Emerging possibilities and ongoing reforms Essay Example for Free

Emerging possibilities and ongoing reforms Essay In 21st century, nations are increasingly becoming diverse, globalised, and complex and media structured. This rapidly changing world filled with fantastic new tribulations needs to be addressed using exciting new emerging possibilities. To adopt new possibilities, modern education reforms are progressively driven by a growing understanding of what works in education and how to go about productively improving teaching and learning in schools. This essay will focus on emerging possibilities and ongoing reform in primary education that are necessary for 21st century learning and hence need to be embraced both locally and globally. This essay will include the elaboration on emerging technologies that are being utilized with the purpose of meeting the global and local requirements and ongoing reforms on education such as Gonski for better schools, Melbourne declaration that acknowledges major changes in the world that are placing new demands on Australian education and globalization. People around the world are taking their education out of school into homes, libraries, internet cafes and workplaces, where they can decide what they want to learn, when they want to learn and how they want to learn. (Colin, Allan et.al, 2009, p3). This new learning model uses technologies to enable people of all ages to pursue learning on their own terms. Traditional class room based, single teachers as instructor model of education has now been replaced by emerging technologies that are being developed constantly in today’s fast moving digital world. It is an innovative technology that is reshaping the nature of education. Computer and network based technologies now hold great potential for increasing the access to information as well as a means of promote learning. (schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Emerging_Technologies). It redefines the way educators teach and the role of sole source of information to being a guide, facilitator and coach in the learning process. The major emerging technologies for primary education can be interactive whiteboard, I pads and cloud computing. Interactive whiteboard is designed to help students learn variety of ways and for teachers to teach in a range of ways with the ability of using online resources and fun presentation. It is an emerging technology in Australia but globally like UK it has been found to be successful and effective in teaching primary students (Torff Toritta, 2010). Now what is the rationale for using interactive whiteboard in primary classroom? It increases motivation and performance of student as teachers  can integrate flexibly a variety of pedagogical approaches and the power to efficiently deliver multimedia or multimodal presentation with a touch sensitive screen. It can also increase the student and teacher interaction and can make the teachers teaching process smoother and effective. An interesting element of interactive whiteboard is it allows students from different classroom around country and globally to interact through programs such as Skype or YouTube. This allows for an expansive online classroom, broadening the students own community of practice. Another form of emerging technology is the use of Ipad in the classroom, which is a creative, hands-on device which allows students through educational applications, eBooks and iTunes to engage with content interactively and instantly obtain information moving away from the industrial era model where the classroom is the central learning place. Why do teachers might use Ipad in primary classroom? There are number of reasons why Ipad can be very beneficial emerging technology but one of the most useful features is its sharing information, receiving updates and conducting research hence helpful in communicating and collaborating with the world outside the classroom. Ipad can be very useful tool to interact with others around the world so it connects and create extended learning. Final emerging new technology for 21st century learner is cloud computing. It refers to as the future of education and storing and accessing of applications and computer data often through web browser rather than running installed software on personal computer. (www.cloudcomputingdefined.com). It is an interactive tool where student and teacher can instantaneously collaborate both in and out of the classroom and learn in real time with instant feedback. Cloud computing provides transparency for teachers and their student; collectively they are able to communicate with each other. What is the rational for cloud computing being a useful emerging technology for 21st century learner? One of the reasons it can be useful is its versatility as it can be accessed from home or school therefore great for collaborative assessments or group based projects. This new technology will encourage students to develop and maintain ICT skills (http://cloud-computing3100.wikispaces.com/Rationale+for+cloud+computing). The driving force behind educational reform comes from new technologies that greatly enhance educational opportunities. These new emerging technologies  allow the improved pedagogy that will revolutionize learning. ( Molebash, 1999). In 21st century, ubiquitous availability of ICT had significant implications on education. A significant reform is needed in education, world-wide, to respond to shape global trends. Systematic education reform is needed that include curriculum like National education agreement, pedagogy, teacher training and school organization like GONSKI reform. (Mcgaw, 2009, p1). Earlier this year, Skidmore and Carmicheal mentioned in The Telegraph UK that â€Å"reform is not only necessary, it is essential if we are to ensure that pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills for the twenty first century.’(Skidmore and Carmicheal, 2013). Being able to do my practical placement at Garfield Barwick School managed by Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC), I realized that there is a huge requirement of special education teachers not only in Australia but globally. In England, an education reform is passed where parents are given control over their children’s special education needs (SEN) budgets, allowing them to choose expert support rather than local authorities being the sole provider. (Quinn and Malik, 2012). This is described as being the biggest reform of SEN for 30 years. However, while this reform offer hope, it create anxiety among parents too, as it divides children into two groups School Action and School Action plus. Lorraine Peterson, chief executive officer of the Nation Association of SEN, fears teachers could be left with endless lists of pupils and too little expertise as to how to deal with them (Shepherd, 2012). Furthermore ,there is also a concern in relate to this reform that what impact it will have of forward planning and co-ordination of putting budgets in the hands of many individuals and families, keeping in mind that not all parents are best advocates of their children’s needs hence will not be able to provide the best expert assistance for their children. (Shepherd, 2012). This is one of the drawbacks of SEN reform in England. In comparison to that, Australian government has deferred this reform since 2009 in order to allow more time for further consultation. (Special education reform put on hold ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 2009). An article by Philip Garner and Fiona Forbes in 2012 mentioned that Australia is appeared to slow down in some areas of special education and appearing to adopt wait and see approach. (Garner and Forbes, 2012, P 62). Currently Australia is investing $550 million in Improving Teacher Quality National  Partnership, in this reform agenda, priority and highest status should be given to inclusive environment to ensure that schools are given best possible teachers to be inclusive for the special need education. (Garner and Forbes, 2012, P 65). Special education need reform is not particularly focused locally but globally like UK it is getting implemented. The core principal behind this reform is proper funding to school and teacher training to allow every child to receive world class education and Australia is endeavoring to establish a reform around SEN. Gonski reform can correlate to SEN reform as it focuses on the funding of schools to support their student and help teachers to receive additional training and support, from pre-service teachers to principals. Under Better School Plans commencement in 2014, it is a plan to improve results of all schools and students by introducing education reforms that evidently improves results. This plan is based on five core areas; 1.Quality teaching 2.Quality learning 3.Empowered school leadership 4.Meeting student need 5.Greater transparency and accountability This plan aims to take Australian schools into top five by 2025 (What is the Better Schools Plan?, n.d. ). Therefore why do we need this plan? This plan is mandatory to meet the international standard as it has been revealed that even though Australian schools are good, our performance is declining and a greater gap has developed between highest and lowest performing students. The recent review of funding of schooling stumbled on current school funding do not fulfill the requirements necessary to meet the educational needs of all students (What is the Better Schools Plan?, n.d. ). In my point of view, Melbourne Declaration on education goals for Young Australians can articulate better school plans core reforms by overarching two goals for schooling in Australia where one goal promote equity and excellence in schools and secondly making creative individuals and active and informed citizen. Under this declaration, local education goals can collaborate with global education goals. The Melbourne Declaration supports National Education Agreement which articulates the commitment of Australian government to ensure that all Australian school students acquire the  knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy. (Educational goals | ACARA, 2009). This National Education Agreement (NEA) has been made between the Commonwealth of Australia and all State and territories. The key objective of this agreement is to enable Australian students to compete with world and participate effectively. Under this agreement, the state wise curriculum is abandoned and standardized curriculum is introduced which is called national curriculum. It is ongoing reform and changes to curriculum is commencing from next year starting from English then moving into Mathematics and Science. Consequently, all of these reforms are in cooperating emerging possibilities to meet the local and global requirement. (National Education Agreement, 2012). To meet the pace and acceleration of 21st century, these emerging technologies need to be embraced and in doing so reforms need to be constructed, this way we will achieve success both locally and globally. In conclusion, education is transformed by emerging possibilities and in this technology rich environment, one must remember that educational focus is on learning and instructional goal instead of technology itself, because technologies are merely tools or vehicles to deliver instruction and are just driving force for education reform. These emerging technologies shift the local education scale to global and hence promote to develop reform around these new emerging possibilities so we can meet the global standard. Thus, for successful 21st century learner, emerging possibilities and ongoing reforms are necessary and need to be embraced both locally and globally. References Cloud Computing Defined. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://www.cloudcomputingdefined.com Educational goals | ACARA. (2009). Retrieved from ACARA website: http://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national_report_on_schooling_2009/national_policy_context/educational_goals.html Educational goals | ACARA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national_report_on_schooling_2009/national_policy_context/educational_goals.html Garner, P., Forbes, F. (2012). Disposable assets. Are special education teachers still needed in 21st

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay Example for Free

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay What impact does it have on societies at large? Corruption constitutes a significant part of politics in Eastern Europe to the extent that â€Å"talking about corruption is the way post- communist public talks about politics, economy about past and future† (Krastov, p 43). Transparency International defines corruption as â€Å"a misuse of public power for the private gain at the expense of the public good†. There are different types of corruption: bureaucratic, political –administrative, political legislative and judicial corruption. (Ott, p 72). Scholars introduced many potential explanations behind the astronomical levels of corruption in Central and Eastern Europe. In this essay I will examine the communist legacies as well as pre-socialist historical and political background as some of the factors that result in modern day corruption. I will additionally assess the impact of the transitional period on the corruption level. Furthermore it I will examine corruption’s negative costs, such as economic inefficiency and distortion of civil society, decline of the rule of law and, the rise in organised crime along with arguably positive consequences such as resolving bureaucracy and increase in productivity among the officials. Corrupt legal and political systems that were indicative of communist states have greatly influenced the region today. This is due to the connection between economics and politics in the socialist system, which is even closer than it is in liberal democracies (Krastev, p 180). People were forced by the system itself to cheat in order to achieve improv their lives. In western democracies, citizens were able to move around freely and had alternative employers, whereas â€Å"in socialist society with technically one employer it was hard to achieve wanted promotion†(Karklins, 80). Frustration at the system endorsed corruption as means of taking revenge at the system (Karklins). Because of â€Å"the legacy of seeking individualized solutions† became so widespread during socialism it had consequences on the macro level (Karklins). This became even more important following the break up of the USSR as â€Å"the politically linked were the biggest winners in the beginning of transition† (Karklins,p 83). For example, Hungarian communist youth organization purchased the main newspaper for only 1. 5 million forints yet in less than a year the paper was sold for over 100 million (Karklins,p 83). Socialism stimulated inequality during transition, when a â€Å"culture of functional friendship served to cover the exchange of favours as something pleasant and kind† (Holmes, p 79). This communist legacy remains strong in some countries, such as Moldova due to the inability of executive, legislature and judiciary to protect enforce a solid rule of law, which in turn forces people to seek for alternative protection, to the detriment of a strong civil society. Another legacy inherited by the region was the poor economic situation which led to a situation where a â€Å"considerable part of this unofficial regime entailed the second economy†(Karklins,p 76). Scholars such as Miller suggests, that this occurred because trust in the public good and social solidarity was undermined as the real socialist society was split up into â€Å"an archipelago of networks whose members were focused on exchanges with fellow network members at the expense of outsiders†(Miller, p). A huge gap emerged as â€Å"private and dysfunctional public structure; moral declined visibly too, replacing old values with â€Å"materialism and individualism† (Miller,p 193). I don’t understand what this means? As a result people were applying rules of the past regime in a new economy. Another factor was transition itself. As discussed by Karklins privatisation of the wealth of the communist states provided huge incentives and opportunities that were ill protected by insufficient regulation (Karklins p 80). Due to the vast opportunities that some exploited there was a sudden â€Å"internationalization of trade and finance†(Miller, p 52. ) Transition was conducted in an extreme environment. Communist regimes outlawed â€Å"independent, social, communal and civic groups but unofficial networks flourished(Miller, p 77). During the transitional period, in Eastern Europe most corruption took places â€Å"during business transactions with public administration and government offices† (Zuzowski, p 137), this in turn discouraged foreign investment. Examples provided by Walezcki state that in 1998 the Czech deputy prime minister and minister of environment resigned as a result of a political scandal concerning secret donations made to the Civic Democratic Alliance by Czech companies. CDA alliance received 1 million into its illegal Credit Suisse account. The party then used the money to pay for its 1996 election campaign (Walezcki, p 244). Political corruption such as this occurred during the transition period at all levels of society and was poorly regulated, which allowed itto become widespread. Additionally, the uniqueness of the eastern European case following the collapse of the centralised state, allowed favourable circumstances and opportunities that almost sanctioned corruption. According to LS (who’s LS? )â€Å"old habits die hard, and established structures and procedures remain to influence, both through inertia and as a safety net in confusing times†(p 89(LS). However, there is an alternative view that suggests that corruption is not culturally inherited and permanent, but is actually temporary. It can be argued that this is due to â€Å"self-conscious awareness of the phenomenon that suggests that the blurring of norms and the tolerance for deviance is regarded by the public only as an exceptional response to exceptional times, public norms and values remain intact†. (Miller, p283). This theory suggests that habits inherited from a communist past don’t influence current norms. However this is disputable , since according to survey 82 percent of Czechs considered corruption to be the most serious problem in their society in 1996 and almost half of the population believed corruption is permanent part of country’s culture (Zuzowski p 138 ). Another explanation of high corruption clarifies may give an insight as to why the levels vary throughout the region. Looking at the history of countries before the communist take overs and the character of those takeovers may provide an alternative explanation. As demonstrated by Holmes, Eastern Europe was under influence of various empires with different cultures before USSR’s capture, for example Romania was under Ottoman Empire, while Hungary was under Austrian influence. Empirical evidence seconds this opinion: firms stating bribery as frequent in Romania is 15%, while Hungary 8 % (BEEPS, 2008). Another factor that explains difference in corruption tolerance is the â€Å"urbanization and economic development†(Holmes, p 160), which also refers to difference in mentalities. For instance, in the Baltics states, tolerance to corruption was lower and in Georgia because Baltics were more developed â€Å"resulting in different attitudes towards personalized power† (Holmes, p 160). The way in which the communists came to power is equally critical as â€Å"an indicator of subsequent popularity some countries came to support communism like Russia, while in others such as Poland the regime was virtually imposed upon a reluctant citizenry by a Soviet army†(Holms). It is thus their way of rebelling against the system â€Å"with no tradition of popular endorsement†,(Holems, p 160). Nevertheless, this explanation has also been challenged by anti-corruption science, which states that corruption is not dependent on culture but is â€Å"characteristic of institutional environments and characteristic of certain policies†, (K, p 31). This is not always the case however as the question of morality and people’s acceptance of corruption as a norm in Eastern Europe compared to West should be considered. Cultural heritage seems to influence perception on corruption; the difference among the region shows it. EU-8 countries have improved their corruption rates due to EU membership, however their levels of corruption increased again: Slovenia’s and Slovakia’s corruption levels rose by 2% between 2005-2008. The question one must ask is why this happened even though EU regulations and policies towards corruption haven’t changed. High levels of corruption have multiple consequences on the whole society; some of them are negative, some of them are paradoxically positive. According to Bayley negative effects include undermining of formal rules and the rule of law (Bayley, p)The meaning of corruption during communist times was uncertain due to the â€Å"overriding importance of power and institutional interests†(Karklins,P 76). Karklins emphasises that negative consequences of these practices affected the whole of society, as they distorted the â€Å"popular attitudes towards law, equal opportunity, merit, fairness†. Corruption also diminishes the role of the political system by being an informal alternative to institutions (Karklins P 80). Consequently corruption undermines democracy and furthermore the rule of law. For example, in Bulgaria the head of Communist Party from 1954- 1989, Zhivkov, appointed his daughter to high positions, which resulted in her being th4 second most important person in Bulgaria (Holmes, p). Corruption promotes social inequality, because the wealthy can always be protected due to the influence of money on the law. It also creates financial inequality, as it provides opportunities for financially secured people, whilst leaving poor in the bigger disadvantage. Likewise, the continuing role of exclusive personal networks is problematic because they â€Å"limit how eager people are to join other groups, thus undermining civil society†(Bayley). It is argued that the persistence of communist-era exclusive networks worsens development of a civil society (p 89. LS). Similarly, proposed by Ott, corruption is potentially a very destabilizing force because of the abuse on the part of those inside the system that may encourage citizens to become distant with he activities of the state and weaken their own willingness to support the state, for instance by refusing to pay the taxes (Ott, p 67). There are some extreme consequences introduced by Bayley. For instance, corruption can weaken the state as, â€Å"The failure of state to enforce rules creates vacuum to be filled by the organized crime. If government and the judicial system are so corrupt that they cannot help the contract to be enforced the only available enforcer is the mafia†( Bayley, p). This may result in organized crime being â€Å"both a source and product of rising corruption†, (krastev, p 9). It may even lead to political instability and revolution. High levels of corruption can become highly problematic since â€Å"systemic corruption it is impossible to control†. (Zuzowski) Conversely, there is also â€Å"useful corruption† as according to W. Clark it cuts red tape and reduces bureaucratic rigidity (Karklin, p 78). Corruption can increase the â€Å"responsiveness of bureaucrats to individual and group needs (Holmes, p 730). For instance, the power holders accepted the use of blat as â€Å"an informal practice to smooth socioeconomic transactions†(Karklins,p 79). Especially in socialism corruption assisted to overcome some economic problems like shortages. Moreover, corruption may result in â€Å"increased allocations of resources away from consumption and into investment. The key element for the corrupted and the corruptor to consume and invest† Scholars argue that corruption may not always represent â€Å"net drain from investment† (Bayley, p) but it may be the case that government servants with unique access to information about prospects for economic development have greater propensity to invest in productive enterprises. Corruption has serious consequences for the whole society, typically they are negative, since â€Å"benefits are primarily in the realm of politics† (Bayley, p 730). However, â€Å"the analysis has shown that net effects of corrupt practices upon economic development are not always of baneful nature†, (Bayley, p 730). It is thus important to consider some benefits of corruption for post-communist countries and not only focus on the negative. To conclude, â€Å"corruption is the most powerful policy narrative in the time of transition†(Krastev, p 93). Even though there are many factors that provoke rise of corruption, the communist legacy is â€Å"singled out as the critical domestic pre-condition for the rise of corruption† (Krastev, p 53). Other factors such as the crisis of legitimacy and the low trust in the public institutions are also part of explanation (Karklins, p 53). Concerning the consequences, it is obvious that corruption can undermining the development of a strong society, as well as having detrimental impact on politics and economics. It is hard however to assess the whole impact due to lack of data, so the picture will always be distorted. â€Å" It is a crime that nobody is interested to report, and the cases of corruption ending in a court are insignificant in comparison with the number of corruption transactions taking place† (G, p 25). Additionally, the rise in corruption can be a result of either increase of corruption or â€Å"increase of corruption visibility†, especially due to the attention that the subject receives from media (Krastev. p 10).

Music Essays Concept of Music

Music Essays Concept of Music Concept of music Journal Entry for Reading The given article clearly describes the concept of music and has helped me in understanding the music. According to my perception regarding the article, Music is a kind of art and environment. It is an art of transcription of sounds in time for creating a continuous, integrated and resonant composition with the assistance of melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre. It is a combination of pleasing and harmonious sounds. It helped me in understanding the basic constituents of a musical composition. I have become able to understand that it is an eminent part of all the living beings. Music has its presence everywhere, in every creature and in different forms. It provides relaxation to the mind. When I feel very tired and I use to hear music. It provides relaxation and energy to my body. Firstly, I was introduced to music at my school. I learned singing as well as playing harmonium at that time. After that, I learned music at a summer camp. My music teacher was surprised with my understanding of music and the abilities of learning music at a faster pace in comparison to my fellows. I really love music and want to become a singer in near future. For the achievement of my goal, I am working hard towards learning the skills. Journal Entry for Music Controversies The genre of music can be classified into two categories, i.e. good or bad. With the assistance of this, the content of the genre of music can be evaluated. Different kinds of music are present world wide in different cultures. Music differs from one culture to another. The different genres of music act as the web around the culture of the respective country. The music videos forecasted on different television channels are not according to the ethical standards of the society. The videos show vulgarity, which puts negative impact on the society. The growing multinational companies in music industry, and the utilization of independent record labels for the survival in the market by these companies has negatively impacted the young listeners. The young listeners are tending towards excessive use of drugs and violence after watching such controversial music records of rap, rock n roll, etc (Dalton, 2008). In the past few years, there is an increase in the listening of rap music by youths in America, which has led to an increase in crimes such as robberies, murders, rapes, etc. The rap music has led to social and political controversies. The critics have suggested proposing laws against such controversial cases and government has implemented security review for warning labels on records. Tupac was a critic of the system. He revealed the critical situations related to the system in his poetry. His work was mainly focusing on the lifestyles of ghetto and social militant engaged in activism. His lyrics were about the problems existing in the society and the conflicts due to racism. The listening of music is fine, but the images displayed on the television and copying them by the youths and children are the controversial aspects of music. Journal Entry for Movies Music plays a significant role in movies. Whether it is a play, drama, or a movie, all of them are incomplete without musical compositions. We can consider the example of the movie ‘Amadeus’ in which a child has a possession to become a famous composer. The life cycle to become a great composer and the twist in life of the hero are shown with very effective combination of musical tracks. The movie shows the courage of the director towards the life of Mozart and becomes successful in producing curiosity in the viewers towards music (Amadeus, 2008). In the movie ‘Dearly Beloved’, spiritual music has been composed by the composer and the movie shows a romantic mixture with musical lyrics. Music is present everywhere from the ancient time and it is integrated to nature. The movie ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is composed with classic silent version of the music, which shows a visual percept for the movie. The movie also presents a musical mystery. The basic requirement of any movie is an effective combination of sound effects with musical compositions. Music composed in the movies is the auditory art form, which can make the movie successful. The creativity of musicians and composers makes the music records successful in the industry. Journal Entry for Music in Puerto Rico African and European formation of music has a great influence on the music of Puerto Rico. It is famous world wide and mostly in the Caribbean region. The music of Puerto Rico has different genres, such as native genres: decimal and seis, and folk music genres: salsa, rock, danza, bomba, plena, etc. Each genre produces different and unique pitch and tone. The musical composers utilize different genres for composing music of movies related to love tragedies, and different stories conveying moral lessons. There are various radio stations in Puerto Rico. Among them, only one radio station carries classical music. The rap and hip hop music genres negatively influence the society. The criminal activities and actions increase in the society. The people will deviate from the cultural values and loose their old traditional roots (Welcome to Puerto Rico, 2008). The music industry of Puerto Rico must have to concentrate on its native and folk music genres instead of external music genres from different countries. The youth should be motivated towards learning classical music and promoting the original music genres of Puerto Rico world wide. The culture of Puerto Rico is mainly shaped by the music. The music of Puerto Rico has evolved out of the combination of other cultures with a distinctive tone of music. Thus, the Puerto Rican music should focus on its traditional music to bind the people and the cultural values in the society, as contemporary music has provided many popular stars like Ricky Martin, Olga Tanon, etc. with name and fame in the world of music. References Amadeus (2008). Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/ Dalton, C. (2008). Controversy between Rap Music Society. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1320365 Welcome to Puerto Rico (2008). Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://welcome.topuertorico.org/culture/music.shtml

Iliad As A Dictate Of The Fath :: essays research papers

Iliad as a Dictate of the Father The Lion Gate is gnarling down at anyone trying to advance past its massive guard. Inside the fortress, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitor’s arrival. Skillfully carved armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts. The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are apparent in each Mycenaean artifact. It is this strong patriarchal culture that gave birth to the creation of the Iliad. The respect that the father receives as the head of the family is made obvious in the legendary epic. Not only is the father the primary concern in the Iliad, but the heroic code is based on paternal injunction. That way the father determines the values and behavior of the heroes in the Iliad. Throughout the Iliad the warriors are identified by their genealogy. The first line begins, â€Å"Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1, 1). With the opening we see how important the father’s name is in describing the identity of the hero. The same occurs in the lines to follow, â€Å"†¦Atreus’ son the lord of men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1, 7). In this line the name Agamemnon is not even mentioned, even though it introduces the hero for the first time. The fact that he is the son of Atreus provides enough information for the audience. Genealogy has the power to cease battle between enemies. Such is the case when Diomedes, challenged by Glaukos on the battlefield, questions him of his descent. After Glaukos has given the full story of his ancestry, Diomedes realizes that their grandfathers have been friends and proposes a truce. "See now, you are my guest friend from far in the time of our fathers./ Brilliant Oineus once was host to Bellerophontes/ the blameless, in his halls, and twenty days he detained him,/ and these two gave to each other fine gifts in token of friendship. /†¦Therefore I am your friend and host in the heart of Argos;/ you are mine in Lykia, when I come to your country./ Let us avoid each other’s spears, even in the close fighting./ †¦But let us exchange our armour, so that these others may know/ how we claim to be guests and friends from the days of our fathers" (6, 215-231). Glaukos and Diomedes must continue the ties of friendship their forefathers once had, if they are to adhere to the heroic code. The warrior comes after the king in the Dumezil social structure. Iliad As A Dictate Of The Fath :: essays research papers Iliad as a Dictate of the Father The Lion Gate is gnarling down at anyone trying to advance past its massive guard. Inside the fortress, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitor’s arrival. Skillfully carved armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts. The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are apparent in each Mycenaean artifact. It is this strong patriarchal culture that gave birth to the creation of the Iliad. The respect that the father receives as the head of the family is made obvious in the legendary epic. Not only is the father the primary concern in the Iliad, but the heroic code is based on paternal injunction. That way the father determines the values and behavior of the heroes in the Iliad. Throughout the Iliad the warriors are identified by their genealogy. The first line begins, â€Å"Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1, 1). With the opening we see how important the father’s name is in describing the identity of the hero. The same occurs in the lines to follow, â€Å"†¦Atreus’ son the lord of men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1, 7). In this line the name Agamemnon is not even mentioned, even though it introduces the hero for the first time. The fact that he is the son of Atreus provides enough information for the audience. Genealogy has the power to cease battle between enemies. Such is the case when Diomedes, challenged by Glaukos on the battlefield, questions him of his descent. After Glaukos has given the full story of his ancestry, Diomedes realizes that their grandfathers have been friends and proposes a truce. "See now, you are my guest friend from far in the time of our fathers./ Brilliant Oineus once was host to Bellerophontes/ the blameless, in his halls, and twenty days he detained him,/ and these two gave to each other fine gifts in token of friendship. /†¦Therefore I am your friend and host in the heart of Argos;/ you are mine in Lykia, when I come to your country./ Let us avoid each other’s spears, even in the close fighting./ †¦But let us exchange our armour, so that these others may know/ how we claim to be guests and friends from the days of our fathers" (6, 215-231). Glaukos and Diomedes must continue the ties of friendship their forefathers once had, if they are to adhere to the heroic code. The warrior comes after the king in the Dumezil social structure.

Teleconferencing - An Upgraded Means of Communication Essay -- Explora

Teleconferencing - An Upgraded Means of Communication The day-to-day communications and conferencing between people evolved to what we know as telecommunications and information services. Teleconferencing is an elevation of telecommunications and information. Ordinarily, in a conference people meet together in groups small or large to discuss and exchange ideas, and views about facts, subjects, or events. But teleconferencing makes a great difference with new technologies. Putting these ideas together, we agree that teleconferencing is the discussion and exchange of ideas and views by a group of two or more through transmission, emission, and acceptance of signs and signals, images and sounds by wire, optical and other electronic devices without the participants being under the same roof (World Communications 16). How did it come about? According to the book titled, World communications, the root of teleconferencing is traced back to 1837 when Samuel Morse invented the first electric telegraph. This was used for local transmission of messages and information. It became an international means of information transfer in 1876. In this same year with the invention of telephone system by Alexander graham bell, communication system was upgraded (World Communications 50). The telephone not only became an extension of telegraph but a break through and the basis for much of today’s astonishing progress in the routing, transmission and processing of information. The first wireless transmission was established in 1895 (World Communications 51). Communications and conference continued to improve with the invention and discovery of other mass media devices such as the radios in 1930s and the television in 1950s. Teleconferenci... ...rge scale teleconferencing will require a reasonable amount of money to get it done. Conclusion: Teleconferencing is an upgraded means of communication and information that require telephone line/cable, television /screen, video machine etc to make it effective. It connects as many businesses as possible. It saves money, time and energy. It is easy to record minutes of conferences and use it later. Resources Used H.L.Capron. Computers: Tools for an Information Age (sixth edition). New Jersey: Princeton Hall Inc. Telecommunications union: World communications Geneva, Switzerland 1983. http://www.ltss.bristol.ac.uk/teleconf_1.htm (20 May 2001) http://www.lifelearn.depaul.edu/un/ (21 May 2001) http://www..lifelearn.depaul.edu/un/ http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/ (21 May 2001) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/pittd/teleconf.htm (21 May 2001)

Justifying Philosophy and Paideia in the Modern World :: Philosophical Essays

Justifying Philosophy and Paideia in the Modern World ABSTRACT: If Paideia means education in the classical sense, that is, education of the whole person, then authentically justifying such education in the modern world is extremely problematic. We are first drawn to practical defenses of a liberal education, that it is in itself of service and useful, both to society and to the individual. However, a practical defense of Paideia in the classical sense simply comes across as feeble and even a bit desperate (that is, if it escapes sounding pompous) and every savvy student knows it. Far better, it seems, to take courses aimed at general problem solving, or at honing critical thinking skills, or at developing socio-political sophistication, than to read Shakespeare or Plato. If Paideia means education in the classical sense, that is, education of the whole person, then authentically justifying such education in the modern world is extremely problematic. We are first drawn to practical defenses of a liberal education, that it is in itself of service and useful, both to society and to the individual. However, a practical defense of Paideia in the classical sense simply comes across as feeble and even a bit desperate (that is, if it escapes sounding pompous) and every savvy student knows it. Far better, it seems, to take courses aimed at general problem solving, or at honing critical thinking skills, or at developing socio-political sophistication, than to read Shakespeare and Plato. A similar problem plagues the justification of the pursuit of philosophy itself, and this is where the fundamental motivations behind both Paideia and philosophy converge. What is in fact the purpose of philosophy? One basic function of philosophy appears to be a kind of service of clarification and justification. Yet this cannot be philosophy's only purpose, any more than the mere development of skills and professional acumen are the primary goals of a liberal education. Yet similar notions of service to the state are given as primary justifications for becoming educated, beyond simple material gain. Surely this does not justify even very much of what we put students through in humanities classes around the world. Why, then, philosophy as the pursuit of wisdom, and why, then, Paideia? The answer, I think, is that the justification for both philosophy and Paideia has an ethical grounding, and can only really be articulated, if indeed it still can be, in virtue-based terms.

Art Exhibit on Nature Essay

The planet earth is the only known habitat for humankind. For millions of years, it served as the home to numerous living things such as animals, plants and people. More so, it has been a witness to many events that have shaped the course of world history. Because of this, it is suffice to say that our beloved Mother Earth has played a vital role in nourishing and sustaining the existence of humans. In return for all the benefits and nourishment that Mother Earth has provided to humans, human beings have showed their gratitude by expressing their appreciation and admiration for the beauty and splendor of nature. For centuries, human beings have captured the magnificence of the diversity and uniqueness of the environment which was shown using various art forms such as painting, sculptures, photography, architecture and many others. In line with this, throughout history, several art movements have emerged. There were the Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Modernism and many others. The dominant and styles and themes differed in these art periods. However, there was one theme that has remained constant until the present day. This is known as landscape or nature art. This form of art is defined as the illustration of mountains, flora and fauna, bodies of water and the sky. More so, it is a celebration of the majestic beauty of nature. This trend in the art world has continued to persist throughout the ages. Aside from this, it has also evolved in terms of styles and techniques. Every part of the globe has developed their own approach on how to translate the beauty of nature into a canvas. Because of the variety in culture and tradition, nature and landscape artworks have surfaced as distinctive copies of the wonders of the environment. With this, nature had become a worldwide art phenomenon and these artworks have made nature a timeless masterpiece that will be forever treasured and recognized. On the other hand, due to changing times, the seemingly everlasting beauty of nature is apparently gradually diminishing. If before humans respected the significant role of Mother Earth in the cycle of life, nowadays, humans have abandoned their vital task of being the steward. Instead of taking care of the natural wonders of the world, humans have opted to obliterate it. This sudden change was caused by the desire to improve the ways of living of people. Initially, the intention may seem innocent and harmless but if one would look closely, traces of selfishness and greed can be uncovered. People wanted to advance the human race but at the expense of damaging the environment. Because of this, a drastic natural occurrence has been plaguing the contemporary society. This has claimed lives of many people and destroyed millions worth of properties. This phenomenon has been labeled as climate change or global warming. In the recent years, Mother Earth has been experiencing unusual changes such as the increase in temperature of the atmosphere, extinction of some animal and plant species, loss of land mass and many others. These alterations have posted an alarming threat to the existence of many living things. If humans would permit this condition to carry on, in time people would be left homeless and without any nourishment. To help intensify awareness on the present state of the environment, an art exhibit will be put up. This exhibit will showcase the nature artworks of American artist, Ansel Adams, French painter, Paul Cezanne, and a Japanese artisan named Hokusai. The objective of the exhibit is to help the viewers realize the importance and connection of nature with the existence of humans. More so, this nature-themed art exhibit will explore the various perceptions of artists on nature from different periods. It will demonstrate how people saw and appreciated the beauty of the environment during their respective eras. By incorporating artists from different continents such as North America, Europe and Asia, viewers will also be given a 360 degrees view of the world’s most beautiful places. Hopefully, after they have seen the exhibit, the viewers will have a new-found respect on the beauty and vigor of Mother Earth. Ansel Adams is an American photographer who has mastered the artistry of capturing wonderful shots of landscapes in scenic places strewn all over the United States. Aside from being an artist, he was also a dedicated environmentalist â€Å"who encouraged understanding of, and respect for, the natural environment. † Even though he initially got noticed as a noted photographer in commercial photography, he excelled in the field of landscape photography (Notablebiographies. com). The black and white landscape photographs have become Adams’ trademarks. Two of Adams most recognized photographs are the â€Å"The Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming† and â€Å"‘Old Faithful’ geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming† (TheHistoryPlace. com). Adams was commissioned to take these pictures for the National Park Service in 1941. The photographs were intended to be used to make the â€Å"photo mural for the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC. † The main theme was focused on showcasing nature â€Å"exemplified and protected in the U. S. National Parks† (U. S. National Archives and Records Administration). These two photographs have illustrated the grandiose and picturesque beauty of the mountain ranges and national parks in the US. Furthermore, he used his creativity to â€Å"preserve the wilderness and one of the first to promote photography as an art form† (TheHistoryPlace. com). Paul Cezanne is considered as one of the masters of post-Impressionism. He is also well-known for pioneering an avant-garde movement then called cubism in the late 1800s. Because of his quirkiness and modern styles, Cezanne was misunderstood by the people. But this did not discourage him to advance his creativity. He â€Å"grew out of Impressionism and eventually challenged all the conventional values of painting in the 19th century through its insistence on personal expression and on the integrity of the painting itself. † Through these innovations, he was recognized as the â€Å"father of modern painting† (Pioch). But before Cezanne ventured into cubism, he created several simple yet exquisite landscape paintings that â€Å"immortalized the Provencal countryside† in France. In his two paintings, â€Å"Etude: Paysage a Auvers† (Study: Landscape at Auvers) and â€Å"Jas de Buffan† (The Pool), Cezanne was able to depict nature as real as he can. These two oil paintings were generated in 1873 and 1876 respectively. For Cezanne, nature cannot be accurately duplicated in a canvas. He tried to link the natural and artistic worlds by showing his own perceptions about nature. In relation to this, most of his artworks are advised to be seen as a whole and not per part in order to fully appreciate their artistic essence (Pioch). Hokusai is a famous Japanese painter. Compared to the previous artists, his choice of material for painting is unconventional. Hokusai used wood as his canvas to celebrate the beauty of nature. A native of Edo, which is now called Tokyo, Hokusai is regarded as â€Å"one of the outstanding figures of the Ukiyo-e or pictures of the floating world (everyday life), school of printmaking† (Pioch). In the â€Å"The Breaking Wave Off Kanagawa or The Great Wave,† Hokusai illustrated the splendor of the sea. Since Japan is surrounded by water, this painting has become the quintessential representation of Japanese aesthetics. This seascape painting with a Japanese natural landmark, Mt. Fuji, had represented the Asian geography. More so, it showed the combination of western and eastern influences with regards to art production. Moreover, this particular Japanese art have preserved its authenticity and oriental aesthetic by â€Å"flattening the texture and using color surfaces as an element. † On the other hand, this painting also showed how nature can be so powerful which was expressed on the giant which was on the verge of devouring the people aboard the two boasts (Andreas. com). Works Cited â€Å"ANSEL ADAMS Biography. † 2007. Notablebiographies. com. 12 December 2008 . â€Å"Ansel Adams Photograph. † n. d. U. S. National Archives and Records Administration. 12 December 2008 . â€Å"Best of Ansel Adams. † 1999. TheHistoryPlace. com. 12 December 2008 . â€Å"Hokusai. † 2008. Andreas. com. 12 December 2008 . Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Cezanne, Paul. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 . Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Cezanne, Paul: Landscapes. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 . Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Hokusai, Katsushika. † 19 September 2002. Webmuseum, Paris. 12 December 2008 .