The Return of the Soldier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Return of the Soldier - Essay Example This era is often described as the final era of the old world; for, it still held major class distinctions between the rich and poor. It was also known as an era of great elegance and luxury for the rich who lived on their large estates, and great suffering and hard work for the lower classes. The beginning of the war saw families of the soldiers desperately trying to uphold the Edwardian ways in an ever changing world. It is against this backdrop that West's novel is set. The novel deals with Chris Baldry, an army captain, who suffers shell-shock; thus, causing him to forget all that had happened over the last fifteen years. He believes that he is still twenty one and in love with Margaret, a lowly born innkeeper's daughter. West uses a first person narrator, Chris' cousin Jenny, to tell the story of Chris' illness and his recovery. The journey that Chris takes in regaining his memory displays the bridge between the old social order before the war and the new emerging social order. Therefore, by looking at Chris and how the women in his life help restore his memory, it may be possible to better understand how the war changed the social order of England. In chapter one we are introduced to the three women who have been central to Chris during his life. The first half of the chapter sees Jenny, Chris' cousin and Kitty his wife in the nursery of Chris and Kitty's dead child, Oliver. Jenny reveals to the reader how she and Kitty had especially crafted Baldry Court and the surrounding grounds of Harrowweald so that Chris may live a contented life surrounded by luxurious perfection. She also accounts the day that Chris left for the war, describing how he took leave of the house. When Jenny threats that they haven't heard from Chris for a fortnight we are given our first insights into Kitty. She tells Jenny "not to fuss". Kitty is described as beautifully perfect; she is continually busy with her physical appearance. We get the idea that she is so unworried about something happening to Chris because she is perfect and she maintains a perfect household and grounds. This first half of the chapter depicts the Edwardian way of elegance and lu xury. Jenny's narration is also extremely descriptive mainly focusing on the material, placing great emphasis on it. The second half of the chapter sees Margaret's arrival to Baldry Court in order to bring the news of Chris' illness to Jenny and Kitty. A great contrast is created between Kitty's lovely appearance and Margaret's weather worn appearance that shows a life of hardship. Many unpleasant words such as "repulsive", "unlovely", "base" etc. are used to describe her. Due to the extreme divide between the rich and poor, Jenny at first mistakes her nervous way of telling them about Chris' condition as stupidity "this woman butted like a clumsy animal at a gate she was not intelligent enough to open "; yet, later realises it is because she does not want to hurt Kitty by confessing that Chris does not remember her at all, he can only remember his love for Margaret. Kitty further demonstrates how materialistic and aloof from true feeling she is when she disbelieves Margaret's story being more worried that Margaret is spinning a story to receive money. When Margaret leaves Kitty continues to ask Je nny if the story can be true; for, if it is it will be a blemish on her perfect life. She

Education and Louisiana Content Standards Essay Example for Free

Education and Louisiana Content Standards Essay The word comes from the Latin word currere which means the course to be run. It contains the courses of study that a student has to complete successfully to obtain a degree certifying competence. (It is the What and Instruction is the How) In K-12 schools, it also contains the standards and benchmarks for each of the courses of study. Students must successfully complete the benchmarks in order to complete the course. In this new age, those benchmarks are measured by the Louisiana Educational Assessment Plan (LEAP). During the 1920s, the definition of curriculum as school experiences was developed by progressive educators to emphasize the quality of experiences. What children learn in school is wider than what goes on in the classrooms. It includes experiences in hallways, the cafeteria, playground, etc. These experiences cannot be separated from the responsibility of educators. There are five types of curriculum: FORMAL- The formal curriculum is the intended curriculum, explicit, overt, and written. It includes the planned and advertised menu of courses, the content of those courses, the catalog descriptions, and the regular public activities included in those courses. You will find this in the Louisiana Content Standards and Benchmarks and the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs). INFORMAL-The informal curriculum is also intended, but not explicit or written. This includes such things as citizenship, manners, and social skills and is influenced by the teacher and his or her educational philosophy. It is reflected in the classroom and is often found in the rules and procedures that a teacher implements. It is also evident in the methodologies chosen by a teacher. For example, I have a strong belief in learning styles; therefore, in face-to-face classrooms, I include a lot of hands-on activities for students to participate and engage in. Also, I include activities that involve lots of student interaction. The hidden curriculum is the covert, or implicit, implied by the very structure of the school buildings. It is learned by exposure of living in  the environment. It is characterized by the reward systems, physical plan of the school, furniture arrangement, etc. When you look at a school, is there a trophy case for sporting events, but not academics? Are classes dismissed every Friday, 6th or 7th period, for a pep rally? If so, that school would value athletics over academics. As you look at the structure of the school, is there a computer room, or is technology evident in every classroom? Are teachers allowed to attend professional development activities during the school day? All these things will provide information about the hidden curriculum of the school. Hidden curriculum is researched by critical theorists. NULL-The null curriculum is what is left out, not attended to, or taught. What is missing from your school, or even the Louisiana Content Standards and Benchmarks? Does the school embrace diversity, or just say it does? EXTRA-The extra-curriculum includes those activities that are structured by the teachers and administration. If a school has a football team, a basketball team, track team (etc.) but no history club, Spanish club, math club (etc. ), one might infer that athletics are valued more than academics. If the school has a basketball team and track team and also has National Honor Society, Future Farmers of America, (etc. ), one would infer that all learnings are valued. What is the relationship between Formal Curriculum and Hidden Curriculum? What is the relationship between Formal Curriculum and Informal Curriculum? How do all forms of c urriculum relate to each other curriculum?

Who is the Green Knight? Essay -- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essa

Who is the Green Knight? The Green Knight is described as an unusual and supernatural figure in the fourteenth century story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Throughout the story he is portrayed as a very confident individual who intends to play a game with one of the knights of the Round Table. In doing this, the Green Knight hopes to show that the knights of the Round Table indeed have flaws and weaknesses; this is the Green Knight's overall goal. However, the Green Knight himself can be viewed as a being prone to flaws and experiencing weaknesses. As the deceitful master plan he creates develops throughout the story, so does the truth behind his intentions for such a plan. Thus, the role and purpose of the Green Knight is to be known. The Green Knight's physical features are well depicted in the story. He is noted for his green skin pigmentation and giant size: "One of the greatest on ground in growth of his frame: From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick" (161). The Green Knight is looked upon as "half a giant on earth" and highly regarded because of this. Arthur's court becomes amazed to see such a creature of such enormous size. The Green Knight's language is charming and abrupt when he asks firmly: "Where is the captain of this crowd? Keenly I wish to see that sire with sight, and to himself say my say" (163). To a king this may seem a bit rude to addressed in such a way. The Green Knight's plan is to test the court. He wants to test one of Arthur's knights. Because of their fame and how well they are known for their chivalry and courage, the Green Knight seizes this as an opportunity to place before them a challenge. Sir Gawain takes on the challenge. The Green Knight offers his head to be cut off in ex... ...k to it saying: "Sir courteous knight, If contest bare you crave, You shall not fail to fight" (164). He did not know what he was being asked to do or offer. The Green Knight had not yet made it clear to him. Arthur was not going to back down from such a challenge for it was not a knightly thing to do, especially not after hearing what great things the Green Knight says about Arthur and his men. The Green Knight's honesty and confidence places quite an impression on Arthur and his men. Sources Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition, Vol. 1 Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000. pp. 156-210. http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20003a/charactr.htm, by Yevgeniy Gelfand http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/gawain.htm http://www.greenknight.com/ http://www.ancalagon.de/tolkien/howe/gawain.jpg

Great expectations Essay

Charles Dickens ‘Great expectations’ was written in the 1800, and at that time there was a great divide in the social structure and this was between the lower and middle classes, because of Charles was born in the lower class of society he was forced into leaving school at the age of twelve and to go to work to help bring in food. Ni this assignment I am going to analyse three characters which are Pip a young orphan that I think that he is very lonely, Miss Havisham a middle class eccentric who appears to be lost in time and Magwitch a convict that is on the run and is very self conscious. When we are first introduced to Pip he is in a churchyard looking at his mothers and farther gravestone scripts, this first tells us they are both dead and he is trying to imagine there appearances, his farther a square, stoot, dark man, with curly black hair, the mood of the graveyard is cold gloomy and foggy, which further more depresses Pip and also ha s the effect on the reader to feel sorry for him and also I think makes the reader feel closer to Pip because every one has felt some sadness and depression. Extract one is written in Pips point of view this encourages the reader without knowing to think they understand pip and have a bond, without ever meeting him or knowing if he’s real or not. When first encountering Magwitch, Pip is shocked and scared for his life because the only place he might feel safe next to his parents graves he is grabbed by a convict on the run and puts Pip upside down. The way Pip reacts to Magwitch on there first encounter tells us that Pip is very polite and obedient because he does what Magwitch wants him to do and does it without question and no answering back and the way he kept his ‘cool’ tells the reader that he is brave. When Pip is described as a ‘bundle of shivers’ Dickens wants us to feel that pip is scared and a helpless boy, so the reader is more sympathetic towards him. The techniques that Dickens uses to make you feel sympathetic for Pip are good because he makes Pip real inisant. When we first meet Magwitch he is lurking in the grave yard bushes and he is there because he is a convict on the run and when he grabs Pip, and finds out that he is living with the blacksmith he wants Pip to bring him some tools and food so he can get rid of his ball and chain and eat. From Magwitches first encounter the reader finds him very selfish and self conscious and rough because of the way he handles Pip by putting him upside down and shaking him. On lines 33-37 there is a description of Magwitch and from this I think the reader is meant to imagine how he looked and imagine what they would do if a man in that state even approached you, and by doing this also brings and sense of more sympathy for Pip, and maybe some slight sympathy for Magwitch. The church yard setting in which Pip and Magwitch first meet is very gloomy and dull something that you would imagine a haunted house setting and this adds to the impact upon Pip from Magwitch because that’s is the situation that you only dream of meeting a beaten convict. The way that Magwitch speaks to Pip (short and suddenly) says that he hasn’t got much time and he’s tired and this shows the reader the impression Dickens wants Magwitch to show that he is a scary, ugly, frightening and a man who hasn’t got time for little boys who are getting in the way. Satis’ s house is quite large and it is a lighted by wax candles and so seems to be quite dirty because on line 18-19 in extract 2 it says that ‘had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow’ and he also says that she is half dressed in a bridal dress and she had withered away and so the dress was to big for her and she only has one shoe on, this tells us that she has been stood up by a husband or she has had second thoughts and stood up her future husband years ago and she has never taken the dress of because she either wants to remember that she had a future husband at one point and wonders why she got stood up or she regrets standing up the man she stood up. Miss Havisham speaks with anger because in line 70 in extract 2 she says ‘you can break his heart’ and this my indicate she got stood up and so taking it out on Pip since he like Estella and he is only a working boy and she is an upper-class girl she Miss Havisham says break his heart, this sho ws both social differences and Miss Havishams revenge and anger. Dickens wants us to feel sorrow and also anger at Miss Havisham because she seems depressed and to be in a wedding dress so long it has turned yellow and also she does not know what day or month it is. Dicken creates a sense of inisance around Pip and a sense of sorrow around Magwitch I think is remarkable since these two characters have meetings all the through extract 1. in my opinion I found Magwitch the most rememborable character because I liked the way that Dickens court the basic characteristics so well in the way that he was ruthless and selfish but also I found that I could understand the actions that he did because I would probably do the same, and also I liked the description of him that he had scratches and was muddy and wet shows there was a struggle escaping and also still having the steal ball to his leg shows me that he had to have great desire and determination to escape.

Public School System Essay

Abstract The public school system in America is a topic that is surrounded by great debate. There are many questions that surround this topic. The research question for this paper was, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future? And, what solutions are available if the system is failing? The methodology the researcher used in this paper was literature review, and he also conducted an interview with someone working in the field. In this paper the researcher explains how the public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. The paper also explains how the teaching styles are out dated. The researcher also explains the solutions that are already in place and the possible solutions for the future. Introduction For several decades, the public school system has been a topic of great debate. There are many questions surrounding this topic, such as: Is the public schools system failing to prepare our children? Who should make the curriculum? Who should make the policies? And what role and say do the parents have in their children’s education? These are just a few examples of the questions that may come up with the topic of public education. This topic is important to me because of the diverse educational background I come from. I started out my educational experience in regular classes and then was moved to advanced classes and finally, after failing, I ended up at an alternative school. That is why I ask the question, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future, what are the problems, and if it is what is being done to fix it? Due to my educational background I do believe that the public school system is failing to prepare our children. I also believe there are many contributing factors, such as, the school staff, the government, the teachers union, and even the parents. I also believe that there are many ways to fix the system, like new union and staff rules, changing the curriculum, and involving more educators than politicians when forming policies. This topic is important for all children in the U.S. public school system, because if the system is successfully improved, their learning experience will be greatly enhanced. It will also benefit the teachers, because they will have the opportunity to truly serve the community rather than just going to work. This has become a very complex topic but after reading the research ahead you will see that the answer is relatively simple. Review of Literature There is an idea that our public schools are failing to prepare our children for the future. This future could be four year college, technical school or directly into the work place. It is the job of our public schools to prepare each student for all of these futures. However, it seems that the idea that their failing has become the reality and it is a concerning thought that America is producing children less prepared for the world than are other countries. The National Center for Education conducted a study in 1995 involving students from forty one countries. They tested skills in math and science for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. What they found at the fourth grade level was that the students were above the international average in mathematics and science. At the eighth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average in mathematics, but above the average in science. At the twelfth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average among the lowest of the participating nations. (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) This seems to be the trend with our students in America. They tend to level off instead of advancing like students in other nations. Part of this problem is due to the teaching that the students receive. This is described in the 1995 study by the National Center for Education; â€Å"eighth grade U.S. mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future problems.† (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) Some teaching was said to be boring and out dated. The students sometimes seem like drones listening to the person in the front of the room rather than grasping the whole idea. Mike O’Conner described in his interview. (O’Conner, 2012) The documentary Waiting for Superman also talked about the case of the bad teacher. Which, if your school has one, it was said that you would be stuck with it? This is mainly because of the union benefit called tenure that protects teachers from being dismissed for the wrong reasons, but also makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to dismiss the bad teachers. (Guggenheim, 2010) Teachers are not the only problem and should not be the only source of blame. There are higher positions to the school system than just teachers such as principals, administrators, and city officials that all play a role in the failing system. The article Dependant teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children describes the differences between having good administrators and bad. The article goes on to say that if a school has a good administrator they will attract good teachers. Then it talks about bad administrators and their need for power and control. This in turn will attract teachers who have dependency needs and do not tolerate independence. (Muschel, Fall 1979) In other words, if you have bad leaders you get bad followers. This article also describes how through the use of rules, regulations, paperwork, and language an administrator can control the staff. They do this to give themselves job satisfaction, but it ultimately stops the teachers from effectively engaging in the classroom. (Muschel, Fall 1979) The government officials also play a role in the way our schools’ lesson plans are laid out. The article Needed: Educational Philosophy as a guide for Decision Making in the Public Schools touches on this. (Klein, Spring 1977) The article talks about how the endeavors of our politicians change our schools curriculum. It also states that the direction our country is going in comparison with other nations changes our curriculum. One example of this is during our endeavors to beat Russia into space our children were required to learn complex and abstract science and math disciplines. (Klein, Spring 1977) Another example of the politics behind education is the No Child Left Behind act of 2002. This act by congress states that each state set up a standard that each student has to test at. It also gives the parents the right to pull a child out of a failing school and put them in a better one. In addition it holds the state accountable for its education. The article Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials, talks about this act. It says that the schools are more accountable for a student’s yearly success. It also states that the schools need to use researched based methods of teaching. It also talks about how the act is somewhat of a control of parental rights; in the manner that it is up for the individual to seek education. Overall, it mainly talks about how the act should help improve students who are in economically disadvantaged areas, but does not touch on the failing children in the more economically fluent areas. (Russo, 2005) Mike O’Conner also talked about the No Child Left Behind act in his interview. He mainly said that it is a good idea, but it is about twenty years too late. He said this because of the times we are in. He also described how this is the technology and information age, it is time we start teaching in that capacity, rather than make provisions that still support our old system. (O’Conner, 2012) One other problem which was touched on by the film Changing Education Paradigms. This problem was the fact that children are medicated for ADHA too much and too quickly. It was described that children now are being bombarded by information from every technological device around them. This, in turn, distracts them from the information on the blackboard, which appears boring. To deal with this the students are medicated to calm them down and making them pay attention. It also showed that the prescriptions are given more frequently as you head east across the states. (Robinson, 2010) That is just some of the problems with public education today. There are many more like attendance issues, and the children’s home environment. These are just some of the main points surrounding our public schools problems. Now it is time to address some of the solutions to these problems. As the problem of the failing public education system grew so did the demand for a solution. Educators and others came up with one solution which has mixed reviews. This was the invention of the alternative, or charter schools. These schools are set up for the student to ultimately succeed in today’s curriculum, with more ease and confidence. The article An Oasis of Hope: the Power of Thinking Developmentally (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) talks about how the public schools have placed some children in low quality, control based programs which give them limited outcomes. It goes on to say that these children need to be put in alternative programs that follow positive guidelines. These guidelines should follow these principles: All children must have opportunities for success based on efforts which are celebrated by significant adults. All children need to be seen for their strengths. All children must have opportunities to develop qualities which follow a healthy developmental progression. All children have the right to live and learn in contexts relevant to their real lives and dreams. (p. 106) The article also describes how to use these principals in the framework for alternative schools for special needs children. (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) The idea of alternative and charter schools is in our own backyard of Milwaukee. â€Å"Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in education,† according to the article Alternative Education Programs in Milwaukee. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article states that, â€Å"in 1990 the state of Wisconsin legislated mandatory alternative education programs for children at risk of not graduating from high school.† Howard states that the legislation set parameters that qualify the children as at risk such as; one or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained, habitual truants, adjudicated delinquents, and parents. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article also says that by August fifteenth of each year the schools must have a plan in place for each student who is at risk. It goes on to describe the classes as a fifteen to one student to teacher ratio, which allows personalized time with each student. (Howard, Summer 2003) Howard also talks about three different alternative schools which are Silverspring Neighborhood Academy, Shalom High School, and Cornerstone Achievement Center. Each school has a different approach to the alternative setting, but they all share equal success with their students, according to the article. (Howard, Summer 2003) The video documentary Waiting for Superman is a great example of the successes of charter schools. This documentary talks about several schools across the country. Most of these schools are in the larger cities, but some are in the suburbs. It talks about the great success stories that each school has where the public sector is failing. It also stated that the students graduating from the schools shown were adequately prepared for college. The film also showed the demand for the schools in the failing districts, because the students had to be placed in a lottery just to get in. According to the film, almost all the students who attended the charter schools were successful and most went on to college. Another way the school system can improve is by completely restructuring the way the children are taught. According to Mike O’Conner, in his interview, the schools were designed to educate children fifty years ago. He states that the schools need to â€Å"personalize learning† and base the education on â€Å"competency rather than credits.† One example of this would be not having â€Å"archaic technology bans such as cell phones and I Pads.† Also, with the competency rather than credit program, a child could start school and finish at their own pase, rather than six years of elementary, two years of middle school, and four years of high school. An example of that is two students start their freshman year; one student finishes school in three years, the other in five. Mike also says that part of the â€Å"solution is pacing, relevancy, and refocusing on creativity† which will help keep children involved and help them develop their passions. This is the focal points of what he is trying to do at his school. He also states that although these are great solutions, he does not see it at the state or national level yet. Additionally he thinks that if the school system does not act soon on these ideas, America’s dropout rate and failure rate will rise drastically. (O’Conner, 2012) Discussion As the research shows the public school system is failing to prepare our children. There are many contributing factors to this. The way I see it is there are too many people trying to be in charge. The schools are controlled by federal, state and local governments. First of all, none of these bodies are education experts. Second, each of these government bodies has their own interests in mind, not necessarily the well being of the children. Third, the three different bodies of government seldom see eye to eye with each other. This is why I think the state and local government need to step out completely in the areas of curriculum not in the areas of budgets. I think if this happened the school system will be on one united front, which would be a good start. They could make teaching a federal job then, and at that point they could abolish the teachers union, and the teachers could still get union like benefits. With this they could make the teaching jobs more performance based. This would also abolish the idea of bad teachers and administrators, because if they have bad performance they would no longer be working in that field. That is just part of the problem. The bigger problem at hand is our outdated curriculum and teaching style. I experienced this, my whole life in school, until my senior year of high school when I was placed in an alternative program. The idea of alternative and charter schools is great, because it gives children a chance, and it promotes competition with the public sector. I think the charter schools are on the right track, but if they do not keep continue with innovative ideas, they will be in the same situation as the public sector. I think the best way for all to benefit is to restructure the whole teaching curriculum and learning environment. I think we need to structure it as if our current time was 2025 and not 2012, because if we do that we will not be starting out dated from the get go. Conclusion Public education is an important role in our children’s lives. It is there to help them develop learning and life skills for the future, so that they may go on and play vital roles in society. It is unfortunate that the research shows that our current public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. It also shows that there are many reasons for this such as, the government, the design of the curriculum and teaching styles, school staff, the parents, and, in some regard, the teachers union. There is hope however, the invention of the charter school is helping children graduate and preparing them for college. There are also some acts that the government has put in place to have some accountability for the children’s success. It is hopeful because there are others out there trying to reshape our whole education system to benefit today’s needs. Our current system is failing. We are behind in almost all subjects when compared to other nations. This is a scary thought when you think of a global economy. Our children are not as prepared as children in other countries to fulfill job needs on a global scale. This means that our children currently are less likely to have the skills to make the new inventions that will carry our nation into the future. This potential is that America, as a whole, will fall behind other nations in all aspects, and it could all be due to education. All of these are frightening thoughts and if we do not act quickly and make changes now it is only going to get harder. Education is one of the most important parts in building society. In our country we are provided the opportunity to have somewhat free public education. Our system seems to be failing; this failure provides a great opportunity. There are many ways to repair it and it is time that we stop crawling with the issue, and start making leaps and bounds. If we start working together we can rebuild the corner stone to a successful society, which is education. References Calsyn, C., Gonzales, P., & Frase, M. (1999). Highlights from TIMMS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2010). Waiting for Superman [Motion Picture]. Howard, T. (Summer 2003). Alternative Education Programs Milwaukee. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 121-123. Klein, D. S. (Spring 1977). Needed: Educational Philosophy as a Guide for Decision-Makeing in the Public Schools. Education , 290-293. McCarty, B. C., & Quirk, C. A. (2003). An â€Å"Oasis OF Hope†: The Power of Thinking Developmentally. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 105-107. Muschel, I. (Fall 1979, Fall). Dependent Teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children. Education , 06-12. O’Conner, M. (2012, February 2). A Principals Point of Veiw. (D. Miller, Interviewer) Robinson, K. (Director). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Motion Picture]. Russo, C. J. (2005). Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials? The Journal of Education , 27-40.