Middle Childhood free essay sample

Distinguish your subject decision: Social Skills Provide a 1 section rundown of your point: I need to look further into the social parts of youth instruction. I think that its interesting that youth matured youngsters have just grown the vast majority of their fundamental ground social aptitudes, and will develop from that point on. What makes your point suitable for the age bunch you have picked (1-2 sentences): I accept that youth is an age that as an educator, I can be persuasive in embellishment them in the correct way socially and helping them set the reason for significant social aptitudes that they will use for the remainder of their lives. The social abilities you learn in youth for the most part stay with you until the end of time. Youth is a period for planting the correct seeds in them for a fate of fruitful developing.  List your 2 outside assets in APA style: How does your hypothesis help to disclose or apply to your theme (2-3 sentences): This hypothesis will assist with clarifying my subject since I am keen on how social abilities of youth matured kids change after some time and how social elements influence how they respond to specific circumstances. We will compose a custom paper test on Center Childhood or on the other hand any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page This hypothesis centers around outside components contributing if not chiefly influencing the subjective advancement of an individual. Recognize who (or where) you intend to watch/talk with: I intend to watch/meet a third grade study hall at Worthington Estates Elementary school. I am going to meet the instructor, just as a couple of the understudies to hear the teacher’s outside point of view on specific issues, just as the student’s individual direct encounters. I accept this setting is suitable for my subject and hypothesis since I will have the option to pick up information on similar issues however from various perspectives. This will give me an incredible scope of input on my point. In spite of the fact that you likely have not finished your perception, I might want to see a model with the goal that I know whether you are destined for success. Along these lines, in the space underneath, you may either make up your own model and how it applies to your theme, hypothesis, and age gathering, or, you may utilize this example: o Donny nitpicked his mom during supper. His mom disclosed to him this was inconsiderate and kept eating. A couple of moments later, Donny sassed his mom once more. Would you be able to take this imagine perception and relate it to a fitting age gathering, point, and hypothesis and how it very well may be clarified by these components? Assuming this is the case, you’re likely progressing nicely for your own perception models. Donny may have nitpicked his mom the first run through in light of the fact that he didn't realize that it wasn't right, or didn't understand that it was inconsiderate. On the off chance that Donny is a youth matured youngster, at that point as per Vygotsky’s hypothesis, he will get on what his folks or more seasoned friends do and imagine that is the fitting method to act. He may have seen his folks in a contention and disrespecting each other. In the event that Donny saw this and imagined that it was alright, he may play out these demonstrations and not think anything isn't right by doing it. At that point, when his mom discloses to him that it was inconsiderate, he may not pay attention to it since he has seen her do it when she didn’t realize she was viewing. Center youth free paper test Tracy, a multi year old is experiencing an overwhelming measure of weight from his folks. The measure of weight his folks is laying on him has made him pull back from school exercises including his companions. There were conditions that occurred in his family’s past that lead into Tracy’s guardians thinking about separation. Tracy is in his center youth years. This is the point motel a child’s life where they grow socially and intellectually. At the point when kids arrive at this stage they can make new companions and increase new abilities, which will empower them to turn out to be progressively autonomous and improve their singularity. This is where youngsters experience more friend pressure than pressure from guardians. Tracy might be experiencing a feeling of flawlessness so he permits his folks to impact his scholarly exercises and on the grounds that he would need to meet his folks needs the weight they put on him would have negative impacts, along these lines making him pull away. We will compose a custom exposition test on Center youth or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Not exclusively is the weight from his folks influencing him contrarily yet the past occasions that occurred bringing about his folks considering separation can impact Tracy adversely. At this phase throughout everyday life, when a child’s family experiences significant occasions, for example, separate from the kid may feel like they will be they motivation to fault. Separation can weigh vigorously on a youngster and it very well may be the explanation in the decline in grades. A few kids don't have the foggiest idea how to deal with their folks separating and in result they make a shell for themselves. As an emotional wellness advocate the initial phase in help Tracy through this impediment in life is discovering approaches to assist him with adapting to the occasions occurring at home. Home is the place every one of his difficulties appear to start. Tracy’s guardians don’t need to compel him yet need to urge him to be increasingly engaged with school exercises and attempt to look after kinships. At this stage making companions is exceptionally more to the kid since it gives them a feeling of belongingness. When Tracy can adapt to things at home everything else may start to get, for example, his evaluations and getting progressively included.

Free Cuba Essay -- Cuban History Historical Essays

Free Cuba I. Presentation: Cuban history, in the same way as other different nations in Latin America and the Caribbean which have encountered provincial enslavement and majestic impedance, is featured by wild uprisings. Since the time the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who waged war with his captives to free Cuba from Spain’s pilgrim handle, the presence of insurrectionists and inflexible government restriction in Cuba has thrived. Social unrest and a solid will and practice of patriotism has permanently described Cuban history. All things considered, the results of specific developments and battles for social equity have reliably baffled progressive and radical pioneers. Government systems since the beginning have in some way or style, regardless of whether forcibly or by will, declined famous radical yearnings. For instance, it was the North American intercession in 1898, during the subsequent Cuban war for freedom that restricted the well known will to set up an autonomous sovereign co untry. In addition, degenerate military systems headed by sharks, for example, Machado and Batista have likewise spoiled and ignored famous yearnings for national insistence, human nobility, and popularity based request 1. Thusly, Cuban history has demonstrated that yearnings for social change and an equitable republic have reliably gone arie. It is inside this authentic setting of bombed national desire and goals that Fidel Castro characterizes La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program pronouncement of the 26th of July development, depicted the M-26-7 development as an upheaval set out to take up the unfulfilled standards of the Cuban country and to acknowledge them 2. Castro’s fantasy about accomplishing Cuba’s unfulf... ...I-refer to taken from page 38. 7.) on the same page (6) 8.) on the same page (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, Program proclamation of the 26th of July Movement, in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Nursery City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) on the same page (9) 11.) on the same page (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, History Will Absolve Me. Closing discourse in preliminary for the 1953 Moncada assault. Passage taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto Che Guevara, One Year of Armed Struggle, in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), Presentation and parts I and II. Free Cuba Essay - Cuban History Historical Essays Free Cuba I. Presentation: Cuban history, in the same way as other different nations in Latin America and the Caribbean which have encountered pilgrim enslavement and magnificent obstruction, is featured by turbulent uprisings. Since the time the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who waged war with his captives to free Cuba from Spain’s provincial handle, the presence of insurrectionists and unyielding government restriction in Cuba has thrived. Social upset and a solid will and practice of patriotism has permanently described Cuban history. By the by, the results of specific developments and battles for social equity have reliably disappointed progressive and radical pioneers. Government systems since forever have in some way or design, regardless of whether forcibly or by will, declined famous radical goals. For instance, it was the North American intercession in 1898, during the subsequent Cuban war for freedom that restricted the well known will to build up an autonomous sovereign country . In addition, degenerate military systems headed by go getters, for example, Machado and Batista have additionally spoiled and ignored well known yearnings for national attestation, human respect, and law based request 1. Thus, Cuban history has demonstrated that yearnings for social change and a vote based republic have reliably gone arie. It is inside this authentic setting of bombed national desire and yearnings that Fidel Castro characterizes La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program pronouncement of the 26th of July development, depicted the M-26-7 development as an insurgency set out to take up the unfulfilled goals of the Cuban country and to acknowledge them 2. Castro’s fantasy about accomplishing Cuba’s unfulf... ...I-refer to taken from page 38. 7.) in the same place (6) 8.) in the same place (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, Program declaration of the 26th of July Movement, in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Nursery City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) in the same place (9) 11.) in the same place (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, History Will Absolve Me. Closing discourse in preliminary for the 1953 Moncada assault. Selection taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto Che Guevara, One Year of Armed Struggle, in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), Presentation and sections I and II.

Random Thoughts for September 2013 - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

Random Thoughts for September 2013 - UGA Undergraduate Admissions Random Thoughts for September 2013 It is the end of September, which means a number of things in the world of College Admissions. Applications are rolling in for next fall, the sound of luggage rolling down the office hallway as counselors pack up for their next week of fall travel, the campus gets a little crazy as home football games start to pick up. Here are a few quick notes for the high school seniors/UGA applicants for next year: Review the Top Ten Urban Legends about UGA Admissions, so you do not have to worry about the myths concerning what major you should put down, if EA is easier for admissions chances, etc. Please be patient with our office this year, as we are using a whole new student system (it will change Admissions, Registration, Student Financial Aid, Bursar’s Office, etc.) It is a big project, but we hope it will cause as few ripples as possible in your admissions process. Take your time completing the application, so you do not have to send us an email asking us to fix your name, your SSN, your address, etc. Review the application, especially the 8-10 key fields we list out for you at the end of the application, before hitting submit. Go by your favorite high school teachers classroom and tell them how much they have meant to you. It is senior year, and I dont want this to slip by without you telling them. Review the database of the UGA Admissions Counselors fall travel schedule (updated each week), and send your counselor a quick email with suggestions on what to do/where to eat/etc. in your hometown. You can find the counselor for your area at https://www.admissions.uga.edu/meetthestaff. Remember that if you are applying for Early Action, the deadline for taking an SAT/ACT is the EA deadline of 10/15, and that you need to have requested the scores be sent by 10/15. Also remember that if you submit an ACT, we need an ACT Writing score! The materials deadlines are one week after the application deadlines, so EA materials need to be sent by October 22. You are responsible for your application! We have a number of parents who are calling us now saying My son/daughter and I are completing the application. While your parents want to review the application with you, and maybe look at it before you hit submit, they should not be completing any part of the application. In addition, you need to make sure your SAT/ACT scores are sent, your counselor has submitted the School Evaluation (after you apply!) and transcript, and that you are checking the myStatus page. Read a book for pleasure! I know that it is senior year, and life is crazy, but try to read something (I am about to purchase the new Malcolm Gladwell book David and Goliath). If you had a conduct issue or a bad grade in high school, tell us about it, and how you have moved forward from it. As your parents would say, if you make a mistake, dont compound it by trying to cover it up. The worst thing you can ever do is try to hide something, as we then are not sure what other issues there might be in the application. Senior year is important, so make sure you keep up your grades. Every year, we have had to rescind offers of admission due to low senior grades, so do not let it happen to you! Go out and perform a random act of kindness for a freshman in your high school! Remember what it felt like to be a freshman, and then make their day a little better. My daughter just started her freshman year (go OCHS!), and while she is doing great, I know it would make a difference in her day, so go find a freshman! When you are entering your self-reported grades, make sure you have a copy of your transcript in front of you. We want an accurate representation of your high school grades, and this is the best way (in addition to reading the instructions). If you make a minor mistake on a non-crucial part of the application (punctuation error in your activities list, wrong date for a test score, or forgot one senior class), do not worry. We are not that overzealous, and we do not review files with a red pen. After you submit the application, be patient. Our office still needs time to import your application, match up documents, download test scores, etc. Patience is not easy, but it is key. Enjoy your senior year!

Nebobites Ethical Dilemma - 1406 Words

Ethics Writing Assignment Nebobites Ethical Dilemma 1. This case involves a small public traded company named Nebobites, which manufactures dog treats. Jenny O., CPA, is the new Assistant Controller for the Nebobites’ company, and her job is to review and audit the financial statements for the 2012 year. While reviewing the financial statements, Jenny noticed the company’s Allowance for Doubtful Accounts balance seemed significantly higher than in the past. This increase in the Allowance account was due to the Bad Debt Expense estimation being based off 3% of net credit sales instead of the prior years’ estimate of 1.5%. The increase in Bad Debts expense as a result of the increase in estimate materially affected the 2012 earnings.†¦show more content†¦Although she will eventually have to find a new job, this choice may save her from being in trouble with the law and potentially boost her chances of finding a new job due to her discovery at Nebobites. Another final option that I would see plausible in thi s situation would be to simply quit, if the Controller did not want to change the estimation and swear on the financial statements. The legal risk is too high in the case, and you do not want the downfall of Nebobites to be on your shoulders. 5. By deciding to go along with the inappropriate change in estimate, Jenny’s job may be safe for the time being, but in the long run, Jenny and the company may be audited in the future exploiting their mistakes made in the 2012 financial statements. This could cause Jenny to be immediately terminated when the mistakes were finally found, as well as the possibility of jail time after an investigation and trial. This is morally and legally wrong because she knowingly goes against corporate policies and the generally accepted accounting principles in order to reap the benefits. By reporting the inappropriate practices to an outsider’s attention, such as an external auditing firm, she could save her job possibly for the time the company is being investigated, but may later be fired. Although she will eventually have to find a new job, this choice may save her from being in trouble with the law and potentially boost her chances of finding a new job due to her

Data Modeling For A Relational Database Management System

The need to store and evaluate data is a perpetually growing field in the world of information systems. From the days of using flat files to very large database management systems that store petabytes of data in real time, the practice of building information from data continues to evolve. Today, the relational data model is quite ubiquitous and is used in a plethora of information systems ranging from accounting systems, banks, retail business, and scientific usage. It is important to understand the concepts involved in data modeling for a relational database management system in order to build an effective and efficient system. Data models weren’t as sophisticated in the early days as they are today. In the 1960’s and 70’s the first generation data models were comprised of an ad hoc file system with no concept of relationships between the files (Coronel Morris, 2015). For instance, one file might contain rows of customer records while another would house invoices. For simple data, file systems worked, but for large sets of interconnecting data, a data processing specialist was needed to create a program that fetched the proper data, analyze it, formatted it, and presented it in a report that made sense to the end user. For every new query, the data processing specialist needed to create a separate application. Files became increasingly cumbersome the more that were added and they duplicated quite a bit of data since there were no relationships between files. The timeShow MoreRelatedDocument Based Data Modeling Technique And Relational Technique1230 Words   |  5 PagesJanu Barot Database System Midterm Exam Document based data modeling technique and relational technique In todays era, the volume of data we manage has developed to terabytes. As the volume of data continues developing, the sorts of data produced by applications get to be wealthier than some time recently. 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Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain Free Essays

string(36) " a personally meaningful challenge\." Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain-Based Learning People often say that everyone can learn. Every person is born with a brain that functions as an immensely powerful processor. Brain-based learning offers some direction for educators who want more purposeful, informed teaching. We will write a custom essay sample on Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper will provide information on how brain-based learning works. In addition, discuss how brain-based learning is improving student test scores. Lastly, provide research findings on the benefits of brain-based learning. Creating stress-free environments, enhancing complex cognitive skills, and understanding memory become essential in brain-based learning. Receiving, encoding, storing, and retrieving information make sense as the memory pathways are defined. Assessing student learning becomes the simple task of accessing the same methods that were used for teaching. The more we understand the brain, the better we will be able to educate it. Brain-Based Learning (definition) Brain-based learning is the informed process of using a group of practical strategies that are driven by sound principles derived from brain research. Brain-based education is defined by three words, engagement, strategies, and principles. It is learning in accordance with the way the brain is naturally designed to learn (Jensen, 2008). The overall goal of brain-based education is to attempt to bring insights from brain research into the arena of education to enhance teaching and learning. The area of science often referred to as brain research typically includes neuroscience studies that probe the patterns of cellular development in various brain areas; and brain imaging techniques, with the latter including functional MRI scans and positron-emission tomography scans that allow scientists to examine patterns of activity in the wake, thinking, human brain. These brain imaging techniques allow scientists to examine activity within various areas of the brain as a person engages in mental actions such as attending, learning, and remembering. Proponents of brain-based education espouse a iverse group of educational practices and approaches, and they generally attempt to ground claims about effective practice in recently discovered facts about the human brain. They argue that there has been an unprecedented explosion of new findings related to the development and organization of the human brain and that the current state of this work can inform educational practice in meaningful ways. Advances in brain science led brain-based educator David A. Sousa to proclaim that â€Å"no longer is teaching just an art form, it is a science† (Sousa, 1998). Principles of Brain-Compatible Learning that have Emerged from Brain Research. Educators who have a background in the neurobiology of learning and memory have a distinct advantage in their classrooms. By following the brain-based teaching principles we can create an enriched, brain-compatible environment and effectively counter such existing negative influences as stress, sleep deprivation, and poor nutrition. According to Ronal Kotulak in his 1996 book â€Å"Inside the Brain†, an enriched environment can contribute up to 25% increase in the number of brain connections both early and later in life. Our environments need to allow for active manipulation. To summarize, there are at least twelve principles of brain-compatible learning that have emerged from brain research. 1. Uniqueness-every sing brain is totally unique. 2. Impact of threat of high stress can alter and impair learning and even kill brain cells. 3. Emotions are critical to learning-they drive attention, health, learning and memory. 4. Information is stored and retrieved through multiple memory and neural pathways. 5. All learning is mind-body-movement, foods, attention cycles, all have powerful effects. 6.  The brain is a complex and adaptive system-effective change involves the entire system. 7. Patterns and programs drive our understanding-intelligence is the ability to construct patterns. 8. The brain is meaning-driven-meaning is more important to the brain that information. 9. Learning is often rich and non-conscious-we process both parts simultaneously. 10. The brain develops better in concert with other brains. 11. The brain develops with various stage of readiness. 12. Enrichment-the brain and grow new connections at any age. Cognitive skills develop better with music and motor skills (Kotulak, 1996). Three Instructional Techniques Associated with Brain-Based Learning. Orchestrated immersion-creating leaning environments that fully immerse students in an educational experience. The idea is to take information off the blackboard to bring it to life in the minds of students. Orchestrated immersion provides learners with rich, complex experiences that include options and a sense of wholeness. Relaxed alertness-trying to eliminate fear in learners, whole maintaining a highly challenging environment. It is a dynamic state that is compatible with great deal of change. Relaxed alertness ensures that students are being challenged within a context of safety. It also includes a personal sense of well-being that allows students to explore new thoughts and connections. Active processing- Allowing the learner to consolidate and internalize information by actively processing it. It is the path to understanding, rather than simply to memory. Active processing necessarily engages emotions, concepts and values (Caine Caine, 1994). How Brain-Based Learning Impacts Education. There are three ways that brain-based learning impacts education through curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Curriculum- teachers must design learning around student interests and make learning contextual. Instruction- educators let students learn in teams and use peripheral learning. Teachers structure learning around real problems, encouraging students to also learn in setting outside the classroom and the school building. Assessment-since all students are learning, their assessment should allow to understand their own learning styles and preferences, this way, students monitor and enhance their own learning process (Jensen, 1998). What Brain-Based Learning Suggests. How the brain works has a significant impact on what kinds of learning activities are most effective. Educators need to help students have appropriate experiences and capitalize on those experiences. As Renate Caine points out in her book Making Connections, three interactive elements are essential to his process. Teachers must immerse learners in complex, interactive experiences that are both rich and real. One excellent example is immersing students in a foreign culture to teach them a second language. Educators must take advantage of the brain’s ability to parallel process. Students must have a personally meaningful challenge. You read "Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain" in category "Essay examples" Such challenges stimulate a student’s mind to the desired state of alertness. In order for a student to gain insight about a problem, there must be intensive analysis of the different ways to approach it, and about learning in general. This is what’s known as the â€Å"active processing of experience. † A few other tenets of brain-based learning include: Feedback is best when it comes from reality, rather than from an authority figure. People learn best when solving realistic problems. The big picture can’t be separated from the details. Because every brain is different, educators should allow learners to customize their won environments. The best problem solvers are those that laugh (Caine Caine, 1994). Most neuroscientists believe that at birth the human brain has all the neurons it will ever have. Some connections, those that control such automatic functions as breathing and heartbeat, are in place at birth, but most of the individual’s mental circuitry results from experiences that greet the newborn and continue, probably, throughout his or her life. Some researchers believe the circuits are completed by age five or six. Other studies extend the period of development from birth to the later elementary school years. Still others argue that nerve connections can be modified throughout life with new connections forming perhaps even late in life. The links between learning, the number of neural connections, or the time frame for development of those connections are not clearly understood. These and other findings encourage educators and parents to expose very young children to a variety of learning experiences-providing blocks and beads to handle and observe, talking to the child, playing peek-a-boo. How does Brain-Based Learning Improve Student Test Scores. Recent scientific studies about the brain and how it learns have given educational leaders and teachers new insights about teaching and learning. Recently, educators have explored links between classroom teaching and emerging theories about how people learn. Exciting discoveries in neuroscience and continue developments in cognitive psychology have presented new ways of thinking about the brain-the human neurological structure and the attendant perceptions and emotions that contribute to learning. Brain-based research also discusses the school environment that is best for optimal learning to occur. According to Dr. Petrie and Dr. Chan in their article, â€Å"The Brain Learns Better in Well-Designed School Environments, â€Å" optimal learning takes place in well-ventilated classrooms, which offer plenty of water for students to drink. In addition, students learn best in bright warm colored well-lit environments that offer challenging activities including visual and performing arts, physical activity, and real life situations (Chan Petrie, 1998). Summary of Findings: A study Conducted by the Education Trust in 1998, done in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), demonstrates those qualities which appear to be necessary to promote student achievement. Such qualities demonstrate how teaching to higher standards can be effective when appropriate support. This work analyzed data collected from 1200 high performing high poverty elementary schools in 21 states. The study concluded that high performing; high poverty schools tend to use state standards extensively to design curriculum and instruction, assess student work, and evaluate teachers. Over 80% of the successful schools in this study were using state standards to design instruction, assess student work and evaluate teachers. In the great majority of top performing schools in this study, extended learning time in the areas of math and reading was provided for their students. In addition, to crease student achievement, these schools often devoted a larger proportion of funds to support professional development focused on changing instructional practice. The school in this study appeared to be making greater progress than lower performing schools in creating greater opportunities for teacher to obtain training in those areas determined to be important to helping students achieve. It was noted that a majority of schools implemented comprehensive systems to monitor individual student progress and provide extra support to students as soon as it’s needed. 80% of the schools in this study had systematic ways to identify and provide early support to students in danger of falling behind in the academic progress. It was obvious in this study that the more uccessful schools focus their efforts to involve parents on helping students meet standards; the traditional role of parents in schools is that to provide support in fund raising efforts. In the majority of the schools in this study, parents were given opportunities to increase their knowledge of the standards, be involved in curriculum and in reviewing students’ work. Lastly, it was clearly observed that these successful schools have state and district accountability systems in place that have real consequences for adults in schools (The Education Trust, Inc. 1999). Teachers can no longer ignore the findings and implications of brain-based research in the educational environment. The cognitive development of children is affected by a multitude of diverse factors, but educators have been slow to recognize the impact that brain-based research provides in our awareness of the role of the brain in learning Findings suggests that heredity provides 30-60 percent of our brain’s wiring, while 40-70 percent is due to environmental factors (Jensen, 1998). Teachers and educational leaders need to develop a biological understanding of how the brain works. In order for student achievement to continue, principals must look at all aspects of instructional strategies. Understanding the brain’s ability to grow and adapt in response to stimuli increases our ability to develop meaningful relevant lessons, which challenge students and broaden their comprehension of their world. Developing interdisciplinary instruction allows the brain to develop patterns and thus increases student learning. Learning to apply brain research in the classroom helps teachers gain a deeper understanding of how students learn and to develop challenging lessons that stimulate the brain. All in all, understanding how the brain functions is just one more way to help students achieve. In conclusion, scientists caution that the brain is complex and, while research has revealed some significant findings, there is no widespread agreement about their applicability to the general population or to education in particular. Nevertheless, brain research provides rich possibilities for education and reports of students from this field have become popular topics in some educational journals. Enterprising organizations are translating these finding into professional development workshops and instructional programs to help teachers apply lessons from the research to classroom settings. Every person is born with a brain that functions as an immensely powerful processor. The more we understand the brain, the better we will be able to educate it. How to cite Improving Student Test Scores Utilizing Brain, Essay examples

Learning and Collaboration in Innovative Teams

Question: Discuss about the Learning and Collaboration in Innovative Teams. Answer: Introduction The effectiveness of a team does have the potential to ensure the volume of success for any project. However, it entirely depends on the project manager how the individual dedicates him/herself to develop a team (Gilley et.al, 2010). Developing effective teamwork and teams have never been limited to any particular organization. This has also been referred to be an approach that can always be used every time there is a project that needs an effective team. Team members must believe in developing a well-organized and coordinated environment; the level of coordination would certainly put constructive impact over the process of goal achievement. Project head or the project managers play a crucial role regarding achieving project aims and objectives. It also is necessary for a team manager or the project manager to consider the 4Cs that would help them to develop most dynamic teams ever. The 4Cs of team development are- "Context," "Composition," "Competencies" and the "Change," "Context" refers to the idea of "Laying down the foundation for ensuring team success." While the "Composition" refers to the idea of "Boarding right sort of individuals/team members in the team." The Competencies refers to the idea of "Developing appropriate skills for the team members for ensuring better performance." The "Change" refers to the idea of "Developing more efficient ways of working in team manner" (DeChurch and Mesmer-Magnus, 2010). Successful team building can as well be useful regarding solving precise problems related with teams. Organizational teams are mostly developed with people belonging to different racial backgrounds, educational backgrounds, different ethnicity groups and others, which can always trigger conflicts among them. It is necessary for a team manager to be precise and dynamic and enthusiastic regarding reducing the conflicts. It also is necessary for the team manager or the project manager to get rid of any unhealthy covenant that can reduce the team perfor mance. The four Cs in a combined form can help in designing the best possible teams. Team Dynamics Team dynamics can be referred to be the psychological and unconscious elements that do have the potential to influence team performance and behavior. These can be referred to the idea of undercurrents of sea that can drive boats in a direction that is needed rather intended. These dynamics can be designed in consideration of the team works nature, working relationships, individualities within the team along with the environment that the team works within (Cur?eu et.al, 2010). The list of team dynamics that every happy team includes are mentioned underneath: A leader: For obvious reasons, a team needs a leader that would drive the team members to achieve certain goal or objective. One common mistake that every failing team does is they fail to recognize or identify a team leader. The leader wouldnt give order or to tell team members to do certain task. These individuals would guide and assist the members in attaining their objectives. Establishing responsibilities: Each one of the team member needs to work in collaboration with one another. To do so, they must develop a clear understanding regarding their roles and responsibilities. Such understanding is significant for ensuring success; establishing responsibilities would help each one of the member to evaluate their self-abilities against their responsibilities. Establishing a set of objectives and personal goals: Team members must be aware of the objectives along with their personal goals. Every organization has certain long-term goals that must be achieved; team members would be provided with precise milestones of such projects. Establishing a schedule for supervising tasks: Tasks without a schedule would certainly draw negative or sluggish growth. It is imperative for organizations to set schedules that would strictly be followed by the team members. Organizations must shorten their schedules at times, as analyses show certain groups of people do perform in a better manner under pressurized conditions. Timely and adequate employment of quality tools: Knowledge and precise use of technology are the best possible combination that would drive the team members to perform effectively in their tasks and responsibilities. However, it also is necessary for them to use such tools on perfect time; using tools in an untimely manner would certainly cause zero outcomes (Shelton et.al, 2010). Quick startups: There are situations when teams waste a significant amount of time over discussions, meetings, and other activities. While, there are certain tasks that need quick and dynamic response, wasting time in such conditions would be dreadful. These above-mentioned team dynamics can be significantly helpful regarding ensuring better and improved team performance. These would certainly enhance the quality of communication that team used to engage previously within, the intensity of motivation, enhanced efficiency and finally the results would be innovative. Bruce Tuckmans Theory It would be entirely unfair to expect a new team to perform in a manner that professionals do, however organizing training sessions would certainly ensure better performance in far future. Bruce Tuckman developed the theory during 1965; Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing are the four fundamental stages of this particular model (Chatenier et.al, 2010). However, he later (during the 1970s) added another (fifth) stage called "adjourning." The model can be referred as a helpful and elegant explanation that is helpful in developing the most effective and efficient team and shaping their behavior. However, there are certain similarities that can be found if compared with other similar models such as with the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum or the Situational model of leadership developed by Blanchard; these models were developed quite the same time when Tuckman developed these models. The theory, in particular, describes that a team, as it grows it tend to hone its abilities, level of maturity, establishes relationships, even the leader tend to make significant modifications in his/her leadership pattern. A leader at his premature stage tends to act as a director, with time and maturity he advances to become a coach, followed by a participatory, then a delegator for finishing things up. The team depends on the leader extensively, expecting direction and guidance from the individual. Until leader's signal, the team members do not give the team aims and objectives much importance. Team members during this particular stage arent much aware of their personal roles and responsibilities. The leaders are accountable for answering multiple questions related to the purpose of the team, external associations and objectives (Morgeson et.al, 2010). This particular stage is entirely concerned about developing opinions and decisions that would be helpful in attaining final results. However, devising decisions within a team is never easy; team members compete for developing a relation with the team leader and establish dominance over other team members. This competitive environment might clarify the purpose and any other conflict associated with it, but chances of multiple uncertainties persists (Day and Antonakis, 2012). Consensus and agreement are two common elements that every team develops, which response effectively to facilitation by the leader. During this stage, team members accept their roles and responsibilities clearly. Certain important and big decisions are developed in consideration of team agreement. While smaller or less important decisions are delegated to few group members to deal with (Decuyper et.al, 2010). Teams tend to be significantly aware at this particular point in time; the team also knows its actions and purposes. At this particular stage, teams are communicated with the vision and mission they are to serve. This helps them to perform their roles and responsibilities without any interference or guidance from the leader. The prime focus of the team revolves around achieving the objectives; however, they are accountable for consulting with the leader whenever needed. Members at this certain point enjoy a great amount of autonomy, disagreements persist in the team but, after this point team members can deal with such aspects successfully (Knzle et.al, 2010). Relation between Team Leader and Team Members A typical team does engage an intrapersonal pattern of relation since team members provide assistance and guidance to one another for achieving common goals. This ultimately helps them to achieve the common and shared goal. As far as the relationship pattern of a team leader and team members are concerned, leaders tend to develop a multifaceted relationship with their teams (Northouse, 2012). A leader has to play multiple roles within their teams throughout different stages ranging from "Forming to Performing." During the initial stage of forming the leader has to act as a director, who would give directions to their team members to act in a certain manner. While during the consecutive storming stage, the leader initiates gathering opinions and perception to be considered for further performance activities (Knzle et.al, 2010). During the following Norming stage, team leaders describe the roles and responsibilities to the team members, and during the final stage, the team members perform their proposed tasks in consideration of the leaders guidance and supervision. The leader at certain point delegates his/her authoritative control to certain team members for, this helps in developing further leadership skills within those team members. Team leaders dont hand out their authoritative control to any random team members; they watch over the performances of the team members and then select the person (s) that the powers can be delegated to (Meirink et.al, 2010). There are certain ways and manner the team leaders can develop a constructive and positive relationship with their team members. These ways are mentioned underneath: Convey clearly: The leader must be clear and precise regarding conveying his/her expectations from each one of the team members. This would help the members be aware of the knowledge that team leader knows their talent individually. Giving verbal boost is another constructive way that would encourage the team members at the time they have to perform a particular task that is out of their comfort zone (Levi, 2015). Demonstrating self-accountability: Showing compassion and faith are two most critical and effective way that team leaders can extract most out their team members. The team leader can also make a projection that his/her superiors do have full faith and are relying to the maximum extent (Hoch and Kozlowski, 2014). The leader must also perform the best performance, which would ensure a role model place among the team members. Developing relationship among team members: A team needs coordination and coordination are not possible without harmony among the team members. It is necessary for the team leader to encourage positive vibe within the team, which eventually would help them to form a team that is positive and effective (Dyer and Dyer, 2013). Team members must be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of one another, which would certainly be helpful in case of an absence of the team leader. Being a good listener: A leader must as well be a good listener; a leader cannot just impose his opinions and judgments of the team members. For achieving respect and obedience, the leader would have to listen to what the team members have to convey (Fransen et.al, 2014). Developing personal attachment: Providing glimpses of personal life would certainly encourage better and deeper relationship among the team members. The leader must also encourage the team members to do the same. Building relationship unofficially: Besides from official and professional relation, a good leader would always look forward to building a relationship with the team members outside the office premises. Celebrating birthdays, get together, going for outing more often would certainly be beneficial for developing strongest team (Bryde, 2013). Attributes Of an Effective Team Teamwork has been defined to be An accommodating and mutual procedure, which does allow people with average skills attain extraordinary outcomes (Mahembe and Engelbrecht, 2014). Teams (in an organizational context) have also been referred to be platforms for people to develop mutual relationships that eventually assist every team member to be an integral part of the goal attainment procedure. Working in teams do have significant benefits such as, team members tend to share knowledge and experience with every team member, which automatically enhances the knowledge base of members with inferior working abilities. Every piece of literature dedicated towards the notions of team and teamwork consistently highlight the fact that teamwork is the key to attaining quality results and outcomes. Many literature experts portray the importance of the factor synergism and how it contributes towards attaining maximum out of a team (Rushmer, 2013). However, team members must also believe in the prac tice of reciprocity; they must be adaptive to any change organization intend to bring upon. Teams are made up of employees and employees tend to be highly reluctant to any sort of change that organizations intend to draw upon. The organizational change means transformation and implementation of new technologies that every employee must learn to operate with. Employees being reluctant to change would certainly act as the major obstacle that would restrict organizations to attain their long and short term objectives. Thus, it is necessary for the employees (team members) to be supple and adapt to any change the organization desires to draw (Thomas and Galla, 2013). Past studies have provided multiple attributes that are essential for ensuring the success of a team along with successful objective achievement. Some of these attributes of successful teams are mentioned underneath: The sense of commitment: The success mantra for most successful teams is that each one of their team members does serve the project objectives with a sense of commitment. They share knowledge, experience, and the shared goal. Authors also advocate that these team members are highly engaged, aims for attaining a highest possible level and motivated to the maximum limit (Driedonks, 2014). Interdependence: Teams must be interdependent, which means they must develop an environment that would encourage them to contribute as a team rather than acting as an individual. Following this fundamental principle would help them to deliver most favorable outcome as there would be multiple brains working on a single objective. The team leader has to play the leading role of motivating, encouraging, contributing and even learning from their fellow team members (Kor and Mesko, 2013). Interpersonal skills: It is as important to consult and convey possible issues as it is to communicate about the objectives. Each one of the team members must develop the ability to communicate freely regarding the probable issues that their project might face during the processing till the finishing tenure. The term Interpersonal Skills refers to the basic ability to communicate personal thoughts and opinions with others. In a project management environment, every members accountability is vital since, each one of them would be working on separate elements under the same project topic (Hawkins, 2014). Being sound at communicating problems would certainly be beneficial for the project and the person as well, as he/she would get recognized for their ability to communicate in the most effective manner (Nancarrow et.al, 2013). Positive feedback and open communication: Feedback is the key to enhance future outcomes and reduce probabilities of future mistakes in a parallel manner. While at the same time, open communication would help the team members to be communicating with team leader and others effectively. Open communication is a notion that almost 99.99% organizations value that considers "horizontal integration" o an organizational structure, which has no limitation or restriction upon communicating with the paramount personality. While on the other hand, feedback from the paramount personality would certainly be considered on the supreme level of importance (Watkins and Norris, 2013). Although, despite the position of an individual within an organization, every member associated with a project must be given equal importance. Thus, both of these aspects are associated with one another in an inherent manner. Appropriate team composition: Choosing the right team incorporating the right quality people is as vital as it is to decide the number of members that the team would have (Brock et.al, 2013). For obvious reasons, the composition and size of a team do put significant impact over the final outcomes. It entirely depends on the span of team objective how the team leader would compose the team. Optimal size wouldnt mean that the results would as well be optimal; selecting right quality of people or members is the most vital part of composing a team. In comparison to a large team, few people can never form a team together, and even if they do there wouldnt be much skills and knowledge to accomplish the common goal. Thus, composing a team together is vital and must be done in the most effective manner (Fapohunda, 2013). Commitment to leadership, team processes, and accountability: The team leader is accountable for ensuring the common goal is being served. However, he/she cannot force the team members to accommodate the goal requirements. It is necessary for the team members to develop the urge or sense of commitment towards serving the common goal. Commitment towards leadership would automatically mean that the team members are committed towards their leader. The members must also agree to the common process for conducting the goal achievement activity. Last but not the least, each member of a team is accountable for their personal contribution and must adhere to the rules and regulations imposed by the team leader and the organization (Wang et.al, 2014). Conclusion On the contrary to a successful team, there are times when a team fails to attain its goals and objectives. The same aspects that would contribute to the process of achieving the common goals, if ignored would certainly bring devastating results (Wheelan, 2014). For example lack of commitment; just as there is an abundance of highly driven and committed members, there is an abundance of least interest and motivated members. Such team members do not prefer communicating with other peers and colleagues. As a result, the team and the project are suffering. Thus, it is necessary for the team leader to ensure that he/she is entirely dedicated to ensuring that the members of the team are highly motivated and driven by the principles of teamwork (Banks et.al, 2014). The study overall consistently showcases how well-organized teams perform and show their enthusiasm towards achieving the team goals and project objectives. It also showcases how team attributes are the key to forecast if the te am would achieve success or not. Its not the size of the team but the members in it, the larger team doesn't mean the team would highly efficient, and on the other hand smaller team also doesnt mean that the team would be inferior. However, size does matter, when it comes to the need for skills, knowledge, and experience. References Banks, G.C., Batchelor, J.H., Seers, A., O'Boyle, E.H., Pollack, J.M. and Gower, K., 2014. What does teammember exchange bring to the party? A meta?analytic review of team and leader social exchange.Journal of Organizational Behavior,35(2), pp.273-295. Brock, D., Abu-Rish, E., Chiu, C.R., Hammer, D., Wilson, S., Vorvick, L., Blondon, K., Schaad, D., Liner, D. and Zierler, B., 2013. Interprofessional education in team communication: working together to improve patient safety.BMJ Quality Safety,22(5), pp.414-423. Bryde, D., Broquetas, M. and Volm, J.M., 2013. The project benefits of building information modelling (BIM).International journal of project management,31(7), pp.971-980. Chatenier, E.D., Verstegen, J.A., Biemans, H.J., Mulder, M. and Omta, O.S., 2010. Identification of competencies for professionals in open innovation teams.Rd Management,40(3), pp.271-280. Cur?eu, P.L., Kenis, P., Raab, J. and Brandes, U., 2010. Composing effective teams through team dating.Organization Studies,31(7), pp.873-894. Day, D.V. and Antonakis, J., 2012.The nature of leadership. Sage. Decuyper, S., Dochy, F. and Van den Bossche, P., 2010. Grasping the dynamic complexity of team learning: An integrative model for effective team learning in organizations.Educational Research Review,5(2), pp.111-133. DeChurch, L.A. and Mesmer-Magnus, J.R., 2010. The cognitive underpinnings of effective teamwork: a meta-analysis Dyer, W.G. and Dyer, J.H., 2013.Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. John Wiley Sons. Driedonks, B.A., Gevers, J.M. and van Weele, A.J., 2014. Success factors for sourcing teams: How to foster sourcing team effectiveness.European Management Journal,32(2), pp.288-304. Fapohunda, T.M., 2013. Towards effective team building in the workplace.International Journal of Education and Research,1(4), pp.1-12. Fransen, K., Vanbeselaere, N., De Cuyper, B., Vande Broek, G. and Boen, F., 2014. The myth of the team captain as principal leader: extending the athlete leadership classification within sport teams.Journal of sports sciences,32(14), pp.1389-1397. Gilley, J.W., Morris, M.L., Waite, A.M., Coates, T. and Veliquette, A., 2010. Integrated theoretical model for building effective teams.Advances in Developing Human Resources,12(1), pp.7-28. Hawkins, P., 2014.Leadership team coaching: Developing collective transformational leadership. Kogan Page Publishers. Hoch, J.E. and Kozlowski, S.W., 2014. Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.Journal of applied psychology,99(3), p.390. Kor, Y.Y. and Mesko, A., 2013. Dynamic managerial capabilities: Configuration and orchestration of top executives' capabilities and the firm's dominant logic.Strategic Management Journal,34(2), pp.233-244. Knzle, B., Zala-Mez, E., Wacker, J., Kolbe, M., Spahn, D.R. and Grote, G., 2010. Leadership in anaesthesia teams: the most effective leadership is shared.Quality and Safety in Health Care, pp.qshc-2008. Knzle, B., Kolbe, M. and Grote, G., 2010. Ensuring patient safety through effective leadership behaviour: a literature review.Safety Science,48(1), pp.1-17. Levi, D., 2015.Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Mahembe, B. and Engelbrecht, A.S., 2014. The relationship between servant leadership, organisational citizenship behaviour and team effectiveness.SA Journal of Industrial Psychology,40(1), pp.01-10. Meirink, J.A., Imants, J., Meijer, P.C. and Verloop, N., 2010. Teacher learning and collaboration in innovative teams.Cambridge Journal of Education,40(2), pp.161-181. Morgeson, F.P., DeRue, D.S. and Karam, E.P., 2010. Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes.Journal of management,36(1), pp.5-39. Nancarrow, S.A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P. and Roots, A., 2013. Ten principles of good interdisciplinary team work.Human resources for Health,11(1), p.19. Northouse, P.G., 2012.Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage. Rushmer, R.K., 2013. How do we measure the effectiveness of team building? Is it good enough? Team Management Systems?a case study.Team Performance Management: An International Journal. Shelton, P.M., Waite, A.M. and Makela, C.J., 2010. Highly effective teams: A relational analysis of group potency and perceived organizational support.Advances in Developing Human Resources,12(1), pp.93-114. Thomas, L. and Galla, C., 2013. Building a culture of safety through team training and engagement.BMJ quality safety,22(5), pp.425-434. Watkins, M. and Norris, K.T., 2013.The first 90 days. Gildan Media LLC. Wang, D., Waldman, D.A. and Zhang, Z., 2014. A meta-analysis of shared leadership and team effectiveness. Wheelan, S.A., 2014.Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Sage Publications.

Inflation Evaluation Essays - Inflation, Monetary Policy

Inflation Evaluation Today it is almost impossible to pick up a financial journal without seeing news on the bull market that some consider to be overvalued. Overvalued or fairly valued, only the future will show the truth. Either way, this market is one that has shown greater run ups and returns, than any other market in history. (Reference Appendix #1a) Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached historical highs and then receded back to previous levels, leaving investors who are used to consistent and record setting gains month after month, baffled. Both the Dow Jones and the S & P 500 indices have seen modest and even flat performances over the past three months. (Reference #1b) A recent article that was published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal emphasized that returns were flat due to the fact that investors were concerned of the possible on set of inflation. If these concerns are warranted and inflation is thus expected, the Bull market may very well be over. This after all makes sense, inflation has slowed and stopped many run-ups in the past, and the onset of inflation now could very well do the same. While the article introduced some possibilities, it said nothing of the likelihood, the causes of, the Fed.'s reactions to, and the probability of expected inflationary increases in the future. This paper is thus dedicated to expanding on these ideas by exploring the rationality of these concerns by examining the circumstances surrounding inflation. It is my speculation that the Bull market may eventually correct itself in the future, but not in the short term due to immediate inflation. That is, that the market was in fact flat due investors concerns, but actual imperative inflation does not look to be expected in the near future. In order to begin to understand the nature of market trends and forces, one must first consider the current state of the U.S. economy relative to its' business cycle. Certain aggregates can be measured that tell us a great deal about this. These aggregates have a strong history of leading, coinciding, or lagging the relative business cycle with a high amount of regular correlation. Appendix 2a contains illustrations, which show graphically the trends of the leading, lagging, and coincident indicators over the past few years. These graphs are composites of each group, and upon examination it is clear that all the indicators are rising. In fact the composite index of leading indicators shows that they have not experienced a significant downturn since the early 1980's, and have been increasing rather sharply over the past 3 years. The fact that all of these indicators are currently rising indicate that the economy is in a period of robust growth, or an expansionary phase. The fruits of this expansion have proven to be many, however it is often said that too much of a good thing can be bad. In this regard there are factors associated with the degree and nature of this economy, which could cause slowdown. For example, how is inflation measured, and to what degree should we be concerned with the effects and attributes of cost- push and demand- pull sources of inflation in this robust economy? According the Baye and Jansen, inflation can be measured by considering the growth of the money supply, the growth of M velocity, and the growth of real output. Algebraically this is represented by the equation: inflation = (gm + gv) - gy. This equation thus considers the monetary, supply-push, and demand-pull factors. When the rate of inflation is measured in this way one can see, that over the last few years inflation has been relatively stable about its' trend. This is in part, a result of the steady growth of GDP over the same period, and is testimony to the success of the Federal Reserve Board's monetary and fiscal policies. The rates of inflation over the last 10 years are graphically illustrated in Appendix 3A. Cost-push inflation incurs when the prices of inputs for production increase and thus cause profit margins to diminish. If firms are unwilling or unable to accept the declination in operating income, they will pass these increases on to consumers in the form of increased prices. In a competitive market it would seem that firms would be unable to raise prices, unless there was uniform pressure affecting the aggregate whole of suppliers. (Examples include per unit costs of production, labor costs, energy prices, etc..) Both the dollar cost per person per hour, and the output per person have been

Truman Capote Essays

Truman Capote Essays Truman Capote Essay Truman Capote Essay fuelling the fire of this statement Capote was unable to watch Smith be hanged after Hickock, even departing from the building overcome with grief. Already it would appear that perhaps the sympathy that Capote attributed to Smith through his novel was for that of someone he not only related to in sense of misgivings throughout his life, through a sense of being hard done by at every turn with the world against them, but conceivably because of a relationship developed through such misgivings and empathetic feelings that Capote developed towards Smith due to totally understanding his situation and perhaps feeling that in another life he could well have been in his very same position had events gone differently. From the very start of the novel when we first meet Perry Smith he forms the central character of the book. Capote is most interested in the trajectory of Smiths life toward the final, fatal deed, in which he murders the entire clutter family with Hickock, and the people, events, and conditions that shape his course. The problem of whether Smith is condemned from the beginning, or whether perhaps, as Willie Jay ,the chaplains clerk, believed, there was something savable about him, is answered by Capote through his inclusion of letters and sketches written by Smith and others who knew him, who confirm his vicious, off the wall, temper and his yet his dormant sensitivity. Capote purposefully makes clear that Smith is, as Helen Garson illustrated in her book Truman Capote, a strange, psychopathic mixture of vicious killer and compassionate protector which in itself presents a total contrast in emotions, actions and personalities. The idea that Smith is this cold blooded killer but at the same has a very compassionate side is portrayed with rigid regularity by capote with examples being when he placed a pillow under Kenyons (the Clutter boy) head, after performing the ultimate sin, a mattress box under Herb Clutters body, and even somewhat audaciously tucked Bonnie and Nancy Clutter into their beds after tying them. In addition in the book Garson also says how Capote, as narrator, concurs with the observation of psychiatrists he quotes that Smith, in the murder of Herb Clutter, was most likely exacting retribution on a key figure in some past traumatic configuration., even Perry Smith confesses, Maybe its just that the Clutters were the unlucky soles who had to pay for it, the proverbial it in this case being the life that Smith had to endure. Smiths desire for revenge against his abusers is rendered not only understandable but acceptable. In wiping out the Clutters, Smith is extinguishing not only the image and reality of all that he was denied, but the most respectable figures in an emblematically close-knit, vindictive community. Hickock and Smith originally went to prison for petty theft, an unfortunate circumstance that affected in entirety the rest of their lives. The degree of Smith and Hickocks indifference is seen when Hickock turns sharply to hit a dog, instead of simply pass it by, and when Smith explains that he thought Herb Clutter was a very decent, nice man, right up until the moment I cut his throat. Hickock does in fact improve his petty criminal behavior, developing a talent for passing bad checks, bedding married women, and passing in the world of decent humanity, while Smith develops an inconsistent aversion to drinking, indiscriminate sex, and unnecessary theft, although he is gripped with a desire to travel that prevents his commitment to anything that might resemble home or family. Once they had fallen off the generic, automated mechanism of upward mobility toward the american dream, the barriers to re-entry were too high to scale again, and, Capote implies, not interesting to Smith and Hickock. In this Capote is somewhat giving the American society and culture a bashing and using it as a scapegoat for crimes that many would have seen unforgivable. The American dream says anyone can be anything they desire, but all too often it is the ones that fall by the wayside that are more accountable than ones that reach prosperity. In the novel Capote includes letters written by Smiths family, the psychiatrist and befriended chaplains clerk, Willie Jay, which detail Smiths entire life and mental state. Smith is seen from these as a human with genuine intelligence and having a real sense of empathy and social integrity; however over time it has been warped into something quite undistinguishable through his traumatic life. As far as his family life went his mother died of alcoholism at a young age after choking on her sick, his brother and sister later committed suicide and another one of smiths sisters disowned him, never to want contact again (even when news of his execution reaches him she shows no real compassion) . Smith never got a formal education due to moving house regularly with his father, despite this he taught himself to play the guitar and to paint. He often read to increase his vocabulary and was very keen on making something of himself as a young man. During his youth he reads constantly and, being a bit of a prude, avoids vulgar literature and materials. In prison, he paints a portrait of Jesus for the prison chaplain, which leads Reverend Post to believe that Smith cannot be all that bad. Capotes recounting of Smiths childhood and family life begs the question whether Smiths crimes stem from inherent criminal tendencies, or whether he is pushed onto that path through circumstances beyond his control and with this he wants the reader to sympathise with Smith, showing that perhaps if the young man had been afforded the time, and upbringing he deserved then he could have been something very important to the world. This is all put to shame by the fact that murder cannot be forgiven, ho wever, in the circumstances of which Capote paints Smiths upbringing it becomes ever more clear and easier to understand why exactly it is he feels such sympathy for the man and why he paints him in such a positive light. In the novel moments before his death Smith turns to the warden and repents, It would be meaningless to apologize for what I did. Even inappropriate. But I do. I apologize. This is a clear indication perhaps of the man having a conscience, although we see rare glimpses of it thorough I think Capote put this in to leave the final feeling before the execution of his favorite character as one of sympathy on the level that he himself felt towards Smith. The idea that a hardened criminal would apologise and repent is somewhat unlikely and as a result the inclusion of such an act presents Perry Smith not in the light of a criminal but in virginal innocence (at one extreme) as it would seem to onlookers who knew his whole story (like Capote) that he, despite everything he went through, did in fact feel guilt for his actions and perhaps had given up on life too early. To reiterate, Capote argues, none too subtly, that Smith had considerable potential for a productive life had he not been abused and cast out throughout his life. In noting his sympathies for Smith, it is clear that Capote identifies and empathizes with Smith personally. But Capotes questioning of the relevance and righteousness of small-town values and priorities could be his own angry criticism of the world he himself inhabited: a false meritocracy in which his talents were inadequate unless accompanied by a biting, unrelenting charm. Capote depicts the hypocrisy of Smith and Hickocks trial and execution with similar precision; murder by an individual was illegitimate, but murder by the state was an accepted, even necessary means of satisfying a sense of reckoning and restoring order. The book is at the end of the day a criticism of societys handling of its children and its unwillingness to forgive those outside the boundaries of acceptable definition. Capotes portrayal of Smith as the victim of a self-righteous society reveals his own rejection of conformity and his identification with the antagonist anti-hero. Smiths chief fault, Capote believes, is not being a criminal, but attempting to transform the course set by childhood trauma and familial abuse and resist the depiction of himself by others. If Smith is not mentally ill, Capote believes that he has undeveloped violent tendencies, like everyone, which were fed a steady diet by a history of humiliating experiences. Capotes indifference to the sedate, predictable life of the Clutters supports his sympathetic portrayal of Smith. He does not valorise Smith or glorify the Clutters, but he endorses Smiths attempts to escape the stock characterization of problem child, juvenile delinquent, and finally, career crim inal. He does not similarly endorse the Clutters existence: Herb Clutter is a two-dimensional Everyman, icon of the American dream and the Puritan work ethic. To conclude, Capotes identification with Smith exists on several levels. He empathises with Smiths desire to escape his broken family history, to leave behind his horrific roots, and to enter and be accepted in a different social sphere. Capote, like Smith, came from a broken home, had no mother, and longed for celebrity status, or at least to be known. He did not complete his education, barely finishing high school, while Smith left school after the third grade. At the end of his life, Capote had been inducted into the world of fame and high society, but it was a false world of celebrities in which he was only a trophy, fashionable but marginal, and he was ultimately expelled from it for gossiping about them in print. In a sense, his celebrity seemed to make him even more sympathetic to the killers: why should he, also the product of a broken home, an outcast, without a complete formal education, run in such inflated circles while Smith did not? To say that it is inappropriate to sy mpathise with such a person, being a multiple killer though he is, is in the case somewhat understandable. Capote tries to engross the reader into a world far from that which most will have been a part of, but yet a world that exists perhaps almost behind closed doors. He led a hard life, not too dissimilar to Smith and yet he flourished, it shows that one choice or one circumstance can change who we are at any stage, and I think, like I said early, in another life Capote sees himself as being Perry Smith, so he feels empathy towards the man who he construes as potentially himself in a parallel existence.

Leadership, Team Building and Communication Case Study

Leadership, Team Building and Communication - Case Study Example Though such examples are always amongst the academic courses such as strategic management or marketing or entrepreneurship, where examples of Costa and Dunkin Donuts, etc are given, but not when it comes to leadership, team building and communication. This assignment specifically discusses a caf and discusses the said concepts about the same. The owners of the caf are Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers. Prior to predicting the leadership styles that are adopted by the owners of the caf, it is critically important to discuss and analyze the prevailing environment at the caf, for which, some critical points are quoted below from the extract. In the initial portion of the article, the author clearly states there was a clear indication about the caf being a step ahead of the conventional cafes with a family like atmosphere, a spirit of community, with mutual care and support amongst people. Respect for all is the key term that has been identified as the differentiating factors, whereby respect is for all, including the chefs, the waiters, dishwashers, everyone. Respect comes from within, from the culture, ultimately yielded in the top-bottom approach, and not possible otherwise. Other than this, there are no hierarchies, every person is free to take up a job that they discover and realize that they can do it. Following the same, there are no rigid job descriptions and there flexibility to switch roles within the arena. There is appreciation of creativity and provision of self audit, with responsibilities of actions taken by the person in-charge. Despite there being more freedom and lesser control, there is absolutely no t olerance for bad service due to a bad mood, though these are also individuals and there can always be a bad day, because a good food is no guarantee of bringing the customer back but a bad service would definitely not bring him back. Equality and mutual support are the major fundamentals; the daily menu is decided by the chefs and then moved up, which shows a classical example of a bottom-up approach. The seniors are influential but in an effective and unfelt manner, with no explicit push. The key rule is: 'involve everyone equally' which defines the strategy followed by the owners. There are no uniforms like any other traditional caf, which illustrates the openness of expression and empowerment. Following these evidences, as depicted above from the analytics of the case, it is clearly visible that the leadership style adopted is participative or democratic. The clear motto of such a group is 'let us', and this is precisely how it all proceeds; as the case suggests, there is no bossing around nor there is any delegation of tasks that might be the case in autocratic or delegative style of leadership respectively. For identifying the emotional intelligence competencies used in this assignment, reference is made to the Goleman's five dimensions of emotional intelligence. Goleman identifies two fundamental categories and then the dimensions respectively i.e.: Personal Competency Self awareness Self regulation Motivation Social Competency Empathy Social work As it is wisely said that the changes that are effective, come from the topic, along the similar lines, a brief analysis of the case and as visible from the readings quoted in the previous section, it is clearly vi

Marketing Plan Final evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Plan Final evaluation - Essay Example Joseph High School2, Toronto). Carnival is defined as the period of merrymaking and feasting celebrated just before Lent3. It is also referred to a traveling amusement show usually including rides, games, and sideshows. In simple words it is nothing but a festival of games and entertainment events in any place of common activity. It is also defined as the festival marked by merrymaking and processions and organized series of Different carnival games like Water Shooters, Fishing game, wack a Mole, Basketball, Potato sack, legged race, egg toss, drunken sailor, dress up races, obstacle course, Ball/ ring Toss and dunk tank are regularly conducted as part of wet stock. In addition, Trivial pursuit, American idol, dance events, and video games like wrestling, madden However relay races were not liked by considerable sample (60). Once the relay race is conducted the preference is mainly given to obstacle course (29), potato sack (21), 3 legged race (13) and drunken sailor (11) (Graph 2). Similarly the higher number of candidates (109) who participated in this survey opined that they would appreciate the communication of video games. The maximum choice was given to guitar hero (13), DRR (12), madden NFL (8), and WII (8) (Graph 3). Video games like MANU, sports, car racing, pacman, NBA, wrestling, diddy kong, rugby, baseball, tetris, NHL, GTA and hockey are also preferred but in lesser number. Majority of the candidates liked the dunk tank (152) and interestingly they have given choice for teachers compared to that of students. Some students have given consent (44) for raffles and majority of the participants are ready to 2-3 $. Majority students (122) preferred out side catering. The preferred items for lunch are pizza (68), hamburgers (57), hot dogs (51), and deli (10) (Graph 4). Similarly the reasonably good number of children showed liking for ice cream (69), cotton candy (55),

Strategies to Determine Art Work Authenticity

Strategies to Determine Art Work Authenticity Examination of the scientific techniques used to determine the authenticity of ark work Abstract The essay will detail the many different scientific techniques that are used to determine the authenticity of art work. Various pieces of artwork will need to be authenticated as there are many fraudulent artwork being sold worldwide. This essay will discover whether scientific techniques are the best process in authenticating art work, the many paintings that have undergone examination with scientific techniques and whether these techniques help to distinguish the original from fake. Introduction Authenticity in art can be defined as the real, genuine and true likeness of a piece of art work done by the artist themselves. There are a high percentage of paintings that have been sold and that are waiting to be sold which are fraudulent. This paper will outline the different types of art crimes that are committed, reasons why these art crimes are committed and the scientific techniques that are used to distinguish original and forged paintings. Many scientific techniques such as infrared are used on art work pieces that are believed to be counterfeit and with the use of theses scientific techniques, many art associations can distinguish between the paintings that are genuine. Although it may seem strange that a scientific technique such as IR can be used in detecting authenticity, there are many cases where fraudulent paintings have be detected using such techniques. The Han Van Meegeren case further examines the background information as to how his paintings where forged and how, using scientific techniques, they were detected as fraudulent. This will be discussed further. Another case being examined is the Leonardo Da Vinci case, which details how an authentic painting could have not been detected if it were not for the use of scientific techniques. Many artists have left their identities on their art paintings such as fingerprints and signatures, which help in the aid of authenticating a painting. Personal identification such as finger printing and signatures can be compared to reference samples taken from the artists themselves. Is it possible to view a painting, with human judgement and detect whether a painting is authentic? Or could using scientific techniques detect how legitimate a painting really is? Main Section There are many art crimes that are committed worldwide. Crimes such as theft, money laundering and forgery all take place in the art world. In the UK, approximately  £300 million art and antiques are stolen each year and is the second highest crime rate behind drug dealing now in the UK (1). Art theft has a very high crime rate because it has been known to be difficult to track and because of this, the recovery rate of getting art and antiques back to the owners are very rare. Art paintings and antiques that can be easily copied, are mostly likely to be forged; the more complex a painting, the harder it is for one to forge. Artists that forge paintings not only replicate a painting but they also go about making fraudulent copies of provenances. The certificate of origin is very easy to forge as the history of a painting can be easily fabricated. There are different scientific techniques that are used to examine art fraud such as Infrared, Ultraviolet, Digital Analysis and Optical Microscope. All techniques used, examine and result in mixed conclusions about a painting. The common aspect of all techniques used can all determine whether an art piece is authentic. Two or more scientific techniques are often used when authenticating art work to ensure accurate findings and support the results of the previous testing. A scientific technique such as IR, is a non-destructive analysis, which absorbs carbon based materials such as graphite and determines the underlying layers of a painting. Small sections of a painting can be enhanced to show the artists original intent and validate whether the painting is an original (2). Using infrared light, wavelengths are absorbed and reflected to show different pigments in the paint, which are used in the underlying drawing, if any. Another scientific technique used to determine the authenticity of art work is Ultraviolet radiation. This analysis is often the primary technique as it is a quick and inexpensive test that can prove to be very significant. The UV light reveals any change within a paintings’ surface. Ultraviolet radiation of the light reflects the surface of the layer of the painting and shows what condition the varnish layer of the painting is in. Another UV analysis is UV fluorescence. UV florescence can detect varnishes and pigments present on the painting and whether varnishes have been removed. This is an important feature as newer, modern varnishes used on paintings do not fluoresce under UV light compared to the varnishes used in older paintings. Natural resin varnishes were the most commonest varnishes used and these particular varnishes do fluoresce. UV is also an important technique as it can also detect any retouching and over paintings made on a previous painting. Paintings which a re under the seen image, when fluoresced, appear darker than the original fluorescent areas (3). Optical microscopy is a technique which sequences and studies the layers of an art piece. It can also be used to analyse the surface, condition and the size of pigment grains (4). When a painting is viewed under normal light, an analyst can see many details such as brushwork, textures and cracks that are present. Optical microscopy is important as it can investigate whether a painting has been altered by studying a small cross sectional piece of a painting. A cross section is removed from an edge or a previously damaged area of a painting and from this, layers of the painting can be inspected under bother normal and UV light (4). Original paintings that have not been tampered with are expected to have three layers present, when the cross section is studied. These three layers are; the prepared canvas layer, the paint pigment layer and the varnish layer. Paintings which have more than three layers are considered to be altered and questions of whether these paintings are authentic or n ot arise. An example of an altered painting layer is; canvas layer, paint layer, varnish layer, varnish layer, paint layer and varnish layer. As seen above, this example cannot be the layers of an original piece and so further analysis would be done to confirm its authenticity. Han Van Meegeren Around the 1930s Van Meegeren composed a plan to forge a large Vanmeer religious style painting. His first forgery was a painting called Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus. Meegeren studied the seventeenth century pigment formulas he was going to use to paint this and ensured he placed the painting on a recycled ‘unimportant’ canvas, which was also painted in the seventeenth – century (5). (http://www.essentialvermeer.com/misc/van_meegeren.html) On all paintings that Van Meegeren created, he used the same characters and the same location as the originals. In many of the paintings the woman and the man look very recognisable to the original paintings along with the window ledge that the paintings were painted around. Van Meegeren went on to forge many more Vanmeer paintings (5), where upon completion sold one to the Nazis. Upon his sale, he was arrested and confessed to be the forger of the recent Vanmeer paintings. To prove he was the forger of the Vanmeer paintings, Van Meegeren painted his last Vanmeer painting in front of the prison guards. After Van Meegeren was confirmed the forger of the Vanmeer paintings from sight, scientific techniques were used for exact confirmation. Such techniques used for determination of authenticity of those specific paintings were X-Radiology analysis, Chemical analysis and Microscopy analysis (6). A scientific technique such as X-Ray analysis is also a non-destructive technique, which detects any underlying substance beneath a surface of a painting, see through pigment layers and show whether there are/were any damaged areas within the art work. This can be used to build up a time line of a particular painting, age and authenticate the work (7). In the Vanmeer case, X-Ray analysis detected a previous painting that laid beneath the current painting due to the amount of lead isotopes detected in the lead based paints that Van Meegeren used to paint the Vanmeer pieces. The isotopes found were compared to the actual isotopes that would have been used if indeed the paintings were painted in Va nmeers living days (8). The chemical analysis taken from the painting ‘The Woman taken in Adultery and The Woman Reading Music’, identified traces of cobalt blue used in the pigment of the paint Meegeren used. This was found to be an artificial pigment, which was not manufactured until the 19th century. When the artificial pigment was detected and confirmed not to have been present in the Vanmeer day, it was further confirmation of the forgery committed by Meegeren (6). In this case the use of scientific techniques was essential when determining whether the Vanmeer paintings were indeed authentic. Without these techniques, visual judgement would not have distinguished the real Vanmeer’s to the fraudulent artwork as they were very good duplicates. Leonardo Da Vinci A drawing of a young womans head also known as ‘La Bella Principessa’ was discovered in 1998. It was not until many years later, that the drawing was thought to be a drawing by Da Vinci himself and was confirmed to be an authentic copy. The drawing was seen by many people in many different museums and was not thought to have been more than 100 years old. When the examination of this drawing took place, it was thought to be an important rediscovery to the artworld.(9). (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-la-bella-principessa-late-15th-century-unknown-artist-8505169.html) IR was one of the scientific techniques used to determine its authorship and authenticity. This technique was used in camera form and by scanning the drawing, it revealed a smudged partial fingerprint on the top left hand corner of the drawing. A forensic art fingerprint expert analysed the fingerprint and matched it to a known fingerprint left by Da Vinci on another piece of his work (9). Another scientific technique used was carbon-14 testing. This was used to analyse and date the paper the drawing was placed upon. The drawing was placed on a sheet of vellum and with carbon-14 testing, it dated back to 1440-1650 (9). This was around the time of Da Vinci era. These two discoveries which date back to Da Vinci era, verified the drawing to be an authentic copy. Without the use of scientific techniques done on La Bella Principessa, its ownership and authenticity would have not been known. The fingerprint and the paper this drawing was placed upon would never have been identified without the use of scientific techniques, which confirms that scientific techniques corrobates authenticated work. Discussion Scientific techniques used to authenticating art work as seen above proves to be an important aspect in the art world. If all art work before being sold and entering museums were to be scientifically tested, the amount of forgery done to paintings would reduce considerably more. Without the use of techniques such as IR, UV and X-Ray, the authentication of paintings would not be possible. The methods outlined are all successful methods that were used and are still being used today as they outline important aspects of artwork when examined, and can prove whether a painting is authentic or not. Many scientific techniques used are non-destructive and today the most used scientific technique is Ramen Spectroscopy (10). Ramen spectroscopy is the now the preferred technique than X-Ray as it is a technique which detects organic and inorganic pigments that are used in paints, which can distinguish the timeline of when the pigments were made (10). Conclusion From the information gathered, it is right to say that the use of scientific techniques is the right analysis used to determine the authenticity of art work. Many scientific techniques whether IR or pigment analysis aid in the authentication process and as seen above prove to be a significant process. Authentic paintings are discovered through the scientific process and counterfeit paintings are uncovered. By visual aspect of a painting and by human judgement one cannot determine whether an art piece is authentic or not. Scientific techniques prove to be a distinct process when authenticating. References (1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10455560/More-than-300m-of-art-being-stolen-in-Britain-each-year.html (Accessed on 22/02/2014) (2) http://www.sensorsinc.com/artanalysis.html (Accessed on 23/02/2014) (3) http://fineartconservation.ie/ultraviolet-radiation-4-4-43.html (Accessed on 24/02/2014) (4) http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/microscopy.html (Accessed on 25/02/2014) (5) http://denisdutton.com/authenticity.htm (Accessed on 21/02/2014) (6) http://www.tnunn.ndo.co.uk/detectn.htm (Accessed on 25/02/2014) (7) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18502413 (Accessed on 21/02/2014) (8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535372/ (Accessed on 20/02/2014) (9) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/7582591/La-Bella-Principessa-a-100m-Leonardo-or-a-copy.html (Accessed on 26/02/2014) (10) http://www.amphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1570202Ragai.pdf (Accessed on 26/02/2014)

Ancient Greece Essay

Greek Mythology, set of diverse traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals. The ancient Greeks worshiped many gods within a culture that tolerated diversity. Unlike other belief systems, Greek culture recognized no single truth or code and produced no sacred, written text like the Bible or the Qur’an. Stories about the origins and actions of Greek divinities varied widely, depending, for example, on whether the tale appeared in a comedy, tragedy, or epic poem. Greek mythology was like a complex and rich language, in which the Greeks could express a vast range of perceptions about the world. A Greek city-state devoted itself to a particular god or group of gods in whose honor it built temples. The temple generally housed a statue of the god or gods. The Greeks honored the city’s gods in festivals and also offered sacrifices to the gods, usually a domestic animal such as a goat. Stories about the gods varied by geographic location: A god might have one set of characteristics in one city or region and quite different characteristics elsewhere. II A A1  PRINCIPAL FIGURES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics, in addition to its multiple versions. The Greek gods resembled human beings in their form and in their emotions, and they lived in a society that resembled human society in its levels of authority and power. However, a crucial difference existed between gods and human beings: Humans died, and gods were immortal. Heroes also played an important role in Greek mythology, and stories about them conveyed serious themes. The Greeks considered human heroes from the past closer to themselves than were the immortal gods. Gods  Given the multiplicity of myths that circulated in Greece, it is difficult to present a single version of the genealogy (family history) of the gods. However, two accounts together provide a genealogy that most ancient Greeks would have recognized. One is the account given by Greek poet Hesiod in his Theogony (Genealogy of the Gods), written in the 8th century BC. The other account, The Library, is attributed to a mythographer (compiler of myths) named Apollodorus, who lived during the 2nd century BC. The Creation of the Gods According to Greek myths about creation, the god Chaos (Greek for â€Å"Gaping Void†) was the foundation of all things. From Chaos came Gaea (â€Å"Earth†); the bottomless depth of the underworld, known as Tartarus; and Eros (â€Å"Love†). Eros, the god of love, was needed to draw divinities together so they Greek Mythology might produce offspring. Chaos produced Night, while Gaea first bore Uranus, the god of the heavens, and after him produced the mountains, sea, and gods known as Titans. The Titans were strong and large, and they committed arrogant deeds. The youngest and most important Titan was Cronus. Uranus and Gaea, who came to personify Heaven and Earth, also gave birth to the Cyclopes, one-eyed giants who made thunderbolts. See also Creation Stories. A2 A3 A4 Cronus and Rhea Uranus tried to block any successors from taking over his supreme position by forcing back into Gaea the children she bore. But the youngest child, Cronus, thwarted his father, cutting off his genitals and tossing them into the sea. From the bloody foam in the sea Aphrodite, goddess of sexual love, was born. After wounding his father and taking away his power, Cronus became ruler of the universe. But Cronus, in turn, feared that his own son would supplant him. When his sister and wife Rhea gave birth to offspring—Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon—Cronus swallowed them. Only the youngest, Zeus, escaped this fate, because Rhea tricked Cronus. She gave him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to swallow in place of the baby. Zeus and the Olympian Gods When fully grown, Zeus forced his father, Cronus, to disgorge the children he had swallowed. With their help and armed with the thunderbolt, Zeus made war on Cronus and the Titans, and overcame them. He established a new regime, based on Mount Olympus in northern Greece. Zeus ruled the sky. His brother Poseidon ruled the sea, and his brother Hades, the underworld. Their sister Hestia ruled the hearth, and Demeter took charge of the harvest. Zeus married his sister Hera, who became queen of the heavens and guardian of marriage and childbirth. Among their children was Ares, whose sphere of influence was war. Twelve major gods and goddesses had their homes on Mount Olympus and were known as the Olympians. Four children of Zeus and one child of Hera joined the Olympian gods Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Ares. Zeus’s Olympian offspring were Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Athena. Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. The Offspring of Zeus  Zeus had numerous children by both mortal and immortal women. By the mortal Semele he had Dionysus, a god associated with wine and with other forms of intoxication and ecstasy. By Leto, a Titan, Zeus fathered the twins Apollo and Artemis, who became two of the most important Olympian divinities. Artemis remained a virgin and took hunting as her special province. Apollo became associated with music and prophecy. People visited his oracle (shrine) at Delphi to seek his prophetic advice. By the nymph Maia, Zeus became father of Hermes, the Olympian trickster god who had the power to cross all kinds of boundaries. Hermes guided the souls of the dead down to the underworld, Greek Mythology carried messages between gods and mortals, and wafted a magical sleep upon the wakeful. Two other Olympian divinities, Hephaestus and Athena, had unusual births. Hera conceived Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, without a male partner. Subsequently he suffered the wrath of Zeus, who once hurled him from Olympus for coming to the aid of his mother; this fall down onto the island of Lemnos crippled Hephaestus. The birth of Athena was even stranger. Zeus and Metis, daughter of the Titan Oceanus, were the parents of Athena. But Gaea had warned Zeus that, after giving birth to the girl with whom she was pregnant, Metis would bear a son destined to rule heaven. To avoid losing his throne to a son, Zeus swallowed Metis, just as Cronus had previously swallowed his own children to thwart succession. Metis’s child Athena was born from the head of Zeus, which Hephaestus split open with an axe. Athena, another virgin goddess, embodied the power of practical intelligence in warfare and crafts work. She also served as the protector of the city of Athens. Another of Zeus’s children was Persephone; her mother was Demeter, goddess of grain, vegetation, and the harvest. Once when Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow, Hades, god of the underworld, saw and abducted her, taking her down to the kingdom of the dead to be his bride. Her grief-stricken mother wandered the world in search of her; as a result, fertility left the earth. Zeus commanded Hades to release Persephone, but Hades had cunningly given her a pomegranate seed to eat. Having consumed food from the underworld, Persephone was obliged to return below the earth for part of each year. Her return from the underworld each year meant the revival of nature and the beginning of spring. This myth was told especially in connection with the Eleusinian Mysteries, sacred rituals observed in the Greek town of Elevsis near Athens. The rituals offered initiates in the mysteries the hope of rebirth, just as Persephone had been reborn after her journey to the underworld. Many Greek myths report the exploits of the principal Olympians, but Greek myths also refer to a variety of other divinities, each with their particular sphere of influence. Many of these divinities were children of Zeus, symbolizing the fact that they belonged to the new Olympian order of Zeus’s regime. The Muses, nine daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, presided over song, dance, and music. The Fates, three goddesses who controlled human life and destiny, and the Horae, goddesses who controlled the seasons, were appropriately the children of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of divine justice and law. Far different in temperament were the Erinyes (Furies), ancient and repellent goddesses who had sprung from the earth after it had been impregnated with the blood of Uranus’s severed genitals. Terrible though they were, the Erinyes also had a legitimate role in the world: to pursue those who had murdered their own kin. A5 Disruptive Deities Human existence is characterized by disorder as well as order, and many of the most characteristic figures in Greek mythology exert a powerfully disruptive effect. Satyrs, whom the Greeks imagined as part human and part horse (or part goat), led lives dominated by wine and lust. Myths depicted them as companions of Dionysus who drunkenly pursued nymphs, spirits of nature represented as young and beautiful maidens. Many of the jugs used at Greek symposia (drinking parties) carry images of satyrs. Equally wild, but more threatening than the satyrs, were the savage centaurs. These monsters, Greek Mythology depicted as half-man and half-horse, tended toward uncontrolled aggression. The centaurs are known for combat with their neighbors, the Lapiths, which resulted from an attempt to carry off the Lapith women at a wedding feast. This combat was depicted in sculpture on the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena in Athens. The Sirens, usually portrayed as birds with women’s heads, posed a different sort of threat. These island-dwelling enchantresses lured mariners to their deaths by the irresistible beauty of their song. The seafaring Greek hero Odysseus alone survived this temptation by ordering his companions to block their own ears, to bind him to the mast of his ship, and to ignore all his entreaties to be allowed to follow the lure of the Sirens’ song. B B1 B2 Mortals The Greeks had several myths to account for the origins of humanity. According to one version, human beings sprang from the ground, and this origin explained their devotion to the land. According to another myth, a Titan molded the first human beings from clay. The Greeks also had a story about the destruction of humanity, similar to the biblical deluge. The Creation of Human Beings Conflicting Greek myths tell about the creation of humanity. Some myths recount how the populations of particular localities sprang directly from the earth. The Arcadians, residents of a region of Greece known as Arcadia, claimed this distinction for their original inhabitant, Pelasgus (see Pelasgians). The Thebans boasted descent from earthborn men who had sprung from the spot where Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, had sown the ground with the teeth of a sacred dragon. According to another tale, one of the Titans, Prometheus, fashioned the first human being from water and earth. In the more usual version of the story Prometheus did not actually create humanity but simply lent it assistance through the gift of fire. Another tale dealt with humanity’s re-creation. When Zeus planned to destroy an ancient race living on Earth, he sent a deluge. However, Deucalion, a son of Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha—the Greek equivalents of the biblical Noah and his wife—put provisions into a chest and climbed into it. Carried across the waters of the flood, they landed on Mount Parnassus. After the waters receded, the couple gratefully made sacrifices to Zeus. His response was to send Hermes to instruct them how to repopulate the world. They should cast stones behind them. Stones thrown by Deucalion became men; those thrown by Pyrrha, women. The Greek People According to myth, the various peoples of Greece descended from Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha. One genealogy related that the Dorian and the Aeolian Greeks sprang from Hellen’s sons Dorus and Aeolus. The Achaeans and Ionians descended from Achaeos and Ion, sons of Hellen’s other son, Xuthus. These figures, in their turn, produced offspring who, along with children born of unions Greek Mythology between divinities and mortals, made up the collection of heroes and heroines whose exploits constitute a central part of Greek mythology. C C1 C2 C3 Heroes Myths about heroes are particularly characteristic of Greek mythology. Many of these heroes were the sons of gods, and a number of myths involved expeditions by these heroes. The expeditions generally related to quests or combats. Scholars consider some of these myths partly historical in nature—that is, they explained events in the distant past and were handed down orally from one generation to the next. Two of the most important of the semihistorical myths involve the search for the Golden Fleece and the quest that led to the Trojan War. In other myths heroes such as Heracles and Theseus had to overcome fearsome monsters. Jason and the Golden Fleece Jason was a hero who sailed in the ship Argo, with a band of heroes called the Argonauts, on a dangerous quest for the Golden Fleece at the eastern end of the Black Sea in the land of Colchis. Jason had to fetch this family property, a fleece made of gold from a winged ram, in order to regain his throne. A dragon that never slept guarded the fleece and made the mission nearly impossible. Thanks to the magical powers of Medea, daughter of the ruler of Colchis, Jason performed the impossible tasks necessary to win the fleece and to take it from the dragon. Afterward Medea took horrible revenge on Pelias, who had killed Jason’s parents, stolen Jason’s throne, and sent Jason on the quest for the fleece. She tricked Pelias’s daughters into cutting him up and boiling him in a cauldron. Medea’s story continued to involve horrific violence. When Jason rejected her for another woman, Medea once more used her magic to avenge herself with extreme cruelty. Meleager Jason and the same generation of heroes took part in another adventure, with Meleager, the son of King Oeneus of Calydon and his wife Althea. At Meleager’s birth the Fates predicted that he would die when a log burning on the hearth was completely consumed. His mother snatched the log and hid it in a chest. Meleager grew to manhood. One day, his father accidentally omitted Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, from a sacrifice. In revenge Artemis sent a mighty boar to ravage the country. Meleager set out to destroy it, accompanied by some of the greatest heroes of the day, including Peleus, Telamon, Theseus, Jason, and Castor and Polydeuces. The boar was killed. However, Meleager killed his mother’s brothers in a quarrel about who should receive the boar skin. In her anger Althea threw the log on to the fire, so ending her son’s life; she then hanged herself. Heroes of the Trojan War The greatest expedition of all was that which resulted in the Trojan War. The object of this quest was Helen, a beautiful Greek woman who had been abducted by Paris, son of King Priam of Troy. Helen’s husband Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon led an army of Greeks to besiege Troy. After ten Greek Mythology years, with many heroes dead on both sides, the city fell to the trick of the Trojan Horse—a giant wooden horse that the Greeks built and left outside the gates of Troy while their army pretended to withdraw. Not knowing that Greek heroes were hiding inside the horse, the Trojans took the horse into the city. The hidden Greeks then slipped out, opened the city gates and let their army in, thus defeating Troy. The Iliad, an epic poem attributed to Greek poet Homer, tells the story of the Trojan War. The story continued with the Odyssey, another long poem attributed to Homer, in which the Greek hero Odysseus made his way home after the Trojan War. Odysseus returned to his faithful wife, Penelope, whereas Agamemnon returned to be murdered by his faithless wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover. Historians considered the Trojan War entirely mythical until excavations in Turkey showed that there had been cities on the site of Troy and that fire had destroyed one of these cities at about the time of the Trojan War, sometime from 1230 BC to 1180 BC. C4 C5 Heracles and Theseus. The deeds of the heroes Heracles (see Hercules) and Theseus exemplify a central theme in Greek mythology: the conflict between civilization and wild savagery. Each hero confronted and overcame monstrous opponents, yet neither enjoyed unclouded happiness. Heracles had been an Argonaut but left the expedition after being plunged into grief at the loss of his companion Hylas. In another story, a fit of madness led Heracles to kill his own wife and children. But he is best known for his feats of prowess against beasts and monsters, which began soon after his birth. The most difficult of these feats are known as the 12 labors, which are believed to represent efforts to conquer death and achieve immortality. Although Heracles died, his father, Zeus, gave him a place on Mount Olympus. Theseus successfully slew the Minotaur, a monster that was half man and half bull. On his voyage home to Athens, however, he forgot to hoist the white sails that would have signified the success of his adventure. According to one tale, Theseus’s heartbroken father Aegeus, seeing black sails, believed his son had died, and committed suicide. The Aegean Sea in which he drowned is presumably named after Aegeus. Oedipus No hero of Greek mythology has proved more fascinating than Oedipus. He destroyed a monster, the Sphinx, by answering its riddle. Yet his ultimate downfall served as a terrifying warning of the instability of human fortune. As a baby, Oedipus had been abandoned on a mountainside by his parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, because of a prophecy that the child would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Saved by the pity of a shepherd, the child—its identity unknown—was reared by the king and queen of the neighboring city of Corinth. In due course, Oedipus unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy, matching the horrific crimes he had committed with the equally ghastly self-punishment of piercing his own eyes with Jocasta’s brooch-pins. Greek Mythology III A Gods and Goddesses B THE NATURE OF GREEK GODS AND HEROES In many respects the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology resembled extraordinarily powerful human beings. They experienced emotions such as jealousy, love, and grief, and they shared with humans a desire to assert their own authority and to punish anyone who flouted it. However, these emotions and desires took supernaturally intense form in gods and goddesses. As numerous literary descriptions and artistic representations testify, the Greeks imagined their gods to have human shape, although this form was strongly idealized. The Greeks, moreover, modeled relationships between divinities on those between human beings. Apollo and Artemis were brother and sister, Zeus and Hera were husband and wife, and the society of the gods on Mount Olympus resembled that of an unruly family, with Zeus at its head. The gods could temporarily enter the human world. They might, for example, fall in love with a mortal, as Aphrodite did with Adonis; Apollo with Daphne; and Zeus with Leda, Alcmene, and Danae. Or they might destroy a mortal who displeased them, as Dionysus destroyed King Pentheus of Thebes for mocking his rites. Not all Greek divinities resembled human beings. They could also be uncanny, strange, and alien, a quality made visible in artistic representations of monsters. For example, the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa had a stare that turned her victims to stone. The Graeae, sisters of the Gorgons, were gray-haired old crones from birth. They possessed but a single tooth and a single eye between them. Typhoeus was a hideous monster from whose shoulders grew a hundred snakeheads with dark, flickering tongues. Even the major deities of Olympus showed alien characteristics at times. A recurrent sign of divine power is the ability to change shape, either one’s own or that of others. Athena once transformed herself into a vulture; Poseidon once took the form of a stallion. This ability could prove convenient such as when Zeus assumed the form of a swan to woo Leda. Zeus turned Lycaon, a disrespectful king, into a wolf to punish him for his wickedness. The ability to exercise power over the crossing of boundaries is a crucial feature of divine power among the Greeks. Heroes Greek mythology also told how divinities interacted with heroes, a category of mortals who, though dead, were believed to retain power to influence the lives of the living. In myths heroes represented a kind of bridge between gods and mortals. Heroes such as Achilles, Perseus, and Aeneas were the products of a union between a deity and a mortal. The fact that the gods often intervened to help heroes—for example, during combat—indicated not the heroes’ weakness but their special importance. Yet heroes were not the equals of the gods. With a logic characteristic of Greek myth, heroes typically possessed a defect to balance out their exceptional power. For example, the warrior Achilles, hero of the Trojan War, was invulnerable except in the heel. The prophet Cassandra, who warned the Trojans of dangers such as the Trojan Horse, Greek Mythology always prophesied the truth but was never believed. Heracles constituted an extreme example of this paradox: His awesome strength was balanced by his tendency to become a victim of his own excessive violence. Nevertheless, the gods allowed Heracles to cross the ultimate boundary by gaining admission to Olympus. IV A B THE FUNCTIONS OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Like most other mythological traditions, Greek myths served several purposes. First, Greek myths explained the world. Second, they acted as a means of exploration. Third, they provided authority and legitimacy. Finally, they provided entertainment. Explanation Greek myths lent structure and order to the world and explained how the current state of things had originated. Hesiod’s Theogony narrated the development of the present order of the universe by relating it to Chaos, the origin of all things. By a complex process of violence, struggle, and sexual attraction, the regime led by Zeus had eventually taken over. Another poem by Hesiod, Works and Days, explained why the world is full of trouble. According to the poem the first woman, Pandora, opened a jar whose lid she had been forbidden to lift. As a result of her disobedience all the diseases and miseries previously confined in the jar escaped into the world. Such a myth also makes a statement about relationships between the sexes in Hesiod’s own world. Scholars assume that he composed the poem for a largely male audience that was receptive to a tale that put women at the root of all evil. One of the commonest types of explanation given in myths relates to ritual. Myths helped worshipers make sense of a religious practice by telling how the practice originated. A prime example is sacrifice, a ritual that involved killing a domesticated animal as an offering to the gods. The ceremony culminated in the butchering, cooking, and sharing of the meat of the victim. Hesiod recounts the myth associated with this rite. According to this myth, the tricky Titan Prometheus tried to outwit Zeus by offering him a cunningly devised choice of meals. Zeus could have either an apparently unappetizing dish—an ox paunch, which had tasty meat concealed within—or a seemingly delicious one, gleaming fat on the outside, which had nothing but bones hidden beneath. Zeus chose the second dish, and ever since human beings have kept the tastiest part of every sacrifice for themselves, leaving the gods nothing but the savor of the rising smoke. Exploration Myths charted paths through difficult territory, examining contradictions and ambiguities. For instance, Homer’s Iliad explores the consequences during the Trojan War of the Greek leader Agamemnon’s decision to deprive the warrior Achilles of his allotted prize, a female slave. Achilles feels that Agamemnon has assailed his honor or worth but wonders how far he should go in reaction. Is he right to refuse to fight, if that means the destruction of the Greek army? Is he justified in rejecting Agamemnon’s offer of compensation? One of this poem’s themes explores the limits of honor. Greek Mythology The dramatic genre of tragedy provides the clearest example of mythical exploration (see see Greek Literature; Drama and Dramatic Arts). The great Athenian playwrights of the 5th century BC— Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—wrote tragedies that explored social questions by placing them, in extreme and exaggerated form, in a mythical context. Sophocles’s tragic play Antigone concerns just such an extreme situation. Two brothers have killed each other in battle: Eteocles defending his homeland, and Polynices attacking it. Their sister Antigone, in defiance of an edict by the city’s ruler, attempts to bury her ostensibly traitorous brother Polynices. Sophocles raises several moral issues. Is Antigone justified in seeking to bury her brother? Which should prevail, a religious obligation to tend and bury a corpse, or a city’s well-being? The answers to these moral issues are far from clear-cut, as we might expect from a work whose subtlety and profundity have so often been admired. C D V A Legitimation Myths also had the function of legitimation. A claim, an action, or a relationship acquired extra authority if it had a precedent in myth. Aristocratic Greek families liked to trace their ancestry back to the heroes or gods of mythology. The Greek poet Pindar, who wrote in the early 5th century BC, offers ample evidence for this preference. In his songs Pindar praised the exploits of current victors in the Olympian Games by linking them with the deeds of their mythical ancestors. In addition, two Greek city-states could cement bonds between them by showing that they had an alliance in the mythological past. Entertainment Finally, myth telling was a source of enjoyment and entertainment. Homer’s epics contain several descriptions of audiences held spellbound by the songs of bards (poets), and recitations of Homer’s poems also captivated audiences. Public performances of tragic drama were also hugely popular, regularly drawing some 15,000 spectators. ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Our knowledge of Greek mythology begins with the epic poems attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which date from about the 8th century BC even though the stories they relate probably have their origins in events that occurred several centuries earlier. Scholars, however, know that the origins of Greek mythology reach even farther back than that. Origins of Greek Mythology Linguists (people who study languages) have concluded that some names of Greek deities, including Zeus, can be traced back to gods worshiped by speakers of Proto-Indo-European, the common ancestor of the Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit languages. But it would be misleading to regard the people who may have spoken this language as originators of Greek mythology because many other elements contributed. Greek Mythology Archaeologists have shown that many of the places where mythical events presumably took place correspond to sites that had historical importance during the Mycenaean period of Greek history (second half of the 2nd millennium BC). Scholars thus consider it likely that the Mycenaeans made a major contribution to the development of the stories, even if this contribution is hard to demonstrate in detail. Some scholars have argued that the Minoan civilization of Crete also had a formative influence on Greek myths. The myth of the Minotaur confined in a labyrinth in the palace of King Minos, for example, might be a memory of historical bull-worship in the labyrinthine palace at Knossos on Crete. However, there is little evidence that Cretan religion survived in Greece. Nor have any ancient inscriptions confirmed that Minos ever existed outside of myth. Scholars can demonstrate influence on Greek mythology from the Middle East much more reliably than influence from Crete. Greek mythology owed much to cultures in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, especially in the realm of cosmogony (origin of the universe) and theogony (origin of the gods). To take one example, a clear parallel exists in an early Middle Eastern myth for Greek poet Hesiod’s story about the castration of Uranus by his son Cronus and the subsequent overthrow of Cronus by his son Zeus. The Middle Eastern myth tells of the sky god Anu who was castrated by Kumarbi, father of the gods. The weather and storm god Teshub, in turn, displaced Anu. Scholars continue to bring to light more and more similarities between Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies. B Development of Greek Mythology Our knowledge of Greek myths comes from a mixture of written texts, sculpture, and decorated pottery. Scholars have reconstructed stories that circulated orally by inference and guesswork. Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, stand at the beginning of Greek literary tradition (see Greek literature), even though they almost certainly depended on a lengthy previous tradition of oral poetry. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War; it focuses on the consequences of a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles, two of the leading Greek warriors. The Odyssey is about the aftermath of the Trojan War, when the Greek hero Odysseus at last returns to his home on the island of Ithaca following years of wandering in wild and magical lands. The Trojan War later provided subject matter for many tragic dramas and for imagery on countless painted vases. Hesiod’s Theogony, composed in the 8th century BC at about the same time as the Homeric epics, gave an authoritative account of how things began. The creation of the world, described by Hesiod in terms of passions and crimes of the gods, is a theme that later Greek philosophers such as Empedocles and Plato developed but took in new directions. This connection serves as a reminder that mythology was not a separate aspect of Greek culture, but one that interacted with many other fields of experience, particularly the writing of history. For example, in the 5th century BC Greek historian Herodotus employed numerous themes and story patterns from Greek epics and tragedies in writing his historical account of the war between Greeks and Persians (see Persian Wars). Although the authority of Homer and Hesiod remained dominant, the poetic retelling of myths continued throughout antiquity. Myths were constantly remade in the light of new social and political circumstances. The Hellenistic period of Greek history (4th century to 1st century BC) saw many new trends in the treatment of myths. One of the most important was the development of mythography, Greek Mythology the compilation and organization of myths on the basis of particular themes (for example, myths about metamorphosis). Such organization corresponded to a wish of newly established Hellenistic rulers to lend legitimacy to their regimes by claiming that they continued a cultural tradition reaching back into a great past. Artists, too, portrayed myths. Statues of gods stood inside Greek temples, and relief sculptures of scenes from mythology adorned pediments and friezes on the outside of these temples (see Greek Art and Architecture). Among the best-known examples are the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens. These reliefs include depictions of combat between centaurs and Lapiths. Other visual representations of mythology were more modest in size and scope. The best evidence for the use of mythology in Greek painting comes from painted ceramic vases. The Greeks used these vases in a variety of contexts, from cookery to funerary ritual to athletic games. (Vases filled with oil were awarded as prizes in games. ) In most cases scholars can securely identify the imagery on Greek vases as mythological, but sometimes they have no way of telling whether the artist intended an allusion to mythology because myth became fused with everyday life. For example, does a representation of a woman weaving signify Penelope, wife of Odysseus who spent her days at a loom, or does it portray someone engaged in an everyday activity? The Greeks retold myths orally, as well as preserving them in literary and artistic works. The Greeks transmitted to children tales of monsters and myths of gods and heroes. Old men gathered to exchange tales in leschai (clubs or conversation places). Storytelling, whether in writing, art, or speech, was at the heart of Greek civilization. VI A THE LEGACY OF GR.