Nick Carraways Significance in The Great Gatsby essays

Nick Carraway's Significance in The Great Gatsby essays Nick Carraway is a necessary character in the novel for many reasons. We see how his interacting with the other characters brings about a few traits, which make the story a pleasure to read, and I must say, to write about. Nick lends us his talents to bring us a more realistic story, a larger database of which to draw our information about the characters, and thus better characterization in the novel. The first benefit of having Nick narrate the story is giving us a more realistic story. His point of view, that of a relatively objective observer, allows us to see the story through very accurate eyes. Through Fitzgerald's stroke of genius, the novel draws us into itself, and the I that Nick uses to relate to himself becomes the I or 'eyes' that the reader uses to see the story. A part of this, Nick's believability, lets the reader identify or sympathize with his values. Gatsby's wealth or the riches of Tom and Daisy do not easily sway Nick. He is a tolerant person, but not overly so. An example of this is seen as Nick puts up with Tom's racism and bigotry, but in the end he tells Gatsby that he is "worth the whole" dang "bunch put together". He is very honest, but not Puritanical or narrow-minded. The objective viewpoint from which Nick tells us the story adds a sense of realism to The Great Gatsby. Without Nick, the other characters would be loud and flashy, not the eccentric s that they are. Secondly, Nick adds information to the story through quite a few avenues. His position in the story with each of the characters makes him a key player in it. He moves in to the house next door to Gatsby. He is also Daisy's cousin, and coincidentally was in the same senior society as Tom Buchanan at Yale. Nick meets Jordan Baker at the Buchanan's house, and they become friends, although we later see the beginnings of a romance blooming. His compassion makes him the perfect sympathetic ear to hear confessions and scandalous secrets, and...

How to Manage Your Blog the CoSchedule Way - CoSchedule

How to Manage Your Blog the Way Running a high-traffic blog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of persistence to build and retain a loyal audience. Just getting started can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain. Then, once your blog does start to grow, the day-to-day work of managing content and deadlines only becomes more challenging. So, how do you do it? That’s a question we get asked a lot, and there’s no short and simple answer. However, we can share our own strategies and processes we use to manage our own blog. In this post, we’ll let you in on how we successfully manage a blog that receives over one million page views a month. How to Manage Your Blog the WayStart By Getting Your Ideation Process Together Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s good that they’re so cheap and plentiful though. You’re going to need a lot of them to keep your content calendar full. You don’t want just any ideas though. You want tons of ideas for blog posts you know people will want to read. Now, getting those kinds of ideas  is easier said than done. Sure, everyone has ideas. Ideas are also completely worthless until you put them into practice and see what they can do. But, when you’re under pressure, generating ideas worth acting on can be tough without a solid process in place. Here at , we use what we call our 30-minute brainstorming process. It’s broken down into three phases: Ideation. Get your team together and spend ten minutes writing down every idea you can think of. Scoring. Spend another ten minutes scoring each idea on a three-point scale. Three’s are ideas you just have to publish. Two’s are average. One’s are duds. Winner optimization. This is where you take every post that everyone agreed was a three, and ask yourselves, â€Å"Which of these ideas should we go with?† By the time you’re done, you’ll have around a month’s worth of ideas for your blog. Run this process once a month, and could  spend just six hours a year on brainstorming. That’s what we call efficiency. Once you’ve got your ideas down, put them straight on your content calendar. That way, they won’t get lost. You’ll also quickly have a plan in place for what you’ll write, and when. Recommended Reading: The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Planning Out Themes Sometimes, if we need content on a specific area or topic, we’ll go into our brainstorming meetings with a particular theme in mind. This can help keep the meeting focused and structured while making sure we end up with the content we need. Some examples of themes might include: Posts on how to complete particular tasks Posts that appeal to particular segments of our audience Posts that target readers at certain skill levels Posts around certain seasonal themes A theme just needs to be a batch of content that’s all wrapped around one core topic. These are just some ideas you can borrow, but you can certainly think of more. Adding Additional Content Beyond our core educational blog posts, we also have the following types of posts: Feature announcements Event announcements Company news Webinar and demo recap videos When we know that a feature is launching, we add complementary posts to the calendar right away. The same goes for demos and webinars that we have planned. That way, we’re able to keep everything orderly and organized. Recommended Reading: 5 Minute Tip: Organize Your Calendar With s Content Types Assigning Content to Team Members Once we’ve got all our ideas on the calendar, the next step is to figure out who will write them. We save a lot of time on this process by pre-determining who will write particular types of posts. Here’s how we have things broken down: Posts about our product fall on our Product Marketers Educational how-to posts fall on our Blog Manager (yo, that’s me) or Content Marketers Anything that helps show to use falls on our Customer Success team Posts about our culture and philosophies fall on whoever is best suited to write them (sometimes that’s a marketer, and sometimes that’s our CEO and co-founder, Garrett Moon) As you can see, content isn’t just the responsibility of one single content team. Instead, we assign content to the person most qualified to write a particular type of piece. That helps us maintain a high publishing volume while adding more voices and perspectives to our blog. Content isnt just the responsibility of one single team.Keeping Ideas Organized We have a two-pronged approach to keeping our content calendar organized: Certain types of blog posts always publish on certain days of the week All our blog posts are color-coded by category The keys here are simplicity and consistency. Here’s a quick look at our publishing schedule: Mondays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Tuesdays: Product Promotion Posts, New Podcast Episodes Wednesdays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Thursdays: Product Demo Videos and Culture Posts Fridays: Content and Social Media Category Posts We’ll add other things in from time to time, but this weekly schedule stays mostly consistent week to week. We then color-code posts like this: Gray: Content and Social Media Category Posts Purple: Product Posts Magenta: Culture Posts Teal: Product Demo Videos Blue: Podcast Episodes That’s all there is to it. Keeping these two things straight helps prevent our calendar from descending into chaos (and ensure that I don’t lose my mind). Heres how to prevent your #content #calendar from descending into chaos.Managing Guest Writers That covers how we handle blog content internally. What about managing guest authors, though?  Weve got a process for that, too. Create a Detailed Write For Us Page It’s frustrating for editors and blog managers to get pitches that fail to follow simple directions. One way to get ahead of this problem to write a detailed Write For Us page. For an example, here’s ours. Be sure to include: Your style standards. This includes how you want documents formatted. You might even consider providing readers with a content template to follow. How you want posts delivered to you. Google Docs? Microsoft Word? Whatever your preference is, let people know. Your policy on linking. Can guest authors include links back to their own content? Whether or not you’ll respond to every pitch. In the interest of saving time, we only respond to pitches we accept. If you follow a similar approach, give people a time frame on how quickly you’ll get back to them. Which topics you’re looking for. You might also want to specify topics you won’t cover, too. How long you’d like posts to be. Give people a range. Whether or not you’ll accept pre-written posts. This will save you and your writers a lot of time. Managing guest writers on your blog? Here are some tips to manage your process.Determine How Pitches Should Be Submitted Our Write For Us page includes a link to a simple Google Form for prospective writers to pitch us through. If you receive a high volume of pitches, submission management software like Submittable  might be a better option. It isn’t free, but their prices are reasonable, and their service offers several benefits: It lets writers know when you’re reviewing their pitch (and whether they’ve been accepted or rejected). It keeps all your pitches organized in one place. It has a more professional look and feel. Another option is to set up a specific email address for submissions and include a link on your Write For Us page. Whichever approach you go with, make sure you ask for the following information: Name Email Address Company / Job Title Links to Previous Work Target Keyword (Optional) Blog Post Idea Summary Prospective Blog Post Outline (Optional) Time Required to Write We’ve found that asking guest authors to provide a target keyword and outline up front helps save a ton of time in the long run. It also shows us whether or not a writer really knows what they want to cover before we accept their pitch. In turn, that can cut down on editing time later. Asking how long they’ll spend writing their post also helps us set clear deadlines. You don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs nor hound writers when their posts don’t show up. Hold them accountable for getting stuff done on time. Hold guest writers accountable for getting stuff done on time.Set Your Acceptance Criteria We have certain standards for our blog that determine which content we’ll accept. For us, guest blog posts must be: Actionable. If a post tells readers what to do, it should show them how to do it, too. Comprehensive. No details should be omitted. Readers should be able to read one post and come away with an in-depth understanding of that topic. Keyword-driven. We don’t overly stress keywords, but there should be a thoughtful strategy behind the keywords a post targets. Topical. All posts must focus on a topic our core audience is interested in. If a pitch doesn’t convey the end result will meet all four of these pillars, it goes in the trash and we move on. Ruthless efficiency wins the day and ensures we only publish the best content we can. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Determine what successful content looks like to you and accept nothing less. If you consistently deliver quality content, your audience will reward you with their attention, and more reputable writers will want to work with you. Editing Guest Content Determine upfront how much editing you’ll do on guest content. Some editors and blog managers like to offer writers extensive feedback to help them improve their skills and work. Others prefer to handle edits on their own. Whichever approach you choose, we recommend using collaborative writing tools (like Google Docs or the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word) for easy real-time editing. It makes passing along edits and suggestions much easier than emailing documents back and forth. How Will You Manage Your Blog? That covers our blog management process from start to finish. Do you have any questions or tips you’d like to add? Leave us a comment below and help get the conversation started. How to Manage Your Blog the Way Running a high-traffic blog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of persistence to build and retain a loyal audience. Just getting started can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain. Then, once your blog does start to grow, the day-to-day work of managing content and deadlines only becomes more challenging. So, how do you do it? That’s a question we get asked a lot, and there’s no short and simple answer. However, we can share our own strategies and processes we use to manage our own blog. In this post, we’ll let you in on how we successfully manage a blog that receives over one million page views a month. How to Manage Your Blog the WayStart By Getting Your Ideation Process Together Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s good that they’re so cheap and plentiful though. You’re going to need a lot of them to keep your content calendar full. You don’t want just any ideas though. You want tons of ideas for blog posts you know people will want to read. Now, getting those kinds of ideas  is easier said than done. Sure, everyone has ideas. Ideas are also completely worthless until you put them into practice and see what they can do. But, when you’re under pressure, generating ideas worth acting on can be tough without a solid process in place. Here at , we use what we call our 30-minute brainstorming process. It’s broken down into three phases: Ideation. Get your team together and spend ten minutes writing down every idea you can think of. Scoring. Spend another ten minutes scoring each idea on a three-point scale. Three’s are ideas you just have to publish. Two’s are average. One’s are duds. Winner optimization. This is where you take every post that everyone agreed was a three, and ask yourselves, â€Å"Which of these ideas should we go with?† By the time you’re done, you’ll have around a month’s worth of ideas for your blog. Run this process once a month, and could  spend just six hours a year on brainstorming. That’s what we call efficiency. Once you’ve got your ideas down, put them straight on your content calendar. That way, they won’t get lost. You’ll also quickly have a plan in place for what you’ll write, and when. Recommended Reading: The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Planning Out Themes Sometimes, if we need content on a specific area or topic, we’ll go into our brainstorming meetings with a particular theme in mind. This can help keep the meeting focused and structured while making sure we end up with the content we need. Some examples of themes might include: Posts on how to complete particular tasks Posts that appeal to particular segments of our audience Posts that target readers at certain skill levels Posts around certain seasonal themes A theme just needs to be a batch of content that’s all wrapped around one core topic. These are just some ideas you can borrow, but you can certainly think of more. Adding Additional Content Beyond our core educational blog posts, we also have the following types of posts: Feature announcements Event announcements Company news Webinar and demo recap videos When we know that a feature is launching, we add complementary posts to the calendar right away. The same goes for demos and webinars that we have planned. That way, we’re able to keep everything orderly and organized. Recommended Reading: 5 Minute Tip: Organize Your Calendar With s Content Types Assigning Content to Team Members Once we’ve got all our ideas on the calendar, the next step is to figure out who will write them. We save a lot of time on this process by pre-determining who will write particular types of posts. Here’s how we have things broken down: Posts about our product fall on our Product Marketers Educational how-to posts fall on our Blog Manager (yo, that’s me) or Content Marketers Anything that helps show to use falls on our Customer Success team Posts about our culture and philosophies fall on whoever is best suited to write them (sometimes that’s a marketer, and sometimes that’s our CEO and co-founder, Garrett Moon) As you can see, content isn’t just the responsibility of one single content team. Instead, we assign content to the person most qualified to write a particular type of piece. That helps us maintain a high publishing volume while adding more voices and perspectives to our blog. Content isnt just the responsibility of one single team.Keeping Ideas Organized We have a two-pronged approach to keeping our content calendar organized: Certain types of blog posts always publish on certain days of the week All our blog posts are color-coded by category The keys here are simplicity and consistency. Here’s a quick look at our publishing schedule: Mondays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Tuesdays: Product Promotion Posts, New Podcast Episodes Wednesdays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Thursdays: Product Demo Videos and Culture Posts Fridays: Content and Social Media Category Posts We’ll add other things in from time to time, but this weekly schedule stays mostly consistent week to week. We then color-code posts like this: Gray: Content and Social Media Category Posts Purple: Product Posts Magenta: Culture Posts Teal: Product Demo Videos Blue: Podcast Episodes That’s all there is to it. Keeping these two things straight helps prevent our calendar from descending into chaos (and ensure that I don’t lose my mind). Heres how to prevent your #content #calendar from descending into chaos.Managing Guest Writers That covers how we handle blog content internally. What about managing guest authors, though?  Weve got a process for that, too. Create a Detailed Write For Us Page It’s frustrating for editors and blog managers to get pitches that fail to follow simple directions. One way to get ahead of this problem to write a detailed Write For Us page. For an example, here’s ours. Be sure to include: Your style standards. This includes how you want documents formatted. You might even consider providing readers with a content template to follow. How you want posts delivered to you. Google Docs? Microsoft Word? Whatever your preference is, let people know. Your policy on linking. Can guest authors include links back to their own content? Whether or not you’ll respond to every pitch. In the interest of saving time, we only respond to pitches we accept. If you follow a similar approach, give people a time frame on how quickly you’ll get back to them. Which topics you’re looking for. You might also want to specify topics you won’t cover, too. How long you’d like posts to be. Give people a range. Whether or not you’ll accept pre-written posts. This will save you and your writers a lot of time. Managing guest writers on your blog? Here are some tips to manage your process.Determine How Pitches Should Be Submitted Our Write For Us page includes a link to a simple Google Form for prospective writers to pitch us through. If you receive a high volume of pitches, submission management software like Submittable  might be a better option. It isn’t free, but their prices are reasonable, and their service offers several benefits: It lets writers know when you’re reviewing their pitch (and whether they’ve been accepted or rejected). It keeps all your pitches organized in one place. It has a more professional look and feel. Another option is to set up a specific email address for submissions and include a link on your Write For Us page. Whichever approach you go with, make sure you ask for the following information: Name Email Address Company / Job Title Links to Previous Work Target Keyword (Optional) Blog Post Idea Summary Prospective Blog Post Outline (Optional) Time Required to Write We’ve found that asking guest authors to provide a target keyword and outline up front helps save a ton of time in the long run. It also shows us whether or not a writer really knows what they want to cover before we accept their pitch. In turn, that can cut down on editing time later. Asking how long they’ll spend writing their post also helps us set clear deadlines. You don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs nor hound writers when their posts don’t show up. Hold them accountable for getting stuff done on time. Hold guest writers accountable for getting stuff done on time.Set Your Acceptance Criteria We have certain standards for our blog that determine which content we’ll accept. For us, guest blog posts must be: Actionable. If a post tells readers what to do, it should show them how to do it, too. Comprehensive. No details should be omitted. Readers should be able to read one post and come away with an in-depth understanding of that topic. Keyword-driven. We don’t overly stress keywords, but there should be a thoughtful strategy behind the keywords a post targets. Topical. All posts must focus on a topic our core audience is interested in. If a pitch doesn’t convey the end result will meet all four of these pillars, it goes in the trash and we move on. Ruthless efficiency wins the day and ensures we only publish the best content we can. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Determine what successful content looks like to you and accept nothing less. If you consistently deliver quality content, your audience will reward you with their attention, and more reputable writers will want to work with you. Editing Guest Content Determine upfront how much editing you’ll do on guest content. Some editors and blog managers like to offer writers extensive feedback to help them improve their skills and work. Others prefer to handle edits on their own. Whichever approach you choose, we recommend using collaborative writing tools (like Google Docs or the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word) for easy real-time editing. It makes passing along edits and suggestions much easier than emailing documents back and forth. How Will You Manage Your Blog? That covers our blog management process from start to finish. Do you have any questions or tips you’d like to add? Leave us a comment below and help get the conversation started.

The role of the banks in terms of decreasing unemployment, maintaining Essay

The role of the banks in terms of decreasing unemployment, maintaining price stability and facilitating economic growth - Essay Example Capitalism tends towards the idea that organizations are in good luck when they make significant profits but its tough luck when they make significant losses, getting neither sympathy nor envy. However, the economy today is not a pure free market but, rather, it is a mixed economy, in which the markets are regulated by a government instituted framework. In addition, the government also carries out various functions, instead of leaving the private sector to make decisions (Mitchell, 2014: p61). The banking sector is a prime example because of their importance to the economy, including management of loan and savings facilities. The banking crisis of 2007 initially led to a rush by UK citizens to withdraw their money all at once, meaning that banks would have failed since they would have been unable to pay, portending potentially incalculable damage to the UK economy. It was, therefore, the responsibility of government agencies to stabilize the system by supervising banking activities and propping up banks that threatened to destabilize the system through bailouts (Cordella & Levy-Yeyati, 2013: p34). In essence, it is the people owed money by the banks that the government is bailing out. In addition, some of the biggest investment banks in the world are institutions that are so critical to the market and job creation that they have gradually come under the control of the government. This explains the bailout of AIG by the US government with a $100 billion loan that ensured American businesses would not collapse if they suffered losses, hurting national employment levels. Takeover of big mortgage guarantors in the UK, such as Bradford and Bingley, was also necessary because, in spite of its private shareholding, it was a de facto agency of the government and, in effect, the public (Cordella & Levy-Yeyati, 2013: p35). Failing to nationalize the company would have

Organ Trafficking Solution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organ Trafficking Solution - Research Paper Example India has been cited as one of the countries with the highest number of organ traffickers among other countries such as Philippines, Pakistan, Egypt and China. According to Shimazono (2007), organ transplantation is a therapy that is practiced on persons with dysfunctional organs and is practiced internationally. He notes that nations are illegalizing organ donations, and yet illegal organ trafficking still exists. Thus, he recommends that vulnerable individuals should be protected by these nations as a form of curbing and controlling this illegal activity. Among the main organ exporters, India contributes much to the illegal trade since many of the organ traffickers sell these organs to foreigners in the country (Shimazono, 2007). Organ transplant according to Shimazono has serious effects and consequences on the lives of the affected individuals. Regrets, discrimination, and depression, are some of the effects of organ trafficking causes on the victims. MOHAN, which is an Indian non-government group, supports the legal donation of organs in India and thus demonizes organ trafficking as an inhuman and illegal business. Many economic and social challenges force Indian young men to engage, in these dubious businesses, to sustain themselves. An urgency to control and curb the illegal business is needed in India and the government, researchers and Indian policy workers are working so hard to erad icate the practice. This essay aims at offering the solution to the problem of organ trafficking. Organ trafficking has become a contentious issue, which many governments and international organizations are trying to solve. The international community has been on the far front line in curtailing the organ trafficking business with a number of countries joining to coming up with policy solutions (Kelly, 2013). Some of the countries aim at reducing the

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay Example for Free

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative assessment about mathematics and science education that is organized by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The survey has been administered periodically in cycles of 4 years since 1995. Initially TIMSS was an acronym for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, which identified its position as the third study following the First and Second International Mathematics and Science Studies (FIMS SIMS) in 1964 and 1982 respectively. A similar study to the 1995 TIMSS (using the same technical framework) was carried out in 1999, and was referred to as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat (TIMSS-R). The 2003 study was the third cycle of studies based on the 1995 assessment framework, and the acronym TIMSS was redefined to mean Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (http://nces.ed.gov/timss). With funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the TIMSS assessment was to be offered more timely in intervals of 4 years. Table 1 gives an overview on the TIMSS assessment, target populations, and the number of countries that participated in each administration. Table 1. TIMSS assessments and participating countries at the 8th grade level Study Name Acronym Year Number of Countries Target population Grades tested Third International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 1994/5 42 3rd /4th, 7th/8th , 12th Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat. TIMSS-R 1998/9 40 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2002/3 46 4th 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2006/7 Over 60 4th, 8th, (12th rescheduled 2008) TIMSS is considered the largest, most comprehensive, rigorous, and extensive international comparative educational study ever conducted (Alejandro, 2000). It touches on almost every facet of the learning of science and mathematics. The 2003 TIMSS project was comprised of over 360 000 students, over 38 000 teachers, and over 12 000 school principals, and as many as 1 500 contextual variables were included in addition to variables on student achievement scores (Nelson, 2002; TIMSS‟ User guide 2003). TIMSS aims at providing policy makers and educational practitioners with information and indicators about their national educational systems from an international perspective. Alejandro argues that TIMSS serves a â€Å"mirror† function to participating countries to reflect comparatively on their education systems. Martin and Kelly (2004) suggest that TIMSS tests go beyond measuring achievement to including a thorough investigation of curriculum and how it is delivered in classrooms around the world. In a nutshell, the assessment is perceived to be valid and reliable as a measure of student achievement. However, the TIMSS assessments are not without critics. Among the critical voices is that of Wolf (2002) who questions the validity issues of the TIMSS studies. His contention is that TIMSS, being an international assessment, may have testing procedures that are not appropriate for some countries‟ usual testing practices. Related to that, Zuzovsky (2000) specifically questions the reliability of these tests. He argues that the heavily elaborated coding systems inherent in the TIMSS scoring procedures yield lower inter-rater consistency and also that translation of achievement tests into different languages brings the reliability of the assessments into question. The downside of cross-sectional assessments such as the TIMSS projects did not escape the attention of de Lange (2007) who questions the assumption behind international studies that a single test can give comparable measures of curriculum effects across countries. In spite of these criticisms, Alejandro, the chairman of IEA, sees the worth in countries participating in the TIMSS surveys. He argues that â€Å"More than just league tables, the TIMSS data place achievement in an international context where it can be considered from multiple perspectives† (Alejandro, 2000, p. 2). A similar statement was expressed more than 35 years ago by Bock (1970). He perceived the world as shrinking through technology. In support of international studies, he argued that through participation in international studies and by sharing educational reports, countries get a glimpse of each other‟s cultural practices. The TIMSS international reports give an overall impression of the impact that different education factors have on students‟ performance in different countries. It is by further engaging in secondary analysis of the TIMSS data and by conducting further studies related to the findings of TIMSS assessments that countries better understand their schooling system. In particular, it is important to identify areas of concern and address those systematically rather than attempt to replicate another country`s curriculum system simply because the schooling system there seems to be effective. Education indicators are numerous and vary in their effect from country to country. It is possible that each of the 1,500 contextual variables administered in the TIMSS surveys were included because of some supporting literature on their influence on students‟ learning. TIMSS as model of Educational Achievement The literature on models of educational indicators and their performance as a system together with research studies that model student learning achievement as a function of the characteristics of their schools and their family background is extensive (Oakes, 2006; Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). However, in spite of the extensive literature on the subject of modeling of educational data, no single model of educational performance has gained widespread acceptance (Oakes, 2006; Nelson, 2002). This lack of a global model was noted by Nelson in relation to the TIMSS projects, that, although rigorously executed, and with all its popularity (with more participants than any other IEA study), TIMSS has not attempted to come up with a prescriptive model that relates educational factors to student achievement that can be applicable across nations. Nelson is adamant that any attempt to provide a universal model would not be wise because countries differ in their educational policies and instructional practices so that a one-size fits- all model would not be realistic. That said, though models of educational performance seem diverse as suggested by the literature, in Haertel, Walberg, and Weinstein‟s (2003) view, they have more commonalities than differences. Haertel et al. conducted a meta-analysis of studies that modeled school performance data and found that the presented models had a common structure. Though the models differed in their specifications, their structures were comprised of three categories of pre-existing conditions (cognitive/affective attributes and resources), instructional processes (opportunity to learn, quality of instruction), and outcome measures (achievement, affective behaviors). These models presented student performance as a function of student, teacher, and/or school background variables. Studies of interest to my research are those that modeled students‟ performance as a function of their background variables; the model of interest that informed my variable selection is the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model by Oakes (2006), or Rand Model (Shavelson, McDonnell, Oakes, 2006). The IPO model has similar structural components as the models that were reviewed by Haertel et al. (2003) and models student achievement as a function of some resources. I selected this model for my conceptual framework because of its scope of coverage of educational indicators. The model presents a holistic conception of student learning in a classroom setting and it appears frequently in literature that analyzes large scale data (e.g. Kaplan and Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001 analyzing TIMSS data). Additionally, it has been used extensively to guide education researchers in the selection, specification, and analysis of educational variables that correlate with student learning outcomes (Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). It is taken as one of the influential models in shaping public opinion and policy on how to foster school improvement. TIMSS Input-Process-Output Model The input-process-output (IPO) model by TIMSS is one of the improved versions of the traditional input-output (IO) models of school organizational data (Glasman, Biniaminov, 2001). Glasman and Biniaminov reported that the input-output traditional model employed research strategies that measured changes in the systems‟ outputs brought about by changes in the systems‟ inputs. The IO model was criticized for not taking the academic environment into account and for oversimplifying the schooling process by portraying it as linear. According to Glasman and Biniaminov, â€Å"the input-output analyses [did] not deal with characteristics of the dynamic and ongoing interrelationships between students and teachers or those among students themselves† (p. 509). To overcome the problem, Oakes‟ model added a third component (processes) that mediated the input variables into the output variables and that also provided an educational context for the model. The process component focuses on classroom characteristics such as instructional quality issues (explained in the next section under measures for the model). Oakes‟ model is therefore comprised of three components of an educational system: inputs, processes, and outputs (IPO) (Figure1). Figure 1. A comprehensive Model of an Educational System INPUTS PROCESSES OUTPUTS Fiscal and Curriculum Achievement other quality resources School quality Instructional Participation Quality Dropouts Teacher Characteristics Teaching quality Student Attitudes Background Aspirations Note. The arrows indicate the direction of effect Briefly stated, according to Shavelson, McDonnell, and Oakes, (2001) â€Å"the TIMSS model‟s inputs are the human and financial resources available to education† (p. 13): This includes teacher quality (e.g. certification and experience), student background (e.g. parents‟ education and home possessions), and school quality (e.g. school climate). â€Å"Its processes are what is taught and how it is taught† (p. 13): This includes classroom characteristics such as curriculum quality (e.g. pace and coverage of materials), teaching quality (e.g. integration between teacher, pupil, and materials), and instructional quality (e.g. instructional tasks, teaching methods, and classroom climate) and â€Å"its outputs are the consequences of schooling for students from different backgrounds† (p. 13) such as academic achievement, participation (what percentage graduate versus drop out), and attitudes (e.g. any desires to continue studying math or career goals that are math related). The TIMSS model is complex and provides insight into how the various components of the education system relate to one another. As noted earlier, one of the shortcomings of the traditional input output model was its structure in which nested data was treated as though linear, and the TIMSS model addressed that problem. This was noted by Kaplan and Elliott that â€Å"the TIMSS‟ model, is one instantiation of the organizational structure of schooling that captures its hierarchical nature† (Kaplan, Elliott, 2007; p. 221). The two suggested that the model was multilevel in form and was testable through statistical methodologies that take the multilevel nature of educational data into consideration. Kaplan and Elliot used the model for their framework to propose a model-based approach for validating educational indicators that explicitly took into account the organizational features of schooling. The two contended from their model that it was not necessary for every indicator that has ever been suggested for collection to actually appear in the model. To them, it is the research questions and the goals for the investigations that should determine which indicators to include in a statistical model. Nevertheless, Oakes (2006) advised that a single indicator of each component of the educational system was inadequate. What was needed, in his view, was for each component to have indicators of all its most critical dimensions, and, â€Å"without a series of indicators that assesses all important facets of the schooling processes (the 3 components of the model), we can neither understand the system`s overall health nor determine the conditions under which a particular goal is met† (Oakes, 2006, p. 8). Oakes further observed that each of the three components appeared to be necessary but insufficient by itself to convey full information about school effects. That is, although a system of indicators measures distinct components of the education model, it also provides information about how the individual components work together to produce the overall effect. What can be deduced from Oake`s remarks is that studies that model only one component of the educational system may not be doing an adequate job of conveying the necessary information about the school effects. Conclusions What I considered informative from TIMSS and through the deliberations by Kaplan and Elliott (2007) about TIMSS`s model in general, and its use in particular, was how to utilize its structure to reach the different components of an education system holistically. It was of interest that the TIMSS model has flexible attributes in those variables could be rearranged to reflect the hierarchical nature of classroom data as evidenced in the current study in subsequent chapters. In one study, Kaplan and Kreisman (2000) used the TIMSS` model to validate indicators of mathematics education using its data. Rather than group their variables into the three distinct categories of Input-Process-Output as outlined in the model structure, they contended that since TIMSS` model was inherently multilevel, a subset of the inputs and processes occurred at higher levels of the education system. As a result, they grouped their indicators into three organizational levels: student, teacher, and school. That is to say, although TIMMS` model (Figure 1) groups school resources, teacher quality, and student background as one category of input (or prerequisite) variables, these indicators occur at different hierarchical levels of the school organization. Some of the variables included in the Kaplan and Kreisman model were: †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At student level: mathematics achievement, attitude toward mathematics, utility of mathematics, parents’ education, and mother’s expectations. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At teacher level: method of instruction, teacher collaboration with colleagues, teacher’s level of education, and teaching experience. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At school level: opportunities for continuing professional development, good facilities, school climate, level of discipline, and outstanding teacher recognition. Needless to say, Kaplan and Kreisman`s (2000) variables were representative of the three components of the IPO model even though the variables were grouped differently. Some of the variables they used were composite indicators. These were variables such as attitudes and methods of instruction. The two authors ran factor analyses to help group related items into the composite indicators and they had mathematics achievement as their outcome measure. In summary, TIMMS` model is more of a conceptual framework than a prescriptive one. That is, it does not prescribe what variables one should include in a statistical model for testing educational performance, but offers guidance about the components from which to draw the variables. Directions for Future Research TIMSS data have opened extensive avenues for further research work. In conclusion, this paper has evidenced the complexities involved in TIMSS data. It is hoped that this study and other studies that continue to model TIMSS data and pilot TIMSS instruments will help to illuminate the factors that explain student achievement in the us and in many other countries and to direct policy interventions.

Songs in the Key of Stevie Wonder’s Life Essay -- Biography

At the young age of twenty two, Stevie Wonder sang, â€Å"When you believe in the things you don’t understand / Then you suffer / Superstition ain’t the way†. He started his career in the early 1960s, but in 1972, Superstition established Stevie Wonder as one of the most recognizable musicians of his time in American and African-American culture and music. Although music was Wonder’s main priority, he also dedicated his time to a fight against racism throughout national and international borders. Musically, socially, and politically, Stevie Wonder was able to bring people together with his music and words. From the time of his birth to the present day, Stevie wonder sang his way into our hearts and remains one of the most influential people within African-American history. Steveland Hardaway Judkins was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. As his current musical career was groundbreaking, his family life was not so perfect. The relationship between Calvin and Lula Mae was difficult and abusive; even before Stevie was born, Calvin was drunk, domestically violent with Lula and forced her into prostitution to support the family and Calvin (Ribowsky 10). After Stevie’s birth, Calvin’s mannerism did not change and simply regressed. However, Calvin agreed to move to Detroit with Lula, Stevie, and his two elder siblings to Detroit to work on the relationship and family dynamic (Ribowsky 18). Calvin and Lula’s relationship later terminated with a divorce and a name change for Stevie, as his birth name was changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris. As the third child out of six, he was the only one to be born blind. Wonder was blind shortly after his premature birth from staying in an incubator for... ...r and a legal separation of race does not mean it is acceptable (Jet). Through his actions across the United States and South Africa showed the world how to be open to African-American culture and people. Stevie Wonder also sings â€Å"Broke the lookin’ glass / Seven years of bad luck / Good Things in your past† in his 1972 hit Superstition. However, Stevie Wonder did not come across any bad luck within his musical and political career. Both an inductee for Rock-and-Roll’s Hall of Fame and United Nations’ Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder brought insight to the minds of the public. Sixty years later, on March 1, 2011, Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, and other Motown singers came together once again at the White House to honor Motown music and its beloved singers; this came a celebration of the soulful music that Stevie Wonder and among others once and continue to sing.

Outlook on Bullying- I Have a Dream

â€Å"Outlook on Bullying† â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. † Our unalienable rights must not be broken or destroyed by anyone’s judgments on how we are supposed to live our life. That is why I ask you ladies and gentlemen for you to stand up against bullying with me. This can happen to anyone primarily targeted simply because of their race, body size, sexual orientation, or any type of difference not accepted or judged by a group or a person.Bullying consists of different disturbances; physical, verbal, indirect, and cyber bullying. Physical bullying is considered any physical attack; kicking, punching, shoving, taking or damaging belongings. Verbal bulling consists of name calling, insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic comments, remarks or teasing, just to name a few. I ndirect and cyber bullying go hand in hand when nasty, hurtful, rumors are spread behind a person’s back, now most common through any electronic media. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits.Watch your habits, they become character. A character in which you will be defined as a helping hand, a bully, or the one being bullied. America should be a country where everyone can feel safe in which ever environment from public places, to school, to work. One out of seven students from kindergarten to twelfth grade is either a bully or a victim of bullying, and it is estimated that 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of an attack. Would you want that fear to spread to someone close to you or yourself? In American schools there are about 2. 1 million bullies and 2. 7 million victims, statistics are increasing every day.Parents are the base of our beliefs and that is why everyone should be educ ated about bullying and taught morals to respect one another and be reminded of how difference is also good from a young age. â€Å"The world is a dangerous place because of those who do evil and because of those who look on and do nothing†. Nothing is the worst thing that any friend, teacher, or parent can do to someone in this circumstance. Only God can judge me, ( ) wouldn’t you want to live by this? Bullies have terrorized their victims enough, bullies and victims have had enough of living in their silent pain.Victims have had enough of the abuse and fear brought to them for being themselves. Victims have had enough of stereotyping and all the prejudice. I have a dream that people can wake up every morning without depression or suicidal thoughts hurting them. I have a dream that students have no fear in going to school because of peers. I have dream that no one has to hide in a mask of fakeness because they can’t express themselves. I have dream that people notice and lend a helping hand to a victim or a bully. That’s my dream that I hope one day can become true, and hopefully you will take a stand with me against this atrocious issue. Thank you.

The School Systems on Bilingual Education

Throughout the world, language defines who you are and where you come from. Something unique to the United States of America is that we not only have one language that unites us, we have hundreds that separate us; that is the core of the problem. Instead of forcing people to learn English as soon as they enter the country, the government has been mollycoddling and pampering non-English speakers. Such programs as bilingual education have been at the source of the problem. Bilingual education has said to many foreigners that its ok if you come to America and don†t speak English, it†s only our language, but we†ll cater to you. It all simmers down to one simple point that bilingual education is not necessary and is harmful to the United States as a whole. Voting ballots were just sent out in the mail last week. Something was very noticeable, not only was it in English, but it was in Spanish as well. One very common sign that English education in this country has not improved was just sent to millions of voters all over the country. If things do not improve, the children of those Spanish speaking citizens, in ten twenty years down the road, will be as illiterate in English as they were the day they were born. â€Å"The character of American life 50 years hence will determined†¦ by what happens in elementary school classrooms where immigrants† children are learning – or not learning – English† (Barone). Everything that influences a child†s life happens in their early years, and if English does not influence them then, they may never be. â€Å"†¦for many years Latino kids failed to learn enough English to score well on tests and qualify for good jobs, thanks to ‘bilingual education,† which in most cases was neither bilingual or education†(B! arone) The school system for non-native speakers seems not only inadequate, but in the need of great reform. Immersion seems to be the only answer to that great problem. It is not only theorized that immersing and teaching straight English would be the solution, it was actually tested out. Last June, California was the first state to completely do away with bilingual education with Proposition 227. â€Å"The proposition mandated that these students take English immersion classes, unless their parents specifically requested that they continue traditional bilingual education programs.† (Forbes) The government gave parents the right to allow their children to continue with the slower bilingual programs instead of letting them mainstream into English. Not only were educators against this move, but also President Clinton himself did not condone it. (Samuelson) The results, however, were overwhelming. â€Å"Test scores of children from Spanish-speaking families†¦.rose. In second grade, average reading scores of students with limited English ability have jumped in the past two years from the 19th percentile nationally to the 28th percentile. In math, the same ! students went from the 27th to the 41st percentile..† (Samuelson). With everyone against this new idea of reform for schooling, not only did they succeed, they out-witted 28 and 41 percent of the country. Something must be done right if such numbers jump in such a short amount of time. † ‘The kids have taken to English and are absorbing it like sponges†Ã¢â‚¬  (Wildavsky). Younger students have more of the want and the need to learn, they don†t become lazy or intolerant of school, something that develops during the teenage years. They have gained a language and a new place and outlook on the world. Along with this fast paced English education called immersion, comes along a new identity. Until a person understands and can speak the language of the country, he or she doesn†t really feel like a citizen, or an American. Many immigrants want this education for their sons and daughters, so that they can have a better life in this country knowing English, unlike them. â€Å"A recent national survey conducted by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan organization, reports that 75 percent of the foreign-born parents say that the school†s first priority should be to teach English quickly..† (Pedalino Porter) Immigrant parents are usually very strict on the English education issue, like most parents feel, they want their children to grow up and live American lives, better lives than their parents had back where they came from. Not only do these parents condone the teaching of straight English, they become quite rowdy if it doesn†t happen. â€Å"In Los Angeles, the parents of Mexican-American children! in the Ninth Street School staged a boycott, keeping their children out of school for several days in 1996 to protest the school principal†s unwillingness to increase the amount of English language instruction after appeals by the parents† (Pedalino Porter) The passion that these parents possess is so fierce for their wish for their children to have a better life, they would give up or protest anything, including a couple of days of their child†s education. â€Å"Of course, my parents replied. What would they not do for their children†s well-being?† (Rodriguez 532). With every parent comes that special bond with a child, life seems so trivial when you can give everything you have to better that child†s life and education. With the knowledge of English, American identity is finally found. â€Å"I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an American citizen† (Rodriguez 533). That identity can only be found through the English language, the only official and primary language of our country. The English language is what makes us, it is our identity, and it signifies that we are from America, one of the only countries in the world where a beggar can make it as a middle-class person. The downtrodden and persecuted alike flee to our country in hopes of a better future for not only themselves but also their children. Immersion of the English language is the only way that those people and their children can really identify themselves as being American. Without the language, those people are still what they were before, oppressed in the darkness of ignorance and disillusion. The only way to remedy that is to teach our younger generation, and teach them early enough, the only langu!

Quotes for Thanking a Special Teacher

Quotes for Thanking a Special Teacher Just about everyone remembers some teachers more than others, and maybe one above all, who made an impact on not just what you learned, but who you are. Whether you see your favorite teacher every day or youve been out of school for many years, that teacher would for sure love to hear from you and know she is making or has made a contribution to your life. So go ahead, make a contribution to her life that is the verbal equivalent of an apple for your teacher. These quotes provide some inspiration, and at least one will fit the bill for your teacher and you.   Quotes for a Special Teacher Maya AngelouWhen you learn, teach. When you get, give. William Arthur WardFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Dan RatherThe dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth. Alexander the GreatI am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well. David O. McKayThankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henry AdamsA teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Thornton WilderWe can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. Carl JungOne looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. Charles KuraltGood teachers know how to bring out the best in students. Benjamin DisraeliI feel a very unusual sensation if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. Colleen WilcoxTeaching is the greatest act of optimism. Albert SchweitzerWe should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. Charles DickensNo one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another. Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Victor HugoHe who opens a school door closes a prison. Marva CollinsThe good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. William Arthur WardThe mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. Albert EinsteinIt is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Christa McAuliffe I touch the future. I teach.

Korean War - The Conflict in Korea

Korean War - The Conflict in Korea The Conflict in Korea"Never before has this nation been engaged in mortal combat with a hostile power ...without even formally recognizing a state of war." (MacArthur quoted in West and Phillip, 2001, 195)The Korean War was the civil and military struggle that was fought on the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1953. It originated in the division of Korea after the Second World War. The rivalry between the two Koreas drew third party countries into political and ideological disputes, such as the ongoing dispute between the United States of America and the USSR. There were many conflicts between the communists and capitalists during the Cold War era, commonly known as proxy wars, and the most serious incident occurred in Korea. Why did North Korea cross the 38th parallel and invade South Korea? This essay will argue that the primary reason is that; the Soviet-backed North Korean Communist government led by Kim Il Sung attacked the American-backed South Koreans with the aim of unifying the two Koreas and expanding communism.English: Armistice Agreement, DPR KoreaThe Soviets provided military and economic aid to North Korea in the hope of gaining a valuable buffer zone in Asia.In the months following the conclusion of the Second World War, the then unified Korea, split into two - North and South, both taking different steps in ideology which ultimately led to the Korean War. The Soviet Union controlled the North, while the US controlled the South. The North was transformed into a communist state under the control of the Soviet Union and the dictator Kim Il Sung, who was a dedicated communist who had fought for the Red Army during WW2 (Dictatorofthemonth, 2008). This made a recipe for disaster, considering that South Korea was under command by the Americans who were predominantly capitalist and in the focal point of...

Effective Team and Performance Management Assignment

Effective Team and Performance Management - Assignment Example They must be able to suggest solutions to problems and take control of situations by being initiative. They must have the self-confidence to be willing and able to lead others and to set an example. A team leader should be able to take command of others and to push through ideas and policies to their conclusion will assertiveness and determination. With energy and enthusiasm they must set high standards of effort and involvement so that others are encouraged to act in a similar way (Stimpson, Borrington 2006). Some basic roles of managers include strategic planning like setting aims and targets beforehand for the future as they give a sense of direction and purpose to any team work. This will be common feeling among the team members of having something to work towards. It is a manager’s responsibility to organize people and resources effectively with the process of delegation, because a team leader cannot do everything on his own. Some tasks need to be delegated to subordinate s or team members. Delegation means giving a subordinate the authority to perform particular tasks. However, it is important to remember that it is the authority to perform a task which is being delegated and not the final responsibility. A manager can be very good or planning and organizing but may have failed to coordinate or bring people in the tem together just like what happened in the case study. This can be a real danger with the functional form of organization or structural problems as this leads to haphazard aims and not a shared vision. A good leader must therefore make sure that all team members are working together to achieve the plans originally set by the leader. Managers or team leaders must know the right way to command by guiding, leading and supervising people and not just telling them what to do. They must make sure that instructions and deadlines are being met on time. It is their responsibility that tasks are carried out by all team members effectively. Team lea der must also try to evaluate and measure the work of all individuals to make sure that they are on target. There is little point in planning and organizing when leaders fail to check that the original aims are being met. Disciplining staff is also part of their responsibility (David, R. 2005). So, if the team leader does not possess all these roles, then the teamwork is going to lack a sense of control and direction. There would be no coordination between team members which will lead to wastage of effort. Control of team members and organization of resources is vital for productive output and results otherwise; the team project will drift and eventually fail. Different styles of leadership call for different management styles. A good leader will adopt the style of leadership that suits his situation the best. Leadership styles are the different approaches of dealing with people when in a position of authority; autocratic, laissez-faire and democratic. Autocratic leadership is where the leader is expect to be in charge if the project and have his orders followed. They keep themselves separate from other members of the team; they make virtually all the decisions. They will only tell people what they need to know. Communication is the business is mainly one-way and other people have little or no opportunity to comment on anything.

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees Essay

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees - Essay Example As such, Face book has a wide range of uses and effects in the society. The uses entail social, entertainment, business, political, and academic applications. However, these effects are not universally accepted and hence there is always a debate on possible effects of Face book in the modern world. So, does Face book have any effect on college applicants and employees? Ideally, Face book has significant effects on college applicants and employees. This paper addresses the effect of Face book on college applicants and employees citing informed reasons with detailed evidence. Face book Effect on College Applicants Indeed, most Face book users are teens who are would be college students and the actual college students. They use face book to establish online friendships, establish groups of teens with common interests, or from the same college, socialize, share important information relating to their school life, and informing on various college opportunities and required qualifications. Hence, the effects of face book on college applicants are undeniable. Various colleges are now posting the required qualifications to join those colleges online and specifically on Face book. This is relevant in the fact that these colleges are also offering online lessons and hence it is only fair to post these qualifications online. Interested parties via face book subsequently leading to college applications relevantly share this information. Hence, college applicants derive college information from Face book prior to college applications. In addition, there are an increased number of admission officials using Face book to analyze college applicants.