In To kill a mockingbird, things are not always as they seem essays

In To kill a mockingbird, things are not always as they seem essays TOPIC: In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, things are not always as they seem. Discuss. Atticus, he was real nice. Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them. This is perhaps one of the strongest issues brought up in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The hundreds of pages in this novel come together to form an intricate web of incontestable evidence pointing towards the fact the humans come, see, and conquer. They do not look behind, or further to see the real thing, the real thing that they just destroyed to gain for themselves power and supremacy. Whether it be a person or an issue in society, people hear and believe what other people say, and do not investigate for themselves. In this essay I will endeavour to provide that incontestable evidence and further support Harper Lees view on society. Atticus is one of the main characters in the story. He is the father of Jem and Scout (Jean Louise), and the lawyer defending Thomas Robinson in the case. As a father, Jem and Scout dont feel that Atticus is good at anything except reasoning with people and making sense out of things. This is shown when Jem is extremely upset and angry with his father when he will not play football for the Methodists. Atticus excuse is that he is too old and that he would not survive a football match. Scout is also upset and questions Calpurnia about Atticus. Atticus will also not buy or allow Jem to have a gun, as he is aware of the temptations of young boys Jems age. Their opinions of Atticus change when there is a rabid dog in their street. Heck Tate comes to inspect the dog and Atticus is with him. When Mr. Tate realise that he will not be able to shoot the dog from that distance, he requests Atticus to do it for him. Atticus takes the dog with one shot and Jem and Scout are astounded. Miss Mau die grinned wickedly. Well now, Miss Jean Louise, she said, Still t...

What Blücher Has to Do With Young Frankenstein

What Blà ¼cher Has to Do With Young Frankenstein In Mel Brooks classic film parody  Young Frankenstein  (1974), Cloris Leachman plays a  character called Frau Blucher. If youve seen this great film, you know that every time someone utters the words Frau Blucher the whinnying of horses can be heard. Somehow an explanation for this running gag arose, claiming the hidden reason for the horses reaction was that Frau Bluchers name sounds like the German word for glue, and implying that the horses fear ending up in a glue factory. But if you bother to look up the word glue in German, you wont find any word that is even close to Blucher or Blà ¼cher. Do the words  der Klebstoff  or  der Leim  sound even remotely similar? What Is the Meaning of Blucher in German? If you look up  Blà ¼cher, some German dictionaries  list the expression er geht ran wie Blà ¼cher (he doesnt loaf around/he goes at it like Blà ¼cher), but that refers to the Prussian general  Gebhard Leberecht von Blà ¼cher  (1742-1819), who earned the name Marschall Vorwrts ([Field] Marshal Forward) for his victories over the French at Katzbach and (with Wellington) at Waterloo (1815). In other words, Blà ¼cher (or Blucher) is just a German surname. It has no particular meaning as a normal word in German and certainly does not mean glue! Turns out that director Mel Brooks was just having some fun with a classic cinematic villain gag from old melodramas. There is no real logic for the horses neighing since most of the time there is no way they could even see or hear Frau Blucher or the people saying her name.

Principles of Human Resource Management Assignment

Principles of Human Resource Management - Assignment Example It is very difficult to prove this as the courts have made it clear that it does not encompass issues such as avoiding an inconvenience, annoyance or expense to the employer (Dessler 25-49). These practices are cover-ups for discrimination and should not be used as defenses in a court of law. They are all forms of discrimination but employers hide in them so as to continue their discriminatory practices. Therefore they should be abolished. My take would be that only religion should be used as a discriminatory factor as some jobs do require people of a certain religion which might be very difficult for someone professing a different religion. The HR scorecard is both a measurement and an evaluation system for redefining the role of HR as a strategic partner. The scorecard is an important tool because it reinforces the difference between HR do-able and the deliverables, it enables cost control and value creation, it measures leading indicators and the lagging ones to enable improvement, it measures HR contribution to strategy implementation, it provides a chance for professionals to effectively manage their strategic responsibilities and final it is a tool that encourages flexibility and change in the organization (Haridas). The current trends in jobs are the internet jobs or work at home jobs. The reason for a move towards online jobs is first due to increased connectivity as many people can access the internet. The second reason is that most people prefer flexible schedules where they can work without the influence of the boss around them. They also can organize tasks so that it fits into their schedule so that they can work stress-free. This trend is common with the young generation employees who are techno-savvy and want peace of mind away from the boring office environment (Haridas).

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements Assignment

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements - Assignment Example Most organizations use the quality improvement story, mostly the quality improvement tools to improve service delivery and systems. For example, most hospitals and clinics often collect and use data about the health services being delivered, and statistically analyze the data to report to health authorities. Quality improvement methods are designed to study processes and help in improvement of systems. For instance in health care, students will be familiar with the goal of scientific research, but this only helps in discovering new knowledge but they are less familiar with the quality improvement which is aimed at changing performance. Recently medical students are always encouraged to join teams undertaking improvement activities. Quality improvement activities require managers’ to collect and analyze data generated by processes used in the activities involved and measure improvements. For example, a student cannot study changes in his study habits and the environment he lives in affects him. He will need to data to analyze his study habits problems, and decide the information he needs to measure improvements made by him. Measurement is an important component of quality improvement because it forces managers to look at what they do and how they do it. They commonly use the total quality management tools such as; flowcharts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts and run charts. In the past years, quality improvement methods have been emphasized. This includes the identification of a process that has less than ideal outcomes, attaching measures to key performance attributes, analyzing devise approaches, integrating redesigned approaches the process and having checks to determine if the process was successful. Apart from total quality management, other quality improvement strategies are; international organization for standardization ISO 9000, Zero defects, Six Sigma and Toyota production system.

Demographic Trend Essay Example for Free

Demographic Trend Essay The demographic trends that will have an influential impact on the needs of human services in the future will be growth and change in the populations of seniors. Person 65 and over is expected to double in size within the next 25 years in the United States population. According the (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009), Hispanic older adults is likely to go from 2.2 million in 2004 to over 15 million by 2050. It is expected to be the largest minority amongst older people by 2028. Some current trends of human service delivery that will be impacted and accentuated will be among seniors. There will be more women than men, have increased educational levels, they will probably lead active lives, live independent and be more healthy. Changes in the population will have challenges for human services during the next 50 years. Some areas will be income assistance, health care, housing, employment, the way we take part in leisure opportunities and environmental modification. The real median income for older citizens fell 2.8% for men and 3.6% for women and incomes are expected to keep declining. Human services such as mobile meal delivery and home health care make it easy for many older individuals to stay in the homes that they own or rent. Many would like to â€Å"age in place†. Older Americans are choosing to not live with their adult children; they do not want to lose their independence. Assisted living institutions help the aged to obtain and keep their independence. They keep their personal space and have social services to aid them with leisure activities, social support and cultural values. As we enter the Human Service profession we will see clients and other professionals who are different from ourselves. They were raised in other countries, have different economic backgrounds, speak various languages and be of various ages and genders. They would have entered the United States under unique circumstances. Human Services are available to more clients of diversified natures in rural areas, the military, schools and the work place for which all of these increase clients who will need these services and the professionals who can provide them. Community-based services were first introduced to clients with mental illness and who were deinstitutionalized. Today the criminal justice system, the developmentally disabled and seniors are all a part of these services. In rural areas there will always be  barriers of service delivery which include limited availability of workers, distances between clients and those who provide the services, cost, and issues of confidentiality and in what way the care will be carried out. We as a society must find ways to tackle and progress towards a solution to keep these barriers from overwhelming us to prevent the human services that are so badly needed by many. The following is from (An In troduction to Human Services, Chapter 3). Table 3.3 Summary Points Trends The effect of urbanization in poor countries will contribute to create difficulties in meeting the basic needs of people. Demographic shifts in the United States raise questions about immigration policies, language, employment and entitlement programs. One important shift is the growth and change of the older population, which indicates an increase in the number of seniors as well as changes in characteristics. Economic downturns create human service challenges for individuals and families. Clients will remain active participants in human service delivery. Advocacy as a helping skill continues to increasingly important. The Mental Health Patient’s Bill of Rights covers issues such as the right to know, confidentiality, choice, determination of treatment, nondiscrimination and treatment review. Through the use of all professionals equally sharing the burden of distributing these services as needed, will depend on the cooperation of all those involved whether it is direct contac t or through the use of referrals of other organizations. An Introduction of Human Services, Seventh Edition, Chapter 3, Human Services Today. The U.S. Census Bureau (2009) _ HYPERLINK Http://www.nationalhumanservices.org _Http://www.nationalhumanservices.org_

Ben Carson with Cecil MurpheyGifted Hands The Ben Carson Story :: Essays Papers

Ben Carson with Cecil MurpheyGifted Hands The Ben Carson Story The book is about a kid who grew up in a harsh area, in other words a â€Å"ghetto†. The books starts out when Ben is in fifth grade when he is failing all his classes because he couldn’t see anything without glasses that his family couldn’t afford. But after Ben got glasses he became the smartest student in all his classes. He was a very smart and good student until he reached the beginning of high school. When he entered the ninth grade year he began to be embarrassed of his social standing because people would â€Å"cap† on him and also because he wore old clothes. He was in this period until the middle of the 10th grade when his mom and the ROTC straightened him out. After that he graduated high school and attended college at Yale. While at Yale he had money problems and barely had enough money to survive. He graduated and married his wife Cookie and became a neurosurgeon. He his known as one of the top neurosurgeons if not the top neu rosurgeon because he took difficult cases which all other neurosurgeons wouldn’t take the risk to do. The message of this book is basically never give up and always try to do your best no matter what the situation and you should remember that God is with one and he should be the priority in ones life. Well for different people the message of this book could be considered important or unimportant. The ideas of this book are of importance to certain people and these certain people should consider it. There are expressions of the author shown through certain incidents like when mid-terms came during a year at Yale he was unprepared because of his procrastinating studying techniques but the night before the exam while reviewing his notes he prayed for god to help him do good on the test and he had a dream about the test and the answers were in front of him, this expressed his philosophy of god helping one if they ask. The author never tried to convince me of a point of view but he gave different examples of situations and how he settled those situations. After reading this book I found some similarities of my daily life.

English Composition Essay

There are mixed reviews on online studying. During my research for articles on this subject, I found that more people are choosing online education instead of being in the traditional classroom setting. This appears to be a trend that in the eyes of some people will gain ground on classroom learning. Earning a college degree online will benefit mainly people with full time jobs. As Jessica Groach-Santina views it, â€Å"This form of education, will allow you to learn on your own schedule, put the skills you need directly into practice on the job and give you the valuable technical knowledge that employers are seeking†. Steve Lohr wrote in one of his many articles, â€Å"online education is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in the classroom. † The Department of Education performed a study last year and found students that did some or all of their courses online ranked higher in test performance than average classroom students. Steve Lohr wrote in his article, Online Education Beats the Classroom that â€Å"over the next few years, online education will expand sharply as evidence mounts of its value†. Philip R. Regier, the Dean of Arizona State University, also feels within the next three to five years the online studies will triple. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, also feels more people will be taking classes online. In one of Steve Lohr’s most recent articles titled â€Å"Second Thoughts on Online Education† he back- tracked on some of the earlier statements he made, â€Å"A rush to online education may come at more of a cost than educators may suspect. † After more research concerning online education was conducted by the National Science Foundation and the Education Department, one study showed Hispanics and males did notably worse online. David Figlio, an economist at Northwestern University believes, the reason for the poor grades by these groups, was that males were more than likely waiting until the last minute to do their assignments. They were also putting off viewing lectures and cramming their studies before a test. Another issue could be that English is a second language for some Hispanic men. I understand there are positives and negatives with almost everything one sets out to accomplish. The key to success is, no matter what you set out to achieve, it will take hard work. This is my first time taking courses online and I know it will be as challenging as sitting in a classroom. However, it’s more convenient than going to a class at a certain time and I also get to work at my own pace, to a certain extent. Work Cited MLA: Groach-Santina Jessica. â€Å"The Value Of An Online Degree. † 10 September 2010. 29 September 2010 http://www. online-education. net/articles/general/securing-a-better-future. html MLA: Lohr Steven. â€Å"Study Finds That Online Education Beats The Classroom†. 19 August 2009. 29 September 2010 http://www. bits. blogs. nytimes. com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-class†¦ MLA: Lohr Steven. â€Å"Second Thoughts On Online Education†. 8 September 2010. 29 September 2010 http://www. bits. blogs. nytimes. com/2010/09/08/second-thoughts-on-online-education/? scp+1&sq

Cory aquino Essay

Marà ­a Corazà ³n Sumulong â€Å"Cory† Cojuangco Aquino was born on January 25, 1933, in Paniqui, Tarlac, Marà ­a Corazà ³n â€Å"Cory† Sumulong Cojuangco was the fourth child of Josà © Cojuangco, Sr. and Demetria Sumulong. Her siblings were Pedro, Josephine, Teresita, Jose, Jr. and Maria Paz. Both Aquino’s parents came from prominent clans. Her father was a prominent Tarlac businessman and politician, and her great-grandfather, Melecio Cojuangco, was a member of the historic Malolos Congress. Her mother, Demetria, belonged to the Sumulong family of Rizal who were politically influential; Juan Sumulong, a prominent member of the clan, ran against Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon in 1941. As a young girl, she spent her elementary days at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, where she graduated on top of her class and batch as valedictorian. For high school, she transferred toAssumption Convent for her first year of high school. Afterwards, she went to the United States to finish her secondary education. There she continued her college education. She went to theCollege of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City, where she majored in Mathematics and French. During her stay in the United States, Aquino volunteered for the campaign of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey against then Democrat U.S. President Harry S. Truman during the 1948 U.S. Presidential Election. After graduating from college, she returned to the Philippines to study law at the Far Eastern University (owned by the in-laws of her elder sister, Josephine Reyes) for one year. She married Sen.Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., son of the late Speaker Benigno S. Aquino, Sr. and a grandson of General Servillano Aquino. The couple had five children: Marà ­a Elena (born August 18, 1955), Aurora Corazà ³n (born December 27, 1957), Benigno Simeon III (born February 8, 1960), Victoria Elisa (born October 27, 1961) and Kristina Bernadette (born February 14, 1971). Corazà ³n Aquino had difficulty initially adjusting to provincial life when she and her husband moved to Concepcion, Tarlac in 1955. Aquino found herself bored in Concepcion, and welcomed the opportunity to have dinner with her husband inside the American military facility at nearby Clark Field. A member of the Liberal Party, Aquino’s husband Ninoy rose to become the youngest  governor in the country and eventually became the youngest senator ever elected in the Senate of the Philippines in 1967. During her husband’s political career, Aquino remained a housewife who helped raise their children and played hostess to her spouse’s political allies who would frequent their Quezon City home. She would decline to join her husband on stage during campaign rallies, preferring instead to stand at the back of the audience and listen to him. Unknown to many, she voluntarily sold some of her prized inheritance to fund the candidacy of her husband. She led a modest existence in a bungalow in suburban Quezon City. Ninoy Aquino soon emerged as a leading critic of the government of President Ferdinand Marcos. He was then touted as a strong candidate for president to succeed Marcos in the 1973 elections. However, Marcos, being barred by the Constitution to seek a third term, declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and later abolished the existing 1935 Constitution, thereby allowing him to remain in office. As a consequence, her husband was among those to be first arrested at the onset of martial law, later being sentenced to death. During his incarceration, Ninoy sought strength from prayer, attending daily mass and saying the rosary three times a day. As a measure of sacrifice and solidarity with her husband and all other political prisoners, she enjoined her children from attending parties and she also stopped going to the beauty salon or buying new clothes until a priest advised her and her children to instead live as normal lives as possible. In 1978, despite her initial opposition, Ninoy decided to run in the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections. A reluctant speaker, Corazà ³n Aquino campaigned in behalf of her husband, and for the first time in her life delivered a political speech. In 1980, upon the intervention of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Marcos allowed Senator Aquino and his family to leave for exile in the United States, where he sought medical treatment.[4] The family settled in Boston, and Aquino would later call the next three years as the happiest days of her marriage and family life. On August 21, 1983, however, Ninoy ended his stay in the United States and returned without his family to the Philippines, only to be assassinated on a staircase leading to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport, which was later renamed in his honor (see Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.). Corazà ³n Aquino returned to the Philippines a few days later and led her husband’s funeral procession, in  which more than two million people joined the procession. Following her husband’s assassination in 1983, Aquino became active and visible in various demonstrations and protests held against the Marcos regime. She began to assume the mantle of leadership left by her husband Ninoy and started to become the symbolic figurehead of the anti-Marcos political opposition. In the last week of November 1985, Marcos surprised the nation by announcing on American television that he would hold a snap presidential election in February 1986, in order to dispel and remove doubts against his regime’s legitimacy and authority. Reluctant at first, Aquino was eventually prevailed upon to heed the people’s clamor, after one million signatures urging her to run for president were presented to her. Despite this, the erstwhile favorite opposite candidate, Laurel, did not immediately give way to his close friend’s widow. Laurel was only convinced to run as Aquino’s Vice President upon the urging of the influential Manila Cardinal Archbishop Jaime Sin. As a compromise, Aquino agreed to run under Laurel’s machinery, the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), then the country’s largest opposition party. With that, the Aquino-Laurel tandem was formally launched to challenge Marcos and finally put an end to his twenty-year martial rule. In the subsequent political developments and events, Marcos charged that Aquino was being supported by communists and agreed to share power with them once elected into power. A political novice, Aquino categorically denied Marcos’ charge and even stated that she would not appoint a single communist to her cabinet. Running on the offensive, the ailing Marcos also accused Aquino of playing â€Å"political football† with the United States with respect to the continued United States military presence in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base. Further, the male strongman derided Aquino’s womanhood, by saying that she was â€Å"just a woman† whose place was in the bedroom. In response to her opponent’s sexist remark, Aquino simply remarked that â€Å"may the better woman win in this election.† Marcos also attacked Aquino’s inexperience and warned the country that it would be a disaster if a woman like her with no previous political experience would be elected president; to which Aquino cleverly and sarcastically responded, admitting that she had â€Å"no experience in cheating, lying to the public, stealing government money, and killing political opponents.† The snap election called by Marcos which was held on February 7, 1986 was marred by massive electoral fraud, violence, intimidation, coercion and disenfranchisement of voters. Election Day proved to be bloody as one of Aquino’s staunchest allies Antique Governor Evelio Javier was brutally murdered, allegedly by one of Marcos’ supporters in his province. Further, during the counting and tallying of votes conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), 30 poll computer technicians walked out to dispute and contest the alleged election-rigging done in favor of Marcos. Despite this, the Batasang Pambansa, which was dominated by allies of the ruling party, declared President Marcos as the winner in the recently concluded snap presidential election on February 15, 1986. In protest to the declaration of the Philippine parliament, Aquino called for a rally dubbed â€Å"Tagumpay ng Bayan† (People’s Victory Rally) the following day, during which she claimed that she was the real winner in the snap election and urged Filipinos to boycott the products and services by companies controlled or owned by Marcos’ cronies. The rally held at the historic Rizal Park in Luneta, Manila drew a mammoth-sized crowd, which sent a strong signal that Filipinos were already growing tired of Marcos’ two decade-rule. Further, the dubious election results drew sharp reactions from both local quarters and foreign countries. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines issued a statement strongly criticizing the conduct of the election which was characterized by violence and fraud. The United States Senate condemned the election. Aquino rejected a power-sharing agreement proposed by the American diplomatPhilip Habib, who had been sent as an emissary by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to help defuse the tension. After weeks of tension following the disputed outcome of the snap election, disgruntled and reformist military officers, led by then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and General Fidel V. Ramos, surprised the entire nation and the whole world when they announced their defection from President Marcos and their strong belief that Aquino was the real winner in the presidential election on February 22, 1986. Upon the urging and encouragement of the activist Cardinal Archbishop of Manila Jaime Sin, millions of Filipinos trooped to Camp Aguinaldo along Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA), where Enrile and Ramos have been holding operations, to give their moral support and prayers for the reformist soldiers. At that time, Aquino was meditating in a Carmelite convent in Cebu. Upon learning of the defection, Aquino called on  Filipinos to rally behind Minister Enrile and General Ramos. Later on, Aquino flew back to Manila in order to prepare to assume the presidency upon the ouster of Marcos. Finally, to the amazement and admiration of the entire world, after twenty years of martial rule, Ferdinand Marcos was driven out from power and Corazà ³n Aquino was formally and peacefully sworn in as the new president of a freed and liberated Philippines on February 25, 1986, a historic event which is now known and remembered as the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. In Presidency, the triumph of the peaceful People Power Revolution and the ascension of Corazà ³n Aquino into power signaled the end of authoritarian rule in the Philippines and the dawning of a new era for Filipinos. The relatively peaceful manner by which Aquino came into power drew international acclaim and admiration not only for her but for the Filipino people, as well. During the first months of Aquino’s presidency, the country experienced radical changes and sweeping democratic reforms. One of Aquino’s first moves was the creation of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was tasked to go after the Marcos ill-gotten wealth. Aquino, being a revolutionary president by virtue of people power, abolished the 1973 â€Å"Marcos Constitution† and dissolved the Marcos allies-dominated Batasang Pambansa, despite the advice of her vice-president and only prime minister Salvador Laurel. She also immediately created a Constitutional Commission, which she directed for the drafting of a new constitution for the nation. Immediately after assuming the presidency, President Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, which established a revolutionary government. She abolished the 1973 Constitution that was in force during martial law, and instead promulgated the provisional 1986 Freedom Constitution, pending the ratification of a new Constitution by the people. This allowed her to exercise both executive and legislative powers until the ratification of the new Philippine Constitution and the establishment of a new Congress in 1987. Aquino promulgated two landmark legal codes, namely, the Family Code of 1987, which reformed the civil law on family relations, and the Administrative Code of 1987, which reorganized the structure of the executive branch of government. Another landmark law that was enacted during her tenure was the 1991 Local  Government Code, which devolved national government powers to local government units (LGUs). The new Code enhanced the power of LGUs to enact local taxation measures and assured them of a share in the national revenue. Aquino closed down the Marcos-dominated Batasang Pambansa to prevent the new Marcos loyalist opposition from undermining her democratic reforms and reorganized the membership of the Supreme Court to restore its independence. In May 1986, the reorganized Supreme Court declared the Aquino government as â€Å"not merely a de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government†, whose legitimacy had been affirmed by the community of nations. This Supreme Court decision affirmed the status of Aquino as the rightful leader of the Philippines. To fast-track the restoration of a full constitutional government and the writing of a new charter, she appointed 48 members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (â€Å"Con-Com†), led by retired activist Supreme Court Associate Justice Cecilia Muà ±oz-Palma. The Con-Com completed its final draft in October 1986. On February 2, 1987, the new Constitution of the Philippines, which put strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights and social justice, was overwhelmingly approved by the Filipino people. As soon as she assumed the presidency of the Philippines, Aquino moved quickly to tackle the issue of the US$26 billion foreign debt incurred by her predecessor, which has badly tarnished the international credit standing and economic reputation of the country. After weighing all possible options such as choosing not to pay, Aquino eventually chose to honor all the debts that were previously incurred in order to clear the country’s image. Her decision proved to be unpopular but Aquino defended that it was the most practical move. It was crucial for the country at that time to regain the investors’ confidence in the Philippine economy. Since 1986, the Aquino administration has paid off $4 billion of the country’s outstanding debts to regain good international credit ratings and attract the attention of future markets. Nevertheless, the administration borrowed an additional $9 billion, increasing the national debt by $5 billion within six years time since the ouster of former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Further, recognizing how crony capitalism zapped out the economy due to collusion between government and big business and adhering to the Catholic social principle of subsidiarity, President Aquino set out on a course of market liberalization agenda while at the same time emphasizing solidarity, people  empowerment and civic engagement to help alleviate poverty in the country. The Aquino administration also sought to bring back fiscal discipline in order as it aimed to trim down the government’s budget deficit that ballooned during Marcos’ term through privatization of bad government assets and deregulation of many vital industries. As president, Aquino sought out to dismantle the cartels, monopolies and oligopolies of important industries that were set up by Marcos cronies during the dark days of Martial Law, particularly in the sugar and coconut industries. By discarding these monopolies and allowing market-led prices and competition, small farmers and producers were given a fair chance to sell their produce and products at a more reasonable, competitive and profitable price. This, in a way, also helped a lot in improving the lot of farmers who are in dire need of increasing their personal income and earnings. It was also during Aquino’s time that vital economic laws such as the Built-Operate-Transfer Law, Foreign Investments Act and the Consumer Protection and Welfare Act were enacted. The economy posted a positive growth of 3.4% during her first year in office. But in the aftermath of the 1989 coup attempt by the rightist Reform the Armed Forces Movement, the Philippine economy remained stagnant. In her final year in office, inflation was raging at 17%, and unemployment was slightly over 10%, higher than the Marcos years. Overall, the economy under Aquino had an average growth of 3.8% from 1986 to 1992. Soon after taking office, Aquino declared that the presence of US military forces in the Philippines was an affront to national sovereignty. She ordered the United States military to vacate U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and Clark Air Base. The US objected, pointing that they had leased the property and the leases were still in effect. Also, thousands of Filipinos worked at these military facilities and they would lose their jobs and the Filipino economy would suffer if the US Military moved out. The US stated that the facilities at Subic Bay were unequaled anywhere in Southeast Asia and a US pull out could make all of that region of the world vulnerable to an incursion by the Soviet Union or by a resurgent Japan. She refused to back down and insisted that the USA get out. The matter was still being debated when Mount Pinatubo erupted in June 1991, covering the entire area with volcanic ash. The destruction to the bases was so severe that the US decided that it would best to pull out after all, so the bases were closed and the United States  departed. President Aquino envisioned agrarian and land reform as the centerpiece of her administration’s social legislative agenda. However, her family background and social class as a privileged daughter of a wealthy and landed clan became a lightning rod of criticisms against her land reform agenda. On February 22, 1987, three weeks after the resounding ratification of the 1987 Constitution, agrarian workers and farmers marched to the historic Mendiola Street near the Malacaà ±an Palace to demand genuine land reform from Aquino’s administration. However, the march turned violent when Marine forces fired at farmers who tried to go beyond the designated demarcation line set by the police. As a result, 12 farmers were killed and 19 were injured in this incident now known as the Mendiola Massacre. This incident led some prominent members of the Aquino Cabinet to resign their government posts. In response to calls for agrarian reform, President Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive Order 229 on July 22, 1987, which outlined her land reform program, which included sugar lands. In 1988, with the backing of Aquino, the new Congress of the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 6657, more popularly known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law.† The law paved the way for the redistribution of agricultural lands to tenant-farmers from landowners, who were paid in exchange by the government through just compensation but were also allowed to retain not more than five hectares of land. However, corporate landowners were also allowed under the law to â€Å"voluntarily divest a proportion of their capital stock, equity or participation in favor of their workers or other qualified beneficiaries†, in lieu of turning over their land to the government for redistribution. Despite the flaws in the law, the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in 1989, declaring that the implementation of the comprehensive agrarian reform program provided by the said law, was â€Å"a revolutionary kind of expropriation.† Despite the implementation of CARP, Aquino was not spared from the controversies that eventually centered on Hacienda Luisita, a 6,453-hectare estate located in the Province of Tarlac, which she, together with her siblings inherited from her father Jose Cojuangco (Don Pepe) Critics argued that Aquino bowed to pressure from relatives by allowing stock redistribution under Executive Order 229. Canadian International Prize for Freedom, International Democracy Award from the International Association of Political Consultants on 1986. Prize For Freedom Award from Liberal International on 1987. In 1993 she achieved the Special Peace Award from the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Awards Foundation and Concerned Women of the Philippines. She also achieved Path to Peace Award on 1995. J. Willia Fullbright Prize for International Understanding from the U.S Department of State. Also Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding and Pearl S. Buck on 1998. In 1999, she achieved One of Time Magazine’s 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century. World Citizenship Award on 2001. In 2005, she also achieved the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards and One of the World’s Elite Women Who Make a Difference by the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame. One of Time Magazine’s 65 Asian Heroes on 2006. One of Different View’s 15 Champions of World Democracy on 2008. Aquino also achieved the EWC Asia Pacific Community Building Award, Women’s International Center International Leadership Living Legacy Award, Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, and United Nations Development Fund for Women Noel Foundation Life Award.

Political changes of 17th cent essays

Political changes of 17th cent essays When one looks at the religious wars, it is very difficult to identify a beginning and middle. People can argue that the seed for the wars was planted in the wars between the Calvinists and Hapsburgs, otherwise known as the Dutch and the Spanish. In addition, people can argue that the Protestant Reformation in Germany and other parts of Europe sparked these "religious" wars. It was inevitable that the growing division between Christian churches in Europe would lead to a series of armed conflicts for over a century. Protestants and Catholics would shed each other's blood in monumental amounts in national wars and in civil wars. These struggles would eventually destroy the European monarchical traditions themselves. But truly, were they even religious wars? Thus, the question arises. The Bohemian War, fought from 1618 through 1623 was most likely the one war that had anything to do with religion. After Mathais, Ferdinand the Second took over as the Holy Roman emperor. Being a passionate member of the Catholic Church, Calvinism was just out of the question in his book. No one in Bohemia would be allowed to carry out religious services in any way promoting Calvinism. The conflict went much further. The Bohemian princes became irritated, and Ferdinand sent two ambassadors to try to ease the tensions. This only sparked an onslaught of aggression. Fear of being forced into Catholicism was enough t push the princes over the edge, and the two ambassadors were thrown out the window in objection. Thus came the defenestration of Prague. The fighting still had a long way to go, and at the Battle of White Mountain, the forces collided. The Catholic group, called the Catholic League, was backed by Ferdinand II, Spain, the Elector in Saxony (Germany) and also the Pope, conqu ered the relatively smallish Bohemian army. The success was immense, and Alsace went to Spain to maintain good ties. To move on to the next wars, one must discuss Cardinal Ri...

How to Create a Warm and Friendly Classroom Environment

How to Create a Warm and Friendly Classroom Environment To create a friendly, non-threatening classroom environment, here are some  strategies gathered from seasoned educators who create a warm and welcoming environment for their students every day.   You can start on creating an environment that is conducive to learning and maximizing student social and academic growth in 10 easy steps: Greet your students each day with enthusiasm. Find something positive to say as much as possible or as much as time will allow for.Provide students with time to share happenings, events, or items with you.  Even if you set a certain time frame aside each day for 3-5 students to share, it will help to create a friendly, warm, and welcome environment. It shows them you care and it provides you with opportunities to learn about what is important about each of your students.Take the time on occasion to share something that is important to you. This could be the fact that your own child took their first steps or that you saw a wonderful play that you would like to share with your students. Your students will see you as a real and caring person. This type of sharing shouldnt be done every day but rather from time to time.Take time to talk about differences within the classroom. Diversity is everywhere and children can benefit from learning about diversity at a very early age. Talk about varying cultural backgrounds, body image, body types, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Provide opportunities for your learners to share their strengths and weaknesses. The child who may not be able to run fast may be able to draw very well. These conversations always need to be held in a positive light. Understanding diversity is a lifelong skill children will always benefit from. It builds trust and acceptance in the classroom. Say no to all forms of bullying. There is no such thing as a welcoming, nurturing environment when there is tolerance for bullying. Stop it early and make sure all students know that they should report bullying. Remind them that telling on a bully is not tattling, it is reporting. Have a set of routines and rules that prevent bullying.Build activities into your day that support students working together and building rapport with one another. Small group work and team work with well-established routines and rules will help in developing a very cohesive environment.Focus on the strengths when calling upon a student. Never put down a child for not being able to do something, take some one-to-one time to support the child. When asking a child to demonstrate or respond to something, be sure that the child is in their comfort zone and always capitalize on the strengths. Showing sensitivity to each of your students is extremely important in protecting their confidence and self-esteem.Promot e two-way respect. I cant say enough about two-way respect. Adhere to the golden rule, always show respect and you will get it back in return. Take time to educate the class about specific disorders and disabilities. Role play helps to develop empathy and support among classmates and peers.Make a conscientious effort to promote confidence and self-esteem among every student in the classroom.  Give praise and positive reinforcement that is real and deserved often. The more that students feel good about themselves, the better they will be toward themselves and others.

Human Development and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Development and Learning - Essay Example According to Piaget's theory, cognitive development takes place in four separate stages and each stage progresses onto being more refined and conceptual levels of thought. Sensorimotor, the first stage (birth to 24 months) is characterized by knowledge being achieved mainly through sensory impressions and motor action. At the end of this stage, the child will have a little understanding outside what can be sensed. The subsequent stage is the preoperational stage (2 to 7 years) describes how child shifts from sensory testing to the progression of language and using of symbols. The basic characteristics of the stage are reading and a quick increase in vocabulary. The third stage is concrete operational (7 to 11 years) shows significant developments in perception and in the last phase known as the formal operational (11 to adulthood) explains the child's developing the skill to think about hypothetical conditions and reflect abstractly. Lev'Vygotsky, another renowned theorist, proposed the Sociocultural Theory of Development which suggested that children learn through socially interacting with their surrounding culture and communicate with others to learn the cultural values of the society through dialogue. Children progress in the direction of more individualized thought process during these social interactions. The co-constructed development incorporates individuals interacting through shared activities. Once the child is assisted in this process, he or she may be able to use enhanced strategies in the future if a familiar situation arises. This leads to internalization, which further results in the child's independent thought process. There are essential similarities between the natures of development of intelligence in children. This is particularly obvious in their views on the stage-related development process of cognitive abilities. Vygotsky is well known on his position on the importance of social factors in development. Piaget stressed the vital role of social factors in the building of knowledge. According to Piaget, social interaction is necessary in order to develop logic. Furthermore, both Vygotsky and Piaget agreed that it is the development of the individual which ultimately takes place. They also stated that internalization is not a process of copying material from the environment but is a transformative process. Piaget investigated the fundamental mechanisms in the individual constructing its thoughts, while Vygotsky dealt with socially developed mechanisms for constructing language meaning and learning. But both of them relate mental processes to the generative constructions of systems that maintain development, that is, in culture or in the individual interacting with its environment. In Vygotsky's opinion language is makes human species humanized and makes human thought a part of culture. On the other hand, language for Paiget is one of the five behavior patterns that manifest representational intelligence in children. Paiget's theory of intelligence is based on biological factors, but it also implies social dimensions as well. The

Schools can Help Prevent Childhood Obesity Essay

Schools can Help Prevent Childhood Obesity - Essay Example School cafeterias are obliged to offer healthy food choices. This is the underlying principle of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), started in 1946. The federal school lunch and breakfast program caters to twenty-nine million school children daily and aims to provide nutritionally balanced meals at a cost of seven million a year to taxpayers (Fried and Simon, 1492). 99% of all public schools and 83% of private schools participate in the program which reimburses the cost of the breakfast and lunch and provides commodity supplies (Leviton, 43). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides dietary guidelines and nutritional standards for schools in implementing the NSLP. Based on recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the NSLP aims to â€Å"enhance the diet and health of school children, and help mitigate the childhood obesity trend† (USDA web site). Schools are required to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole gra ins and low-fat milk and reduce the levels of sodium and saturated fats. The ‘Farm to School’ program attempts to bring fresh, locally produced food into school cafeterias and introduce children to farms, gardening, and cooking. In theory, all schools under the NSLP provide balanced nutritional meals. However, the reality is different: a 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that 94 percent of school lunches failed to meet the USDA’s regulatory standards regarding the sodium or total fat standards. Dana Woldow, a mother who is a volunteer in her children’s school nutrition committee, says, â€Å"In the school cafeteria you could buy soda, potato chips, snack cakes, corndogs, French fries, apple turnovers, ice cream --you know, carnival food† (Christensen). This is largely because frozen and processed foods are cheaper than fresh or organic produce and the NSLP is under-funded. Schools also procure pre-cooked food as they do not have kitchens. It is clear that there is much room for improvement in school cafeteria’s ability to provide a nutritious diet for all students. The healthy food offerings in school cafeterias are significantly off-set by the availability of ‘competitive food.’ This term refers to foods of little nutritional value which compete with the NSLP funded school breakfast and