1776 by David Mccullough Book Summary Essay - 707 Words

Book Review on: 1776 by David McCullough The Non-Fiction Historical Book 1776 By David McCullough is a historically accurate and in depth view of The American Revolution; starting from The Battle of Bunker Hill, Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Fort Washington, and ending its Analysis at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. There are many fascinating features, trends, themes, and characteristics used in 1776 that make the book a fluent and enjoyable read. Also the book gives a very detailed and informative account of the battles and military life from the Battle of Boston to the Battle of Trenton. Finally the author, David McCullough, of the book as many other works and experiences that tell the reader why and how 1776 is such a credible source†¦show more content†¦The literary element such as features, trends, themes, and characteristics were a part of the book that help make the book a wonderful teaching. 1776 started off in Britain, giving a background of King George III and the s tart of the war. Then the book moved to the Siege of Boston in America. In the siege of Boston an account of both militaries moves and living routines were given leading up to the Continental Army taking Dorchester Heights. This forced the British to evacuate because Washington had sent for cannons and on Dorchester heights was close enough for deadly fire on Boston. From Boston, Washington left a small group, but the rest of his troops moved to New York; which was the British’s next target. At New York the battle of Brooklyn was disastrous for the Continental Army. Afterwards the British moved ships into the Hudson and unleashed the remainder of Washington’s troops who had yet to retreat. When they fled to New Jersey the Continental Army was once again bested. Soon after a brutal loss at Fort Washington was inflicted. Thousands of troops were captured because there were too many in the fort to defend effectively when they had to fallback. Finally Washington made a br illiant strike in the Battle Trenton that gave the Continental Army the momentum it so dearly needed. David McCullough is a well experienced Author with titles such as John Adams, Truman, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path between the Seas,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book 1776 By David Mccullough1816 Words   |  8 Pages1776 by David McCullough Book Review 1776, a non-fiction historical book, is written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough. The book revolves around the American Revolution, hence the title 1776, and it accurately shows the course of actions that have taken place in that year. 1776 is displays how America became an independent nation and what the individuals during that time had to go through to gain access to freedom and liberty. The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 3 Free Essays

After a good night’s sleep, I went to work the next morning, feeling a bit more optimistic about life. I decided Tawny had probably already scored last night, and Niphon was on his way to the airport. Plus, I’d get to see Seth soon since he had made my place of employment, Emerald City Books Caf? ¦, his writing headquarters. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 3 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yes, it wouldn’t be such a bad day. Due to my ex-manager’s complicated pregnancy, I’d recently inherited her position. This had left my old assistant-manager position vacant, and we’d ended up hiring Maddie Sato who just happened to be the sister of Doug Sato – the other assistant manager. It had been a stunning display of favoritism, and Doug had thrown a fit, complaining how we’d just lowered his coolness rating by ten points. As it was, Maddie already lived with him. She’d come to visit after his recent hospitalization and never really left. She had a second job as a freelance writer at a feminist magazine, and working at Emerald City gave her a more stable source of income. I liked Maddie. She was smart and capable and had a twisted sense of humor that spoke to mine. She worked well with customers and was always very polite in a professional capacity. For example, she could get caught up talking with Seth about ‘writerly’ topics and function beautifully. But, when it came to friendlier and more interpersonal stuff, her social skills were a bit lacking. After a particularly analytical writing discussion, Seth had once made an off-hand comment about her childhood, and she’d frozen up. Seeing him with someone even more socially awkward than he was had been amusing, but mostly I’d felt disappointed at her relapse. I’d made good progress in getting her to come out of her shell and knew how fun she could be. I wanted everyone else to see it too. Today I found her upstairs in the caf? ¦, sitting at the table Seth had staked out with his laptop. It apparently wasn’t a writerly day because Doug sat with them. He and Maddie appeared to be in some sort of heated argument. Seth sat between them, looking like he desperately wanted to be somewhere else. Catching my eye, he gave me a pleading look. I purposely slid a chair up beside him, forcing Doug to scoot his own chair over. No one knew Seth and I were dating, and the Sato siblings were so caught up in the discussion they didn’t think anything of the chair placement. â€Å"What’s going on?† I asked. â€Å"It had better involve the fate of the store to be detaining the entire management team.† The holidays were nearly upon us, and business was insane lately. Maddie had the grace to look embarrassed, suddenly remembering her duties. She opened her mouth to speak, but Doug interrupted her. â€Å"My illustrious sister’s an insensitive bitch.† Maddie rolled her eyes. â€Å"He has some crazy ideas about Beth.† I sighed. â€Å"Look, if this is about the time Beth wore leg warmers here – â€Å" â€Å"Don’t remind me of that,† grumbled Doug. â€Å"My illustrious brother has this crazy idea that Beth just broke up with someone,† explained Maddie. Both looked at me as though they expected me to set this matter straight. Puzzled, I glanced back and forth between them. â€Å"Why’s that crazy?† â€Å"Because she has a cold,† said Maddie. â€Å"She said she has a cold. That’s why she’s sniffling.† â€Å"She’s pretending to have a cold,† cried Doug. â€Å"What kind of sick and twisted world is this when an asshole like me is the one to notice heartache in the masses? For God’s sake, her eyes are all red.† â€Å"Cold,† Maddie repeated firmly. She considered. â€Å"Or maybe allergies.† â€Å"In December?† The two of them bickered on. Beside me, Seth fought – and failed – to keep a straight face. I studied the way his lips curved into a smile, liking their shape and recalling how they felt. I turned my attention back to the siblings, enjoying the show. Finally, after about five more minutes, I remembered I was an authority figure and not a slacker employee. â€Å"Why is this a big deal?† I asked. â€Å"Because she’s wrong,† Doug said. â€Å"I’m just trying to prove that.† Maddie sighed. â€Å"You’re like a twelve-year-old.† â€Å"Am not.† He jabbed her in the arm. â€Å"Okay, enough.† I pointed to Doug. â€Å"You, register.† I pointed to Maddie. â€Å"You, my office.† â€Å"Ooh†¦you’re in trouble,† Doug told her. â€Å"I’m going to show her how to process orders,† I growled. Maddie’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, dimples appearing in her round cheeks. She ate up new tasks. â€Å"Female favoritism,† said Doug. â€Å"You like her better than me, don’t you? It’s okay. You can tell me. I can take it.† â€Å"Go. Both of you. I’ll be down in a sec.† I looked at Seth when they were gone. â€Å"This is why I don’t have children,† I told him. That wasn’t true, of course. Not true at all. Children simply weren’t in the cards for succubi. â€Å"Although†¦I think Doug’s actually right,† I mused. â€Å"As crazy as that is. I saw Beth on my way in.† Seth smiled. â€Å"Maddie’s a good writer and super smart, but she’s kind of oblivious to other people.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I thought that was true about all writers.† â€Å"Some are worse than others.† â€Å"Shocking. You rode in a car with her for, what, four hours? What’d you guys talk about?† â€Å"Writing.† I sighed. â€Å"I wish she’d relax around people other than Doug and me. She’s hilarious. She came up with the idea to Silly String Doug’s car after he said Betty Friedan was PMSing when she wrote The Feminine Mystique.† â€Å"I’m not sure I’d describe that as ‘hilarious’ so much as ‘scary.’ Besides, that was your idea,† he reminded me. â€Å"You two are dangerous. Your whole soul-stealing act seems kind of softcore compared to the stuff you and Maddie concoct.† I grinned. It was true. I hadn’t really hung out with a lot of women in the last century or so and was discovering I’d been missing out. â€Å"You have no idea. Social awkwardness or not, she’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a while.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Well, present company excluded of course.† â€Å"Sure. Whatever you say.† â€Å"Hey.† I almost grabbed his hand, then remembered we were in public. â€Å"There’s no competition. You’re a better cook. And a better kisser.† â€Å"I didn’t realize you’d tried her out.† â€Å"Well, you know how much I like writers.† My smile slipped a little as my mind switched subjects. I’d been thinking about my energy loss all morning, particularly since I’d probably be seeking my hit tonight or tomorrow. Jerome had blown the matter off, but like usual, I couldn’t let it go. I decided then that I’d go visit my friend Erik Lancaster, Seattle’s local mortal source of occult knowledge. He seemed to know more than my cronies half the time. I extended the invitation to Seth, and he agreed to come with me. I was glad. I had often thought it might do him some good to talk to another human who regularly dealt with the supernatural. This was as good of a time as any. Seth met me at my place after work, and we microwaved a quick dinner before heading out. As we walked down the stairs of my building, he teased me about Maddie again. â€Å"You guys were working in the office a while. Sure you weren’t making out?† â€Å"Not too much,† I assured him. He laughed and caught hold of my hand. I jerked him toward me. Our lips met in a kiss, and as the warmth of his body stirred mine, I had no doubts about what the best thing in my life was. After a few sweet moments, we followed the drill and separated, our reluctance making the disentanglement a bit awkward in execution. â€Å"Yeah,† I told him. â€Å"She’s definitely not as good a kisser as – â€Å" I cut myself off, grimacing as I felt Niphon coming toward us. His immortal aura felt slimy and musky. I stepped farther away from Seth and glared down the sidewalk at the approaching imp. Seeing me, he waved a hand in greeting. â€Å"Excuse me a moment,† I muttered. I skipped down the steps and blocked Niphon from getting within earshot of Seth. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Attitude, attitude, Letha,† he tsked. â€Å"Succubi should be charming and cordial at all times.† He peered beyond me. â€Å"Is that the human boyfriend? Can I meet him?† â€Å"You can go the fuck away. You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on Tawny.† â€Å"I have been,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"That’s why I came to see you. I followed her last night. She was quite confident in her abilities but had some difficulty arranging an assignation in the end. Poor thing. It seems she may take longer than suspected in getting established. Fortunately, I’ll stay with her until the end.† His mocking concern dug into me, just as he’d intended. â€Å"Is that all you came to tell me? Because I’m leaving now. I’ve got to be somewhere.† â€Å"Of course, of course,† he simpered. He gestured vaguely in Seth’s direction. â€Å"I didn’t mean to interrupt your heated moment, even if it looked like it was about to cool down.† A sudden look of realization crossed his face. â€Å"You don’t sleep with him, do you? You’ve got some sort of noble sense of duty about absorbing his life. That poor, poor man.† Niphon laughed. â€Å"Oh, Letha. You are one of the most fascinating creatures I’ve ever come across.† I turned my back on him and stormed up to Seth. â€Å"Come on, we’re leaving.† â€Å"Who was that?† he asked as we walked away. â€Å"He’s an imp. And an asshole.† Even almost a block away, I could still just barely catch Niphon’s taunting laughter. I tried to ignore it as Seth and I walked to his car. Listening to my friends tease me about Seth was annoying enough. From Niphon, it was unbearable. Fortunately, I calmed down by the time Seth and I got on the road. I instead focused on seeing Erik and hopefully getting my mystery solved. Erik ran a store up in Lake City called Arcana, Ltd. Unfortunately placed in a strip mall, it nonetheless possessed a warm, cozy feel. Dim lighting shed a tranquil air, and the bubbling of small fountains mingled with the soft sounds of a CD player emitting harp music. Books, jewelry, candles, and statuary cluttered up every inch of free space. The sweet scent of nag champa hung in the air. â€Å"Neat,† said Seth, peering around as we entered. Erik glanced up from where he was kneeling behind a stack of books. He’d grown a mustache since last I saw him, and I liked the way the gray hair stood out against his dark brown skin. A gentle smile bloomed on his face. â€Å"Miss Kincaid, what an unexpected pleasure. And you have a friend.† He rose and walked to us, extending his hand toward Seth. â€Å"Erik, this is Seth Mortensen. Seth, Erik.† They shook. â€Å"A pleasure, Mr. Mortensen. You keep good company.† â€Å"Yes,† said Seth, smiling in return. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"If we’re lucky,† I said silkily, â€Å"Erik will have time for tea. He only serves decaf, so that should make you happy.† â€Å"Of course I have time,† said Erik. â€Å"I doubt there’s any man who doesn’t have time for you, Miss Kincaid.† I shot Seth a teasing look when Erik left to put the tea on. â€Å"Ah, now there’s someone who appreciates me. You wouldn’t see him shirking me for a book.† â€Å"If memory serves, you worship those books. Besides, how else am I supposed to keep you in the lifestyle you’re accustomed to?† â€Å"If memory serves, I paid the last time we went out.† â€Å"Well, yeah. I was just letting you play liberated so that you and Maddie wouldn’t go vandalize my car.† When our tea party commenced around Erik’s small corner table, I was surprised to hear Seth engage Erik in conversation on what it meant to be a mortal among immortals. Seth wasn’t usually so forthcoming, and I wondered just how much immortal weirdness troubled him. â€Å"It puts my sense of time awry,† remarked Erik. â€Å"I see people like Miss Kincaid who stay young and beautiful forever. It makes me feel as though no time has passed. Then I look at myself and see the new wrinkles. I feel the aches in my bones. I realize I will be left behind†¦they will go on and continue to shape the world without me.† He sighed, more with bemusement than sadness. â€Å"I wish I could see what will happen next.† â€Å"Yes,† Seth said, surprising me. His eyes looked dark and solemn. â€Å"I know what you mean.† I glanced over at him, seeing something I’d never noticed before. I knew he must think about the future and his own death – all mortals did – but only now did I realize how much he really thought about those things. Looking at both men, I remembered they would eventually die, and it made something in my chest grow cold. For the space of a heartbeat, I could almost see Seth as wrinkled and gray-haired as Erik. â€Å"Morbid much, you guys?† I asked, trying to affect a blas? ¦ air. â€Å"I didn’t come here to bring everyone down. I’ve got to pick Erik’s brain.† â€Å"Pick away,† he said. â€Å"Well†¦you know how I need, uh, life and energy to survive, right?† An idiotic statement. Of course he knew. â€Å"Yesterday morning, I woke up, and my entire stash was gone.† Erik considered. â€Å"That’s normal, isn’t it? It fades over time.† â€Å"Not this quickly. Especially since†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, suddenly realizing having Seth here might not have been so wise after all. â€Å"I, um, had just gotten a refill the night before.† Both men kept neutral expressions. â€Å"And you did nothing out of the ordinary?† â€Å"No, Jerome thinks it was mental stress.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don’t think I was that stressed. I dreamed†¦a weird dream†¦but nothing stressful.† â€Å"Dreams are powerful,† Erik said. â€Å"And sometimes stress can take more out of us than we realize. Unfortunately, I know little about dreams, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, and his gaze suddenly turned inward. â€Å"But what?† â€Å"I know someone who might be able to help. Someone who specializes in dreams.† â€Å"Who?† This sounded promising. Erik took a long time in answering. When he spoke, he seemed unhappy to give up the words. â€Å"Someone who might as well be signed and sealed to your side. His name’s Dante Moriarty.† I snickered. â€Å"That can’t be his real name.† â€Å"It’s not, though I’m sure some of your imp and demon friends would know him by any name. He’s a con artist†¦among other things. Considers himself a magician too.† â€Å"I deal with corrupt people all the time,† I pointed out. â€Å"Doesn’t bother me much.† â€Å"True,† agreed Erik. He still looked troubled, which I found puzzling. Although not evil himself, he interacted with me and others of my ilk on a regular basis without blinking. I wondered what it was about one human that would bother him so much. â€Å"I’ll get you his contact information.† He sought out Dante’s card, and I browsed around the store while Seth used the bathroom in the back. The old storekeeper handed me the card when he found it. â€Å"I like Mr. Mortensen a great deal.† â€Å"Yeah. So do I.† â€Å"I know. I can tell.† I looked up from a display of bracelets, waiting for more. â€Å"You talk and move around each other in a way you’re probably not even aware of. It’s like how lovers usually interact†¦but it’s something more too. You have a continual sense of each other, I think, even when not together. There’s a burning in the air between you.† I didn’t know what to say to that. It sounded nice – but a little intimidating too. â€Å"I’ve never met another of your kind who’s exactly like you, Miss Kincaid.† He hesitated, his normally wise-and-competent expression flickering into uncertainty. It was a rare look for him. â€Å"I don’t know how this will turn out.† Seth emerged then, picking up that he’d interrupted something. He glanced between the two of us, and I rested a reassuring hand on his arm. â€Å"You about ready to go?† â€Å"Sure.† I scanned the rest of the jewelry counter, only half-noticing the contents. Suddenly, I did a double-take and leaned over one of the cases. â€Å"Erik, where do you find this stuff?† He and Seth looked over my shoulder. â€Å"Ah, yes,† said Erik. â€Å"The Byzantine rings. By the same artist who made your ankh necklace.† â€Å"Your artist has a real knack for historical detail. They look just like the originals.† He walked around the counter and lifted out the tray with the rings. I picked one up. It was an ordinary gold band. Rather than any sort of mounted gem on top, it bore a smooth and flat disc, almost the size of a dime. Greek letters were engraved into the metal. â€Å"What do they mean?† asked Seth. I tried to explain the long-lost custom. â€Å"It’s a benediction. Like a prayer for the couple. This would have been a wedding ring.† I examined another depicting Christ and the Virgin; still another showed a tiny man and woman facing each other. â€Å"I used to have a ring almost like this,† I said softly, turning it over in my hands. Neither man said anything, and I finally returned it to its tray. On the way home, Seth gently asked, â€Å"What happened to your ring?† I stared out the window. â€Å"It’s not important.† â€Å"Tell me.† I didn’t respond, and he didn’t ask me again. When we got back to my place, I saw no sign of Vincent and figured he was out investigating with Charlie’s Angels. Newspapers were scattered across my kitchen table; he apparently liked to keep up on current events. Morbid events, at that. One of the headlines was a story I’d heard the other day about a crazy man who’d killed his wife after having a vision of seeing her with another man. Mortals did creepy things sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time. Seth sat on my couch and leaned forward, hands clasped together. I’d sensed his mood shift when I wouldn’t answer in the car. â€Å"Thetis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You want to know about the ring.† â€Å"The ring doesn’t matter so much. It’s just†¦well, I’ve seen you get like this. Something bugs you, something you remember. But you won’t talk to me about it. There are days I feel like you don’t tell me anything.† I sat down next to him, avoiding eye contact in a way he often did. â€Å"I tell you plenty.† â€Å"Not about your past.† â€Å"I have a lot of past, and I talk about it all the time.† â€Å"Yeah†¦I guess.† He absentmindedly stroked my arm. â€Å"But you don’t talk about your mortal past. Before you were a succubus.† â€Å"So? Does it make a difference? You’re with me now. You know the kind of person I am now.† â€Å"I do. And I love that person. And I want to know what’s important to you. What made you who you are. I want to know what hurts you so that I can help.† â€Å"You don’t need to know that to know who I am. My human past doesn’t enter in to anything,† I said stiffly. â€Å"I can’t believe that.† Again, I didn’t answer. â€Å"I don’t know anything about that part of your life,† he continued. â€Å"I don’t know your real name. What you really look like. Where you grew up. I don’t even know how old you are.† â€Å"Hey, it’s not just me. You have plenty of things you don’t talk about,† I pointed out, trying to deflect the attention. â€Å"What do you want to know?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groped for something I didn’t know much about. â€Å"You never talk about your dad. How he died.† Seth answered immediately, without hesitation. â€Å"Not much to tell. Cancer. I was thirteen. According to a therapist Mom made us see, I withdrew into a world of fantasy to cope.† I leaned my head against his shoulder, knowing he’d expound on anything I wanted to know – in a subdued, Seth sort of way. It was ironic considering his normal conversational reticence, but that was how he operated. He believed relationships had to have an open exchange of honesty and baring of souls. I supposed he was right, but there were too many dark parts of my soul I didn’t want to share. Parts I was afraid would scare him off. I knew Seth well enough to realize he wouldn’t push this issue anymore tonight, but I could also sense his hurt and disappointment. He didn’t ask me these questions to upset me; he did it out of sincere affection. That didn’t make it easier, unfortunately, and I fought my anxiety and long-buried pain to try to offer him something. Anything. Anything to show I was making an effort in this relationship. My original face and name were dead to me, obsolete reminders of the woman I’d left behind, never mind Niphon’s insistence on calling me Letha. Seth would never know those things. We sat together for a long time while I decided what I could give up. Finally, with the words sticking in my mouth, I said, â€Å"I grew up in Cyprus.† The air grew tense as we both waited for more. â€Å"In the early fifth century. I don’t know exactly what year I was born. We didn’t really keep track of those things.† He exhaled. I hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath. Slowly, carefully, he put an arm around me and pressed his lips against my hair. â€Å"Thank you.† I buried my face against his shoulder, not knowing what I hid from. I’d barely given him anything – just a couple of pieces of trivia. Nonetheless, yielding that tiny bit from a place in me I wanted to hide from was powerful. I felt exposed and vulnerable without fully understanding why. Seth gently stroked my hair. â€Å"Is the ring from around that time?† he asked. I nodded against him. â€Å"It’d be worth a lot then, I suppose.† â€Å"I lost it,† I whispered. He must have picked up on the anguish in my voice. He held me tighter. â€Å"I’m sorry.† We stayed together a while longer that night, but I knew he wanted to go home and work at his own place. Unable to deny him, I shooed him away, though I had a feeling that he would have stayed if I’d asked it. Once he was gone, I went into my bedroom and closed the door. Kneeling in front of my open closet, I pulled out box after box, setting them haphazardly around the room. My organization lacked something – like, say, organization – and it took me a while to sift through the clutter of junk. Finally, I produced a shoebox covered in dust. Lifting the lid, I felt my breath catch. Old, brown letters lay stacked with a few photographs. A heavy gold cross on a fraying string lay among the papers, along with other small treasures. I carefully hunted around until I found what I wanted: a bronze ring, green with age. I held it in my hands, still able to discern the engraved couple atop the mounted disc. It was a cruder job but still very similar to Erik’s modern renditions. I ran my fingertips along the ring’s edges without knowing what I did. I even tried it on, but it didn’t fit. It had been made for larger fingers than I had now. I refused to shape-shift to the right size. I kept the ring out for a few more minutes, thinking of Seth and Cyprus and all sorts of things. Finally, unable to stand the ache within me, I put the ring back into its box and buried it once more in the closet. How to cite Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 3, Essay examples

Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He Is Going Essay Example For Students

Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He Is Going Essay Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He is GoingMadness fascinated William Shakespeares contemporaries, perhaps in part because it was still not entirely clear how or when madness as a disease was to be distinguished from demonic possession or spiritual ecstasy. Mad characters were a staple of William Shakespeares stage and such figures were particularly associated with revenge plays. Hamlets distraction, then, is notable in part because it is feigned. In Hamlet is the exploration and implicit criticism of a particular state of mind or consciousness. Shakespeare uses a series of encounters to reveal the complex state of the human mind. Critics who find the cause of Hamlets delay in his internal meditations typically view the prince as a man of great moral integrity who is forced to commit an act which goes against his deepest principles. On numerous occasions, the prince tries to make sense of his moral dilemma through personal meditations. Seems, madam! nay, is; I know not seems.Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,Nor customary suits of solemn black,Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,Nor the dejected behaviour of the visage,Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,That can denote me truly: these, indeed, seem,For they are actions that a man might play: (I ii 130-38)How is an audience to believe a character who immediately says what he is to be truly mad? Insanity in present-day terms is often noted by denying ones state of mind and self. Yet, Hamlet acknowledges himself constantly and recognizes who and what he is and is doing. Hamlet reveals himself in the most unaffected sense, as an actor upon the stage, and as an actor within the play. The prince speaks in terms of playing, pretending. He even accuses others of not playing their roles well enough, therefore not playing whatever character each character has assumed well enough, there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour (II ii 282-285). If Hamlet considers his life as a play (as he well might) then there is nothing to say that he is continuously acting a part, even the part of the madman. He is essentially costumed in grief. His actions cannot represent the workings of his mind nor demonstrate what he feels. Later, Hamlet reminds the audience that he is an actor in both senses, and a poor one at that. If Hamlet the pretender were really talented, would there be any question as to his sanity? His O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!? (II ii) soliloquy finds the tragic prince suffering for a character who hasnt been well played, and he compares himself to the impassioned Player of the visiting troupe. If this were not sufficient and immediate evidence of sanity, Hamlet informs Horatio and the others that I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on. (I v 171-72) The Prince of Denmark is revealing his plan, one of pretentious madness, suggested by Horatio himself ;What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,Or to the dreaded summit of the cliffThat beetles oer his base into the sea,And there assume some other horrible form,Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,And draw you into madness? (I iv 68-72)Horatio could well be the spark of Hamlets scheme for artificial madness. Seeing the ghost privately against Horatios advisement gives him a greater argument for insanity. Even though he has told Horatio and the guards that he will play the madman, Hamlets first manipulation begins here, with those who know the design for deception. Therefore, both the audience and his fellow actors have been produced to the character as just that- a character, an actor, a deceiver. Hamlet.my uncle-father and aunt-mother Guildenstern.In what, my dear lord?Hamlet.I am but mad north-noth-west: when thewind is southerly I know a hawk from a hand-The Fine Line Between Genius and InsanityA procrastinator? Who does me this, ha? (II ii 585) Hamlet is the farthest thing from a procrastinator. Waiting is not procrastinating. Hamlet is by contrast a worthy schemer, one who is circumspect and prudent. Hamlet does not want to rush into something whose consequences for being wrong and rash could be more than he could abide. His contemplation of the immortal soul and Hell are evidence enough that the Prince of Denmark does not wish to abide in eternal hell for answering his fathers call for retribution. This becomes evident when he chooses not to kill Claudius when he is at prayer, when he speaks of Gods aversion to suicide, or when he considers his mothers feelings for Claudius. His conscience is of great importance to him, though he does accuse his conscience of making him a coward. Hamlet is not afraid of exacting revenge, just of the consequences of being personally responsible for their deaths. His regard for collected, rational revenge is important to him. Claudius himself summarizes Hamlets attitude;My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:Words without thoughts never to heaven go. (III iii 96-7)Hamlet is a man of observation. He studies people, tents them to the quick (II ii 608), and bases his decisions and his actions on the things he learns. Concern for conscience and a taste for precaution suggests clarity and utmost rationality, not a mind consumed with disease. Critics have argued that Hamlet is a man of inaction, which is not entirely the case. How better to ruin your enemies than to devise schemes of self-destruction? Revenge would taste sweeter if Hamlet didnt have to lay a single finger against those whom he is to dispatch. His conscience then would ultimately be clean in a religious sense- his soul would be free to go to Heaven. Hamlet knows all too well that the supposd ghost of his murdered father could only be a devil tempting him as he notes in Act II Scene ii. Inaction, then, is Hamlets method of acting. By observing, he allows a natural flow of events to occur. Ingenuously, Hamlets timely remarks often influence the course of events in his favour, yet he cannot be considered a guilty party of the events that occur: responsible, but not guilty. Hamlets wait and see attitude allows his peers to realize his madness (however false), considered traitors like Ophelia, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to be unmasked, and Gertrudes realizati on of her own guilty part of the rotten game in Denmark. Is Hamlet intelligent? Beyond the shadow of a doubt, bordering on the lines of absolute brilliance. Who else could manipulate the closest people in his life as if they were chess pieces on a board? It is not a dull person who could recognize his friends and family as the greatest betrayers of his life and to recognize carefully hidden lies. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, long time friends of Hamlet, are almost instantly pegged as Claudius spies. The Prince of Denmark feels them out, talking of Denmark and waits for their response, which is too innocent for Hamlets liking. Hamlets shrewdness allows him to see his friends (and his enemies) for what they are, and to catch them in their lies;sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your queen havelooks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour: I know the good king andsent for you. (II ii 282-286)Hamlet has the mental capacity and the acting capability to set his enemies on completely the wrong trail, to divert them from the real truth. Hamlet comments that he is too much in the sun (I ii 67), is being observed in the wrong fashion. If he knows that he is being watched, then he must make his observers believe the wrong thing about them. Doing thus, he draws out his enemies and the truth. His mind has the capacity to think quickly, to mince words, exchange cutting wits with his enemies, fool them, lead them, and ultimately destroy them. When Hamlet discovers Ophelias infidelity (or rather, loyalty to her father and brother as opposed to him), he uses her as an ultimate means to convincing the others of his madness. If she, the woman he loves (and for the sake of this argument, he does love her), is to be used and abused so poorly, then Hamlet must truly be mad. Ophelia is the first step to convincing Polonius Hamlet is mad;I will be brief: your noble son is mad: (II ii 91)Ophelia, additionally, is a threat to Hamlet. She, if anyone, must be c onvinced of his madness to convince others of it. Prince Hamlet can then be accused of cruelty and cold calculation/manipulation, but not of madness. Ultimately, Hamlets brilliant manipulation of people (to be discussed further) destroys them without laying complete guilt upon himself. How are we to believe that Shakespeare intended the audience to feel pity for a mind to which we were meant to bow?That I, the son of a dear father murderd,Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words (II ii 593-596)Of any Shakespearean character, Hamlet speaks the most. What he says versus what he does are two entirely different actions. Critics have often believed Hamlets tendancy to verbosity to be a sign of his procrastination, of his constant deliberation and inordinate thinking. As discussed, Hamlet does not procrastinate. His wordiness is a method of tantalizing those who listen, even when he seemingly speaks alone. It cannot be assumed that Hamlet is ever alone (there is always an audience). His soliloquies are moments to remind himself of the plan, to rework the plan, or to evaluate his performance. Or, they are to plant information and accentuate or affirm his mania. Hamlet is aware that he is constantly being watched, or he would not have made that brilliant move with his To be or not to be speech. How better to convince those watching that you are mad if you speak of mad things even when you are alone (or are supposed to think you are alone)? Does Hamlet want to die? Not exactly. He says to Polonius (which should have been the first clue that his to be or not to be soliloquy was a setup);You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that Iwill more willingly part withal. except my life,except my life, except my life. (II ii 217-19)He is duplicitous when he contemplates suicide, though is startlingly honest when he ponders the afterlife and the immortal soul. It is often difficult to know when Hamlet speaks the truth, or exactly w hom he is manipulating at any given moment. It cannot simply be assumed that his moments alone are the most honest, for Hamlet seeks to fool all audiences. His occasional falling out of character from time to time, in and out of his affected madness, can be attributed to his emotional stake in the games he plays. Even the most intelligent of people are often cracked by stress, and Hamlet is no exception, giving credibility to his sanity. Bottle nosed dolphins EssayOphelias madness is derived completely from Hamlets baiting. Not an unintelligent woman, Ophelia does discover the cause for Hamlets feigned insanity. However, this knowledge is apparently too much for her weak mind, and she is driven to madness and eventually suicide. If youll excuse the lack of formality, Two down, the royal family and Laertes left to go.The final scene is where and when Hamlets schemes combine to fulfill his revenge. Claudius is wary of Hamlet, whose madness he is not entirely convinced. We begin to see cracks in Hamlets performance after Ophelias death. Hamlet grapples with Laertes in Ophelias grave, and speaks in verse. Throughout the entire play, there are limited occasions when Hamlet speaks in verse. His mad character has always spoken in prose, and this shift and emotional outburst definitely opens Claudius eyes to Hamlets ruse. Claudius already fears the revelation of his deed, which is why he sent Rozencrantz and Guildenstern t o England with Hamlet: for his murder. That failed, and Ophelias realization of Claudius guilt, make the king a little uneasy. Hamlet has to be dispatched. Yet Hamlet is always a step or two ahead of the rest of the players. Anticipating a plot, Hamlet does not drink of the poisoned cup and allows his mother to drink. Gertrude, suspecting the wine is poisoned and drinking it against Claudius advisement, then has committed some sort of suicide. Hamlet allows her to drink, relieving her of her misery and guilt. With Gertrudes death, Claudius realizes his own game is falling apart, yet he is not yet exposed. Hamlet must suspect the poisoned sword Laertes wields, or would not have struck Laertes with a mortal blow. Additionally, Hamlet allows himself to be wounded by the same poisoned sword. Struck with a pang of conscience, a dying Laertes confesses the treacherous plan concocted by Claudius (as Hamlet knew he would), thus exposing Claudius crimes (as the queen dies off to the side). H amlet then is a free man to take his revenge on Claudius. Heres the rationale: Hamlet is a murdered man (even though he knew the foil was poisoned therefore planning his own murder). Yet while he still has breath in his lungs, he can kill the sinning king in clear conscience, knowing Claudius will go to Hell by the touch of his own poison and for the gravity of his past crimes. Hamlet will go to Heaven, having avenged his father by killing all those sorely affected by or involved in the murder, and not having laid a hand against all but one. Hamlet is also, technically, a murdered man, giving him another free pass into Heaven. It couldnt have been executed more brilliantly unless it were planned by a sane man. Why would Hamlet allow himself to die if he performs his fathers revenge? It all boils down to the responsible but not guilty attitude Hamlet toys with throughout the game he plays. Hamlets responsibility for the death of his family, the woman he loved and her family are thing s he cannot live with. Yet as discussed, Hamlet is unwilling to be responsible for his own death. This is why he had to plan his own murder, or rather, manipulate someone else into killing him. He could have allowed Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to have killed him earlier, as a maniacally depressed and insane man would have permitted, yet Hamlet was keen enough to know that it wasnt yet time to die. Though an emotional character, Hamlets mind is almost continuously collected and exceptionally sane. As a character, he has fulfilled his raison detre and therefore cannot exist beyond the limitations he has created for himself. Hamlet lives and dies as a sane, brilliant, scheming character whose capacity for acting, manipulation, and character assessment are beyond compare. Bibliography:Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Oxford Edition.

Glory Road Reaction Paper Essay Example

Glory Road: Reaction Paper Paper He uses theory X to his player that thinks that basketball was Just a game that will make them happy because they were usually discriminated when they play, it became a reason for them to not to play. Unlike to his player that since from the beginning was so eager to win the championship, He uses theory Y because from the beginning they really like and eager to win the NCAA Basketball Championship. Like what Vive read few months ago it says there that in a game there is only one goal which is off course to win. But Motivation is one of the critical ingredients to success both in and out of sports. Its the one element that will allow you to get back up after repeated failures and still achieve your goals. In the movie, we can say that, Texas Western College Is one of the weakest team and consider underdog team in NCAA Mens Division Basketball Tournament during that time. But Don Haskins accepted the challenge to revive and to form a team that will know through its potentials and its teamwork. It was also a big risk for Don Haskins to have the courage to form a team that consist of black Americans which they consider as a low class of people. But this thinking and the thought of racial discrimination did not hinder Don Haskins to accept the challenge for he does not look on the level or standards of people on the society, but he views everyone as equal. I personally admire his leadership skills and on how he motivates his players. He uses lot of ways to motivate his player like, he uses Goal-setting that helps his team work towards their own objectives. We will write a custom essay sample on Glory Road: Reaction Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Glory Road: Reaction Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Glory Road: Reaction Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because of Don Haskins determination and dedication to his team, his team eventually felt motivated to win. He influenced his team by his action. Like what John Quince Adams says, If your actions Inspire others to dream more. Learn more. Do more and become more, you are a leader. 2. Describe the Team based on the Basic Group Concepts discussed in class. Are hey a high performance team? Why? The Texas Western College Miners was Indeed considering as a high performance team because they have the characteristic a winning team should have. Im not saying that their team was perfect, it is just that they have their passion, competitive spirit, accountability to each other and most of all their discipline and determination that a high performance team should have. They are also having only one similar goal, which Is to win the championship that became also one of the main reasons for them to level up their effectiveness as one 1 OFF ask and responsibility. They were responsible in their task that made them even more effective and enjoy playing their sport. One thing that amazes me more and keeps on admiring Don Haskins leadership is how he disciplines his players as they work together and play as one. Discipline is one of the vital and important parts of learning, thats one of the first main thing that Don Haskins imparted his team that resulted them to perform excellent in every game that they played. Texas Miners was not considered a perfect team, there are many down falls and failures that the team has already did. But one thing that made them excellent and champions in their sports was their heart full of determination. They faced lots of discrimination and racism but these things did not hinder them to win, to change and to break the wall in the NCAA basketball tournament segregation between white and black American players. Truly it was a triumph over segregation. 3. Cite scenes showing conflict within the team. Did these conflicts contribute to the teams effectiveness? Explain One scenario in the movie that show conflict in the team was when Don Haskins told them to play his game and to be pressured or controlled by their emotions. But they dont listen to him; instead they were controlled and manipulated by their grudge and anger toward their competitor. They let discrimination and discouragement from the people win them over, and soon provoked them to anger. Because of their disobedient attitude they lost the game. But one significant line that Don Haskins says. He says, Sit down. Never let your anger get the better of you. These lines really spoke not Just to his players but also those who viewed this movie including me. This conflict has a big contribution to their teams effectiveness; because this made them more responsible and operative to their play. It also serves as an inspiration and motivation for them to become more competitive and eager to win. They also learned that anger and grudge toward their enemies is not a reason to quit, and forget everything that they have invested to win and maintain a perfect season, rather they should be more motivated to win and to prove that basketball is not only for white but also a game for the black Americans. 4. Cite scenes showing negotiation within the team. What was the outcome of the negotiation? The main negation that has a big impact to me was when the coach talks o his team regarding to their last game performance. That moment his players was truly mad and because of the discouragements and discrimination that they were receiving from the people around them. Don Haskins speaks effectively towards his players, he may start mad, but in the end, he really made his team realized that no matter what the people do to them they cannot take their dignity away from them, for their dignity is inside them. I still remember his line during that time, Willie Scoops Eager: Theyre trying to take our dignity away from us. Coach Don Haskins: inform sanitys inside you. Nobody can take something away from you something you dont give them. These words really spoke to the hearts of the Texas Miners players. Coach Haskins has a good communication skill when it comes in negotiating to his players. He has an understanding heart toward to his team. He also knows how to use types of character and personalities of his team. Some of the lines that Don Haskins uses when negotiating with his team are, l dont see color. I s ee quickly, I see skill. Thats what Im putting on the court, and thats what you have. Right now its not bout talent, its about heart. Its about who can go out there and play the hardest. Who can go out there and play the smartest. Now, theyve been here before, and so theyre not going to give it to us. We got to go out there and we got to take it. Take it! Another scene that shows team negotiation is when Don Haskins decided not to let his white players and let his black players prove themselves in the eyes of the American people. When Jerry Armstrong says, Coach, I cant lie. I want play. We all want play. But I Just want to say one thing. Tomorrow night, wall go out there and how them how bad five brothers can be on the court can be. Despite of the many misunderstandings of the team, at the end they became closer to each other until they already consider their team as a family. These are Just fruits of a good and effective negotiation within a team. 5. From the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), identify 3 bases of power of Jesus (Cite book, chapter and verses). How did Jesus use His power in these passages? For what purpose? From the Synoptic Gospels (Matth ew, Mark and Luke) Jesus practice His power in many ways using different bases. The first base of power that He uses was coercive power. It teaches me that we should not look others unequally. We should be fairer to everyone, and we should view everyone equally for we are all created by God. We may vary in color, gender, statuses and many more but there is something common in us and that is that we are being loved and cared by God similarly. Indeed, the movie in itself is a testament to the challenges that racism created in the past. Glory Road is a reminder for me personally about what it took to get to the point we are today in sports. It shows us hat had to be overcome in the past and therefore I feel we can better appreciate the present. And is also a constant reminder that all people are the same and there Road, is also an eye opener for us on how we view our statuses in the present day. Some of us might not be on the top, some of us might be Just on the middle but this does not define us or control us on how we should treat everyone. We are all human that needs love, comfort, shelter and food. The movies also teach us on how we should lead a team or an organization. Don Haskins may not be the best coach but here is something in him that made him the best and unique when it comes on leading and motivating as a team.

Analysis Of The Poem Babi Yar Essays - The Holocaust In Ukraine

Analysis Of The Poem Babi Yar Essays - The Holocaust In Ukraine Analysis of the Poem "Babi Yar" In the poem, Babi Yar, Yevgeny Yevtushenko does a wonderful job of paying tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. He does this by portraying the history of the Jewish people. Yevtushenko also uses various literary devices to heighten the sentiment of the poem. The poem is told in the first person, by the author of the poem. In the poem it is also apparent that he is addressing all Russian citizens when he writes "O Russian people". In this manner Yevtushenko is able to eulogize the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in front of a wide audience. This technique also allows him to speak directly to the Russian people and tell them of their wrongs at the end of the poem. Through usage of the first person he is able to place himself in the various situations of anti-Semitism in history. He takes us from Egypt, to the cross; from the Dryfus affair to the pogroms; from Anne Frank's dark room to the massacre of Babi Yar. Through all this Yevtushenko proclaims that "I" was there. This gives the reader a sense of being trapped in the middle of these horrifying events. The first person gives an eerie description that a third person description could not give. After he finishes his recitation of past events he begins addressing the Russian people of the present. He tells them that in general the Russians are a good hearted people. But, he goes on to say that there are a minority of Russians who ruin the good name of the whole. Yevtushenko contends that these people call themselves "The union of the Russian people". However, he then goes on to directly contradict their self-proclaimed name with clever uses of diction. He claims that the Internationale, or the Russian "union" song, will only be sung after these same anti-Semites are dead. In the last lines of the poem he admits that although he is not a Jew he demands to "let me be a Jew". Only when he is a Jew can he then go on to "call myself a Russian". What he means by all this is that the Russian people are not a group of Jew-haters, but rather a country of people who feel for the sorrows of the Jewish people. The first ezza is an introduction that tells us the occasion of the poem. It claims that "There are no monuments on Babi Yar, A steep ravine is all, a rough memorial." He then goes on to devote the rest of the poem as a eulogy to the Jews killed by the Russians. Therefore, this first ezza gives us the reason why he wrote the poem. This poem would in fact be the memorial for Babi Yar. The first ezza also does a terrific job of setting the gloomy tone for the rest of the poem. He also seems to hint at the fact that the anti-Semitism that began with the Christians is the same exact anti-Semitism that has continued to the present date. The anti-Semitism of Egypt remained in "her ancient days", but he insists that "I perish on the cross, and even now I bear the red marks of nails." His usage of the words "even now" contend that that specific anti-Semitism continues to the present date. In the next few ezzas sound plays a critical role. In the first line of the second ezza there is a repetition of the letter "d" in "Dryfus, detested, denounced". This sound conjures something approaching from behind you, like a march. Although, this ezza only affects one man, Dryfus, but there is the image of something approaching in the "d" sound. The second line of the third ezza reads "I seam to see blood spurt and spread". Here we have the repetition of the "s" sound. This sounds like air escaping from something, getting ready to explode. Then all of a sudden there are "The rampant pogrom roars". Things are getting worse. In the following ezza is a "translucent twig". The repeated "t" sound is like the ticking of a time bomb. Immediately after this one reads of the "pounding", or the final explosion. The explosion creates a "silent" sound and

The Bad Old Days - The Dead

The Bad Old Days - The Dead From the Hoax: England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins was found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer. The Facts: England was not so old and small that new cemeteries could not be established, but crowded graveyards did exist, due to the Christian tradition of burying the dead in the consecrated grounds of Churchyards. Some towns managed to arrange for cemeteries outside the municipal boundaries, but Church property was not subjected to secular law and the practice continued throughout the Middle Ages. There were no bone houses in England, but there were charnel houses. These were consecrated buildings for the storage of bones, usually uncovered in the course of digging new graves. If these bones had been buried in coffins in the first place a fairly uncommon practice among all but the wealthy the coffins had long since fallen apart. Some charnel houses were set up during the plague when the cemetery was overwhelmed by the number of bodies to be buried, and the corpses in previous graves were removed to make room to bury the freshly dead. It wasnt until the 18th century that the nefarious practice of secretly removing the bones from a grave to make room for new coffins took place. Church sextons would quietly dispose of the bones in nearby pits. The coffins were usually so decayed that if scratch-marks had ever been made inside them they would not be distinguishable in the rotted wood. The gravediggers would often appropriate the hardware (handles, plates, and nails) of decayed coffins to sell for waste metal.1 The matter was resolved in the mid-nineteenth century when London succeeded in passing a law that closed the churchyards and put heavy restrictions on burial within the city limits, and most cities and towns across Great Britain soon followed its lead. At no time during the Middle Ages was there a prevalent fear that people were getting buried alive, and in no known instance did anyone rig up a bell-pull to notify the living. Most medieval people were smart enough to distinguish a living person from a dead one. Throughout history, there has been the occasional case of someone getting buried alive, but by no means was this as frequent as the hoax would have you believe. The common phrases used in the last portion of the hoax have absolutely nothing to do with premature burial, and each has its origin in a different source. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the phrase graveyard shift dates to the early 20th century. It may have its source in the night shift on nautical vessels, which was called graveyard watch for its quiet loneliness. Saved by the bell originates from the sport of boxing, in which a fighter is saved from further punishment or from a ten-count when the bell signifies that the round is over. (But the next round is another story.) A ringer is slang for an imposter. It was used in cheating at horse races, when an unscrupulous trainer would substitute a fast horse, or ringer, for a nag with a bad racing record. This sporting association continues in the modern use of the term ringer for a professional athlete playing in an amateur game. But a human can also be a ringer in the sense of a person who closely resembles someone else, like the professional entertainers who impersonate celebrities such as Dolly Parton and Cher. A dead ringer is simply someone who is extremely close in appearance to another, in the same way as someone who is dead wrong is as wrong as he can possibly be. Once again, if you have an alternative origin for one of these phrases, please feel free to post it on our bulletin board, and be sure to bring your sources! Note 1. cemetery  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannicabritannica.com/eb/article?eu22388[Accessed April 9, 2002].

THTR 201 Production Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THTR 201 Production Response - Essay Example Mr. Darcy is not an easy man to love and at first is graceless and stiff making Elizabeth to be prejudicially inclined to make unwarranted observations towards him. The development of this love and attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth commences with the refusal by Darcy to have a dance with Elizabeth, which would be followed, later by Elizabeth’s passionate refusal to his initial proposal at a wonderfully wet rainy scene. Though female characters dominate the play, there are strong performances by males as shown by the sycophantic Mr. Collins and the commanding and all-powerful Mr. Bennet. Mr. Collins shows in the play that all the six women from Bennet’s household will be under his command and mercy as he stands to inherit the entire estate which makes the senior Mrs. Bennet to try and find means of safely marrying off their other daughters. My three favorite characters are Elizabeth, Darcy and Mrs. Bennet as they clearly give credence to the name of the play, which is pride and prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy are very quick to judge someone else and are proud emphasizing the human natural instinct to judge quickly on the first impression. Both the eventual two lovers have strong negative first impressions of each other and people in general and it becomes more fun when they get over their pride and come together at the end of the play. Mrs. Bennet is equally my favorite character as having known the character of Mr. Collins; she endeavors to ensure that her remaining five daughters have the best in life and would want them to be safely married off. These characters of being proud and prejudicial to others also apply to me as in most instances, I have always been proud and make perception of people even before knowing them. The major theme in the story â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† is love as it is a courtship between Elizabeth and Darcy and these two have to overcome numerous

Employee Loyalty - Arbitration Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee Loyalty - Arbitration Paper - Essay Example Only on failing to get results, he began attacking the management through his new Website, to bring the public’s attention to injustices at ExtremeNet. Based on Allen Lopez’s selfless and continued concern for his subordinates, the ruling is that Lopez should be allowed to continue working for ExtremeNet. According to moral absolutism, some actions are morally wrong to perform, â€Å"even when performing them would bring good results† (Timmons, 2002, p.80). Similarly, Kantian deontology states that a good person’s tendency to follow moral rules will prevent them from breaking the rules even for the sake of ensuring good outcomes (Darr, 2005). Thus, it is against professional ethics for an employee to cause the ridiculing of his company, his seniors or his colleagues, with subsequent decline in the company’s profitable functioning. Further, Allen Lopez could have chosen to raise awareness about discrimination among the lower level employees who were laid off, and organized collective action against the management’s approach, to avoid publicity. The ethical concept of â€Å"loyal and faithful service† (Mead & Sagar, 2006, p.141) to one’s organization was violated by Lopez. Therefore, Allen Lopez should be asked to apologize at his satirical Website to the executives of ExtremeNet, for ridiculing them and the company, and subsequently remove the satirical Website from the worldwide web. Utilitarian teleology states that it is wrong to steal, to lie, etc. However, it allows â€Å"exceptions in the odd cases where the rules interfere with happiness rather than promote it† (Garofalo & Geuras, 1999, p.61). Similarly, according to moral relativism, right and wrong depend on the moral code of a culture (Timmons, 2002). The executives at ExtremeNet should raise the levels of the company’s ethical culture, so that they can expect the same ethical behavior

Gun Control Essay Example for Free

Gun Control Essay Under federal law people with felony convictions, fugitives from justice, dishonorably discharged from the military, illegal aliens in the United States, or convicted of domestic violence, and restraining orders are permitted from purchasing firearms. This also includes the purchase of firearms using false statements. According to (May, 2005) â€Å"a police officer found guilty of domestic violence was reissued his firearm, because the judge stated the conviction created a manifest injustice†. This illustrates how judges in certain situations overrule the domestic violence laws, which are federally regulated. This reasoning can avoid police officers in this case from losing their firearms and their employment. This can also lead to a judge’s decision to continue to put citizens in danger. Restricting gun access can decrease homicides by firearms. Some private dealers legally sell guns at gun shows, and do business from their homes without proper background checks. This result can lead to convicted felons and suspected terrorists purchasing firearms without a background checks. Imposing harsher sentencing on illegal gun dealers, who distribute firearms without background checks, can impact they way firearms are being distributed. This would also provide for safer streets. Prior to transferring a firearm for purchase, The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) does a background check on all person(s) prior to purchase. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accesses the (NICS), which determine if a person(s) who are prohibited from purchasing a firearms. The effect of illegally purchasing firearms is that, the firearms end up in the hands of criminals. This subsequently leads to firearms used in serious crimes, which causes harm and ultimately resulting in the death of a person(s) and at times innocent bystanders. This also affects the way law enforcement does their jobs to protect the public. The National Rifle Association (NRA) opposes gun control. The (NRA) views gun control as a violation of the Second Amendment, which state, â€Å"A militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed†. Firearms protect citizens from harm and even life threatening situations. The firearms purchased legally by honest American citizens, to protect themselves and their properties can deter crime and save lives. As a deterrent to violent crimes, American citizens who have purchased firearms legally have deterred crime against themselves, and their property. This has also prevented citizens, who carry firearms legally from becoming victims of serious violent crime and saving their lives thwarting of attacks. Gun control provides safety to citizens. Communities are safer places knowing that responsible American citizens are purchasing firearms legally. Not all people who purchase firearms use them to protect themselves and their property. Some people legally use firearms for the sport of hunting during certain times of the year, which is legal. Hunting related deaths by firearms are statistically are lower, than firearm related homicides each year. The people who purchase firearms legally provide positive reinforcement to public safety. The benefit of having safety features on firearms is that safety features save lives, and prevent accidental deaths. In regard to children who stay in homes where firearms are located, there are immediate dangers that present themselves. One of the dangers is that young children do not know the difference between a real firearm, and a fake firearm. Some young children are strong enough to pull a trigger. According to the (CDC, 2004) â€Å"accidental shooting deaths are most commonly associated with one or more children playing with a gun they found in the home†. Safety is very necessary, for those people who have firearms around young children to teach, and practice safety precautions. There is the need to teach safety precautions even if people do not own a firearm. Young children may need to know the dangers of firearms where ever they go. There is a possibility that they may encounter a firearm at someone else’s home. To ensure the protection of children, certain safety measures need to be under consideration. All firearms should be safely secured, and locked up. Firearms should not be accessible to children or other unauthorized personnel. The ammunition needs to be stored, and securely locked up properly. The use of trigger locks can also provided for safety. Some gun manufacturers, such as Smith and Wesson are providing safety features on their firearms. The additional safety feature would include childproof trigger locks on firearms. This is an additional form of safety for gun owners with children in their homes. This can also lead to a decrease in injuries and accidental deaths amongst children. The National Rifle Association (NRA) opposes additional safety features on firearms. The (NRA) argues new legislation laws on additional safety features, means the federal government will add more restrictions, and regulations for safety features. This would ultimately put some gun manufacturers out of business. This would also cause extra burdens for law-abiding citizens who seek to buy and sell firearms. The (NRA) also argues the new legislation laws would infringe on the â€Å"Second Amendment†, and the right for law-abiding citizens to bear arms. The impact on the homicide rate from firearms, can attest to the dangers caused by firearms being illegally purchased. The illegal use of firearms can increase the homicide rate. When criminal minded individuals can access guns illegally, the outcome of that purchase usually results in someone getting injured or being killed by that firearm. The deaths from firearms are rear in some countries compared to the United States. This can be a result of the population in other countries or the gun laws. However, the United States has seen a decrease in homicides by firearms. This can attest to new legislation laws being passed, strict regulations on gun manufacturers, and gun being kept from criminals by way of proper screening through database in which The Federal Bureau of Investigations, State police, and local authorities have access to. The rate of suicides and accidental deaths from the use of firearms attribute to gun not being securely stored in house-holds. There were over 31,000 firearm deaths in the United States in 2005. Firearms deaths were at an all time high in 2005. [pic] The (CDC, 2005) concludes that â€Å"suicide remains the highest cause of death by firearms†. According to (Hemenway, 2007) â€Å"One of the strategies for reducing firearms suicides is the removal of the firearm from the home, where there adolescents, and young adults. Children are also victims of accidental gun deaths. This can also be attributed to excessive guns in the communities and areas where children frequent such as schools, and playgrounds. The impact of firearm safety and training is also important in reference to saving lives. There are numerous gun training and safety organizations to help the law abiding citizens, with gun safety or self defense. Some organizations include the National Rifle Association (NRA), and Front Site Firearm Training Institute. Since firearms injuries affect children and teenagers classes are taught to children. This would help the children learn the dangers of guns and to stay away from guns. This would also help children identify and report any guns found or not safely secured. The increase in firearm deaths amongst children is on the rise. The lack of awareness can be fatal to children not aware of the dangers of gunplay. Volunteer training can also can decrease firearm incidents. Firearm related incidents have an impact on health care. According to (Beasley, Theodore March 2006) â€Å"firearms injuries are a major public health issue, with a significant impact on society in both economic and human terms†. The medical cost of gun violence put a burden on health service providers. The effect factors in mental health, rehabilitation, legal, and judicial cost. The cost of gun violence in the United States can range from 100 billion dollars annually. Gun control provides for safer schools and communities. In the wake of the Columbine shooting, and the shooting at Virginia Tech laws are being passed to make sure schools are safe for students to attend, and communities are safe for people to live in. To ensure communities and schools are safe, communities have to be a part of the process. This may include groups such as neighborhood watch, to report any illegal activity observed in the community or around schools especially where children frequent. Illegal activity such as drug dealing poses a high risk to children. This can attest the gun being involved which are used to protect drug dealers and their turf, which is ultimately the community the children play in. There are also gangs that factor into illegal activities. These gangs also protect the neighborhoods or turfs with guns. The dangers involved result in drive by shootings, which can injury or kill innocent individuals. They also recruit young children to participate in these gangs. This also exposes children to illegal activities, which include giving young adolescents firearms to protect themselves from rival gang members and to protect their turf. These high crime areas continue to involve individuals who obtain firearms illegally. Some poverty stricken neighborhoods see an increase in firearm violence, due to the environmental surroundings. This would include public housing projects, and other low income housing areas surrounded by drugs, prostitution, gangs, and illegal gun activity. These neighborhoods see an increase in violent crimes by firearms, such as assaults, robbery, and murder. This can also attest to the young adolescents that bring firearms to school. The men and women of law enforcement are also at risk against legally obtained firearms. This is because suspected criminals can be armed and dangerous. The dealers, who sell firearms without proper screening, put the public’s safety at risk. Law enforcement officers are not equipped for the type of gun power these criminals’ possess. Some criminals possess assault weapons, which are military style weapons. If the weapons get into the wrong hands of criminals, these weapons can impose at grave risk to law enforcement, often putting law enforcement in grave danger trying to protect the public. There are law enforcement officers that have die at the hands of firearms. This is a result of handguns and assault weapons being purchased by criminals. Law Enforcement deaths by firearms since 2005 [pic] National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (2008) The law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty has declined since 2007. Law enforcement agencies adopted new safety measures to assure law Enforcement were better equipped to apprehend suspected criminals who carry deadly firearms. Do Americans citizens want guns illegally circulating in their community? Individuals and criminals purchase guns illegally every day.

Jesus: The First Anarchist :: essays research papers

Jesus: The First Anarchist "In God We Trust," reads the American dollar, mouths the American government. The bosses put their hands on bibles and take office, they put their hands on bibles and swear to be truthful and honest and follow the teachings of the people's God. But are they following God's will? Have they ever been? JESUS: AN ANARCHIST? Throughout history Jesus Christ has been regarded as a revolutionary, but an anarchist? Yes, the answer. As time has passed and covered the once passionate spirit in commonality, however, Jesus' true meaning has been lost in Sundays and collection baskets. Jesus' true meaning is that of the anarchist. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God," said Jesus to his disciples in one of many stories in which he shunned wealth and society's view of 'success'. We see in the story of the poor widow's contribution Jesus' message of devaluing money, and placing the true importance on the spirit in which it is given. We see Jesus sit down and observe how the people give money to the treasury, and his commentary on the donations shocks his disciples. "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood," says Jesus, teaching us an important lesson, one he stressed throughout his ministry. Jesus taught that the poor would be raised up, that the powerful, the bosses as modern day anarchists say, will be layed low. Jesus talks of the kingdom of God, we today talk of Anarchy. The gospel of Luke, chapter 12, presents to us a wonderful group of stories in which Jesus' underlying Anarchism is revealed. Luke 12:15, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possesions." And what is capitalism but a system by which the greedy and scrupulous are made stronger, the dependant and the honest pushed aside? Luke 12:18-21, "There was a rich man... and he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the Jesus: The First Anarchist :: essays research papers Jesus: The First Anarchist "In God We Trust," reads the American dollar, mouths the American government. The bosses put their hands on bibles and take office, they put their hands on bibles and swear to be truthful and honest and follow the teachings of the people's God. But are they following God's will? Have they ever been? JESUS: AN ANARCHIST? Throughout history Jesus Christ has been regarded as a revolutionary, but an anarchist? Yes, the answer. As time has passed and covered the once passionate spirit in commonality, however, Jesus' true meaning has been lost in Sundays and collection baskets. Jesus' true meaning is that of the anarchist. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God," said Jesus to his disciples in one of many stories in which he shunned wealth and society's view of 'success'. We see in the story of the poor widow's contribution Jesus' message of devaluing money, and placing the true importance on the spirit in which it is given. We see Jesus sit down and observe how the people give money to the treasury, and his commentary on the donations shocks his disciples. "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood," says Jesus, teaching us an important lesson, one he stressed throughout his ministry. Jesus taught that the poor would be raised up, that the powerful, the bosses as modern day anarchists say, will be layed low. Jesus talks of the kingdom of God, we today talk of Anarchy. The gospel of Luke, chapter 12, presents to us a wonderful group of stories in which Jesus' underlying Anarchism is revealed. Luke 12:15, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possesions." And what is capitalism but a system by which the greedy and scrupulous are made stronger, the dependant and the honest pushed aside? Luke 12:18-21, "There was a rich man... and he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the

Method of Teaching

EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL Dr. Shahida Sajjad Assistant Professor Department of Special Education University of Karachi. Pakistan ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various teaching methods used for teaching students at graduate level. Two hundred and twenty undergraduate students studying in 11 departments of Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, were interviewed about their perceptions of best and effective teaching methods and the reason for that. Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method.Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, time saving, students attentively listen lecture and take notes etc. The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students†™ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process.Introduction: Teaching and learning are the two sides of a coin. The most accepted criterion for measuring good teaching is the amount of student learning that occurs. There are consistently high correlations between students’ ratings of the â€Å"amount learned† in the course and their overall ratings of the teacher and the course. Those who learned more gave their teachers higher ratings (Cohen, 1981; Theall and Franklin, 2001). This same criterion was also put forth by Thomas Angelo, when he said; â€Å"teaching in the absence of learning is just talking. Doyle. T. (n. d. ). A teacher’s effectiveness is again about student learning. The literature on teaching is crammed full of well researched ways that teachers can present content and skills that will enhance the opportunities for students to learn. It is equally fil led with suggestions of what not to do in the classroom. However, there is no rule book on which teaching methods match up best to which skills and/or content that is 1 2 being taught. Students often have little expertise in knowing if the ethod selected by an individual instructor was the best teaching method or just â€Å"a method† or simply the method with which the teacher was most comfortable. Doyle. T. (n. d). â€Å"Research indicates that students are the most qualified sources to report on the extent to which the learning experience was productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. While opinions on these matters are not direct measures of instructor or course effectiveness, they are legitimate indicators of student satisfaction, and there is substantial research linking student satisfaction to effective teaching (Theall and Franklin, 2001). A meta-analysis of 41 research studies provides the strongest evidence for the validity of student ratings since these st udies investigated the relationship between student ratings and student learning. Doyle. T. (n. d. ) quoted Ory â€Å"The use of students’ ratings for evaluating teacher effectiveness is the single most researched issue in all of higher education. Over 2000 articles and books have been written on this topic over the past 70 years†.Research on student evaluation of teaching generally concludes that student ratings tend to be reliable, valid, relatively unbiased and useful (Murray, 1994). Most universities embrace a process by which students provide anonymous feedback at the end of each course they complete. These ratings of instructor effectiveness, these ratings have been a hot topic since they were first employed in mid 1920’s (Chang, 2001) and they create an enormous challenge for nearly every institution that uses them (Hoyt & Pallett, 1999).Over the years student evaluation of instructors has changed significantly especially in the areas of the purpose and m ethodology. They have transformed from being primarily used to assist students in the selection of courses, to helping faculty members further develop and improve their teaching skills, to assisting administrators with respect to personnel decisions (Ory, 2000). Today, student ratings of instruction are widely used for the purpose of making personnel decisions and faculty development recommendations (Scriven, 1995).For administrators, the information derived from ratings aids them in making both summative and formative judgments dealing with faculty retention, tenure, and promotion, hiring, selecting faculty for teaching awards and honors, and in assigning teachers to courses (Franklin, 2001; Kulik, 2001). Braskamp (2000) suggests that instructors use the data formatively to develop and improve their teaching effectiveness. Student-ratings are in 2 3 fact used in over 90 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States and represent the most frequently used strategy for evaluating instructors and courses (Cuseo, n. . ). There is much debate within the higher education community on how teaching or teaching effectiveness may be defined (Braskamp, and Ory; 1994). For instance, Centra (1993), defines effective teaching as â€Å"that which produces beneficial and purposeful student learning through the use of appropriate procedures† (p. 42), Braskamp and Ory, (1994, p. 40) include both teaching and learning in their definition, defining effective teaching as the â€Å"creation of situations in which appropriate learning occurs; shaping those situations is what successful teachers have learned to do effectively†.Many researchers have focused on whether or not students are legitimate judges of teaching effectiveness. Though caveats abound, the general sense is that students are both rational and reliable sources of evidence (Arreola, 1995; Braskamp & Ory, 1994; Pratt, 1997), While in class, students are exposed to all sorts of instructional experiences (lectures, instructional materials and aids, readings, exams). They are in effect experimental consumers—able to discern quality, relevance, usefulness, and instructor interaction with students (Montgomery, n. . ). As consumers, Cuseo (n. d. ) claims that students can judge what is taught and how it is taught, yet Braskamp & Ory (1994) claim that students can only provide information with respect to teaching. However, Ory (2001, p. 12) sums it up best stating: â€Å"unless they haven’t been to class, as consumers they have a legitimate voice†. Theall, M. (n. d. ) mentioned that the students can answer questions about the quality of lectures, the value of readings and assignments, the clarity of the instructor's explanations.Students are certainly qualified to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the experience. They have a right to express their opinions in any case, and no one else can report the extent to which the experience was use ful, productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. Methodology Eleven departments were selected through purposive sampling from the Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, including epartment of ; Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Mass Communication, Education, International Relations, English, Urdu, Persian, and Islamic learning. Twenty students studying at graduate level 3 4 from each department were selected through convenient sampling to seek their opinion about the most effective teaching methods (as perceived by them) used by their teachers, and the reasons for highly rating a particular teaching method.Total two hundred and twenty students were interviewed. They were asked to rate different methods of teaching used by their teachers on a scale of 1- 5, one being the least important and 5 being the most important teaching method. The results of the study were compiled and analyzed by percentage method. Objectives of the Study: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To find out the various teaching methods used by university teachers to teach graduate students in different departments of Faculty of Arts.To explore the opinion of students about the teaching method they perceived as the most interesting and best teaching method. To find out the reasons for perceiving any teaching method as the interesting and best method. To provide suggestions for improving quality of teaching in the light of students perception and use of ratings Findings: Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method. Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, it is time saving method; students listen lecture attentively and take notes etc.The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students’ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process I. Rating of Various Teaching Methods: Rating was done on a scale of 1-5, 1 – being the least interesting and 5 being the most interesting teaching method as indicated in table 1. Teaching methodsRating No of 4 students 5 Table 1 1 N Lecture Group discussion Individual presentation Assignments Seminars Workshop Conferences Brainstorming Role play Case study 53 18 52 25 26 27 25 34 24% 08% 22% 11% 12% 12% 11% 16% 44 53 54 54 53 34 54 20% 24% 25% 25% 24% 16% 25% 26 12% 89 40% 34 16% 53 24% 53 24% 54 25% 27 12% 53 24% 53 24% 34 16% 54 25% 53 24% 35 16% 80 36% 80 36% 52 23% 44 20% 26 12% 26 12% 35 16% 53 24% 25 11% 34 16% 54 25% 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 34 34 % 16% 16% N 18 18 2 % 08% 08% N 00 3 % 00% N 4 % N 80 36 % 34 16% 5 % 220 220 88 40% 80 36% Total 54 24% 27 12% II.Reasons for rating various teaching methods as interesting and best teaching methods: 1. Lecture Method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ It creates new ideas. It is good for large class. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions raised by students. Students can ask if they need any clarification. Learn through listening Teacher explains all points. Students give their input Teacher discuss whole topic in the class in easy language so students can easily understand the topic. It is good for large class. Teacher provides all knowledge related to topic.Time saving as teacher is supposed to finish lecture in time. Students give their views at the end of lecture. 5 6 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students can ask question if they have any problem to understand lecture. Students attentively listen lecture and take notes as the teacher ask questions at the end of lecture. Students know and understand basic concepts. It creates new ideas. Teacher knows all the students so he/she can use suitable strategies for the class to make them understand. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject and can answer all questions by students.Teacher share information with students so it creates interest in students. Students are more involved and participate when teacher ask question. Teacher provides notes. Students easily understand every point. Students share knowledge with teacher. Teacher is role model for students. More participation of students. Students listen to other’s opinion ; express their opinion. Discuss with teachers the points that were missed during discussion. Students learn on their own ; find out key points. Students exchange their ideas. Students get point of view of all and not only those who always speak.After discussion when students give their presentation, teacher corrects their mistakes. Students can make their own notes. The learning is more effective. 2. Group discussion: 6 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ They don’t have to rely on rote learning. Develops creativity among students. It evokes thinking among students. Students have time for preparation of topic. Students should have material and knowledge before discussion. Suggestion Only those students participate who have confidence rest do not participate. Concepts become clear after discussion. Every student gives his/ her opinion. 3.Individual presentation †¢ Hamm (2008) quoted Rafe; â€Å"A presentation involves motivating listeners to accept a new idea, alter an existing opinion, or act on a given premise. † †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students first thoroughly understand the topic before giving presentation i. e. mastery on topic. It increases confidence among students. Good way to learn for only one student who is presenting. Students search lot of books to collect material Teacher’s supervision is important It enhances the ability of research on any topic as the students search topic from different books, websites etc.Active learning Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Motivate and make student active in learning. Interested method. Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. 5. Seminars 4. Assignment 6. Workshops 7 8 7. Conferences †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Networking with other institutions and professionals. More interesting More informative Gain knowledge Learning is effective More participation of students Students give their opinion Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge.Every one gets the chance to express their thoughts. Simple topics can be learnt through different angles. Interesting method Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. Students enjoy the situation Active learning Easy to learn Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. 8. Brain storming 9. Role play 10. Case study Discussion: Making teaching methods more interesting 8 9 Higher education faculty strives to become more effective teachers so that students can learn better, and many explore methods to improve their teaching practice.Depending on the nature of subject, number of students, and the facilities available, there are different methods teachers are using in the classroom. Below are given various methods and certain tips and techniques for improving these methods. (Sajjad, S. 1997) Lecture Method: A lecture is a talk or verbal presentation given by a lecturer, trainer or speaker to an audience. With all the advancement of training systems and computer technology, lecture method is still a backbone widely used in teaching and training at higher level of education.This method is economical, can be used for a large number of students, material can be covered in a structured manner and the teacher has a great control of time and material. A study conducted by Benson, L. , Schroeder, P. , Lantz, C. , and Bird, M (n. d. ). provides evidence that students may place greater emphasis on lecture material than on textbooks. Lecturing is not simply a matter of standing in front of a class and reciting what you know. The classroom lecture is a special form of communication in which voice, gesture, movement, facial expression, and eye contact can either complement or detract from the content. Davis. 1993). McCarthy, P. (1992) in article â€Å"Common Teaching Methods† stated strengths of lecture method that it presents factual material in direct, logical manner, contains experienc e which inspires, stimulates thinking to open discussion, and useful for large groups. Our findings also revealed that most of the students considered lecture as best method because according to opinion of students ; it creates new ideas, it is good for large class, develops creativity among students, teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions by students.Sullivan ; McIntosh (1996) said that with planning and effective presentation techniques, the lecture can be a highly effective and interactive method for transferring knowledge to students. Lecture gives the pupils training in listening and taking rapid notes. (Kochhar. 2000, p. 345) Tips and techniques for improving lecture method †¢ Lecture material should be stimulating and thought provoking. 9 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Information should be delivered dramatically by using example to make it memorable. The teacher needs to use questions throughout the lecture to involve students in the learning process and to check their comprehension.Reinforce learning by using visual supports like transparencies, flip charts, whiteboard/ black board etc. Teacher should take feedback of students to improve lecture method. Discussion: It is a free verbal exchange of ideas between group members or teacher and students. For effective discussion the students should have prior knowledge and information about the topic to be discussed. McCarthy, P. (1992) stated strengths of class discussion as; pools ideas and experiences from group, and allows everyone to participate in an active process. Kochhar (2000, p. 47) stated that; a problem, an issue, a situation in which there is a difference of opinion, is suitable for discussion method of teaching. Our study also revealed that the students rated group discussion (class discussion) as the second best method by giving reasons that; it has more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the student s don’t have to rely on rote learning, every student give his/ her opinion, and this method develops creativity among students. Tips and techniques for improving discussion method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The teacher should spend sufficient time in preparing the process and steps of discussion.Different aspects of the topic and the parameters should be selected for the focused discussion. Sufficient time should be allotted to discuss all the issues. At the same time students should know the time limit to reach a conclusion. The teacher in the beginning should introduce the topic, the purpose of discussion, and the students participating in discussion. Before the start of discussion, background information about the topic should be provided. There is a need to include questions to provide direction. Relaxed environment should be created to foster the process of discussion. 10 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ Teacher after opening the discussion should p lay the role of a facilitator involving every one and at the end should summarize the discussion. Encourage students listen other’s point of view and then evaluate their own. Teacher should give value to all students’ opinions and try not to allow his/her own difference of opinion, prevent communication and debate. Role Play: Role play occurs when participants take on differentiated roles in a simulation. These may be highly prescribed, including biographical details, and even personality, attitudes and beliefs; or loosely indicated by an outline of the function or task.These techniques have already demonstrated their applicability to a wide range of learners, subjects and levels. (Singh, and Sudarshan, 2005, p 238, 239). It is a memorable and enjoyable learning method. To gain maximum benefits from this method, the incidents selected for enactment should be as realistic as the situation allows. Tips and techniques Before the role play, the teacher should brief partici pants about the roles they will play, give them time for preparation, confirm confidentiality of role play, and ask participants to behave naturally. †¢ †¢ Teacher should select ; brief observers about their roles.During the role play, the teacher must keep quiet, listen ; take notes, avoid cutting role play short, but give time warning if previously agreed. The teacher should be prepared for some action if participants dry up and can intervene as a last resort. †¢ After the role play, the teacher thanks participants, ask for feed back from lead participants, take comments from observers, ask other participants to comment, †¢ The teacher should use role names not those of participants, summarize, drawing out learning points, leaving the participants with positive comments and feelings.Case Study: Primarily developed in business and law contexts, case method teaching can be productively used in liberal arts, engineering, and education. This method is basically use d to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as to 11 12 present students with real-life situations. The students are presented with a record set of circumstances based on actual event or an imaginary situation and they are asked: 1. to diagnose particular problem(s) only. 2. to diagnose problem(s) ; provide solution(s). 3. o give reasons ; implications of action after providing both problem ; solution. It is a time consuming method and sometimes the case does not actually provide real experience. It could be in-conclusive, and insufficient information can lead to inappropriate results. At the end, the students want to know the right answer by the teacher. The role of the teacher in conducting the case study should be to: †¢ †¢ †¢ read the case and determine the key problems faced by the decision maker, determine the data required to analyze the problems and or a synthesis into solutions, develop, analyze, and compare alternative solutions, and r ecommend a course of action. Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Cases should be brief, well-written, reflect real issues, and open to a number of conflicting responses. Students should work in group to prepare a written report and/or a formal presentation of the case. Brainstorming: It is a loosely structured form of discussion for generating ideas without participants embroiled in unproductive analysis. It is a very useful technique for problem solving, decision making, creative thinking and team building.It develops listening skills. Tips and techniques Ground rules for running brainstorming session include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ There should be no criticism and the wild ideas should be encouraged and recorded without evaluation. Emphasis should be placed on quantity of ideas and not the quality. There is a need of equal participation of members. It can be unfocused so teacher should know how to control discussion and facilitate issues. 12 13 †¢ It works well in sm all group Assignment method: Written assignments help in organization of knowledge, assimilation of facts and better preparation of examinations.It emphasizes on individual pupil work and the method that helps both teaching and learning processes (Kochhar, 2000, p. 358). Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Teacher should describe the parameters of the topic of assignment. Fully explain assignments so that students know how to best prepare. When the inevitable question, â€Å"Will we be tested on this? † arises, make sure your answer includes not only a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† but a â€Å"because . . . â€Å". Shea, A. (2009). †¢ Davis (1993) suggests that â€Å"Give assignments and exams that recognize students' diverse backgrounds and special interests.For example, a faculty member teaching a course on medical and health training offered students a variety of topics for their term papers, including one on alternative healing belief systems. A faculty m ember in the social sciences gave students an assignment asking them to compare female-only, male-only, and male-female work groups. † Recommendations: †¢ To evaluate teaching effectiveness different methods can be used including: peer review, self-evaluation, teaching portfolios, student achievement and students’ ratings of teaching methods used by their teachers. †¢ †¢ †¢ Students must be assured that the information they are giving is welcomed by the faculty and will be used to improve the teaching and learning in the course; otherwise they are unlikely to take the rating process seriously (Doyle. T. n. d. ). Teachers need to educate students in effective ways of giving precise feedback that addresses specific aspects of their learning experience. Teachers need to continually assure students throughout the semester that the ratings will be used for productive changes in teaching/ learning process and that there will be no chance of retribution to the students.