My Teacher, My Hero Essay Example for Free

My Teacher, My Hero Essay When talking about our own teachers and mentors, anyone would be glad to thank them, especially those who are successful and those who learned a great lesson from them. But, are teachers really that great? Aren’t they just a bunch of people teaching everyday? The people who are always giving a lot of homeworks and projects, making our life hard? Teachers are great. They teach us in all ways they could. They guide us through different challenges. They act as light when we’re on darkness. They’re affection strengthens students. They’re patience are unbelievable. For even though, we, students are acting childishly, they forgive us. They’re like a second mom to us. And especially, they love us like a true mother. Once, when I was still young, I had a very kind and loving teacher. And for me, she was the reason why I am here in my spot today. She was the building block of my knowledge. She’s my teacher on kindergarten. She’s strict, yes, but still very affectionate. She was the one who discovered I’m myopic. After discovering this, she told it to my mom and I was able to see the world clearly. She was also the one who always guides me through everything. She taught me how to read, write, count, and how to be strong in every circumstance I face. She taught me how to meet friends. I learned many lessons from her. She always taps my head whenever I learned something new. And in that small gesture, I know how much her affection is for me. She’s a person whom I can ask help from anytime I want. She’s a person willing to help a lost child to make her a successful one. And I’m very thankful to her. She was like my hero once and I know she’ll forever be one. Thanks to her, my parents discovered I’m myopic. Thanks to her, I learned how to make new friends. Thanks to her, I’ve been a good girl. Thanks to her, I learned how to eat veggies. And especially thanks to her, for being my hero, who saves me from any circumstance that surrounds me. I owe her so much yet all I can do is to thank her, to study hard, and to become a successful person someday, for her to be proud of me. If not because of you, I won’t be here where I am today. Thank you My Teacher, My Hero! I salute you, and I will always do.

Research Paper On Amistad

Research Paper On Amistad HBO and Dreamworks socially and morally charged movie, Amistad is produced by Debbie Allen, Steven Spielberg and Colin Wilson, directed by Steven Spielberg and was written by David Franzoni. It stars Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Djunon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Nigel Hawthorne, Stellan Skarsgard, Harry Blackmun and Anna Paquin. It was released late 1997 and did not do outstandingly well in the box office (Amistad Film) although the movie is making waves through home video distributions. This is highly due to the fact that the movies theme and storyline is so historically, educationally and socio-politically charged that it is recommended to many educational institution nationwide as a multi-media supplement to curriculum. Synopsis The story revolves around the events that befell the passengers and crew of La Amistad, a two-masted American schooner that was owned by a Spaniard. On July 1839, Sengbe Pieh (also known later in America as Joseph Cinque) led the slaves being transported in La Amistad against their captors. All of these Africans were kidnapped from their homeland and was supposed to be sold as slaves. Two crew members were kept alive to navigate the ship back to Africa, however, they tricked Cinque and his people and brought the ship to the US coast where it was caught by the US Navy and all were imprisoned for their violent deeds on the La Amistad (Harvey). A widely-publicized court case would then ensue, dredged in politics and emotions, regarding the situation of these so-called slaves. The Amistad legal battle would then go as high as the US Supreme Court given its national and international value, but in 1841 it was ruled that the Africans were illegally transported and kidnapped and therefore c annot be called slaves but as individuals who are fighting their rights for freedom against oppressors and were ordered to be freed. (Ham) Analysis Amistad can be credited for being one of the few movies that dealt with a pre-civil war event on slavery. It also delves into the same eras notion of slavery in America but there is a twist. This is not about American slaves but of men who almost became American slaves through no fault of their own. In the process, it manages to present the issues of racism, human rights and moral awareness, set in a time where slavery was allowed to a certain degree. This is probably one of the very few, and latest movie that delve on this topic using a historical event. The one other movie that uses this approach is Glory directed by Edward Zwick, which alludes to the same issue of racism and bigotry of Amistad although its subject is the civil war and its effect on the characters. (Chapman) Historical movies are defined as movies depicting a real past event with a historical degree of accuracy allowed and limited by available actual historical reference. (Best Historical Movies). But it is also true that while the movie Amistad is based on the historical account of the La Amistad mutiny and the rifts it created internationally, it has made a number of changes to the screenplay wherein many scholars have shown disappointment over its historical portrayal of facts. With this in mind, you start to wonder at the amount of leniency in portraying historical details in the movie Amistad. If it is truly a movie based on the actual account of the mutiny of Amistad and the effects it had on the times, how much of the movie followed the true account? Should a movie that has taken so much liberty in portraying a historical event, be given importance and credit such as it is presently being given now in the study of slavery, abolitionists and historical accounts of the actual incide nt? Points of Contention Spielbergs Amistad portrayed how much the La Amistad case affected the blossoming conflicts of the abolitionists and slave owners in the US at that time, even referring to the possibility of civil war when in fact it would happen two decades afterwards. It should be clarified though that what the events of La Amistad historically affected is the movement to eliminate the international slave trade route and not the abolition of slavery in America. In the movie, Cinque tells the horrors of his kidnapping and the trade routes Middle Passage, which is a true area in the Atlantic Slave Trade where slaves, and slaves-to-be suffer at the hands of kidnappers and slave dealers. Do notice that even at that point in the story, nothing is mentioned of the injustices done to the domestic slaves, and yet the movie is connected to the abolition of slavery in the history of America.(Historical Accuracy, 3) Amistad took too many liberties in its screenplay to be considered as a main source of historical education with regards to slavery and its abolition in America. The introduction of it being a educational tool through a study guide that is being distributed to a number of schools in the country have led to students believing the actuality of Theodore Joadson (played byMorgan Freeman), one of the characters in the story; when in fact he is just a fictitious character thats inserted into the screenplay to augment the movies plot value. As a matter of fact, Theodore Joadson is the representation of the black man fighting for the black man and against bigotry. Clarification of this fact should be made clear to students before they watch Amistad if they truly intend to use it as an educational tool. Historians and educators are not given the proper credit in the creation of this film and they are even slightly reproached for not including the details of the La Amistad in school curriculum for awareness of slavery and as historical account for slavery abolition in the US. Meanwhile these scholars are offended and reprimand the movie for its use in some educational levels as historical source when there are a number of historical incongruities in the movies storyline. (Foner) This situation adds doubt regarding to the use of Amistad in educational and historical aspects. I dont agree with these scholars saying that it would have been better if books were printed with the money used to produce the film, which amounted to a whooping $75 million (Foner, 74); since film has its advantages over printed literature and they are two different mediums. But I do agree with them that this movie should not be used in American schools as a visual aid to show historical fact for the incidents concerning La Amistad, nor should it be used as an introduction to abolition of slavery in the US. Though it can be an educational tool for moral awareness, human rights, film appreciation and critique, racism, or at the very least present the effect the La Amistad incident had on the elimination of the international slave trade route at that time. But to use the movie as historical gospel to the actual incident and the series of events that were brought about by the La Amistad murders is as bad as people believing that the Blair Witch is real just because of the movie The Bl air Witch Project (Mythology). Allow me to point out that the producer and director are not historians but they have done their jobs wonderfully. They managed to show their version of history on screen for the right reasons and with proper application of their mediums tools such as cinematography, costumes, acting, direction and cinematic representation. One of the highlights of the movie is the use of original language from the actual incident, Mende a West African language, and presenting it in scenes that need no translation, since not all audiences appreciate subtitles. The portrayal of the actors in the first scene is enough that no translations is needed for the audience to be captivated purely by the visual and auditory aspects and not of dialogue; a truly genius move by Spielberg because it allowed the audience to partake of the scene through empathy and nuances. This is something that is hardly used in movies today and is truly highly commendable (Leong), but historically speaking that movie is still boun d by that same directorial interpretation which should credit the movie as a cinematic rendition and interpretation of the La Amistad affair and should not be used as for presenting historical facts. Conclusion Once again, Hollywood is guilty of presenting entertainment over information via this Spielberg movie. All the actors presented sterling performances, the camera work is very prolific, the plot smooth and easily understood and the movies message manages to reach the emotions and hearts of its audience. This is indeed a signature among all Spielberg historical and even fictional works such as Schindlers List, The Color Purple and A.I (Steven Spielberg) The movie, Amistad the movie, can also boast as that it is one of the most singular movies that are recommended by many educational, socio-political and historical groups and organizations with regards to civil rights, bigotry, racism, social and moral awareness in an international scope. But the fact that it is regarded for its historical value is quite problematic. There are just too many changes made from actual historical data made in the movie for it to be a proper curriculum supplementary material. And though it remains one of the foremost films that deal with slavery with magnificent film approaches and acting skills, it must be credited for what it is: a mind-opening, social awareness cinematic great that placed more attention on entertainment than factual information to reach as many people, races and countries as possible. That alone is quite a feat for any film and that is highly commendable and praiseworthy. It has proven very effective in this goal and should not be praised for or given historical credit more than it its due.

Principles of Effective Offender Intervention

Principles of Effective Offender Intervention Introduction From way back in history, the process of correcting those who were believed to be wrong in a way or another was practiced. Communities are guided by certain morals, and whenever one goes against the morals, it is believed that the person might have a problem and it is only good to deal with the problem before it escalates. People are different; whereas there are people who can change by just being advised to do so, there are some who need intense programs to change. Correcting young ones so that they can be part and parcel of the bigger community is a process that must be guided by principles. The four principles are meant to intervene and help the targeted persons to be better people in the society. The four principles of intervention There are four different principles of intervention that are used in making sure that some of the young law offenders are helped to become better people in the society (Guevara, 2009). The four principles are more in a sequence because one must follow the other if good results are to be achieved. Effecting one principle in the absence of the previous might produce different results which might be opposite of the expectations of the community or the program. For a lot of years, the four principles have been used in many correction facilities, and they have produced tremendous results. Risk principle Offenders are divided into different groups as far as risk is concerned; low-risk and high-risk offenders. Low-risk offenders are offenders who do not pose a great threat to the community as well as to themselves. When it comes to such offenders, all that is needed is minimal coaching or minimal intervention for them to fit back into the community. For example, an offender who has been involved in a quarreling that resulted in violence is not a high-risk offender. The reason for stating so is because the offender might have acted out of frustration but not under motivation or passion. Therefore, the attention and resources needed to bring back such a person on the track are minimal. At the same time, the person is not a threat to him or her life. The second group consists of high-risk offenders. These types of offenders are not only a risk to the community but themselves. When it comes to attending to them, a lot of resources are required. The interventions used must also be in line with their needs. Risk principle calls for prioritization of resources in line with the risk of the offender. For example, a person who possesses a risk to a larger community cannot be treated like a person who possesses lesser risk. The methods of intervention used on a riskier person also differ in some ways (TJRC, 2016). The principle helps in addressing cases with all the seriousness they deserve. The principle is effective and reasonable. For example, a person who is used to involving him or herself in criminal activities needs a more effective intervention method. The reason for doing so is because a lesser effective method cannot help him or her. The intervention methods are not meant to punish but to change. Allowing continuous offenders back to the community with the expectations that he or she will change is not helping him or her in any way. Since he or she has proven to be risky, it is only good to make sure that more resources are used so as to make the intervention effective. Need principle Need principle states that the needs of the offenders should be considered in any given intervention process. The need might be direct or indirect. Some people are forced by circumstances to engage in criminal activities. In most cases, they lack a thing or two, and that is why they end up doing what they do. What they lack is what is referred to as a need. The principle states that for a person not to go back to his or her old ways, the need must be satisfied. A person might end up being a criminal for lack of education and knowledge on certain issues. Taking that person through a correctional facility and bringing him or her back to the society only solves part of the problem. Therefore, it is important to enlighten that person on the issues that he or she might not be familiar with so that he or she cannot go back to his or her old ways. The environment, on the other hand, can influence one towards committing a crime. When the environment of the offender is not looked into, the offender is taken back to the same risks after corrections, and that might not bear the expected results. For example, if a person lives in an environment where people live by the gun and earn from illegal activities, taking him or her back to such an environment is exposing him or her to risks (Edward Jennifer, 2004). The principle is effective because it tries to look for a lasting solution in the process of making sure that an offender gains from an intervention program. Helping people and not looking at what they lacked for them to commit a crime is dealing with the problem partially. The best way to make sure that criminals do not get back to their old ways is dealing with the causes, and that means looking at the needs and satisfying them. Treatment principle The treatment principle emphasizes the need to look for the most effective treatment strategy. The principle concentrates much on the high-risk offenders. An offender must go through some effective treatments for him or her to be accepted back in the community. Factors to consider when it comes to treatment are the type of treatment, the interval of treatment, and the length of the treatment. A person who is of great danger to the community must be treated in a different way. Though the main reason why the offender is taken in a correctional facility is not to be punished, a high-risk offender must be treated in a way that he or she will never admire hurting himself or others. The treatment must be intense and if the need calls it must take a longer period so that he or she can be ready to fit in the community after the treatment. There are different offenders, and they are motivated to engaging in criminal activities by different reasons. Some are criminals because they are failed by their brain. In such cases, the treatment must be special and different from others. Regardless of him being a high-risk offender, the person also has a mental health condition. In such a case, double care is required (Guevara, 2009). The facility or the parties involved might choose to provide both psychiatric help and at the same time correctional help. By so doing, the offender gets his or her sanity back and is helped to avoid getting into trouble shortly. The principle is effective because it considers the nature of the offender. By considering the nature of the offender, it becomes easy to help a person with a series of problems by knowing the best way to treat him or her. Fidelity principle Fidelity principle states that the program must be run by people who follow the rule of law and whose integrity cannot be compromised (Edward Jennifer, 2004). It is important to know that the offenders need help and there is no way of doing it better than taking them through a program. The person running the program should leave the responsibility of correcting to the service providers, and he or she should not be bribed to grant favors to some of the law offenders. The principle is effective because it makes sure that any offender goes through the program and benefits from it without any shortcut. Conclusion The four principles guide offenders towards using the most effective ways in gaining help. At the same time, they guide the service providers towards being effective and taking care of the offenders on humane ways of doing things. Though the four principles have dwelt so much on programs and services, their main aim is to help the law offenders so that they can be people who can be accepted back into the community. They are in place to make sure that most humane means are used to correct the offenders. At the same time, they make sure that each offender is provided with help that is suitable to his or her behaviors. References Edward, J. Jennifer, A. (2004). Applying the principles of effective intervention to juvenilecorrectional programs. Retrieved from http://cjonline.uc.edu/resources/criminal-justice Research/applying-the-principles-of-effective-intervention-to-juvenile-correctional programs/ Guevara, M. (2009). Implementing Evidence-Based Policy and Practice in Community Corrections, 2 Nd Edition. Retrieved from http://b.3cdn.net/crjustice/92d6c98633d1448ff0_cfm6iiq27.pdf The Justice Research Center. (2016). What Works Principles. Retrieved fromhttp://thejrc.com/wwi-principles.asp

The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics :: Essays on Politics

The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics American politics, for better or worse, is prone to elitist control of various issues, some of which affect the general public in significant ways. This system is described by the distributive model of politics, where people representing narrow segments of society with high stakes in a particular issue influence public policy to a substantial degree. This explanation of policy making can be effectively used to examine and explain some political actions. However, the model is not without its flaws, and other models have developed to explain policy changes that take place under different circumstances, and with anomalous results. In areas dealing with science and technology, the knowledge-driven approach is often employed to explain policy transitions that do not fit the distributive model. The knowledge-driven approach examines how technological and scientific advances that favor diffuse interests can be used by policy entrepreneurs to bring about broad change, often against powerful and determined special interest groups. The case of air bag regulation can be used to describe and examine both the distributive and knowledge-driven models, as it originally fit distributive explanations, and was eventually taken over by the knowledge-driven system. The discussion of air bag regulation will include an overview of the relevant events, an examination of the distributive system of auto safety, and an explanation of the eventual changes ushered in under the knowledge-driven system. The issue of auto safety regulation began to receive attention in the sixties, when death due to auto accidents rose from under 40,000 deaths in 1960 to nearly 55,000 in 1969 (Fortune, 100). In 1965 and 1966 congressional committees held hearings on specific incidents of automotive safety neglect, which resulted in the passing of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Nader, Unsafe, xvii). This act was the first of its kind, giving the federal government the right to impose automotive safety regulations on the auto industry. The job of regulation was delegated to the National Highway Safety Bureau (now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), a division of the Department of Transportation. This department was given the authority to impose safety regulations, review industry compliance, and study automotive safety in general. In 1970 and 1971 the automotive industry began to discuss the use of passive restraints in collisions to increase safety. Passive restraints are those which do not require any actions on the part of the driver or passengers, unlike seatbelts. The most popular and seemingly most feasible solution was the air bag. This bag, placed in front of the driver, would deploy The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics :: Essays on Politics The Distributive and Knowledge-driven Models of Politics American politics, for better or worse, is prone to elitist control of various issues, some of which affect the general public in significant ways. This system is described by the distributive model of politics, where people representing narrow segments of society with high stakes in a particular issue influence public policy to a substantial degree. This explanation of policy making can be effectively used to examine and explain some political actions. However, the model is not without its flaws, and other models have developed to explain policy changes that take place under different circumstances, and with anomalous results. In areas dealing with science and technology, the knowledge-driven approach is often employed to explain policy transitions that do not fit the distributive model. The knowledge-driven approach examines how technological and scientific advances that favor diffuse interests can be used by policy entrepreneurs to bring about broad change, often against powerful and determined special interest groups. The case of air bag regulation can be used to describe and examine both the distributive and knowledge-driven models, as it originally fit distributive explanations, and was eventually taken over by the knowledge-driven system. The discussion of air bag regulation will include an overview of the relevant events, an examination of the distributive system of auto safety, and an explanation of the eventual changes ushered in under the knowledge-driven system. The issue of auto safety regulation began to receive attention in the sixties, when death due to auto accidents rose from under 40,000 deaths in 1960 to nearly 55,000 in 1969 (Fortune, 100). In 1965 and 1966 congressional committees held hearings on specific incidents of automotive safety neglect, which resulted in the passing of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Nader, Unsafe, xvii). This act was the first of its kind, giving the federal government the right to impose automotive safety regulations on the auto industry. The job of regulation was delegated to the National Highway Safety Bureau (now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), a division of the Department of Transportation. This department was given the authority to impose safety regulations, review industry compliance, and study automotive safety in general. In 1970 and 1971 the automotive industry began to discuss the use of passive restraints in collisions to increase safety. Passive restraints are those which do not require any actions on the part of the driver or passengers, unlike seatbelts. The most popular and seemingly most feasible solution was the air bag. This bag, placed in front of the driver, would deploy

Plastic Surgery Essay -- Plastic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery

Have you ever considered having plastic surgery? After reading this paper you might want the surgery or you might not. Plastic surgery, a form of art, can reconstruct your body and renew your confidence but can you accept the risks involved?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plastic surgery ranges from one- thousand dollars to three- thousand dollars or more depending on the surgery (Body fat reduction: Suction-Assisted Lipectomy). There are plenty types of plastic surgery. One type is called liposuction. The best candidates for liposuction are of relatively normal weight with pockets of excess fat in particular areas. They should be physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations. An important thing is to have firm and elastic skin. â€Å"Loose, drooping skin won’t reshape to your body’s new contours, and may require an additional procedure to surgically remove the excess skin. It will leave visible scars'; (Liposuction).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you decide to go through liposuction try diets and weight loss programs. If you can’t loose a certain buldge then liposuction is a good alternative (Thigh Liposculpture). Liposuction is started by making a small incision, (about half an inch or less), in the skin, often in or near the buttock crease or a previous scar. The small suction rod, called a cannula, is inserted and connected to a vacuum source with a suction tube. The vacuum sucks the fat out and leaves everything else intact (Thigh Liposculpture). Usually the surgery takes about an hour or two, but the time required may vary considerably from thirty minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of work your having done. â€Å"If your procedure is not too extensive – that is, if no more than one and a half pints of fat and fluid will be removed – liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia, which numbs the area, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy'; (Lipos uction).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A benefit of having liposuction done is that fat is removed and gone forever. It can offer a new shape for people who thought it was impossible. â€Å"Liposuction will not, however, prevent you from gaining weight in the future, and will not keep you fit and in shape. In order to assume good skin contour, you must be conscientious about wearing the support garments recommended be your doctor'; (Thigh Liposculpture). Does the fat come back? â€Å"Fat cells are not though to regenerate, and ... ...ressed because she saw other women with breast and cleavage she used to have. So she decided to go through reconstruction. The danger of silicon gel was circulating widely so she went to a doctor that reconstructs breast from a women’s own body fat (Nemeth, Mary).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reconstruction by using the woman’s own body fat is dangerous. First, the surgeon opens your abdomen and cuts through your muscles. They have to redirect your arteries and take the fat out. Then, the surgeon reconstructs their breast with the fat. As Carolyn Haltrecht said, â€Å"It took me the whole summer to admit to myself that I’m not very happy with the way I look and there’s nothing wrong with plastic surgery'; (Nemeth, Mary). According to Marcia Angell, â€Å"Polls indicated that the great majority of women with breast implants were pleased with the results'; (Angell, Marcia).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, There are many risks involved in plastic surgery. Although you look like you have always wanted to after plastic surgery, is it worth all the possible effects that could take place? Think hard before you make changes on your body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In short, you cannot meet the future if you look like the past'; (Neimark, Jill).

Communication Plan Final Proposal Essay

Usepersuasive communication to convince the CEO to take your suggested approach to solve Best Game Productions’ dilemma. The CEO must perceive the project as something the company needs. Considerthe noise that will detract the CEO from fully receiving your message, and construct your communication to address or avoid that noise. Createtwo tools to measure the effectiveness of your consultant communications. In designing these tools, consider who the audience of the tools will be and how to generate the most honest and objective feedback possible. Discusshow you will use the tools that you created to measure your effectiveness in the organization. Who will you ask to complete the tools, and how will you present the tools to the audience? What methods will you use to avoid bias in the feedback process? How will you use the feedback you receive to evaluate and improve your effectiveness as a consultant? Consider why the company is pursuing a solution and why it is pursuing it now. Consider the company’s customers. Communicatethe solution that you have selected for Best Game Productions. Format your paper and presentation consistent with APA guidelines. Create a 20-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation, with speaker notes, for the decision makers at Best Game Productions. Address the following in your presentation:  · The project background  · The deliverables (what you are going to do for them) To get this material Click this link – https://bitly.com/1oJKWq6 When you get to college, it is a strange feeling. You have to go to class, which you are used to, but you have a lot more freedom than you may be used to. There are a lot of things to know about class, but there is much more to know about your life at college. Here are some tips to help you. Communications – General Communications Write a persuasive proposal submission of no more than 700 words to the CEO of Best Game Productions. Complete the following in your persuasive proposal submission: Describe the project in terms the CEO can understand. Consider the CEO’s perspective, needs, and style of communication. Usepersuasive communication to convince the CEO to take your suggested approach to solve Best Game Productions’ dilemma. The CEO must perceive the project as something the company needs. Considerthe noise that will detract the CEO from fully receiving your message, and construct your communication to address or avoid that noise. Createtwo tools to measure the effectiveness of your consultant communications. In designing these tools, consider who the audience of the tools will be and how to generate the most honest and objective feedback possible. Discusshow you will use the tools that you created to measure your effectiveness in the organization. Who will you ask to complete the tools, and how will you present the tools to the audience? What methods will you use to avoid bias in the feedback process? How will you use the feedback you receive to evaluate and improve your effectiveness as a consultant? Consider why the company is pursuing a solution and why it is pursuing it now. Consider the company’s customers. Communicatethe solution that you have selected for Best Game Productions. Format your paper and presentation consistent with APA guidelines. Create a 20-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation, with speaker notes, for the decision makers at Best Game Productions. Address the following in your presentation:  · The project background  · The deliverables (what you are going to do for them)  · The methodology (how you are going to accomplish it)  · The outcome (what you will achieve for them)

China especially Essay

â€Å"River Town: Two years on the Yangtze† is a book written by Peter Hessler describing how his life was in China. This is a book he wrote during his years in rural China when he was an English teacher. During this period, he was working for the Peace Corps in Fuling, a remote town located along Yangtze River. This was even before westerners became common in mainland China. In fact during this time, Hessler was one among the only four westerners in the whole rural town full of hundreds of thousands of people. He provides an account on his everyday struggles with the culture and language of the Chinese people. He tells how he teaches his English students on Shakespeare using the Chinese twist and the way communist party bureaucracy sometimes becomes a hurdle to some developments. Of much interest is the manner in which the education system in china is described as one of the most standardized. According to Hessler (34), students had the responsibility of cleaning the classroom. As explained, there are a lot of responsibilities for Chinese students in their system as they had to wash the blackboards between classes. Moreover, they had to clean the windows and the floor twice a week. Students are required to obey and accomplish their obligations and if for example the cleaning of the classroom was not adequate, they would be fined (Hessler 34). Here, students are fined if they miss morning exercises, if they skipped classes, returned late to the dormitories during the night and if they failed in the examinations. This is an education system that looks very different from that of America since students here have very little extra cash to spend and it was thus possible for the classrooms to be thoroughly and diligently cleaned. The education system has a place for exercises which is mandatory for all in the morning. Some of the exercises involved pressing two fingers on one’s eyes, cheeks or nose. Typically, children go to school as from 7:00am to 4:00pm. However, the elementary schools start as early as 7:30am. Common subjects here include propaganda, writing, reading and studying mathematics. It is during recess when children are expected to attend relaxation exercises and calisthenics. The schools seem to be overcrowded as there were around forty-five in every classroom pressed together seated on old wooden desks. Children here are accustomed to rote learning and this according to Hessler meant that they had to always follow models even to the point of plagiarism (Hessler 100). Students in this system are inveterate copiers and thus it is possible to get an exactly the same paper from a group of students. In this case, copying is not wrong in the Chinese education system as in their whole school life they are taught to imitate models, accept what they have been told by their teacher without questioning, copy things and this is what they often do (Hessler 100). In this education system, books used were mostly published in China and they had political intent overstated. For example, Hessler cites the example of â€Å"A Handbook of Writing† that he was using during his writing class that had model essay titled â€Å"The Three Gorges Project Is Beneficial† which was in the â€Å"Argumentation† chapter (Hessler 99). There is an explanation on the chapter on benefits and risks associated with the project that had made some to be against it. But in the end there was a transition that summed up everything that the worries of those against the project were justified â€Å"But we should not give up eating for fear of choking. † Thus the writer of the handbook had to focus more on the benefits of the project and thus gave examples of improved transport, more electricity and better control of flood. The conclusion was that the Three Gorges Project had more advantages than disadvantages. This is what the students are supposed to be taught and to write. When they are given a composition, they end up writing the same phrase â€Å"But we should not give up eating for fear of choking. † Thus, in short this means that the system stresses to give students literature that would make them to be more patriotic to the administration. Students are supposed to appreciate the ancient poetry as this is taken to be the strongest part in Chinese literary tradition. In comparison to American schools, the environment in Chinese schools is harsh for any writer due to culture. It is actually very difficult for any Chinese to write on what is happening at the present and especially if that writer wants to use fiction. Most of the outstanding fiction writers in China are exiles and since they had that status for a long time, it is quite difficult for them to write about what happened in the recent past in accuracy. It is actually difficult for writers in China especially due to censorship and political issues. Even the cultural elements make it really hard for them as those who are educated in this society usually look down on the working class and the farmers and they seem to have very little interest in that world. Educated Chinese are more preoccupied on ideas than on stories and individuals (Miller 1). In American schools, the structure involves set questions, worksheets and group activities. Children are required to perform most activities as a group and ample time is awarded for individual work. Moreover, more flexibility is seen in the American education system. The Chinese education system however is more relentless on group mentality. In most cases writers are individuals but unfortunately this is an instinct that is commonly broken in a Chinese classroom. Teaching writing in China has no emphasis on character, narrative voice or perspective. The focus is on getting the kids copy poetic phrases day in day out. Children are taught that they must spout off any set opinions instead of generating something unexpected. They also deal with so much handwriting. This is traditional Chinese education system that focuses purely on other values and skills. Communist system establishes funded film-schools which impart vital technical skills (Miller 1). American education system strives to teach the students on how they can think independently as opposed to the Chinese system that aims to teach the students on imitation. Educators in China teach their students to learn via rote. An American student is given room to ask questions. On the contrary, a Chinese student is not supposed to ask any question but should expect to be taught without his/her contribution. Traditionally, children are taught via rote learning, memorizing all material with no space for asking questions. In addition, there are so many topics that are banned and great amount of time spent to learn numerous Chinese characters that are supposed to be memorized. A classroom in China carries between 40 and 50 students and in some cases this may go up to 60. This number encourages rote learning instead of using discussions and other student-driven activities. American students however have more time to engage in self-driven activities and important discussions that encourage thinking (Hays 1). Works cited Hays, Jeffrey. School Life in China, 2008. Retrieved from http://factsanddetails. com/china. php? itemid=1094&catid=13&subcatid=82 Hessler, Peter. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze, London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Miller, JFK. Why I Write: Peter Hessler, 2010. Retrieved from http://www. urbanatomy. com/index. php/arts/why-i-write/2770-why-i-write-peter-hessler