Examine Shakespeares presentation Essay Example for Free

Examine Shakespeares presentation Essay When Hamlet was first performed in 1601, England had been successfully ruled for forty-three years by Elizabeth I, a strong and influential monarch who reigned without a male counterpart, establishing England as one of the most powerful and prominent countries in the world. This is proof that women can be as successful as men; however women were still seen as second class citizens, and property of their husbands, during the Elizabethan period. Polonius says of Ophelia I have a daughter have while she is mine. (2.2, line 106). This is reflected in Shakespeares portrayal of women in Hamlet, which shows Gertrude in a very different light to Elizabeth Tudor. For many years in the past, many women played a small role socially, economically and politically. As a result of this, many works of literature of this time, including Hamlet, were reflective of this diminutive role of women. Shakespeare suggests the danger of womens involvement in politics at the sovereign level, and reflects the publics desire for a return to a state of stability through a change to a patriarchal system. We can examine Shakespeares presentation of women in Hamlet through the way the two women in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, are treated by the men in their lives, and by analyzing the context in which they are referred. The first time Claudius refers to Gertrude he says: Our sometime sister, now our Queen, Th imperial jointress of this warlike state, (1. 2, lines 8-9) which shows how he took advantage of his dead brothers wife whilst she was still mourning her husbands death to settle his place on the throne. She married. O most wicked speed, to post, with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. (1.2, lines 156-157) Here Hamlet is accusing his mother of corruption because of her improper sexual activity and marriage. Even though a marital bond existed between Claudius and Gertrude, the rushed and incestuous aspects of the marriage enrage Hamlet. The couple were married less than three months after the death of Hamlets father, and in Hamlets eyes, Gertrudes actions have defiled her character. Royal sexual activity created concerns about both power and purity in the Elizabethan world. As women had no opportunity to fight on the battle field, chastity was the principle measure of their honour and virtue. Therefore Hamlets opinion of his mother has a negative reflection of a womans virtues. Sir Walter Mildway, 1510, said: Choose thy wife for virtue only. Elizabeths sexual conduct drew public attention, and she publicly vowed her purity, even adopting the title Virgin Queen. When King Hamlets ghost appears he refers to Gertrude as his most seeming-virtuous Queen. (1. 5, lines 4-6) He is expressing his belief that Gertrude had always seemed faithful, but now she has married much less of a man she has dishonoured him, and lost all his respect and trust. Even though Hamlet and his father are seeking revenge on Claudius, they continue to speak of Gertrude. In his second soliloquy we expect Hamlet to be expressing his hatred towards Claudius, however he is focusing all of his energy on this most pernicious woman, (1. 5, line 105) who is his mother. This dis-belief at his mothers behaviour is understandable, however, as it is so soon after his fathers death, and you would expect Gertrude to still be mourning the death of her husband that she apparently loved dearly. One of the most famous quotes regarding women in Hamlet is Frailty thy name is woman. (1. 2, lines 146-147) This quote sums up the attitudes of the male characters in the play, that women are by far the weaker sex and gives us a clue as to why the men treat Gertrude and Ophelia with so little respect. In 1558, writer, John Knox described women as weak, frail, impatient, feeble and foolish. Emphasizing the way that women were viewed at the time Hamlet was written. Both the women are greatly controlled by the men of the play, particularly Ophelia who is often told what to do and who has been treated as if she does not have a mind of her own all her life. When asked a question Ophelia often replies with I think nothing, (3. 2, line 118) and when she does express an opinion it is dismissed. Polonius says Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl unsifted, (1. 3, line 101) which is extremely patronizing, saying she speaks like an inexperienced and untried girl who does not know what she is talking about. Ophelia could have an out-going personality; however, she is so oppressed that we never get to see a true reflection of her character, due to the constraints of the society she is living in. We even hear Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark, saying to her husband: I shall obey you. By obeying the men and giving in to a passive existence Gertrude and Ophelia are living up to the label that women are the weaker sex. The men give good advice to both women, telling them what to do and when, Polonius tells Ophelia not to give her virginity away too easily when he uses the metaphor set you entreatments at a higher rate then a command to parley, (1. 3, lines 122-123) where her virginity is compared to a castle under siege. Even though Polonius is Ophelias father, he seems to have no respect for her, or her privacy, and rarely thinks of how she may be feeling. He reads Hamlets love letters out-loud to the King and uses Ophelia as bait to improve his image in front of Claudius, which is extremely self-centred and obsequious. Another quote that really stands out in Hamlet that shows how little respect the men have for Gertrude and Ophelia is Get thee to a nunnery. (3. 1, line 121) This is Hamlet telling Ophelia that because he can not have her, no one can, so she has to go to a nunnery, away from all other male contact. He does not ask her how she feels, and is willing to make the rest of her life miserable simply because he can not be with her. It never even occurs to Hamlet that she might be willing to move on and find someone other than him to spend the rest of her life with. After the nunnery scene, Ophelia speaks to Polonius and we hear her opinion for the first and only time. She presents herself entirely as the victim of Hamlets rough treatment. She says: I of ladies most deject and wretched, that sucked the honey of his musiked vows, (3.1, lines 158-159) showing how Ophelia had believed in what Hamlet told her and how she feels dejected about the fact that he claims to have never loved her. God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another, (3. 1, lines 145-146) is Hamlet saying that women wear too much make-up and in doing so are deceiving men into thinking that they are something that they are not. He accuses Ophelia of being a typical woman and is therefore not treating her as an individual. He says: For the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is bawd, (3.1, lines 111-112) explaining his opinion that beautiful women are untrustworthy and insincere. Even though Hamlet accuses women of this, he is saying it in the heat of an argument so he may be exaggerating and may not be giving his true opinion. Ophelia hardly says a think back to him though, again reflecting the idea that women are frail and passive. Throughout the play Hamlet makes reference to prostitutes, and seems to make a connection between women, sex and corruption. When Hamlet and Polonius are speaking he says: For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion. (2. 2, lines 184-185) He uses this metaphor of a dead dog, and a pun on the word sun, to make the point that if the son (Hamlet) kisses the daughter (Ophelia) then she may breed, like the maggots in the dead animal. The characters of the play often refer to sex in a negative manner, and it is never described as a loving act between a couple. In Hamlets second soliloquy he is blaming himself, and compares himself to a slatternly woman saying that he must like a whore, unpack my heart with words, and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a stallion. (2.2, lines 592-594) His references to women are always negative, and he presents them as objects that men can use for sexual pleasure whenever they want. The final point to make about the way Shakespeare presents women is the fact that Ophelia is the only character driven to suicide, and that she is one of only two women in the play. This is possible another way for Shakespeare to make his point that women are by far the weaker sex. Audiences today would find the way that the women in Hamlet are treated extremely surprising as today women are so much more independent. Instead of being a husbands possession, a wife is seen as an equal. Women today have the freedom to be more open-minded, and are allowed to voice opinions other than their husbands. Women today have almost total sexual freedom as well, so the connection between women, sex and corruption would probably cause mixed reactions. This, however, also brings me to the point that even though Shakespeares presentation of women is negative, so is his presentation of men. He shows the men being insensitive, selfish, oppressive and shows them treating women with very little respect. Frailty thy name is woman, no longer applies to the women of the 21st Century as there are more or less equal opportunities for men and women now, and everyone has the same education and job opportunities no matter what sex you may be. I think that this quote sums up Shakespeares overall presentation of women and the treatment of Gertrude and Ophelia shows us how women were oppressed, and often seen as objects rather than human beings.

Otto Hahn: Biography

Otto Hahn: Biography Otto Hahn By Eli Biedenbender Otto Hahn was a brilliant german chemist, who was regarded as â€Å"the father of nuclear chemistry† for his work in radiochemistry and radioactivity. He also was a great political activist fully against future testing or use of the nuclear weapons. Otto was the son of a prosperous glazier and entrepreneur Glasbau Hahn and his wife Charlotte Hahn. Otto was born in south Germany (Frankfurt am Main) on March 8th 1879. He was the youngest of the family and had three brothers Karl, Heiner and Julius. Ottos started to have an interest in chemistry at the age of 15 but his father wanted him to become an architect, but he ended up going to University of Marburg for chemistry. He began to study chemistry and mineralogy with side interest in philosophy and physics. Later in his college career Otto drops some physics and science related classes in favor of art and philosophy. During his college years he was in a student fraternity which is a forerunner of todays Nibelungia Fraternity an d he graduated with his doctorate in 1901. After graduation Otto does a year of military service and comes back to the university to work as a chemistry leacture assassist with hopes of going into industry, but after two years he moved to London to learn english and do research with Sir WIlliam Ramsay. While with Ramsay, Otto was purifying a crude radium and discovered a new radioactive substance, which he called radiothorium. Excited by his early success and encouraged by Ramsay, he decided to continue with research on radioactivity rather than go into industry. With Ramsay’s support he obtained a post at the University of Berlin. Before taking it up, he decided to spend several months in Montreal with Ernest Rutherford to gain further experience with radioactivity. After returning to Germany, Hahn was joined by Lise Meitner, an Austrian-born physicist, and five years later they moved to the new Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Chemistry. There Hahn became head of a small, independent department of radiochemistry. Otto met his wife to be, Edith Junghans, an art student at the Kà ¶nigliche Kunstschule (Royal Academy of Art) in Berlin. The couple married in Ediths native city of Stettin, on 22 March 1913. Sadly World War I started the year after their marriage. REsulting in Hahn have to go to war. Otto was enlisted to a regiment, that was focused on the development of chemical warfare. In the regiment he worked with James Franck and Gustav Hertz, under the direction of Fritz Haber. Otto’s unit created and tested poison gas that was produced for military purposes. In December 1916, Hahn was transferred out of the front lines back to Berlin, where he was able to resume his radiochemical research. After the war, Hahn devoted himself to his work on radioactivity and with Meitner’s help, they were among the first to isolate protactinium-231, an isotope of a recently discovered (at that time) radioactive element protactinium. Otto then devoted the next 12 years of his career to study us efulness of radioactive methods to solve chemical problems. On February 1921, Otto finally published his first report on the discovery of uranium Z (later known as Pa 234 ), the first example of nuclear isomerism, this became a huge principle after Otto’s time when nuclear physics started getting more attention. In 1934 Hahn found the work of Enrico Fermi, which found that when the heaviest natural element, uranium, is hit by neutrons, several radioactive â€Å"daughter† molecules are created. Fermi’s results stated that artificial elements were formed that were comparable uranium. Hahn, Meitner and Strassmann repeated Fermi’s experiment and obtained results that were comparable with Fermi’s results but as the team did more trails, the data got worse. The Hahn group did discover that multiple isotopes of four elements resulted from the fission of uranium and that those elements had atomic numbers of 93 through 96.This was later was found to be wron g. Hahn’s group was the first scientists to calculate the half-life of U 239 which also proved chemically that it is an isotope of U. They were unable to identify the decay product of 239 U and continue this work to its fruition. The decay product is neptunium but this task was completed later by Edwin McMillan and Philip H. Abelson. In the year 1938 Meitner fled Germany to escape the persecution of the Jews, but Hahn and Strassmann stayed and continued the research. Hahn was her secret supporter gave her a diamond ring he had inherited from his mother, to be used to bribe the frontier guards if required. In late 1938 Hahn and Strassmann found isotopes of an alkaline earth metal in the by-products produced from a nuclear reactions. The metal was found to be organic barium salt. Finding an alkaline earth metal in the results did not fit with the other elements found but was a major step in their research. Hahn though that the by-product could be radium radium, produced from tw o alpha-particles coming away from the uranium nucleus. At the time, Hahn thought it had to be radium because even two alpha particles coming away from the nucleus from this process was considered very unlikely. So the idea of uranium losing ~100 neutrons and turning into barium was seen as impossible. During a trip to Copenhagen, Hahn mentioned these results to well known scientists Niels Bohr and Lise Meitner. Using his colleagues advice he refined the experiment which lead him to the results he was looking for. On December 1938 his experiment a radium-barium-mesothorium-fractionation as Otto called it was performed and produced three isotopes that were observed as barium instead of the expected radium. This gave Otto the evidence he needed. In 1938 Hahn mailed Meitner a report of his findings. She developed an explanation to the results and together they named it nuclear fission. Lise Meitner and her nephew, a physicist Otto Robert Frisch, came to the same conclusion and worked o ut the basic calculations of nuclear fission, which was officially coined by Frisch, and became globally known. Over the following months, two articles were published that explained and had experimental proof on the nuclear fission written by Frisch and Meitner. In their second publication they talked about uranium fission which they called Uranspaltung. This article predicted the freeing of additional neutrons during the fission process, which Frà ©dà ©ric Joliot and his team proved to be chain reaction. During the war and around 1945, Otto Hahn together with his assistants had a list of 25 elements and about 100 isotopes whose existence he had demonstrated through his experiments. The disastrous implications of this discovery were realized by scientists before the outbreak of World War II, and a group was formed in Germany to study possible military developments. Much to Hahn’s relief, he was allowed to continue with his own researches free of military interference.At the end of World War II in 1945 Hahn was suspected of working on the German nuclear energy project to develop an atomic bomb, but his only connection was the discovery of fission; he did not work on the program. In April 1945, Hahn and nine leading German physicists were taken into custody by the Alsos Mission and taken to Cambridge, England, from 3 July 1945 to 3 January 1946. While they were there, the German scientists learned of the dropping of the American atom bombs on Japan. Hahn took this very bad, as he felt that because he had discovered nuclear fission he shared responsibility for the death and suffering of tens of thousands of innocent Japanese people. Early in January 1946, the group was allowed to return to Germany. While he was in England he was told that they awarded him the Nobel Prize for 1944. The Nobel of 1944 was for chemistry, Otto’s discovery of the fission of heavy atomic nuclei. From 1948 to 1960 Otto Hahn was the founding President of the newly formed Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, which through his tireless activity and his worldwide respected personality succeeded in being renown in the the scientific community. Although now aged and retired, he was still a vigorous man; a lifelong mountaineer, he maintained physical fitness during the enforced stay in England by a daily run. On his return to Germany he was elected president of the former Kaiser Wilhelm Society and became a respected public figure, a spokesman for science, and a friend of Theodor Heuss, the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany. Otto campaigned against further development and testing of nuclear weapons. In January 1958, Otto Hahn, together with his friend Albert Schweitzer signed the Pauling Appeal to the United Nations in New York for the immediate conclusion of an international agreement to stop the testing of nuclear weapons, and in October, he signed t he international Agreement to call a meeting to draw up a world constitution on the issue of nuclear weapons. He never tired of warning urgently of the dangers of the nuclear arms race between the great powers and of the radioactive contamination that would lead to the destruction of the planet. Honours came to him from all sides; in 1966 he, Meitner, and Strassmann shared the prestigious Enrico Fermi Award. As well as Hahn was also repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a number of international organizations but never got a second one. This period of his life was saddened, when, their only child, Hanno, born in 1922, which became a distinguished art historian and architectural researcher, who was also known for his discoveries in the early Cistercian architecture of the 12th century. In August 1960, while on a study trip in France, Dr Hanno Hahn was involved in a fatal car accident, together with his wife and assistant Ilse Hahn, leaving a 14 year old son. The loss of h is only son devastated him and his wife never recovered from the shock. Hahn died in 1968, after a fall; his wife outlived him by only two weeks. Hahns death did not stop his popularity, proposals were made at many different times, that the newly synthesized element no. 105 should be named hahnium in Hahns honor. But, sadly it did not go through and was named hassium after it’s finders. Also In 1964 the only European nuclear-powered civilian ship, the freighter NS Otto Hahn, was named in his honor. Many cities and districts in the German-speaking countries have secondary schools, streets, squares and bridges throughout Europe bearing Otto’s name. More than twenty states worldwide have honored Otto Hahn by issuing coins, medals or stamps with his portrait. References: Wikipedia.org ,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Hahn ( 16 Oct 2014) Otto Hahn Biographical. Nobelprize.org. 16 Oct 2014. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1944/hahn-bio.html> â€Å"Chemistry in history† ChemHeritage.org http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/atomic-and-nuclear-structure/hahn-meitner-strassman.aspx (16 Oct 2014)

Cult Leaders And Their Abuse Of Power :: essays research papers

Cult leaders and their abuse of power Although power should be used with virtue by those with those with good intentions, many of the world's most powerful people use power in ways that purposefully harm other people, the most famous example of this case being Adolf Hitler during World War II. More generally, this includes some past (and present) members of the Royal families, some political leaders as well as a few religious leaders who have used their power to manipulate those lower than them in social status. An example of a power-abusing "religious" leader is Reverend Jim Jones who initiated a ritual suicide to protest racism and fascism. Although in his own mind he had food intentions, to save the world from the Armageddon, he was insane and in the overabundance of power, he was able to kill more than 900 people. It is unclear whether Jim Jones had committed suicide at the ritual or was shot by another, so it is uncertain to say that he had any intentions to die also. Although his protests were for good mo ral purposes, it was wrong of him to use his status as chairman of the Housing Authority and award receiver to gather extra followers to join the suicide. Here he had overstepped the line to abuse the power he was appointed by putting other people's lives at jeopardy. Being in his position, he was most likely aware that he had many supporters believing in him who would gladly follow his lead. It is at this point where he chose to abuse his power by taking advantage of the people who had the most respect and admiration for him. Charles Manson is an example of a cult leader who abused his power, however with intentions very unlike Jim Jones'. Charles Manson wanted revenge for all the wrong he had encountered which is much more selfish and very different from Jim Jones. Charles Manson had experienced a very bumpy childhood being the son of a teenage, bisexual, alcoholic prostitute. Being shuffled between homes of relatives and orphanages, it is not surprising to see that his criminal a ctivity sprouted from a very early age. Manson's incredibly charisma attracted many hippies and he managed to earn himself s reputation as god-like in the eyes of many beautiful girls. When Manson and his "Family" settled down in Spahn Ranch he was able to sleep with a different girl each night.

art is hugs and kisses :: essays research papers

Art is Hugs and Kisses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In society today, we as citizens of the world have to face the day to day reality that coexisting with mother natures’ natural beauty is a hate imposed ugliness. Every day we are force fed a horrible dosage of crime, hate, pollution, and bad attitudes that if not balanced out by beauty, would be to overbearing to partake. In my mind, art is everywhere. It’s more than just paints and brushes. It’s the way the dusk sky looks after a hard day, or a baby jerking their chubby little arms’ around in a little wading pool. It’s anything that’s visually or emotionally stimulating. It’s accidental as well as preconceived. It’s what makes life bearable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People now-a-days are too busy. Day’s are so filled with appointments and deadlines that people become robotic, and their emotions and creativity grow stagnant and are only used when called for by tasks imposed upon them. In my book art is just as important a human necessity as food clothing and shelter. Art is a drawback to thousands of great memories in our lives. Everyone remembers that Norman Rockwell painting hung above gram’s T.V., or the beautiful floral designs construed in icing on their wedding cake. Art is not only reminiscent but is also a cushion of comfort for those overwhelmed by tragedy and loss. After the horrible act of terrorism that took place last Tuesday, people were left in a depressed awe. Along with love and support from the nation, people overlook all the beautiful forms of art that flourished following it. There was a picture in Newsweek of the half-crumbled hotel across the street. It was cloaked with about 40 flags and ha nd painted signs of support from fellow citizens that was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a while. It was a blatant picture of art. It showed love and compassion from a city that does not express it often.

The Power And The Glory By Graham Greene :: essays research papers

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene It is the story-teller's task to elicit sympathy and a measure of understanding for those who lie outside the boundaries of State Approval. I. One day I gave The Power and the Glory to... a native of Mexico who had lived through the worst persecutions... She confessed that your descriptions were so vivid, your priest so real, that she found herself praying for him at Mass. I understand how she felt. Last year, on a trip through Mexico, I found myself peering into mud huts, through village streets, and across impassible mountain ranges, half-believing that I would glimpse a dim figure stumbling in the rain on his way to the border. There is no greater tribute possible to your creation of this character - he lives. An excerpt from the letter of Californian Catholic teacher to Graham Greene, 1960 In a particular Mexican state the Church had been outlawed and the priests had to go underground by the threat of being shot. After several months from the governor's office appeared a news, that there was still one priest, Father Montez, who was moving from village to village working on the Church by administering the sacraments, listening confessions and saying masses. A young lieutenant of police, and ardent revolutionist and an anti-clerical, asked his chief to let him search for the priest who, as the authorities understood it, was guilty of treason. Two photographs were pasted up together in police station. One was the picture of an American bank robber who killed several police officers in Texas; the other was that of the priest. No one noticed the irony, including the young lieutenant, who was more interested in arresting the priest. When the officer received permission to look for Father Montez, the priest was already in the village, where he came to get aboard the boat that would take him in the city Vera Cruz and safety. In the village he met Mr. Tench, old dentist who wanted somebody to speak English with. But before Father Montez could get aboard the boat news came to him that an Indian woman was dying several miles inland. True to the call, the priest sat on the mule and went to administer the last rites to the dying woman, even though he realized that he might not find another ship to carry him to safety. There was one other priest in the region, Father Jose. But Father Jose was so coward, that he renounced the church up to the point of taking a wife, a shrewish old woman. The authorities paid no attention to him at all, for they The Power And The Glory By Graham Greene :: essays research papers The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene It is the story-teller's task to elicit sympathy and a measure of understanding for those who lie outside the boundaries of State Approval. I. One day I gave The Power and the Glory to... a native of Mexico who had lived through the worst persecutions... She confessed that your descriptions were so vivid, your priest so real, that she found herself praying for him at Mass. I understand how she felt. Last year, on a trip through Mexico, I found myself peering into mud huts, through village streets, and across impassible mountain ranges, half-believing that I would glimpse a dim figure stumbling in the rain on his way to the border. There is no greater tribute possible to your creation of this character - he lives. An excerpt from the letter of Californian Catholic teacher to Graham Greene, 1960 In a particular Mexican state the Church had been outlawed and the priests had to go underground by the threat of being shot. After several months from the governor's office appeared a news, that there was still one priest, Father Montez, who was moving from village to village working on the Church by administering the sacraments, listening confessions and saying masses. A young lieutenant of police, and ardent revolutionist and an anti-clerical, asked his chief to let him search for the priest who, as the authorities understood it, was guilty of treason. Two photographs were pasted up together in police station. One was the picture of an American bank robber who killed several police officers in Texas; the other was that of the priest. No one noticed the irony, including the young lieutenant, who was more interested in arresting the priest. When the officer received permission to look for Father Montez, the priest was already in the village, where he came to get aboard the boat that would take him in the city Vera Cruz and safety. In the village he met Mr. Tench, old dentist who wanted somebody to speak English with. But before Father Montez could get aboard the boat news came to him that an Indian woman was dying several miles inland. True to the call, the priest sat on the mule and went to administer the last rites to the dying woman, even though he realized that he might not find another ship to carry him to safety. There was one other priest in the region, Father Jose. But Father Jose was so coward, that he renounced the church up to the point of taking a wife, a shrewish old woman. The authorities paid no attention to him at all, for they

Student Council Essay

Thingss were easier when I was younger. I felt more confident. like I could accomplish everything that I want. When I was in high school. I wasn’t portion of the ‘in-crowd’ but I know good plenty that people knew me. I scored good in most of my tests ; I was portion of the Student Council. and the Senior Council. which made me experience of import. During that clip of my life. I had everything planned. I knew what I wanted. I had this thought in my caput of what my life would be when I enter university and what would go on when I finish. Thingss are merely non every bit simple any longer. My friends and I are all in different hamlets. I’m okay with my life. overall. I know that I’m lucky to hold my household and my friends. Compared to other people. I truly have nil to kick about. But in my head. I want a different life. I want more than what I have. There’s got to be something better out at that place for me. something more that will do me more particular and fulfilled alternatively of experiencing like I’m stuck in oblivion. Trying to be honest with myself is non an easy undertaking. because it meant facing my failures and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to suppress the obstructions in front of me and I will populate my life in the out of boundss. observation as other people live their life and achieve things that I want to accomplish. I don’t want that to go on to me. I want to look back in my life and be happy of what I have and non repent that I didn’t have the bravery to seek different things. that I didn’t attempt and purpose higher. So. I am taking this chance to larn and confront my frights. or my obstructions one by one. Baby stairss. as they say. If I want to populate my life the manner I want it to be. I have to get down making something. I merely can’t sit and dream of things I want. I need to get down doing things go on. and I need to gain that I may non be able to hold it all. but I can hold more. if I start making more. Dreaming about the life I want can merely come true if I start to make something about it. I want to read this in 10. 20 and 30 old ages and be proud of what I have accomplished. and non agitate my caput in shame that I ne'er stepped up to do things better for me. If I want to be able to read this paper 30 old ages from now. the first thing I need to make is do certain I become healthy. and remain healthy. I know what to make. but I’ve ne'er gotten about to making anything. I know that I need to exert. and I’ve done it before. I merely ne'er continued on making the right thing. My end for my wellness so is to get down exerting once more. but this clip. I will go on it. Part of my failure I think is that I expect excessively much. when I don’t lose one kg in one hebdomad. I get discouraged. I need to understand that non everyone can lose one kg a hebdomad. I need to accept that I may non lose weight as fast as the others. I need to put ends for myself and non compare myself to others. Above everything else. I need to be realistic that if I am traveling to accomplish this. I need to hold the forbearance and the subject to transport things through. There are many things I can seek to get down this end. I don’t need to pass a batch of money to lose weight. There are many beginnings. particularly on the cyberspace that can assist me make this. Looking about on line. I think I will make a mixture of things. I can get down running. I’ll start little. like running or ramble oning for 10 proceedingss. so after a hebdomad. possibly I can seek for 15. and after another hebdomad I will seek 20. In between running. I will besides seek and raise weights. Like with my running. I will get down little. Above all. I will seek and non be unrealistic of what I can accomplish. Eating a healthy diet will now be a portion of my new modus operandi. I will eat more veggies and fruits and less debris nutrient. I will imbibe more H2O and less soft drink. I don’t know if it will of all time be possible for me to wholly cut out soft drinks. but I will seek and cut it down. This maybe a harder end to accomplish. but as my program with everything else. I will get down little and non anticipate miracles. What I will make is eat three types of fruits a twenty-four hours at least. They can all be different. or the same. but I will take to eat fruit every twenty-four hours. I will besides do certain I have more veggies. It will non be easy. but if I want to be healthy. eating healthy would necessitate to be portion of my program. The lone thing that would do it easier is that I do non hold to give up intoxicant or coffin nails as I do non like them. Because I do non smoke or imbibe. I do non hold to worry about giving up this dependence. particularly smoking as I heard it is a hard wont to interrupt. The following thing I am reflecting on is my household. I am non as good of a kid as I should be to my parents and to my sister. I need to lend more around the house and non allow them make everything for me. This should be the most simple of all my ends. truly. I can get down in my sleeping room by doing certain it is ever clean and I put off my books. my apparels and everything else where they belong. I will brush the floor and do certain the furniture in my room is non gathering dust. Outside of my room. I will brush the floor and aid with the wash. My female parent is acquiring old. and I know that it is non that easy for her to make the cookery and the cleansing so I will assist her. This is likely be a good clip to advert that I truly can’t cook that good. My female parent can look at our icebox. take out a few veggies and she will be able to feed us that tastes as if she followed a formula. To this twenty-four hours. I don’t cognize how she does it. but I will get down larning how. There are many things I can make around the house to do things better for my parents. and they are truly simple. It will take attempt on my portion. but I know I can make them. I’ve done them before. and I merely don’t like making them. I’ve ne'er asked. but I’m reasonably certain my female parent does non like making everything on her ain either. but she does them. and she may call on the carpet us a few times. but she still does them for us. It’s about clip I do the same for her. I don’t want to be a load to my parents. I want them to see that I can take attention of myself. and that I can take attention of them. Thinking about it. this portion of my end is so easy to accomplish. I can better my life by merely remaining inside the house. Possibly I merely spent excessively much clip dreaming of what could be that I can’t see that the life I want can get down at place. in my really ain room. I don’t have to travel really far to make my ends. It starts at place. if I fail this. so how can I travel frontward? The more I think about it. the more I know I can’t fail. This is about like a trial to see if I can be to the full independent and be able to take attention of people that will be dependent to me. My household is of import to me. and I want to be able to demo them that. and be able to do them experience that. Helping around the house is such a simple construct. and when I think about it. it comes down to being responsible. and I need to take up some duty inside the house. Speaking of being responsible. another trait I need to develop is to be responsible when it comes to money. There are so many things that I want. but don’t truly necessitate. I have a new phone that I use now. I have approximately five old phones that still work. but they’re non the latest. so I kept on replacing them. My old phone still works merely all right. but I wanted one with the GPS. with the cyberspace connexion. I wanted a smart phone. Do I necessitate it? No. But I brought it anyhow because everyone I know has one. If I didn’t purchase this new phone. I’d have more money in the bank. Although. I truly don’t have much in the bank as I should hold. Traveling on vacations. purchasing new things and traveling out with friends is merely more gratifying than seting money in the bank. The latest GFC ( Global Financial Crisis ) nevertheless has gotten me believing. including that Ponzi strategy. I need to do certain I’m smart about my ain money. This will be my hereafter when I am old and non working. I merely can’t trust anyone with what I’ve earned. Reading approximately good educated people losing their nest eggs because they handed it over to person else is a lesson that people need to larn. If it sounds excessively good. it likely is. I don’t want to be 60 or 70 looking at an empty bank history because I handed my money over to person who promised to do me more money. To get down. I truly should halt disbursement on points that I don’t truly necessitate. This end can bind up with my earlier ends. If I buy fruits and veggies and non debris nutrient. I am bound to salvage more money. If I stay at place and go responsible for the house chores. I will non be outside disbursement money on things I truly don’t demand. There are so many enticements to give up though. When I am surrounded by people with all the latest appliances. from their newest phone to the iPad. I keep believing that I want it excessively. I can afford it. so why non? Alternatively of giving into enticement. this clip. I will take a measure back and think of the five phones. one iPod. and one camera. All in good status but non being used because I wanted the latest theoretical account. If I want to hold a good quality of life and non trust on authorities manus outs when I am old. I need to get down doing alterations now. Like my wellness. it is an investing for my hereafter. it is something that merely I have control over. and non even my parents and my friends can assist me if I don’t start economy now. My wellness. my household and my nest eggs program are things I have control over. This following end is a spot trickier. I’m barely the following Donald Trump. and I don’t want to be. I need to get down taking stairss to do certain I’m in a calling that I like. that I can larn from and develop further. There’s traveling to be a batch of bumps in the signifier of rejections headed my manner. but I won’t allow it halt me. There’s merely so much control I have when it comes to my calling. I can use and use and non acquire a occupation. I may non give up. but this route is traveling to be rough. Possibly that’s what I need to make my overall finish of holding a much more fulfilling life. It may be difficult. but I’m really looking frontward to the challenge. At this minute in my life. I need to acquire my pes in the door. I know that one time I’m in. I’d be able to voyage myself better. do more informed determinations. It’s different one time you are ready to work compared to when you were still a kid thought of what you want to make. The older you get. the more experience you get. you either go determined to prosecute your end. or to prosecute another avenue. I had a friend who was determined to go a attorney and revolved her life into doing certain she becomes one. She now works as a journalist and is wholly happy where she is. It wasn’t because she failed at jurisprudence. once she was at that place. she realised it’s different from what she envisioned when she was a kid. I wanted to be many things when I was younger that I don’t even retrieve what I truly want. I want to do certain I don’t acquire into a calling that I will detest and pass the following half of my life suffering. Wherever I end up in. I will larn from the people I work with. my higher-ups and develop my accomplishments. Sooner or subsequently. I will do a move. and I need to be certain that I know what I’m making and that I will be ready for any new challenges or any effects of my actions. This country of my life is such a fuzz at the minute. and I’d instead play it safe than take a hazard. This country of my life has so many factors to see. and the merely other country of my life that is even more of a fuzz. is my love life. which is presently non-existent. There. I said it. I have no love life. Depending on my temper. I don’t attention. There are times when I wish I was with person. and there are times when I am glad that I’m non. I would ne'er of all time admit it out loud. but there’s a portion of me that wants it more and more. Among my friends. there are merely three of us that are individual. and I know that figure will shortly diminish. I don’t precisely know how love tantrums in the expansive strategy of things when it comes to my life. I mean. I know I can’t unrecorded without the love of my household or my friends. but the love of a spouse. is likely more negotiable. I can’t unrecorded without good wellness. I can’t unrecorded without my household. and I can’t survive without nest eggs and a calling. but a love life? I think I can populate without it. The inquiry so becomes. make I desire to? Like I said. I have my minutes. Sometimes I want to be with person. sometimes I don’t. I don’t even know why I think this is a capable worth mentioning in my pursuit to hold the life I want to populate if I’m so baffled by it. When I was younger. I don’t even retrieve desiring a hubby with two childs and a white lookout fencing. When I was younger. I wanted a fabulous flat in the metropolis on the upper floors so I can watch the metropolis visible radiations from my balcony. At this really minute nevertheless. believing about this peculiar topic. what do I want from a spouse? I want him to be smart ; I want him to be amusing. loyal and respectful. I don’t even have a ‘type’ . I don’t care what nationality he is. or what color his hair or his eyes are. If I have to depict him in a physical sense. so I want him to be tall. I don’t know why. Possibly it’s the girly-girl in me who wants person she can tilt on. I truly don’t know. The whole construct confuses me. After reading through what I wrote. I’m really rather aroused and more optimistic. seting it on paper makes it more existent. more possible to accomplish my ends. I watched the film â€Å"Invictus† . and reminded me of a quotation mark in the film that I believe fits this undertaking. The line came from a verse form of the same rubric by William Ernest Henley: â€Å"I am the maestro of my destiny ; I am the captain of my psyche. † I can’t think of anything else that fits this undertaking absolutely. I know that I am the lone 1 who can compose this. I am besides the lone 1 that can do things go on in my life. I have a long route in front of me. and I will be ready to do that journey. When I read this once more in the hereafter. no affair how long that is. I want this paper to be the testament of my beginning. and I can so compose my ain stoping.

Peer and Self Assessment

Assessing Learning Peer and Self Assessment Peer Assessment One of the ways in which students internalize the characteristics of quality work is by evaluating the work of their peers. However, if they are to offer helpful feedback, students must have a clear understanding of what they are to look for in their peers' work. The instructor must explain expectations clearly to them before they begin. One way to make sure students understand this type of evaluation is to give students a practice session with it. The instructor provides a sample writing or speaking assignment. As a group, students determine what should be assessed and how criteria for successful completion of the communication task should be defined. Then the instructor gives students a sample completed assignment. Students assess this using the criteria they have developed, and determine how to convey feedback clearly to the fictitious student. Students can also benefit from using rubrics or checklists to guide their assessments. At first these can be provided by the instructor; once the students have more experience, they can develop them themselves. An example of a peer editing checklist for a writing assignment is given in the popup window. Notice that the checklist asks the peer evaluator to comment primarily on the content and organization of the essay. It helps the peer evaluator focus on these areas by asking questions about specific points, such as the presence of examples to support the ideas discussed. For peer evaluation to work effectively, the learning environment in the classroom must be supportive. Students must feel comfortable and trust one another in order to provide honest and constructive feedback. Instructors who use group work and peer assessment frequently can help students develop trust by forming them into small groups early in the semester and having them work in the same groups throughout the term. This allows them to become more comfortable with each other and leads to better peer feedback. Self Assessment Students can become better language learners when they engage in deliberate thought about what they are learning and how they are learning it. In this kind of reflection, students step back from the learning process to think about their language learning strategies and their progress as language earners. Such self assessment encourages students to become independent learners and can increase their motivation. The successful use of student self assessment depends on three key elements:  ·Goal setting  ·Guided practice with assessment tools  ·Portfolios Goal setting Goal setting is essential because students can evaluate their progress more clearly when they have targets against which to measure their performance. In addition, students' motivation to learn increases when they have self-defined, and therefore relevant, learning goals. At first, students tend to create lofty long-range goals (â€Å"to speak Russian)† that do not lend themselves to self assessment. To help students develop realistic, short-term, attainable goals, instructors can use a framework like SMART goals outline shown in the popup window. One way to begin the process of introducing students to self-assessment is to create student-teacher contracts. Contracts are written agreements between students and instructors, which commonly involve determining the number and type of assignments that are required for particular grades. For example, a student may agree to work toward the grade of â€Å"B† by completing a specific number of assignments at a level of quality described by the instructor. Contracts can serve as a good way of helping students to begin to consider establishing goals for themselves as language learners. Guided practice with assessment tools Students do not learn to monitor or assess their learning on their own; they need to be taught strategies for self monitoring and self assessment. Techniques for teaching students these strategies are parallel to those used for teaching learning strategies (see Motivating Learners[->0]). The instructor models the technique (use of a checklist or rubric, for example); students then try the technique themselves; finally, students discuss whether and how well the technique worked and what to do differently next time. In addition to checklists and rubrics for specific communication tasks, students can also use broader self-assessment tools to reflect on topics they have studied, skills they have learned, their study habits, and heir sense of their overall strengths and weaknesses. An example of such a tool appears in the popup window. Students can share their self-assessments with a peer or in a small group, with instructions that they compare their impressions with other criteria such as test scores, teacher evaluations, and peers' opinions. This kind of practice helps students to be aware of their learning. It also informs the te acher about students' thoughts on their progress, and gives the teacher feedback about course content and instruction. Portfolios Portfolios are purposeful, organized, systematic collections of student work that tell the story of a student's efforts, progress, and achievement in specific areas. The student participates in the selection of portfolio content, the development of guidelines for selection, and the definition of criteria for judging merit. Portfolio assessment is a joint process for instructor and student. Portfolio assessment emphasizes evaluation of students' progress, processes, and performance over time. There are two basic types of portfolios:  ·A process portfolio serves the purpose of classroom-level assessment on the part of both the instructor and the student. It most often reflects formative assessment, although it may be assigned a grade at the end of the semester or academic year. It may also include summative types of assignments that were awarded grades.  ·A product portfolio is more summative in nature. It is intended for a major evaluation of some sort and is often accompanied by an oral presentation of its contents. For example, it may be used as a evaluation tool for graduation from a program or for the purpose of seeking employment. In both types of portfolios, emphasis is placed on including a variety of tasks that elicit spontaneous as well as planned language performance for a variety of purposes and audiences, using rubrics to assess performance, and demonstrating reflection about learning, including goal setting and self and peer assessment. Portfolio characteristics:  ·Represent an emphasis on language use and cultural understanding  ·Represent a collaborative approach to assessment Represent a student's range of performance in reading, writing, speaking, and listening as well as cultural understanding  ·Emphasize what students can do rather than what they cannot do  ·Represent a student's progress over time  ·Engage students in establishing ongoing learning goals and assessing their progress towards those goals  ·Measure each student's achievement while allowing for individu al differences between students in a class  ·Address improvement, effort, and achievement  ·Allow for assessment of process and product  ·Link teaching and assessment to learning [-;0] – http://www. nclrc. org/essentials/motivating/moindex. htm