My First Visit at the Hindu Temple Essay - 998 Words

I decided to visit a Hindu temple because the Hindu religion was the religion that I knew the least about and was interested in. This assignment gave me an opportunity to learn more about this religion and what their worship services and rituals were like. The temple that I went to was called BAPS Shri Swaminaryan Mandir and it was located in Lilburn. As soon as I walked in, I was amazed by the beautiful architectural design of this Temple. It seemed like it took a lot of hard work and dedication to make the place what it is now. While I was at the temple, I watched the Hindus perform an ancient Vedic ritual called the Abhishek, a ritual bathing to honor the murti of their God. Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha,†¦show more content†¦The Mandir (temple) was constructed with Italian marble, Indian pink sandstone, and Turkish limestone. The walls were all carved with delicate carvings of Gods that were carefully shipped all the way from India. The Hindus had very strict rules that had to be followed, such as: no smoking, drinking or eating inside, cell phones had to be turned off, and we had to be silent. We also had to take our shoes off before entering the temple out of respect for the deities and to keep the floors clean. When I first entered the main worship room, I saw three women walking around the gods in clockwise motion. This clockwise motion is called Pradakshina, a form of worship that represents the fact that god is the center of everything and everyone else surrounds him. There were several gods in the room, each stored in their own window. Many people ranging from old to young kept going up to each god and doing their own prayers. I observed that the prayers were performed in a special way. You had to put your two hands together, close your eyes and pray to that specific God. I couldn’t understand the prayers they were reciting because they were saying it in language. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir offers many traditional rituals and services. However, I decided to observe Abhishek, an ancient Vedic ritual of bathing the murti, which is the divine spirit of God. This ritual is dedicated to the murti Nilkanth Varni, which represents Bhagwan SwaminarayanShow MoreRelatedBefore I really get into my personal experience at the Durga temple, I would like to begin my900 Words   |  4 PagesBefore I really get into my personal experience at the Durga temple, I would like to begin my experience paper by throwing a light on my religion. I personally belong to a Muslim family and have practiced Islam throughout my life. Islam is one of the monotheistic religions, which means people only believe in one God usually referred as Allah. All the individuals, including me, believe that everything in this world has been created by all mighty Allah. He has the power and authority of diminishingRead MoreEssay on Hinduism1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe Hindu religion an d culture is a very complex subject. The Hindu religion combines rich ethnical and standard beliefs. We will take a closer look and try to understand the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (Major World Religions, 2006). The Hindu religion began to develop about 4.000 years ago in India, but it there was no single founder or system of belief (Major WorldRead MoreWhen I Took This Course I Never Imagined How Involve I1728 Words   |  7 PagesI wanted to research and attend a Hindu Temple for my site visit. I had plenty of questions and much more to learn. I was fascinated by the Hindu believe system: How there is hundreds of deities, yet god is only one, how Hinduism has no founder it just became, how god is transcendent, yet ultimate. It can become very difficult to wrap your head around most Hindu ideals, but that is what inspires my interest. Before my site visit, I expected various things. In my mind I had imagined very traditionalRead MoreAnalysis of a Hindu Reflection and Research Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesways to gain an understanding of a religion is to immerse yourself into it. Through the interfaith visit, I was able to gain a glimpse of what it is like to immerse myself into another religion. For my interfaith visit, I was able to go to the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City. Going into this trip, I really had no idea what to expect or what it was going to be like. The first impression I had from the outside of the building is that it was really nice and well designed. I feltRead MoreThe Hindu Temple Of Dayton954 Words   |  4 Pagestoday. I had never been to a Hindu temple before and it was a new and exciting experience. I did not know about the Hindu religion going to this project. During my time here in Dayton I have been to Lebanese festival and interacted with many people of Arabic descent. Hinduism as religion is very broad. Choosing to interview someone of the Hindu faith was an easy choice to make because I had always been interested in Hinduism. Some of my favorite movies had implied Hindu concepts in them such as karmaRead MoreSimilarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism856 Words   |  4 Pagesthought first. Both cultures are beautiful and rich, and if someone takes a deeper look can see that they are depending on each other. Many people forget that Buddha was born into a Hindu society, and his views and beliefs which led to a brand new culture are based on Hinduism. Of course I am not saying the two are the same because that wouldn’t make any sense. However, the similarities are visible, just the way differences are visible too, and these things make both cultures so amazing. First I wouldRead MoreThe Hindu Temple Of Atlanta1224 Words   |  5 PagesA Hindu temple contains a very different religious experience compared to what I ve previously experienced in the past. Perhaps the most obvious difference comes from just how individual it can be compared to a group service for example. While there is a portion of the service that is led by a priest for the vast majority of your stay the experience is really upon you and you alone. While there are traditions to follow it s still a unique experience. During my attendance at the Hindu temple ofRead MoreA Vist to Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple on Clark and Lunt904 Words   |  4 Pagesvisited â€Å"Hare Rama Hare Krishna† temple, located on Clark and Lunt, founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. A temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism. The important aspect of a Hindu temple is that it not only focuses on communal worship but it also serves as the home of God; most temples  "enshrine Vishnu, Shiva, or the Goddess and their encourages.† Although it is not mandatory to visit a temple, it is considered to be a vital role in the Hindu community. The â€Å"Hare Rama HareRead MoreEssay on Religious Experience715 Words   |  3 Pagesworld. For my World Religions course, I was asked to visit a place of worship for a religion other than what I was most used to. Upon considering being raised as a Pentacostal Christian, the first idea that came to me after hearing this was for Billy and I to go with our friend Arjuns family to a Hindu temple—since Arjun had moved away recently to go to college however, he was unable to attend. On Sunday, February 21, Billy and I joined Arjuns father in his trip to the Hindu temple in Orlando—weRead MoreEthnographic Observation905 Words   |  4 PagesObservation I chose to do my Ethnographic Observation at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. I chose this location because I thought it would be the best place to observe different behavior and cultures. It is also close to my home, and I had never had a chance to explore it. The Hare Krishna temple is a very interesting location to observe. The grounds are very large, and the temple itself is beautiful. There is a sort of corral next to the temple that houses a few different

Diversity Training And Cultural Sensitivity Training Essay

Leading in a Culturally Diverse Global Society As organizations become increasingly global, the success of organizations is dependent on the leaders skills in merging diverse cultures in building high performance teams across multiple countries. Global organizations are required to adapt to continuous changes in culturally diverse global business environment. Multinational leaders must become adapt to leading a culturally diverse workforce if the organization is to become transcontinental. Therefore, there must be an emphasis on diversity training and cultural sensitivity training across the organization, especially among members of leadership. Inclusive leadership has been presented as the most applicable global leadership style as businesses make the transition from a local to global mindset. This synopsis is about an organization that has become increasingly global and diverse in nature. The multicultural leader has been tasked with developing and implementing a cultural mindset that allows diversity to thrive, without decreasing productivity, among a multicultural group of employees Integrating Varied Perspectives Cultural globalization refers to the transmission of varied perspectives, meanings and values around the world in such a way as to extend and intensify intercultural leader/subordinate relationships. The internet, social media, and international travel have expedited a global consumption of cultures. The circulation of cultures has enables individuals toShow MoreRelatedDiversity Training And Its Effectiveness1240 Words   |  5 PagesDiversity may be defined as recognizing and respecting the similarities, differences and unique characteristics an individual employee contributes to the workplace. Diversity training and its effectiveness in the workplace has been met with differing conclusions as to the positive or negative impact this type of training may have on an organization. Today, change in the workplace is inevitable and diversity training in the workplace has become common across the globe. Companies now realize thatRead MoreRecognizing The Benefits Of Not Only A Diverse Wo rkforce,1240 Words   |  5 Pagesretained. Next, I’ll talk about some of the training iterations I could provide to the remainder of my employee pool to ensure everyone is aware of how diversity improves the health of overall workforce. Lastly, I’ll talk about why it’s important to treat everyone equally from an HRM professional standpoint. Importance of Diversity Employing people from all walks of life is an important goal for any organization. Maintaining a robust diversity policy will provide many positive benefits forRead MoreCultural Competency And Social Work Practice1098 Words   |  5 PagesThe BusinessDictionary.com defines cultural competency as, â€Å"A set of behaviors, policies, and attitudes which form a system or agency which allows cross-cultural groups to effectively work professionally in situations. This includes human behaviors, languages, communications, actions, values, religious beliefs, social groups, and ethic perceptions. Individuals are competent to function on their own and within an organization where multi-cultural situations will be present† (2016). Our communitiesRead MoreCultural diversity is defined as the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the600 Words   |  3 PagesCultural diversity is defined as the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an institution and or the inclusion of diverse people in a group or organization. (dictionary.com) This paper will discuss some of the general competencies required to be successful while working in a culturally diverse environment. Not only is diversity in the workplace inevitable it is necessary and makes perfect business sense. The concept of diversity within the workplace includesRead MoreMilitary Culture And The Military1386 Words   |  6 Pagespaper seeks to illustrate the importance of military culture training, its foundations and its effects both locally and internationally. Introduction The changes in the US military to an international force requires that the force maintains its dynamism in sending out forces who are professionals that understand the international platform and can relate with people or other forces in different parts of the world as well as having cultural insight. Understanding military culture is also important inRead MoreThe Manager Conducts Team Building Activities1694 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Cox and Blake (1991), the management of diversity involves a whole diversity philosophy and this includes the establishment of a sound organization culture that values inclusion. The effectiveness of the activity begins with sound aims and objective. In this regard, the manager had instituted a companywide team building initiative that is aimed at changing the employees mind set about diversity; address intersections of diversity, influence on culture, gender as well as age differencesRead MoreManaging Diversity Within The Workplace1605 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract- Managing Diversity in the workplace requires a lot of focus, training, and time. This paper gives an insight into the world of management and how diversity plays a big part. It explores the key benefits to putting emphasis on diversity and also how not putting emphasis on diversity could hurt your business. This paper also gives examples on how to go about managing diversity in the workplace. With proper focus on managing diversity, your organization can be at a big advantage. I. INTRODUCTIONRead MoreCommunication Within Multinational Organizations1213 Words   |  5 Pagesintegral aspect of any multinational operation. Due in part, to globalization, managers throughout the organizational structure must use communication to effectively motivate personnel. To effectively do so, managers must be cognizant of the varying cultural dynamics prevalent within the organization. Aspects such as collectivism, individualism, power distance, and authority orientation, all affect communication within an organization. Furthermore, the manner in which the overall communication occursRead MoreEssay on Walgreens Diversity Issues1644 Words   |  7 PagesWalgreens diversity issues: A weakness that was gained subsequent to the information gathered from research and surveys is that as a company it is true that diversity is practiced but may differ at stores; stores tend to lack a wide range of diversity. One may ask how that is possible. Let me explain stated Wasson, â€Å"We understand that we serve our customer and patient best when our workforce and suppliers reflect our communities† (Walgreens.com/diversity) which may be beneficial on a financial stanceRead MoreFostering English Mastery within a Linguistically Diverse Cultural Landscape1425 Words   |  6 PagesLinguistic diversity has become a divisive issue in the American political landscape. As Wolfram points out, the politics of linguistics necessitates a knowledgeable response rooted in research and pedagogical practice. When addressing the needs of a linguistically diverse population, it becomes crucial to examine the ways that education is failing to help students acquire language mastery and also failing to train teachers properly in English language instruction. A prevailing research question

Life Is Like Riding a Bike free essay sample

Life can be compared to learning how to ride a bike for the very first time. Life Is the condition that distinguishes organisms from Inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. So you might be asking how is living life compared to learning how to ride a bike, which is inorganic? When learning to ride a bike you will most likely fall as in life but you have to get back up.Likewise, you have to put forth some effort in life like peddling a bike or you will get nowhere. First of all, whether Its living life or when learning to ride a bike, you will need to have good balance. If you dont have any balance as your learning to ride a bike then you will continue to fail. In the same matter, your life needs to be balanced and organized. A balanced life could consist of someone being healthy by eating right and working out; it can also involve being financially stable throughout your entire life. If you are not balanced then your life would be a complete mess.Stress could possibly take over your life so thats why balance Is so Important. Unfortunately, we as humans cant always malignant balance during our lives. Therefore, we will have to face adversity and get up when we fall. When you are a kid and your parents take the training wheels off your bike, you most likely fall over and over again. Just like in life, things may not always go the way you planned. So what are you going to do when things hit rock bottom? Lie down or get back up, hop back on the bike, and try again until you achieve success.Failure is a huge part of life, but its how you react that separates you from the rest. If you continuously fall off your bike then continue to get back up because you never know what your future has In stored for you. Believe it or not, you could become the next Lance Armstrong. After you are able to stay on your bike by yourself, you can then start to ride a bit at a time. In the beginning you may be wobbly or stumble a few times. Even though you are not too good at it right now, if you continue to practice you can ride without any kind of mishap.Life Is a series of learning from your mistakes Just as learning to ride a bike. Remember what your weaknesses are and try to the best of your ability to get better at them. Thats how you learn to walk, talk, and even ride a bicycle. Whether you realize it or not, the more you chip away at your issues and problems bit by bit, the more you grow as a human being. Now that you have learned to ride your bike, you have to stay focused. If you are not paying attention to what is in front you then you will lose your balance and crash. In life, its easy to live in your own little bubble, unconsumed with yourself. Not only are you being disconnected from the world, but also you are ultimately being disconnected from yourself. If you have dreams during life stay focused on your dreams. Disregard what everyone says you cant do and believe that you can do whatever you want as long as you set your mind to it. Stay in belief that you can learn to ride your bike even when your friends discourage you. Success is more mental than anything else. Even though you are sick and tired of failing over and over, remain focused on your goals. By doing so, you can achieve and o whatever you dream Like learning to ride a bike. Life Is not always going to be riding your bike and a curve comes up, lean with the curve. There is no reason to fight or try to avoid it. Life is not always going to be a scroll through the park. Whether you want to or not you will have to take on that curve. When life throws you a curve go with the flow of it to remain on the path to success. If tragedy strikes, accept the pain it brings, and go with Gods larger plan which is for ultimate good. A bike is a vehicle thats transports people from place to place. It is a tool but not commonly thought of as a tool. Many people think of a bike as something to do thats fun and thrilling, which it is. Likewise, some of the same people believe life is a thrill ride. They are Just living life without a dream or care of where they go. You should want to get somewhere in life Just like a bike gets you from place to place. Its always good to have a dream to chase; whether your dream is fulfilled or not. When riding your bike know where you are trying to go.Likewise, in life you should also have a reticular destination or goal that you are pursuing. As you know, a bike requires some effort so that it can move. If you dont give any effort, then you will not get anywhere. The same goes for a persons life. It is going to take some effort to get where you want to be in life. Anything worth having requires hard work and effort. What you get out of life is determined by what you put into it. If you are willing to put in hard work and effort, there is a better chance of being successful. We all like to have fun throughout the duration of our lives.Unfortunately, all things will come to an end eventually. Our bodies are worn down from the struggles that life has flung our way. Soon we will not be able to stand very well and do the things that a lot of people take for granted. After you have been on a long ride, your body becomes tired and you Just want to go home. Same applies to life but once life ends it is over. You cant relive it and try to fix what you didnt do before. While you are still here get the best out of life; live life to the fullest with no regrets. Just as if you were riding your bike.In conclusion, learning to ride a bike is like living life in numerous ways. You need balance in your life or you will never get going. Balancing your life is not going to be easy, thats why when you fall down you need to continue to get up. Once you start to live dont lose focus on what is important in life. Remember life has its obstacles, but push by them to reach your dreams. Also, be willing to give some effort because anything worth having requires hard work. Life is precious, so live it up and most importantly enjoy the ride because it wont last forever.

The Explanation Of Criminality Essays - Anthropology, Criminology

The Explanation Of Criminality From a sociological perspective, explanations for criminal- ity are found in two levels which are the subculture and the structural explanations. The sociological explanations emphasize aspects of societal arrangements that are external to the actor and compelling. A sociological explanation is concerned with how the structure of a society or its institutional practices or its persisting cultural themes affect the conduct of its members. Individual differences are denied or ignored, and the explanation of the overall collective behavoir is sought in the patterning of social arrangements that is considered to be both outside the actor and prior to him (Sampson, 1985). That is, the social patterns of power or of institutions which are held to be determinative of human action are also seen as having been in existence before any particular actor came on the scene. In lay language, sociological explanations of crime place the blame on something social that is prior to, external to, and compelling of any particular person. Sociological explanations do not deny the importance of human motivation. However, they locate the source of motives outside the individual and in the cultural climate in which he lives. Political philosophers, sociologists, and athropologists have long observed that a condition of social life is that not all things are allowed. Standards of behavior are both a pro- duct of our living together and a requirement if social life is to be orderly. The concept of a culture refers to the perceived standards of behavior, observable in both words and deeds, that are learned, transmitted from generation to generation and somewhat durable. To call such behavior cultural does not necessar- ily mean that it is refined, but rather means that it is cultured-- aquired, cultivated, and persistent. Social scientists have invented the notion of a subculture to describe variations, within a society, upon its cultural themes. In such circumstances, it is assumed that some cultural prescrip- tions are common to all members of society, but that modifica- tions and variations are discernible within the society. Again, it is part of the definition of a subculture, as of a culture, that is relatively enduring. Its norms are termed a style, rather than a fashion, on the grounds that the former has some endurance while the latter is evanescent. The quarrel comes, of course, when we try to estimate how real a cultural pattern is and how persistent. The standards by which behavior is to be guided vary among men and over time. Its is in this change and variety that crime is defined. An application of this principle to crimin- ology would find that the roots of the crime in the fact that groups have developed different standards of appropriate behavior and that, in complex cultures, each individual is subject to competing prescriptions for action. Another subcultural explanation of crime grows readily out of the fact that, as we have seen, social classes experience different rates of arrest and conviction for serious offenses. When strata within a society are marked off by categories of income, education, and occupational prestige, differences are discovered among them in the amount and style of crime. Further, differences are usually found between these social classes in their tastes, interests, and morals. Its is easy to describe these class-linked patterns as cultures. This version of the subcultural explanation of crime holds that the very fact of learning the lessons of the subculture means that one aquires interests and preferences that place him in greater or lesser risk of breaking the law. Others argue that being reared in the lower class means learning a different culture from that which creates the criminal laws. The lower- class subculture is said to have its own values, many of which run counter to the majority interests that support the laws against the serious predatory crimes. One needs to note that the indicators of class are not descriptions of class. Proponents of subcultural explanations of crime do not define a class culture by any assortment of the objective indicators or rank, such as annual income or years of schooling. The subcultural theorists is interested in pattern- ed ways of life which may have evolved with a division of labor and which, then, are called class cultures. The pattern, however, is not described by reference to income alone, or by reference to years of schooling or occupational skill. The pattern includes these indicators, but it is not defined by them. The subcultural theorist is more intent upon the variet- ies of human value. these are preferred ways of living that are acted upon. In the economist's language,

The hiding place vs. Night Essay Example For Students

The hiding place vs. Night Essay Many outsiders strive but fail to truly comprehend the haunting incident of World War IIs Holocaust. None but survivors and witnesses succeed to sense and live the timeless pain of the event which repossesses the core of human psyche. Elie Wiesel and Corrie Ten Boom are two of these survivors who, through their personal accounts, allow the reader to glimpse empathy within the soul and the heart. Elie Wiesel (1928- ), a journalist and Professor of Humanities at Boston University, is an author of 21 books. The first of his collection, entitled Night, is a terrifying account of Wiesels boyhood experience as a WWII Jewish prisoner of Hitlers dominant and secretive Nazi party. At age 16 he was taken from his home in Sighet, Romania and became one of millions of Jews sent to German concentration camps. We will write a custom essay on The hiding place vs. Night specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now At the Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Wiesel witnessed the death of his parents and sister. In 1945, the latter of the camps was overtaken by an American resistance group and the remaining prisoners freed, including the drastically changed man in Wiesel. The once innocent, God-fearing teenager had become a lonely, scarred, doubting individual. Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983), a religious author and inspirational evangelist, traveled and spread Christianity throughout sixty-one countries, even into her eighties. Her autobiography, The Hiding Place, is an account of her inner strength found through God in the midst of the physical and emotional turmoil of German concentration camps. During World War II, the Ten Boom family took action against the Nazi movement and began an underground hiding system, saving over 700 Jewish lives. (Contemporary Authors, 470) They were discovered and sent from their Haarlem, Holland home to Scheveningen, a Nazi prison. Ten Boom, in her 50s, was placed on trial for leading the underground system and sent to a German work camp. There she witnessed her father and sisters death as well as the birth of her inner strength and hope for the future. Upon release from Ravensbruck, Ten Boom began caring for victims of the war and Holocaust and used her powerful speaking ability to share the trials and triumphs of her life. Together, these two powerful authors relive the horror and pain of the Holocaust to educate the unaware world. They teach of the past, warn of the future, and live for the day. Wiesel and Ten Boom voice their strong belief in God before the war and the ebb and flow of that belief in response to each newly faced affliction. These strong survivors pose as teachers and role models by revealing strengths, weaknesses and survival techniques. Wiesel and Ten Boom survive against the odds, but not without physical and emotional scars. The unsung hero and heroin pair experience tremendous suffering, but confront that affliction with distinct contrary responses. The theme and style of Wiesel and Ten Boom reveal individual personal beliefs and strength levels in reaction to their concentration camp experience during WWIIs Holocaust. Theme is the window which Wiesel and Ten Boom open through words and thoughts to reveal the true purpose of their tales. Although both authors experience the grime of concentration camp and grief of family loss, their responses to this suffering are distinct. This distinctness is not unexpected, for as ones strengths and beliefs are personal, as is the effect of events effecting those strengths and beliefs. Wiesel and Ten Boom state the purpose of their self-exposed stories clearly, and their purposes differ just as clearly. Wiesel stresses the importance of applying lessons of the past to the present for the sake of the worlds future. He writes to create a feeling of such horror and catharsis within the reader to prevent the evil of the Holocaust or any type of unjust persecution to ever occur again. He opens the readers eyes with vividly horrible images of human suffering and creates no barrier in which to contain the honesty and corruption of the experience as a whole. Wiesel is determined to persuade victims, persecutors and bystanders alike of the need for a conscience fully aware of the true evil unleashed and innocence denatured by the inhumane persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. The most important theme portrayed in Night is defined later by Wiesel himself: The executioner killed for nothing, the victim died for nothing During the Middle Ages, the Jews, when they chose death, were convinced that by their sacrifice they were glorifying and sanctifying Gods name. At Auschwitz, the sacrifices were without point, without faith, without divine inspiration (Douglas) Wiesel feels that the genocide of WWII came and went and proves no point to the world, gives neither strength nor hope to the individual, and is basically pointless. After the inhumane persecution, his God is not praised by a greater audience, Hitler and his Nazi party does not gain more power, Jews are not respected by others, and the world as a whole is not given reassurance of a better future. To Wiesel, the Holocaust represents nothing but evil, guilt, and the decay of human morality. (Popular World Fiction, II-35) As does Wiesel, Ten Boom preaches of the importance of learning from past mistakes and not recycling a detrimental experience. However, the evangelist in Ten Boom preaches beyond historical remembrance into the depths of spiritual growth. She strongly believes that the world and its creatures are fated by God and that every experience witnessed by an individual is predestined with the purpose of teaching a life lesson. She survives with the hope and reassurance of Gods power, and lives to spread that belief. The most important theme portrayed in The Hiding Place is that there is no pit so deep that He (God) is not deeper still. .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .postImageUrl , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:hover , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:visited , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:active { border:0!important; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:active , .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7fbaab06186e4bfb8da19fde45d64f5a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Atmosphere Essay (Ten Boom, 217) Ten Boom believes that God is forever on the lowest rung of the human ladder, below even the farthest fallen people, so that they can build a foundation on Him and His love. She expresses that the hand of God is always in reach to represent a concrete hope for Jews in a hopeless situation such as the Holocaust. Ten Booms purpose is to learn and teach others to be joyful in times of great suffering. (Praise Outreach) This is a rare attitude of Holocaust victims, but throughout pain and sorrow Ten Boom presents clear reasons to possess joy. She believes that her own suffering is parallel to Jesus persecution. I had read a thousand times the story of Jesus arrest how soldiers had slapped Him, laughed at Him, flogged Him. Now such happenings had faces and voices. (Ten Boom, 195) She is able to persevere and even die to help others and stand for what she believes in, as Jesus did. Ten Boom supposes that her experience at the German death camps was a test given by God to measure her spiritual strength. God never gives an unpassable test, and never gives one person anything more than he can handle. Ten Boom thinks of the Holocaust as a learning experience, not only for herself, but for the many Jewish victims in reach of her helping hands and words. She has the chance to teach other women of hope through the glory of God, and is joyful because this is her newfound destiny. Although Ten Boom never defines herself as this, her destiny is to serve God as a Righteous among the Nations, or a non-Jew who risks his life to save Jews during the Holocaust. (Encyclopedia of the Holocaust, 1281) She serves him by risking her own life, and uses her religion to become a channel of Gods love in a world torn by fear. (Ten Boom, biographical insert) Ten Boom stresses the importance of hope, and practices her preaching by giving hope to fellow prisoners through God and the Bible. The themes of Night and The Hiding Place differ in the authors responses to their personal strength against the pain of the Holocaust. Wiesel confronts the issue of the events lack of positive results, where Ten Boom focuses on the message of Gods strength through human suffering. The style of the two novels overflow with facing tone and attitude and create a literary barrier between Wiesel and Ten Boom. Where Ten Boom finds a positive inkling of hope within a German death camp, Wiesel drowns out every crack of hopeful light with the darkness of a negative attitude. The authors styles are distinct to their own morality. In Night, Wiesels style is sober and passionate as he describes each testimony with intense diction, vivid pictures and concrete intellect. He tears open his heart to pour upon the reader his true agony during the moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. (Wiesel, 32) He defines his religious beliefs with a nakedly self-exposed honesty (Alter, 526) and hides nothing. Wiesels writing is flooded with suffering but anchored in defiance. (Sidel) The flood contains truth which penetrates dams of neglect and overflows into the hearts and minds of innocent and guilty alike. Wiesels defiance pierces through the flood of truth to create an anchor of challenge to all minds as well as his own. His style remains passionate, but as persecution takes its toll Wiesels tone shifts from confident to despairing, pessimistic and almost bitter. His tone can trace his loss of faith in God and in himself. Wiesel sides with a man who honestly states: Ive got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. Hes the only one whos kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people. (Douglas) Wiesel feels so moved by his fear of death and loneliness as well as his anger towards Gods indifference to suffering Jews that he trusts his enemy more than his allies. His pessimism prevails and leads to emotional and spiritual deterioration. During the months of Wiesels imprisonment at Auschwitz and Buchenwald, his positive attitude toward himself and his situation becomes lost among feelings of anger, fear and hopelessness. At first, Wiesel believes that his optimism (is) unshakable (Douglas) and this persecution against the Jewish population treatment is merely a test of strength given by God. He thinks his treatment and separation from his family are somehow deserved, and feels religious guilt. However, as the innocent suffer, Wiesel begins to doubt his belief and his God. He rises above traditional Judaism to challenge God by questioning His ways and starting a personal revolt against this once trustworthy power. These men here, whom You have betrayed, whom You have allowed to be tortured, butchered, gassed, burned, what do they do? They pray before You! They praise Your name! What does Your greatness meanin the face of all this weakness? (Wiesel, 64) Wiesel questions Gods failure to intercede for the sake of His children, His failure to care about the destruction occurring. He fails to understand why God can or will not intensify the Jews now meager strength with His endless power. Words of vengeance and passion fill Wiesels once humble, trusting prayers. After a while, Wiesel ceases to pray at all as the death of his innocence, his human self-respect and his God (Alter, 526) crush all remaining hope of progression. Wiesel becomes dragged along by a blind destiny as indifference takes over his mind and body leaving him with no more reason to struggle. (Wiesel, 83) He was no longer afraid of physical death, for the murder of his spirit had already taken place. As Wiesel apathetically and reluctantly lives on, his pain lies in the discovery that neither love, filial pity, nor his tense Talmudic training can stand up against extremes of starvation and fear. (Alvarez, 527) He fights himself, his God, and the beast of the Holocaust, and he is defeated. In The Hiding Place, Ten Booms writing involves a deep yet innocent style. .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .postImageUrl , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:hover , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:visited , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:active { border:0!important; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:active , .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836 .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc5997776937a03c4bb716719f3a04836:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Catholic Church And Contraception Essay With each testimony, she explains her life with an awareness imbedded beyond worldly existence in order to voice a personal and heartfelt message of hope. Ten Booms honesty flows artfully through diction to reveal her true passion of God and the Bible. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. (Ten Boom, 194) She uses this analogy of fire in the night to represent Gods word and love warming the hands and hearts of desperate prisoners trapped in the dark. Ten Boom voices her deep messages in a style laden with vitality and passion, possessing an urge to share a testimony. The vitality of Ten Booms style is balanced by the motivated optimism of her tone. Through the suffering of the Holocausts victims, she remains focused of her purpose to share hope as a tramp for the Lord. (Contemporary Authors, 470) She maintains a strong-willed writing style throughout her novel. Ten Booms attitude during her imprisonment at Scheveningen and Ravensbruck is based on a rare quality: silent strength. This strength keeps her alive and fighting for her God despite numerous afflictions. She signifies that life in Ravensbruck took place on two separate levels, mutually impossible. One, the observable, external life, grew every day more horrible. The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory. (Ten Boom, 195) Although the physical conditions of the German death camps get increasingly more unbearable, Ten Boom is able to rise above the suffering and express joy because of the spiritual belief that God is her protector and He will inevitably conquer all evil. It is because of this mental strength that Ten Boom is one of the few celebrating through the suffering because she is not poor, but rich.. .(within) the care of He who was God even of Ravensbruck. (Ten Boom, 192) As her attitude became stronger and she prayed for safety and miracles, they were given to her. Ten Boom is able to retain a forbidden object, her Bible, throughout her whole sentence. Even after she leaves Buchenwald, she learns that her release is a clerical error, and one week after her release her age group is gassed. (Ten Boom, 241) These consequences can not occur to one prisoner without the aid of some higher power. After Ten Boom herself attains a positive attitude, she is able to help other, more destitute prisoners learn of the glory of God. With her sister Betsie and the forbidden Bible, she becomes the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope. (Ten Boom, 194) As prisoners desperately hold out their hearts to anything worth believing in, Ten Boom strengthens the souls of those hearts with the word of God within her and gives many a new hope and life focus. Through Gods peace and love she is even able to somehow forgive the guards for their wrong doing. Ten Boom also realizes the parallel of her destiny and persecution to that of God, and reassures herself that this plan of her life was foreseen, that she should follow his pattern of victory in the face of defeat. (Ten Boom, 150) She does just that, and changes many lives for the better in doing so. Through their style, Wiesels despair and Ten Booms hope reveal the effect of differing beliefs and attitudes on a similar situation, and how persecution exposes the true strength of an individual. Wiesel and Ten Boom pose as the two extreme results of a similar situation. With the torturous experience of WWIIs Holocaust behind them, the authors reveal their true fears and strengths in response to personal suffering through the theme and style of their writing. On the road to survival, everything goes, leaving only the most primitive terrors and desires. (Alvarez, 527) Ten Boom proves to maintain a static attitude by rooting her strength from God and keeping in mind that it was not my wholeness, but Christs that make the difference. (Ten Boom, 214) Wiesel represents the dynamic, lonely man swallowed by the evil of the Holocaust and left to live in a nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. (Wiesel, 32) Works Cited Alter, Robert. Elie Wiesel: Between Hangman and Victim (E. P. Dutton Co., Inc., 1962); excerpted and reprinted in Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 3, ed. Carolyn Riley (Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1975), p. 526. Alvarez, A. The Literature of the Holocaust (Random House, 1968); excerpted and reprinted in Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 3, ed. Carolyn Riley (Detroit: Gale Research Inc. , 1975), p. 527. Appendix II. Popular World Fiction. Vol. 3. Washington, D.C. : Beacham Publishing, 1987. II-35. Christians Who Helped Us To Get Started (Praise Outreach). May. 1996. http://www.wolsi.com/~kitb/influ. html. (5 Dec. 1996). Contemporary Authors. Vol. 111, ed. Hal May. Detroit: Gale Research Inc. , 1984. p. 470. Douglas, Robert E. , Jr. Elie Wiesels Relationship with God. 3 Aug. 1995. http://www.stsci.edu/~rdouglas/publications/suff/suff.html. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Vol. 3, ed. Israel Gutman. New York: Macmillan, 1990. p. 1281. Sidel, Scott. All Rivers Run to the Sea: A Review of the Memoirs of Elie Wiesel. 1995. http://www.netrail. net/~sidel/reviews/wiesel.html. (5 Dec. 1996). Ten Boom, Corrie. The Hiding Place. United States: Bantam Books, 1971. Wiesel, Elie. Night. United States: Bantam Books, 1960.

Gettysburge essays

Gettysburge essays The Battle of Gettysburg was fought during the third summer of the war, and definitely proved to be a vital turning point. Although the war lasted until 1865, the Battle of Gettysburg helped decide the overall outcome of the war. The Battle of Gettysburg prompted President Abraham Lincoln to give his now famous Gettysburg Address. This speech, combined with the outcome of the Civil War, eventually led to the ratification of the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery. The Civil War of the United States of America encountered many turning points, but The Battle of Gettysburg is the most crucial. This war was a contest between the northern Union Army, and the southern Confederate Army. Most wars are comprised of crucial events or turning points that change the tide of the war. The three-day battle at Gettysburg left both sides battered, and exhausted resulting in a crucial moment of the Civil War. The Civil War started in 1860, after the election of President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln opposed slavery and the South Carolina Legislature perceived this as a threat. The Legislature held a state convention and voted to remove South Carolina from the Union known as the United States of America. The succession of North Carolina, March of 1861, prompted ten other states to secede. These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which housed the Union garrison command, when the fort would not surrender. The battle at Fort Sumter started the Civil War. Many other battles followed, including the Battle of Gettysburg. The setting for day one at the Battle of Gettysburg took place on the morning of July 1, 1863. Forces of the Union Army of the Potomac met up against forces of the Confederate army on the outskirts of Gettysburg and the Battle of Gettysburg began. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate army commanded almost 75,000 men. ...

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Distributed leadership and teacher leadership

Distributed leadership and teacher leadership This assignment will explore the leadership practices of both distributed leadership and teacher leadership. Where necessary these practices will be applied to the environment of school A. School A is an inner city comprehensive secondary school with a large intake of English as an Additional Language (EAL) students. In 2009 School A achieved its best ever GCSE results in history with 72% of students achieving an A-C grade in Maths and English. These results placed the school within the top 10 best performing schools in the LEA. Other schools in the top 10 included independent grammar schools or outer city comprehensive schools. However, in 2010 the school was unable to maintain the successes of the previous year as overall GCSE results fell by 4%. It could be argued from this, that the school had neither the leadership capacity to sustain or improve (Ansell, 2004) its position. Kotter (1998) has identified eight principal errors that cause organisations to fail and the applicable principle in this scenario is declaring victory too soon. However; this was not the case for school A, the problem was that three strong leaders whom held senior positions were promoted to other schools around the borough and as a result the rising GCSE trend was unsustainable. Lewis (2003) describes such situations as an uncontrollable barrier that impacts upon organisation improvement. A differing view by an external practitioner had highlighted that the lack of distributed leadership or teacher leadership practices may have hindered the schools chances of improving. Leadership was the term commonly used in all of the examples given above and the opinions of the external practitioner provided me with a focus for this assignment. As a result I intend to examine the literature around leadership, in particular how distributed leadership and teacher leadership are perceived and practiced. The policy and theory related literature review will allow me to develop a greater insight into the two leadership styles, which may well improve my practice as a middle leader. To meet the aims of my project I will answer the following questions and where necessary apply these to the context of my school; What is leadership and educational leadership? What are the key features of distributed leadership and teacher leadership? What are the similarities and differences between distributed leadership teacher leadership? What are the merits and constraints to distributed leadership teacher leadership? 2. What is leadership and educational leadership? Despite decades of research into leadership, writers still remain divided over the answer to the question what is leadership? One powerful criticism is that leadership is a label attributed to human behaviour and that this term can be interchanged with another term (Lakomski, 2005). Cuban (1988, p190) states that there are more than 350 definitions of leadership. Paglis and Green (2002) describe leadership as the process whereby a person identifies where the group is at present, where they need to be and then devises a strategy for reaching their destination. Northouse (2007) defines leadership as a process where an individual influences a group to achieve a common goal. Out of the two definitions I feel that Northouse (2007) definition provides the stronger answer to my research question as the definition takes account of personality traits such as influence which Paglis and Greens (2002) definition does not dwell into. Yukl (2002) explains this influence process as a social influen ce process whereby intentional influence is applied to structure the tasks and relationships within an organisation. Earlier researchers by Stodgill (1948) reviewed 124 trait studies of leadership and found several personal factors of leadership which included responsibility, participation capacity and status. However, the criticism was that these studies did not examine how aspects of contexts and personality traits were interrelated in leadership studies. As a consequence many attempts to find universal qualities of leadership proved to be fruitless (Shorter and Greer, 1997). This led to the emergence of many leadership models. Nevertheless, the term leadership within organisations became associated with innovation and the ideas of change, as a result was elevated in status above management (Gronn 2004). Cuban (1988) stated the contrast in leadership and management to be vast, as leaders sought change and wholeheartedly implemented it whereas managers preferred to maintain the status quo. For this reason, many businesses recognised the importance of leadership as the key driver to their future success. However, applying Gronns (2004) and Cubans (1988) ideas to education I feel that it is necessary for the Headteacher to both play the role of a manager and a leader. This is because the Headteacher is responsible for the school vision (leadership) but needs to take practical steps to implement the school strategy (management). Bolman and Deal (1997) share my thoughts and state that modern organisations require practical managers that lead others in achieving a common goal. Educational leadership is a specific area of leadership within education. Although as highlighted earlier defining leadership is impeccably difficult, however educational leadership within a school setting is defined as a process that guides the talents and energies of, teachers, students and parents to achieve the common educational aims. Preliminary the aim of successful leadership is securing and sustaining improvement (Hopkins, 2001). School improvement has been at the forefront of educational reform leading to many writers discussing the positive benefits of leadership to student learning and school improvement. Wallace (2002) explains the impact of leadership upon school effectiveness and school improvement to be of great importance. Leithwood and Riehl (2003) share a similar view and state that large scale studies of schooling conclude the effects of leadership on student learning to be educationally significant. For this reason the term educational leadership has made its mark within education. It is evident from the literature review that no universal definition has been noted for leadership; however it has allowed me to discover that leadership is a process and one which brings about many models of leadership. In school, leadership is considered to be a process that will support schools to be successful (Harris 2004). Traditionally, educational leadership focused around the heroic model of leadership where the Headteacher demonstrated heroic features such as authority, courage and control (Johnson, 1997). The post-heroic model lays emphasis on teamwork, participation and empowerment. In this situation, school leadership does not dictate and control, but collaborates with others regarding organisational plans and operations. (Eicher, 2006). As schools become more challenging places to control and lead it has become necessary for Headteachers to promote school leaders as a means of sustaining improvement. The National College for School Leadership support this view and state As schools become more complex places to manage and lead, we need many more leaders than ever before (NCSL, 2008). The capacity building model is focused around the promotion of leaders. At the centre of the capacity building model, it has been discussed, is distributed leadership along with social cohesion and trust (Hopkins and Jackson, 2002, cited in Harris 2004 p12). In short, distributing leadership equates with taking full advantage of the human capacity within an organisation. This creates opportunities for all teachers to become leaders and contribute towards the schools vision (Harris Muijs, 2005). In the context of my own situation as a middle manager the school has supported my development extensively, as two years ago I started off as a NQT, now I am a middle manager on a fast track senior leadership training programme. Through the support of this development it can be argued that a form of capacity building has taken place. 3. What are the key features of distributed leadership and teacher leadership? Distributed Leadership Distributed leadership is one form of leadership that has raised the interest of many researchers within the educational field. Prominent researchers within this field include James Spillane, James Duignan and Alma Harris. As a result Bennett et al. (2003) address that there is little agreement to the term of distributed leadership and consequently the interpretations of this term vary from writer to writer and some of the interpretations of distributed leadership are related to collegiality. Connections have also been made between ideas of democracy, empowerment, and autonomy; however the integration of these elements is not made explicit. (Harris 2004). Most helpfully Bennett et al. (2003) suggest that it is more practical to imagine distributed leadership as a way of thinking about leadership as oppose to seeing it as another technique or practice. This view is shared by Spillane (2006) who suggests the key feature of distributed leadership to be used as a framework to examine lea dership. Another key feature discussed by Woods et al, (2004, p441) is that distributed leadership highlights leadership as an emergent property of a group networking of interacting individuals. This process shares some resemblance to transformational leadership as both focus on the actions of the group which Gronn (2000) describes as concertive action and an additional dynamic that is the product of conjoint activity. But different to transactional leadership as this focuses around a leader and its followers. The distributed leadership process also allows educational establishments to consider the boundaries of leadership, expanding upon the traditional leadership positions such as those of Assistant Heads and middle leaders. Woods et al (2004, p442) state that this process is predisposed to widen the convectional net of leaders this in turn raises the question of which group and individuals are to be brought into leadership or seen as contributors of it. So therefore distributed leadership concentrates on how leadership practice is distributed between informal and formal leaders. As Bennett et al. (2003 p3) note, distributed leadership is not something done by an individual to others, rather it is an emergent property of a group or network of individuals in which group members pool their expertise. Teacher Leadership Upon reviewing literature surrounding teacher leadership, it is evident that a precise meaning cant be found. The idea of teacher leadership focuses its attention towards the encouragement of teachers becoming leaders and engrossing in leadership activities outside the classroom environment. Barth (2007) describes this process of leadership where teachers take on initiatives that will inturn have a positive impact within the classroom. Similarly, Wasley (in Harris and Muijs, 2005) suggest that the key characteristic of teacher leadership is to support colleagues to develop work on their own initiative, rather than be lead by initiatives derived from a formal leader. Within my responsibilities as a director of specialism (Business and Enterprise) in my school I have to co-ordinate several whole school enterprise days throughout the year. Rather than organising and leading activities myself, I get my team on board and discuss the delivery of these enterprise days. By getting the team on board I am creating opportunities for these members to build upon their strengths and offer opportunities where they can deliver these sessions independently. It is clear from this example that a form of teacher leadership is taken place within my department. Another aspect of teacher leadership is for teachers to work together, constructing meaning and knowledge collectively and collaboratively (Lambert 1998). It is argued that if everyone has the capacity to do this, only then will school improvement take place (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001). This is why schools should have an understanding that leadership should not just be assigned to those within formal positions (Harris and Lambert, 2003). Research has also addressed that understanding leadership alone will not be enough to encourage all staff to play a part in the schools improvement process alone, a form of capacity building will also be required. (Harris and Muijs 2005). It has been highlighted from the Ofsted report during our last inspection that Assessment for learning practices should be consistently applied throughout the whole school. This has resulted to several teacher training days focused around assessment practices. Opportunities have been provided during these days fo r teachers to work collaboratively and share good practice to all. So, it can be argued that these practices share the opinions of both Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001) and Harris and Muijs 2005. The largest numbers of staff within a school are teachers and therefore are at the centre of the capacity building model. The argument for this, is teachers are in the unique position to make change happen given that they are directly involved in the teaching process (Lieberman Miller 2004). Therefore, the key characteristic of teacher leadership is to develop teachers to become leaders beyond the classroom thus leading to improved educational practice (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001). 4. What are the similarities and differences between distributed leadership teacher leadership? The focus of distributive leadership is the distribution of power that is stretched over a number of individuals and where the leadership activities are achieved through the interaction of many leaders (Spillane and Louis 2002). Harris (2005) shares a similar view and suggests that distributive leadership is centred on the creation of conditions where people work together and learn together. So it could be argued that teacher leadership is just one area under the umbrella of distributed leadership. Whereby, this process of distributive leadership is all about giving authority to teachers and empowering them to lead, (Harris 2005). This is a move away from the individualism and isolation of teaching brought forward by Lortie (1975 cited in Spillane et al 2001) Teacher leadership and distributed leadership share many similarities (Muijs and Harris, 2003). Both leadership processes are centred on people working together and it is argued that the knowledge base of individuals would increase when compared to individuals who worked alone (Bennett et al 2003). This is why both leadership types promote the construction of knowledge through cooperation and active participation (Harris and Lambert, 2003). 5. What are the benefits and constraints of distributed leadership and teacher leadership? This section will be broken into sub-headings generated from distinctive elements of distributed leadership, distinguished upon reviewing related literature surrounding this type of leadership practice. (Gronn 2000; Harris 2004; Timperley; 2005; MacBeath et al 2005; Spillane 2006). Within this section I will discuss the benefits and constraints of both leadership types. As addressed earlier teacher leadership forms one strand of distributed leadership so therefore my discussion surrounding the benefits and constraints of this leadership type will also be addressed within this section. Emergent property of interaction One of the primary functions of distributed leadership is the development of interaction between groups of people (Woods et al 2004). Spillane et al (2001) describe this as a collective leadership process that leads to an evolution of leadership practice, one which is far greater than the sum of each individuals practice. In the context of my school, this type of process could involve groups of professionals (teachers and senior leaders) coming together and sharing their expertise on a particular topic i.e. improvement strategies of Assessment for learning within classrooms. A shared approach compared to a singular led approach would not only yield a stronger pool of information, but also create a sense of belonging amongst teachers. After all, it is teachers who are required to implement these practices. This approach is similar to theories of teamwork, where the view is that working together produces far greater results than working alone (Harris 2004). It is also suggested that th e interaction approach would be best utilised in an environment where relationships are based on support and mutual protection (Belbin 2000). In respective of teacher leadership, Griffin (1995) highlights the need for teachers to prosper as leaders so they can support the development of other teachers. The knock on effect of teachers not interacting with each other can be seen as an intellectual resource being wasted. A similar view is shared by Harris and Mujis (2005) who have reported that teachers knowledge and expertise increase after being involved in discussion sessions with other leaders. These viewpoints are shared by my colleagues who are on the teaching and learning committee within my school. Having the time to interact with other teachers and discuss improvement ideas/good practice has improved the teaching within their own classroom and this would not have been possible prior to the committee being set up. Top-down Vs Bottoms-up The term top down leadership in schools is a process whereby strategies and solutions are identified by senior leaders and are then passed down the organisation (Hodgkinson 1991). Whereas the bottoms up approach promotes employee participation at all levels of the decision making process. Ryan (2003) suggests that distributive leadership is a non-hierarchical collaborative approach. The benefits of the collaborative approach would increase work performance compared to the traditional hierarchical approach. (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). As a middle manager I have witnessed the bottoms up approach to be more favourable than the hierarchical approach. For example, when the Deputy Headteacher runs CPD sessions some staff are displeased with the development support provided as their views are not taken into consideration. When the contributions and views of teachers are considered, then there is a greater chance that teachers will implement school strategies and support school goals. (Shepp ard,1996). Research has made it known that the authoritarian top-down style of leadership is common in schools that are in special measures (Gray, 2000) compared to improving schools that have embedded distributive leadership (Muijs and Harris 2003). It is apparent from this research that top-down leadership approaches are found within failing schools; however this point cannot be generalised as other factors could play a part towards a school deemed to be failing. Murphy and Meyers (2008) highlight lack of readiness for school, low socioeconomic status of students and urban school settings as a constituent to a failing school. Furthermore, I feel that top down and bottoms up leadership approaches can coexist within a school and still be classed within the spectrum of distributed leadership. For example the Assistant Head in charge of teaching and learning at my school had put forward the five principles to monitor progress of students in lessons. The teachers administered these principles and were given the opportunity to discuss the results with the Assistant Head to identify improvement strategies for the problem areas. This process both involved formalised leaders and informal leaders working together on a similar cause and is described by Spillane (2006) as coordinated distributed leadership. As a recognition of expertise Distributed leadership focuses its attention on assigning experts to appropriate tasks within formal and informal roles and this is different to the traditional leadership model which would only assign formal leaders to take on leadership tasks. Owens (2004) suggests that schools operate under complex systems so therefore; it is unrealistic for the Headteacher to be an expert in all areas of the school. Applied to the context of my school, the Headteacher has recruited a business manager to deal with the financial aspects of the school and oversee the Building School of the Future (BSF) programme. The reason for this is, the business manager has previous experience not only in finance but most importantly holds the expertise in managing a school rebuild elsewhere. Although the Headteacher is ultimately accountable for the school finances and the rebuild, this role is assigned to an expert to ensure the efficient running of school operations. Expertise can also be drawn from school teachers. By creating a climate that identifies teachers know-how will bring out the leadership within those teachers. For the Headteacher to seek expertise outside the formalised roles will empower those individuals (Hargreaves, 1999). However, in my opinion there proves to be unanswered questions with Hargreaves (1999) thoughts as no mention is made when the expert i.e. teacher is not skilled or enthusiastic to lead and as a result the process of identifying expertise may become unproductive. However, Duignan (2006) does shed some light on my thoughts and mentions recognising expertise will promote an allowed-to-be-a-leader culture; this can be a powerful tool in the motivation, support and appreciate of teachers. Conversely it is argued by Katzenmeyer Moller (2001) that teachers can be supported to develop their leadership potential, but teacher leadership can only blossom within a culture where the opinions of these leaders are respected. Nevertheless, it is suggested that the support and expertise offered by teachers can fulfil the responsibilities of the site leaders (Keedy Finch 1994). Lambert (1998) believes that this allows experts to shine from outside the formalised roles of leadership and will increase their capability of becoming leaders. These views could potentially support the problems towards the decline in GCSE results within my school. An initial thought to the cause of this problem was through the departure of three senior leaders who were promoted to posts at other schools. The view here was that when strong leaders left their posts, it led to the decline in students academic results. Lamberts, Keedys and Finchs (1998) views could not be applied to the context of my school, as there was little evidence of a culture of teacher leadership being recognised, nurtured and built upon within my school. If the teacher leadership culture was apparent then the school may not have been affected when the senior leaders left their posts. Harris and Lambert (2003) support my view and put forward the notion that all teachers harbour leadership capabilities and if unlocked can be engaged for the benefit of the school. It has been noted from the literature on teacher leadership that formal roles such as lead teachers were established to recognise the efforts of teachers, however; these programmes were found to be ineffective as Smylie and Denny (1990) found out. These teacher leaders could not fully support their fellow teachers as most of their time was taken up attending meetings as opposed to spending time at improving the practice of other teachers. Supporting school improvement It is argued that leadership that is distributed can support capacity building in school and contribute to school improvement (Harris 2004). This view is supported by Silns and Mulford (2002), their research within this area has identified that student outcomes are likely to increase if the leadership is distributed throughout the school community. However, it is Harris (2004) that brings to our attention that more evidence is required to confirm the relationship between student learning outcomes and distributive leadership. Hallinger and Heck (1998) also bring to our attention that the quality of teaching and learning play a pivotal role in supporting student achievement. If the students are doing better compared to the previous year then the school is seen to be improving. School leaders need to recognise that teachers have contributed extensively to this improvement. Literature has also highlighted that teacher leadership can lead to improved student outcomes as knowledge and skills are shared in order to improve instructional practice (Smylie, 1994) This view is shared by Lieberman and Miller (2004) who suggest, when teachers have opportunities to lead and share good practice the chances of securing the quality of teaching learning is increased. Barth (2007) adds to this view by stating that schools badly need the leadership of teachers if they are to improve It is apparent from the views of the writers above; that teacher leadership plays a crucial role in raising attainment. If effective teacher leadership practices are in place then students attainment will increase. This may not be the case within my school as GCSE results had fallen by 4% compared to the previous year. Therefore; this raises the question is teacher leadership not prominent in my school or is leadership on a whole poor? Moreover, Mendez-Morze (1992) research into effective urban schools has highlighted that student achievement could only be raised with the guidance of an effective leader. -Tensions barriers to distributed leadership and teacher leadership There are no guidelines available as to how distributive leadership should be implemented and this is the key concern of this type of leadership. Other leadership models that exist, encompass guides of delivery for example, John Adairs (1973) Action Centred Leadership model provides a blueprint for the leadership of a team or an organisation. As the model is open to interpretation, the distributive process may lead to the abuse of power and as a result the intentions of this leadership style may prove to be invalid (Maxy and Nguyen 2006 cited in Mayrowetz 2008). Gunter and Ribbins (2003) support this view and address concerns to what distributive leadership will look like in an organisation. Spillane (2005) challenging these concerns and points out that distributive leadership is a way of thinking of leadership and as a result no blueprint can be made available nor an instruction of how leadership should be practiced in a school. This view is supported by Harris (2005), upon the revi ew of both Spillanes and Gronns work into this process of leadership and addresses that distributive leadership is a way of studying leadership as opposed to explaining leadership practice. Also, the distributive process encourages teachers to take on leadership roles, in my opinion there is a significant problem with this as an assumption is made that teachers are capable in taking on leadership roles. Smylie (1994) study of teacher leaders and their principles brought out that teachers raised concerns about the lack of training that was provided towards building new working relationships. In my experience leaders require some form of training prior to taking on leadership responsibilities. The expertise of potential teacher leaders hold may not be effective if the teachers are not capable to lead. This is why in my school the majority of leaders assigned to middle leadership and senior leadership positions attend training courses delivered by the NCSL. Centralised systems of accountability that hold the Headteacher accountable can prove to be another barrier towards successful implementation of distributive leadership. One reason for this is that the Headteacher may be reluctant to delegate their power as he/ she may feel vulnerable due to the lack of control they harbour once others bear the burden of responsibility. OECD (2008) state that this may be true in cases where legal, HR, and financial control is given to others in the school. This is not the case with my school as the Headteacher has given away some of her power to others for example the responsibility of the school finances has been passed down to the business manager within the school and the curriculum design and management passed down to the Deputy Headteacher. This demonstrates that distributed leadership is taking effect as responsibility has been delegated to experts within their fields. Hierarchical systems that remunerate staff in accordance to their roles and responsibilities can prove to be a barrier to teacher leadership. Teachers may feel that the increase workload of additional responsibilities may not be worthwhile if financial rewards are not provided, in return may lead to teachers not being motivated enough to take on leadership roles. In my experience of taking on additional teaching and learning leadership responsibilities when I was teaching a full timetable, I had problems fulfilling my role fully due to the lack of time made available for me to implement my additional leadership responsibilities. My view is supported by several other studies which recommended that time has to be made available for teachers to plan and discuss whole school plans, curriculum matters or liaising with external bodies (Ovando; Seasore-Louis et al., cited in Muijs and Harris 2003). 6. Conclusion I am aware of the benefits that distributed leadership can provide, in particular having a framework to examine and understand leadership practice and developing group interactions through the collaboration process. However, the literature has acknowledged that distributed leadership is a new phenomenon that encompasses a limited literature base and a widely accepted definition (Bennett, Harvey, Wise Woods, 2003; Harris, 2004; Timperley, 2005; Spillane, 2006). In addition there is also little empirical evidence towards the effectiveness of the impact that distributed leadership has towards increasing student attainment and promoting instructional improvement. On this basis, I was unable to find a definitive answer to my hypothesis, which was to determine whether distributed leadership could improve student grades. What I have become aware of is, distributive leadership can play a part to increasing student attainment. Apart from the improvement of student grades, distributed leadership is a powerful leadership strategy where evidence has shown contributes directly to school effectiveness and development (Muijs and Harris, 2003). It is also suggested that the structure of teacher leadership creates a more professional work atmosphere (Little, 1995), which leads to building of a professional community. Studies have found that a school with higher levels of teacher learning and leadership, significantly enhances teacher work in the classroom (Silns and Mulford, 2002) as such an environment encourages collaboration and trust. However; the research has found Headteachers must be prepared to create a culture and climate that is favourable to teacher leadership (Bishop, Tinley Berman, 1997) as teacher leadership offers a realistic understanding of the idea maintained by the theory of distributed leadership as it presents leadership as an invention of a collective activity with all teachers being involved. Overall, the literature reviewed has allowed me generate a deeper understanding of both distributed leadership and teacher leadership. It was also apparent from the application of the literature to the context of my school that distributive practices do exist with some elements of teacher leadership. However, I am aware that it was not possible for me to directly link/test the literature to my problem as no action research into distributed and teacher leadership methods were trialled and tested. Nevertheless the literature has enabled me to build a theoretical base that would be

Breast Implants in Teenagers Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The trend for a number of young girls is to get breast augmentation. They think that by changing their bodies, they’re going to change their lives. They think they will be happy, and they will be completely satisfied with their implants. Their expectation is that their self-confidence will skyrocket, and they will be attractive girls. Many young girls get implants to make themselves stand out more and to have a great appearance, but there are many reasons that they should comprehend the long-term effect of surgery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, teenagers expect that plastic surgery will improve their self-confidence, but does it? Teenagers think that their new appearance will be great, but they may get different looks from their friends. For example, when they’re talking, their friends may look at their chest instead of looking at their faces and their friends may feel uncomfortable and awkward about their new breasts. One study found that teenager’s body-image may occur in the late teens because their bodies were still changing. The average girl gains weight between the ages of 18 and 21, and that is likely to change her desire or need for breast augmentation. This indicates that many young girls who are very dissatisfied with their appearance will feel more satisfied a few years later, whether or not they undergo surgery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, will teenagers who want to have breast implants understand the risks of surgery? Some girls may be completely satisfied with their implants, but...

Arguments against Euthanasia Essay

1) Applies to a very small number of situations, therefore unethical to make a doctrine based on this. Modern medicine can alleviate pain and suffering in almost all cases. Accepting euthanasia means accepting the fact that medicine is not advanced enough rather than looking at constructive solutions i.e. further advancements in medicine. 2) Signals giving up on a case, insult to determination and endeavor of the patient as well as the doctor, violation of Hippocrates oath 3) Value in suffering: teach the community perseverance. The community will care for the patient and will learn to go beyond its own set of autonomous goals. Show that human life has value behind personal happiness and absence of pain. 4) Focus is to alleviate pain: can be done through painkillers, euthanasia is unnecessary. 5) Life is a gift of God: each human being has intrinsic value and cannot be treated as means to an end i.e. a painless death. Shows sick and disabled as undesirable. 6) Thin line between eutha nasia and murder-can be misused. Cost cutting for terminally ill people. 7) Mistaken diagnosis-may affect a person’s life 8) Making voluntary euthanasia legal will lead to a domino effect: make involuntary euthanasia legal, which is equivalent to murder In June of 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a 63-year-old retired pathologist, was charged with first-degree murder after he helped an Oregon woman with Alzheimer’s disease commit suicide in June 1990. Kevorkian was also charged with helping two other women, Marjorie Wantz and Sherry Miller to commit suicide. Miller was incapacitated by multiple sclerosis and Wantz suffered from a painful pelvic condition. Neither condition was life threatening or terminal. Speaking to the National Press Club in 1992, Dr. Kevorkian defended himself by saying that a terminal illness was one that would curtail life by even one day and since all of his victims had ‘terminal illnesses’, therefore ‘euthanasia’ was justified. He has also referred to old age as a ‘terminal illness’ on multiple occasions. Euthanasia, or the right to die, is sought for those people who are terminally ill. Terminally ill†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦hmmm, how would you define people who are terminally ill? (Pause) Well, the definitions may vary from person to person and that is where the problem arises. People like Dr. Kevorkian effortlessly misuse this phrase to include illnesses, which are not necessarily terminal in order to fulfill their own vested interests. Good morning everyone. The motion on the floor today is â€Å"Voluntary euthanasia should be legalized† and we are going to speak against the motion. There is a very thin line between euthanasia and suicide or murder. In most cases, the two are no different from each other. People with non terminal or even trivial illnesses can misuse the legal sanction for euthanasia by using it to assist them with suicide. For a depressed, ill or elderly person, the emotional and psychological pressures, arising out of the feeling that they are a burden on the family or their caretakers, could push a person towards euthanasia. Such people may look for an exit from their guilt by approaching a doctor who is willing to help them, of course, for a handsome sum of money.

Examples of Organic Chemistry in Everyday Life

Examples of Organic Chemistry in Everyday Life Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds, which extends to understanding chemical reactions in living organisms and products derived from them. There are numerous examples of organic chemistry in everyday life. Organic Chemistry Is All Around Us Polymers consist of long chains and branches of molecules. Common polymers you encounter every day are organic molecules. Examples include nylon, acrylic, PVC, polycarbonate, cellulose, and polyethylene.Petrochemicals are chemicals derived from crude oil or petroleum. Fractional distillation separates the raw material into organic compounds according to their different boiling points. You encounter products made from petrochemicals every day. Examples include gasoline, plastics, detergents, dyes, food additives, natural gas, and medicines.Although both are used for cleaning, soap and detergent are two different examples of organic chemistry. Soap is made by the saponification reaction, which reacts a hydroxide with an organic molecule (e.g., an animal fat) to produce glycerol and crude soap. While soap is an emulsifier, detergents tackle oily, greasy (organic) soiling mainly because they are surfactants.  Whether a perfume fragrance comes from a flower or a lab, the molecules you s mell and enjoy are an example of organic chemistry. The cosmetics industry is a lucrative sector of organic chemistry. Chemists examine changes in the skin in response to metabolic and environmental factors, formulate products to address skin problems and enhance beauty, and analyze how cosmetics interact with the skin and other products. Examples of Products With Common Organic Chemicals ShampooGasolinePerfumeLotionDrugsFood and food additivesPlasticsPaperInsect repellentSynthetic fabrics (nylon, polyester, rayon)PaintMoth balls (naphthalene)EnzymesNail polish removerWoodCoalNatural gasSolventsFertilizersVitaminsDyesSoapCandlesAsphalt As you can see, most  products you use involve organic chemistry. Your computer, furniture, home, vehicle, food, and body contain organic compounds. Every living thing you encounter is organic. Inorganic items, such as rocks, air, metals, and water, often contain organic matter, too.

Raza Unida Party Book Report

Raza Unida Party Book Report The book has to do with third parties in the United States of America. The writer talks of a party – an organized ethnic grouping in the 1970s. The  group  had only one agenda – to question the existence of the historically  dominant  parties in the United States of America: democratic and republican parties. The book traces La Raza Unida Party  right  from its inception. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Raza Unida Party Book specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It outlines the reasons for the party formation, the group  vision  and  belief  and its leadership. The book details La Raza Unida Party’s structure, the main strategy employed and the electoral campaign  mode. Other things discussed in the book cover the  party  successes and failures. Besides theses issues, the book details with the general issues concerning the  political  organizing in some states within the United States of America. Some of the states mentioned in the book  include  Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Mid West, Texas and California. The book utilizes rich resource basis to discuss political issues and suggest future political cause of action to be taken. Some of the material resources used by the writer for this book  include  written documents, diaries, letters, position papers and minutes. The author also uses published materials such as  strategy  literatures, published political magazines and articles in the newspapers. The author’s personal experience in the organization of this party informs most of the thoughts on this book. The writer documents in this book his involvement in the establishment of the La Raza Unida Party in the California state of the United States of America. This  brilliant  history shapes the  philosophy  and beliefs behind this great book. The book raises a discussion on the possibilities that third parties have to succeed in the American political scene. The book points out the political strengths and  key  weaknesses of the traditional political parties. It also highlights the historical matters concerning the  political  dictatorship of the two leading US parties. It noted the  politics  that favor some US citizens more than others. Book Discussion. This book is  vital  for the evaluation of the political climate in the United States of America. Anyone who wants to understand the  politics  played in the United States will have interest to read this book. The book highlights the political happenings in the United States of America. It also highlights the reasons why for decades and centuries it has been  difficult  to  defeat  these parties. The writer explores the reasons for  political  failures by third parties in the United States. The writer observes that a third party had to do with an organized group with leaders, registered members and political sup porters. The organized group got designated as a political party. Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It documented the  general  goals and claim to be achieved. It had to face  difficult  opposition  by the political systems and the  dominant  party dictatorship to  force  its ideologies to the American people. Important to note would be the fact that traditional parties were not about winning the loyalty of the American people as opposed to providing a real challenge to the dormant US political parties (Navarro, 2000, 4). Conclusion This book reveals the true identity of third parties, their political organizing and experiences. It provides  political  strategists with a way  forward  that when harnessed will change how democratic politics happen in the future of the United States of America. Navarro, Armando. La Raza Unida Party: A Chicano Challenge to the U.S. Two-Party Dictatorship. California: Temple University Press, 2000. Web.