Assessment in mathematics teaching in regards to the National Curriculum

â€Å" The subject of detecting what goes on in a schoolroom and reflecting on whether it is every bit good as it can be, improves the quality of a instructor ‘s ain instruction and their ability to portion it with others. † ( Mason, in Lee, 2006, p10 ) There are many methods of reflecting upon one ‘s ain work, but carried out critically and positively, all should take to an ability to better the quality of that work. The cardinal word here is â€Å" should † . Improvement will merely take topographic point if, following the contemplation, some stairss are identified and implemented to convey about betterment. It is the intent of this paper to help that contemplation and contemplation procedure. The rubric of the essay requires rating of my instruction. The word â€Å" evaluate † is taken to intend â€Å" to judge or find the significance, worth, or quality of † , as defined by Dictionary.com. The paper will measure, in a chronological order, the instruction I carried out over a two hebdomad period. In peculiar it will analyze the appraisal techniques that I employed at each phase, and will reexamine the effectivity of the appraisal. Where appropriate the paper will propose where things could hold been done better. As the rubric dictates, this paper is a contemplation upon learning that I carried out during my first arrangement, as portion of my PGCE class. As such, it refers in the most portion to personal experience and contemplations upon that experience. The paper will hence be written chiefly in the first individual, with mentions from other parties in the 3rd individual. Having considered the appraisal employed throughout the instruction, I will so see a figure of general findings, and how assessment may impact those findings.What Is Assessment and Why Is It ImportantAssessment is a portion of all of our lives from the minute we are born, as the accoucheuse places a babe on the graduated tables. It follows us through early childhood ( as female parents and wellness visitants assess what a babe can make at each phase in their development ) , into school and beyond into employment. The facet of appraisal with which this paper is concerned is the appraisal carried out within the mathematics schoolroom. The word â€Å" appraisal † is used to denote any witting activity intended to supply information about a student ‘s accomplishment or attainment. There are four chief types of appraisal, ( as defined by Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot, 2002, p19 ) Diagnostic – to place students ‘ current public presentation Formative – to help acquisition ( including equal and self appraisal ) Summational – for reappraisal, transportation and enfranchisement Appraising – to see how well instructors or establishments are executing. Of these, formative and summational appraisal will have the most focus, with consideration being given to the effects these types of appraisal have on students ‘ acquisition. Appraising appraisal is non considered within the range of this essay. Whether appraisal is good to a student ‘s acquisition or non depends on the usage to which the information gained is put. For illustration, wellness visitants may place a nutritionary demand of a immature kid which can be corrected with the appropriate input, and likewise instructors may place an educational demand of a student which they can take stairss to turn to. William ( in Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot, 2002, p29 ) suggests â€Å" all four maps of appraisal require that grounds of public presentation or attainment is elicited, is so interpreted, and as a consequence of that reading, some action is taken † . Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot ( 2002 ) besides conclude that appraisal becomes formative when the information gained is used by the instructor and student within the learning procedure. I would besides add that it requires the consequences of the appraisal to be acted upon within a short clip frame, while feedback is still relevant. Furthermore, â€Å" inventions that include beef uping the pattern of formative appraisal green goods important, and frequently significant, larning additions † . ( Black et al. 2003, p9 ) . The purpose, hence, is to guarantee that appraisal, of all types, is used formatively wherever possible.The Class That Was TaughtThe category that I taught was a Year 9 category of 20 students. Although they were classified as a lower-attaining category ( Set 3 out of 4 ) , the scope of abilities within the category and the particular demands of a few persons warrant some brief description. One male child had arrived late from Somalia and had a limited appreciation of English, but no other particular demands. Several of the students had low reading ages, typically in the age 8 – 9 scope, and were hence challenged by some word jobs. Additionally, one of these students had moved into mainstream categories at the start of twelvemonth 9, after two old ages supported by the school ‘s â€Å" nucleus programme † , and hence sometimes needed extra support as respects concentration. Four of the students in the category were on the school ‘s SEN registry as BESD, i.e. they had behavioral, emotional or societal troubles which without careful handling could take to disruption in lessons. One-half of the category entered twelvemonth 7 with a National Curriculum assessment degree of 3b or 3a, with the balance at low degree 4. By the terminal of twelvemonth 8 all were accessed at degree 4 or 5c. Several of the students moved up by merely one or two degree points during their first two old ages at Secondary school, bespeaking some cause for concern. The category was routinely supported by a Teaching Assistant, whose function was chiefly to back up the student with EAL, but besides to supply general support as required to other students.The Topic TaughtThe subject taught was Ratio and Proportion. The Scheme of Work indicated five hours of instruction, the equivalent of six 50 minute lessons, and I set about bring forthing a subject program consequently. The really first Standard which a trainee instructor must accomplish is to â€Å" hold high outlooks of kids and immature people † ( Training and Development Agency for Schools ( TDA ) , 2010 ) . With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that the word â€Å" high † in this criterion is a word that requires considerable understanding and single application to each student. At the clip, nevertheless, I took this to intend that I should anticipate all my pupils to be able to hold on the rudimentss of a given subject within a period of learning clip, determined by me, their instructor. â€Å" Low outlooks by instructors are regarded as a much bigger job than high outlooks. † ( Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot, 2002, p64 ) . Determined that my learning would non be portion of this â€Å" bigger job † , I set about my planning with high outlooks for all my students. This position was proven to be instead excessively simplistic during the instruction, but this will be elaborated upon subsequently. The subject of ratio and proportion, harmonizing to the strategy of work, is pre-dominantly a degree 5 – 6 subject, so would by necessity be disputing for most of the students. With a comparatively unfamiliar category I felt it was of import to get down by measuring how good the category would get by with some of the cardinal mathematical constructs which would be necessary for the subject. The first activity in the instruction, hence, was to re-cap fractions understanding. In peculiar, could the pupils cut down fractions to their simplest signifier, and could they happen fractions of measures? This was mostly a diagnostic appraisal, to set up a starting point for my instruction. Having established that all students had a sound appreciation of simplifying fractions, I introduced the construct of ratios and simplifying of ratios. This was followed by sharing a stated measure by a given ratio, and happening a missing measure given one measure and a ratio. The concluding instruction activity was to present the thought of proportion and to specify the difference between proportion and ratio. The subject was completed with a summational appraisal, and by self- and peer-assessment in the signifier of production of a posting. For the intents of this paper, I will concentrate chiefly on the start of the subject and the decision of the subject, and the appraisal strategies employed at these points. Some reference will be made of the interim instruction, peculiarly with mention to the effectivity or otherwise of appraisal carried out at this phase.The TeachingRe-cap FractionsMy determination to get down this subject with a re-cap of fractions was based on the similarities that I perceive between fractions and ratio. It hence seemed logical, before get downing on a new and potentially ambitious subject, to set up how much the category already knew about fractions. As claimed by Ausubel, ( in Clarke, 2005, p12 ) , â€Å" The most of import individual factor act uponing acquisition is what the scholar already knows. Determine this and learn him consequently. † Therefore, the intent of this lesson was diagnostic appraisal to be used to inform the instruction for the balance of the subject. Although diagnostic appraisal has been found to be uneffective if it is simply used for â€Å" puting † intents, it has had benefits if used to place the single acquisition demands of a student. ( Black et al. , 2003 ) . A starter activity ( of fiting braces of tantamount fractions ) indicated that the bulk of the category had an first-class appreciation of this construct. I established this by leting students to work in braces to fit the fractions, and so inquiring persons, or their spouses, for replies. I attempted to use a â€Å" no hands up † attack, as recommended by Lee ( 2006 ) , sometimes utilizing lollipop sticks to choose students to reply. â€Å" No hands up † was a new attack for the category, and many found it hard to defy seting custodies up or shouting out ( or both ) . I would hold with Lee ‘s averment that seting hands up can take to a competitory environment for some students. I would besides propose that it can take to disinterest from other students who see no demand to acquire involved. Having established that the students possessed an ability to simplify fractions, the following relevant facet of fractions was the ability to happen a fraction of a measure, e.g. A? of 36. Using mini white boards, I was able to set up that all students could work out simple measures. It was so of import to cognize the methods they had employed and to understand their idea procedures, and I used oppugning and synergistic treatment to set up students ‘ methods. As Morgan, Watson and Tikly ( 2004, p133 ) put it, â€Å" cognizing that they can bring forth the right solution is a instead dead-end piece of cognition for the instructor. It would be more helpful to happen out the restrictions of the manner they presently see the undertaking. Knowing how they see the procedure and what they say to themselves while making it, provides you with a get downing topographic point to learn them to work out more complicated jobs. † The popular method of happening A? was halving and halving once more, which led me to revise the inquiring by inquiring how to happen 1/5th of 30. This in bend led to treatment of division and generation, and through the discourse it became evident that many had troubles with times tabular arraies. As it was non my aim in this lesson to revise times tabular arraies, generation grids were made available to students who asked for them. More students asked for the grids than I had expected, which I believe was declarative of a general deficiency of assurance with mental maths. As a signifier of distinction this was effectual for those who needed the grids, but may besides hold led to others seeking an â€Å" easy option † . In the hereafter I would seek to administer such AIDSs to merely those I believed truly needed them. However, with the usage of the generation grids it was a straight-forward following measure to travel to non-unit fractions, and all students showed sensible ability to happen fractions of measures. I stated in the debut that the intent of this lesson was mostly to execute a diagnostic appraisal. As a consequence of the lesson I had gained a assurance in my students ‘ ability to manage fractions sufficiently good to come on to the following phase. I had non, nevertheless, asked my students to self-assess whether they felt the same. As a consequence, when, towards the terminal of the whole subject, I asked the students to self-assess how they felt about the assorted parts of the subject, I was surprised to detect that about all felt that they were unable to â€Å" make fractions † . It would look evident that although I believed my students had achieved the acquisition result, by the terminal of the subject they did non portion that belief. If I had instigated self-assessment during this lesson, the consequence may hold been different, but I will ne'er cognize for certain. I agree, with the suggestion of Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot ( 2002, p73 ) , that using effectu al signifiers of ego appraisal will do students â€Å" more responsible for and involved in their ain acquisition † . This is an country that I will necessitate to look to better as I move frontward into my following stage of instruction, as â€Å" it is far more valuable for pupils themselves to take part in the appraisal procedure than for instructors to be the exclusive proctors of advancement. † ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p134 ) . Even though the declared intent of the lesson was diagnostic appraisal, I made some effectual usage of formative appraisal during the lesson. For illustration, I used oppugning to place the students ‘ methods, and so adjusted my oppugning in response to their replies. While this was effectual, there was range for improved usage of oppugning, to examine deeper into their degree of apprehension.Ratio and ProportionThe chief instruction of ratio and proportion was spread over three lessons. Over that period we progressed from basic apprehension of the algorithms to application of the algorithms to â€Å" existent life † type jobs. As the work was spread over three lessons I was afforded the chance to reexamine the work in students ‘ books. Mindful of the research findings ( Black et al. ; Butler ; Clarke ; Thorndike ; in Stobart, 2006 ) , I restricted my marker to placing errors and doing remarks. The research of Thorndike, carried out about a hundred old ages ago, highlighted the comparative consequence of delegating classs to work, i.e. the assignment of classs taking to pupils comparing themselves against one another. This is supported by more recent research summarised by Clarke, ( 2005 ) , to boot doing a nexus to the importance of measuring attainment against the larning aims instead than against other students. My purpose in placing students ‘ errors was to be able to turn to mistakes and misconceptions in subsequent lessons. I was able to make this to some extent, but I do non hold the grounds of a follow-up appraisal to be able to corroborate whether this was wholly successful. The comment-only marker should hold been followed up by leting the pupils clip to reexamine the remarks, and re-work their replies in line with the remarks, as stressed by Black and William ( in Clarke, 2005 ) . I did non let sufficient clip for this to be done. It may besides hold been good at this phase if I had asked the students to notice for themselves on their work, as recommended by Clarke ( 2005 ) . She suggests this as a signifier of self appraisal, whereby the student, holding identified an country for betterment, would discourse the suggestion with the instructor. The in agreement betterment would so be made either in lesson clip or as a prep activity. In general, the planning of clip to let students to utilize the feedback they have received, and the subsequent appraisal of the effects, is an country of failing that I will necessitate to better if my feedback is to be genuinely formative. Another country of appraisal which I was trying to utilize during this instruction was effectual inquiring. I found a figure of troubles with effectual oppugning in this category, which may good be common across most categories. The first challenge was trying to guarantee all students were involved, without seting undue force per unit area on students who are non comfy replying inquiries in forepart of the whole category. The usage of mated activities helped in some instances, as students were able to give â€Å" squad † replies and support each other if required. Team- or pair-working is a method which I should look to widen in the hereafter, for usage with higher-order inquiries, and to promote the usage of more mathematical linguistic communication. The usage of â€Å" Study Buddies † has been shown to promote non merely mathematical talk and look, but besides peer-assessment and self-reflection ( Lee, 2006 ) . My efforts to guarantee all students were involved in replying inquiries led to some really awkward silences as I allowed the recommended ( Black et al. , 2003 ) wait-time. With one peculiarly quiet student whom I ne'er persuaded to reply a inquiry, the issue turned out to be merely one of being â€Å" afraid to acquire it incorrect † – this was a truly unfortunate state of affairs as it transpired from the terminal of topic trial that she had an first-class appreciation of the work. Not merely was her reserve making her a ill service, but the remainder of the category would besides hold benefited greatly from her part. In add-on, even if she had â€Å" got it incorrect † , this excessively would hold been of benefit. As Lee ( 2006, p26 – 27 ) states â€Å" a incorrect reply, possibly more than the â€Å" right † one, helps the instructor buttocks what further larning students need. †End of TopicAt the terminal of the subject I decided to tra nsport out two pieces of assessment – a summational trial and a brooding self-assessment. The summational trial besides included some points from the old subject I had taught this group. Its intent was to set up how good the students had remembered subjects they had been taught throughout the old six hebdomads. I was fortunate that this trial took topographic point at the start of â€Å" Christmas hebdomad † , when it was normal pattern in the school for lessons to be more relaxed. This allowed me clip to speak separately with each student, to discourse what they had done good and where they may hold had misinterpretations. I was concerned that the students were more interested in the grade they had achieved than in the feedback I was able to give them about their acquisition. Harmonizing to Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot, ( 2002, p115 ) this is non uncommon, as â€Å" the accent is ever on grade or class and seldom do students truly care about what they really achieved. † Although this was designed as a summational appraisal, I was besides able to utilize it formatively by placing a common job with algebra, and turn toing this in the last lesson of term, thereby utilizing â€Å" the wake of trials as an chance for formative work. † ( Black et al, 2003, p55 ) They besides conclude that â€Å" summational trials should beaˆÂ ¦ a positive portion of the acquisition procedure. † ( 2003, p56 ) The self-assessment took the signifier of the production of postings summarizing all they had learnt about Ratio and Proportion. The appraisal showed a assorted degree of apprehension, and ability to pass on that apprehension, within the category. One group showed an first-class apprehension and had clearly referred back to their books to guarantee that they included all the stuff right. The EAL pupil had trouble with this activity, so I encouraged him to be really ocular with his posting. Others had taken hapless notes during the instruction and struggled to remember the information – this, in itself, was a utile acquisition point for them, as they consider the quality and utility of what they write in their books. ( Two ( contrasting ) postings are included in Attachment A ) . Overall, this was an effectual drawing together of the subject, and enabled the students to self-assess their ain acquisition, as the production of postings â€Å" aˆÂ ¦ requires pupils to reflec t upon and organize their cognition in order to pass on it † ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p151 ) Although this self-assessment enabled students to reflect upon their acquisition, as it took topographic point at the terminal of the subject I was unable to supply an chance for students to set their contemplations into pattern. The appraisal can non hence be described as genuinely formative. An excess lesson would hold enabled the students to move upon their contemplations, thereby doing the assessment formative.General FindingsExcessively Much MaterialA repeating job with many of my lessons was trying to suit excessively much stuff into each lesson. This resulted in me travel rapidlying to â€Å" acquire through † the lesson. I therefore allowed deficient clip for examining and higher-order inquiries. This was to the hurt of my instruction and my students ‘ acquisition as â€Å" instruction is more than make fulling a kid with facts. It starts with presenting hard inquiries † ( Spendlove, 2009, p32 ) . I was losing chances, non merely to dispute and excite some of the students, but besides to measure the deepness of their apprehension and place misconceptions at an early phase.Communication and QuestioningMuch formative appraisal can be achieved by effectual communicating and oppugning. Black et al. , found effectual oppugning â€Å" aˆÂ ¦ led to richer discourse, in which the instructors evoked a wealth of information from which to judge the current apprehension of their pupils. † ( 2003, p41 ) However, many secondary school students appear to be fresh to constructive treatment in a lesson environment, and there are considerable challenges involved in altering this state of affairs, particularly if outlooks of communicating are non consistent across a school. Add to this the excess linguistic communication dimension of the â€Å" mathematics registry † as Lee ( 2006 ) calls it, and it goes some manner to explicating the trouble I had in promoting students to speak about their mathematics. While it may be disputing, the benefits of effectual communicating to pupils ‘ larning justify attempt being spent to better the quality of communicating in lessons, as â€Å" larning can non take topographic point in a vacuity and it is at its best when there is a rich bipartisan duologue between instructor and scholar and scholar and scholar. † ( Spendlove, 2004, p44 ) The countries of communicating in which students are encouraged to go involved include replying inquiries, and explicating their thoughts and methods. This can show farther troubles with the usage linguistic communication, peculiarly for students with EAL, who may happen themselves wholly excluded from the discourse. Another group of students who may hold a similar job are those for whom such communicating is unfamiliar outside school. â€Å" Children aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦ . from families where English is non the first linguistic communication may be disadvantaged by trust on unwritten interaction. † ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p150 ) The fact that all students are larning a new mathematical linguistic communication together could be seen as a leveler for the EAL pupils, as all pupils â€Å" aˆÂ ¦need to larn how to utilize mathematical linguistic communication to make, control and show their ain mathematical significances. † ( Pimm, in Lee, 2006, p18 ) . Much of the linguistic communication will necessitate to be learnt by both EAL and non-EAL students. As a instructor purpose on promoting the usage of mathematical discourse as portion of formative appraisal in my instruction, I will necessitate to run into these challenges creatively.ExpectationsAs mentioned earlier, I set unvarying â€Å" high outlooks † for all my students, but I had given deficient consideration to the comparative nature of the word â€Å" high † . Whilst I believe that I am right to anticipate all of my students to accomplish an apprehension of what they are being taught, how fast and to what degree are things that need to be separately agreed. This so leads to the ability of students to measure their ain advancement against agreed marks and aims. I found that one student in the category ne'er did any work in the lesson until his outlook for that lesson had been separately negotiated with him. He would so bring forth some first-class work, by and large transcending my outlooks. Ollerton, ( 2003 ) relates the importance of students disputing themselves against their ain marks, instead than viing against one another, and that in such a civilization, outlook can be high but accomplishable, holding been negotiated and agreed between student and instructor.Assessment Against LevelsA trouble which has permeated my first instruction pattern has been the definition of â€Å" degrees † at which students are working. There has been an accent placed upon students being cognizant of the degree at which they are working, and being able to measure for themselves how they are come oning against those degrees. There is a danger, nevertheless, that this can take to â€Å" clicking boxes † for each point required within the degree , without needfully developing the apprehension behind the capable stuff. This is similar to the issues raised by Skemp ( 1976 ) , sing the importance of Relational Understanding as opposed to Instrumental Understanding. It is certainly possible for a student to be assessed, both by themselves and their instructors, to be working at degree 5, for illustration, while missing the relational apprehension to use their accomplishments in other countries. I tested this concern with a Year 6 student, with current maths degree ( instructor and trial ) assessed as degree 4a/5c. Without any learning about the topic of ratios ( other than a definition of the word ratio ) , this student was able to use bing mathematical cognition and apprehension to right work out ratio and proportion inquiries graded at degree 6. My twelvemonth 9 students on the other manus, while theoretically working at the same degree, and after several lessons on the topic, were unable or unwilling to utilize their accomplishments to undertake jobs which differed from 1s they had seen antecedently. ( I say unwilling, as I suspect some of their reserve was due to a deficiency of assurance in their ability to undertake more ambitious inquiries. ) So, while both the twelvemonth 6 student and the twelvemonth 9 students are assessed as working at the same degree, my belief is that the twelvemonth 6 student shows a far greater relational apprehension, while the twelvemonth 9 students show about merely instrumental apprehension. This is supported by findings which indicate â€Å" learning how to go through trials means that pupils may be able to go through even when they do non hold the accomplishments and understanding which the trial is intended to mensurate † ( Gordon and Reese in Harlen, 2006, p79 ) . The two groups come from different backgrounds and different acquisition experiences, so it is non possible to pull any decisions, other than to state that the assignment of degrees would look to give small information sing mathematical apprehension and attainment. It is possible that the twelvemonth 6 student has been encouraged to transport out more self find of mathematical constructs, an activity in which the twelvemonth 9 group were loath to prosecute. It concerns me that students are encouraged to mensurate their accomplishment by being able to click boxes instead than understand and use their mathematics. This leads to the consideration of students ‘ motive – what they want to acquire from their instruction.Motivation to LearnA uninterrupted challenge in all lessons has been promoting students to desire to larn. Pupils frequently ask the inquiry, â€Å" Why do I need to cognize this? â€Å" , and I confess to sometimes happening this a hard inquiry to reply. One of the primary countries I would seek to better in my instruction is my ability to actuate my students to larn, but first I must understand motive. There are two chief types of motive which encourage students to be in lessons ( as defined by Harlen, 2006 ) – extrinsic, where they are motivated by an external end such as deriving a making, and intrinsic, where they are motivated by the end of larning itself. â€Å" Intrinsic motive is seen as the ideal, since it is more likely to take to a desire to go on larning, than larning motivated extrinsically. † ( Harlen, 2006, p62 ) , and â€Å" intrinsic motive is associated with degrees of battle in larning that lead to conceptual apprehension and higher degree believing accomplishments † ( Kellaghan et al. , in Harlen, 2006, p63 ) . So, possibly I could hold used appraisal more efficaciously to increase the intrinsic motive of my students. The work of Harlen, ( 2006 ) identifies possible negative effects of appraisal on student motive, which mostly relate to summative appraisal and judgmental feedback. She besides goes on to depict patterns that maintain motive degrees, including affecting students in self-assessment ( Schunk ) , and the usage of feedback from regular classwork. None of this, nevertheless, leads to a decision that appraisal can assist increase intrinsic motive. Further factors need to be considered in finding whether this is the instance. There is surely grounds that formative appraisal can raise achievement degrees, as identified by Black et Al ( 2003 ) , but I do non believe that is needfully the same as raising intrinsic motive. Increased intrinsic motive is most likely to originate from bring forthing a echt involvement in what is being learnt, and hence lead to a desire to go on that larning throughout life. As Clarke ( 2005 ) claims, affecting pupils in their ain acquisition procedure has had the proved consequence of making life-long, independent scholars. Harlen ( 2006 ) describes two types of involvement – single involvement and situational involvement. Students with single involvement in mathematics will persist more and are likely to accomplish good. Sadly, nevertheless, non all students will hold single involvement. Either signifier of involvement will promote students to be involved in acquisition, so the instructor must try to make situational involvement, for illustration, through games. Having encouraged the students ‘ engagement through situational involvement, non merely will they get down to larn, but they may besides develop single involvement. One of the keys to making situational involvement is guaranting the students know what they are larning and why, and so supplying formative feedback to the student. Hence the importance of formative feedback in making involvement, taking to intrinsic motive. â€Å" no curricular inspection and repair, no instructional invention, no alteration in school administration, no toughening of criterions, no rethinking of instructor preparation or compensation will win if pupils do non come to school interested in, and committed to, larning. † ( Steinberg, in Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot, 2002, p9 ) It appears, hence, to be of critical importance that instructors use formative techniques to increase the intrinsic motive of their students to larn. At the same clip, they should avoid actions which will cut down their intrinsic motive.DecisionsThere have been several surveies over the old ages sing the impact of appraisal on students ‘ acquisition, notably the work of Black and William, at the abetment of the Assessment Reform Group. These surveies have concluded that for appraisal to raise the criterions of students ‘ attainment it must be used formatively. ( Black et al. , 2003 ) Reflecting upon my ain instruction and my students ‘ acquisition, I must admit that there are many ways in which my pattern can be improved. These include usage of higher-order inquiries, leting for self-discovery of mathematical constructs and leting clip for students to move upon feedback. It is still a duty of the instructor to fix students for external scrutinies, and to describe advancement to interested parties. As such it is necessary to strike a balance between the usage of formative appraisal to back up acquisition, and summational appraisal for coverage intents, but besides to fix students for taking external scrutinies. However, â€Å" There is ample grounds that the alterations involved ( in bettering formative appraisal ) will raise the tonss of their pupils on normal, conventional trials. † ( Black et al. , 2003, p2 ) The expression goes, â€Å" the hog does n't acquire fatter merely by being weighed † . Harmonizing to Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot, 2002, p36, Formative Assessment could be an exclusion to this regulation. In this peculiar instance, repeated and ongoing appraisal could really assist to better the quality of acquisition, if the information gleaned from the appraisal is used to do it go on.

Poetry Analysis Essay

The poem is quick to assert that, maybe even provide a caveat, that one should take their life seriously and live their life to the fullest. It’s interesting that Byron beings to reflect on his life at this age, and I find it even more interesting that the poem was written on the last year he would live. One thing Byron emphasizes heavily on this poem is love and compassion. His first lines are an admittance that he does not have a partner by his side (lines 5-8). Many people fear dying alone, and Byron is not immune to such anxiety. Byron is even envious for those who have found love (lines 13-15). The â€Å"Chain† Byron says he wears symbolizes loneliness, perhaps even failure. He fears that his ultimate failure in life would be his lack of a companion, and that he cannot fill that void. I think Byron than goes on to say that love is happiness: and to have an absence in love would leave a person empty. Byron realizes he has failed in the one area he defines to be the most important and to recover from that and at least die in an honorable/memorable way is to take the soldier’s death. Since he has no significant other to speak highly of him when he is gone, he could at least have his fellow brothers-in-arms speak of him when he’s gone (most likely due to the soldier’s death). Overall, I’d say Byron is quite malcontented with how he’s lived his life. But I would say he was rather too harsh on himself, he fails to recognize all the great and wonderful things he has achieved in his life. But I also know that no one can determine whether or not someone was successful in life; that can only be determined by how that individual perceives themselves. The poem as a whole seems to be a reflection, but also a sad epiphany that Byron has not done all that he could have done with his life. This leads to the reoccurring theme that has been illustrated by almost all poets of this age: The ‘carpe diem’ seize the day/moment mentality. Darkness At the beginning lines of the poem, Byron sets up the reader to understand that this vision of the future, while not a current reality, could easily become so if mankind does not change his interaction with the environment. A cataclysmic event has occurred in which the sun is destroyed. For the eco-critic, this could be representative of any sort of environmental issue that is the result of man’s irreverence for the Earth – nuclear war, pollution, overpopulation. The poem does not need to explain how the sun was destroyed, just that the event happened and as a result, mankind’s decent into chaos and death was imminent. Mankind’s reaction to the event is to burn both civilization and nature in order to provide fuel to continue its existence. The next section forewarns the reader that following environmental catastrophe will be nothing but destruction. The destruction of nature occurs in the form of the overuse of resources, such as animals for food and trees for fuel. Men and animals would seemingly succumb to an almost hysteric state in which the law of survival becomes the only law, which is heralded as truth. This state of kill or be killed ultimately produced more concerns for the fate of mankind. Not only has the environment begun to be destroyed, here represented by the loss of the sun, but what few resources remain are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. The eco-critic understands that the population of the Earth can and should only become as large as is sustainable by the resources available to it. Byron illustrates this concept through the introduction of famine in the next section of his text. â€Å"The crowd was famish’d by degrees; but two of an enormous city did survive, and they were enemies. † The ultimate warning of eco-criticism is that the result of the widespread destruction of the environment is the widespread destruction of the human race. Byron has created a world in which the only two remaining humans cling to whatever life they have left in the form of a metaphorical flame. The last section of â€Å"Darkness† leaves the reader with a haunting image of a world in which nothing living exists. According to the eco-critic, this is the warning that Byron is delivering to us: either we change our ways and amend our neglect of environmental duty and responsibility, or we eventually perish. The destruction of mankind will come at its own hands, whether it is through environmental cataclysm, overpopulation and the subsequent war and famine, or through the slow poisoning of the Earth. Darkness† is a vehicle by which the eco-critic can forewarn the reader to change. Eco-Criticism, then, becomes a vehicle for change and hope. It is not merely about the destruction of the world, but hope that destruction can be avoided. Epitaph on an Infant This is a short poem, but still has a lot of meaning behind it, pertaining to the circle of life and death. Coleridge is saying that death can come at anytime and any moment, and seize anyone it pleases. Taking the b aby’s life shouldn’t be viewed as an evil or injustice, but rather part of the cycle. The first line can be interpreted to mean that the baby was never able to become exposed to the horrors of the world (sin) or be in the world for too long to have its loss be heart-breaking (sorrow). Not saying the loss of the baby was not a saddening thing, but Coleridge is saying the baby was not in this world long enough for it to be a huge loss. The last line is hopeful, saying the baby was able to â€Å"blossom there†, with there meaning heaven obviously. This, I feel, is how Coleridge viewed situations where the cycle of life seemed to break its own norms with taking a life that many would view as too early to take. This is for those who never got to grasp the mentality that many Romantic embraced during this time, of seizing the day, and living life to its fullest, not having any regrets. Of course, the baby (or any other youngling) is unable to even encounter such mentalities or form its own attitude for life. Even the length of the poem is symbolic; it represents the life span of the young babe, and how short life can ultimately be if one does not take their time to sit back and enjoy it a bit. Human Life Here’s how I interpreted this poem to be, line (cluster) by line (cluster). Lines 1-4: if the human body dies, the soul lives on forever. Lines 5-6: A human is comprised of three things, mind, body, and spirit. Lines 7-9: Everybody dies at some point in their life, and while to may try to prolong it, it is ultimately unavoidable. Lines 10-14: Nature will choose when everyone dies, it does not discriminate. Lines 15-17: When everything does not seem to be going your way, look through your previous dreams, hopes, and fears. Then reflect, and see if everything is as bad as you are making things out to be. Lines 18-22: remember though that each previous event echoes other ones and to be honest why do we wallow in things that are not important, and yet we hide ourselves from matters of much more importance? Lines 23-26: Why do we compare ourselves to events in the past instead of matters in the present moment or future? The past does not change, but we are shaped from it. Lines 27-28: Humans feel what they feel for no apparent reason; yet they seek reasons for why they feel the way they do. And the final line (29): All of a human’s life is nothing but a contradiction. A human will seek answers to many of life’s questions within themselves, but will always have conflict within. With this poem, Coleridge takes a more dark approach to the cycle of life, with his central theme of the poem being clearly stated at the very end â€Å"A beings being is contradiction†. He takes the approach to life of many people spend hours, days, weeks even contemplating the reasons for the seasons, our existence, why we die, and all other philosophical questions; and he asks â€Å"Why even bother seeking such answers? †. Death is unavoidable, and those who try to prolong it or even avoid it, are just walking contradictions. Why try to go against what is everyone’s fate in the end? Coleridge purposes such ideas and asks provocative questions to get his readers to think: Is it wiser to spend one’s life contemplating matters that way over everyone’s head, or rather just accept that your life as you know it will end one day, but in the meantime do your best to live it and not let anything shackle you to the bonds of â€Å"I can’t therefore I won’t†. Once again, the Romantic theme of ‘carpe-diem’ is sensed as a undertone to this poem, as Coleridge is warning people to not let the worldly matters trouble them, instead seek out the best in your life. Ode On The Death Of A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes This poem was quite uncommon for its time, but it still shared the qualities that make the readers think about life, death, and the cycle of the two. The reader is taken on a journey into the life of this cat, Selima, experiencing not only the beauty that is said creature, but also the sad end she came to, quite undeservingly. The third person view Grey utilizes helps show the struggle between life (the cat) versus nature. With the tone being deadly erious, Grey is showing a portrait of the cat as a cat with her â€Å"conscious tale† and â€Å"ears of jet† ( lines 7,11), trying to accomplish no more than procuring a goldfish for lunch. However, the tale takes a deadly turn when the fated Selima goes a paw too far and tumbles face-first into the goldfish tub. The reader, through this tone (which some might call mock-heroic, could they not see the utter tragedy and seriousness of Selima’s fate), is t aken into the life and death of a cat who was merely hungry; alas, she ends up swimming with the fishes. The golden hue of the fish is what catches the tabby’s attention, and the cat then tries to catch it’s lunch. Eventually, the cat falls into the pond, and struggles for a while, with no help coming. This can be seen as no matter what you do in your life, when things really matter (such as a life and death situation), the only person one can rely on is themselves. Unfortunately, Grey has a grim way to convey that. The cat surfaces eight times, each time her life force growing weaker and weaker against the struggle†¦ ntil eventually Selima, having exhausted all her life, sinks amidst the objects of her lunchtime ambitions. Grey’s powerful message here is clear; be careful where you step, as you may fall into a pond of goldfish and drown. Furthermore, Gray implies, what you covet, though it may be beautiful, may lead you to your death. This can be tied back to the theme of not taking life for granted, and making each day yours. Should one be weighed down with m aterial possessions and worldly goods, they are depriving themselves of the ultimate ‘good’, life itself.

New Jersey Associate degree nurses initiative to obtain Bachelor's Essay

New Jersey Associate degree nurses initiative to obtain Bachelor's degree within 10 years (BSN 2010) - Essay Example Today, a nurse's job is as important as that of a doctor's. One could say that nurses are the backbone of all hospital facilities. All hospitals across the world thrive on the skill and determination that they put in to help the sick or disabled. Health care today is advancing at a rapid rate and is getting quite complex. Studies have shown that a patient's outcome has improved in those cases where the patients were attended by nurses with advanced degrees. Also in 2003 it was published in the journal of the American Medical Association (Aiken, 2003) that a greater number of staff nurses with bachelor's degrees resulted in a decrease in patient mortality among surgical patients, improved patient outcomes and shorter lengths of stay.The National Advisory Council had submitted a report on "Nurse Education and Practice" to the U.S department of Health and Human Services. It recommended that by 2010 two thirds of the nation's basic workforce must hold a BSN. This was basically to meet the requirements of modern medicine. For example, in the 1960's a RN was expected to be familiar with about 600 drugs. Now there are over 13,000 drugs in the market. At the March 31, 2006 Annual Voting Business Meeting of NJSNA, held at the Tropicana Resort & Casino Hotel in Atlantic City NJ, a majority of members voted to adopt the amended resolution to acknowledge the importance of nursing's entry requirements, but, in addition, support legislation to require new RNs (those licensed after passage of a new law) to earn their BSN within 10 years (Aughenbaugh). Thus in order to meet the recommendation made by the National Advisory Council and the NJSNA, Senator Joseph Vitale has introduced a legislature that requires all future registered nurses to obtain a bachelors degree in nursing (BSN) within ten years of initial licensure. The clauses of this bill are applicable to only those nurses who are yet to take admission. As in those nurses who are already licensed and those students who have applied or are already enrolled in nursing school at the time of legislation will be exempted. In case a nurse is not able to obtain her BSN within the ten years she may apply for an extension from the New Jersey Board of Nursing. In order to become a nurse one can still enroll in associate degrees or diplomas in nur sing program, which will prepare them to take the NCLEX licensing exam. This is required to start functioning as a Registered Nurse. If the bills are signed into law, it will have a lasting impact on the professions of nursing. But there are a few concerns because of the shortage of faculty in nursing schools. Also the fates of ADN and diploma programs are uncertain. A major issue is the additional financial burden that nurses would have to face to obtain their BSN. But it is felt that given an option of nursing being a higher education profession more people would be willing to take up nursing as a serious career option. Although there may seem to be a few drawbacks, the benefits of this legislation are numerous since having a BSN not only increases a nurses pay but also gives better jobs and better career opportunities. The following are the benefits of furthering education for a nurse The courses in BSN or MSN will help a

The Filipino and the Drunkard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Filipino and the Drunkard - Essay Example This confirms his passive aggressiveness to actually inflict injury on another person. Though this may be considered as proof that there was conclusive intent on his part to kill the drunkard, the circumstance of his utterance evidences the contrary. There was unlawful aggression on the part of the drunkard but his actions of stabbing, although it is categorically harassment of a grave nature, does not equate to a real life threatening situation which would make self-defense appreciable. It is not a reasonable means in relation to the type of aggression. There was no overt act on the part of the American that manifests he is without a doubt going to hurt or kill the Filipino. He had no deadly weapon except the fact that he was significantly bigger than the boy. Furthermore, one must consider that he was in a state of drunkenness and this is an alternative circumstance since he does not have the full capacity to grasp his actions and the right state of mind. When the drunkard grabbed hold of the boy and was choking him, we must consider that there was also provocation on the part of the Filipino since he first stabbed the man. It was clear from the facts that the Filipino was already overcome with rage and had decided to hurt the drunkard but he did not want to kill him. On a sudden fit of rage he stabbed the man once. If he was able to thrust his knife multiple times while was held compromisingly by the physically larger drunkard, then, on the first attack he would have already done so. This proves that his initial intention was to somehow physically hurt the man. But to reiterate, he was not completely without fault and to fully absolve him of his acts would be

Ferguson's article Diglossia, is his prognosis for Arabic accurate Essay

Ferguson's article Diglossia, is his prognosis for Arabic accurate today (50 years later) Is Arabic on its way to becom - Essay Example Since Arabic does not use Roman alphabet, there will be a lot of difficulties along the way. Ferguson (1963) said that Arabic alphabet is even less feasible than the Greek. He identified two most serious and obvious problems in Arabic diglossia. The first problem is transliteration of Arabic spelling and the next is the phenomic transcription of Arabic (Ferguson, 1963). Transcription is not a very easy process. Thus, this possesses a difficulty in Arabic diglossia. But even if diglossia is said to be unstable and have lots of problems, Ferguson said that it is not the case. Evidences show that it can last over the years. According to Ferguson, the use of relatively uncodified, unstable, intermediate forms of languages and repeated vocabulary items from H to L can resolve the issues of diglossia. Constant use of the language can help resolve the problem of instability. When people use the language as often as they can or even every day, they will surely keep up and get used to new wor ds and will eventually fully understand the language.

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Critical Thinking - Essay Example â€Å"A leaders own strength in critical thinking and decision making is the central platform on which their influence transcends through other managers in the business† (Hilliwell, 2000). The management career requires the use of critical thinking because this job entails making operation and strategic business decisions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze critical thinking and its applications in the workplace. The utilization of critical thinking is something every human has performs hundreds of times during their lifetime. Critical thinking can be classified as a core competency. Not everyone has the same aptitude and skill level. According to scholars there is a direct correlation between a person critical thinking ability and their coefficient of intelligence. In the managerial field critical thinking abilities are imperative due to the fact that managers are responsible for the overall performance of the company and its employees. In the workplace in general employees that have critical thinking abilities have a higher probability of achieving success. Personally I consider myself an individual with pretty good critical thinking skills. As a working professional I have applied my critical thinking abilities in the workplace. A few years ago I worked at a start-up company. I was not officially a manager, but I was involved in the decision making process which implies my job duties were similar to a managerial position. The company had a new innovative product. The two functional areas I worked were finance and research and development. In the research and development department the engineer in charge would meet with me once a week to discuss product improvements ideas and production methodologies. When I started meeting with him he told me that he liked the way I process and interpreted information and that the feedback she received from me was very useful. The engineer would talk to me and tell about different issues

Is globalization rendering nation-states weak and irrelevant Discuss, Essay

Is globalization rendering nation-states weak and irrelevant Discuss, with examples - Essay Example The economic strength of a nation defines its political powers. Globalization has given rise to strong nations both economically and politically. Globalization fosters economic interdependence. States become key producers of certain products and services, while they rely on other nations for other insufficient products (Hirst & Thompson, 2002, p.279). This capacitates nations to trade freely thereby leading to a significant increase in the GDP of such nations across the globe. The capability of a nation to avail such products and services globally renders such a nation to be significantly relevant in shaping world economy, thereby strengthening its political strength. For instance, various oil-producing nations have a significant economic relevance globally. However, they ought to rely on other nations that produce other products such as agricultural and technological products. The interdependence that globalization creates is significant in promoting political stability among nations, thus promoting peace globally. The economic interactions have fostered the development among nations, particularly the developing nations through the importation of human resource capabilities such as technological and business expertise (Hirst & Thompson, 2002, p.189). Additionally, developed nations have been able to bring in cost-effective human resource from the developing nations, and this has critical improvement in the improvement of productions of such nations. As such, various countries play a critical role in shaping the global economy. The transcendence of a global economy across borders has given rise to various bodies that include the Word Bank and IMF among others. These bodies play a critical role in the globalization, since they implement policies that aid in controlling word trade. Besides, these bodies significantly aid nations in propelling their economic capabilities through

Workplace Bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Workplace Bullying - Essay Example It is important to understand workplace bullying because it involves the issue of self-esteem and other psychological considerations. It is in line with this that the proponent of this paper tries to find out the characteristics of workplace bullying prior to understanding it in detail. Furthermore, the proponent tries to find some preventive measures that an organization can actually do about workplace bullying. Characteristics of workplace bullying In order to understand the characteristics of workplace bullying, it is important to understand first the characteristics of bullies and their victim. Perpetrators in the workplace bullying are commonly found to be higher in rank than the target (Tuckey, Dollard, Hosking & Winefield, 2009). This result consists of different implications but the most triggering one is the inclusion of power. Thus, this definitely suggests that a boss can be a perfect person to be identified as one of the workplace bullies. However, the daily work interact ion does not only happen between a boss and the workers, but with their co-workers. This means that bullying literally happens among co-workers themselves. The perpetrators of the victim in the workplace bullying in this case may be powerful enough that the latter could not resist from being harm. The perpetrator may have potential influence or power allowing him to create more allies in the workplace bullying. This was critically presented from the ‘Glee’ where two professors are making fun of the strange-looking soccer football coach. The other professor was so dominating and has the influence to find for her allies against someone else. Thus, it is clear in this case that workplace bullying has become aggravated by attempting to create a group against the victim. The bullying becomes so intense and powerful in this case which is enough to destroy one’s morale or self-esteem. Bullying therefore cannot have substantial strength against its victim if it has no en ough power or consolidated force which would be enough to harm one’s emotional make up. This power which is generated when one or two bullies come into unison is so strong that it would be enough to destroy emotional stability of a person. Workplace bullying therefore is trying to create extreme pleasure at the expense of the victims. This is a self-centered view of looking at happiness or pleasure by not taking into account what the others might feel or experience. There is no thinking of undesirable impacts in workplace bullying at the point of view of the bullies, but it is just about to fulfill their longing for fun or pleasure at the expense of their victim. This can be considered as work violence because one’s emotional stability has been harmed. There is harm involved in here though not physically but emotionally considering that there are different personalities combined together in order to create a strong effort to destroy one’s emotional stability. It is in line with this that it is important to understand different personalities of bullies. Kohut was able to identify different characteristics of a bullying boss or co-worker and these include different personalities such as narcissistic, antisocial, ASPD, antisocial narcissist, PPD, histrionic, borderline, obsessive-compulsive, dependent, schizoid, and avoidant (2008). It is therefore implied that in order to determine the degree of workplace bullying is to understand the behaviors and personalities of bullies and of the victim. Workplace bullying therefore is characterized by the inclusion of different extreme human personalities and behaviors that stand as important factors in order to effectively

History - King Ashoka Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History - King Ashoka - Research Paper Example King Ashoka ruled Indian subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 BC, until his death. In his early life, the king was known for his cruelty, but in the later period of his life, he became famous for his great edicts and acts. It was King Ashoka who played a major role in swelling Buddhism into the whole of Asia.1 Background of King Ashoka In 324 BC, the ruler of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta started out to surmount the weaker in the adjoining kingdoms. The motto was to enlarge his people’s territory. Chandragupta was an explorer by nature and used to travel in the surrounding lands to evaluate whether the probable defences can raise much struggle. Then on the basis of the evaluation, he would decide about the taking up of the war. He principally avoided those lands where the defence is strong. This way Chandragupta became the first king to rule over a united India. During the end of the century, Chandragupta handed over his reign to his son Bindusara. With the passage of time, the Bindusara became ill and decided to entrust the territory to one of his sons. As soon as the king announced his intention, a â€Å"silent sibling rivalry† started. The sons of Bindusara became the victims of an assassin and this way all the men fell until solely Ashoka stood tall. He was the only one to become successful in evading a murderer. In this way, Ashoka was crowned the new king in 274 BC. King Ashoka soon came to be known as a cruel king as he would administer capital punishment for even a minimum violation.2 On the desire to win rather than to acclaim demand, the king decided to continue with the efforts of his previous dwellers through demolishing the lands and kingdoms which previously remained unconquered. In this process of invasion and conquering, he was well aware of the fact that many innocent people have even lost their lives because of the king’s order. Following all these disasters, Ashoka asked himself about the treasures that his people have won in the war that converted women and children to widows and orphans respectively. Soon after the realisation, the king became attentive towards his subjects’ welfare. In this way, an era of internal progression and peace came to being. It was King Ashoka who persuaded and taught his people to respect and love all living creatures. Gradually, Ashoka became a Buddhist practitioner and built 84,000 stupas in his emperor for housing the Gautama’s sacred relics.3 Rise of Power of King Ashoka Ashoka grew to be a sharp and perfect warrior general and went on to command various brigades of the Mauryan army. Pertaining to his growing popularity, the elder brothers of Ashoka became impatient that their father Bindusara might prefer Ashoka to be the next emperor. His eldest brother Susima insisted Bindusara to send Ashoka to Taxilla, a city of unrest and trouble, governed by Susima himself. Ashoka successfully handled those situations and all the unrest ended without any fight. Th is popularity of Ashoka made Susima even more curious and he again persuaded their father to send Ashoka into exile. Ashoka was thus sent to Kalinga. After returning from Kalinga, he was again sent to Ujjain, another venue of violence. There he was injured and eventually treated by Buddhist nuns and monks. During this period, he first learnt Buddhist teachings. There he met Devi, a Buddhist nurse who took care of him, and later on Ashoka married her.

The Communication Process Essay Example for Free

The Communication Process Essay Communication is a critical action that is done in a variety of ways across different cultures and settings. It is done at school, work, home and the grocery store. It can be done face-to-face or through technology with one person or multiple people. However, communication can be a challenging concept; have you ever left a conversation knowing that you forgot to mention a particular detail? Following the steps outlined below will lead you to a better communication process. Identifying Needs and Purpose The first step to the communication process is to identify the needs and purpose of the conversation. You can do this by considering a few questions like, â€Å"What is it that I need to accomplish in this conversation?† or â€Å"Why am I having this conversation?† Just taking time to assess your intent and direction will automatically help in identifying different approaches and ideas for communicating and managing effective conversations (University of Phoenix, 2012). Establishing Key Points After an initial brainstorming session to organize thoughts and ideas, the next step in the process is determining key points. In this part of the communications process, it is helpful to write down all the ideas from step one in order to figure out which are the most important and relevant to your audience. Once about all the necessary points have been identified, these should be compiled into a list in order of importance. This will aid in the flow of the overall communication and create a more organized and professional position (University of Phoenix, 2012). Audience Analysis Following the process of identifying key points comes the time to analyze the audience. At this point, it is critical to think about whom your audience is and what its needs and preferences are, as a group. It is beneficial to consider if you will be addressing work strangers, colleagues, family, friends and how these groups prefer to receive communication. It is important during this process to decide if the people you are talking to are all part of a particular demographic, or if there are diverse ages and other  factors. An effective communication strategy will be able to address the audience based on their specific preferences and interests. To accomplish this, it is wise to cater your delivery of messages to things that relate to your audience members. This will help hold their attention and get everyone to listen without losing interest in the conversation (University of Phoenix, 2012). Choosing Communication Channels The next step in the process after a thorough audience analysis is to figure out the communication channel that is most appropriate for the audience. This is the perfect step to precede step three, because after you figure out who you are talking to, you are going to need to figure out how to address them. For example, if children are in the audience, a good way to engage them is to make your message exciting or story-like. On the other side of the spectrum, if there are young adults in the audience, using vivid images and colors will help gain their attention. Younger business people may like to communicate by email, where older business people may prefer to interact by phone or in person. Some groups may prefer consistent, weekly communication when others only want to hear from you once in a while. These individual preferences can tell you which is the best channel, whether it is a newsletter, in-person presentation or phone call (University of Phoenix, 2012). Time to Deliver Step five is applied when it is time to edit, review and deliver your message. This is the time where it is critical to pay attention to detail and ensure the quality of your work. Begin by reviewing all of your notes; make sure everything is in order and worded a way your audience will understand. If you have chosen to deliver a speech, practice a few times to get rid of some nerves. Then go out there and deliver what it is you are communicating with confidence (University of Phoenix, 2012). Validate Reception While you are delivering your message, think about what you are saying and watch what your audience is doing. This feedback will let you know if you are connecting with the group and what their reactions are. Consider the following: * Are they paying attention to you? * Are people taking notes? * How is the listener sitting? * Is there any eye contact between you and the audience? * Do you have a bouncing leg while you are sitting? Not paying attention to these important cues could misdirect a conversation and lead to missing a key point that you are trying to convey (University of Phoenix, 2012). Receive Response Receiving your response is near the end of the communication process. This is a great opportunity to learn from yourself and from others. You can learn from yourself by understanding what you did right and wrong, based on audience feedback and responses. This could be determined by the confidence you had or the body language you presented. Understanding what your audience felt about your communication is an essential part of communicating. It is not a bad idea to ask for feedback because it could lead to finding out that the presentation was particularly relevant or irrelevant for a certain field or demographic. Appropriately receiving responses helps you to grow as a communicator and learn new ways to communicate, contributing to future success (University of Phoenix, 2012). Feedback and Follow Up The final step to complete the communication process is to seek feedback and follow-up. During this step, a communicator will determine if more communication is necessary and when. This step allows a communicator to understand if messages were seen as clear with all of your key points for the audience to understand them. If you receive a great deal of questions after you communicate, it is a good indication that you will need additional communication to provide more information. If you do not receive questions, you can also opt to use a survey or ask follow up questions to understand how the process went. Getting feedback and following-up on the things you conversed about shows that you care and are connected with your audience (University of Phoenix, 2012). Listening and Responding One thing that you want to do as well as follow the steps is to learn to  listen and respond. Listening is a very important part of the communication process. It is a way to show the person communicating with you that you are engaged in the conversation. Become an active listener by creating an interest in the speaker and the message that is being communicated. Also, learn to be focused. People sometimes look like they are listening but sometimes they may be thinking of something completely different than what is actually being discussed. When asked a question what do people do? They respond to it. After listening to a question people think about how they are going to respond. Sometimes people answer fast but other times people may need some time to react and think about what to say. There are a few ways that you are able to answer these questions. One is to evaluate the question by judging it or advising it. This way really only works well if you are asked for advice and if the person listening does not like it they will rebuttal it. An interpretation response would be handy if you are to be explaining something such as why somebody could do a particular thing. Supporting a person that makes the statement is a good way to show support and reassurance. If you are unsure of all the details in a conversation the questioning method will prove useful because it can clarify the meaning and details of the conversation. Lastly, paraphrasing, by paraphrasing a conversation you are showing that you understand what you have been told and are interested in finding the root solution. (Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios, 2010) Conclusion The eight steps in this communication process are a complete approach to communicating successfully. Understanding and applying these steps is a great way to advance in business and in personal relations. Once you are more comfortable with how the communication process works, you should have also learned about how to listen and respond during appropriately. Successful communication will come in handy for every job that you have. If you follow the steps and listen to feedback, you will be able to learn from all your experiences and grow as a communications professional. Regardless of where and when you communicate, this process will be a helpful guide and valuable resource. References Cheesebro, T., OConnor, L., Rios, F. (2010). Communicating in the Workplace . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.. University of Phoenix. (2012). Communication Process. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, BCOM275 website.

Comparative Analysis Of Eigrp And Ospf Routing Information Technology Essay

Comparative Analysis Of Eigrp And Ospf Routing Information Technology Essay In this running era of technology, the technology of communication is increasing day by day. The communication networks plays important role to send any information like file or printer sharing, video streaming and voice conferencing etc and these days internet is the best medium to share information remotely and allow people to communicate, collaborate and interact with each other. All this information is managed by communication networks in which Routing Protocols are used to transfer information or packets across internet. The Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference model by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created Routing Protocols by which network is control and able to communicate with each other around world. The main job of Router is to provide best path to packet from source to destination by using various metrics values leading to many different properties of path and then calculated the best path for packet to reach destination in network. The numbers of Routing Protocols are available to manage the network or to connect multiple networks. Internet Protocol (IP) is the most commonly known protocol among all of them and In this thesis two most widely used protocols of intra Domain Routing Protocols will be analysed, which are Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Routing Protocol where as EIGRP is a Cisco proprietary Interior Gateway routing protocol via Distance Vector Protocols and OSPF routing protocol is Link-State Interior Gateway Routing protocol and also consider important protocol for real time applications. C:UsersG MomiDesktopUG ProjectAsessmentsCISCO1841.jpg Fig1[14] C:UsersG MomiDesktopUG ProjectAsessmentsnetworking-router.jpgFig 2[15] Aims and Objectives All routing protocols have different performance in the network so its important to choose the right one for your network and this selection can be done on the basis of network scalibilty, convergence time and bandwidth requirements. In this Project EIGRP and OSPF Routing Protocols are chosen and the comparitive anaysis of these two protocols in real-time trafic will be take place in different senario and evaluating which protocol will give best route real-time trafic. Further in this project, different routing protocols will be discuss as their features and properties and theoritical and simulation analyse will be done with quantative metrics. The Cisco Proprietary EIGRP is based on Diffusing Update Algorithm (DUAL) and its cost is calculated on the basis of delay and bandwidth [3] . on other hand OSPF routing protocol work on the bases of DIJKSTRA ALGORITHM or Shortest Path First (SPF) and the calculation of its cost is based on bandwidth [4]. These protocols uses different algorithm to route the trafic and this can be vary in convergence time and route proccessing delay according to their calculation so this can effect the network performance. To find out which protocol have better performance in large or small network, three different network models will be designed by EIGRP and OSPF routing protocols repectively by network simulator. 1.2 Project Methodology In this project two routing protocols EIGRP and OSPF will be analyse in by three methods:- A network model will be designed with EIGRP and simulation will be done in Cisco Packet Tracer and results will be observed. On the same designed network, OSPF will be impliment and performance will be recorded. And in the last same designed network will be impliment by both OSPF and EIGRP routing protocols to simulate the performance of real-time trafic. Routing Protocols Background Routing Protocols in IP networks are important to transfer data or any packet on time and responsible for sending packets to correct destination address and also these Routing Protocols are intelligent enough to select right information from relevant source and forwarding to destination node via one-hop or multi hop. Routing Protocols in router creates routing table by collecting information from the neighbour router which helps router to calculate the best path to forward the packet. All routing protocols are usually works on layer 3 (network layer). There are many classifications of Routing Protocols for example Static routing, dynamic routing and Link-State routing protocols further classes distance vector routing protocols, RIP, VSLM and CIDR, EIGRP and OSPF. Also these protocols help to build other network communication protocols for example wireless ad-hoc networks and mesh wireless networks and many other. The network in Internet is highly dynamic that is why its protocols are equally dynamic, among all Routing Protocols EIGRP and OSPF are two widely used protocols and both comes under dynamic routing protocols, in which EIGRP is based on Interior Gateway Routing Protocols and also EIGRP contains new features by which the market potential is expanded. OSPF is also Interior Gateway Routing protocol and works on Link-state and (SPF) Shortest Path First technology. Thanks to these routing protocol technology which increases and helped in improving the communication in such a perfect and correct way around the world. C:UsersG MomiDesktopUG ProjectAsessmentshomepage.jpgFig 3 [16] Overall Routing There are many routing protocols by which routers in different networks are able to communicate with each other with different properties. The following properties will provide overall view of Routing, what properties do router use and why. Desirable Properties of Routing Loop: While providing route for packet to reach destination, routing protocol are responsible to provide loop free route in network which results as low bandwidth used during process and can be used efficiently. Demand Based Operation: The demand based operation means that protocol should provide only the information when requested by node which helps to save the valuable resources used in network. Convergence: Convergence is basically occurrence of two or more things coming together, when ever link changes router automatically notice the change and process the update by calculating the new route and also forward the updated table. Convergence is totally depends on the routing protocols if convergence occurs in network it can result in bad route calculation or may drop the packet or time out. So the routing protocol should converge as fast as possible. Security: All protocols used in routing must ensure that the packets are transmitted with security to chosen destination. Multiple Routes: Routing protocols are responsible to provide multiple routes for the packets to reach its destination from its routing table when selected link by the routers fails or if there is any congestion on a particular route, this takes time to discover new route but by some selected routing protocols it is possible for router to do this job in seconds. Quality of Service: All Protocols doesnt support Quality of Service as fact there is no widely deployed QOS aware Routing Protocols. But some protocols do support the Quality of Service depending upon their intended network use, like in EIGRP bandwidth and delay are consider with static parameters and in OSPF only bandwidth is consider with static parameters. 2.2 Routing and Metrics 2.2.1 Metrics and its Purpose The cost of path in routing is based on the metrics parameters by metrics it is possible to compare or measure the path and all routing protocols select lowest metrics value among all values to determine the best path for routers. All Routing Protocols have their own metric calculation to decide the best bath. At a stage where routing protocol learn multiple path to reach remote networks or same destination and confused to select the right one, then lowest metrics value is used by routing protocols to choose the best path after calculating and comparing the cost of each path learned by routing protocols. Each protocol has its own way to calculate metrics and compare its value as mentioned before EIGRP works on the combination of delay, load, bandwidth and reliability and OSPF uses only bandwidth and as different for other routing protocols. 2.2.2 Metrics Parameters of Routing Protocol The metrics calculation of different routing protocols may results to select different path to same destination this is because different metrics values are used by different protocols. The following metrics are usually used in IP routing protocols:- Hop Count: some protocols count numbers of routers means hops through the packet will traverse to reach the destination like in RIP packets are traverse on the path with least number of hops. Bandwidth: After calculating the metrics if value is chosen bandwidth then path selected with highest bandwidth is preferable. Load: Some protocols select their path according to the load on the link, the lowest load on link is consider the best path to reach destination. Reliability: when reliability is chosen as metrics then path with highest reliability is selected, in this process reliability is calculated by the probability of the link failure in which can be calculated as from the previous recorded link failure or counting interface errors. Cost: cost can be defined as a metrics or a policy combined with metrics because cost is basically a value which is set by administrator or IOS (Internet Operating System) to select best path. 2.3 Classification of Routing Protocols Routing Protocols can be classified as:- Static and Dynamic Routing Protocols Distance Vector (DV) and Link-State Routing Protocols (LSR) Classful and classless Routing Protocols 2.3.1 Static and Dynamic Routing Protocols Static routing is basically used in small networks as its performance is bad because routing table constructed manually in static routing and routes are also fixed at boot time of router so that is why whenever new network is added or deleted within Autonomous System (AM) network administrator have to update it manually. Therefore it has good advantage in small network in which system administrator have full control of the network but on large networks this technology fails because it is hard to manage rapid changes in network topology and configure all routes manually. On the other hand Dynamic Routing Protocols routing is more widely used in large networks because in this routing table is created automatically and updated by message exchanging with adjacent routers, which means each router in the network have information about all other routers in the network and whenever any router is added or deleted the routing table is updated by different update methods like periodic update and trigger updates. The best route in dynamic routing protocol is based on their individual metrics and rules. Not only this there are many other reason of choosing Dynamic Routing instead of Static and for Dynamic Routing, route instability and creating routing loops are only the drawbacks which may cause. The most known Dynamic protocols are:- RIP A Distance Vector Interior Routing Protocol IGRP The Distance Vector Interior Routing Protocol by Cisco OSPF A Link-State Interior Routing Protocol IS-IS A Link-State Interior Routing Protocol EIGRP The Advanced Distance Vector Interior Routing Protocol by Cisco BGP A Path Vector Exterior Routing Protocol. 2.3.2 Distance Vector Routing Protocols Distance Vector Routing determines the best path by calculating the distance to reach the destination, as the name indicates Distance means the how far is destination by hop count metrics and Vector of distance represents term of next hop router or exit interface. Distance Vector Routing Protocols works on the basis of Bellman-Ford algorithm in which routing table is created and updated periodically by broadcasting the entire routing table to each of its neighbour. In Distance Vector each router maintains a distance vector for each destination which contains the information of next hop, destination ID and the shortest distance. This Protocols works on periodic advertisement of the shortest path by each router for example router sends its Distance Vector to its neighbours periodically containing the information of shortest path then the router in neighbour receives the information and updates its routing table and send the updated table periodically to its own neighbour and this process is continue works on the entire network in the time range of 10-90 seconds as depend on different Distance Vector Routing Protocols. In these protocols the router does not have the information of the entire path to the destination router. Router only counts the number of hops and has only the information of the direction and the interface from where the packet can be forwarded. Different metrics are used to update the information by distance vector protocols like in EIGRP the diffusion algorithm is used to select the cost of path to reach the destination. Advantage and Disadvantage of Distance Vector Routing The main advantages of Distance Vector Routing are as follows:- Simple and easy to understand as they work on the basis of router advertising processes but these protocols are efficient in smaller networks Distance Vector Routing Protocols are very easy to configure as just need to enable it on router interface and also they are very easy to manage. Main Disadvantages:- Large Routing tables in large networks, results as bad performance because thousands entries in routing table. Creating loops and slow convergence Problems with Scalability and not good in hierarchical routing Although by split horizon rule and triggered updates, Distance Routing Protocols are boosted as result convergence speed is increased. 2.3.3 Link-State Routing Protocols Link-State Routing (LSR) Protocols are those dynamic routing protocols which works DIJKSTRAS Shortest Path First (SPF) algorithm that is why this protocol is also known as Shortest Path First Protocol. The router configured with LSR protocol will always chose the shortest path to reach the destination in network. In Link-State routing protocols the information is stored in database called Link-State database and this routing information is exchange among all routers in network through Link-State Advertisements (LSA). If there is any link added or changed in the network topology then LSAs is flooded to all the neighbour nodes by which routing table are updated information is stored in their own database which describes the topology of the network. The database in these protocols contains the information cost of the each link in the network and this cost is calculated by algorithm called DIJKSTRAS algorithm and the cost of each link can also be set by administrator. After all Link-State routing protocols have excellent flexibility but more complex as compare to Distance Vector and LSR protocols have less broadcast traffic. The most known LSR Protocols are Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS). Advantage and Disadvantage of Link-State Routing Each router in Link-State Routing Protocol calculate the route independently, the main advantages are as follow: LSR have small Routing table which makes it react fast whenever their is change in network. LSR also have low network overhead and the size of the packet sent in network is very small. Drawbacks of Link-State Routing: Configuration is difficult which results use of large memory space. More complex as compare to Distance Vector. 2.3.4 Classful and Classless Routing Protocols Depending on the subnet mask the routing protocols can be separated as Classful and Classless routing. Classful: The Classful routing contains the same subnet mask in the network topology and the Classful routing protocols never send any information regarding subnet mask in their routing updates. The router does not belong to same network then Classful subnet mask will be applied to the route. Classful routing protocols are not widely used because they doesnt support VSLM (Variable Length Subnet Masks) and also they cannot support discontinuous networks. Classless: Classless routing protocols are just opposite to Classful as in this the subnet mask varies in the network topology and also subnet mask and network address both are included in routing updates. EIGRP and OSPF are also belongs to classless routing protocols. 3.0 Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) . EIGRP is Cisco proprietary protocol and this is enhanced version of Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP) [7], EIGRP was developed in 1992 and now days this protocols is being consider as more scalable for both large and medium networks. Diffusion Update Algorithm (DUAL) is used in EIGRP for calculating the routes to destination and also EIGRP has both properties of Link-State and Distance Vector Routing Protocols as it creates neighbour relationships and advertises the routes in network topology that is why it also called as Hybrid Protocol. 3.1 EIGRP Components EIGRP rely on the following four components:- 3.1.1 Diffusion Update Algorithm (DUAL) EIGRP uses DUAL by which loops are avoided in network and this mechanism is process by following concepts of DUAL:- Successor Successor means the first router or the first hop across network which provides the least-cost path to the destination. Feasible Distance The lowest cost required to reach the destination is basically known as Feasible Distance. Reported Distance The cost of router to reach a destination in a network is known by reported distance Feasible Successor Feasible Successor provides the loop free backup path to the destination, basically Feasible Successor if neighbour router in network. Feasible Condition This is totally depend on the value reported distance and feasible distance to select the Feasible Successor, means the value of advertised Reported Distance by router to destination should be less than feasible destination to the same distance. 3.1.2 Neighbour Discovery and Recovery This method allows routers to update their table dynamically with the information of other directly connected routers to the network and this information is exchange between routers with very low overhead as sending HELLO packets periodically throughout the network, router verify the connection with neighbour router by receiving HELLO packets from it. Usually these HELLO packets are sent periodically after every 5 seconds in high speed networks and with these HELLO packets advertise a HOLD time each time when they are sent by a router to make sure the connection is alive by receiving HELLO packets back. In EIGRP the default hold time is 15 seconds. By exchanging these HELLO packets advertisements between each other in the network, router updates their outing table, if the any router doesnt receive HELLO packets in between the HOLD time of EIGRP then the neighbour router will be discarded from the routing table. 3.1.3 Reliable Transport Protocol This protocol is used by EIGRP for guaranteed and ordered delivery of EIGRP packets to all the neighbour routers in the network and also Reliable Transport Protocol supports intermix transmission of unicast or multicast packets. EIGRP packets are different; some of the packets are reliably transmitted as required and some do not need any reliability for transmission although reliability is provided whenever there is need. 3.1.4 Protocol Dependent Module To support different network layer protocols, EIGRP uses PDM (Protocol Dependent Module) like Internet Packet Exchange (IPX) and Apple Talk. http://fengnet.com/book/CCIE%20Professional%20Development%20Routing%20TCPIP%20Volume%20I/images/07fig04.jpgFig 4 [Online Available] 3.4 Advantages and Disadvantages in EIGRP The main advantage of EIGRP routing protocol are:- Loop free routes are providing by EIGRP routing protocol. The configuration of EIGRP is very easy as compare to OSPF. Low convergence time EIGRP can work with VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Mask) Routing update authentication is also supported by EIGRP Disadvantages; The main disadvantage is EIGRP is Cisco Proprietary so can be use only on Cisco products. Routers from other vendors are not able to utilize EIGRP. 4.0 Open Shortest Path First OSPF is Link-State Interior Gateway Routing Protocol and it can use by other product as well because it is not Cisco Proprietary. OSPF works with single Autonomous system and distribute the information across the network. In OSPF the cost of interface is calculated by bandwidth and this cost is inversely proportional to bandwidth, Lower cost requires higher bandwidth [3]. As mentioned before OSPF routing protocols always select the lowest cost path to all available destinations with the help of DIJKSTRA Algorithm calculation. 4.1 Protocol Structure The following information is included in OSPF protocol structure [2] Version: indicates the current version of OSPF. Type: indicates five types of packets which are HELLO Packets, Database Description (DBD), Link-State Request (LSR), Link-State Update (LSU) and Link-State Acknowledgement (LSAck). Packet Length Router ID Area ID Checksum Au Type Authentication. 5. Related Works and Research There are many comparative analysis of EIGRP, OSPF and other related routing protocols have been proposed and still research is going on some of them are given below. Performance comparisons between OSPF and EIGRP in tactical IP networks. [18] Dynamic Routing Protocol Implementation Decision between EIGRP, OSPF and RIP Based on Technical Background Using OPNET Modeler. [19] Dynamic routing protocol performance in a fault- tolerant Ethernet-based IP network. [20] And many more other research related to this topic but there are very few comparison and analysis of OSPF and EIGRP routing protocols for real-time traffic. In this project comparative analysis of two most popular routing protocols EIGRP and OSPF will be done in Cisco packet Tracer with different scenarios in terms of metrics performance. Further detailed information will be included as theoretically of all related routing protocols. Conclusion This contextual report was presented as the part of BSc Computer Networking final year project on Routing Protocols to provide the overview of the project information and literature research and also as Project Initiation Document, in this report the purpose of the project is clearly mentioned and further artefact will be designed and implement later with more detailed information as scheduled.

Character of Beloved in Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay -- Toni Morrison

The Character of Beloved in Toni Morrison's Beloved Perhaps one of the most important issues in Toni Morrison's award-winning novel Beloved is Morrison's intentional diversity of possible interpretations. However the text is looked at and analyzed, it is the variety of these multiple meanings that confounds any simple interpretation and gives the novel the complexity. The debate rages on over many topics, but one issue of central and basic importance to the understanding of the novel is defining the different possibilities for interpreting the title character. As Robert Broad recognizes, "the question, "Who the hell is Beloved?" must haunt the reader of the novel," and the reader must come to some basic understanding of her character to appreciate the difficult stream of consciousness sections (Broad 189). But there may be no "basic" understanding available of Beloved, for she is a character that ostensibly refuses any single identity, either literal or symbolic. The critical debate on the topic is no more conclusive, and there is a sharp divide in the interpretations of the very nature of Beloved. Deborah Horvitz was one of the first to write on Beloved, and in 1989 she set the stage for much of the later criticism by assuming the supernatural origins of Beloved. Her essay "Nameless Ghosts: Possession and Dispossession in Beloved" extended Sethe's realization that Beloved is her dead daughter to include also the "Sixty Million and more" of the dedication (Morrison vi). Beloved is all African women who have died in the middle passage, and the families of those taken, and Sethe's mother. She returns for several reasons, some positive, some not. She is memory made corporeal, and it is through her that Sethe can first rememb... ...n Contemporary Fiction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. 127-157. Horvitz, Deborah. "Nameless Ghosts: Possession and Dispossession in Beloved." Toni Morrison: Beloved. Ed. Carl Plasa. Columbia Critical Guides. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. 59-66. House, Elizabeth B. "Toni Morrison's Ghost: The Beloved Who is Not Beloved." Toni Morrison: Beloved. Ed. Carl Plasa. Columbia Critical Guides. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. 66-71. Mbalia, Doreatha D. Toni Morrison's Developing Class Consciousness. Selinsgrove: Associated University Presses, 1991. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Plume, 1988. OED Online. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00241438. Oxford University Press, 2001. Osagie, Ilyunolu. "Is Morrison Also Among the Prophets?: "Psychoanalytic" Strategies in Beloved." African American Review. 28.3 (1994): 423-440.

Business Communication at Sainsburys and Cadburys Essay -- Business M

Business Communication at Sainsbury's and Cadburys Communication There are several different types of communication in a business such as Sainsbury's and Cadburys. INTERNAL Telephone ? When the business is a big building or is a group of small way which are close or far away when telling another group of colleges something important e.g. Telling them that their supplies have arrived. It is the main way of communicating around the business. Telephones are appropriate when you need to talk to someone when it is quicker to ring them rather than going all the way over to the person. Face to face communication ? This is when two of more colleges talk to each other face to face. This could be general slacking or telling them useful information. It is the quickest way of communicating. But if the receiver doesn?t write the message down they will forget the message and it may be important to the functioning of the business. Face to face is appropriate when you need to tell someone a message quickly and they are next to you or if they are in the same area as them. Meetings ? Sometimes it is important that everyone meets face to face to discuss business issues. Usually, an assistant writes down what was discussed and agreed. These are called the minutes and everyone gets a copy. One problem of a meeting is that they take time and have to be planned in advance to make sure that everyone can be there. Intranet - The advantages of Ict upon communica...

Crime Prevention Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Kids Being Charged with Felonies†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A felony is a crime in which the convicted may receive more than a year in prison for their actions. The paper that you are about to read is going to explore some of the issues about kids being charged with felonies. We will also examine some of the issues of how this is portrayed in our news media today. Furthermore, I will offer my opinion, on how kids being charged with felonies could be a positive step in the right direction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is real that in America today we have asked our kids to grow up at an alarming rate. There has been no other time in history that children are asked to be mature enough to handle adult situations with regularity. Many of the past generations just did what their parents told them to do. Mow the lawn, clean their bedroom, and maybe some household chores and so on. In today’s society we’re asking our youth to watch their younger siblings. We also ask them to use potentially dangerous technology at a mature level. Keep in mind that some adults can’t even use technology responsibly! Since we want them to grow up quickly we have to expect that they are going to make adult mistakes especially with the actual maturity level. Is it safe to say that some kids do something that wasn’t meant to be so harmful, and as it would turn out be so detrimental to their lives? When they do make a mistake should we give them adult punishments?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I start in Atlanta, Georgia where two girls baked a cake with glue in the batter and fed it to their fellow classmates. The two thirteen yr. old girls could be charged with up to twelve counts of assault. (CNN 11-19-04) It is situations like this were two girls could be in jail for a long time just because they were trying to pull off a prank.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Santee, California Charles Andre Williams, a student that was made fun of on a frequent basis brings a gun to school and gets off thirty rounds. The result was a death of another student. Williams had told several people the weekend before including an adult that he was planning to kill someone at school, but no one took him seriously. (CNN 3-8-2001) Again we ask students to make mature decisions, but it isn’t what we had in mind. The number of stories goes on and on including the King brothers who killed... ... juveniles. Hopefully someday we will come up with a positive solution that works. Until that day we can only hope that the fast maturing children of the world will mature enough to understand that nobody can just do whatever they want. There will always be consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reference   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legon, Jeordan â€Å"Student hacks school, erases class files†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-6/11/2003   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Girls charged over sickening cake†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-11/19/2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"An epidemic of violence†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-3/8/2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"King Brothers get reduced jail sentences†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-11/14/2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"School Shooting suspect to face attempted murder charge†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CNN-3/23/2001