McDonald’s and Hindu Culture Essay

McDonald’s doing global business and their restaurants around the world. By 2003, the company had 30,000 restaurants in 121 countries. In the late 1990s, McDonald’s entered in India. Although India is poor nation, there are 150 to 200 million prosperous middle class population was attracted McDonald’s. However, there are unique challenges for McDonald’s. For thousands of years, India’s Hindu culture has revered the cow and do not eat the meat of the scared cow, also there are some 140 million Muslims in India, and Muslims don’t eat pork. To respect and adapt Indian culture, McDonald’s created an Indian version of burgers which are made from mutton and chicken. All foods are segregated vegetarian and nonvegetarian, due to many Hindus are vegetarians. Issue Statement. In 2001, three Indian businessmen living in Seattle are all vegetarians and two who were Hindus, they sued McDonald’s for â€Å"fraudulently concealing the existence of beef in McDonald’s French fries! Through some argument between Mac and Indian people, finally Mac admitted that it used a â€Å"minuscule† amount of beef extract in the oil. McDonald’s settled the suit for $10 million and issued an apology. However, news blaze abroad, Hindu nationalists onto the streets in Delhi, where they vandalized one McDonald’s restaurant, causing $45,000 of damage; shouted slogans outside of another; picketed the company’s headquarters; and called on India’s prime minister to close McDonald’s 27 stores in the country. McDonald’s Indian franchise holders quickly issued denials that they used oil that contained beef extract, and Hindu extremists submit McDonald’s oil to laboratory tests to see if they could detect beef extract. Problem Analysis and Justification * The main problem of the case is religion issue. Hindu culture has very strong belief because it has remained unbroken and largely unchanged for at least five thousand years. (http://www.atributetohinduism.com/Hindu_Culture.htm#Religion) Used the oil that contained beef extract is very serious matter for Hindus. * The case also involves the Mores of norm. Mores are norms that are seen as central to the functioning of a society and to its social life. (Charles W.L. Hill, 2005) There are many differences between cultures as to what is perceived as mores. In America, eat beef is widely accepted, but for Hindus that violate Divine Mother. * There is different culture between two countries. U.S is more individualism society against Hindu is more collectivism, so they walk together onto the street. * McDonald’s should not give inconstant argument that oil contained beef extract. This will make people un-trust of the company. Conclusions and Recommendations. With above problems analysis, the company should have some solution. Firstly the company must understand how differences in culture affect the practice of the business. McDonald’s knows Hindu do not eat beef and yet they still put beef extract in the oil, the reason may the company didn’t understand the Hindu culture clearly. Furthermore, the company can employ the local citizens to help them do business in particular culture. These factors also give other foreign fast food and retail stores a lesson when they first time entrance India. Actually McDonald’s can avoid Hindu nationalists paraded onto street and damage of the restaurant by block the news, because the company has settled the suit for $10 million, they can asked the court to block the news. For my opinion, McDonald’s not necessary go in very localizing taste. As McDonald’s say nowadays young generation enjoyed the â€Å"American† experience, so this is an advantage of McDonald’s doing American style but McDonald’s must be on continual guard against the particular culture. List of References. Charles W.L. Hill (2005), International Business, 5th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York. David A. & Stephen P (2005), Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 8th edn, John Wiley & sons, Inc. NJ. Kotler & Armstrong (2004), Principles of marketing, 10th edn, Pearson Education International, New Jersey.

Scope of Edusat

SCOPE OF EDUSAT Dr. R. SIVAKUMAR INTRODUCTION The pivotal role of education as an instrument of social change by altering the human perspective and transforming the traditional mindset of society is well recognized. The universalisation of education has become the top priority, especially for the developing countries. But the extension of quality education to remote and rural regions becomes a Himalaya task for a large country like India with multi-lingual and multi-cultural population separated by vast geographical distances and in many instances, inaccessible terrain.Since independence, India has seen substantial increase in the number of educational institutions at primary, secondary and higher levels as well as the student enrolment. But the lack of adequate rural educational infrastructure and non-availability of good teachers in sufficient numbers adversely affect the efforts made in education. EDUSAT is the first Indian satellite built exclusively for serving the educational s ector and it was launched successfully by GSLV-F01 on 20-9-2004.It is mainly intended to meet the demand for an interactive satellite based distance education system for the country. It strongly reflects India’s commitment to use space technology for national development, especially for the development of the population in remote and rural locations. EVOLUTION OF EDUSAT The concept of beaming educational programmes through satellites was effectively demonstrated for the first time in India in 1975-76 through the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) conducted using the American Application Technology Satellite (ATS-6).During this unique experiment, which is hailed as the largest sociological experiment conducted anywhere in the world, programmes pertaining to health, hygiene and family planning were telecast directly to about 2400 Indian villages spread over six states. Later, with the commissioning of INSAT system in 1983, a variety of educational programmes a re being telecast. With the success of the INSAT based educational services, a need was felt to launch a satellite dedicated for educational service and ISRO conceived the EDUSAT Project in October 2002.EDUSAT is to be launched on board ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV, in September 2004. EDUSAT was developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore. The payloads were developed by Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. Master Control Facility at Hassan is responsible for all post launch operations of the satellite. It is specially configured to meet the growing demand for an interactive satellite based distance education system for the country through audio-visual medium, employing Direct To Home (DTH) quality broadcast.The satellite will have multiple regional beams covering different parts of India. EDUSAT FOR RURAL STUDENTS The main purpose of this is to provide education to all people primarily children from remote areas of the country who cannot go to schools or c olleges. The classes would be conducted by various State Education Boards, NCERT, CBSE, Universities etc in a studio environment using power point presentations as well as the common black board. There could be interactive as well as non interactive sessions offered.Classes would be conducted in a studio environment eliminating the need for a large number of competent, qualified teachers and televised to the entire nation. These classes would be beamed to pre-destined areas using the EDUSAT similar to regional TV programs on ‘Doordarshan'. It will be in the form of TV programs Students attending the classes will be able to ask questions to the teachers conducting classes through SMS, email or other mode of communication, something similar to a TV talk show.To enable this, schools/colleges should have an interactive receiving terminal which is currently being supplied free by ISRO to selected schools/colleges as the whole program is at an experimental stage. In addition these c lasses would be recorded on a CD and converted into a computer file and made available on the net without the interactive session. They will be available from the archives at any later date in the future. The Government is trying to achieve in the education field using space technology.The wider picture is that, this will give a thrust to distance education. Education will be available at a fraction of its cost to a large number of students in higher education. A large number of students can be educated by a very few extremely efficient teachers who can reach them from the studios located in the universities or education boards. Education can be taken to the students rather than students walking long distances to schools as in the case of rural India.Students can receive education at their own pace and at their own convenience especially those who are employed. This technology can be used to eliminate illiteracy in other parts of the globe. Already there are talks about providing ed ucation to neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. , and Afghanistan etc. using the EDUSAT. This is going to revolutionize education in the country. It would be necessary to have proper infrastructure such as communication facilities, power etc. in remote areas for this to work. Power can be supplied using solar power.EDUSAT IN DISTANCE EDUCATION EDUSAT is primarily meant for providing connectivity to school, college and higher levels of education and also to support non-formal education including developmental communication. The quantity and quality of the content would ultimately decide the success of EDUSAT System. Satellites can establish the connectivity between urban educational institutions with adequate infrastructure imparting quality education and the large number of rural and semi-urban educational institutions that lack the necessary infrastructure.Besides supporting formal education, a satellite system can facilitate the dissemination of knowledge to the rural and remote population about important aspects like health, hygiene and personality development and allow professionals to update their knowledge base as well. Thus, in spite of limited trained and skilled teachers, the aspirations of the growing student population at all levels can be met through the concept of tele-education. EDUSAT – IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (MHRD)The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Govt. of India has been promoting actively the open and distance learning systems in the country. The launch of the Gyan Darshan bouquet of satellite based TV channels and Gyan Vani FM Radio Network are recent examples. The launch of EDUSAT marks a major milestone in the country and poses enormous challenges as well as offers excellent potential for the ministry. They have proposed to use the ICT capabilities of the EDUSAT satellite for Elementary Education, Literacy, Vocational Training and Teacher's Training.A later phase w ill expand to include Agriculture, Health, and Community Development Programmes etc. INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (ISRO) ISRO provides the space segment for EDUSAT System and demonstrate the efficacy of the satellite system for interactive distance education. EDUSAT is the first exclusive satellite for serving the educational sector. It is specially configured for audio-visual medium, employing digital interactive classroom and multimedia multi-centric system. ISROs EDUSAT would help reach content to remote areas. The content could be for primary schools, high school or colleges.The same satellite transmission facility could be used to reach lectures and study materials from special educators and experts to inaccessible areas where quality education did not reach. The satellite has multiple regional beams covering different parts of India INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY (IGNOU) Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), a pioneer in Distance Education and Open Lear ning in the country, was established to provide cost-effective, quality education to large sections of our population including those living in remote and far flung areas.Today IGNOU has emerged as the world’s single largest university. It has an efficient and effective networking of 32 Partner Institutions, 48 Regional Centers, 5 Sub-Regional Centers and over 1133 Study Centers, all over India. IGNOU expands the educational facilities in the remote areas of the country through EDUSAT. The University has been working to develop satellite based educational network dedicated for education since 1993. Extensive teaching learning using these networks has been growing fast.Through such a network IGNOU conducted induction programme for new students through teleconferencing during September 25-26, 2004 which was attended by thousands of students spread over more than 150 receiving stations across the country. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION (UGC) The University Grants Commission (UGC) was formally established only in November 1956 as a statutory body of the Government of India through an Act of Parliament for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India.The UGCs is Country Wide Classroom (CWCR) programmes were started to be broadcast from August 15, 1984. The commission is at present supporting 7 Educational Media Research Centers (EMRC / EMMRC) and 8 Audio-Visual Research Centers (AVRS) are being supported for training of personnel and production of software. In order to make distance learning more effective and bring best teachers in the country within the reach of all section of students including semi-urban and rural students.Through EDUSAT the University Grants Commission (UGC) expands the educational facilities to Universities and Colleges located in remote areas, Academic Staff Colleges, Media centers etc. GURU NANAK DEV UNIVERSITY Guru Nanak Dev University is the first University of India to have EDUSAT net work at University campus with 120 interactive terminals at receiving stations to set up at different instruments. The special feature of EDUSAT being installed at this university would have two-way communication. Both Video and Audio would make virtual class-room a real life situation.This university was established on 1st may 1981 under UGC scheme. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING (NCERT) The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was set up by the Government of India in 1961 as an autonomous organization registered under Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860) to advise and assist the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and Departments of Education in States / UTs in formulation and implementation of their policies and major programmes in the field of education, particularly for qualitative improvement of school education.In addition to research, development, training, extension, publication and disseminatio n activities, the NCERT acts as a major agency for implementing the bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes with other countries in the field of school education. The NCERT also interacts and works in collaboration with international organizations, visiting foreign experts and delegations and offers various training facilities to educational personnel from developing countries.NCERT expends its reach through EDUSAT to NCERT centers across the country, Central Tibetan School, National Institutes of Open Learning, Kendriya Vidhyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Samitis and etc. ALL INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (AICTE) The statutory All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was established for proper planning & coordinated development of technical education system throughout the country.AICTE was sent up under an ACT in 1987 – To provide for establishment of an All India council for Technical Education with a view to the proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education system throughout the country, the promotion of qualitative improvement of such education in relation to planned quantitative growth and the regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in the technical education system and for matters connected therewith.AICTE plans to cover Engineering Colleges and Institutes of Technology across the country under EDUSAT. CONCLUSION The scope of EDUSAT is to make distance learning more effective and bring best teachers in the country within the reach of all section of students including semi-urban and rural students. REFERENCES Balachandra Bhandigadi, (2005), Impact of EDUSAT on school students and teachers, NCERT. Harifa Menakath (2007), EDUSAT as a source of information for the Academic pursuit of Teachers.University News, Vol. 45, No10. Madavan Nair, G. (2005), EDUSAT: Heralding a New Era in Distance Education, University News, 43 (39). Marmar Mukhopadhay (2006), Story of EDUSAT, Shipra publication, New Delhi. WE B REFERENCES http://www. edsatindia. org http://www. indiatelevision. com http://www. isro. org http://www. ncert-nic-in http://www. aicte. ernet. in http://www. icar. org. in http://www. ignou. ac. in http://www. ugc. ac. in

How far are you given the impression that Lady Macbeth is merely a “fiend like queen”? Essay

Malcolm calls Lady Macbeth a â€Å"fiend like queen† as he thought of her as witch-like. Lady Macbeth was based on a real person, although no one really knew who she was so Shakespeare made up her personality and character. Elizabethans believed in magic and witchcraft and they often accused witches for anything bad that happened and many witches were put to death. Fiends and witches were often frowned upon, but Elizabethans genuinely believed that witchcraft was true and so were often scared of witches and fiends as they did not know and so feared what they might do. A fiend is thought to behave in a scheming manner, they often cover up their evilness and plan nasty events that they then deny or act innocent about later on. In Act one scene 5, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband informing her of his success in a battle and the witches’ prophecies. After reading the letter she is worried that Macbeth is too soft a person to be able to take the crown and is determined to assist him through the ‘valour of my tongue’. When she hears a message that the King Duncan will be staying in their castle overnight, she decides that she needs to take action so that Macbeth can be king. She exults and invokes demonic spirits to harden her resolve and to destroy any weakness of pity. Lady Macbeth is already prepared for the death of Duncan and her resolution is absolute. Macbeth’s seed of ambition is catalysed by his â€Å"fiend like† wife Lady Macbeth, she utilises his weak mental power and deploys manipulative techniques to make him succumb to her plan of regicide, she says â€Å"Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it† (Act 1 sc 5 line 62). The serpentine imagery used here by Shakespeare shows Macbeth to be like an â€Å"innocent flower† and Lady Macbeth is seen as very fiend like and as the â€Å"serpent under it†. Macbeth decides to stand up for himself against her, â€Å"we will have no further in this business † (Act 1 sc 5 line 50†²), however, Lady Macbeth coerces him into complying with her plan showing Macbeth to be the weaker one. Lady Macbeth is seen as more dominant and in control than him, she has power over him and role reversal appears in this scene. Macbeth’s weak mental power lets him down as Lady Macbeth takes advantage and overpowers him. In this scene, Lady Macbeth appears ruthless, totally committed and is willing to put in every effort to strive for the greater glory of her husband. She fears that Macbeth will let her down as he is too kind to murder â€Å"I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness† (act 1 sc 5 line 14). She sees his tendency to speculate and think round problems as a crucial weakness. There is an element of her attitude strongly reminiscent of the witches â€Å"that I may pour my spirits in thine ear†(Act 1 sc 5 line 24), she wishes to alter his character. She invokes the spirits of evil to â€Å"defeminise† her, â€Å"dehumanise† her and for darkness to hide her planned action. Lady Macbeth makes Macbeth feel like a coward and questions his masculinity and does all she can to persuade Macbeth to kill duncan, she threatens him by saying that she will not love him anymore if he does not do it and tells him that it will be very easy, they will not get caught and that there are no risks. She succeeds as he is convinced and does go through with it. Their traditional roles are reversed in this scene, as she is a very dominant and strong person whereas he seems vulnerable, weaker and more caring. She is very unfeminine which may be due to a manly upbringing or the fact that she is childless. She seems very unnatural as a woman as it was always the woman’s duty to have children and to care and look after them. She bullies Macbeth into it by saying that he is not a man and that he is not strong enough to go through with it. The language Shakespeare uses gives her speech a special urgency and determination as she uses many imperatives e.g. fill, come etc. When Macbeth appears, there is little trace of endearment from her and she forces him to see himself in terms of her plan for power. There is drastic brevity in her language here â€Å"he that’s coming must be provided for† (Act 1 sc 5 line 64) and she addresses him as he had been addressed by the witches. Lady Macbeth immediately understands the full implications of Macbeth’s letter and her response is direct and uncompromising. She wants Macbeth to be what he has promised. No niceties of conscience or loyalty seem to assail her, and it is noticeable how she overwhelms her husband when he appears. In act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth’s fiend-like and pernicious personality is clearly shown. She completely manipulates Macbeth, she uses both her femininity and her innocence as potent persuasive techniques when she asks the question â€Å"what beast was’t then That made you break this enterprise to me?†(Act 1 scene 7 line 46). The fact that Lady Macbeth uses a feminine tone and utilises her innocent position here, surely shows her to be fiend-like. This onslaught of manipulation is drawn to a conclusion when Lady Macbeth gives a malicious statement saying â€Å"I would while the babe was still smiling in my face have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed his brains out had I so sworn as you have done this† (Act 1 sc 7 line 55). This fiend like speech completely defies the sacred bond between mother and child, it also in concludes a conversation in which Macbeth’s position is changed from â€Å"we will proceed no further† (Act 1 sc 7 line 31) to â€Å"If we should fail† (Act 1 sc 7 line 59) in just twenty seven lines. This array of persuasive manipulative techniques is so effective it single handedly overwhelms Macbeth and long term is the catalyst for his downfall, thus showing Lady Macbeth’s cold blooded nature and fiend like personality. In act 2 scene 2, Lady Macbeth seems more uncertain, she is nervous about the whole situation as she waits, stimulated by wine having dragged out Duncan’ servants, for the return of her husband and the completion of the murder. Macbeth is almost out of his mind as it verges on hysteria, he is unable to distance himself from the scene in Duncan’s room. His wife who, seizing control of the situation, finds that she has to take the daggers back as Macbeth has removed them. She rebukes him. He is not able to return to the scene of the crime, as his state of mind is so bad. The extreme tension is communicated to the audience and Shakespeare does this well by the abrupt changes of direction in the speech of characters, the interruptions â€Å"knock [within]†, the sudden noises, â€Å"[an owl shrieks]†, the questions and the exclamations â€Å"Who’s there? What ho?† and â€Å"Murder!†. A knocking sound is heard and Lady Macbeth leads Macbeth out to wash the blood off his hands. The audience feels trapped in Macbeth’s anguish and, like Lady Macbeth, we struggle to feel in control of the situation. The fact that Lady Macbeth needed some alcohol beforehand shows the audience that she is not as tough and as full as courage and she makes out to be. She masterfully takes the daggers back. Lady Macbeth, despite some nervous apprehension, is how she was made out to be in Act 1 scene 5 as she is bold, exultant and boasts about managing to drug the guards, she seems in complete control of her and her husband – who deals with the situation very badly. She says that she would have been able to commit the murder herself if it wasn’t for the fact that Duncan was sleeping which reminded her of her father. It is clear that she was very close to her father maybe causing her to have some masculine qualities about her. Her readiness of mind and strength of purpose compensates for the way Macbeth behaves and fails to do what was asked of him. This remorse shown by Macbeth does demonstrate his still active conscience however, it is quelled by Lady Macbeth when she says â€Å"These deeds must not be thought after it will make us mad†(act 2 scene 2 line 67). This realistic statement means Macbeth cannot now emancipate him from this downward cycle he has embarked on the road to ultimate failure and now must succumb to his ambition. It is ironic that Lady Macbeth imagines that washing the blood of ones hands will free the guilt that is in ones mind, however, it is she who finally is able to come to terms with this theory and is unable to wash her hands clean. Her harsh comment towards Macbeth â€Å"infirm of purpose!† comes back to haunt her, as he strengthens in evil resolve, she becomes madly suicidal – anticipated in her dismissive comment â€Å"so, it will make us mad†. In Act 2 scene 3, the news is discussed. Lady Macbeth faints, and it is not clear why she appears to do so. Women in that day knew how to faint very well at exactly the right time in order to get out of an unpleasant situation, such as when a male expressed a vulgarity in her presence, people would not necessarily believe that her faint was more than just a public gesture. Another way of looking at it is that Macbeth had just made a big mistake, and in order to help him by distracting the attention away from him onto her, she faints. However, she may have fainted due to the stress and strain of the situation, so she might have not intended to do it. In Act 3 scene 2, Lady Macbeth realizes that the plan for satisfaction that her and Macbeth sought had not been achieved. She becomes less and less fiend- like due to her conscience â€Å"haunting† her, she even goes as far as saying â€Å"here’s the smell of blood still, not all the perfumes of Arabia will sweeten this little hand†. Shakespeare uses blood imagery to show how her conscience has taken her over. Like Macbeth, she cannot emancipate herself from this downward spiral and lacks the fiendish, dominant personality that we first saw of her. She tries to enter into her husband’s obsessive involvement while, at the same time, trying to reassure him and urge him to be cheerful. Macbeth is tormented, his thoughts fixed on banquo and he imagines banquo’s face often. He hints at black deeds to come but won’t tell Lady Macbeth about them. As he does not tell his â€Å"dearest partner of greatness† about his thoughts and plans, he is now in control ,he says â€Å"be innocent to the knowledge dearest chuck† (Act 3 sc 2 line 45) and she herself feels isolated. He grows stronger â€Å"things bad begun make strong themselves by ill†. He is brooding on the crimes committed and on the crimes he intends to commit (â€Å"oh full of scorpions in my mind†) – and inures himself to doing evil. The situation has changed, Lady Macbeth’s futile presence in conversation shows she is a shadow of her former self and is now no longer fiend-like. She has lost control rapidly and will only take control once more, at the banquet and then she will be overwhelmed by remorse for the tide of evil she has helped unleash, this leads to her madness and causes her to commit suicide. Their roles have reversed once more. In act 3 scene 4, As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are welcoming the guests to the feast, one of the murderers arrives and tells Macbeth of the death of Banquo and the escape of Fleance. Macbeth turns back to the table and comments on Banquo’s absence. Banquo’s ghost enters and occupies Macbeth’s place; he is visible only to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth tries to calm him and keep control of the situation, but after the ghost has gone, he seems to be recovering. Suddenly when Macbeth mentions his name again – Banquo appears again and Macbeth is helpless. After the ghost has gone, Lady Macbeth brings the feast to a hurried end. He informs her that he intends to visit the witches and press on with eliminating all opposition. This is the last appearance of a sane Lady Macbeth. Her iron self control, loyalty to her husband, organising skill, apparent callousness – all evident in this scene are all qualities in which she possesses, however, she soon pays dearly for t hem. The strain on Lady Macbeth is evident. Although Macbeth has been terrified, by the end of the scene he seems casual in his attitude to what has happened â€Å"we are yet but young in deed† suggests that this mere blip will soon pass. She, however, has had to use all her resources and wit to contain all the potential damage of exposure. This part in the play is where the full enjoyment of majesty could be entertained; Lady Macbeth is on her throne, surrounded by subjects. Yet this, through Macbeth’s actions becomes a hollow and empty event, lacking any dignity or regal significance. Her mind then does begin to question of what it has accomplished. Macbeth no longer talks of we but of himself alone: â€Å"For mine good/ all causes shall give away†. In act 5 scene 1, in Dusinane castle a doctor and Lady Macbeth’s lady in waiting are watching to see if Lady Macbeth walks in her sleep as her servant has reported to the doctor. She enters and begins to rub her hands as if struggling to clean them and before she departs she refers to the deaths of Duncan, Macduff’s wife and Banquo. The doctor confesses that he is incapable of dealing with such cases. This scene shows her carefully contrived mask has slipped. In her sleepwalking she reveals the guilt and anxieties by which she is tortured. Particularly she re-enacts the first murder scene. Now, alone, her loyalty to her husband remains intact; only once does she reproach him, â€Å"‘no more o’ that; you mar all with this starting†. Her behavior is revealing and moving. She has given all and now her present is overwhelmed by the past. â€Å"What’s done cannot be undone†. The clear mental breakdown of Lady Macbeth is deeply affecting. As with guilt, Lady Macbeth has an obsession with the past. It was Lady Macbeth who said, â€Å"what’s done is done†, thus suggesting that it would no longer be of concern. Here, despite all her courage and ambition and strength of purpose, all that has been â€Å"done † is not past but present – and ever present in her mind. Ironically the physical symptoms of her guilt include the forlorn hope of washing her hands clean. This links to her statement â€Å"a little water washes our hands clean of this deed†. Most of this play is written in blank verse but the appearance of Lady Macbeth in this scene is an exception. Before and particularly in the first 2 acts, Lady Macbeth’s speech had been blazing and fiery blank verse – the strong rhythms affecting her strong grasp on reality, and her determination. Now she speaks in prose, choppy abrupt and lurching from one incident to another. This represents her breakdown; the language is breaking down under the strain she is under. It is therefore not surprising that she commits suicide – she can no longer hold it together and on death language disappears altogether. This is the last scene where Lady Macbeth is present and Shakespeare, it appears, put this scene in to show the audience how vulnerable and weak she really is. The audience get a very different view of her in this scene than that of Act 1 scene 5, the final feeling is to feel sorry for her and to not base her on her fiend like personality, but on the vulnerable one instead. If this scene was left out, the audience would remember Lady Macbeth as being cold blooded and fiendish, this part of the play shows her weak, powerless side and it shows that she hides her true feelings. The phrase that Shakespeare uses to describe Lady Macbeth – as merely a â€Å"fiend-like queen† is a completely biased and partisan comment. The fact that at the end of the play Lady Macbeth commits suicide, makes too unfair to deploy such a critical description. It shows that Shakespeare did not want Lady Macbeth to seem just as a â€Å"fiend like queen† but as a person with other redeeming features and with other emotions and feelings. As the play continues, the strong dominant character we once saw eventually embers out and she eventually commits suicide, however at this point she is not at all influential to Macbeth. Her un-fiend like legacy is summed up by Macbeth’s cold statement saying â€Å"she should have did here after there would have been time for a word†. This is an un-fiend-like end and it would not be expected if she was judged on her previous actions. It also shows that Lady Macbeth’s conscience is far too strong for her to be labelled as malevolent and fiend-like. It is obvious that the sleep walking scene was put in to show a less evil and fiendish side to her, that she is perhaps weaker than her husband which seems absurd to suggest when we see her in Act 1 scene 5, and to show that she hides her true feelings. Lady Macbeth is also so intricate that it is hard to describe her whole character in one line so Shakespeare uses the metaphor ‘fiend like queen’.

Explaining Cinema Tickets Price Differences Essay - 1

Explaining Cinema Tickets Price Differences - Essay Example The economic principle is known as the Price Elasticity of Demand, which is â€Å"a measure of how much the quantity demanded of a good responds to a change in the price of that good.† (Mankiw, p. 90). In simple equation form: This principle can be further characterized in two ways. First, student and senior demand for cinema tickets is considered elastic because a change in ticket price has a measurable impact on the quantity demanded. (If there was little or no change in demand in response to a change in price, demand would be termed inelastic.) Also, because in the cinema situation the numerator of the equation is greater than the denominator, the absolute price elasticity of demand must be greater than 1. (If the numerator were larger than the denominator, the absolute price elasticity of demand would be less than 1.) There may be several economic-based reasons why students and seniors are highly responsive to cinema pricing. For most people, going to the cinema typically would be considered an optional, not a necessary, activity. So in deciding whether to allocate some of their income to attending the cinema most people are more likely to respond to lower prices. Also, many movies eventually are offered on television and DVD, so in deciding whether to allocated some of their income to attending the cinema, most people are more likely to respond to lower prices because they are not risking never seeing the particular movie. Moreover, compared to the average adult, students and seniors are viewed as having less income and so would be more sensitive than most people to each of the above factors and thus more likely to spend if ticket prices are lower.

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business - Essay Example In general, the role of MIS in terms of a DSS is to analyze and process business data that will aid business decision making efficiently (Nowduri 2011). For instance, MIS provides comparative sales figures pertaining to a week, revenue figures projected on assumptions of a new product and history of decisions or workarounds performed (Nowduri 2011). Types of information Systems Following are the five kinds of information system (Asemi, Safari et al. 2011) Office information system (OIS) Transaction processing system (TPS) Management information system (MIS) Decision support system (DSS) Expert system (ES) The hardware’s, software’s and networks are utilizes by the office information system (OIS) in order to improve the communication as, well as the work flow between the employees. In addition with the help of automated information system users can perform several tasks electronically while using other electronic devices such as computers etc. for instance, it is easy fo r a registration department to e-mail the class schedule to the students through internet. On the other hand if the information system is not implemented then manually the registration department has to photocopy the schedule and post it to the student’s house. The transaction processing system delineates the everyday transactions held by the organizations. Its main purpose is to confine and to develop the information that is produced by the organizations. The term transaction is described as the everyday business activities for example cash deposits, payments, orders or reservations. In fact, this activity is significantly performed by the accounting staff. The management information system (MIS) is a kind of information system that produces such information that is precise, appropriate and well structured. In addition, this information is utilizing by the managers and the other users in order to make right decisions, solves troubles, track progresses, provides reports on re gular basis (Awais, Samin et al. 2011) and manages activities. Therefore, the management information system (MIS) is also known as the management reporting systems (MRS). Furthermore, three fundamental kinds of information are provided via MIS such as (Awais, Samin et al. 2011): Example of detail report is Detailed Order Report. Example of summary report is an Inventory Summary. Example of exception report is an Inventory Exception Report. In a decision making situations an information system i.e. Decision Support System (DSS) is produced that can help the users to achieve better decisions. The data that is used by the Decision Support Systems (DSS) is either from internal or from external source. (Awais, Samin et al. 2011) The Internal sources of data might include sales, manufacturing, inventory, or financial data from an organization’s database. Data from external sources could include interest rates, population trends, and costs of new housing construction or raw material pricing. However, DSS provides a series of excellent decision making techniques. The Expert System is an information system that is designed to incarcerate and store data from human experts. Moreover, this information is utilized by the less expert employees that lack good decision making skills. This Expert System (ES) is based on two components such as, knowledge base and inference rules. Discussion One of the tight-spot in this research paper is that today managers are

Operations and Materials Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations and Materials Management - Essay Example Companies keep on upgrading themselves to gain competitive edge and keep up with changing demands and preferences of consumers. This paper is to observe and analyze the operations and materials management of three firms- McDonalds, world wide chain of fast food restaurant; Panda Express, a fast food Asian cuisine restaurant; Wendy’s, quick service hamburger company. Â   All the three companies have a well set operations management that focuses on acquiring the raw material cost effectively; process the raw material to make it ready to bring it out to the shelf for the final use by consumer. This is typical of the Wendy’s operations and its business strategy (Stevenson, 1996). The common thing about the three large firms is that all three have well planned and strategically designed Standard Operating Procedures in addition to their indigenous solution in relation to the nature of industry they are thriving in. In order to avoid huge amount of capital investment in acqu iring and building the infrastructure, McDonalds and Panda Express sells franchisee to local investors. McDonalds is a fast food restaurant catering to all classes of consumers across its chain of set ups globally; it relies on providing fresh food to its consumers in the quickest time possible. The key to its success globally irrespective of the geographical or cultural barriers has been its use of Just In Time (JIT) inventory management system. This system keeps a complete track of the available stock against the current and future demand of the raw material. It helps avoiding overstocking and under stocking at any given time; thus, ensuring healthy and fresh food for consumers (MacDonald, 2000, p. 263). The McDonalds’ management strategically makes a decision on keeping the labor cost low by scheduling the roster as per the store rush depending on peak and non-peak hours. Scheduling of staff roster is one strategy that has been found to be common to all the three companies being analyzed. In all the cases, there is a team of trained staff, where each member is not only specialized to perform a specific task, but also trained to handle more tasks at the same time in case they are required to do so. The companies encourage multi-tasking at their establishments. It helps in scheduling the roster on the basis of peak and non-peak hours; as the staff strength is generally kept low during the non-peak hours, which requires every team member to handle more than just their specific task. On the other hand, during the non-peak hours the work force at all the three firms is so stationed that one individual handles one desk that he specializes in. The well planned and consistent operation process across their chain of establishments and trained staff ensures low cost and improve the overall efficiency. The operating systems adopted by the three firms are primarily the same irrespective of the level an employee holds in the organization. Costs associated with op erations maintenance and monitoring in a company can generally be put under five different headers, which are plant, inventory, labor, raw materials, and distribution. All the costs associated with a company can broadly be classified into two categories, fixed costs and variable costs. As the terms imply, fixed costs are the ones that are incurred irrespective of the running status of a firm and variable costs are ones that are incurred at various stages of operations, like equipment maintenances, labor costs, plant

Review of a school discipline policy Assignment

Review of a school discipline policy - Assignment Example There is common conformity in literature associated with the management of challenging actions that the basis ought to be the endorsement of constructive behavior. Conventionally, behavior standards in school were frequently characterized by what was not tolerable, and punitive approaches concentrated on the endorsements available to implement regulations and penalize intolerable actions (Dwyer, 2003). This paper attempts to provide teachers with some direction as to how to execute effectual methods of endorsing constructive behavior, however, also how to cope with behavior which critically damages a few children’s capability to gain from education. It as well aims to direct teachers’ reactions to a range of actions in a way which will institute more suitable behavior instead. It might be mainly useful to recently eligible teachers, who time and again find the behavior management to be the most testing element of their occupations. It might also be useful to school employees who desire to support dialogue and collaboration on the subject of behavior. There is no commonly established description of challenging behavior. Behaviour is described as tolerable or intolerable in a societal context, and is as well shaped by the wider milieu wherein people relate with one another. In common terms, tutors acknowledge that challenging actions in the school context includes actions that: meddles with the student’s individual and/or other students’ learning; challenges the everyday operation of the school; dares the right of employees and students to a secure and organized environment; contains a period, regularity, intensity or pushiness that is away from the ordinary array of what schools stand; and is less probable to be receptive to the normal assortment of involvements employed by the school for student misconduct (O’Mahoney, 2003). These consist of: violent behavior, which

Recruitment and Selection Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recruitment and Selection - Research Paper Example Service delivery is improved with the inclusion of a wider demographic because the understanding and self confidence of the participants is improved through the directive that harbors success. The departments are charged with the decision-making process within the intercollegiate departments who focus on athletics and ensure the mission and objectives are delivered to the desired satisfaction. A stable environment would offer qualified professionals within the departments to ensure the activities are completed to satisfaction and drive increased participation. The departments are expected to meet the desired obligation to the students held in satisfactory facility presentation that increase the output in the individuals. However, the argument is placed on the recruitment process and the need to justify the selection of the members within these departments. Therefore, the argument is placed on the process and the provision offered that a diversified department would ensure exemplary p erformance and result generation within the departments. Diversity has been the core process involved in developing equality and improving the participation of the members. With the right procedure involved and the inclusion of stable policies, the aspect is promoted through the selection process that accords responsibility to variable members. However, the development of individuals and the departments has been challenged by measures that have eliminated the platform to attain equality. The diversity under consideration has been in gender and racial aspect that emerge as leading measures demeaning participation in varied groups. There should be the realization of the diverse existence of variable ethnicity and gender groups within the society. With the identity of the potential of each of the participants regardless of their physical appearance, the

What is critical theory, its purpose and Robert Cox quotations, Essay

What is critical theory, its purpose and Robert Cox quotations, purpose and who is it for - Essay Example king of a problem-solving theory under the process of normatively and factually criticizing the original framework of international relations and beliefs thereof (Marilli). It would involve realization of a whole new historical configuration for the world that used to be known and established in the light of societies that have become accustomed to Marxist principles or the type in which central powers are normally attributed to a capitalist nation as in the U.S (Moolakkattu). Cox occurs to reserve the position that, since the world has undergone mechanisms of change apart from the ordinary cycle in several aspects, critical theory ought to be employed in seeking to study how the mutating political economy may be dealt with on a level that requires mutual global adjustment. Apparently, the purpose herein is to gauge the readiness of America, especially, in acknowledging a tremendous shift in economic and socio-political framework of a world order where its pursuit for world dominance is at stake. In an interview via ‘Theory Talks’, Cox claims â€Å"I think the biggest challenge is the relative decline of the U.S. in relation to the rest of the world and whether and how America will adjust to a world in which it can no longer presume to lead.† Through the critical theory, Eurasia is analyzed to bear the capacity of perceiving America’s encirclement of influence as triggered by the ‘war on terror’ which the Bush regim e initiated and the administration of Obama acquires the pressure of keeping with. Robert W. Cox and Critical Theory of International Relations. 2013.  Robert W. Cox and Critical Theory of International Relations  . [ONLINE] Available at: . [Accessed 01 January 2013]. Theory Talks: Theory Talk #37: Robert Cox. 2013.  Theory Talks: Theory Talk #37: Robert Cox. [ONLINE] Available at:  . [Accessed 02 January

The Dynamic Legislative Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dynamic Legislative Process - Essay Example I indeed responded to the five questions based on my opinion and my rating was that I was generally comfortable with how the congress work as opposed to the previous people who responded to those questions who said that they were fairly dissatisfied with how the congress operates. In section 3, I learnt a lot about how the congress work not according to the way the public think things should be done. For example in the opinion that the public thought that the congress was very slow in it process and Wilson responded this by saying things should not be that way because a public that is capable of doing good things quickly, it is also capable of doing bad things quickly. In the opinion of the public was that they dislike a congress that is always arguing and with conflict but Rosenthal opposed this and said it was very health when there is conflict in representative democracy as this helps to avoid concentration of power at any one place in the government. He argues that if America was to be a representative democracy, then conflict must exist between decision makers. I agree with Hibbing and Theiss-Morse when they write that "Much of what the public dislikes about Congress is endemic to what a legislature is" because they lack an appreciation for the ugliness of democracy. Lee Hamilton explained the real legis

Read April Morning and write an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Read April Morning and write an - Essay Example For example in chapter 1 in the Afternoon before the battle, women are portrayed as religious people. This happens when Adam’s mother is preparing supper and when Adam delivers some water to her she asks him why he does not read the bible just like his father used to do. According to Adams mother, Moses Cooper the father to Adam had memorized the book of Lamentations by age of 15 which is Adams age (Fast 8). Another encounter in which women are portrayed as religious is when granny is having a conversation with Adam. When granny asks Adam about if the Committeeman was connected to Sam Adams and Adam replies yes she concludes that Adam is a theist which also shows the religious role of women in the novel (Fast 16). In addition to this, the author cites a reverend as one of the characters in this book but does not show any instances where the character inspires people to be religious leaving the role for women only. Another example of the theme of religion expressed by women in this novel is when granny asks Adam, â€Å"If God gave a person brains, then shouldn’t he use them?† Ruth is also portrayed as a religious young lady (Fast 22). At her teen age youth she was religious and granny ask why Adam had participated in trying to shake Ruth Simmons’s faith. The author also portrays the religious nature of women in the novel when granny got into an argument with his son Moses when Moses said that, â€Å"The highest good was to doubt†. According to granny God was the greatest and hence could not be doubted (Fast 27). The author has also used women to show an understanding and caring character in this novel. Adam confesses that the only person who understands him is her grandmother and most of the time he will spend time with her and make stories (Fast 14). The author further illustrates women as peaceful and caring people when granny tries to control Moses Cooper from attacking his son

Historical laws and Security Essay Example for Free

Historical laws and Security Essay Historical Laws and Security Checkpoint CJS/250 April 24, 2013 Historical Laws and Security Checkpoint The Babylonian King Hammurabi established the code of Hammurabi. It was established by the king himself in 1750 B.C. and discovered intact in 1901. It contains 282 clauses variety of obligations, professions and rights, as well as retail, slavery, marriage, stealing, and outstanding debts. If any of the clause was to be violated the punishment that would be handed down would be severe (Clifford, 2004). This code is well known for serious punishment. The principles outlined are in the form of Lex talionis, or the law of retaliation to fit the crime (an eye for an eye). The Draco’s code was named for the Greek of Athens citizen where it was written in 621 B.C., the first law written in Greece was very harsh that the word Draconian is used today to describe how severe and unreasonable the law is. Concerns to penalty for any offense that was committed death would be the result. It was very important to introduce the notion to the state, not the private citizens, is responsible for the punishing persons accused of crimes. The Law of The Twelve Tables originally included 10 laws. Written in Rome in 450 B.C. was meant to govern the Romans. It was the foundation of the modern public and private law. They helped organize how crime would be prosecuted publicly and instituted a method whereby the involved parties could look for compensation from their aggressors. It was then the basic rule of Roman law was written and that justice would not be left at the hands of the judge alone to interpret. In 529 A.D., Corpus Juris Civilis or Justinian code was the result of Emperor Justinian’s desire and remembrance for his codification of Roman law  in a series of book (Clifford, 2004). Legal maxims derived from Justinian Code which inspired the modern concept of justice a word that comes from the emperor’s name. The foundation of civil law, one of the two main legal system, the other been English common law was formed by the Roman code that govern modern Western civilization. One of the high point in the middle ages occurred under King John of England, with the creation of the Magna Carta in 1216 which he was forced to sign. This document established the English due process which greatly reduced the king power by making decision in parliament instead on his own. The most important of the Magna Carta’s 61 clauses was the 39th it states no freeman shall be captured or imprisoned except by lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land (Clifford, 2004). Within a 70 year span England produced the next significant contribution to the system of law enforcement in developing the Statue of Westminster in 1285. King Edward involved the citizens in crime prevention and apprehension. It established three practical measures focusing on the security of affected citizens, the watch and ward, a hue and cry, and the assize of arms. In our current society, publicly and privately these laws have played a major role today. The legal system which we have in place would be the same, but instead it is different. One of the most important is the Magna Carta, and it can be seen in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Article 21. Our economy today is drastically changing. With the amount of cutback it would be difficult for our finest to be all over the city to monitor any issues that may occur. With the assistance of the private forces the numbers has double or triple with less authority or priviledge as would an officer. Having both is beneficial to our society and the feel of safety is an encouragement to us all. References Clifford, M (2004) Identifying and exploring security essentials. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson Prentice Hall.

What Is The Cause Of Water Pollution?

What Is The Cause Of Water Pollution? When toxic substances enter lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, and other water bodies, they get dissolved or lie suspended in water or get deposited on the bed. This results in the pollution of water whereby the quality of the water deteriorates, affecting aquatic ecosystems. Pollutants can also seep down and affect the groundwater deposits. Water pollution has many sources. The most polluting of them are the city sewage and industrial waste discharged into the rivers. The facilities to treat waste water are not adequate in any city in India. Presently, only about 10% of the waste water generated is treated; the rest is discharged as it is into our water bodies. Due to this, pollutants enter groundwater, rivers, and other water bodies. Such water, which ultimately ends up in our households, is often highly contaminated and carries disease-causing microbes. Agricultural run-off, or the water from the fields that drains into rivers, is another major water pollutant as it contains fertilizers and pesticides. Domestic sewage refers to waste water that is discarded from households. Also referred to as sanitary sewage, such water contains a wide variety of dissolved and suspended impurities. Biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD The amount of organic material that can rot in the sewage is measured by the biochemical oxygen demand. BOD is the amount of oxygen required by micro-organisms to decompose the organic substances in sewage. Therefore, the more organic material there is in the sewage, the higher the BOD. It is among the most important parameters for the design and operation of sewage treatment plants. BOD levels of industrial sewage may be many times that of domestic sewage. Dissolved oxygen is an important factor that determines the quality of water in lakes and rivers. The higher the concentration of dissolved oxygen, the better the water quality. When sewage enters a lake or stream, micro-organisms begin to decompose the organic materials. Oxygen is consumed as micro-organisms use it in their metabolism. This can quickly deplete the available oxygen in the water. When the dissolved oxygen levels drop too low, many aquatic species perish. In fact, if the oxygen level drops to zero, the water will be come septic. When organic compounds decompose without oxygen, it gives rise to the undesirable odours usually associated with septic or putrid conditions. It amounts to a very small fraction of the sewage by weight. But it is large by volume and contains impurities such as organic materials and plant nutrients that tend to rot. The main organic materials are food and vegetable waste, plant nutrient come from chemical soaps, washing powders, etc. Domestic sewage is also very likely to contain disease-causing microbes. Thus, disposal of domestic waste water is a significant technical problem. Sewage generated from the urban areas in India has multiplied manifold since 1947. Today, many people dump their garbage into streams, lakes, rivers, and seas, thus making water bodies the final resting place of cans, bottles, plastics, and other household products. The various substances that we use for keeping our houses clean add to water pollution as they contain harmful chemicals. In the past, people mostly used soaps made from animal and vegetable fat for all types of washing. But most of todays cleaning products are synthetic detergents and come from the petrochemical industry. Most detergents and washing powders contain phosphates, which are used to soften the water among other things. These and other chemicals contained in washing powders affect the health of all forms of life in the water. What is the Cause of Water Pollution? Water pollution refers to the changes in the physical, biological, and chemical conditions of any body of water which harmfully disrupts the balance of the ecosystem. Like any type of pollution, water pollution results when an overwhelming amount of waste coming from different sources of pollutants can no longer be accommodated by the natural ecosystem. Consequently, when the wastes are not destroyed as fast as they are produced, they make it unfavorable to humans and many other organisms. But thats not all. Learn more about what causes water pollution. There are actually many specific reasons behind what causes water pollution. However, it is important to familiarize yourself with the two main categories of water pollution. Some pollution comes directly from ones specific location. This type of pollution is called point source pollution such as sewage pipes that empty polluted water into the river and farmland. Meanwhile, non-point source pollution is pollution that comes from large areas like gasoline and other dirt from highways that go into the lakes and rivers.http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1068/1023347477_821ecbb29e.jpg What are the causes water pollution? Who are the culprits who should be responsible for the harm brought by their pollutants? How do these sources of pollution pollute different bodies of water? One major cause of water pollution that has caused serious environmental and health problems are the pollutants coming from chemical and industrial processes. When factories and manufacturers pour their chemicals and livestock wastes directly into streams and rivers, the water becomes poisonous and oxygen levels are depleted causing many aquatic organisms to die. These wastes include solvents and toxic substances. Most of the wastes are not biodegradable. Power plants, paper mills, refineries, automobile factories dispose waste into the rivers. The heated water from the power plants is called thermal pollution. This kills aquatic animals and plants by reducing the oxygen content of the water. Power plants use water to cool their machineries, thus changing the temperature of the water. Aside from thermal pollution, there are also organic and inorganic pollutants. The organic wastes include refuse from slaughter houses, fish and meat canning factories, and leather tanning companies, manufacturing plants, pesticides and crude oil companies. Since organic wastes are decomposed by microorganisms, much of the dissolved oxygen in water is used up and the waster begins to stink. Inorganic wastes include toxic and corrosive substances like acids, heavy metals, mercury, cadmium and lead which can impair the normal body processes. Battery manufacturers, mining, paper mills increase the concentration of mercury making the water dangerous and poisonous for most living things. Another cause of water pollution is from pesticides. Farm pesticides poison aquatic plants and animals. Animal manure, chemical fertilizers, phosphate detergent pollute water by supplying excess nutrients. This pollution is known as eutrophication. This greatly increases the growth of algae in water thereby decreasing the amount of oxygen level in water causing the death of many aquatic organisms. Water is also being polluted by garbage specifically plastics and other plastic-like substances. Some plastic like nylon can entangle fishes and other marine animals. Plastics that have broken down into tiny pieces can be eaten by sea creatures which may cause their death. Since plastic is non-biodegradable, it will continue to kill more fishes. One more cause of water pollution is sewage coming from households. Since no one wants to live in a polluted area, near a dumpsite or landfill, the wastewater and untreated sewage are carried away from the home polluting different bodies of water. Most developing countries practice this type of sewage disposal. Even modern countries carry poorly treated sewage to canals leading to major bodies of water. The danger is when the sewage pipes gets broken and waste contaminates the drinking water. When this happens, the breakage will open a wide array of water borne diseases that will surely pose peril to consumers. Last among the causes of water pollution are personal care and household products. Shampoo, lotion, moisturizer, hair dye, bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and many others contribute to water pollution. Human waste is not the only thing that goes to sewage. These products also join the wastewater to contaminate the streams, rivers, and lakes. Although the world abounds with water, only three percent of it is potable. Included in the 3% source of potable water are the streams, spring, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls that are continuously being threatened and contaminated by the different factors that cause of water pollution. If the sources of water pollution are not controlled, this basic necessity will eventually become a rare commodity only a few can afford to have. Agricultural Run off Eutrophication When fresh water is artificially supplemented with nutrients, it results in an abnormal increase in the growth of water plants. This is known as eutrophication. The discharge of waste from industries, agriculture, and urban communities into water bodies generally stretches the biological capacities of aquatic systems. Chemical run-off from fields also adds nutrients to water. Excess nutrients cause the water body to become choked with organic substances and organisms. When organic matter exceeds the capacity of the micro-organisms in water that break down and recycle the organic matter, it encourages rapid growth, or blooms, of algae. When they die, the remains of the algae add to the organic wastes already in the water; eventually, the water becomes deficient in oxygen. Anaerobic organisms (those that do not require oxygen to live) then attack the organic wastes, releasing gases such as methane and hydrogen sulphide, which are harmful to the oxygen-requiring (aerobic) forms of life. The result is a foul-smelling, waste-filled body of water. This has already occurred in such places as Lake Erie and the Baltic Sea, and is a growing problem in freshwater lakes all over India. Eutrophication can produce problems such as bad tastes and odours as well as green scum algae. Also the growth of rooted plants increases, which decreases the amount of oxygen in the deepest waters of the lake. It also leads to the death of all forms of life in the water bodies. The use of land for agriculture and the practices followed in cultivation greatly affect the quality of groundwater. Intensive cultivation of crops causes chemicals from fertilizers (e.g. nitrate) and pesticides to seep into the groundwater, a process commonly known as leaching. Routine applications of fertilizers and pesticides for agriculture and indiscriminate disposal of industrial and domestic wastes are increasingly being recognized as significant sources of water pollution. The high nitrate content in groundwater is mainly from irrigation run-off from agricultural fields where chemical fertilizers have been used indiscriminately. Industrial effluents Waste water from manufacturing or chemical processes in industries contributes to water pollution. Industrial waste water usually contains specific and readily identifiable chemical compounds. During the last fifty years, the number of industries in India has grown rapidly. But water pollution is concentrated within a few subsectors, mainly in the form of toxic wastes and organic pollutants. Out of this a large portion can be traced to the processing of industrial chemicals and to the food products industry. In fact, a number of large- and medium-sized industries in the region covered by the Ganga Action Plan do not have adequate effluent treatment facilities. Most of these defaulting industries are sugar mills, distilleries, leather processing industries, and thermal power stations. Most major industries have treatment facilities for industrial effluents. But this is not the case with small-scale industries, which cannot afford enormous investments in pollution control equipment as their profit margin is very slender. Transport and chemical reactions of water pollutants Most water pollutants are eventually carried by the rivers into the oceans. In some areas of the world the influence can be traced hundred miles from the mouth by studies using hydrology transport models. Advanced computer models such as SWMM or the DSSAM Model have been used in many locations worldwide to examine the fate of pollutants in aquatic systems. Indicator filter feeding species such as copepods have also been used to study pollutant fates in the New York Bight, for example. The highest toxin loads are not directly at the mouth of the Hudson River, but 100 kilometers south, since several days are required for incorporation into planktonic tissue. The Hudson discharge flows south along the coast due to coriolis force. Further south then are areas of oxygen depletion, caused by chemicals using up oxygen and by algae blooms, caused by excess nutrients from algal cell death and decomposition. Fish and shellfish kills have been reported, because toxins climb the foodchain after small fish consume copepods, then large fish eat smaller fish, etc. Each successive step up the food chain causes a stepwise concentration of pollutants such as heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and persistent organic pollutants such as DDT. This is known as biomagnification which is occasionally used interchangeably with bioaccumulation.http://feww.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/water-pollution.JPG The big gyres in the oceans trap floating plastic debris. The North Pacific Gyre for example has collected the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is now estimated at 100 times the size of Texas. Many of these long-lasting pieces wind up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. This results in obstruction of digestive pathways which leads to reduced appetite or even starvation. Many chemicals undergo reactive decay or chemically change especially over long periods of time in groundwater reservoirs. A noteworthy class of such chemicals are the chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (used in industrial metal degreasing and electronics manufacturing) and tetrachloroethylene used in the dry cleaning industry (note latest advances in liquid carbon dioxide in dry cleaning that avoids all use of chemicals). Both of these chemicals, which are carcinogens themselves, undergo partial decomposition reactions, leading to new hazardous chemicals (including dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride). http://www.sos-arsenic.net/images/uttra-lake.jpg Groundwater pollution is much more difficult to abate than surface pollution because groundwater can move great distances through unseen aquifers. Non-porous aquifers such as clays partially purify water of bacteria by simple filtration (adsorption and absorption), dilution, and, in some cases, chemical reactions and biological activity: however, in some cases, the pollutants merely transform to soil contaminants. Groundwater that moves through cracks and caverns is not filtered and can be transported as easily as surface water. In fact, this can be aggravated by the human tendency to use natural sinkholes as dumps in areas of Karst topography. There are a variety of secondary effects stemming not from the original pollutant, but a derivative condition. Some of these secondary impacts are: Silt bearing surface runoff from can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, hampering photosynthesis in aquatic plants. Thermal pollution can induce fish kills and invasion by new thermophilic species. This can cause further problems to existing wildlife. EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION The effects of water pollution are seen in Thermal, Heavy Metal, Agricultural regions and due to fertilizers, chemicals, oil and contaminated ground water. Effects of Water Pollution Effects of Run-off Pollution Rain picks up dirt and silt and carries it into the water. If the dirt and silt settle in the water body, then these sediments prevent sunlight from reaching aquatic plants. If the Sun cant reach the plants, these perish. These sediments also clog fish gills and smother organisms that live on the bottom of the body of the water. Effects of Oil Pollution and Antifreeze If oil is spilled on the water, the effects on the ecosystem and the components are harmful. Many animals can be annihilated in case they ingest oil. Oil contaminated prey may be a reason of death for many. If the oil coats the feathers of birds, these may die. Oil and antifreeze makes the water have a foul odor and there is a sticky film on the surface of water that kills animals. Oil is the most harmful pollutant in the water. Contaminated Ground Water Effects If contaminated water enters the ground, there may be serious effects. People may become very sick and there is a probability of developing liver or kidney problems and cancer or other illnesses. Fertilizers and other chemicals Nitrates in drinking water leads to diseases of infants that may lead to their death. Cadmium is a metal in sludge-derived fertilizer. This can be absorbed by crops. When people ingest this, they may cause diarrheal disorders, liver and kidney damage. The inorganic substances like mercury, arsenic and lead are the causes of pollution. Other chemicals can also lead to problems concerning the taste, smell and color of water. Pesticides, PCBs and PCPs are all poisonous to all sorts of life. Pesticides are used in farming, homes and forestry. PCBs are found as insulators in old electrical transformers. PCPs are found in products like wood preservatives. Effects of Agricultural Water Pollution Rain and irrigation water drains off cultivated land that has been fertilized and treated with pesticides, the excess nitrogen and poisons are mixed with it into the water supply. These pesticides are toxic and pollute the water in a different mode. Aquatic plants growth cause de-oxygenation of water and annihilate flora and fauna in a stream, lake and river. Fertilizers enhance the growth of bacteria that are in water and increase the concentration of bacteria to hazardous levels. Effects of Thermal Water Pollution Machinery in the industries are cooled with water from lakes and rivers. This water reaches the river in a heated state. This water decreases the ability of the aquatic system to hold oxygen and raises the growth of warm water species. Effects of Heavy Metal Water Pollution Heavy metals like lead, mercury, iron, cadmium, aluminum and magnesium are present in water sources. If these metals are present in the sediment, these reach the food chain through plants and aquatic animals. This causes heavy metal poisoning in case the level in the water is very high. Some other effects of water pollution In rivers, oceans and seas, water pollution effects flora and fauna in them. Further, the birds and animals that consume this contaminated food supply can perish. Blood diseases, nervous system disorders and heart diseases are some of the effects of water pollution. Many toxins in polluted water lead to cancer. Rarely, the bodys chromosomal makeup can be altered. Some of the less potent effects are skin lesions, vomiting and diarrhea. The effects of water pollution are not only devastating to people but also to animals, fish, and birds. Polluted water is unsuitable for drinking, recreation, agriculture, and industry. It diminishes the aesthetic quality of lakes and rivers. More seriously, contaminated water destroys aquatic life and reduces its reproductive ability. Eventually, it is a hazard to human health. Nobody can escape the effects of water pollution. The individual and the community can help minimize water pollution. By simple housekeeping and management practices the amount of waste generated can be minimized.http://www.danharlow.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/esa-ganesh-img1.jpg GLOBAL WATER POLLUTION Estimates suggest that nearly 1.5 billion people lack safe drinking water and that at least 5 million deaths per year can be attributed to waterborne diseases. With over 70 percent of the planet covered by oceans, people have long acted as if these very bodies of water could serve as a limitless dumping ground for wastes. Raw sewage, garbage, and oil spills have begun to overwhelm the diluting capabilities of the oceans, and most coastal waters are now polluted. Beaches around the world are closed regularly, often because of high amounts of bacteria from sewage disposal, and marine wildlife is beginning to suffer. CONCLUSION Clearly, the problems associated with water pollution have the capabilities to disrupt life on our planet to a great extent. Congress has passed laws to try to combat water pollution thus acknowledging the fact that water pollution is, indeed, a seriousissue. But the government alone cannot solve the entire problem. It is ultimately up to us, to be informed, responsible and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. We must become familiar with our local water resources and learn about ways for disposing harmful household wastes so they don ¿Ã‚ ½t end up in sewage treatment plants that cannott handle them or landfills not designed to receive hazardous materials. In our yards, we must determine whether additional nutrients are needed before fertilizers are applied, and look for alternatives where fertilizers might run off into surface waters. We have to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Around our houses, we must keep litter, pet waste, leaves, and grass clippings out of gutters and storm drains. These are just a few of the many ways in which we, as humans, have the ability to combat water pollution. As we head into the 21st century, awareness and education will most assuredly continue to be the two most important ways to prevent water pollution. If these measures are not taken and water pollution continues, life on earth will suffer severely. Global environmental collapse is not inevitable. But the developed world must work with the developing world to ensure that new industrialized economies do not add to the worlds environmental problems. Politicians must think of sustainable development rather than economic expansion. Conservation strategies have to become more widely accepted, and people must learn that energy use can be dramatically diminished without sacrificing comfort. In short, with the technology that currently exists, the years of global environmental mistreatment can begin to be reversed. See full size imagehttp://coris.noaa.gov/glossary/runoff_186.jpg http://davetheroyale.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/global-warming-copy2.jpg

The Introduction To What Is Learning?

The Introduction To What Is Learning? Philosophy is taking a theory on what one believes and why s/he believes, and these beliefs are based on ethics. It is also based on how and what one thinks about something. In short, philosophy is ideas that create reality and makes ones view clear. In this paper, in order to address my philosophy of education with regard to the Zambian education system, the purpose of education, what learning is, and what teaching is, will be discussed. Thereafter, my educational philosophical statement shall be discussed to summarize my final paper on Teacher Education. In the first place, this paper will look at the purpose of education for Zambia, at its different stages of development to what it is and serves at the moment. Purpose of Education: Education, in the Zambian scenario, has moved from indigenous, pre colonial, colonial, post colonial and after independence to the present times. It has also continued to move through the three political republics and economic phases the country has experienced. In all these periods, the school system and the education at large have tried to answer to the demands of the prevailing trends and were tailored to satisfy the needs of society at that time. This is because political changes define the purpose of education when a particular party is in power or leadership. From time immemorial, before formal education came into existence, Africans and Zambians in particular, had their indigenous form of education, which usually stressed on communal and social aspects of life rather than on individual and competitive aspect. This was true as everyone in the community took responsibility in making sure that certain values in the community were preserved. This was also part of each community members social responsibility for the common good of all. This, therefore, made this kind of education meaningful, unifying, holistic, effective, practical and relevant since it was meant to address immediate social and communal concerns. In todays education system, these characteristics can still create meaning though with a broader view of addressing both immediate and long term problems. The education offered must possess the above characteristics if it has to promote healthy democratic societies of this century. Indeed this kind of education is relevant as it addr esses the whole human being in his/her entirety. During pre colonial and colonial times, schools did not take into consideration various needs of the people, especially indigenous locals. Colonial masters and settlers gave minimal education to Zambians, which later proved to be a source of economic inequalities and social stratification, as well as an instrument of imperialism. This kind of education was not just inadequate but was also largely irrelevant to the needs of the locals (Kelly, 1999). On the other hand, missionaries introduced some kind of formal education to Zambians. This education condemned the African indigenous ways of teaching and learning to the strongest terms and labeling it as paganism or worship of idols. In their quest to introduce some form of western education, missionaries faced difficulties converting the elderly Africans. This made them target young people so that they could teach them how to read in order to help spread the gospel messages to the locals. However, this formal education given to Zambians was also just limited to learning literacy and numeracy, while other missionaries tried to develop locals skills in the vocational type of education, that is, Agriculture, Carpentry, Black smith, and many other skills. This was said to be a better way of improving the living standards of the African locals. To the contrary, the skills imparted in young Africans were meant to serve the colonial masters and missionary interests. With all the efforts missionaries put in to bring some form of formal education, colonial masters did not support the idea. Instead, the Northern Rhodesia government pursued an education policy designed to foster a rural school system biased toward education of the masses, preparing them to work in a rural setting and consolidating a conservative social order, based on tribal authority, in the interest of a settler class (Camody, 1992). This type of school system was meant to keep the Zambian locals under developed even when natural resources, such as Copper, earnings and taxes were being collected form Northern Rhodesia. The colonial government made sure that if education was to be provided, it did not go beyond primary or elementary level. It was believed that locals with this kind or level of education would carry out clerical and vocational kind of jobs for the white settlers and colonial masters with less difficulty. After independence, Zambia realized the importance of formal education to its locals. This had to be done by constructing more Primary and Secondary schools. From that time to the present, most locals look at schools as liberators and a stepping stone to a brighter and better future life. During pre colonial and colonial times, locals that received good education also got some good jobs. With good education and good jobs, living standards of some people was seen to be changing for the better as they could afford basic necessities when they got their pay. With this clear view of what education could do, Zambians realized the need for their children to go to school and get jobs that they could not get before independence. The school today is seen as a window toward economic independence for a family as one member gets a good paying job. It is believed that going to school is the best chance Zambian children have to take control of their lives. This is because an educated population wi ll help tackle the overwhelming problems of poverty. For a Zambian child today, the opportunity to stay in school and obtain a secondary education can mean the whole world to a young student. This is surely the chance to keep learning, developing and dreaming, as the gift of education is one that really never stops giving. As Young (1971) stated that, for children from disadvantaged homes, active participation in school may be the only opportunity that they have to acquire powerful knowledge and be able to move, intellectually at least, beyond their local and the particular circumstances. Most schools in Zambia have provided this service to many as they have rekindled the urge to learn and abilities imbedded in most people who might not have realized their potential without the current school system or education. The current Zambian government has developed a policy of universal free primary education. This has allowed enrollment of about 95% primary school age children with about 2 0% continuing to secondary school level and 2% of the 20 to 24 age group in tertiary level (www.unicef.org/zambia/children). This shows that drop out rate is very high and only about one third of children enrolled at first grade reach the anticipated levels at grade six. Without schools, Zambia would not have seen the current development and economic growth. The school system has helped tap talent and skill in most young Zambians who have in turn contributed to the economic and social being of our country. For sure the knowledge acquired in school may not have been acquired at home. So, we see that the purpose of education is to make sure that learners gain access to different specialist fields of knowledge, thus uplifting their social economic status in life. However, the school in Zambia needs to do more as many reasons why it existed in pre colonial and colonial times are still evident that only a few rich are able to access high and tertiary education. The poor have had difficulties realizing their dreams as they cannot afford the expensive education, which can easily change their social economic status in a short time once acquired. Only a selected few and their families achieve or attain this purpose. The curriculum seems to promote the interests of the rich and powerful citizens of our time. Politicians and ministers send their children to good schools, which are well funded and with qualified teachers while the poor people will send their children to mostly public schools, which are also poorly equipped and lack teachers. Higher education is equally very expensive making it only accessible by the few rich people. It is like a school is not, truly, just a place where everyone is special. Therefore, it is important that education is given to all regardless of their social and economic status. Government must provide equal access and same conditions to all public schools. Boyer, in his book The Basic School says that, a school is a place where everyone comes together to promote learning. If everyone is allowed to come to any school of choice in terms of specialty, then sharing of ideas will cater across all sections of life. These ideas put together would bring about national development for the good of our country. Above all, the purpose of education for the future of Zambia should be to create democratic citizens. Democracy is mentioned and stated in various forums and is documented but is also less practiced or not put into practice at all. The effective democratic principles need to be imparted in each and every learner so that the political climate and values are protected in our nation. Since the school is a disciplined place, students begin to understand that everyone lives within limits, along with free dom, and that the rights of others must be sensitively respected. Therefore, it is true to say schools have a unique role to reproduce human societies and in providing the conditions which enable them to innovate and change. Society must change as times change and try to be innovative with new ideas to ease human conditions of survival, in order to be at par with latest demands and changes in the education system. Without schools, life would have been as difficult as the world would have been fragmented and underdeveloped. Without schools, each group of people would have had difficulties to begin doing things, thus making life for each generation difficult. This is because education is there to assure coherence or continuity from one generation to the next. Schools are important for each generation as we live in a world of new developments. However, this education can only be meaningful if the learning that goes on the schools has meaning. So, what students learn, help in defining what the purpose of education is for a country like Zambia to develo p, but the question may be asked as to what really is learning? What is Learning? Learning is a wider term that may not have one specific meaning. However, it can easily be defined as the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study or by being taught. This knowledge acquired is usually new or the modification of existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types. Websters Dictionary also defines learning as the act or experience of one that learn; knowledge of skill acquired by instruction or study; modification of a behavioural tendency by experience. Basically, from an educators perspective, learning involves helping people along the learning process, and learning includes all of the things that we do to make it happen. As an end result, we know that learning occurs when people take newfound information and incorporate it into their life. Munsaka (2011) defines learning as a relatively permanent change that happens to behaviour and/or knowledge due to experience. So, learning m ust bring some form of change in one in order to be meaningful and qualify as learning. Children learn in many ways, as can be confirmed through the many theories of learning that notable scientists and researcher have devised, such as Humanist, Behaviorism, Social Learning, Cognitive, Critical Reflection and/or Constructivism. Humanists believe that learners will naturally progress toward increased competence, autonomy, freedom, and fulfillment, while Behaviorism emphasizes on changes in observable behaviors. Social learning theorists explain that most of what children learn is through observation and interactions with other learners in a social context. Cognitive learning is a process occurring inside the learner in an attempt to make sense out of the world and give meaning to experiences, while Critical Reflection refers to learning that is deeper, more fundamental, relating to values, philosophical, and worldview and the nature of knowledge itself. Constructivists look at the importance of active involvement of learners in constructing knowledge for themselves. Cons tructivism, therefore, emphasizes top-down kind of learning, that is, begin with complex problems and teach basic skills while solving these problems. In todays learning, how children learn is just as important as what they learn. They are taught the basic skills in all the fundamental areas and also to be active seekers of information and constructors of knowledge. This is accomplished through learning activities that emphasize problem solving, communication, collaboration, seeking connections, technology, and engaged learning as children are actively involvement in the learning process. This is opposed to the current system where it is expected that learning goals should be achieved by a certain age, (Medina, 2008: 67). So, one of the first things a teacher must do when considering how children learn is to acknowledge that each child does not learn in the same way. This means children develop at different rates even when they are of the same grade or at the same age. Therefore, un derstanding the learners before they learn is inevitable. Because of this, some will learn better by modeling others, while some learn better when either positively or negatively reinforced or motivated. On the other hand, many children will learn well when they do things for themselves. This has not been the case in many instances as children are usually viewed as blank slates, meaning people who do not know anything until the teacher has imparted something in them. Since learning refers to changes in the learners knowledge that arise from experience, learners should not be viewed as passive receivers of information, but rather as active participants in the process of generating knowledge (Munsaka, 2011). Learning can, therefore, be viewed from the perspective of the changes that take place in behaviour and/or the changes that take place in knowledge through learners own initiative to create their own content or information to learn. Our role as teachers is to make sure that as ch ildren learn; they gain knowledge in the learning process and actually implement the new skills over a long period of time. For learning to take place, learners must be actively involved in the learning process. Some interaction of some kind between a learner and his/her environment should happen. This means the learner determines the course of learning as s/he tries to solve problems and constructs ideas to answer to the questions at hand. In this case, the teacher acts as a guide who assists the learners to make sense of the information recorded in order to create meaning through correct interpretation. Resnick (1989: 2), states that, learning occurs not by recording information but by interpreting it. It is very true that learning occurs when the students are confronted with something new or different from what they already know. Learners learn when they respond by incorporating new ideas, adapting to the new environment or even rejecting what is new. As learners attack or respond to new ideas, it is the duty of the teacher to help out as learners are not the sole players in the constructivist learning process. Other players, such as tutors, lecturers, and friends are very important if meaningful learning is to take place. Since learners are allowed to build their own understanding from various sources and make this learning a very personal construct, I believe constructivism is the way to go if learning has to be relevant to learners. For instance, in my teaching of Art and Design, learners are at liberty to determine what they want to know and how they want to learn, especially with their practical learning, which requires them to produce artifacts. At the moment, the students use sketch books to draw and come up with artworks of their choice and ideas. However, to design effective environments, one needs a very good understanding of what learners know when they come to the classroom. Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge or experience. In other words, learning involves constructing ones own knowledge from ones own experiences. (Devries Zan, 2003) Constructivist learning, therefore, is a very personal endeavor, whereby internalized concepts, rules, and general principles may consequently be applied in a practical lesson. Regardless of the variety of content, constructivism promotes a students free exploration within a given framework or structure. Learners have to construct and do what they want to learn since Constructivism demands that learning be an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. This knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the environment and learners continuously test these hypotheses through social negotiation. Each learner has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. The learner therefore is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) as other theories might suggest but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation. The teacher acts as a facilitator who encourages students to discover principles for themselves and to construct knowledge by workin g to solve realistic problems. Aspects of constructivism can be found in self-directed learning, transformational learning, and experiential learning. I strongly believe that learning makes sense when learners determine what they want to learn. Learning also brings meaning when learners discover for themselves and can learn from even unexpected sources. If all teachers can give room for learners to decide what and how they want to learn, then learning will make meaning, be exciting and also relevant to the learners. This, however, does not rule out the importance of teaching. A teacher remains important in the learning process, thus the need to look at what teaching really is and what it does to complete the whole process of learning. Though learning can take place without a teacher, guidance is cardinal in order to be systematic in the learning process of students. What then is teaching and what role does it play in the education of students? What is Teaching? Teaching is a term that one may not be so clear if in its definition learners are not mentioned anywhere. Most importantly, the two cannot be separated as they go hand in hand. Teaching, in my view, is learning, challenging, trying in great ways, and is caring for the learners as it involves helping them. Anderson and Burns (1989) defines teaching as an interpersonal, interactive activity, typically involving verbal communication, which is undertaken for the purpose of helping one or more students learn or change the ways in which they can or will behave. So, we see that teaching is a process which is designed and performed to produce change in behaviour of students. It is however important to realize that the purpose is not to teach students how to memorize information, or how to know all the correct answers, but it lies in getting students to truly understand the concepts being put across for their benefit. If well handled, teaching is a profession that can produce something amazin g when the right ideas and beliefs are implemented in the classroom. Therefore, teaching refers to the teachers construction of environments for the students that are intended to foster changes in the learners knowledge and behaviour. (Gagne, 1974) As a strong supporter and believer of constructivist theory, I always acknowledge that no one learner learns the same way as the other. Each learner learns in his/her own way and understands things differently. Hence, careful selection of styles or methods of teaching would be of help for better comprehension in learners. This means if a teacher chooses just one style of teaching, the students will not be maximizing their learning potential. However, in my style of teaching, I have in many times believed that students can construct their own learning and that all students have something to contribute to the classroom environment. By connecting students learning to something they know, they get involved in their works with the seriousness it deserves and are motivated more than ever before. My job solely remains as a facilitator, where I clearly guide and assist the students through their tasks and their own discoveries. As a guide, I provide access to information rather than acting a s a primary source of information. This allows students to search for knowledge through the artifacts they make, thus answering to the questions on their minds. So, for students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in real situations. Providing students access to hands on activities and allowing adequate time and space to use materials that reinforce the topic being studied creates an opportunity for individual discovery and construction of knowledge to take place. I take learning in a direction relevant to students interest by asking them to come up with their own practical projects. In this way, students generate ideas and set goals that make for much richer activities than I could have created or imagined myself. Therefore, I view teaching as a process of encouraging students to make links between their real world experiences and the subject being studied. In Art and Design, it is important to provide students with hand s on activities because it makes students have ownership in the project or activity. They are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their potential and/or goals. Being clear, however, about my expectations and communicating them clearly helps my students to learn more and perform better. Teaching is not just telling and supplying students with facts and information in much the same way that an empty glass is filled or a plain paper is filled with writings or even as though they were blank slates, as convinced by most of the behaviorists. These educational practices have been successful at producing proficiency in the lower order skills measured on many tests, but have generally met with little success in developing the kind of knowledge and abilities that students need in real life situations (National Assessment of Education Progress, 1981). Newer understanding of how people learn present a formation of teaching that focuses on developing thinking students who understand and can use what they learn. This idea is what is termed as constructivist because it sees learning as an active internal process in which learners actively create knowledge by connecting new information to what they already know, rather than as a process in which learners are passive recipients of information transferred to them from external sources. Teaching in this way emphasizes on developing students capacities for analysis and problem solving, rather than on having them cover the curriculum in the most efficient manner possible. It is rooted in the assumption that all human beings have a deep drive to make sense of the world (Carini, 1987). Constructivist classrooms function on the basis that learning in school should not be different from the many rich natural forms of learning that students have experienced before they have ever entered the school. Real life situations form the basis for learning and teaching is based on the confidence that in the course of trying to solve practical problems, students have continual opportunities to organize and reorganize their understandings and to develop various access routes to their knowledge. In my teaching, students are allowed to do practical activities, which are mainly hands on type of artworks. My teaching style, based on the constructivist theory of learning, allows students to use their own imaginations and personal experiences to come up with artifacts. As students interact socially, their learning is supported by multiple exposures since they bring into one place various experiences. In this way, they determine their course of learning. They are also allowed to copy and learn from other prominent artists and craftspeople in the community. This gives them an opportunity to learn from other people other than the teacher or lecturer and peers. This kind of learning remains natural as it does not alter the usual form of learning, which the community has always embraced. Although in most cases the choice of a teaching strategy depends on the topic being covered and the availability of teaching resources, the use of materials and tools is definitely inevitable in order to motivate the learners to develop their manipulative skills and to be creative students. Lessons guided by constructivist understandings provide opportunities for the students to actively explore, inquire, discover, and experiment with the materials provided. The learning and teaching materials, which are so essential in the teaching of Art and Design, provide students with insights and practical realities of concepts and theories they are learning. On the other hand, some students l earn well through observation and curiosity. They are able to reproduce artworks of others after learning by observation. In my teaching, I emphasize on the use of a critical eye, asking students to go beyond just looking at things but to see things with an extra eye. Some students learn faster while others learn slower, but the fact is they are able to use their curiosity to learn and do well on what they see. As a teacher who is always there to facilitate teaching and learning, I give more time to the students so that they can perfect their curiosity. Above all, I should know how to employ the most effective teaching and learning strategies to enable students make progress. The whole process of teaching using the constructivist ideas, as a teacher, is to help the students learn as much as their potential permits (Travers et.al, 1993). Using the four practical starting points in Art and design, the teacher makes sure that performance based teaching provides opportunities for real world experiences in which the student can apply prior knowledge, create new understandings and extend their skill in practical ways. Perkinson in Muzumara (2011) also emphasizes that as teachers we need to involve our pupils in the lessons we teach through practical work where they can use their knowledge, manipulative skills and apply their different senses to learn new ideas and develop knowledge and understand. Much of the art lessons are practical, where students usually learn by doing, which helps to enhance and promote the development of processes, manipulative skills, attitudes, as well as the acquisition of knowledge. The available literature, however, reveals that there is not any theory of teaching at all. There are only models or paradigms of teaching. Teaching theory takes a wider viewpoint. Thus, teachers and students are the major variables of teaching theory. It is based upon learning theory, learning conditions and learning mechanisms. Constructivists, therefore, provide students with flexible schedules and lots of time to explore a variety of issues and topics. This gives them the opportunity to temporarily shift their attention, if they want, and their work to focus on other studies and to return, at later dates, to previously unfinished projects or interests. Even if this theory is integrated around a theme and generally consists of more active assignments than written tasks, the ideas in it are developed and organized by someone other than the student, who in this case, is the lecturer or teacher of Art. In contrast, curricula developed through constructivist teaching are not only driv en by students pursuits of their own questions but also are built to include opportunities for students themselves to connect, organize, and integrate their understandings from the information they encounter in the course of their various experiences. As a teacher or lecturer, I act as a guide, a mentor, and an advisor, building bridges between my students individual interests and understandings and the common skills and knowledge society expects them to acquire. Falk (1994) affirms to this fact that constructivist teachers help students understand that there is a place for everyone in the classroom and the school. My philosophy of Education In order to define the purpose of education, what learning is, and indeed what teaching is, it is important also to state my philosophy of my involvement in education, thus my philosophy of education. In my teaching of Art and Design to the students, I have come to believe that my students have something to offer in my art classes. In order to foster critical thinking in my students, my teaching philosophy is to make sure students learn by discovery, do things with their own minds and own creativity. I believe this kind of teaching and learning brings true meaning of what education must be like or is like. By doing things for themselves and directing their learning, students truly understand the concepts for each topic under study. Art and design is a practical subject. In its practicability, it allows me as a lecturer to give guidance and facilitate students learning as they discover relevant information. The practical nature of the subject I teach allows every learner, slower or faster, to give in their best abilities even as I give guidance. Through encouraging students in what they do practically, students are connected to the real world as they produce things they see in the environment through hands on activities. I also believe that as a guide and as an educator, I must accord a fertile ground for my students to meet their fullest potential in their construction of knowledge through the artworks they make. I do this well by providing access to relevant knowledge that will help them develop emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. The use of a variety of strategies due to a number of topics which require diversity in teaching will be/is considered but students do more of discoveries and construct their own knowledge, thus constructivist theory. A variety of material used in Art and design accords my students a chance to improve their manipulative skills and creativity. As I provide these materials, the students take this opportunity to experiment and discover answers to the questions that puzzle their minds. With the materials provided, students discover information relevant and of interest to their lives, thus self motivation in their own course of study. This also creates ownership of the artifacts for the students. As an educator, my role is to instill the desire to find out more by students as they discover and re discover new information and knowledge through their various artworks. My role as lecturer is to give students the tools with which to cultivate their own gardens of knowledge. To accomplish this goal, I will teach to the needs of each student so that all can feel capable, competent and successful. I will present the curriculum that involves the interests of the students and makes learning relevant to life. This is easily done when students are directly in hands on learning in order to make them active learners. This ensures learning is tied into the world community to help students become caring and active members of the society, who will also function effectively in a dynamic world. The acquisition of knowledge for long life skills is d