To Diet or Not to Diet

> When we hear the word dieting, we immediately think of losing weight, counting calories, avoiding fast food and other stereotype characteristics. But dieting is a word that enfolds a larger group of people, than only the ones that want to lose weight. The definition says a diet is a special course of food to which a person is restricted, either for weight control or for medical reasons. For whatever reason a diet is followed, when can we conclude it is or isn’t recommended to follow a diet? Only a small group of people are restricted to following a diet. Also consider reading: Role of Chemistry in Domestic Activities ProjectIt’s not the people we think of first, the ones who need to lose weight, but it’s the ones who need it for medical reasons or elite sports incentives. For all rest, people like you and me, it is rather a question if we really need a diet with restrictive prescriptions. Why not just learn how to maintain healthy habits and live by them like a so called easy lifetime diet? Dieting requires behavioral changes that are not easy to adopt or maintain in the long run. A dieting plan with a balanced intake of foods may reduce your risks for chronic diseases.On the other hand, if you do not plan carefully, dieting may increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies. It is recommended to consult your doctor before embarking upon any diet plan. When a diet is for medical reasons, the medical benefits are determinative for executing the diet. But what about personal reasons? The biggest benefit of dieting is that you can lose weight, especially when you also engage in physical activity. There’s a large amount of possible diet programs on the market.These diet plans may be effective in helping you lose weight in the short-term and lose even more weight in the long-term when you increase your adherence to the diet. But why engage in a prescriptive way of eating, if you can do it easily with just eating healthy and make that your way of living without over-thinking what and when you should eat? Having healthy food habits without being in some calorie-counting diet, can improve your physical health, particularly when you consume a balanced diet of foods, allowing you to obtain adequate amounts of essential nutrients.A healthy diet plan emphasizes whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry and lean meat; it also minimizes sodium, added sugars, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats. Weight loss from maint aining healthy eat habits is associated with reduced risks of chronic conditions and diseases that include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer. It may also enhance your mental health and improve your self-esteem. And it works in the long term as it becomes your daily routine and at some point, you don’t even think about it anymore.The hard part about whether a diet or just eating healthy, is changing your eating behavior. At first, you may feel excited about the prospect of looking thinner and may adhere to the plan wholeheartedly. Over time, though, you may be tempted to eat the high-calorie foods you were used to eating before the diet. You may simply find the diet plan too restrictive to adhere to every day. Low rates of weight loss success are due to inability to adhere to dieting strategies in the long-term and that sustained adherence to reducing calories and increasing exercise is effective for establishing self-set dieting goals.T hat’s why a diet should be avoided. You might not have spectacular results in the short run, but in the long run you don’t find yourself struggling with just living the healthy life. Not only the fact you have to live by prescriptions, dieting may also cause medical problems. It can increase your risk of gallstones as rapid weight loss can result in a high probability of gallstone formation; they can occur even when prevention strategies are implemented. So called crash diets, is when energy intake is restricted by very low intake of energy, mostly by cutting down carbohydrates and fats, to lose weight quickly.The weight loss will occur, but other causes are the jojo effect (these diets can’t be maintained for a large period and as the body went into sleep mode with mostly loss of water, it tends to put on more weight after the diet), shortening in required nutrients, lack of energy and sleeping disorders. Automatically less bodily activity is done, what causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. In the long term, these diets only work against the goal of losing weight. Diets with smaller or no energy intake restriction and only a restriction of carbohydrates, cause a great weight loss as well but aren’t without danger either.Examples are the Atkins and South Beach diet. These diets contain a lot of saturated fat, what can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Because of the longer term, shortening of certain essential nutrients can occur. Dieting requires behavioral changes that are not easy to adopt or maintain in the long run. A dieting plan with a balanced intake of foods may reduce your risks for chronic diseases. On the other hand, if you do not plan carefully, dieting may increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies. It is recommended to consult your doctor before embarking upon any diet plan.As it might feel like a diet at start, weight control and other physical appearance incentives come automatically by just eating healthy, havi ng enough sleep and performing regularly in physical activity. It is about changing behavior and approach your goal judiciously – not jumping into some diet that offers you a quick solution for your primary goal, along with secondary consequences that may harm you more in the long run. Sources My education as a bachelor in nutrition and dietetics. http://webmd. com http://www. oxforddictionaries. com http//www. livestrong. com

The Conviction of George Burroughs

The reading by Johnson starts out with a married lady by the name of Katherine Watkins complaining of rape by a black slave. Throughout the remainder of this section, depositions are given by other black slaves and people who claim to have witnessed the occurrence. Most of the accounts indicate that Mrs. Watkins seduced the slave into a sexual act and then blamed it on him in order to stay out of the trouble that her Quaker husband†s beliefs would have brought on her. The other section in this book is the sermon by John Winthrop entitled, A Model of Christianity. Two rules by which all men should abide, he says, are to show mercy and do justice. Among many other good deeds, he preaches love among Christians, performing service for the Lord, having unity and conformity in the community, and strict obedience to God†s word lest some punishment befall you. The handout given in class deals with the issue of homosexuality and the punishments for sodomy and buggery. The reading by Marcus was solely concentrated on the Salem Witch Trials. A former minister, George Burroughs, is accused of witchcraft and much of the section deals with people who claimed to have been bewitched by him. There are a couple of letters by Cotton Mather explaining the difficulty of the witchcraft trials and his defense of the conviction of George Burroughs. The rest of this reading is letters of confession by the accused and more letters relating to the trials. The role of Colonial women in society is given an in depth look in the segment by Graebner. In these days, the husband was seen as the supreme head of the family and women were basically domestic. Women were basically known only as the wife of their husbands and often helped them with their business affairs. Eventually, a minimal level of trade arose among women in the village, but nothing big enough to trigger a large outbreak of feminism at that time. A women†s role in society can basically be summed up in this quote, â€Å"The economic roles of married women were based upon two potentially conflicting values – gender specialization and identity of interest. A wife was expected to become expert in the management of a household and the care of children, but she was also asked to assist in the economic affairs of her husband, becoming his representative and even his surrogate if circumstances demanded it. Three concepts that were all tied together in Colonial America were sin, legality, and community. Their definitions of sin were taken before a jury for the proper punishment, and thus their sense of community was being broken down by the fact that so many people were being sentenced and punished for the sins that the legal system found them guilty of.

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day Essay

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. There are a few reasons people don’t eat breakfast in the morning such as not feeling hungry or to try and limit calories. However, skipping breakfast can lead to a number of problems when it comes to trying to lose weight and keep it off. If you are trying to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, consider the following reasons to eat breakfast each and every morning. It Revs up Your Metabolism Eating breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism working well for the day. When your body receives food in the morning, it tells your brain that you’re going to need to start working to digest it. This wakes up the system and warms up the metabolism so it’s ready to work throughout the day. When you don’t eat breakfast in the morning, your body thinks that it needs to conserve the energy it has because it isn’t getting any more through nutrition. This actually slows your metabolism down, which results in a decrease in the amount of calories you burn all day long. It Keeps You from Binging Not eating breakfast in the morning may save you calories for the time being, but it sets you up for failure throughout the rest of the day. This is because after not feeding your body for several hours overnight, a lack of food in the morning will leave you grumpy and hungry very early in the day. When lunch time rolls around, you’re more likely to choose something high in fat and calories to satisfy your food cravings, because you feel so ravenous. If you can hold off through dinner, chances are you will feel an overwhelming urge to snack all night long, which can really pack on the calories. It Keeps You in a Good Mood Feeding yourself in the morning will keep your spirits up throughout the day for a number of reasons. First and foremost, since your body won’t think that it’s starving after a nutritious meal in the morning, it’s easier to get in a good mood and stay that way. It also provides plenty of needed energy to help you get through the regular tasks of your day, which can help keep your mood bright and optimistic. A healthy meal in the morning can also help to regulate your blood sugar levels through lunch time, which plays a vital role in your mood. Overall, eating something for breakfast is better than eating nothing at all. The more balanced your meal is, the better off you will be. Instead of a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast that will leave you feeling heavy and sluggish within just a few minutes, consider having a fruit smoothie and a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries, which will invigorate your body and give you the energy needed to get through the day .

Week 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 7 - Essay Example The war adventure certainly does not live up to his expectations, as he is wounded on his leg and just when he recovers, he is attacked by a bout of jaundice, that spoils his vacation plans. Finally, he leaves the war behind and moves on to lead a new life. Evidently, fate had something else in store for him. In the earlier times, wars were glorious events, as they signified undying love for one’s motherland and the voluntary ability of sons of the land to surrender their precious lives for their nation. However, today, it has been reduced to mere numbers! Machines and war equipment operate instead of men, though the opponents are men. It is simply not a one-to-one equation and this reduces the sanctimonious characteristic that was once attributed to war heroes! 3. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway in reaction to WWI rhetoric, writes, â€Å"I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them, sometimes standing in the rain almost out of earshot, so that only the shouted words came through, and had read them, on proclamations that were slapped up by billposters over other proclamations, now for a long time, and I had seen nothing sacred and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards at Chicago if nothing was done to the meat except to bury it. There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of places were all you could say and have them mean anything.† What do you think he means? Do you agree or disagree with his sentiments? The author attempts to convey the fact that for a soldier, after a point of time, the value for life and the very essence

Code-switching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code-switching - Essay Example ssrooms, previous studies in code-switching have failed to try and focus on the various factors that are seen to affect the bilingual international students that are striving to try and learn English in universities. The data collected in the study was able to show that the primary factor that influences code switching among students in foreign language classrooms is a general incompetence in the second language. The study was able to find that students would often code-switch when they did not know the appropriate English word that would adequately convey their meaning. Bista (2010) was also able to identify a number of other secondary reasons as to why students often used code-switching in the classroom, these include; an attempt by the students to maintain privacy while conversing with other students from their home countries, to help in avoiding any misunderstanding as well as in the event that the students happen to be unfamiliar with the correct English word that can accurately convey the information they wish to pass across. At the end the journal article, Bista (2010) argues that code-switching can prove to be an extremely useful strategy in improving classroom interaction and can even increase the degree of English competency if it is not used excessively. Bista, K. (2010). Factors of Code Switching among Bilingual English Students in the University Classroom: A Survey.  Online Submission,  9(29), 1-19. Retrieved from

Cultural Competency in Medicine Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Competency in Medicine - Case Study Example The University of Nalanda, built in the 4th century, was also one of the greatest achievements of ancient India. Ayurveda, the system of traditional medicine, has its origins in India. Today there are 28 states and 7 Union territories in the country. The Government of India has introduced various health programs and policies. But most of the development indicators paint a grim picture, especially of the remote rural parts, where access to proper health care is still a major challenge. Rural poor often resort to alternative medicines and home remedies, which are cheaper than visiting qualified and trained health professionals. Religious beliefs and superstitions also add to their reluctance. Among many others, diabetes is one of the fastest growing health problems in India. Estimates show that India is home to around 40 million diabetics. This number gives India the dubious distinction of being home to the largest number of diabetics in any one country. The high rate of prevalence of complications is disturbing. The picture becomes all the more gloomy with reports that many patients already have these complications at the time of diagnosis. It is a widely accepted fact that more than 35-40% of people show the presence of some diabetes related complications at the time of diagnosis. India has a distinct need for a comprehensive diabetes care program. ... Most of the health budget is focused around immunization, providing clean drinking water and sanitation to the majority of the people. The government does not seem to have the finances to undertake any major program for non communicable diseases in general and diabetes in particular. Studies show that diabetic foot syndrome, which is a common yet preventable complication of diabetes, is even more neglected aspect of the disease in India. Peripheral sensory neuropathy, improper footwear, lack of patient knowledge about foot care and uncontrolled diabetes are some of the factors contributing to this syndrome. In India, footwear practices vary widely. Apart from a significant proportion of people walking barefoot outdoors, a majority of Indians walk barefoot indoors. While visiting religious shrines, people always go barefoot. In a tropical country like India, where the pavements or asphalt roads become very hot, and the rural pathways are uneven and dusty, walking barefoot can lead to injury. Furthermore, use of footwear like Hawaian chappal, which has a rubber sole supported by a strap in the first inter-digital space, but no back strap, exposes the feet to injury. Shoes, when worn by either sex, are often pointed and thus further expose the foot to injury. Also, the practice of not wearing socks, particularly in Indian females can result in a hyperkeratotic and fissured heel or a callosity of the first interdigital space or injury to the great toe. Overview of the case Murali, 60, has migrated to the US recently from the southern part of India. He has spent most part of his life working as a postman in a remote Indian village. Ever since his wife died two years back, he has been having constant health problems. With no proper medical facilities in

International Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Negotiation - Essay Example The most successful battle for the Americans during this war happened in New Orleans - months after the Treaty of Ghent, signed in Belgium, had brought the war to a close. There was no satellite phone, no telegram that could travel from Belgium to New Orleans in time to head off the bloody battle. Another factor that kept diplomatic efforts to broker peace agreements at a minimum was the fact that technological constraints kept wars from spreading to engulf entire halves of the globe - or the whole word itself. Cannons, muskets and swords could not cause noxious clouds of gas to pass over entire civilian populations, and neighboring countries or cultures would only sparingly jump in to assist their neighbors. The Industrial Age, starting in Europe in the 1800's, and the development of significantly entangling networks of treaties of protection, wherein major powers promised to support one another in the event of attack, made the prospect of continent-wide, or even worldwide conflict, more of a possibility after the middle of the nineteenth century. When American President Theodore Roosevelt brokered a peace agreement that settled the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, he was honored the next year with the Nobel Peace Prize (Bailey and Kennedy, p. 628). The very fact that such a priz e existed showed the changing sensibilities of the world, namely that war anywhere in the world was a danger to the rest of the world. In the years In the years since Theodore Roosevelt, the world has undergone two wars that basically dragged in every major world power. The first of these conflicts introduced the world to biological warfare, in the form of the deadly mustard gas that would later be outlawed. The second of these finally ended with another military innovation: the nuclear bomb. It has been argued that a bomb of this nature is the only weapon that would have kept the Japanese population from fighting, civilian by civilian, exacting huge casualties from the Allied troops before surrendering. Even so, the arrival of the nuclear bomb signaled the end of the widespread war, because the final weapon was so awful in its power that it served as a deterrent. And so organizations like the United Nations sprang up in the second half of the twentieth century, with the goal of keeping regional conflicts from becoming continental, or even global ones. There have been situations where international, third-party at tempts at solving conflicts were successful, but there have been many more that only bogged the problem down and made it last longer. One of the most problematic regional conflicts of the twentieth century was the struggle over apartheid in South Africa. While the British had created the colonial Union of South Africa in 1910, the policy known as apartheid was not implemented until 1948. In the intervening years, the African natives had faced restrictions that were common to all indigenous peoples under colonial rule. When the Afrikaner leader D.F. Malan took power in 1948, his government passed some laws that mandated that blacks live in certain areas, have identification on them at all times, and denied several basic civil rights to blacks (Sanctions against South Africa). This change in law escaped international attention, in part because of the vast distance between South

Career Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career Counseling - Essay Example The authors utilized the questionnaire survey method by distributing career choice questionnaires in 1993 during a business meeting organized by the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR). The respondents comprised of 114 OSR members of diverse nationalities who pursued varied undergraduate degrees. The findings revealed that the following factors were influential in the students’ career choice: (1) parental support; and (2) previous health care orientation and experience. In addition, more than â€Å"97% of the respondents felt that medical schools should help medical students who are undecided about their medical specialty choices† (Hesser, Mehaffey & Thompson, 1995, 1). The authors averred that the respondents emphasized that their medical schools failed to provide assistance in choosing a medical specialty due to the following reasons: (1) lack of neither facilitators nor organized career support services; (2) have trained facilitators but not consistent in the provision of career support services; and (3) have both facilitators and support services but failed to announce public schedules as needed. As a result, the authors contended that future research could look into focusing not only on training appropriate facilitators and organizing career support services, but more so on strategies of publicizing these services accordingly. They concluded by stating that medical students, on their own determined initiatives, must â€Å"not give up until they have found them!† (Hesser, Mehaffey & Thompson, 1995, 1). The information relayed in the article is relevant in terms of making students aware that various endeavors and educational institutions must actively pursue career counseling services to guide students in the direction of their career path. Despite one’s determination to pursue a particular career, developments in

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lab Report Example This provided input or output voltages of -10V to +10V. 2. Connect the BNC cable, shown in Figure 2 below, to Thermistor/Pressure EX J17 on the signal condition ‘pizza box’ on the side of computer cart to the pressure transducer interface box BNC connector labeled â€Å"Excitation†. 3. Capture the signal generated by the pressure transducer. Connect the Thermistor /Pressure output signal to J8 that has an SCC-FTO1 module that acquired the analog voltage and pass it into data acquisition System. 2. The instrument had a linearity of 0 .1 0 0 6, hysteresis 0.0 0 8 0 and combination of 0. 1 0 0 6 as shown in the above table 2. Maximum amplitude found on the CRO was 0.9and minimum at 0. 1 at time 0.0 0 and 1. 0 m respectively as shown in figure 6 below. Some of the data obtained deviated due to change in the environment temperature affecting the pressure of the area. This was rectified by performing the experiment under controlled environment of controlled pressure and

Traffic Movie Essay Example for Free

Traffic Movie Essay I felt that the movie, â€Å"Traffic† (Soderbergh, 2000), was very informative on the subject of drugs. I was able to see three different stories concerning drugs and the drug trade, including the drug dealers, the people who abuse them and the narcotics officers who are paid to get rid of them. Each story was able to peak my interest, and taught me something different about the drug scene and some of the people they destroy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I found it shocking to realize just how powerful the effects of drug dealing can be on the family of individuals who take up selling drugs, as their choice in careers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Carlos Ayala was arrested, his pregnant wife, Helena didn’t realize what was going on. I felt bad for her, knowing she had the baby to care for and when she is threatened by Carlos’s associates and followed by DEA agents, it was hard to believe that she fell into the same trap as her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Helena’s choice in taking over her husband’s business didn’t seem like a very good idea. I figured that she would have learned what can happen to a person who deals drugs, by watching the events that occurred when Carlos was dealing drugs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I thought that Michael Douglas was perfect for the role he played as the judge, who is head of the President’s Office of National Drug Control. It was surprising that such an important person, such as a judge, who was paid to deal with drug dealers and abusers, so often, would have a young daughter who would be victimized by drug use. It shows that drugs can destroy many different types of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crack cocaine is such a strong drug and it was hard to believe that Caroline, the judge’s daughter, would dare try such a dangerous drug.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Caroline and her boyfriend, I felt were going too far when they tried to dump their friend at the hospital, after they had overdosed on drugs. It showed that their fear of being caught for using drugs, and possibly being arrested was more important to them than remaining with their friend, who could possibly die from taking too many drugs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the third story, I felt the interrogation of Eduardo Ruiz was insane. Ruiz was ready to rat out his friend to save his own skin, which shows how being involved in the drug trade can cause you to turn on anyone, at anytime. It’s very frightening to think about how many horrible things can occur from using or dealing with illegal narcotics, but it is very educational and teaches about the hardships of drug activity from all walks of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drugs were responsible for changing so many lives in this movie and some of them could have been so happy, if they wouldn’t have chosen the wrong path and resorted to greed and addiction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, I think this movie was worth watching and I feel that everyone could learn so much about the bad effects of drugs on our society. Some of the scenes aren’t appropriate for smaller children, but I think it’s a good idea for teenagers and adults to watch this movie so they can see what can happen if you have anything to do with illegal narcotics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I felt that â€Å"Traffic† was a very good movie and I would recommend that parents allow their teenagers to watch this movie and learn from other’s mistakes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reference Page Soderbergh, Steven. (2000).â€Å"Traffic† Polygram USA Video.

Literature Themes on the Impact of Discovery

Literature Themes on the Impact of Discovery It is the nature of meaningful discoveries, to challenge and shift ones perceptions, in either an unexpected and sudden, or planned and deliberate medium[DK1]. The consequences of discovery may be positive or negative, yet the ability of discovery to empower through allowing changes in ones ideals and self-evaluations is unparalleled[DK2]. William Shakespeares Elizabethan/Jacobean play, The Tempest (1600s) explores the discovery of mortality and the fragile nature of mankind, which is mirrored by Adrienne Richs poem Diving into the Wreck (1973). Also, Patrick Ness novel, A Monster Calls showcases a childs journey to discover his hidden desires and ideology, through the influence of an external power. Through the varying mediums and contextual backgrounds, the three texts explore the enduring values of discovery, and the capacity of discovery to renew perceptions through an unexpected/sudden or planned and deliberate medium. Certain discoveries function to transform ones values and renew perspectives. Through the play, The Tempest, Shakespeare showcases Prosperos intellectual discovery of his limitations as a mortal and the consequential rediscovery of his human morals. Prospero showcases his initial hatred towards the royal crew, rooted from past betrayals, as he says They now are in my power. And in these fits, I leave them. The truncated sentence emphasises Prosperos cruel and revengeful mindset, depicting his firm belief in power being the tool for vengeance. However, a dramatic change in Prosperos attitude can be seen, as he makes an unexpected discovery of human mortality following Ariels monologue, which states, We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep,, here sleep is a symbol for death, and the metaphor of dream accentuates Prosperos intellectual discovery of lifes fragility, where ones memories and earthly possessions are temporary juxtaposed to the va stly eternal world. Through the alliterative such sleep and little life, Prospero emphasises the insignificance of human life, and with it, the insignificance of his art. As he discovers the futility of his power in the face of mortality, Prospero rediscovers his humanity and gains a renewed understanding of the futility of vengeance. He says, My charms Ill breakà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.They shall be themselves, juxtaposing to his initial cruelty and will to revenge and hence portraying the change in his perception. Therefore, the renewal of perceptions through unexpected discoveries is evident through Prosperos rediscovery of empathy which he gains through the intellectual experience. Similarly, the intellectual discovery of human mortality allows a re-evaluation of ones values and identity which is further explored in Adrienne Richs poem Diving into the Wreck. Richs depiction of human mortality, and the fleeting nature of life, mirrors that of Prosperos discovery, expressing a sense of community gained through renewed understanding of the inevitability of death. Rich personifies a shipwreck in, ribs of disaster to represent humanity, the metaphorical ribs alluding to human bones which symbolise the basis of life, but also the imminent death that all of humanity faces. The personas intellectual discovery of mortality is further evident as she refers to we as half-destroyed instrumentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ water eaten log, the fouled compass, alluding to death and portraying the inescapable nature of mortality. As the persona gains a renewed understanding of life and death, she develops a spiritual connection with humanity, leading to a re-evaluation of her perceptions. Her initial depiction of her identity and values can be seen as the positive tone in Cousteau with his assiduous team aboard the sun-flooded schoonerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ directly juxtaposing to the grim tone in the recurring motif of loneliness; but here aloneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is no-one. However her unexpected discovery of human mortality leads to a change in her self evaluation, as evident in I am she: I am heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We are, I am, you areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ where the connection between first second and third perspectives unify human beings under the concept of mortality. The persona, therefore is able to gain comfort from the spiritual connection based on mortality and gain a renewed understanding on her identity as a human being, hence showcasing the consequential shift in perception as a result of an unexpected discovery. Similarly, the planned discovery leading to re-evaluation of self and change in perception is further explored in Patrick Ness A Monster Calls, as he reflects the planned and deliberate process that a child takes in order to discover and accept his hidden desires and ideals. The Yew treeis introduced through the repetition of dialogue, Connor, written in an italic, holophrastic form. The short, conjunct repetition reflects the random and conjunct nature of ones subconscious thoughts, hence depicting the embodiment of the personas subconscious in the Yew tree. The truncated sentence in and here was the monster as Connor comes to face the Yew tree emphasises his initial reluctance to acknowledge his subconscious, further exemplified in the negative connotation in anthropomorphic description of monster. The negative tone highlights Connors rejective perception towards the tree, and hence showcases the innate stubbornness of humanity when one comes to face possible changes. The confronti ng process of discovery, led by his subconscious can be seen in the emotive repetition of NO!, the capitalisation and the exclamation mark further reflecting the personas unwillingness to accept his hidden desires and ideals.

Effects Of Parental Involvement In The Education

Effects Of Parental Involvement In The Education Parent involvement is a valuable component of any students education. It is a well-established fact that parental involvement is linked to childrens success at school. When parents are involved in their childrens education at home, they do better in school. (Henderson and Berla, 1994) The level of parent-school involvement is a better predictor of grades than are standardized test scores. (Desimone, 1999) The 12 years of 180 six-hour days spent in school add up to only 13% of a students waking, learning time during the first 18 years of life. The rest, 87% is spent out of school, primarily at home. (Walberg) What is important is not the type of school, or who goes there, but the quality of its relationship with the families. (Henderson and Map, 2002) Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond. (Henderson and Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005) Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article A New generation of Evidence, state that the family is critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the schools they go to are better. There is a strong correlation between parental involvement and increased academic achievement. 2.2 Conceptual Underpinnings of the study Parental involvement was defined as including several different forms of parent participation in education and with the schools. Parents can support their childrens schooling by attending school functions, responding to school obligations (parent-teacher conferences, for example), and becoming involved in their childrens schoolwork. They provide encouragement, arrange for appropriate study time and space, model desired behavior (such as reading for pleasure), monitor homework, and actively tutor their children. (Henderson and Berla, 1994) Parent is used in this study to include guardians, grand-parents, foster parents and anybody who takes care of the children. (Kathleen Karen, 1989) In the 1980s, the United States became particularly concerned with the quality of its educational system. Parental involvement in schools became a major issue. Communities also become more watchful of the expense of public education, while local schools became concerned with continuous provision of high-quality teaching and other services. All of this occurred in a time of dwindling resources. Additionally, parents wanted assurance that their children were receiving preparation adequate to lead rewarding adult lives (Kathleen Karen, 1989). Riley (as cited in Moles, 2000) explained that parents are the essential link in improving American education, and schools simply have to do a better job of reaching out to them (p. vii). Parental expectations regarding their children appear to be a constant in childrens academic achievement and social adjustment. Although many parents may not be certain how to help their children with assignments, with guidance and support they can become actively involved in home learning activities, have an opportunity to teach, be models, and guide their children (Michigan Department of Education, 2001). He became interested in how schools in the U.S. involve parents in the education of their children because of the situation in my home country, Cameroon. During his education in Africa, I observed that students whose parents were not involved in their education did not perform well. Many dropped out of school or failed to further their education. In the United States, parental involvement is discussed as a major focus. That is not the case in Cameroon. There, parents have little voice in pedagogy and content. According to Keane (2007), parental involvement improves the chances of childrens success at school, yet research suggests that parent participation may be on the decline. Keane further asserted that student achievement represents more than just grades. Attendance, students attitudes toward school, student behavior, and the drop-out rate all connect with student achievement. A report conducted by Desforges and Abouchaar (2003), showed that enhanced parental involvement leads to better academic performance, better attendance, and improved behavior at home and school (p. 44). 2.3 Context of Parental Involvement In the post-World War II Era (1945-1950s), parental involvement included participation in parent conferences, monitoring of homework, signing of report cards, attending PTA meetings, and fundraising events. In the 1960s educators and policy makers focused on parental involvement as a way to improve educational success for the poor and underachieving students. This led to the development of a variety of models and strategies to promote such parental involvement (Milbrey Shields, 1987). In 1965, Haiman began experimenting with parent involvement program strategies. He designed and wrote the Parental Involvement Performance Standards for the National Head Start and this was used as a consultant to Head Start throughout the nation (Haiman, 1965). In 1968 he spoke on the relevance of curriculum, administration and community involvement (Chicago Tribune, 1968). By 1979, many schools had started incorporating parental involvement into their school programs. Parental involvement in special education programs also increased (Los Angeles Times, 1979). By 1989, the National Education Organization had started incorporating parental involvement programs in their agendas. They provided training to school staff and parents on parental involvement. The School Board Association produced sample school policies on parental involvement which they believed would make schools more secure and more likely, academic development would take place. Best practices and models to support parental involvement were developed. Many reports were written to recommend the necessity of parental involvement in school improvement (USA Today, 1989). In the 1990s, studies demonstrated that parental involvement could predict academic achievement. Parental involvement was considered an integral part of the school curriculum. The level of parental involvement was increased in most of the school districts across the nation (USA Today, 1990). Today, laws have been created to enforce parental involvement in schools including provisions of NCLB and School Accountability Teams. Movements for community control of education such as the education of low-income children, special education students, and English Language Learners have been developed to meet the needs of students. Districts focus on implementing strategies to promote parent, family, and community involvement (National Center for School Engagement, 2004). The Family Strengthening Policy Center (2004) established that states can develop a state-wide network to support teachers preparation for parental involvement, and also provide technical assistance to local districts and schools on how to get parents involved. School districts must have a written policy for administrative support and training for staff, parents and community members on parent involvement programs. The community should be able to advocate with state education agencies and school districts to promot e widespread and effective parental involvement policies and practices. According to the U.S. Department of Education (1997) a sustained mutual collaboration, support, and participation of school staff and families are required for a successful school-family partnerships and childrens learning. Although the success of school family partnerships is difficult to reach, it is important to note that the benefits to children and their educational success depends on hard work required to sustain the school-family partnerships (Epstein, Coates, Salinas, Sanders, Simon, 1997). In line with the mandates of NCLB, the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) has developed statewide standards which establish expectations for all New Mexico public school students. These standards require every district in New Mexico to develop an Education Plan for Student Success (EPSS) a long-range strategic plan to promote students success and continuous school improvement (Parents Searching Out, 2009). Parent involvement in learning activity is a strategy that was found by Epstein (1995) to increase the educational effectiveness of the time that parents and children spend together at home. Teachers and parents agree on the involvement of parents, seventy one percent of principals and fifty nine percent of teachers called it a priority based on research conducted by. Those schools whose parental involvement is strong provide a lot of benefit to the students. How Strong Communication Contributes to Student and School Success: Parent and Family Involvement shows that improved parental involvement not only leads to academic achievement, but to better attendance and improved behavior at home and school as well. When school and home work together collaboratively, and using a competent approach to education, it can make a huge difference in student achievement. (Padgett 2006) The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) suggests that a formal policy be created. Lack of planni ng was seen as one of the most challenging aspects to more involvement. Walberg on Families in Educational Productivity states that there is no question that parent involvement represents an exceptionally powerful way of making schools more effective, and of dramatically enriching childrens experiences. Some research indicates that achievement among students in primary schools have identified theories and policies which play significant roles in parent involvement in education (Fan and Chen, 2001; Hill and Tyson, 2009). These theories and policies not only closed the education gap in terms of demographics they also maximize student potential. Parent involvement is so important that The No Child Left Behind Act (National PTA, 2006) is a Federal Policy that puts a mandate on parental involvement in education and family-school relations across primary school levels. However, despite the consensus about how important it is for family and school to work together across developmental stages, theories of parent involvement in education have been based on the pr imary school students in their context and do not focus on the changes that occur with middle school and early adolescent development (Hill and Taylor, 2004; Hill and Tyson, 2009). The Title 1 program is also a government mandated program developed to increase parent involvement and educational services for disadvantaged children. This program placed the emphasis on parental involvement as the primary means of improving the quality of education of low income children (Kim O. Yap and Enoki, 1995). One may ask the question why parents should become involved in their childrens literacy activities. The evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their childrens education in general and literacy activities in particular is overwhelming. (Fan and Chen 2001) in their meta-analysis found that parental involvement positively affects academic performance. Feinstein Symons, 1999 point out in their research that parental involvement leads to academic achievement. Epsteins framework of six types of involvement are as follows: parenting which help all families establish home environments to support children as students; Communicating from home to school and school to home about school programs and student progress; Volunteering by organizing parent help and support. Learning at home by providing information and ideas from families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities; decisions and planning; Parents should be included in decision making; involve parent leaders and representatives; Collaborating with the community by identifying and integrating resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Students value their education when they see the interest shown by their parents. Barge, Loges (2003), highlight the fact that government supports parental involvement. According to Moosa, Karabenick, Adam (2001), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the alliance between home and school has dramatically changed throughout the history of formal education, as have the roles and functions that parents and teachers are expected to fulfill (p. 477). Throughout time, parents have been portrayed as both friend and foe in the course of educational reform (Callahan, Rademacher, Hildreth, 1998). Historically, parental involvement wasnt always a welcomed addition to the school community, and even today some view parent-school relations as a power struggle. Shaver and Walls, (1998) reported that some research found little to no effect of parental involvement on school achievement for middle age students. For the most part however, teachers and administrators welcome a helping hand in the overcrowded classrooms of the public schools and agree that parental involvement is one way to bridge reading comprehension gaps. Today, it is widely recognized that parents play an essential role in their childrens school life. Numerous types of parental involvement have been shown to develop cognitive growth and success in school (Shaver and Walls, 1998). Schools are working hand in hand with parents, Edwards, and Alldred (2000); describe parents and schools as policy makers with similar functions when it comes to children. Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson and Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005). Shaver and Walls, (1998), are also in support, they point out that the connection between parents and school achievement is real. The Epstein case studies are another research that supports parent involvement. Epstein (2002), used the Comprehensive School Reform Model (CSR) demonstrates how collaborative work produces positive outcomes. These studies were conducted in certain states, in selected school within the school districts. Educators, parents and community partners worked collaboratively on action teams to plan the curriculum. The programs are evaluated before being implemented in order to assess how well the plans connected family and school-community involvement. Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article A New generation of Evidence, state that the family is critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the schools they go to are better. Regardless of socioeconomic status or race, studies show a direct correlation between parental involvement and a childs academic achievement (Williams 1992). 2.4 Parental Involvement and Achievement It is well established that parental involvement is correlated with school achievement of both children and adolescents (Long, 2007). Primary school children gain greater academic, language, and social skills (Grolnick Slowiaczek, 1994), primary school students have greater achievement and future aspirations (Eccles Harold, 1993) and spend more time doing and completing homework (Epstein Sanders, 2002). Research shows that parental involvement is more important to childrens academic success than their familys socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background (Amatea West, 2007). Parental involvement can encourage childrens and adolescents achievement in many ways. One way that parents can contribute positively to their childrens education is to assist them with their academic work at home. Parents who read to their children, assist them with their homework, and provide tutoring using resources provided by teachers tend to do better in school than children whose parents do not assist their children (Izzo et al., 1999). Additionally, in a study conducted by Callahan, Rademacher and Hildreth (1998) on twenty-six lower to middle-class at risk sixth and seventh grade white students, students mathematics scores increased when parents became involved with assisting them at home. In the Callahan et al. study, parents were trained for duration of ten weeks on how to implement home-based self management and reinforcement strategies. Shaver and Walls (1998) conducted a similar parent training with seventy-four Title I students in second to eighth grade. Their study sho wed that regardless of gender or socioeconomic status of the child, parent involvement increased the scores of both mathematics and reading. Other parental involvement strategies that are said to assist children academically are for parents to have books, newspapers, and computers in their homes (Suizzo, 2007). This is not to say that just because there are books and newspapers in the home that children will read them; children do, however, fare better with their reading when there are books and computers in the home. Research shows that the level of parental involvement is associated with academic success. Children whose parents are actively involved in their schooling benefit better than children whose parents are passively involved. Specifically, if parents attend teacher conferences, accept phone calls from the school, and read and sign communications from the school, their children will benefit academically more than children whose parents do none of the above. Furthermore, children excel even more when their parents assist them at home with their homework, attend school sponsored events, and volunteer at their childrens schools (Suizzo, 2007). Childrens academic success also may be related to school-level parental involvement. Parental involvement can be defined as participation by a childs mother and/or father, or legal guardian in a childs education. Children who attend schools where there is a high level of parental involvement evidence greater achievement. School-level parental involvement seems to benefit children and adolescents academically and behaviorally by promoting information sharing and control over childrens behavior. Coleman (1990) asserted that children whose parents know each other promote school identification and success for their children. Broh (2000) also mentioned that students at school-level parental involvement schools were more likely to do their homework because completing their homework was considered the norm at these schools. 2.5 What is Parental Involvement? Parental involvement means different things to different people. A recent newsletter published by The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2006) explained that some people equate involvement to chaperoning field trips or volunteering for PTA committees while others define it as attending an open house or signing off on homework folders. National PTA (2006) described parental involvement as regular participation of parents, a two-way process, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. National PTA pays particular attentions to parents, who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. Under National PTA, schools are required to do evaluation and design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and also to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies. It also places the responsibility for scho ols to be certain that parent involvement initiatives are properly developed and evaluated. National PTA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, 1965) with four principles to frame ways in which families, educators, and communities can work together to improve teaching and learning. These principles include: accountability for results, local control and flexibility, expanded parental choice, and effective and successful programs that reflect scientifically based research. Enhancing connections within families, between families, and with their communities and the institutions that affect them should result in better outcomes for children and their families. These principles stress that parents and schools should be accountable for students achievement. In addition, plans for parental involvement should be flexible to address the local needs and build parents capacity to improve on their childrens achievement (U.S Department of Education, 2004; Family Strengthening Policy Center, FSPC, 2004). The Family Strengthening Policy Center, FSPC (2004), observed that there is no universal definition of what parental involvement in education entails. Some definitions include greater participation in the life of a school, while others are focused on the increased contributions to an individual childs learning process. Still others incorporate the family into the learning process through adult education, parenting, and after school activities. Reenay et al., (2007) defined parental involvement as encompassing three areas: a) direct contact with teachers, b) parental actions at school, and c) parental actions at home. In many schools, parents are engaged in the governance and planning processes in building students achievement goals (FSPC, 2004). Nonetheless, parental involvement takes place when parents actively, resourcefully and responsibly contribute to promote and develop the well being of their communities (Northwest Regional Education, 2001; Jesse, 2009) Davies (1991) defined parental involvement from a shifting perspective. Restructuring the society, communities, and schools leads to the transformation of parental involvement. The following evolving definition illustrates this paradigm shift. 2.5.1 Evolving Definition Parental involvement shifts from parent focus to family focus, family to community agencies, school to home/neighborhood setting, eager parents to hard-to reach families, teachers/administrators agendas to family priorities, and deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families (Davies, 1991). He further explained that even though non-traditional families are much more common nowadays than they were in the 1950s, alternative family structures are effective and should be recognized by the school. Liontos (1992) mentioned recent beliefs about parents and families that schools should consider when involving them in their childrens education: 1) All families have strengths, 2) parents can learn new techniques, 3) parents have important perspectives about their children, 4) most parents really care about their children, 5) cultural differences are both valid and valuable, and 6) many family forms exist and are legitimate (pp. 30-31). Jesse (2009) noted that parental involvement has two independent components: parents as supporters and parents as active partners. This approach of parental involvement would be insufficient if schools make use of only one of these components. Parents can be active, yet not supportive of the education process and vice versa. He further indicated that parental involvement should take many forms. For example, parental involvement can be reading to children, volunteering at the school, collaborating on decision making committees, and advocating for children. Hewison and Tizard (1980) explained that parental involvement can be focused if the school addresses the following issues: a) define what is meant by parent involvement, b) define what the school means by parental involvement, c) provide examples of parents decision making roles, d) remove structural barriers, and e) identify who else has an interest in increasing the parents role in the school. 2.6 Why parents help? Parents, teachers, and administrators should be equally responsible for the education of children. If schools want to truly ensure academic success of children, schools need to make sure that all educational planning passes through parents first (Patrikakou et al., Weissberg, 2005). According to the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA), although parents often state that they would like to be more involved in their childrens education, they complain that they feel left out of decision-making at their childrens school. Frankly, some school personnel are not comfortable with the idea of having parents involved in more than the traditional fundraisers. These personnel feel that as long as parents stick to traditional fundraiser events, everything else will be okay. Shatkin Gershberg (2007) and Seeley (1992) found that parental involvement at some schools is seen as a power struggle. When teachers believe that they are the primary person to handle a childs education, then they crea te an unbalanced and unequal partnership. Nevertheless, at least theoretically, most teachers welcome the idea of parent involvement. According to a teachers perceptions study published by the National Parent Involvement Network, 83% of teachers wanted an increase in parental involvement at their schools, and 95% of inner city teachers felt that parental involvement was lacking (Funkhouser, Gonzales, Moles, 1997). Many parental involvement strategies have been used in the past, but schools are still baffled by the lack of parental involvement at the secondary level (Christenson Sheridan, 2001; Drake, 2000). Antiquated parental and family involvement strategies are often cited as a major problem in research. Schools that update their strategies to accommodate the characteristics of their community benefit more than those schools that only use a standard program (Drake, 2000). Other problems may be that most parental involvement strategies are aimed at helping middle class families (Crozier, 2001), focus mostly on primary schools, and do not place much emphasis on minority families. The increased diversity of students and their families presents an even greater challenge to schools and teachers (Lewis, 1992; Wanders et al., 2007). Teachers recognize the benefits of including parents, but consistently complain that parents do not assist in their childrens education (Lewis, 1992). Administrators and educators should not assume that parents automatically know how to involve themselves at school or home. Parents need to be taught how to effectively involve themselves in their childrens schooling. The assumption that every parent knows how to teach their children should be admonished. Parents are not teachers and need to be instructed on how to teach, assist, and encourage their children at home (Quigley, 2000). Ineffective instruction at home by a parent could hinder the academic progress of their children. The National PTA (2006) gave the following suggestions on how to involve parents: a) schools should host orientation sessions for parents on how to be involved, b) have an onsite family resource center, which will give parents access to materials on parenting, c) give parents handouts on curriculum information and teaching methods, d) encourage parents to volunteer in school and at school events, and e) invite parents to sit on committees to participate in school-decision making. Likewise, it should not be assumed that teachers automatically know how to effectively involve parents in the classroom and at home. Epstein (1985) pointed out that the majority of teachers have little to no training on how to involve parents in the classroom. Therefore, most teachers lack necessary skills and knowledge on how to effectively work with parents. Kesslar-Sklar and Baker (2000) found that teachers need guidance from school administrators and consultants such as school psychologists to communicate with parents. In-services and workshops could provide guidance on how to effectively engage parents. Parent engagement is important on all levels of school involvement; however, sometimes schools are confused on what is considered parent engagement or involvement. School administrators and teachers feel that parental involvement is important for the academic success of children, but sometimes the definition of what constitutes parent involvement is often misconstrued between par ents and teachers. According to Epstein and Sanders (2002), there are six types of involvement: a) parenting- assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level; b) communicating- communicate with families about school programs and student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications; c) volunteering improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules to involve families as volunteers and audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs; d) learning at home- involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-linked activities and decisions; e) decision making-include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, and other parent organizations; and f ) collaborating with the community- coordinate resources and services for families, students, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community. Schools play an important role in assisting parents with the aforementioned strategies. When these strategies along with parents feeling welcome are in effect, children thrive academically and socially. If parents do not feel welcome at their childs school, they are less likely to be involved (Constantino, 2003). 2.7 How do Schools Engage Parents? Hanke (2006) pointed out that lack of parental involvement is due to lack of helpful information to parents. Emails, phone, letters, newsletters and personal contacts can be made by schools to reach out to parents. If schools communicate with parents regularly and consistently using the various means, the gap between school and parental involvement will be reduced. Students expectations and achievement will increase if families show high levels of interest (National PTA, 1998). Six different areas of parental involvement are identified by Epstein et al., (1997): parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Two types of communication exist (The Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 2006). These two types include one-way (transmittal) and two-way communication. In one-way communication, the school disseminates information to parents on how they can help their children at home. Examples of this type of communica tion are newsletters and informational fliers. The two-way communication is considered much more interactive and perceived as a partnership between the school and families. Examples include surveys and questionnaires structured to collect informational data pertaining to students (The Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 2006). Reenay and Vivian (2007) explained that even though the invention of new technologies has made it easier for schools to reach out to parents (through emails, cell phones and internet websites), the use of traditional methods in communication has been found to be an effective way for schools to communicate with parents, but this has been limited in use by schools because of time constraints. In addition, it has been assessed that the frequent use of mass communications (newsletters, calendars, letters and handbooks) by school educators has not been effective in changing student behaviors. However, as Jonson (1999) reported, many parents do not communicate with their childrens schools due to a vast number of reasons. For example, their concerns might not be heard or responded to promptly, or they are busy at work. Despite t

The Republic: Protagoras, Gorgias, and Meno :: Philosophy Morals Neo Aristotelianism Papers

The Republic: Protagoras, Gorgias, and Meno One vigorous line of thought in contemporary moral philosophy, which I shall call ‘Neo-Aristotelianism,’ centers on three things: (1) a rejection of traditional enlightenment moral theories like Kantianism and utilitarianism; (2) a claim that another look at the ethical concerns and projects of ancient Greek thought might help us past the impasse into which enlightenment moral theories have left us; (3) more particularly, an attempt to reinterpret Aristotle’s ethical work for the late twentieth-century so as to transcend this impasse. The "Neo-Aristotelian" Rejection of Plato Neo-Aristotelians like Martha Nussbaum(1) and Alasdair MacIntyre,(2) in spite of their many differences,(3) are therefore united not only in their positive turn to Aristotle but also in their rejection of Plato and Plato’s Socrates.(4) And yet some features of these rejections invite further reflection. Nussbaum, for example, consistently recognizes that the Socratic-Platonic project requires us to remake ourselves: "In short, I claim that [in the Protagoras] Socrates offers us, in the guise of empirical description, a radical proposal for the transformation of our lives." (FG 117, LK 112) But to what extent has she done justice to the particular kind of remaking Plato has Socrates offer us? More pointedly, does she acknowledge the extent to which Socrates aims at focussing his interlocutors on a process of questioning, rather than simply handing doctrine over to them?(5) Or has her Socrates been flattened out, his dialogical style rendered monological, so as to support her ov erall thesis more easily?(6) As for MacIntyre, does he see clearly enough the parallel between his own work and Plato’s when he says that in his earlier dialogues "Plato is pointing to a general state of incoherence in the use of evaluative language in Athenian culture" (AV 131)? Mutatis mutandis, isn’t this precisely what the opening chapters of After Virtue attempt to show? And to what extent must MacIntyre’s "quest for the good" in his crucial chapter "The Virtues, the Unity of a Human Life and the Concept of a Tradition" be committed to a Platonic, rather than Aristotelian, notion of the good? When he says "now it is important to emphasize that it is the systematic asking of these two questions ["What is the good for me?" and "What is the good for man?"] and the attempt to answer them in deed as well as in word which provide the moral life with its unity" (AV 219, emphasis added), isn’t it Plato’s Socrates who serves as the ultimate source of i nspiration here?

The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens of Greenwich High :: essays research papers

The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens (G.A.R.C.) of Greenwich High The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens (G.A.R.C.) of Greenwich High is a group of students interested in interacting with disabled students. These students go to the high school as well, and look forward to getting to know us. Each of the students have different disabilities but they each have the desire to make friends. This group is totally volunteer basis for all of it's members, no one has to attend. I have been a member of this group for the three years I have attended in Greenwich High. Spending a lot of time with these children I have learned to understand that they are just looking to make friends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I joined this group as a freshman because I had worked with children with Down Syndrome during the eighth grade at Central Middle School. My interest carried on through out the years because of the numerous fun times I have had, and have made friends with many of the girls. They are all very personable and pleasant to talk with. They each have special characteristics defining them from the others, making each of them special in different ways, just like the rest us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from the meetings that we have every so often to discuss activities we can do, we usually do fun and interesting activities. We go out for pizza frequently because it seems to be the group consensus on what we would all like to eat. During the holidays we celebrate in interesting ways; on Halloween we have a party where every one gets dressed and brings candy. For the Christmas season we are going to celebrate with a party at a members house and listen to Christmas carols, and have dinner. We have had bake sales and have sold candy in order to raise money for the clubs activities. These are usually a success because every one participates and we all seem to function well as a group. When there are dances or football games at school we each take one of the girls and it's good for them because they get to interact with the rest of the school at a big function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This club is not only fun, but it's like going to a meeting with some of your friends. We are a small group and we all get along. Since we are a small group it is also difficult for us to do a lot of things. It is difficult to educate the larger part of the public who doesn't know what these kids are like.

Poetry Comparison Compare Blake’s ‘London’ and Wordsworth’s ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ Essay

The two poems ‘London’ and ‘Composed upon Westminster Bride’, offer differing views on the city of London. Blake presents London as lifeless, dismal and monotonous, whereas Wordsworth’s London is very different. He feels it as beautiful, magnificent and exciting. Blake’s poem consists of four different stanzas all of equal length. This gives a sense of order and regularity. This demonstrates that the people of London live a controlled life, which has no variety. Blake uses repetition, which gives a sense of anguish, ‘And mark in every face I meet, Marks of weakness, Marks of woe’. This stresses the tedious pace of life. Blake also shows that the people of London are trapped in themselves, ‘In every voice, in every man, the mind forged manacles I hear’. This demonstrates that the people of London cannot express themselves as they are trapped in their own minds. Blake’s London shows the poets anger towards some members of the community. Blake blackens the city by painting images of child labour, ‘how the chimney sweepers cry; every blackening church appals’. This shows that the church is a hypocrite as they are using chimneysweepers themselves. Blake also dislikes the rich aristocrats by describing ‘how the hapless sigh, runs in blood down the palace walls’. This emphasises that the poor work very hard and fight pointless battles while the rich reap the rewards and benefits. In stanza four Blake paints a disgusting picture of prostitution, ‘the youthful harlots curse, blasts the newborn infants ear’, this tells the reader that prostitution leads to disease and plagues, many unwanted. Married men spilt up with their wives. Prostitutes have children, so the cycle continues for years. Blake combines ideas of ‘marriage and hearse’, this to show that the life cycle for people in London is death and suffering. Also Blake horrifies the reader by using different sounds to describe the feelings of people who live in London. He describes ‘moans’ and ‘cries’ to show the reader the depression of the people in London. The city of London is full of sorrow for every man and every infant ‘every cry of every man, in every infants cry of fear’. Also it is very negative and everyone feels depressed ‘harlots curse†¦ soldiers sigh’. Blake intensifies this gloomy atmosphere further, by using iambic meter in his poem. The use of iambic meter and an (ABAB) rhyming scheme for example ‘street†¦flow†¦meet†¦woe’, illerates to the reader how monotonous everyday life in London is, ‘I wandered though each chartered street’. The fact that Blake is wandering through London suggests that the city is boring and has no aims or direction. The reader can work out that Blake is blaming his apathy on the city itself and perhaps it is London’s fault that the population has ‘marks of woe’. Blake’s poem is clearly written about life in the slums of London, while Wordsworth, in his sonnet ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ focuses on a more general way on the majesty and splendour of London. Wordsworth was a nature lover who normally didn’t like the cities but in the early morning he sees something wonderful and glorious about London. Wordsworth realises that this moment is only temporary ‘never did the sun more beautifully steep in his first splendour, valley, rock or hill’. It was pollution less city bright and splendid. Nothing evil dark or dismal like Blake’s London. ‘This city now doth like a garment wear’, it demonstrates that it is an out of this world experience. He personifies the city, bringing it to life, in order to show how this is a transient moment. Wordsworth also respects the city for its beautiful buildings, unlike Blake who sees it as a city of degraded humanity noting the ‘harlot’s curse’. Wordsworth sees many beautiful ‘towers, domes, theatres and temples†¦ open into the fields and to the skys’. This shows the stillness and emptiness. This is a laying affect to show that man made objects can be as good as nature, unlike Blake who sees misery. Wordsworth uses a very calm and tranquil tone to describe London. This poem is written in the firm pentrarchian sonnet, with iambic pentameter utilises an (ABBA, ABBA, CDCD) rhyme scheme unlike Blake’s continuous (ABAB) rhyme scheme. This creates an unhurried pace with a peaceful mood lacking the intensity of Blake’s poem. It also provides a slow pace to take in the beauty of London in the early morning. Wordsworth’s surprise at the beauty of London is seen when he directly addresses ‘Dear God’! Using an exclamation mark, Wordsworth address God twice to stress his personal reaction to London’s beauty-he wants the reader to see the awe of London, the exclamation mark stresses the shocked pleasure by his reaction. The ‘mighty heart’ demonstrates that the people are the heart of the city-sees London as alive and living part of city working together. Wordsworth values people, as they are the centre point of London. Wordsworth tries to tell the reader that the Thames is working in harmony with the rest of the city. However, although the imagery of London Blake creates through its depressed state and ‘every cry of every man’. In my opinion I prefer Wordsworth’s poem ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’, because he uses personification and makes the city feel beautiful. He states how ‘dull of soul’ anyone would be if they didn’t admire the beauty of London in the early morning. The way Wordsworth describes the cities buildings has a positive effect on the poem and this is why I prefer ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’.

An Introduction to Native American Literature Essay

Native American literatures embrace the memories of creation stories, the tragic wisdom of native ceremonies, trickster narratives, and the outcome of chance and other occurrences in the most diverse cultures in the world. These distinctive literatures, eminent in both oral performances and in the imagination of written narratives, cannot be discovered in reductive social science translations or altogether understood in the historical constructions of culture in one common name. (Vizenor 1) Since the end of the 15th century, the migration of Europeans to America, and their importation of Africans as slaves, has led to centuries of conflict and adjustment between Old and New World societies. Europeans created most of the early written historical record about Native Americans after the colonists’ immigration to the Americas. 3 Many Native cultures were matrilineal; the people occupied lands for use of the entire community, for hunting or agriculture. Europeans at that time had patriarchal cultures and had developed concepts of individual property rights with respect to land that were extremely different. The differences in cultures between the established Native Americans and immigrant Europeans, as well as shifting alliances among different nations of each culture through the centuries, caused extensive political tension, ethnic violence and social disruption. The Native Americans suffered high fatalities from the contact with infectious Eurasian diseases, to which they had no acquired immunity. See more: how to start an essay Epidemics after European contact caused the greatest loss of life for indigenous populations. In 1830, the U. S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the government to relocate Native Americans from their homelands within established states to lands west of the Mississippi River, accommodating European-American expansion. Perhaps the most important moment of governmental detribalization came with the passing of the Dawes Act in 1887 which set aside 160 acres for each Indian on the reservation, and opened the â€Å"leftovers† up for settlement. According to the U. S. Bureau of the Census (1894), the Indian wars under the government of the United States have been more than 40 in number. They have cost the lives of about 19,000 white men, women and children, including those killed in individual combats, and the lives of about 30,000 Indians. Native Americans were thus pushed out from their own lands and were forced to live in small reservations assigned by the federal government who claimed that setting the Indians on the course to civilisation best ensured their survival. Tribal customs were then forcibly altered and nomadic tribes became sedentary. All Native Americans felt the impact of the new reservation policies, which sought to isolate and contain Indians to make room for an expanding American nation. At the same time that Native Americans were being excluded from the nation, white Americans began to look to them as the source of a unique national identity and literature, distinct from European traditions. Literature from the period depicting Indian characters was incredibly popular, and many works are still celebrated as classics, including James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans (1826), Catharine Maria Sedgwick’s Hope Leslie (1827), and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha (1855), to name only a few. These texts employ the trope of the â€Å"disappearing Indian,† which represents the deaths of Indians as natural, similar to the changing of the seasons or the setting of the sun, rather than the result of political exclusion or social discrimination. Thus the disappearance of Indians from the American social landscape was not only depicted within this body of writing but also implicitly approved of. At the same time the government sponsored authors and art programs; the proletarian themes of discovery, regionalism, and tourism were new forms of dominance over Native Americans. Therefore, early Native American authors wrote within a hostile political climate and in response to a dominant literary tradition that sentimentalized and condoned the death of Indians. But they found the means to engage with their detractors by authoring their own accounts of Indians that challenged stereotypical beliefs, demanded equal political rights, and proved that Indians were neither disappearing nor silent. Native American authors have faithfully presented some of these issues of inherent native rights, the duplicities of federal policies, and the burdens of racial identities in their short stories and novels. Wynema by Sophia Alice Callahan published in 1891, was the first novel attributed to a Native American author. Callahan, who was a mixedblood Creek, was aware of tribal issues at the time and therefore devoted most of her novel to native issues. Since then many novels by distinguished Native American authors have been published. One of the most important writers among Native Americans in the 1930’s was D’Arcy McNickle, a member of the Flathead tribe of Montana. His first novel The Surrounded was published in 1936, two years after the Indian Reorganization Act was passed near the end of the Depression in the United States. His novel is the poignant story of a mix-breed family and the tragedy of their exclusion from both the red and the white worlds. Because of cultural misunderstandings, which begin between the Indian mother and Spanish father, suspicion, fear, and finally death take their children. The novel is a history of alienation. Kenneth Lincoln who coined the term Native American Rennaissance pointed out that in the late-1960s and early-1970s, a generation of Native Americans were coming of age who were the first of their tribe to receive a substantial English-language education, particularly outside of standard Indian boarding schools and in universities. Conditions for Native people, while still very harsh, had moved beyond the survival conditions of the early half of the century. The beginnings of a project of historical revisionism, which attempted to document—from a Native perspective—the history of the invasion and colonization of the North American continent had inspired a great deal of public interest in Native cultures. During this time of change, a group of Native writers emerged, both poets and novelists, who in only a few years expanded the Native American literary canon.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Mr Collins proposes to both Elizabeth and Charlotte, but their reactions are very different. What does the behaviour of all three characters, during chapters 19, 20 & 22 tell us about the different attitudes to marriage in the early nineteenth century? In the 19th century, men were rated higher than women in society therefore when it came to marriage, once women were married all of their belongings, earnings and wealth were passed onto their husbands and in return their husbands would take care of them. Men and women back then would very rarely marry for love and happiness but otherwise mainly for money, security and to be higher up in society in some cases. Jane Austin wrote the story ‘Pride and Prejudice’ which deals with some of the most important aspects of adult life in the 19th century and explores the different views of marriage thoroughly throughout the book. Elizabeth Bennet is the second eldest of the five Bennet sisters and plays a vital part in the novel where she believes that marriage should be about love, equality and respect. Her view is that marriage is to be an equal partnership and a meeting of minds. She is a girl of high principles and her marriage would have been one of equality as she quotes â€Å"And if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it† (volume 1 chapter 6 page 15) which shows her determination that she would not marry for money, but only for true love. Marriage today is seen upon by society as a way to be connected to your ‘other half’ forever due to your undying love for each other. Many people get married by choice of the heart which is similar to the way Elizabeth saw matrimony back in the 19th century. When Mr Collins proposes to Elizabeth she try’s to be nice and reject him in a nice way by saying ‘†Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them† (volume 1 chapter 19 page 89) though he does not believe that her means what she says when she refuses him. Therefore Elizabeth ends up saying â€Å"I am perfectly serious in my refusal. – You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you do† (volume 1 chapter 19 page 90) and by saying this she is sticking to her principals of only marrying for love. Even though he can save her and her family financially, she is still prepared to sacrifice financial security for personal feelings and freedom. I do admire Elizabeth for this decision because she told him what she honestly thinks/believes. I believe you should only marry someone if you are deeply in love with them and feel that you want to share your life with them. Also, Elizabeth does not want to make the same mistakes others have made in past marriage; advised by her father as he does not have true feelings for Mrs. Bennet which makes their marriage very unhappy and uncomfortable. This has probably influenced her decision a lot to decline Mr. Collins because she does not want to end up in the same position as her parents. After many attempts of trying to change Elizabeth’s mind, Mrs. Bennett resorts to saying â€Å"You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr Collins, for se vows she will not have him, and if you do not make haste he will change his mind and not have her† (volume 1 chapter 20 page 93) to Mr. Bennet because she desperately is trying to marry all off Elizabeth so that she isn’t her responsibility any more. Elizabeth is also getting older and at that time when they got to a certain age and were not married, they would be seen as not eligible for marriage, i.e. a spinster. On the other hand, Mr. Bennet reduced the situation to a joke by contrasting his opinions of the proposal with that of his wife. He ended the situation by saying â€Å"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. – Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again if you do† (volume 1 chapter 20 page 93) because he understands why Elizabeth does not want to marry Mr. Collins, cares more about his daughters happiness than their wealth and does not want to see her end up regretting her married life like he is. When Mr. Collins is rejected he refuses to abandon his decision to marry. Instead of Elizabeth, he decides to set his sights on Charlotte Lucas and asks her to marry him instead. As soon as Elizabeth found out that her best friend Charlotte was engaged to Mr. Collins, she expressed her surprise by exclaiming â€Å"Engaged to Mr Collins! My dear Charlotte, – impossible!† (volume 1 chapter 22 page 104) because she could not come to terms that Charlotte would be marrying this arrogant man. ‘But Elizabeth had now recollected herself, and making a strong effort for it, was able to assure her with tolerable firmness that the prospect of their relationship was highly grateful to her, and that she wished her all imaginable happiness’ which shows us she was pleased for the couple and shows her support for Charlotte by wishing her well. By doing this Elizabeth demonstrates that she will support others if they believe they will be happy despite not wanting to marry for any other reason than love and happiness herself. The character Mr Collins is a Church of England rector, who inherits Mr Bennet’s estate and his patron is Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Darcy’s aunt). His attitude towards marriage is different to Elizabeth’s as he wants to marry for economical reasons which is clearly shown when he says â€Å"Having now a good house and very sufficient income, he intended to marry; and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as he meant to choose one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report† (volume 1 chapter 15 page 57). Mr Collins himself is silly, pompous and self-satisfied, though he seems to have a significant role as a potential marriage partner, which is unfortunately let down by his lack of care for anyone but himself. He only wants to secure his place in society by marrying as Lady Catherine will promote him which will then move him into a higher class of people. Mr Collins reasons for wanting to marry one of the Bennet sisters is ‘This was his plan of amends – of atonement – for inheriting their father’s estate; and he though it an excellent one, full of eligibly and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own part’ (volume 1 chapter 15 page 57-58) which means as he is inheriting their fathers land, he thinks he can make things better by marrying on of them however despite him thinking this is a very good idea, he is not in love with any of them. Whilst Mr. Collins is in search of a wife; his first choice is Jane, but learning of her likely engagement to Mr. Bingley, he switched his attention to Elizabeth. I believe that this sudden change is consistent with everything we have learnt about Mr. Collins. Although whilst on one had his intentions appeared honourable i.e. he wants to marry one of the sisters in order to re pay them for inheriting their fathers land , the fact that he is willing to marry any of them without loving them, demonstrates his ultimate lack of regard and respect. It also highlights his underlying reason to marry in order to accumulate more wealth and social status. Next, the way Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth was excessively formal and consisted entirely of reasons why he should marry. His starts off with mentioning â€Å"Almost as soon as I entered the house I singles you out as the companion of my future life† (volume 1 chapter 19 page 88) which is a complete lie as we all know his first choice was Jane. The order in which he gives his reasons for marrying is interesting too as he mentions he wants to set a good example, how it will make him happy and the fact that Lady Catherine had told him to get; all before he even mentions love! His proposal shows only concern for himself and his standing with Lady Catherine who seems to be the only woman he does care for. Apart from being incredibly long-winded, his speech sounds like a business deal without any suggestion of romance which probably turns Elizabeth off him even more. When Mr. Collins says â€Å"I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long† (volume 1 chapter 19 page 89) means he is then dismissive when Elizabeth turns down his proposal assuming that she really means yes, when she is saying no and thinks that all young women react in this way initially when asked for their hand in marriage. Again, this shows us that he is pretty arrogant, doesn’t take Elizabeth seriously – or any other women for that matter and thinks that he will marry Elizabeth in the end despite what she is saying. Amazingly, Mr. Collins is very fast to change mind from Elizabeth to Charlotte which tells us he has no intention of stopping until he is married and he would happily marry a woman who does not love or even like him. He barley knows Charlotte, yet he is willing to spend the rest of his life with her and he will not be grateful that she is his wife but grateful they are married because then he is seen higher in society. Although he may have said he had feelings for Elizabeth, they way he was able to move onto Charlotte so quickly also enhances our thoughts of him being selfish. By doing all of this, he is quickly showing that he only has a heart for himself therefore he will never love any woman or find true love and no woman will ever be able to love him back.

Surrogate Marketing (Advertising)

The makers of these brands were banned to advertise and they resorted to surrogate advertising. It is a sort of advertising where a cover product is promoted in order to promote the actual product that is banned. Surrogate marketing refers to intentionally utilizing a company, person or object to help convey the message of another party. The term has both positive and negative connotations. On the positive side, surrogate marketing is somewhat akin to grassroots or viral marketing in which a marketing organization may actively recruit others to help spread the message or can also be likened to hiring a manufacturer’s representative to sell your product. However, it is the negative side that seems to have drawn the most attention. A surrogate advertising campaign can be used to indirectly promote products or services deemed by some groups as being unhealthy, unethical, and immoral or, possibly, illegal through activities that are viewed as acceptable forms of promotion. For instance, in some parts of the world where regulation exists that may ban promoting alcohol and tobacco, firms promote these brands by tying the brand names to more acceptable products. For instance, the same brand name used for selling cigarettes may also be the same brand name on a juice product. In this way the customer is not only aware of the acceptably advertised brand but also understands the connection to the regulated product. Surrogate advertisements took off not long ago in the UK, where British housewives protested strongly against liquor advertisements â€Å"luring† away their husbands. The liquor industry found a way around the ban: Surrogate advertisements for cocktail mixers, fruit juices and soda water using the brand names of the popular liquors. In India, ministry of health has banned the advertising of liquor and tobacco. But many liquor brands (like McDowell's whisky) initiated other products like sodas in the same name which are then advertised. Another instance of surrogate advertising is ‘Four Square Bravery Awards' in the name of Four Square cigarettes. Surrogate marketing is used in two contexts: the first is when a company â€Å"farms out† the entire marketing function and the group providing the service is called a â€Å"surrogate marketing department. † I don't believe this is the context for which you are looking. The second is what is happening in India with respect to the ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising. Companies in banned industries are introducing brand extensions with products that are legal to advertise with the same brand name as the banned product. One liquor company introduced apple juice with the same brand name as the liquor. The idea is the companies can advertise freely the extension – thus keeping their banned-from-the-media products in the minds of the customers. So the apple juice, for instance, is the surrogate for the liquor in the ads. The companies also don't care much about the sales of the surrogate products -for instance, it seems that the apple juice isn't even readily available to buy throughout the company. This loophole that the tobacco and liquor companies are exploiting is upsetting the legislature because every apple juice ad that reminds the consumers of the liquor is a slap in the lawmakers' faces. But, they also don't quite know what to do about it! In general, surrogate marketing is when you promote one product or service in the hopes of selling another. Why you would want to do that varies. The best reason is that you aren't able to legally. But other reasons might be because the two products sell better together – for instance, you may make a product and it requires service – which you don't provide. You can market a service provider – the surrogate – who will only use your product.

The importance of lesson plan and methods in the Foundation Program Essay

The importance of lesson plan and methods in the Foundation Program used in Omani Universities to the study of language skills - Essay Example s primarily on the enhancement of students’ proficiency in English, so students enrolled in the program have a full day schedule with a weekly load of around 30 hours, including study groups.† â€Å"The program is communicative in nature, shifting the emphasis from grammar to meaningful oral and written communication.  The instructional materials adopted for the program have performance-based objectives as well as clear scope and sequence for teaching communicative skills. The program approaches language as a tool of communication and stresses reading and writing as the two main language skills instrumental for students success in university-level education through the medium of English.   The teaching methodology treats language skills in an integrated fashion and incorporates study skills into the program.   The teaching methodology is communicative in nature, presenting authentic and simulated communicative tasks in real life However most of the students in the foundation programmer are unappreciative with the role of English language. In this stage of a students’ academic life, it is very important for the teacher to find effective ways to help these students progress to the next level. Teachers must know their students and their needs very well. They have to decide on which communication skills they would develop : reading, writing, speaking, listening, or phonology. As with any instructional method, everything starts with lesson planning. A well-developed lesson plan is the foundation to a good execution of a lesson. According to research, planning sets the stage in teaching and school learning making it the most critical part of instruction teaching and school learning (Clark & Dunn, 1991). The lesson plan must align with the goals of the program as well as the curriculum so that it would fit the context of the learner. In short, the lesson plan must translate into instruction the goals of the Foundation Program. Since the program aims to focus