Directing Hamlet Essay

If I were to have the pleasure of directing â€Å"Hamlet† I would first think about how and where the scene would be set. I would have the scene set in the suburbs of Italy where the ‘gangsters’ are, because the portrayal of gangster Italy, on television (which the audience may be familiar with) is like the situation in Hamlet. Where revenge must be taken by the son, also upholding the family honour and such family situations. Also the portrayal of Italians is that they are very religious and that they tend to be Catholics, so the religious aspect of this scene (trying to pray and having the need to be forgiven by god) would fit in with my version and Shakespeare’s. I would have this scene set in a Roman Catholic Church to support the fact that Claudius wishes to pray here and that he is Catholic. I would like the church to echo the voices to show that Claudius’ heart must be empty for him to have committed this evil crime, so all he hears is the voices of his head, telling him what he thinks is the right thing to do, for example to pray for forgiveness. However his heart would be telling him to give up the things that he killed for, which Claudius himself mentions, â€Å"since I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did the murder†. I would like the lighting to be an orangey afternoon colour, like when the sun sets. I imagine churches to be empty around early sunset time and if Claudius really felt guilty he would not want people o see that he is unable to pray I would not have any sound effects as the church would echo and I would like the audience to focus on what the actors were saying. Also silence between lines tends to create a sense of atmosphere. It would make the audience feel tense as though something was about to happen. I would like Claudius to look into the mirror when he is talking to himself throughout most of the scene. Except when it is inappropriate, for instance when he goes to pray. I would like the audience to feel more relaxed by this, as Claudius does not seem to be very emotionally at thins. I would like the audience to feel quite angry with Claudius. I would like them to feel this as they can see that he is not mentally disturbed by the goings on. However when Hamlet goes to talk to himself I would like to have him talking to the audience to show that although Hamlet said in an earlier scene that he would pretend to go mad, â€Å"How strange or odd some’er I bear myself-As perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on† all the frustration about getting revenge and his fathers murder may have actually driven him mad. I feel that having Hamlet talk to the audience shows this, as the other members of the play do not seem to be able to see the audience (King Claudius talking to himself in the mirror). I would like the audience to be shocked, by this and feel on edge as this scene is all about whether Hamlet will kill the king or not which is very tense. Since Claudius is a King in Shakespeare’s Hamlet I would like him to play someone of high importance, so I would have him being played as a gangster leader. The outfit I would like him to wear would be a grey Armani suit, a waistcoat, blue collared shirt, and patent leather shoes. I would like him to have square framed glasses and for him to wear lots of gold jewellery, but especially a gold signant ring to symbolise that he is the leader of a gang, which has resemblance to the fact that he is a king (monarchs wear a ring to show that they are married to their country). I would like Hamlet to be wearing rather informal clothes to show that he may have gone slightly mad. I would have him wearing a plain black shirt, which would be reasonably tight. I would then have him wearing a black Hawaiian shirt with a thatched pattern on it. I would also like him to be wearing dark blue jeans. The dark clothes would be symbolising that Hamlet is still in mourning for his father’s death. I would like Hamlet to be wearing a silver Saint Christopher around his neck, to show that Hamlet may need guidance for the revenge of his father’s death. I would like to keep the language the same as I feel that if the text were to be converted into modern language the impact of the rhythm and words would be lost. Such as when Claudius says, â€Å"It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t,† means â€Å"It’s like when the first murder happened in the bible†. These words do not have nearly as much effect as the original line. The original line provides some atmosphere. The word ‘curse’ suggests evil, as witches were thought in Shakespeare’s time to send curses. Also as people were more religious in Shakespeare’s time the fact that Claudius has committed the worst sin n the bible they may have been horrified by Claudius’ crime. This wouldn’t have as much effect on a modern day audience however I feel that the words too tend to portray that Claudius shows disgust towards himself. Some of the words in this scene are quite difficult to interpret so I would have to make some sort of gesture in order to make it more obvious what the two actors mean. I think that obvious hand or body gestures would make it more obvious. For example when Hamlet says, â€Å"Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent† I think that Hamlet should, lift his sword and then approach Claudius. This would make the true meaning of the sentence clearer. A few lines in this scene make it so enjoyable to watch, but it all depends on the actor’s interpretation and delivery of the line. When Claudius says, â€Å"O, my offence is rank† This line needs to be emphasised as it shows that Claudius may be feeling regret for what he did. So he could show this by shouting the line, which displays the anger that he may be feeling with himself. Also â€Å"a brothers murder† must be emphasised as this is the reason to Claudius guilt, and why he is so angry with himself. He could portray this to the audience by saying it slowly, and going into an audible whisper as if someone may hear. Claudius should also emphasise when he says, â€Å"Forgive me my foul murder!† as this shows that maybe he does truly repent and feel guilt. He could shout this line to the ceiling as if he were talking to god. When Claudius talks of the things he does not wish to give up, â€Å"My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. † The should be said in a low husky tone, to show that Claudius although in this scene he may seem to be wanting forgiveness, he does not truly want it as he would give up these items that he killed his brother for. When Claudius is describing how in the criminal world he can ‘buy himself out of trouble’, â€Å"In the corrupted currents of this world†. This line and the following three lines should also be delivered in the same low husky tone to show that Claudius is still evil as to mix himself with criminals, who were also known as sinners in Shakespeare’s time. Also when Claudius talks to his knees, telling them to, â€Å"Bow stubborn knees† he should speak softly as though here were speaking to a child. This would emphasise the line and show that Claudius is encouraging himself to pray; just a children are encouraged when spoken to in a soft voice. The line he says, â€Å"All may be well† should also be softly as he trying to convince himself that everything will be all right. It is the final two lines that should be emphasised the most as this show the true irony of the whole scene. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius, as he believes that Claudius is praying and would go straight to heaven. Here when Claudius says, â€Å"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thought never to heaven go. † We learn that he was unable to pray anyway so Hamlet could have killed Claudius, only Hamlet did not know this. His line could be emphasised with pauses in between up and my, and in-between thought and never. When Hamlet says â€Å"And now I’ll do it†. I think here the actor should raise his sword above his head and increase the volume of his voice to a shout. Hamlet should then approach Claudius and let out a war like cry to emphasise this line. This I feel is effective as it emphasises this line and the silence that would follow would also emphasise the next line, â€Å"and so ‘a goes to heaven. † I think that those two lines are very important as they show that Hamlet is about to kill Claudius until he decides that he’ll wait. I also think that when Hamlet is talking about the death of his father, â€Å"‘A took my father grossly†, he should speak through his teeth, in a low tone. I feel that Hamlet would be feeling very angry, as he cannot yet revenge his father’s death. So I feel that that talking through his teeth would portray that anger to the audience. This also emphasises the line as the audience would listen to what he was saying as him talking through his teeth would be obvious to them. Hamlet, however should speak with joy when he talks about what kind if thing Claudius will be doing when Hamlet could kill him, â€Å"When he is drunk asleep, or in rage; Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed; At game, a-swearing, or about some act†. I feel that Hamlet would be imagining Claudius being killed and going straight to hell, which would make him very happy. I then think that when Hamlet delivers this last line, â€Å"this physic but prolongs thy sickly days†. It must be emphasised as Hamlet would be feeling quite sad and angry that he has Claudius in very vulnerable position yet he feels that he cannot kill him, as that would not give him true revenge. I feel that sadness and anger can be portrayed by Hamlet having a pause between physic and but. Also the actor should speak in a low tone to get the audience’ attention as this line displays the irony as Claudius is unable to pray. This scene is only effective because the audience knows what happened in the previous scene. They know that Claudius has portrayed his true guilt to Hamlet, confirming Hamlet’s beliefs that Claudius killed his father. The way in which he did show his guilt, (When the players put on a play with a murder committed the same way that he killed his brother) would be more effective in Shakespeare’s time as then all people who committed murder were believed to go mad, and be affected by the site of their crime. When Claudius views his crime he horrified by himself and feels the need to be forgiven which explains his sudden desperate need to pray. I feel that this scene gives Hamlet its edge of tenseness. The rest of the play is an unwinding tale leaving the audience wondering right until the last scene, will Hamlet kill Claudius?

Hotel Model Essay

The hotel model is where support staff do things for the people they look after and then become observers by not doing things for themselves. Active support is a way of ensuring people are able to engage and take part in their own support by having a person centred plan for them. Promoting Independence help the people I work with to regain or learn new skills to live there everyday life Informed Choice making sure the patient knows all the options that are available to them so they can make a choice of what they want to do  Valued life is the balance of activities that contribute to a good quality of life for the patients including domestic, personal, leisure, social actives and education Active support is a person centred model that is focused on the Individual and their needs it promotes independence by allowing the individual to do things for themselves, however small. Being independent doesn’t mean being completely on their own, but being Supported to do things for thems elves. It also gives them an informed choice the individual is given thorough information in order to make informed choices Themselves and valued life by giving them access to a good quality of life with all the different services and activities that are on offer The three elements in positive interaction that promote the individuals participation in an activity are naturally occurring reward (cup of tea they made for themselves) praise from staff and peers or getting to do an activity that they enjoy. I would speak to the patient and use visual aids and give them all the relevant information so they can make an informed choice. Highlight the potential risks and benefits and rehearsing the journey, where appropriate. I would make sure they have had their medication prior to the journey and that they take any medication they require with them for the journey they want to take. I would make a social story to explain what was going to happen and where we are going from leaving the unit to returning and ask the individual if this was ok. I would check the section 17 status for the patient, the seating plan for the vehicle and the patitais care plan for any new procedures the risks, dangers and difficulties associated with making journeys with the individual I work with, that they are wearing their seat belt. I would review the journey, with individuals, key people and others whether the journey met the planned outcomes and any changes that should be made for future journeys. I would ask the individual if they had a good time the things they liked about the trip the things they didn’t like and feed this back through the actives sheet for the trip. Fill out the activities sheet and the section 17 Leave form My assessor can see the forms I have completed. An individual’s participation represents the balance of activity associated with a valued life by joining in with the group, building social skills and friendships learning how to interact with peers and carers. Making choices for themselves, learning new skills, getting exercise and new domestic skills. Giving positive reinforcement through praise and rewards helps the individual to feel valued and part of the group

Biography of Noel Coward

Few writers have invested as much care into the personal image they publicly project as did Noel Coward. As a result, within popular culture the name â€Å"Coward† has become synonymous with a certain English style: the elegant silk dressing gown, the cigarette holder, charm, wit, clipped phrases, upper-class accents, and sex appeal. His plays reinforced this image, and Coward was not averse to audiences confusing him with his leading male heterosexual characters.Coward's homosexuality is now well understood, as is the fact that his public persona was a careful construction designed to hide his homosexuality from the general public. He was, for example, unimpressed with Oscar Wilde, calling him â€Å"a silly, conceited, inadequate creature . . . a dreadful self-deceiver† (The Noel Coward Diaries, 135). Although by the 1960s Coward was writing openly about the Homosexual Bill in Parliament in both his diaries and his play Shadows of the Evening, he failed to realize that his whole mannerism–the silk dressing gown, the cigarette holder, the raised eyebrow–was deeply artificial and camp.In addition to the creation of an immensely enjoyable persona, Coward's homosexuality may have also led him to the acidly witty exposure of society characteristic of so many of his plays and the comedy of manners ( Lahr). He well understood society's double standards and knew exactly how they might best be exposed through language. However, his success lay not with the epigrammatic phrase, but rather with the timing so that ordinary phrases become witty, hilarious, hysterical, or loaded with desperation. The recent revival of Coward in London, labeled by some critics as Coward for the nineties, attests to Coward's enduring qualities.To a certain extent he ignored modernism and sweeping changes in the theater, preferring instead to perfect the comedy of manners. Yet his sparse but witty dialogue that relies on situation and moment, his consciousness of la nguage as a weapon that can damage, and the gap between the grace of the language and what people actually do to one another ensure that Coward is more than merely an entertaining period comedy writer. Even Coward's birth date of 16 December 1899 seems suspiciously auspicious, falling at the end of an old century, and early on Coward appeared determined to embody the new century.He was born into a middle-class suburb in Teddington, Middlesex, and not into the world of cocktails and dressing gowns that his plays were to celebrate. His devoted mother Violet had married a piano salesman, Arthur, from a musical family, and she adored the theater and certainly passed that on to her son. With her encouragement, Noel took acting lessons at the age of ten in Miss Janet Thomas's Dancing Academy, and in September, 1911 he auditioned for his first part in The Goldfish.The year 1911 saw the beginning of his relationship with Charles Hawtrey, one of the great Edwardian actor-managers, when Noel first appeared in Hawtrey The Great Name. Hawtrey cast him in a series of plays: The Great Name, Where the Rainbow Ends, A Little Fowl Play, and The Saving Grace. Between 1911 and 1917 Coward appeared in a number of plays and quickly learned to appreciate the pleasure of an audience, which, he claimed, launched him on his writing career. He was finally drafted into the army in 1918, but his tubercular tendency and neurasthenia ended his army career after a few short months.Between 1918 and 1920 Coward survived by acting in a few small roles and writing stories for magazines and song lyrics. Early success came with I'll Leave It to You, a vehicle he wrote for himself and Esme Wynne-Tyson staged in Manchester and London. Critics agreed that a new talent had emerged. At the age of twenty-four, Coward confirmed this with The Vortex. Coward was hailed as a sensational talent. He shocked audiences with the subject matter of the play, but those who got beyond shock appreciated Coward's tal ent for writing. He seemed to epitomize the age's need to live life at a fast rate.His early success was confirmed with Hay Fever, produced in 1925, and Easy Virtue. Coward's finest play, Private Lives, written, like so many others, at high speed and as a vehicle for his dear friend Gertrude Lawrence, opened the 1930s. During this decade Coward wrote his finest work. In 1931 he wrote Cavalcade, in 1932, Design for Living, in 1935, ten one-act plays in Tonight at 8:30, and in 1939, This Happy Breed. During this decade he also acted as a somewhat unsuccessful spy and more successful patriot. In 1940 he toured Australia for the armed forces and in 1941 toured New Zealand.In that same year Blithe Spirit was produced, and he wrote the screenplay for In Which We Serve. During the early 1940s Coward enjoyed success with films. In 1943 he produced This Happy Breed; in 1944 he produced Blithe Spirit; also in 1944 he wrote the screenplay for Brief Encounter, based on Still Life, a play from t he ten in Tonight at 8:30, and the film was produced in 1945. With the end of the war Coward's popularity declined. His musical Pacific 1860 was not successful and was followed by the equally unsuccessful Peacein Our Time in Our Time, written in 1946 and produced in 1947.These failures continued through the 1950s with the musical Ace of Clubs in 1950 and the plays Relative Values in 1951 and Quadrille in 1952. In 1953 his career took a new shift when he performed as a cabaret entertainer at Cafe de Paris. In 1954 he wrote Nude with Violin and moved first to Bermuda and then in 1959 to Switzerland. During the late 1950s and 1960s Coward once more enjoyed success with a production of Waiting in the Wings in 1959, the musical Sail Away, and an attack on the new drama written by Coward himself in 1961 for The Sunday Times. In 1964 Hay Fever was revived and directed by Coward at the National Theatre.His last appearance on the West End stage came in 1966 with Suite in Three Keys. In 1970 Coward was knighted, and there followed in 1972 a revue in London named Cowardy Custard and Oh! Coward in Toronto, which reached Broadway in 1973. Coward died of a heart attack in 1973 at his retreat in Jamaica. This play, dealing with a mother's affair with a young man the same age as her son, and a son addicted to drugs, launched Coward's career. Both characters long to be adored, and both promise to change at the end of the play and give up their respective vices.Although the Lord Chamberlain almost refused the play a license, Coward managed to obtain one by persuading the Lord Chamberlain that the play was really a moral tract. Agate noted that Coward lifted the play from disagreeable to â€Å"philosophic comment,† but complained that â€Å"the third act is too long† (Mander and Mitchenson, 69). Hastings commented firmly that this was a â€Å"dustbin of a play† (Morley 83). Nevertheless, most critics praised the play, especially those in America such as the reviewers for the New York World, the New York Post, and the New York Tribune, who called it â€Å"the season's best new play† (Cole 47).Later critics such as Lahr (18-26) and Gray (34-41) still praised the play for the literary leap Coward exhibited. The 1952 revival was set in the 1920s and received mixed praise: the London Daily Mail complained about its â€Å"frantic piano-playing at every crisis† but noted that â€Å"the wit still sparkles and that final hysterical scene between the son and the mother with a lover of just his own age has lost little of its old dramatic sting† (Mander and Mitchenson 21-22). Coward's finest play, Private Lives, claims no political message, and each element is fully resolved in this beautifully symmetrical play.Amanda and Elyot have each remarried and meet on their honeymoons with their exceedingly dull spouses. Elyot and Amanda appear in turn on their Riviera balconies, each having a similar conversation with their new spouse s. The play begins by contrasting balanced scenes in which Amanda and Elyot discover that the only way to communicate with their new spouses is through language, but they are unable to do so. Thus, when Elyot attempts to probe Sibyl's mind and discover her future plans, she responds: â€Å"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.† She functions on the simplest level of language as talk, of words having a precise and limited meaning. Similarly, Amanda finds Victor equally limited. When she articulates her belief that communication depends on â€Å"a combination of circumstances† and takes place â€Å"if all the various cosmic thingummys fuse at the same moment, and the right spark is struck,† Victor can only reply that she is not nearly as complex as she thinks she is. For Elyot and Amanda, language communicates all too well on a literal level, but their feelings do not align with the words or with each other's words.They use the language of the com monplace as a weapon. In one of their most memorable scenes, they display their sophisticated barbs when Amanda asks, â€Å"Whose yacht is that? † and Elyot replies â€Å"The Duke of Westminster's, I expect. It always is. † Amanda, opening herself for the next retort, exclaims, â€Å"I wish I were on it,† to which Elyot replies, â€Å"I wish you were too. † None of these lines is especially witty alone, but given their context and the timing, they are funny and sad.This couple cannot live apart, and yet as act 2 reveals, neither can they live together. Indeed, in the second act language becomes too effective a weapon, so that periodically Amanda and Elyot must resort to a technique to literally stop communicating. When language threatens to communicate their old jealousies and recriminations too starkly, they resort to using the word â€Å"sollocks†; the device fails and language refuses to submit to such control. When Amanda and Elyot refrain from relying on language, they can communicate.Thus, if they divert themselves with word games such as deciding whether it is a â€Å"covey of Bisons, or even a school of Bisons,† or perhaps â€Å"the Royal London school of Bisons,† they succeed. But when they try to discuss something meaningful, such as their five years apart and the question of other lovers, they find language powerful and disturbing. Amanda says that she would not expect Elyot to have been more or less celibate than she was in their five years apart, but he cannot separate the words from the meaning they imply.He cannot bear the thought that she was not celibate, and in the ensuing argument he concludes, â€Å"We should have said sollocks ages ago. † They should have ceased conversation because language is too destructive. What makes Coward very much a twentieth-century writer is his refusal to restore harmony to this chaos. We must accept that Amanda and Elyot cannot live together without fighti ng and there will be no happy ending because their attempts to control language are futile.Moreover, this futility infects Victor and Sibyl so that their previous united front disintegrates, and as they echo the arguments of Amanda and Elyot, Amanda and Elyot sneak out to fight another day. Coward's couples find that language communicates only too well so that they can neither live together nor apart, and in this, Coward embodies the awful dilemma of the human condition. Contemporary scholarship should continue to explore Coward to dispel the notion that he is just a period writer. Works Cited Cole Stephen. Noel Coward: A Bio-Bibliography.Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993. Coward, Noel. Private Lives, Bitter Sweet, The Marquise, Post Mortem. London: Methuen, 1979. Gray, Frances. Noel Coward. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan, 1987. Lahr, John. Coward the Playwright. London: Methuen, 1982. Mander Raymond, and Joe Mitchenson. Theatrical Companion to Coward. London: Rockliff, 1957. M orley Sheridan. A Talent to Amuse: A Biography of Noel Coward. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985. Payn, Graham and Morley, Sheridan. The Noel Coward Diaries. Ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1982.

What are the other categories of persons in need of protection not Essay

What are the other categories of persons in need of protection not defined in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol - Essay Example It dictates the available solution for refugees as exile. On the contrary, we are in a different era where refugees problems can be properly handled and rule out exile. In this regard, dialogue can rule out or provide alternative amicable solutions to refugees. The Refugee Convention of 1951 and the 1967 Protocol covers widely the rights of the refugees in the entire world (Miller, 2014). However, the convention and its protocol fail to cover other groups of the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. These groups are the victims of female genital mutilation, child hunger, child recruitment into illegal militia, sex abuse victims, among others (Antoinette, 2010). The convection states that it does not provide permanent protection to refugees. This implies that when the refugee status of a person expires, he or she is venerable to other crimes such as sexual abuse and hunger. The 1951 refugee convention and 1967 protocol are to be The convection however, has its fair share of limitations that emphasis more on the need to have the convection revised. For instance, the convection denies the refugees and ‘camp’ refugees equality (Miller, 2014). More preference is given to those present instead of preference being based on the neediest. Furthermore, the convection also does not take into account factors accruing to the refugees as a result of political, financial or social factors. The convection based asylum deemed to be most efficient during the Cold War (Miller, 2014). Applying the same convection today has proved futile in seeking to solve some of the challenges faced by the asylum seekers. The convection fails to factor in mass asylum seekers outflows as well as their migratory movement patterns. The 1951 convection is very clear on the persons it protects. The convection clear defines refugees as a person who has freed his or her country due to risk of facing prosecution because of race, political opinion or religion. The 1967

International Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Criminal Law - Essay Example of international crimes is even more complicated because the enforcement of the penal statute is carried out by international bodies against individual persons for acts committed in different countries. Where the international tribunal has jurisdiction, however, it is able to add further definition to a new offense. Such is the case with the crime of genocide. The crime of genocide is a relatively new name for a violent act that had long existed, merely because it has only recently been criminalized. Quigley2 refers to the crime of genocide consisting of forcible acts that are directed against individual members of a group in a way that threatens a group, although closer examination reveals that there are fine points that qualify acts of genocide. Most such atrocities are coincidental to the occurrence of war. In the twentieth century, the earliest such atrocity was in 1915 when Turkey, fearing that its two million Armenian population would side with its enemies, began deporting this population to Syria and Mesopotamia. The deportation was particularly brutal and involved several mass executions, during which several hundred Armenians died, prompting Arnold Toynbee to lament it as â€Å"the murder of a nation.†3 It took another world war and another three decades before the offense of genocide was conceived. The Germans committed such violence against indiscriminate and countless people that Churchill decried it as â€Å"a crime without a name†.4 The term â€Å"genocide† was coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer who escaped Nazi occupation and worked in Washington war intelligence. The word, as Lemkin himself described, is â€Å"a hybrid consisting of the Greek genes meaning race, nation or tribe; and the Latin cide meaning killing5 (e.g. suicide, homicide). After having chronicled the atrocities of the Third Reich, Lemkin had a circumscribed perspective of what would comprise the offense of genocide. He wrote that: â€Å"Genocide is effected through a

Observations in Settings Serving Children with Disabilities Essay

Observations in Settings Serving Children with Disabilities - Essay Example It seemed like a typical class where the teacher discussed lessons with the children and the children actively shared their ideas. Later, the teacher distributed some worksheets and asked the children to work in pairs. I was told by the teacher that she had pre-arranged the pairings in various ways depending on her goal for the students. The children with special needs (1 had ADHD and the other one had some cognitive delay) were given modified activities and paired with high performing students to help them out by peer tutoring. Once the children started working, the teacher went around the room checking on each pair, stopping once in a while to help those who need help or asking questions to guide the children. The children with special needs do not stand out. I would never identify them as such had I not been told they had special needs because they blend in so well with the typically-developing students. The second setting was a one-on-one session between a 7-year old boy with cog nitive delay and a reading specialist. She was trying to teach him phonetic sounds. She showed him some letter cards and asked him to sound out the letters. First it was done slowly with the teacher making the sounds while showing the cards and he imitated her. Later on, she kept showing him the cards and expected him to sound the letters by himself. Next came picture cards that he needed to identify and match the initial sound of the word with a letter. She started with only 3 pairs of picture and letters graduating to about 10 pairs at a time. The boy seemed to have a difficult time processing the pairings because it took him a long time to match the cards, but the reading teacher was very patient. My initial reaction to the observation was pure awe. I was so inspired with how these teachers can be so patient and understanding in helping out the students with special needs and they go out of their way preparing special activities for them. I thought they meticulously planned ahead in order to meet their needs and for the teacher of the inclusive class, to address each child’s need. I realized it takes special training to do what they do and a passion and commitment to do so. With the inclusive class, the teacher had to contend with multiple personalities and consider each student’s skill level so she can pair them off well. That meant she had previous knowledge of these children and have assessed them thoroughly. It seemed her pairings worked because I observed all the children productively working together. The partner of the child with ADHD was also very patient in holding his attention, often tapping his shoulder to make him focus on their task. I am not sure if this partner or any of the other typically- developing children were trained to deal with peers with special needs, but this boy seemed to know how to handle the hyperactive tendencies of his partner. The partner of the child with cognitive delay likewise displayed patience with her partner. She was like a miniature teacher going through the activity with him, asking him guiding questions so he can come up with the solution. It was obvious that she already knew the answer, however, she wanted him to figure it out himself. I saw a smile cross her face when he was able to answer the problem correctly. The reading teacher, on the other hand, worked only with one child, but I think it took much effort in guiding him. She poured all her concentrated effort on him without being distracted.

The Strategic Growth Plan for an SME Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Strategic Growth Plan for an SME - Essay Example At that time nobody appeared to be interested in the product. But today Microsoft Vista is widely reviewed and talked about even before its formal launch. lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity. Coke started off in 1886 when in May 1886 Dr. John Pemberton a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia started selling for five cents a glass. The first year of operation ended with the figures of $50 worth of sales Vs the production cost of $70 i.e. a net loss of $20. Today Coca-Cola Company is the world's leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. Infosys Technologies, a global consulting and IT services company was founded with some borrowed money by it founder Narayana Murthy. But today it is managing the IT needs of world's who's who in the business field. Small and Medium Enterprises is therefore the beginning of a giant stride for business strategists and determined entrepreneurs. SMEs need to improve their business skills to help them survive and grow. What is required to make an SME a competing and a big company is a vision and a strategic growth plan implemented with grit and determination by the owners/ managers. A strong SME sector contributes to a flexible and buoyant economy, creating jobs, providing the foundations for the large companies of the future and contributing to the nation's long term growth and international competitiveness. Firms can grow by interacting with key local players including universities, customers and research centres (Asheim & Isaksen, 1997). The main barriers to growth for smaller firms arise in the form of financing, organization and competition from new products or companies. A strategic growth plan calls for managing all such eventualities. SME Sector As far as IT sector is concerned China and India are in the forefront of global turnaround in IT enabling services and business process outsourcing. Both these countries have taken major share of the outsourcing revenue from the developed nation. Since initiating economic reforms and open policy in late 1970s, China has achieved tremendous success in economic development. The economy has changed from a centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one with a rapidly growing private sector. China now is the fastest growing economy in the world, with GDP expanding at an annual average rate of around nine percent over the past two decades. China has started recognizing the potential of SMEs and visible efforts are there to prove the point. For example, China organized its first SME fair in October 2004. Despite the progress in privatization, a considerable part of China's economy remains controlled by large State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), many of which are termed as inefficient and unprofitable. This slow march towards opening up of economy has prevented the inflow of IT led outsourcing into China to a certain extent. Major beneficiaries of the outsourcing boom are the Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs), that effectively means less growth potential for SME sector. India on the other hand has proved to be a grooming ground for SME sector. With the exodus of IT companies from Europe, America and other parts of the world towards India, the burgeoning Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector promises to be a growth

Critical Review and Suggested Improvement for the Alternative Air Dissertation

Critical Review and Suggested Improvement for the Alternative Air Cooling - Dissertation Example New buildings should use alternative methods for air quality too. This research will show how and why. 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT There are many buildings in Hong Kong that were built before alternative methods for cooling and cleaning the air inside were financially profitable. Now the prices have dropped down, so it makes sense to install these alternative methods that save energy and some which also have a lower carbon balance quotient. These also save money in the long term, as the energy bills will be much lower. 1.2 AIMS AND BROAD OBJECTIVES The aim of this project is to study alternative methods for cleaning and cooling air in Hong Kong buildings and identify the best ones for each kind of building. The technology will be analysed for its ability to replace old systems in old buildings and make the air better for less money and energy consumption. The cost of using these in new buildings will be calculated so the ROI can be computed. It is hoped that these alternative metho ds will not cost much more than the traditional methods. This makes them good to use in new buildings. The costs and savings for old buildings will also be calculated. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Methodology of Literature Review A review of the literature in peer reviewed databases was done the same search of available books on the subject. However, since the lag time for books in print is nearly a year, newer technology and more information is available in digital formats. In addition to the peer reviewed databases, common websites in the building trade, and among suppliers for the building trade, were searched for information. Finally, specialized digital databases which include technological information and sites of various authorities on the subject were also searched and sites for rating buildings, such as BREEAM, Energy Star and Green were included. The alternatives found are examined and discussed here. This project will look at all alternatives and rate them for cost, p roblems, and ROI. Even if the cost is a little bit more, the pay back time is short. If a building is expected to last fifty to a hundred years, then it pays to make it work the best possible Langston, C., & Shen, L. (2007). 2.2 Technology Modern Building Services, and many other building sites like it, has no less than five alternatives to traditional air conditioning (Energy efficient systems - modern building services ). There are many alternatives. Green water walls are beautiful, peaceful and they clean the air while cooling it too ( ). These can be use with passive solar cooling and efficient window design to keep air cool and fresh (Greenwall Australia ). Regular air conditioners drink power like hungry dinosaurs. They make a lot of noise, they do not clean the air, and they often spread mould into the building. Hong Kong buildings are some of the most inefficient in the world, since the winters are not cold. Builders did not consider that air conditioning would become a majo r expense and a major problem. Even in buildings where the temperature is comfortable. The air may not be clean. Builders can do both with simpler technology and pay less (Dauncey, 2004). Many companies even consider these

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Article Analysis - Essay Example rategic choice because it launches innovative health care products, and that the strategy is implemented through building synergies with existing systems and providing space for adapting new ones. In addition, the basic meaning of the article is that Apple is ready to lead in the production of innovative health care products that both prevent and manage diseases. The article, moreover, will help me succeed in class and my employment because it inspires me to also find new innovations where I can use my strengths as distinct advantages. First, the article has the elements of strategic analysis, strategic choice, and strategic implementation (Kew and Stredwick 205). Apple has a vision of being a leader of innovative products that can change industries for the better (Hull). The Apple Watch represents Apple’s vision as it enters an industry that it is new to it too. This is similar to Nintendo’s Wii that became a health care product when it promoted physical activity that has entertainment and social value. Apple Watch is an innovation that can help Apple become a more familiar brand in the health care sector. Moreover, Apple shows that its strategic choice is about innovation. It is not afraid of promoting change, as its watch combines prevention and disease management (Tozzi). Furthermore, the strategic implementation of Apple is to start with a product that is already based on linking existing systems. For instance, Tozzi says: â€Å"HealthKit will plug into electronic health records from Epic and o ther providers, enabling smoother communication between doctors and patients.† Apple Watch shows that the strategic choice is about improving how systems can work together, and how it can offer something new now and in the future. Apart from these elements of strategic management, the article has the basic meaning that Apple is ready to lead in the production of innovative health care products that both prevent and manage diseases. Apple Watch can help people

The Importance of Amaterasu Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Amaterasu Essay Amaterasu is a very important figure in Japanese lore. According to Shinto belief she is a direct line of the Imperial family. Many religions have an origin story, a story that accounts for where everything originated. The Japanese origin story is no different. The Kojiki is the oldest written stories in Japanese History. From this we will begin our Journey. Inside the Kojiki it holds stories about the Gods, how they came into existence and may other stories. One of the most important Gods in Japanese culture is Amaterasu. Amaterasu is a Kami or â€Å"God† of the Shinto religion. She is the Goddess of the Sun, and daughter of Izanagi. Izanagi â€Å"The Male Who Invites† and Izanami â€Å"Female Who Invites† were the Gods that were sent to create a world. They then created Japan and all other Gods here. When Izanami gave birth to the Fire God he burned her severely and she didn’t survive the ordeal. Izanagi is said to have killed the infant and from his death many other Gods sprung about from his blood. When Izanagi lost his wife he became saddened and enraged. He sulked until he decided to bring his wife back from the dead. Izanagi then went to the land of the dead or â€Å"Yomi† to retrieve Izagani. When he found her she had built a house for herself there. He then persuaded her to leave with him back to the land of the living and she promised to do so as long as he did not look at her. Missing his wife dearly he disobeyed and did so anyway. He see’s that she has become a rotten decaying corpse. Enraged that he had saw her this was she sent the eight Thunder Gods and many others after him. When they failed she went after him herself. Izagani managed to escapes and closed the exit with a boulder. Iazgani then went to cleanse himself after the trip to Yomi. As he purified himself, from his left eye Amaterasu â€Å"Heaven Shining Great August Deity†, from his right eye came Tsukuyomi â€Å"His Augustness, Moon Night Possessor†, and from his nose Susanoo â€Å"His Brave Swift impetuous Male Augustness† were born. The Kojiki goes on to say that Amaterasu sent her Grandson Ninigi to rule The Central Land of Reed Plains. He was sent down with the eight-foot long curved jewels, The Mirror that was used to lure Amaterasu out of the cave, and The Herb Quelling Great Sword. These are today known as Japan’s 3 sacred Treasures. Ninigi eventually had a grandson named Jimmy Tenno who became the first emperor of Japan. This is significant in Japanese history because Imperial family rules by Devine right, meaning they are direct descendants of Amaterasu. The Shinto religion is a way of life in Japan. The Japanese people take pride in who they are and of their ancestry with the Gods. Amaterasu is a staple in Shinto religion; their flag of a rising sun is evident of this. Every religion has background and this is Japans.

Factors in a Commercial Contract

Factors in a Commercial Contract INTRODUCTION: A commercial contract is a contract viewed by the courts unless it has been indicated otherwise, to be legally binding. It doesnt have to be a written contract, as any contract between two parties that mostly relates to a commercial issue, is known as a commercial contract. It can be contract between a corporation and its customers, or the corporations themselves. To ensure that all contracts are legally binding, there is a structure that has been set in place by the law, that shows the ways and means to draft these agreements and to be made fully aware of that, breaking of these contractual agreements is a very serious offense in the eyes of the law. TERMS IMPLIED BY STATUE FROM CUSTOM AND STRUCTURE: In commercial trades, there are implied terms into the contract that must be contracted out of on the off chance that they fulfil the sensibility test laid out in the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. In contracts for the offer of products and supply of facilities, certain essential arrangements are suggested by statute with a specific end goal to give security to buyers. Commercial contract utilises the validation of their agreement within the contract. An example of this will be the terms and conditions that both the consumer and cooperation are legally constrained to, within their contractual agreement. The representation of the courts come into place here, as through consumer rights to reimburse on any damages the consumer may have encountered. These suggested terms are circumstances of the agreement signifying the inability to go along, would offer ascent to one side to dismiss. This privilege to dismiss however is constrained by Section 15A where the rupture is so slight, it would be irrational to dismiss. There is a safeguard that ensures the dealer does not have the privilege to offer the merchandise, where the products are sold by interpretation, there is an implied term that the products will compare to its portrayal, and the corporation must guarantee that the products they offer are of an acceptable quality and its purpose. There is an implied term that the merchandise will match its quality, even if they are vended as samples. In the case of Ashington Piggeries [1972], Lord Wilberforce upheld that the test for purchasing by narrative, is more judgment skills test in view of expectation of what the parties needed as opposed to some metaphysical discussions, with regards to the way of what is conveyed, contrary to what was sold.[1] Terms implied from custom or usage, differs from other implied terms. This is solely based upon the reason that, whilst this particular term in question is centred on practice, the other terms are established necessity. Meaning that, this particular implied term, cant eject the express term of the agreement. They are ejected by an essentially implied term, or by intrinsic in the nature of the agreement. As Sir Christopher Staughton said. It is rare in modern times to find that a contract is varied or enlarged by custom.[2] Considering the case of Cuncliffe Owen v Teather and Greenwood [1967], for the conditions of the agreement to be obligatory, it is a necessity that the procedure is notorious, certain and reasonable, and not contrary to lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.[3] TERMS IMPLIED BY THE COURTS: The courts interpretation of contracts is important in legal practice. The Privy Councils assistance on the ramifications of agreement terms in Attorney General of Belize v Belize Telecom Ltd [2009], has maybe amusingly, turn into a lesson in the troubles of translating a legitimate content. Individuals who make contracts are authorised to discern what the courts will interpret of what a contract agreement is. It is in light of a legitimate concern for the gatherings to an agreement, and in the general population premium, that judges ought to force some limitation to forestall time and cash being squandered in considering a mass of insignificant evidence. The concern of implied terms emerges once the express terms have been understood, and an implied term cant be incorporated where it would disprove an express term. As Bingham MR said (Philips Electronique Grand Public SA v British Sky Broadcasting Ltd (1995)), It is tempting for the court then to fashion a term which will reflect the merits of the situation as they then appear. Tempting but wrong.[4] MS established that it is fundamental for the corporations viability that the duty to reimburse ought to be inferred into the rent. The contradicting contentions on the proprietors part incorporated that the suggested term would lie uneasily with the express rent terms. The express arrangements highlighted that the gatherings had guided them to the particular question of what costs were to be made, if whether or not the leaseholders break was applied. There was a mighty contention this made it wrong for the court to venture in and fill in what was close to an uncertain breach.[5] The decision made in Marks and Spencer Plc v BNP Paribas Securities Trust Company (Jersey) Ltd [2015] was a very important verdict, that made an impact on various tenants and the beliefs based upon whom, preceding to the resolution was deliberated that, in order to substance a bit of fairness, the proprietor shall reimburse the upfront fee that was made, in veneration beyond the disbanding date of the contract, as a result of the tenant effectively applying a break right.[6] At first occasion, Morgan J maintained the occupants claim. Referring to Belize, he asked himself whether the proposed term would illuminate explicitly what the reasonable result will comprehend, regarding the meaning of the agreement made. He perceived that, had the break premium been paid before 25 December, with the goal that it was sure at that date that the break notice would be viable, the occupant would have been qualified for pay just a proportionate piece of the lease for the quarter. As Morgan J establi shed, the suggested implied term is necessary to give business efficacy to the lease.[7] Although the influence of applying the pertinent lawful standards might be out of line bias to the inhabitant or a fortune for the proprietor, those results are probably not going to be adequate to oblige the proprietor to make a reimbursement. The express terms of an agreement will frequently neglect to accommodate a specific arrangement of realities. The court will, for the most part, find that this exclusion was considered, if something was intended to happen, the agreement would have indicated this. At times, be that as it may, the court will imply a term in fact, finding that the agreement truly provides for the issue, though certainly. A term may be implied in the event that it fulfils the trial of corporations needs, or is obvious to the point that its implied, and it will be an uncommon case which fulfils just a single of these two necessities. An imperative element for the Supreme Court was the built up lawful foundation against which the rent was gone into, especially, in connection with the distribution of lease payable ahead of time. It has for quite some time been entrenched that lease, regardless of whether payable in arrear or progress, is not apportion able in time in precedent-based law. While the Apportionment Act 1870 takes into consideration lease payable in arrears.[8] Demonstrated in the case of Ellis v Rowbotham [1900] where the court held that, the Act does not make a difference to lease payable ahead of time. The Court dismissed the contention that Ellis ought to be overruled. The Supreme Court examined in detail Lord Hoffmanns persuasive remarks in Attorney General of Belize v Belize Telecom Ltd [2009], where he recommended that the way toward suggesting terms into an agreement was a piece of the practice of the development, or translation, of the agreement. Lord Neuberger give occasion to feel qualms about those remarks regarding them as a characteristically inspired discussion rather than authoritative guidance on the law of inferred terms. [9]Before Belize, it was entrenched that the court would just infer a term into an agreement on the off chance that it was important to give the contract corporation viability, or if the term was obvious to the point that it abandoned the last regularly showed, with the officious bystander test in Shirlaw v Southern Foundries (1926), undermining the test in The Moorcock (1889).[10] On the off chance that neither one of the tests was fulfilled, the misfortune would stay in the exact stop it tumbled. Lord Neuberger then went on to state a very important vital point which was that the express terms of an agreement must be translated before one can consider any question of suggestion. It is simply after the procedure of interpreting the express words is finished that, the issue of an implied term tumbles to be considered. Until one host chose what the gatherings have explicitly concurred, it is hard to perceive how one can set about choosing whether a term ought to be inferred, and if so what term.[11] CONCLUSION: After thoroughly reading into the grounds of implied terms, and the circumstances of which they will apply to, it is clear that there are reserves for an implied term would be reasonable, as well as without it the break right would work eccentrically. Yes, many contract terms can be suggested, however, the act of utilising inferred terms is subject to the courts capacity to give the best possible and planned intention to the terms. The court frequently expects that specific terms are basic learning and that both sides comprehended the meaning of those terms without characterising the terms in detail. If the common significance of the words would prompt to an irrational outcome, then it should be consider whether there is a reasonable hold under other significances. After a contract has been made, neither parties can depend certainties emerging or other information, as a guide to its importance. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Andrews N barrister, Contract law (Cambridge University Press 2011) McCunn J, Belize It or Not: Implied Contract Terms in Marks and Spencer v BNP Paribas (2016) 79(10.1111) ModernLaw Review McKendrick E, Contract law: Text, cases, and materials (6th edn, Oxford University Press 2014) Davies PS, JC Smiths the law of contract (Oxford University Press 2016) Ross C, Supreme Court clarifies law on implied terms: Business efficacy test remains (2016) accessed 20 February 2017 LLP 2017 A, Supreme court restates the law on implied terms (2016) accessed 20 February 2017 Staughton SC, How do Courts Interpret Commercial Contracts (1999) 58(2) The Cambridge Law Journal Weitzenbà ¶ck EM, English Law of Contract: Term pf Contract (Uio, March 2012) accessed 22 February 2017 Supreme Court decision in Marks and Spencer plc v BNP Paribas Securities Services Trust Company (Jersey) Limited [2015] UKSC 72, (Falcon Chambers) accessed 22 February 2017 [1] Richard Austen-Baker, Implied terms in English contract law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2011) [2] Richard Austen-Baker, Implied terms in English contract law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2011) 79 [3] Richard Austen-Baker, Implied terms in English contract law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2011) 86 [4] Neil barrister Andrews, Contract law (Cambridge University Press 2011) 372 [5] Joanna McCunn, Belize It or Not: Implied Contract Terms in Marks and Spencer v BNP Paribas (2016) 79(10.1111) ModernLaw Review [6]  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Joanna McCunn, Belize It or Not: Implied Contract Terms in Marks and Spencer v BNP Paribas (2016) 79(10.1111) ModernLaw Review [7]  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Joanna McCunn, Belize It or Not: Implied Contract Terms in Marks and Spencer v BNP Paribas (2016) 79(10.1111) ModernLaw Review [8] Ewan McKendrick, Contract law: Text, cases, and materials (6th edn, Oxford University Press 2014) [9] Paul S. Davies, JC Smiths the law of contract (Oxford University Press 2016) 182 [10]  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Neil barrister Andrews, Contract law (Cambridge University Press 2011) 365 [11]  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Paul S. Davies, JC Smiths the law of contract (Oxford University Press 2016) 182

Impact of the Digital Age on Society Today

Impact of the Digital Age on Society Today Discuss the impact of the digital age on the social, economic and political life of society today. The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age) is a period in human history characterized by the shift from traditional industry that the industrial revolution brought through industrialization, to an economy based on information computerization. The onset of the Information Age is associated with the Digital Revolution, just as the Industrial Revolution marked the onset of the Industrial Age. During the information age, the phenomenon is that the digital industry creates a knowledge-based society surrounded by a high-tech global economy that spans over its influence on how the manufacturing throughput and the service sector operate in an efficient and convenient way. In a commercialized society, the information industry is able to allow individuals to explore their personalized needs, therefore simplifying the procedure of making decisions for transactions and significantly lowering costs for both the producers and buyers. This is accepted overwhelmingly by participants throughout the entire economic activities for efficacy purposes, and new economic incentives would then be indigenously encouraged, such as the knowledge economy.[1] The Information Age formed by capitalizing on the computer microminiaturization advances, with a transition spanning from the advent of the personal computer in the late 1970s, to the Internets reaching a critical mass in the early 1990s, and the adoption of such technology by the public in the two decades after 1990. This evolution of technology in daily life, as well as of educational life style, the Information Age has allowed rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society. The impact of digital age on the social life of the society today is connected with one’s position in the society, his social class and also his social background, nowadays, there are so many changes in the social aspect of our lives. A very good example of this is festival, changes in tradition and also in the mood of dressing, all this became possible because of the impact of digital age we have today. If we look around us today, it’s hard to find a person that has not added anything new to his traditional attires , what I mean here is, for instance, for the Hausa’s and also the Fulani’s, there were not know for wearing jeans and tops, but now it has become a common thing based on socialization. Before, many do not believe in going to school especially the Fulani’s, they only believe in rearing cattle’s while the women among them are to stay at home, but now, everyone wants to be in school, illiteracy is darkness, people don’t believ e in staying at home doing nothing anymore, for at least even when they lack the opportunity or don’t have the means of going school or seeking for job opportunity, they will prepare engaging themselves in a small business just for them to earn something for a living. There are so many changes due to the impact digital age on the social life of our societies today. The digital age as made the means of communication easier for the world because you can send a message to someone in new york from Nigeria. The digital age as affected the politics of the am economy because you are able to find out the party that as the higher polls making it possibel for the other compeiton to know where they stand at the point of the election. It as aided the politician to be able to have a wider amount of suppoter or vote in the campaign because they can easily broadcast their speechs on the web making people like them more . Over the last 10 years, weve seen social media galvanize thousands over politics, create as many industries as it has destroyed, and offer an abundance of visual and audio entertainment.But has all this incredible change actually changed us, or just the world we live in? Below are some areas in which social media has had lasting, and arguably permanent effects on the ways in which we live. The question is, are these changes all for the better? Child Literacy It stands to reason that children who read and write more are better at reading and writing. And writing blog posts, status updates, text messages, instant messages, and the like all motivate children to read and write. Last month, The National Literacy Trust released the results of a survey of over 3000 children. Theyobserved a correlation between childrens engagement with social media and their literacy. Simply put, social media has helped children become more literate. Indeed, Eurostat recently published a report drawing a correlation between education and online activity, which found that online activity increased with the level of formal activity (socio-economic factors are, of course, potentially at play here as well). Ambient Intimacy Lisa Reichelt, a user experience consultant in Londoncoined the very pleasant term ambient intimacy. It describes the way in which social media allows you to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible. Consider the many communications technologies through history — the telephone, Morse code, semaphore, carrier pigeons, smoke signals — they are all fairly inconvenient and labor intensive. Lisa has hit on the idea that communication has become so convenient that its actually become ambient around us. It surrounds us wherever we want it, not necessarily whenit wants us. We dip into it whenever we like. Knowledge Was Power From his Meditationes Sacrae, published in 1597,Francis Bacon was paraphrased as saying knowledge is power. Fundamentally, the more you understand about life, the more chance you have at success. But these days, Wikipedia and Google have democratized information to the point where anyone is able toacquirethe knowledge they may want. As a case in point, I had never even heard of Meditationes Sacrae until I looked up the term knowledge is power on Wikipedia.In Bacons time, the only people that had access to books and the literacy to unlock the wisdom within were the wealthy with the time and inclination to learn. Of course, books werent the only source of knowledge. Consider blacksmiths, dressmakers, cobblers or sailors who passed their skills and techniques from mother to daughter, from father to son. Back then, the friction that held people back from learning was low literacy, a lack of access to books and very little time. Now, that friction is almost non-existent. That is because of both the ability of computers to replicate information for distribution, and the the way that Google, Wikipedia and blogs have empowered people to share what they know. Now,the only real friction that exists is our own desire for knowledge. Its there for you — if you want it. The Reinvention of Politics A recent report by PEW found signs that social networks may be encouraging younger people to get involved in politics. You only need look at Twitters recent impact on the Iran elections, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and even the election of Barack Obama to see that more and more people are getting involved in politics and are feeling they can make a difference. One of the most popular blogs on the web, The Huffington Post, is mainly political. Politics has a fast pace, and that lends itself well to social media. UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said in June last year that because of the Internet, foreign policy can no longer be the province of just a few elites. Twitter even postponed an upgrade because of the important role it was playing in the Iran elections. These are all signs of both social medias growing influence in politics, and the growing interest in politics from users of social media. The down side for poltic in the digital age is that most information can be gotten from th internet aboout any party making it a disadvantage in the campaign if he or she as a bad record either a fake degree or something a voter would not like about whom he wanted to vote for .Tecchnology has changed the way we live, work, shop and play. We can bank, shop and donate securely from anywhere we can access the Internet. We can to communicate across oceans and continents in seconds. We can work from anywhere, increasing efficiency and productivity. Yet, Nigeria education has yet to embrace the power of technology to customize education and give students the ability to gain knowledge anywhere, anytime. Digital learning can change that. Digital learning is any type of learning that gives students some element of control over time, place, path and/or pace. It allows students to learn in their own way, on their own timetable, wherever they are, whenever they can. Students are using digital learning everywhere – except school. They are gaming, texting and posting on the Internet. Imagine if we channel those digital skills into learning? Student achievement would skyrocket. But still the digital age as a negative effect on the education system,as part of the English class, students wrote and edited their stories on screen and I was amazed how motivated they were and how much time and effort they put into their work. Since the early to mid 90s I have used computers and the internet on a daily basis and as I sit typing this chapter into my fifth-generation Macintosh (while checking emails, paying some bills, downloading research papers and Skyping friends) I realise the value of the new technologies and how useful they are. We live in a global village with instant communication via television, computers, the internet, mobile phones and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype. While parents are often described as out-of-date and old-fashioned when it comes to new technology, children are celebrated as digital natives. Impact on jobs and income distribution The Information Age has impacted the workforce in several ways. First, it has created a situation in which workers who perform tasks which are easily automated are being forced to find work which involves tasks that are not easily automated. Second, workers are being forced to compete in a global job market. Lastly, workers are being replaced by computers that can do the job more effectively and faster. This poses problems for workers in industrial societies, which are still to be solved. However, solutions that involve lowering the working time usually find high resistance. Jobs traditionally associated with the middle class (assembly line workers, data processors, foremen and supervisors) are beginning to disappear, either through outsourcing or automation. Individuals who lose their jobs must either move up, joining a group of mind workers (engineers, doctors, attorneys, teachers, scientists, professors, executives, journalists, consultants), or settle for low-skill, low-wage service jobs. The mind workers are able to compete successfully in the world market and command high wages. Conversely, production workers and service workers in industrialized nations are unable to compete with workers in developing countries and either lose their jobs through outsourcing or are forced to accept wage cuts.[6] In addition, the internet makes it possible for workers in developing countries to provide in-person services and compete directly with their counterparts in other nations. This has had several major consequences, including increased opportunity in developing countries and the globalization of the workforce. Workers in developing countries have a competitive advantage which translates into increased opportunities and higher wages.[7] The full impact on the workforce in developing countries is complex and has downsides. (see discussion in section on globalization). In the past, the economic fate of workers was tied to the fate of national economies. For example, workers in the United States were once well paid in comparison to the workers in other countries. With the advent of the Information Age and improvements in communication, this is no longer the case. Because workers are forced to compete in a global job market, wages are less dependent on the success or failure of individual economies.[6] In conclusion, digital age had so much impact on the social, economic and political life of the societies today because it has brought so much changes in our daily aspects of life and also helps us to improve and reshape our environment with the aid of practical, experimental and scientific knowledge or technology. Impact on social life The digital age as made communication easier and faster for indivdual and firm of all countries but this the social network in the world as made it harder for indivdual to have face to face conversations eferences Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Barak, A. (2009). Internet and well-being. In Y.Amichai-Hamburger (Ed.), Technology and psychological well-being.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Anderson, C. A. (2002). Violent video games and aggressive thought, feelingsand behaviors. In S. Calvert, A. Jordan, R. Cocking (Eds.), Children in thedigital age (pp. 101–120). Westport, CT.: Praeger.Anderson, C.A., Bushman, B.J. (2002). The effects of media violence onsociety. Science , 295 , 2377-2378.Antoci, A., Sabatini, F., Sodini, M. (2009). Will growth and technology destroysocial interaction? The inverted U-shape hypothesis . Munich Personal RePEcArchivehttp://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/18229Accessed 15 th January 2010.Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.Barylick, C. (n.d.). Technology and social isolation. Retrieved fromhttp://irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/tech.htmlAccessed 12th January 2010.Bauerlein, M. (2008). The dumbest generation: How the digital age stupefiesyoung Americans and jeopardizes our future . New York, NY: Penguin.BBC (2009) Online networking ‘harms health’. London: BBC News Website.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stmAccessed 12th January 2010.

The Sage :: essays research papers

Throughout history, there have always been stories. From the myths of ancient civilizations long since past to today’s epic blockbuster movies, civilizations have used stories not only as entertainment, but as a way to convey ideas, or to pass down oral history through the generations. However, over time, as we look through these myths, books, movies, and other mediums, we find a common similarity in many of them. We find repeated patterns of situations, characters, and other parts. The patterns have been classified as â€Å"archetypes.† For instance, one of the archetypes we often see in myths, books, and movies is the â€Å"outcast.† The outcast is one who has been exiled from his home to wander the world without rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Greek mythology, one of the well-known outcasts is Perseus, the son of Zeus and the daughter of the king Argos however, a god once prophesized to Argos that the son of his daughter would kill him, so he sent the child in a box across the sea to wander the world forever. Over this time, Perseus completed many fantastical quests, such as slaying the infamous Medusa. However, when he returned to his home and participated in a fighting competition, he was pitted against Argos, and accidentally hit him, thus fulfilling the prophecy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Greek play of Philoctetes, Philoctetes is an outcast who has been left behind by his fellow soldiers after being bitten by a snake. His wound had become so foul smelling and his cries were so irritating, that the soldiers abandoned him on an island in the Aegean Sea. Greek heroes Odysseus and Neoptolemus arrive at the island in search of Philoctetes’s bow and arrow, which a seer prophesized would end the Trojan War. The two, knowing Philoctetes would attack any of the Greeks that abandoned him, decide to pose Neoptolemus as a mistreated soldier in order to get him close to Philoctetes. But, Neoptolemus is moved by the outcast’s misery and confesses the plot and begs him to join. Philoctetes agrees to join them, but only because Heracles declares a mandate that his wound shall heal when he arrives at Troy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Holy Bible of Christianity, in Genesis, Adam and Eve are forever banished from the Garden of Eden, when they eat the forbidden fruit of God. This makes humanity itself an outcast. Also, the first children of Adam and Even, Cain and Abel, bring about another tale of an outcast.

Paul Simon?s The Sound of Silence :: essays research papers

Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence A poem, like all other works of art, may appear as an inter-subjective truth, an intricate thread of images, a surreal yet realistic expression, and as a â€Å"creative fact† according to Virginia Woolf. In canon literature, a good poem is usually that which has fine structure, imagery, meaning and relevance; an art, which has sprung out not only of personal necessities but out of socio-cultural quagmires. Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence transcends the mediocre. It creates a bombarding mood that runs through the whole text, thus, transforming the readers to a reality it is presenting. The poem starts with the use of a device called apostrophe (a figure of speech where one talks to or addresses an inanimate object). Here the â€Å"I† persona talks to his â€Å"old friend.† Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains Within the Sound of Silence Apparently, this is not the first time that the speaker talks with his â€Å"old friend,† darkness. He had had â€Å"talks† with it since a time unspecified, suggesting a perpetual moments of seclusion by the speaker. Talking with silence would mean solitude, loneliness if not ennui. The reason for this resort to solitude was a vision that keeps on bothering him. He was looking for solace which he found being alone; no one seems to understand Him. Here we can see him regressing—a defensive reaction of the human psyche to flounce away, by retreating to earlier stages of life, a threatening stimuli, which in this case is the vision. The â€Å"seeds† that was bequeathed to him while unaware symbolize a burgeoning message that will soon sprout in the â€Å"fullness of time† (Gal. 4:4). Nevertheless, it was still imprisoned â€Å"within the sound of silence.† In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestones Beneath a halo of a street lamp I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, That split the night And touched the Sound of Silence. The speaker dreams of escape from this listless weariness brought about by the creeping vision. He walked the â€Å"narrow streets of cobblestones,† symbolizing oppression as was suggested by the narrowness of a street made up of cobblestones, indicative of it’s ancientness, or the â€Å"old ways.

Participative Management in India

Participative Management in the Indian context Evolution of participative management in India Pre- Independence era: Participative management in India has taken to its roots quite early in time . This concept was introduced to the Indian soil by a few humanistic textile mill owners who sought the advice of workers' spokesmen so as to solve industrial disputes. After a few such minor incidents, business houses in India responded to the need of industrial democracy. The Tata Iron and Steel company at Jamshedpur was the first official business organization to set up a works committee which comprised of management and trade union representatives.In 1920, when the Government of India started joint committees encouraged the implementation of such an idea in private enterprises as well. So it can be said that it was that period in India when there were manager and worker bodies that maintained co-operation and provided a common platform for problems related to industrial management. The con cept of participative management in the country took shape when the demand for industrial democracy was felt by the tripartite labour organization ( later on named Indian labour conference), trade unions and political leaders in 1940.Post – Independence era: Participative management became a wider phenomenon post independence when the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 provided for the establishment of a works committee in every industrial unit that employed more than a hundred employees. Along with this, the Industrial Truce Resolution that was adopted by the Tripartite conference in 1947 promoted labour management co-operation and Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948 provided for the workers' involvement in policies of industrial management.Industrial democracy has also been provided for in the constitution of independent India when it referred to all round democratic participation. In 1976, it was amended to the constitution by article 43- A that it would be imperative on the state to consider the participation of workers in industrial managers. Thereby, participative management became a constituent part of Five year plans and Industrial policy resolutions. There were several other developments with regards to the topic later on. Tripartite labour conference held in May 1977, recommended that a committee be set up to nable the smooth participation of labour in management issues. This led to the formation of a Tripartite committee on worker's participation in management and following were the recommendations of the committee in brief : †¢Corporate level and shop floor level should have a three tier system of labour participation †¢Supervisors or middle managers should have their representation in different participative forums †¢The scheme should be implemented and reviewed by organizations present both at the centre and state level Later on, the Sachar committee was formed to look into the introduction of workers' participation in the Boa rd of Directors.This committee recommended that every company employing more than 1000 workers should comprise of labour participation in the Board of Directors. The committee also suggested that even if the number of employees is less than 1000 in a corporate organization, it should be allowed for workers to have their representation in the Board of Governors. Operating models for participative management in India Since independence the government of India has promoted the participation of workforce in the management by introducing various models for operation from time to time.Five of such schemes introduced by the government are as follows. 1. Works Committee: Establishment †¢Among the first few steps taken to initiate industrial democracy in the country †¢Entailed in section 3 of the Industrial disputes act, 1947 †¢Equal number of employers and workmen representatives in a works committee for every organization with more than 100 employees †¢For Joint consult ation in industrial units Functions †¢Deal with welfare aspects and administration of welfare funds †¢Collective bargaining not included Decisions are not binding on the management because of the committee's consultative and advisory nature Evaluation †¢In spite of increasing awareness of works committees and compulsions to set them up, their number actually started declining and even for the works committees already present, they were not functional and for those that existed and were functional, they performed the wrong function †¢The reason for the above has been attributed to both intra and inter union rivalries and most importantly the persistency of the members to discuss extraneous issues in committee discussions 2.Joint Management Council Establishment †¢The second model of participative management was structured by the tripartite bodies on labour relations in 1958 †¢Joint management councils were set up on voluntarily in both the public and pri vate sectors if there was a required understanding between the employers and workers Objectives †¢To improve working conditions of employees †¢Improve productivity †¢Encourage contributions and suggestions from employees †¢Look into administration of laws †¢To serve as the middlemen or rather a communicating channel between management and employees Structure Joint management council was composed of a maximum of 12 members of which there was equal employer employee representation Evaluation †¢These models of employee participation hardly served the purpose of fulfilling the gaps in the communication between the management and employees. The reason for the same being the reservations of managers who let in certain junior executives into the council and did not equip them with any decision making powers 3. Workers representation on board This model provides for workers to have an opportunity to participate in the ownership of capital as well as in decision making level where the contribution could be meaningful †¢The government launched this model in 1970, when it made way for two worker directors on the boards of fourteen nationalized banks †¢How this model progressed is not much represented in academic schools of thought but it is known that the scheme made no progress at all †¢Presence of multiple unions and the mistrust between management and unions are the main reasons for the failure of this novel idea . Shop council and Joint council †¢The 20 point program mooted in 1975, issued directives to implement the models of shop councils or Consultative committees at the shop floor level and joint councils at the plant level Shop councils †¢Employees in the shop council were nominated by the management †¢Shop councils existed for a term of two years and met least once in a month †¢Shop councils were generally considered to assist the management with progress in matters related to production and safet y Joint councils Joint councils were established for the whole unit and were valid for a term of two years in which they had to meet every quarter †¢The chairman of the council is the chief executive of the unit and the vice chairman was nominated by the worker members of the council †¢Joint councils dealt with matters regarding optimum production, fixation of productivity norms and efficiency †¢It was in the functions of these councils that the term participative management changed to workers participation to allay the apprehensions of the management 5.Participative management by ownership of shares †¢A direct model which ensures the participation of every individual who owns shares of the company †¢Worker is entitled to receive a fraction of the appreciation in capital Conclusion Based on the above models and their evaluation it can be said that the government has so far not effectively tried its best to bring in the theme of participative management into the system. Whatever models and laws the government supported have been very minimalistic in nature and it is sad but true that even these models are not up to the mark.The following points enumerate the reasons for the above situation and throw light on steps to be taken to improve the situation 1. Tender mindedness: Union recognition should initially become a well established practice so that basic issues of drift between the unions and the management can be sorted out before moving on worker participation. 2. Channel of communication : The spirit with which the models of participative management interact with each other should be more relevant than the structure of councils and committees and politics ssociated with the same so that communication is done to resolve issues and not to raise them. 3. Voluntary councils: Voluntary nature of councils definitely creates a situation where issues are resolved not because they are compelled to be but because of the culture and trust betwe en the parties involved. Compulsion in such scenarios would only give way to antagonistic cooperation. 4. Defective form of participation : Councils should be formed to participate as decision making forms and not as consultative bodies because it is this form of functioning that enables worker participation in its true sense.Most of the models of worker management in India are considered to be those where the primary function is that of consultative bodies. How does this ensure industrial democracy in the true sense of the word ? 5. Inadequate representation of supervisors in the management: Supervisors are a key to the word worker participation because they function closely with the management and with the workers. Considering them unbiased, it would make sense to involve supervisors in decision making processes in worker related issues because his decisions would represent both the sides involved. . Lack of motivation : The current scenario is such that the workers are not fully aware and are not enthusiastic about their vital stakes in the scheme because it is a distant dream. Awareness and motivation are thus the need of the hour for a better picture of industrial democracy. 7. Traditional attitude: In spite of so much of history associated with the term of participative management, the workers still have a traditional attitude which keeps them to the lower rungs and abide by whatever the management dictates in terms of decisions. . Lack of strong trade unions: The scheme can be implemented successfully if the trade unions are stronger and serve a common purpose. Unity among workers is an absolute necessary before they want a representation in the management. 9. Deficient institutionalisation : Attention to detail, trails and careful work are what makes the scheme more institutionalised and practical. The agenda of meetings and other relevant issues to be discussed should be drafted beforehand so that the purpose is met. 10.Lack of an evaluation system : It is essential to review each of these models at right intervals so that the workers are aware if their democracy is at their will. The scenario in a capitalist economy Worker participation in India is so far a formality but not a practice that ensures better workman facilities or justice. There have been attempts to include the practice in private undertakings as well. As detailed above, initial laws pertaining to this phenomenon have been imperative on private sector to provide for industrial democracy.Management practitioners like Shiv Nadar of HCL technologies have very smoothly been able to transform organizations by following a bottom-up approach. With all this in view, it can be said that participative management in capitalist economies is not distant dream but as we aren't there yet, it is a distant goal. It is imperative for organizations to help economies reach this goal not for the sake of the word bur for the betterment of the workforce.

The Man-Made Disaster: Chernobyl

Gulin Langbroek 11. 1 THE MAN-MADE DISASTER: CHERNOBYL â€Å"It is one of histories ironies that the worst nuclear accident began as a test to improve safety. †, states Snell (1988). The Soviets wanted to find out how the Chernobyl power plant would cope with a sudden power loss, therefore the experiment tested how long a spinning turbine could provide electric power to certain systems in the plant. Like many accidents, the Chernobyl accident resulted from a combination of human error and weaknesses in the design of the plant.The man-made disaster occured at Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Ukranian Republic belonging to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and near the borders of Belarus and the Russian Federation. Following a short explanation of the health and social impacts of the accident, this essay will discuss the errors in judgment and biases that went on while running the Chernobyl power plant. As a result of the accident, tons of radioact ive material was released to the air, still posing a threat to living beings in that region.The radioactive doses caused long term health effects ranging from thyroid cancer to leukemia. The Chernobyl area was also connected directly with the river systems of the Ukranian Republic, causing destruction of biological life in rivers and also deaths of people who had consumed river water. It is also a fact that cleaning the area was just as dangerous to those people who had to do it as they were exposed to higher doses of radiation. Agricultural regions near Chernobyl had caused the production of foods such as milk and vegetables with radioactive material contamination.Lots of people were forced to migrate from contaminated areas to uncontaminated areas, creating social problems such as loss of staff, no job availability and many more difficulties which made everyday life miserable. Overall, the Chernobyl accident has caused great distress and casualties in the USSR and European countri es. 1 There were some errors which should be mentioned before going into details on the errors in judgment. One error which might have caused the accident was that it was a rushed experiment.The test was scheduled to be carried out just before a reactor shutdown which only occurred once a year, so the operators felt under pressure to complete it promptly so that another year wouldn't have to be waited. This probably didn't trigger the accident directly but perhaps was one of the factors causing the necessary measures and precautions to not be taken. The test was thought to be an electrical test only, so instead of the reactor specialists, turbine manufacturers were the ones who were observing it. Thus, the effects on the reactor was not weighed fully.Finally, the Chernobyl plant was one of the most developed and highly technologic power plants ever constructed, therefore the operators running it felt as if they were an exclusive and elite crew and had built too much overconfidence, not realising possible disasters. To be specific, some biases could be named and analyzed further. Perhaps the most crucial bias which should be looked at in all man-made disasters is the neglect of probability which is the tendency to omit the probability of failure when making a decision.This also ties in with the overconfidence bias since if the managers had doubted the reactor in the first place, more precautions would have been taken. In this case, such a massive disaster had never happened before among Russia, and since the power plant as stated before was assumed to be very reputable and exceptional, the managers of the plant had neglected any probability of the experiment going wrong. According to Kletz (2001)â€Å"The managers do not seem to have asked themselves what would occur if the experiment was unsuccessful.Before every experiment we should list all possible outcomes and their effects and decide how they will be handled. † 2 The second biggest bias of the owne rs and constructors of the plant which caused the accident was the functional fixedness bias. As it is stated in Wikipedia (â€Å"List of Cognitive Biases 2012) â€Å"This bias limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used†. The reactor was operated in a rule-based behaviour, meaning that the operators were informed on what tasks they should complete but not told why it was so important to complete them.This had caused them to operate the plant in a way which Kletz (2001) states as â€Å"process feel rather than theoretical knowledge†. Before the Chernobyl accident, all reactors were designed and relied on the fact that rules would be obeyed and instructions would be followed so there was no need to set up extra protective facilities. This of course could have been the worst approach to building a nuclear plant, considering the fact that the workers were not trained to their best abilities.Instead of relying on the traditional method of a ssuming operators would follow the rules, the reactor should have been built in a way that the rules could not be ignored. That way the workers would not have been limited to using their insufficient information on how to run a power plant and technology would have done this job instead of them. In short, the traditional way of relying on man-made decisions should have been abandoned and relying on automatic equipment should have been adapted. Assuming operators would obey rules brings another issue to light, the projection bias.The projection bias is defined as unconsciously assuming that one's personal emotions, thoughts and values are shared by others. The lack of communication between the managers of the power plant and the operators in how seriously safety measures should have been taken is among the biggest causes of the disaster. According to Kletz (2012), the managers of Chernobyl had â€Å"talked about getting things done without any mention of safety, leaving the operator s with the impression that safety is less important.Managers should remember, when giving instructions, that what you don't say is as important as what you do say. † 3 Last but not least, the biggest error in judgment the operators could have had was caused by the ostrich effect. This bias is the act of ignoring an obvious negative sitution. The big question is, why should any operator ignore situations which could cause the death of many people including their own? The answer lies in how the management system was established.Because the reactor relied on decisions of the higher authorities and not on protective safety equipments, every little detail of the power plant had to be consulted with the managers. As Kletz states (2012), â€Å"Everything had to be referred to the top so it was necessary to break the rules in order to get anything done†. Running a power plant should have not relied on this kind of system since operators were more likely to take shortcuts, not i nform the managers or simply ignore problems so that they could get things done quickly. Had these biases and errors in judgment not occured, the accident would perhaps never have happened.In operating such intricate systems such as a power plant, one must keep in mind two crucial things: Always having protective equipment installed and never letting workers neglect safety rules. Unfortunately as humans, only after this disaster have we began to take these precautions, making us victims of the normalcy bias. In any case, we must always look out for human errors that might lead to irreversible damage. 4 RESOURCES Marples, D. R. , & Snell, V. G. (1988). The social impact of the chernobyl disaster. London: The Macmillan Press Kletz, T. (2001). Learning from accidents.Retrieved from ftp://193. 218. 136. 74/pub/anon/ELSEVIER-Referex/1-Chemical%20Petrochemical%20and%20Process%20Collection/CD1/KLETZ,%20T. %20A. %20(2001). %20Learning%20from%20Accidents%20(3rd%20ed. )/Learning_from_Accident s_3E. pdf European Commision, International Atomic Energy Agency & World Health Organization. (1996). One decade after chernobyl: Summing up the consequences of the accident. Austria: IAEA List of Cognitive Biases. (2012). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_biases_in_judgment_and_decision_making 5

Creating Safe Environments Essay

Collaboration with parents is one of the most challenging and critical issues that cause misunderstandings within the classroom and throughout the school building. It is a non-negotiable expectation among parents and teachers that include building a network between and among parents and teachers. It involves a sense of mutual respect as well as an understanding of different viewpoints. Teachers should be mindful that building relationships early in the school year will result in a positive classroom environment in which students have a secure place to learn. Parents and teachers should share expertise regarding the student in which information about learning styles are presented in a non-threatening manner. Teachers should be able to use limited amounts of teacher language so parents are able to understand expectations within the classroom as well as establish guidelines for following up on strategies at home. As a parent, I would appreciate a relationship with the person who spends most of the day with my child. I would gain insight into the way my child thinks in various situations to create a deeper understanding of relationships in the real world. The need for character education for parents lies in the fact that children should be shown examples of good character both at home and at school. â€Å"School has to build the work that the family does† (Lickona, 2009). Parents should unequivocally be involved and taught character education strategies. Much of what we see as teachers is a reflection of a poor home environment as parents who live complicated lives. Many are single parents and lack the time or resources to handle the complex problems of children today. They want nothing more than for their children to be successful, but as educators, it is our responsibility to provide resources for parents such as strategies and techniques, parenting courses with childcare and methods which foster values that all people should acquire in society. In this ever changing world, I, as a parent would welcome some insight to how my children are becoming part of the world they live in. This collaboration in character education should be purposeful as is our teaching. The purpose of character education should change the way the classroom works and feels, not just the way each member acts (Lichona, 1991).