman; and Mr. Flip, the operation's unctuous barker, promoter, and paterfamilias.† (Russo, 1999) Most symbolic of the enslavement of the circus slideshow performers is the way that Pinhead is kept in a cage on the stage. Whereas the mental capacity or genetic defect of Pinhead is deformed, it is important that this type of handicap w ould generally be better treated in a mental hospital or care facility. The symbol of the cage is ironic, in that the cage is equally present for the other members of the freakshow, only invisible. The key difference between the other freakshow members and Pinhead is their amazing wit, intelligence, and irony fuses to form a type of wisdom about life and society that only the truly excluded outsiders can possess. The intellect of Judith the Dog Faced Woman and Amalia the Amputee is also displayed as an aspect of sexuality that transgresses the barriers and boundaries of the disability and attracts the audience in a seductive manner. The humor of the characters creates a beauty born of understanding life from its worst positions of fate. On the contrary, the slavemaster mentality of Mr. Flip is merely a hyper-exaggerated example of typical modern management styles, and the circus itself a parody of capitalism in the extreme. Where the mainstream society operates on norms and stereoty pes of beauty in media advertising, the circus beauties are the hideous bottom of what would be considered opposite to that ideal popularly. Yet, in this extreme, the fascination and attraction of the public is nearly as great. The difference is that Mr. Flip is more likely to profit from the attraction of the public and their admission fees, while the freakshow cast is only given reprieve from having to exist without a role in society. As Damien Jaques writes: â€Å"Often using monologs, ‘Freakshow’ darkly speaks to the contradictions, anomalies and paradoxes that reside beneath the surface in all of our personalities. It reminds us to not make assumptions about people or situations, and it sheds light on the dependencies that often shape the lives of seemingly ordinary people. An undercurrent of primal sexuality insistently flows through the piece.† (Jaques, 2010) The Ringmaster is the most normal of the â€Å"Freakshow† cast in many ways, a simple salar y-man broken by time and the weight of futility like so many others in his situation in the mainstream industrial landscape. His love of the freakshow in many ways operates on the same pattern of the public, and is related to his own depravity as a human being. Just as in Dostoevsky’s novels the characters seem fated to walk a path of self-destruction, all the while knowing that

Islamic Responses to Western Modernization in the Middle East Essay

Islamic Responses to Western Modernization in the Middle East - Essay Example In present times, when modernity is largely defined according to the terms of the West, Islam has often been criticized of being regressive and unable to move on with the times. This paper shall look at two articles that came out in The New York Times and in BBC. According to Nicholas Kristof and Timur Kuran, there is an underutilization of women in the Middle Eastern Muslim Countries. They however, argue that this is a fairly recent phenomenon. They argue that it was the advent of industrialization that has resulted in a comparatively less liberated atmosphere that women have to face in Muslim countries of the Middle East. The authors talk about the different standards that are set in ascertaining the contributions of women in the different cultural frameworks. They also argue that the problems that are found with the Islamic treatment of women can be traced to a faulty assessment and interpretation of Islam. It happens according to them as a result of â€Å"Islamism†, a phen omenon that occurs as a result of the conflict between modernity and Islamic worldviews. According to them, such conflict deepens the stands that are taken by hardliners within the Islamic establishment, making them adopt more and more regressive perspectives (Kristof and Kuran). There are problems with such an approach. One of them is that it does not admit of the possibility of a debate into the tenets of Islam that actually may be oppressive for women. Apart from this, it also talks of the possibility of a utopian form of Islam that can be achieved merely through a different interpretation of it. Apart from these flaws, this approach also ignores the historical marginalization that woman of these communities have faced and the economic and social repercussions of it. The article seeks to set right the flaws in religion through religion and not through a holistic intervention. Roger Hardy’s article does not fall into the trap of offering alternatives. He talks of the flaws in the processes of modernity and the hurry that it has displayed in asserting its superiority over Islamic structures of society. Instead of incorporating changes, what the colonizers sought to do was to impose them. This, Hardy suggests is something that was counter-productive. According to him, one of the major issues that such communities have with modernity is the doubt that it introduces into the psyche of the societies that it is a part of. This problem persists in most Muslim societies of today as well (Hardy). As can be seen, there are several problems that can be identified right from the level of the perspective of the author(s). To find or to suggest any solution would not be a conclusive venture but a beginning. This is so because any possible solution needs to emerge from a dialogue in which every party which has a stake needs to be a participant. As a result, one needs to take on board the doubts that are voiced by the Islamic establishment and also organizations that work within such countries for the empowerment of women for making such a solution. A solution needs to be reached through a compromise where each party is willing to cede ground to the other. However, this does not mean that outmoded ways of living that unfairly oppress one section of mankind are allowed to stay on. The inevitability of progress has to be accepted. The oneness of the progress of humanity in a

Intermoutain Health Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intermoutain Health Case Study - Assignment Example d the interdependence between the physicians and the health care team thus ensuring that IHC’s clinical care was affordable and of high quality (Bohmer et al, 2002). The measurable impact of Dr. James clinical integration program has been the increase in the competiveness of the institution within the health care industry in the region. To this effect, IHC enrolled 40% of the insured population of Utah to its Health Plans. The institution as well enrolled a significantly huge number of second tier insurers with 85,000 public employees, 73,000 educators, 52,000 mail handlers, 60,000 from CIGNA, 48,000 from Aetna, and 45,000 from Desert Mutual. The institution as well enrolled many smaller insurers with fewer than 20,000 enrollees. In essence, the clinical integration program introduced by Dr. James enabled the institution enroll about 40% to 60% of the insured population to its Health Plans (Bohmer et al, 2002). The fundamental attitudes towards variability in clinical practices exhibited in this case include cost and quality. In this regard, the attitude of cost aims at reducing the cost of clinical practices to ensure that the institution incurs minimal costs in its provision of health care services. The attitude of quality is the most fundamental attitude towards variability in clinical practices in which case it denotes the effectiveness and efficiency of the clinical practices. This attitude is fundamental as it influences the attitude of cost on the basis that high standards of quality influence minimal costs for clinical practices (Bohmer et al, 2002). The role of the shadow organization in clinical continuous quality improvement is to foster and influence the continuous quality improvement process by undertaking initiatives that aim at ensuring continuous quality improvement. In light of this, Intermountain Health Care serves this role through its initiation and continuous undertaking of quality improvement initiatives. This aspect of the organization

Unit 5 discussion Exploring 1960 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 5 discussion Exploring 1960 - Research Paper Example Peace, love, and brotherhood were the mantra of the American Hippie. The hippie movement (subculture) cut across almost every sphere of American life, inclusive of political, social, and traditional beliefs. The Hippie movement was a broad subculture that significantly altered the fabric of American culture and society (Callan, 2006). In some way, Hippies altered the fashion, music, and lifestyle of America. The group revolutionized people’s perception on taboo subjects such as sex, as it broadly perceived sex identities and desires as something to be explored rather than being contained. Neo-Nazism is a general term incorporating aspects such as fascist, nationalist, white supremacist, anti-Semitic beliefs, and political tendencies seeking to revive the Nazi order or establish fresh order grounded in doctrines similar to those underpinning Nazi Germany. The counterculture movement has a strong resemblance with white nationalist and white power skinhead movements (Lewis, 1996). Neo-Nazism is predominant in nationalist far-right parties such as National Alliance and radicalized versions of protestantism. The movement demonstrates hate towards minorities, gays and lesbians and pursues the establishment of fascist political states. Neo-Nazism counterculture incorporates politically incorrect ideologies such as militant nationalism, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism. Counterculture refers to a cultural group whose values and norms are in conflict with those of the social mainstream (Gay, 1997). Neo-Nazism is a counterculture because its ideologies such as xenophobic nationalism and National Socialism are at odds with the mainstream social ideals, besides most of its ideals are explicitly outlawed by constitutions and criminal laws of many

American Involvment in World War I Essay Example for Free

American Involvment in World War I Essay This investigation assesses American involvement in World War I before military intervention, and how this led to military intervention. In order to assess these causes, one must examine America’s involvement in the war before combat, the events that launched America’s military intervention in the war, American sentiments about the war before military intervention, and Woodrow Wilson’s actions before the war. Two sources used in the essay, America’s Great War: World War One and the American Experience by Robert H.   Ziegler and Woodrow Wilson’s speech to congress on April 2nd, 1917 are evaluated for their origins, values, purposes and limitations. The investigation does not asses the pre-war situations of any countries but the United States, and does not asses American military involvement during the First World War Summary Of Evidence Prior to 1917, America was already deeply involved in the First World War, though they did not have troops fighting in the trenches overseas. First, American involvement in the war was purely as a producer and creditor to the Allied Powers. The war, while catastrophic for the countries involved in its atrophied trench battles, provided America with an astronomical boost to its economy, from 2 billion dollars in exported materials in 1913 to nearly 6 billion dollars in exports in 1916. This economic boom was mainly brought on by Britain’s dependency on American foodstuffs and manufactured goods.. The economic ties between America and Britain tightened with public subscription loans. By 1917, Britain had borrowed 2. 7 billion dollars from American creditors. Historian Paul Koistinen wrote â€Å"Without American supplies, Britain could not continue the war; without American financing of almost 10$ million a day †¦ Britain would exhaust its reserves of gold and securities by March 1917. Its dependence was total. Cutting back procurement . . . would produce disaster in England† Originally, America did nothing but reap the reward of â€Å"neutrality†. When Americas turned their eyes to the stage of war in Europe, they were truly terrified. One Chicago newspaper joked â€Å"A hearty vote of thanks to Columbus for having discovered America†. This sentiment was echoed by many American citizens, who showed pride in President Woodrow Wilson’s decision to declare America a neutral state in the war. Americans thoughts on the war lied in their bloodlines, as a majority of Americans were descendants from either Allied or Central Powers nations. Most Americans, early in the war at least, didn’t understand the war or why it was being fought, and were glad that America wasn’t involved. However, these robust Anti-Involvement sentiments began to fade after May 7 1915, the day of the Lusitania crisis. German U-Boats torpedoed and sunk a passenger liner in British waters, killing nearly 1,200 civilians, including 128 American citizens. The murder of these innocents set off the first widespread pro war feelings in Americans. This outrage was justified, but was also heightened by yellow journalism that demonized Germans as barbarians and deranged killers. President Woodrow Wilson, taking note of this event and the outrage it caused, warned the Germans that any further violation of American rights would result in â€Å"Strict Accountability† for these actions. This, as well as the bloody war dragging on in Europe, brought up the question of military preparedness in the United States. By 1916, pro-preparedness sentiment was widespread, as 135,000 supporters of expanding the military marched on New York City’s 5th Avenue, for 12 hours. In Chicago, 130,000 telephone operators moved in the shape of an American flag, goose-stepping down State Street. In the election of 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran against Charles E. Hughes, who was backed by Theodore Roosevelt, former president and staunch Allied Powers supporter, as well as an advocate for military preparedness. Woodrow Wilson won the election by only about 600,000 popular votes. However, these sentiments were met with an equally strong anti-militarism force, saying that in a chaotic world, America must be a beacon and resist entrance into war, and resist building an enormous military. Strong anti-militaristic sentiments began to fade when British intelligence officers intercepted a telegram sent from Foreign Secretary of the German Empire Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador of Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt. This infamous proposal, known as the Zimmermann note, proposed that Mexico wage war against the United States. Throughout America’s neutrality in World War 1, President Wilson had acted as a mediator, but with tension building to a terminal level and with the Zimmermann note, Wilson was forced to ask congress to bolster America’s military forces on April 2nd 1917. Later in the same year, America sent its first military forces oversees Evaluation Of Sources Robert H Zieger: America’s Great War: World War One and the American Experience Origins- (2000) Zieger is a respected labor historian Purpose- Provides an in-depth look at American involvement in the war. Value- The economic statistics and quotations from various primary and secondary sources allow the reader to evaluate the validity of the claims Zieger makes. Limitations- does not provide any new opinions or claims Woodrow Wilson, April 2nd 1917 to congress to persuade congress to bring the United States Origin- German hostile actions towards the United States Purpose- Persuade congress to declare war on Germany and the Central Powers Value- clearly outlined Wilson’s reason’s for entering war Limitations- doesn’t explain the underlying causes of military intervention or pressure from big business to declare war for entry  Analysis America’s involvement in World War One began with producing vital weapons and foodstuffs for the Allied Powers, as well as economically supporting the Allied nation’s governments. Throughout the war, the German Empire repeatedly acted belligerently towards the neutral United States, sinking passenger lines, killing Amer ican civilians. Tension with Germany also rose after the proposal to Mexico asking the Mexican army to wage war on the United States. These belligerent German acts, however, would not have held as much effect as they did if American political opinions had not been shifted by the German actions, the economic pressure of close ties to the Allied nations, or social pressure brought along by shifting political attitudes. These all contributed to tensions growing regarding American military involvement I World War One President Woodrow Wilson was a stalwart proponent of American neutrality in the First World War for the almost all of the war, but the American political climate at the time forced his hand.. He was able to win this election because most voters at the time had pro-neutrality sentiments. However, Wilson took into account his slim margin of victory, and the Republican’s yearning for a prepared military. These yearnings were brought on mainly by the Lusitania sinking. A major proponent for intervention, the previously mentioned Theodore Roosevelt, denounced these acts of the German Empire as acts of piracy. Roosevelt’s popularity made these statements extremely well heard. This shift in public opinion helped force President Wilson’s hand. America’s involvement in World War One before it entry in combat was extremely vital, producing millions of dollars’ worth of material for Britain and France, as well as financing the war through small loans. This dependency was built by J. P Morgan, who traded nearly 3 billion dollars’ worth of goods with the allied powers. By 1917, America had invested 2. 7 billion dollars in Britain alone. Historian Paul Koistinen’s quote regarding British dependency on American trade shows how deeply entrenched America was with the war’s affairs pre involvement. These statistics show that the allied powers were completely dependent on American economic support American corporations had an immense amount of wealth in the war, and if they Allied powers lost the war, all of their investments would be worth nothing, because the countries that had been responsible for repaying these debts would no longer exist. The war was taking a detrimental toll on the populations of the warring nations, and the war was almost completely atrophied. It was only a matter of time before one side lost, and it was essential to American business that it was the Allied Powers. Had the allied powers lost to the central powers, American financers would have lost 2. 7 billion dollars as a whole, 2. 7 billion dollars that were needed to give to American business, 2. 7 billion dollars that banks needed to stay in business. Throughout pre-involvement America, as early as the dawn of the war, so called â€Å"hyphenated Americans†, had opinions on what side of the war to support, dependent on their country of origin. German-Americans, the largest ethnic group at the time , supported what they thought of as their motherland, Germany, therefore supported the Central Powers. The second largest ethnic group, Irish-Americans, saw Great Britain as an oppressor, therefore were also supporters of the central powers. However, most Americans at the time were still pro-neutrality. A Chicago newspaper, expressing thanks to Columbus, wrote an article on the blessing of the Atlantic Ocean. This was a popular sentiment at the time, and many Americans were proud of Wilson’s decision to be neutral. After the sinking of American ocean liner Lusitania the support of neutrality began to fade. Before the Lusitania disaster, however, 92 ships had been sunken by aggressive German action. None of these attacks had gained as much publicity, partially due to the fact that the previous sinking’s hadn’t been as destructive. But this was also due to the fact that the Lusitania sinking was grabbed onto by yellow journalists. â€Å"The blood of these murdered victims cries for vengeance. If that cry is unheard, the people of the United States will always bear upon them the stigma of the greatest humiliation ever put upon a nation. Writes a reporter from the Toronto Telegram. President Wilson demanded that German U-Boats stop sinking civilian liners, and if they continued to do so, they would be met with military retaliation. This didn’t stop Germans from sinking boats, and Wilson’s failure to take action against them infuriated Americans. Observing the protests in American cities at the time, one can judge that huge masses of people were strongly in favo r of interventionism. Conclusion The process of the American military joining the Allied Powers seemed inevitable from the start of the war, but still took hostile action and over reaction to spark military involvement. America’s pre-war economic ties to Europe and America’s reliance on trade with these nations during the war made America’s involvement with these nations too deep to let them lose the war, therefore forcing combat. Woodrow Wilson’s strong stance on neutrality couldn’t stand up to the enormous pressure he faced from the people of the United States.

How Should our Society Assign Value to Human Life?

How Should our Society Assign Value to Human Life? Sample Student Essays The Value of Life Writing Assignment So far in this assignment sequence, we have heard a number of different voices giving insights into the value of life. Hamlets soliloquy offers an emotional, metaphor-laden glimpse into the thinking of a young man contemplating suicide. Lance Armstrongs autobiography uses storytelling from a first-person perspective to get across how the famed cyclist thinks about life. Amanda Ripleys article from Time magazine provides insight into the problems involved in translating the concept of valuing life from abstract terms into actual dollars and cents. The Human Life Value Calculator establishes specific criteria for assigning monetary value to a persons life. You might not fully agree or disagree with any of the texts essential claims about the value of life. This makes your voice an important contribution to this discussion about how we should value human life. Where do your ideas fit into the terrain mapped by the other texts we have read? Is it right to assign dollar values to a persons life? Do suffering and illness impact how we should value life? Assume that the audience for your piece consists of intelligent citizens interested in this issue-the same types of people, for instance, who would read Time magazine. As you write your essay, think about the different ways the authors we have read make their points about valuing life. Depending on the points you are trying to make, you might want to use some metaphors for life, as Hamlet does, or tell some stories the way Armstrong does. You may choose to include some words from people you interview, as Ripley does in her article, or you might even choose to establish some criteria for how human life should be calculated in monetary terms. As you construct your essay, make conscious choices about the ways you can represent your ideas to your reader. Be sure to refer to and cite the readings. You may also use examples from your personal experience or observations. The sample student essays that follow reflect the EPT Scoring Guides criteria. Sample student essay with a score of 6: The Value of Life Should people put the value of life into monetary value or should life be kept solely as an emotional quantity? People and societies throughout the ages have been trying to answer the problem of putting the value of life into terms of dollar bills. The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with all of their worldly belongings. They believed a persons monetary worth on Earth was over, and they should take all of that earthly worth with them to the afterlife. Modern day Americans are different from the Egyptians. Today people believe that the families of the dead should be compensated for their loss. It is true that life is a precious commodity much like a diamond. But unlike a diamond, life has no set monetary value. But todays government is trying to change that. After the tragedies of September 11, 2002, the federal government started a federal fund to help the victims and families of victims of the attacks. This fund would give priority to people who were injured in the attacks, then to the spouse, and then to the parents. Sounds great doesnt it? Your husband dies and now you just lost your income, and the government is going to pay you for your loss. Well dont jump on the bandwagon so fast now. This might sound great now, but once you are knee deep in the program, it wont be so fun. To figure out how much money a person will receive from this fund is determined by a multi-step process. First they figure out how much an individual would have earned had there been no attacks. This would mean that a bankers family would earn far more than the family of a janitor in the building s. Is it true that a banker is worth more to society than a janitor? Is a lawyer more important than a desk clerk? Then the fund adds $250,000 as a base cover, and then another $50,000 for a spouse and each child (Ripley 12). This would imply that a married man who has 6 kids in more important than a married man with no children at all. Is it more important in society to make babies than it is to just live your life? What about people who havent yet had a chance to start a family because their lives were cut so short? Now all that money sounds like a blessing, doesnt it? Well now that you have your foundation money, now you have to subtract the money you get from life insurance, pension, Social Security death benefits, and workers compensation. After these little subtractions, you now have the total that you are going to receive from the governments fund. Now you are going to be hit with new questions after all this, for example is a rich man with high life insurance, high pension, and no children worth less than a poor man with no life insurance, no job, and ten children (Ripley 13)? The answer to all these questions is no. The lives of all people should be valued at the same price, if you are to set a price at all. A rich man should be the same as a poor man; a woman with no children should have the same life value as a woman with seven kids. The point is that if the government is going to put a monetary value of a human life, than it should be the same for everyone. We hold these truths to self-evidence: that all men are created equal (King Jr.). There are many arguments against putting a money value on human life and two of the most impressive come from Alephonsion Deng and Lance Armstrong. Alephonsion Deng is one of the Sudanese Lost Boys. We crossed a thousand miles of war ravaged country without the hope of sanctuary. Bullets replaced food, medicine, shelter and my loving parents. I lived on wild vegetable, ate mud from Mother Earth, and drank urine from my own body (Deng 16). He had to walk across an entire country from refugee camp to refugee camp, always with the thought of death behind him. He didnt have the luxury of being able to go down to the grocery store when he ran out of food. He had to scavenge for what ever he could get his hands on. If Mr. Deng was asked about the governments 9/11 victims fund, which is set to put a monetary value on life, he would probably be outraged. After what he had been through he would probably say that it is impossible to turn something as valuable as life into terms of money. Lance Armstrong survived a long battle with cancer, and after this battle came out with a new outlook on life. When I was 25, I got testicular cancer and nearly died. I was given less than a 40 percent chance of surviving, and frankly, some of my doctors were just being kind when they gave me those odds (Armstrong 1). Before having the ordeal with cancer his out look on life was just live it fast, everything was fast for him. After surviving the unbeatable he came out with a brand new outlook on his value of life. He now preached that life can end very quickly and that everyone should live their lives to the fullest terms possible. If someone asked Lance Armstrong about the government trying to put life into terms of dollars, bills, he would have a heart attack. Much like Mr. Deng, he would think that life is precious and the government should not demean it by trying to bring money into the same picture frame as life. Should life be put into monetary values? The answer is no. Life is way too precious of a commodity to put into terms of money. People who have been on the brink of death would all say that you cannot put a value on the natural high that is known as life. To go back to an earlier metaphor, life truly is like the most precious and valuable of gems. They are similar in rareness and beauty, but are different in the fact that gems have a set money value, but life is a lot more stupendous than any gem on Earth. That is why life doesnt have a monetary value and never should. Work Cited Armstrong, Lance, and Sally Jenkins. Its Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to life. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Deng, Alephonsion. I have Had to Learn to Live With Peace. Newsweek 31 October 2005: 16. King, Jr., Martin Luther. I Have A Dream. Mephis Educational Computer Connectivity Alliance. 11/21/05. http://www.mecca.org/~crights/dream.html. Ripley, Amanda. What is Life Worth? Time December 2002: 12-13. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Unknown, Human Life Value Calculator. Life and Insurance Foundation for Education. November 14, 2005ÂÂ   http://www.life-line.org/life_human.html. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 6. The superior response indicates that the writer is very well prepared to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The writer addresses the entire topic and responds fully to all aspects of the prompt. The writer demonstrates a thorough critical understanding of the readings by incorporating them into the argument and by quoting them extensively, accurately, and, generally, in correct MLA format; occasional dropped in quotations indicate that the writer has not yet fully mastered this process. The writer uses rhetorical questions to undercut the assumptions made by sources with whose opinions the writer disagrees; rhetorical questions are occasionally overused, but the writer attempts to mitigate them with details from the reading. The writer has a smooth and easy writers voice, addressing the reader directly and confidently. The essay uses a sophisticated inductive strategy, marshaling evidence first and saving the conclusions for later. The essay remains focused throughout. The essay makes use of source material beyond the readings; it also ties different types of support material together nicely. The writer avoids a formulaic essay approach and brings the reader full circle at the end by returning to the opening idea (the gem). Errors are rare and do not detract from meaning. Sample student essay with a score of 5: The Value of Life People often question how we should measure the value of life. Can life be calculated into dollars and cents? Should ones value be determined by their lifes accomplishments? Or does the value of ones life depend solely upon how much that individual embraces and loves their existence? In my personal experience I have found the latter to be true. Life is given value and meaning by one enjoying and accepting it. Someone once said You should not fear death, but fear the unlived life. This means that one should not fear the end of a journey, but enjoy the trip. To me this is absolutely true. Why should we spend our time fearing the inevitable? We are given only a few short years to experience the world, friendships, loves, and losses. Even the bad experiences teach us to appreciate the good ones. This doesnt mean we should all go out and be terrible people just so we will appreciate our good experiences, but rather that we should learn from our mistakes. Lance Armstrongs view of life is similar to this; he says that sometimes life is fun, and great, and other times it is horrible, but whether good or bad our experiences make us stronger people. It is these experiences which give our lives meaning. Meaning and value however, are completely different issues. So how can the value of ones entire life and worth be translated into monetary values? The people at most life insurance companies will tell you it is a simple mathematical process based on age, physical health, and income. Subtract $1000 for every year over 40, subtract for any diseases, or illnesses, add 50 times their yearly income and voila! Youll have the value of anyones life calculated in an instant! Unfortunately, this process cannot be applied to memories and experiences. You cant subtract points for every bad experience, lost love, and abandoned friendship and even the bad memories are carried around with us forever. Amanda Ripleys article, from TIME magazine, outlines, some of the problems with calculating the monetary value of life. Many people view the amount of money they receive as a measure of their loved ones value, which creates problems for the people who have to award the money. Calculating the value of l ife in dollar worth can be a complicated issue involving tough emotional and moral dilemmas. Value is something which each individual assigns to their life depending on how much meaning it has to them self and others. A life is not a self contained object; it is a network which is shared with others. All people have value not just to themselves but to others as well. If you died tomorrow you entire network of friends and family would surely mourn for you. All of the people whose lives you have touched would mourn for you. In Hamlets soliloquy, he neglected to consider what effect his life had on his family and friends. Everyone whether they realize it or not, has some kind of effect on the people around them. Hamlet thought of his own life as worthless and thought everyone else did too. Lifes value cannot be determined by dollar value, popularity or even by ones accomplishments. If one doesnt value life them self then they will be unhappy therefore making people around them unhappy. People must depend on themselves to make their lives valuable and meaningful. Ultimately it is peoples own ability and willingness to value life which gives them worth. Bibliography Armstrong, Lance, and Sally Jenkins. Itss Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to life. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Ripley, Amanda. What is Life Worth? Time December 2002: 12-13. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Unknown, Human Life Value Calculator. Life and Insurance Foundation for Education. November 14, 2005 http://www.life-line.org/life_human.html. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 5. The clear competence of the essay indicates that this writer is quite ready to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay thoroughly addresses the prompt and raises the pertinent question of the difference between value and money. The writer remains focused throughout the essay, offers a clear thesis about enjoyment and acceptance, and pursues that thesis throughout the supporting paragraphs. The writer uses transitions to guide the reader, such as the sentence that ends the second paragraph, It is these experiences which give our lives meaning, which transitions to the opening sentence of the third paragraph, Meaning and value however, are completely different issues. Occasional shifts in diction (for example, one in first paragraph, to we in the second, to you in third) are distracting; the essay mainly uses a conversational tone that works very well for this writer. The writer makes a lovely case in the fourth paragraph for life as a network rather than a self-contained object. The essays second half begins to repeat itself, particularly in the final two paragraphs, although the writer attempts to mitigate this repetition by using the Hamlet example. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are minor; the writer could use some practice with commas. Sample student essay with a score of 4: The Value of Life The value of life. What is it exactly? We will never know the true definition of the value of life because there are so many different perspectives in this world and everyone will think their perspective is right. According to the Human Life Calculator, our value is based on the amount of money we will make in our lives and nothing more. It depends on the money we make, how many children we have, and how much we spend on ourselves each month. Some people find it fair to actually compare the value of life to the dollar amount they are worth. They might even look into it so much that people choose their partner according to their monetary values and not the emotional attachment. There are many people like that these days that only worry about money and what society thinks of them instead of wanted to be truly happy. I dont agree with the Human Life Value Calculator what so ever. No persons life should be estimated on their monetary worth. It should go deeper then that. It all depends on how they want to live there life and if they think they live it to the fullest. If they live it to only become rich and die rich then so be it that is their own personal value. But to assume that every person values their life that way is completely and utterly wrong When it comes to Hamlet, he wonders if there is even a value to life. To be, or not to be-that is the question: that is his main issue throughout the entire play. He pretty much loses everything that means anything to him in his life so he cant help but wonder if there is even a point anymore. Anything he truly valued, such as his father and Ophelia, was taken from him. He has nothing to value so why should he question the value of life? Life has many hardships no matter who you are, even if you are Hamlet. It still has a value to it. It teaches you to value you what you have because you never know when or they may not be there. Lance Armstrong is a whole different story. He looks at life in such a positive perspective now unlike before. Unlike many people, he was given a second chance to live his life. He values every single thing because he never knows when it will be his time to go. He was luck the first time but no one know if he will be next time, if there is a next time. He learned the hard way not to take life for granted but to take advantage of it and live everyday as though it were your last. Not everyone is as lucky as Lance Armstrong. He now realizes how valuable his life and everyone in it is but thats because he was given a second chance. There are so many people out there who wish they would have realized how valuable everything was before it was too late because they didnt get that second chance. We may not realize it until it happens but when we or a loved one goes through suffering or illness it truly impacts how we value life. It makes us face the reality that not everyday is guaranteed and people will not stay with us forever no matter how much we wish they would. I think, as a society, we should value life not by how much money we have or how much we are worth but by how much we enjoy life and everyone in it. It shouldnt take the death of a loved one for us to realize everyday is valuable. We should wake up everyday realizing its a new day and be thankful for it. Im not saying to wake up and say today might be my last but realize it, embrace it. Take nothing fro granted and live everyday to its fullest. If you love someone then tell them. If you want to start a business then do what it take to start one. Do whatever you have to so that when you leave this world you are happy with who you are and what you accomplished. Dont expect to have no regrets or make no mistakes because those are what helped to form you to the person you become over time. I admit I am far fro perfect but that is what makes me and I am happy with myself. I love my life and everyone in it who helps to form it. I wouldnt take anything back or do anything over because if I did I wouldnt be the intelligent, free spirited, young woman I am today. I value my life to the fullest and it will never be based on money or praying to be given a second change because I didnt live it right the first time. Works Cited Armstrong, Lance and Sally Jenkins. Its Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life.New York: Berkley Trade, 1991. Human Life Value Calculator Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Alan Durband. London: Hutchinson and Co., 1986. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 4; however, it is a strong 4. This adequate response to the topic suggests that the writer should be able to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay is a classic befuddling 4 paper; it wobbles between a 5 paper and a 3 paper, never really settling in either camp. The writer opens with a rhetorical question and then moves quickly to a clear, if simplistic, thesis. The writer attempts to integrate the readings by including supporting detail, although the essay offers only a single direct quotation. The works cited list provides a quasi-MLA format for sources. The logic in the third paragraph fails to persuade; the writer opens by showing Hamlet questioning lifes value and then closes with the question, He has nothing to value so why should he question the value of life? The essay is somewhat repetitive, restating the idea of personal satisfaction as the best gauge of lifes value. The essay lacks transitions in general, although the opening sentence of the penultimate paragraph, Not everyone is as lucky as Lance Armstrong, is an exception. The writer opens each paragraph with a statement that focuses on the reading; however, the second half of each paragraph, which features the writers own experience and opinions, generally becomes repetitive, rambles, or offers a cliched conclusion. The writer struggles with usage (than/then, there/their, everyday/every day), mechanics (especially punctuation), and grammar, although such instances do not greatly detract from meaning; the shifts in person in paragraph six, however, are quite distracting. Sample student essay with a score of 3: Extreme Life What is life? I dont know, but I know it is full of obstacles. Sometimes they are small, sometimes they arent. I dont think there is a point to it, but who knows? Another thing I know, everybody dies at the end, so why wont people live it to the maxim instead of just sitting on their bums and doing nothing, Being alive to me is to experience new adventures and to have fun. Life is worth living for as long as you can. As Lance Armstrong said, I want to die at a hundred years old with an American Flag on my back on the star of Texas on my helmet. It is very fun living out to your maximum, doing extreme sports like bungi jumping. I think that life should be extreme. It is also nice to come back home to someone who loves you and cares about you. I love food; I think its another great thing to spend time with friends, especially when you can dig in and pig out. Its nice to have friends that are there for you when you have problems, and you know that they will help you out. Life is just a great things, but it doesnt always feel like it. To be or not to be is Hamlets famous quote. I bet every single person on earth has come to this decision. Besides the great things in life, you come across difficulties. For example losing the loved one. I think that hurts the most. Another thing is when you dont feel loved or accepted. Thats when people come out of their limit and start doing bad stuff like drugs. When it gets really out of hand, they try to commit suicide. I believe that anybody who tried it or attempts suicide it are failures in life. As Lance Armstrong said, Why dont we all just stop and lie down where we are? what is we just do it? Its just an easy way out of life, escaping all the obstacles and pain. There is a lot of it. You friend can stab you in the back, your family member can die, there are just too many to name. You should just love life enough to struggle through the painful times. Why would I want to change, even for a day, the most important and shaping event in my life? Lance Armstrongs words. Express how I feel. I would not give me life up for anything. I have made many of bad mistakes that I should not have done, but those mistakes make me the person I am today. I wouldnt want to look or be any different than I am right now. I love my life, and I hope everyone else does too because its the only one weve got. You will have to start loving it or that only one wont be a good one. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 3. Although the essay suggests developing competence, it is flawed in significant ways that suggest the writer needs additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay responds to the prompt at the opening, although it moves away from the prompt later. The writer attempts to define life itself rather than discuss the value of life. The writer offers a thesis about adventures and fun but does little to offer support for that thesis. The essays paragraphs, although short, are overworked in that they contain several ideas competing for space; the essay does not attempt to separate paragraphs into discrete ideas. The paragraph about eating and hanging out with friends struggles with logic, perhaps because the writer is still trying to connect the evidence to the thesis; by the third paragraph, the writer seems willing to move away from the thesis completely. The opening of the third paragraph (To be or not to be is Hamlets famous quote. I bet every single person on earth has come to this decision) makes neither logical nor rhetorical sense. The writer attempts to quote texts directly but lacks the skill to incorporate quoted material properly. The writer shows a limited syntactic repertoire; the first paragraph, for example, contains four rhetorical questions out of six sentences. Errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics accumulate to detract from meaning; there are several missing apostrophes and fragments (see the second sentence of the final paragraph, for example). Sample student essay with a score of 2: Value of Life This is a question that runs through everybodys mind. What would somebody pay for a life? What would you do if your life ended tomorrow? Would you tell someone that you cared about the most that you loved them? What would you do for your final hours? How do you think the people aboard the 9/11 plane attack felt as soon as they knew that they werent going to see their families anymore? These questions are all very goods questions but the most important one is Have you been living the life that you wanted to live? Humans always follow others ways of posture and ways of thinking. People picking up laughs, looks, even the way they think about other people. Think of it this wayif someone put a gun to year head and they said, Give me three reasons why I should not pull this trigger? What would you say? It might sound like a harsh, blunt question but if you think about it. where you living your life to the fullest? Posers always get on everybodys nerves. They are going to look back on their lives and think what they did was really stupid. Their values of life are following somebodys elses footstep, following others stories, what they like, dont like because they cant think for themselves. They rely on other people to make their decisions for them. The final thought is the toughest thought of all. Things all bundled up inside your head. The only thing to realize is that people dont make you who you are. You make the decisions that will lead your life, the rest of your life. What would your family get if you died? Tack on an extra $50,000 in pain and suffering for a spouse and for each child. Thats what you would get. Now think to yourself, are you living your life to the fullest, what you think is good? Ripley, Amanda. What is a life worth? Time: 11 Feb. 2002. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 2. The serious flaws here indicate that this writer will need considerable additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay opens with a statement about questions, followed by six rhetorical questions in a row. The writer seriously overuses the questioning strategy, with three additional questions in the second paragraph and two in the fourth (concluding) paragraph; the essay itself finishes with a question. The essay neglects the prompt; it discusses values rather than the value of life. The final paragraph attempts to approach the prompt by quoting Ripley (although the writer does not attribute the quoted material), but the quotation is ineffectively dropped into the concluding text. The essay does not demonstrate any discernible organizational strategy. Some sentences make no sense at all, such as People picking up laughs, looks, even the way they think about other people. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present but not all that profound; lack of logic and content is the issue with this essay. Sample student essay with a score of 1: The Value of Life People put a money aspect on people for example, when people have money then we need them, we dont even care about anyone unless they have money. When disaters like sunamis happen, people want to find there family but dont understand the water infected and no one nos whats happening to any one any where. Katrina for example. They (the army) use colors were dead are, yellow were sick are, green x marking the spot were people who are worth saving were. We help people every where in the world but no our own people, to save them, even the army was there making every one get out of there house if they wanted to or not, they might get shot if not. People have always come here to make a new lives and this is what happens? Its way messed up. Is this how to value people? Shakespeare new how bad life can be. To be or not to be said Hamlet who thought not. We have to find out a way to help and over come what might happen next so every one is not so discouraged because money is not the answer or stocks or bonds or jewelers but only love. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 1. The fundamental deficiencies here indicate that this writer will need a great deal of additional practice before being

Propaganda and Stereotyping Essay -- Media Stereotypes Stereotyping

Propaganda and Stereotyping Propaganda: a word that is commonly underestimated in its power. Confused with advertisement, people tend to take the disasters caused by propaganda lightly. One such disaster is the stereotype – a felicity confused with the truth. In this research paper, a closer attention will be given to the propaganda generation of stereotypes about a specific age group; how easily and believable stereotypes are carried by propaganda tactics on youth will be presented. Throughout this paper, a demonstration of the negative stereotypes on public opinion will be presented along with important methods in which stereotypes work in propaganda. The conclusion of this research paper will be highlighted through presenting credible research results and actual examples demonstrating the different stereotypes of today’s youth. At the end of this paper, it should be transparent that stereotypes are the brainchild of media through propaganda that uses its tactics and techniques to corrupt the pu blic minds. Prior to focusing on my example of youths’ stereotypes, it is a must to explain what propaganda is and how stereotypes have come to be a successful function of propaganda. Many people associate propaganda with advertisement, with television and radio ads. Indeed, these are forms of propaganda, but there other forms of communication that are far more complex, propaganda – simply because they are not perceived by audience as propaganda or better described as false or sometimes incomplete information presented as the truth without the knowledge of the audience. Some examples include false or incomplete news reporting, false habitual facts of certain groups of people, or even incomplete information about certain tendencie... ...ine at: , consulted on December 2001. Propaganda Techniques. â€Å"Internet†, in Disinfopedia Encyclopaedia. March edition, Center for Media & Democracy. Online at: , consulted on March 26 th, 2004 . Males, Mike (1994). â€Å" Bashing Youth: Media Myths about Teenagers†. Online at: , consulted on March/April, 1994. Joseph STRAUBHAAR and Robert LaROSE (2002). Media Now. Communications Media in the Information Age. 3rd Edition. Belmont, Wadsworth/Thompson Learning. KQED (1998). â€Å" YOUTH MEDIA CORPS: Youth Stereotypes, What are the Stereotypes?† Online at: , consulted on November 17 th, 1998 .

Art Classes in Schools: To be, or not to be? Essay -- Education

Most people would agree that music and art programs in schools have a huge impact on students not only academically, but in just about every aspect of their lives. Studies have shown that students who are involved in music and art programs have an overall higher IQ and show signs of many other academic benefits. Participating in such programs also allow students the opportunity to express themselves artistically and show the world their perhaps otherwise hidden potential. We all know how fun it can be to show the world your unexpected abilities, and what better way to show those off than the place where we spend most of our day-to-day lives? Unfortunately, even with all these obvious benefits, when the school budget is short, the first things to go are the art programs. Because of this, opportunities become more limited. Creative expression is cut short. Higher potential for success in math and science shrinks. Enjoyable, informative, and influential elective classes disappear. Art p rograms really are not the best choice when deciding which classes to cut in order to have enough money for those extra textbooks or new desks. Time and time again, the issue has been tested and has proven that benefits are very real and art programs are largely effective. The University of Michigan exalts music and art programs and portrays them as essential classes (Murphy). The university considers art programs to be ways to develop imagination, which helps build an understanding of the real world. It sees the connections between arts, math, and science: both â€Å"require imagination and aesthetic judgment †¦ [and] call on discipline in the acquisition and application of skills, along with intellectual strictness in the pursuit of both formal and conce... ...p>. Davidson, Benjamin. National Arts Education Public Awareness Campaign Survey. July 2001. PDF. Murphy, Shannon. "Music and the Arts Education.†. University of Michigan, 2000. Web. 5 May 2012. . Paris, K. "Summary of Goals 2000: Educate America Act." Summary of Goals 2000: Educate America Act. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1994. Web. 06 May 2012. . Smith, Fran. "Why Arts Education is Crucial, and Who's Doing it Best.†. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 28 Jan 2009. Web. 5 May 2012. . Tsioulcas, Anastasia. "'Kinshasa Symphony': An Ode To Musical Joy In Central Africa." Deceptive Cadence from NPR Classical. NPR, Washington DC, 07 Mar. 2012. Radio.

Shake Down the Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For as long as I can remember I have been a Notre Dame football fan. My father is to credit for getting me into it. He brought us to South Bend a couple of time for some games and I was just amazed by the campus and the history of the football program, so it was no surprise that I chose this particular book. Shake Down The Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football was written by a man named Murray Sperber who was a sports writer interested on why fans were so into college football. Because of his interest Sperber decided to go around the country to certain college campuses to do research on this. He started with the University of Notre Dame because he was aware of the history and the passion of their football program, he was also aware of the appreciation Notre Dame had from their fans. This book deals with they history of Notre Dame football including the nation championships, the players, the coaches, and the program itself. It explains exactly what happened thought out its history, the reality behind the myths so to speak. Notre Dame was very kind to Murray Sperber in that he was given many privileges that other authors of books regarding Notre Dame football were deprived of. These privileges allowed Sperber to do research on Notre Dame from a different point of view and in his research he found documents that jumpstarted his interest to actually write this fantastic book. Sperber found the actual letters that Knute Rockne wrote to different people, which contained a lot of unknown information about Notre Dame football. These letters were found in the basement of the library and were unopened; apparently they had been hidden there since his death. Theses letter gave Sperber a side of Notre Dame football that no one has ever seen. As I said before, this book deals with the beginning of Notre Dame football and in a time of anti-Catholicism, helped people become more accustom to this religion. It reveals the real personalities of some of the most well known people affiliated with Notre Dame, including Jesse Harper, George Gipp, Father John O'Hara, Elmer Layden, Frank Leahy, and Grantland Rice, but most of all Kute Rockne was at the center of everything. The book gave Knute Rockne all of the credit for making Notre Dame football what it is today.

Guidelines for improving self concept

Self Concept Interpersonal Communication Abstract How do you view yourself? How do you think others view you? These questions are central to the idea of self- concept how you perceive yourself and how you believe others perceive you impacts your thoughts and ideas your actions and reactions. Your-self concept developed over years through your social interactions with your fellow man. It is what you believe to be your strength and weaknesses. Years of self- evaluation and comparisons to your peers helped to paint the internal picture you feel describe your best.Unfortunately, some people struggle because they lack a healthy understanding of who they are. They focus on their weakness and shortcomings, projecting a negative image upon themselves they believe is seen by others, luckily, the self-concept cab be changed for the better, although improving it will not happen overnight. It involves changing how you view yourself and that requires thinking and behaving differently. Consistentl y taking the following steps that will put you on the path to building a healthy self-concept. Discussion I can recall a time when I was 16 years old.I finally became a candidate to participate n the cadet academy in Jamaica. This was a very well known academy, and gave young men an opportunity to acquire the basic training to become a part of the Jamaican Police Force. Law enforcement has always intrigued me, and I knew one day I would become a part of fighting crime. The spaces were very limited, and only the best were accepted in to this program. I finally making the cut was really a success. When my parents came home from work that day, I was delighted to tell them the good news. I was full of energy as I explained to them I would finally be able to pursue my passion as a cop.They applauded me for being accepted but then their face changed, and I was not prepared for what happened next. They told me I should not Join the program. They told me the crime rate in our neighborhood c ity of Kingston, Jamaica was very high, and that the civilians were killing police officers left and right. They said they wanted to see me be successful in life and pursue what I wanted, but now was not the time to do so. Therefore, because I respect my parents, I rationalized their thoughts with my thoughts and came to the decision that I would not go through with the cadet training.It was very hurtful but I did not want to sober my parents, nor did I want to risk my life at such a young age. It was a very hard decision to make, but I did it with hopes on possibly going to college and pursuing it in another aspect like maybe becoming an attorney. The guidelines for improving self-concept are some very good values with making life decisions. The first one says that I should â€Å"Make a commitment to Personal Growth† (wood, 2013, p. 53). If I had applied this concept, I would have gone ahead and went with my dream of becoming a cadet officer, knowing that there is â€Å"ten sion that accompanies personal growth† (Wood J. 13, p. 53). If I would have used â€Å"Knowledge to support my personal growth † I would have checked the statistics myself to see exactly how bad the crime was at the time, and also find out how many officers had been killed. If I would have â€Å"Set goals that were realistic and Fair† (Woodward, p. 55). I wouldn't have had any doubts in my mind that this was the proper move for me at the time, because it was very realistic to me And If I had â€Å"Sought of Contexts that support personal change†, I would have surrounding myself with people who were pro-law enforcement and who believed in my dream.According to Wood (2013)†Think about people whose appraisals of you will help you move toward changes you desire. † Conclusion The most important thing I learned about this paper is no to settle of something when it comes to your dream in life. Just because people do not see the same things as you, doe s not mean it is the wrong decision. It is important to be careful who you share your goals with, and trust your own decisions. In addition, surrounding yourself with like-minded people will help you to reach where you want to be in life References Wood, J. (2013). Interpersonal Communication. Boston, MA 02210. Headwords Change Learning.