Can Goblin Market Be Read As Anything More Than Just A Moral Tale Essays

Can Goblin Market Be Read As Anything More Than Just A Moral Tale Essays Can Goblin Market Be Read As Anything More Than Just A Moral Tale Paper Can Goblin Market Be Read As Anything More Than Just A Moral Tale Paper Essay Topic: Poetry In this essay Im going to be analysing Goblin Market, one of many poems written by Christina Rosetti. I will be discussing how the poem could be perceived by different audiences and whether it has other meanings apart from the obvious moral tale. There are several themes running through the poem many of which signify Rosettis lifestyle as a devout Christian, a member of the Pre-Raphaelite inner circle and more, I will pin point the important ones. One reoccurring theme throughout the poem is religion, as I mentioned earlier this plays a big part in Rosettis life. Many references are made although some indirectly. The poem begins at a market with goblins selling fruit, there is a chant all the way through the poem from the goblins saying come buy, come buy this is almost like the goblins are preaching in the street. Line one hundred and twenty eight is where Laura first tastes the fruit, the fruit is talked about as being forbidden, there is a link with the bible. In the story of Adam and Eve, the fruit is forbidden. The poem goes on and there are references to Jesus Christ, line four hundred and sixty six Lizzie comes back, the two sisters explain how they have missed each other. Lizzie has suffered for her sister like Christ did for Christians. The image of Jesus Christ and Lizzie are not dissimilar in the fact that they both participated in the world but managed to remain pure. Lizzie has redeemed her sister to make her ok again. Also in the same stanza line four hundred and seventy four it states Eat me, drink me, love me; this is a connection with the communion last supper, Jesus gave disciples food and wine. Some aspects of Goblin Market could easily be perceived as being a childrens fairytale, for example the language chosen by Rosetti is sometimes very child like. At the very beginning of the poem there is a mouth watering very appealing to young children list of juicy fruits, almost like a fantasy. Also line sixty seven features childlike language a dimpled finger. Examples of the poem being linked with fairytales would be she clipped a precious golden lock and moon and stars gazed in at the, wind sang to them a lullaby. Throughout the poem there are a few classic nursery rhyme lines, such as put a silver penny in her purse. Also as the characters are two young girls, children will be able to relate to them easily. Having discussed the fairytale aspects on the other end of the scale there are frequent references to a sexual nature. Line four hundred and five Tore her gown and soiled her stocking, could be suggesting rape. Christina Rosetti has worked in High Gate Penitentiary, a business devoted to saving lost and loose women, as she has had experience of working with women whove been raped she decided to include this in her poetry. There is also a mention of violence, streaked her neck which quaked like curd. Goblin market is an extremely contrasting poem, it contains violent and sexual issues (including prostitution) and on the other hand has countless child like references. Its hard to say who the poem was originally aimed for. I believe that a defenceless child reading the poem would be unaware of the connections to sexual behaviour. I think that this poem is a reflection of her life in the sense that many events that occur in the poem, she has experience of. As I have mentioned before Rosettis life does come through in her poetry, not just in Goblin Market others as well. All in all the poem is a very enjoyable although confusing poem to read! A year after it was written Goblin Market was interpreted by James Ashcroft Noble as a little spiritual drama of loves vicarious redemption, in which the child redeemer goes into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, that by her painful conquest she may succour and save the sister who has been vanquished and all but slain. William Michael Rosetti warned against a search for detailed symbolism, while accepting a general ethical significance for the poem: I have more than once heard Christina aver that the poem has not any profound or ulterior meaning- it is just a fairy story; yet one can discern that it implies at any rate this much- that to succumb to temptation makes one a victim to that same continuous temptation; that the remedy does not always lie with oneself; and that a stronger and mor e righteous will may prove of avail to restore ones lost estate.

Changes in Prisons in Twentieth Century in Britain Essay Example for Free

Changes in Prisons in Twentieth Century in Britain Essay In 20th century a lot of important changes was made in Britain prison system. A lot of crucial moves in this matter were made, which made changes to the system, and create the current system in prisons. A lot of reports and changes plans were made in this crucial for the matter period. The beginning for this period was made in 1895 with Gladstone report, which was highly critical of the current penal policy. It criticised existing regimes for ‘crushing self respect’ and ‘starving all moral instinct’. The report argued that reformation should coexist with deterrence and that rehabilitation should be given priority. Victorians focused upon repression and punishment. They used inflexible and punitive methods of control. Gladstone felt these should be replaced with more scientific methods of ‘treatment’. In addition, prison commissioners for the first time in 1898, defined the purpose of prison as the ‘humanisation of the individual’1. Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise insisted that ‘each man convicted of crime is to be regarded as an individual, as a separate entity of morality, who by the application of influences, of discipline, labour, education, moral and religious, backed up on discharge by a well organised system of patronage is capable of reinstatement in civic life’2. Weiner (1990) stated, â€Å"It is now recognised that primitive measures alone are not corrective, and effective reformation of criminals can only be attained by making our prisons true schools and moral hospitals†. Forsythe (1991) argues that new projects often fell short of the claims made for them. He says that in particular, the local and convict prisons ‘clung tenaciously to the concepts of measured punishment, moral culpability, limited deterrence and uniformly administered discipline’. It is a fact that the process of reform was often slow and not al all easy to perceive. From 1900 onwards a number of radical changes were made to the standard prison regime: 1) Unproductive labour was officially abandoned and replaced by prison industries and work considered ‘useful’, 2) The separate system was gradually eroded, allowing prisoners to work in association, 3) Education was increased and improved, 4) Internal discipline was maintained through a reward/punishment system related to the introduction of remission, 5) Specialists such as psychologists were appointed, 6) Prisoner categorisation was extended, 7) The Borstal system was introduced for juveniles, 8) A commitment to reformation became enshrined in the Prison Rule that stipulated that the purpose of imprisonment was to encourage prisoners to ‘lead a good and useful life’3, 9) During the 1930s the treadmill and arrows on convict uniforms were abolished. According to Garland (1985) the most radical reforms of this era took place outside of the prison system: 1) The introduction of the probation service, 2) Alternatives to custody emerged, 3) Construction of specialist institutions4. Garland views these major transformations as the beginnings of our current practice. Garland prefers to talk of developments in a whole realm of penality rather than prison reform5. Additionally, in 1908 Borstals6 were put on a statutory footing – implemented by Herbert Gladstone. The name Borstal comes from the village in Kent where the first Borstal scheme got its first full-scale trial. Borstals took English public schools as their model and their sentences were indeterminate. Criminals aged between 16 – 21 could be sent to Borstal for between one and three years. The prison Commission could release on licence at any time after six months (or three months for girls) and could also recall for misbehaviour. Borstal faltered after 1945 really because success rates were measured by reconviction rates. 1982 the administration of Margaret Thatcher formally abolished the Borstal and replaced it with the ‘Youth Custody Centre’ – with determinate sentences of imprisonment. Paterson7 replaced military type training with delegated authority and encouragement of personal responsibility. Staffs wore civilian clothing and were encouraged to get to know the ‘lads’ personally – considered revolutionary in the 1920s. The Borstal notion of training prisoners through personal relations, trust and responsibility gradually had an impact on the prison system as a whole. Two borstal elements were transplanted into the adult system with long lasting effects: 1. 1936 the first minimum-security (open) prison was established at New Hall, near Wakefield. 2. The housemaster was renamed ‘assistant governor’. The post war developments where about the Easier bail, Probation, Time to pay fines, a reduction in time to be served for a partial payment of fines, Reformatories for juveniles, Curtailment of imprisonment for debt and, More facilities for the insane and for habitual drunkards. In 1928 the then Home Secretary had described Dartmoor convict prison as ‘the cesspool of English humanity’ â€Å"I suppose there must be some residuum which no training or help will ever improve†8. Furthermore in 1948 Paterson and his colleagues framed Criminal justice Act. This was a highly influential piece of legislation. Borstal had represented the opposite view and resurrected the possibility of reformatory prison. Borstals and Detention Centres began to lose favour: neither for deterrence or reform was the short sentence acceptable. This is one of the elements in the English prison-crowding crisis – which became acute in the 1970s and 1980s and with which the country is still wrestling. Deterrence – Youth prisons known as Detention Centres were intended to subject boys (and half-heartedly, girls) who were thought to be on the verge of a custodial career to a last chance ‘short, sharp, shock’. Separate institutions for pre trial prisoners were planned but never created: these would be custodial but non-penal institutions. Due to the war, there were no funds and little sympathy for unconvinced detainees. McConville states that ‘thick skins and short purses ever since have ensured that English pre trial prisoners were treated worse than they were for virtually all of Victoria’s reign and much worse than their fellows who were convicted and sentenced’. The 1960s and early 1970s are seen as the beginning of the crisis years with British prisons. At last we can refer to System of Concentration. Mountbatten referred to the obvious advantages of an island prison holding all prisoners who posed a threat. A new prison was to be built on the Isle of Wight. This was rejected and the dispersal system became the preferred way of housing inmates. Since early 1966 new measurements of security have been implemented in selected prisons. Between 1969 and 1979 the prison service went through a number of riots. 70s and 80s dogged with accusations of brutality and violence directed at prisoners from the prison staff. Serious disturbances and riots had occurred in maximum-security prisons, which had led to reprisals against prisoners. British riots occurred within the new dispersal system: Parkhurst 1969, Albany 1971 & 1972, Gartree 1972, Hull 1976, and Gartree 1978. Hull riot will go down in history, as it was the prison staff who were ultimately tried and convicted. Special control units were introduced after the Gartree riot of 1972 for troublemakers over and above the existing segregation units. 1970s represent the years when reform and treatment had dwindled away and the whole prison system ran on the notion that ‘nothing works’. By 1978 both the courts and the prisons were in danger of serious collapse. Industrial relations were poor with prison staff. May Committee 1979 reported as a response to the previous troubled decade. They explored the issues of what the aim of imprisonment was; they agreed that the rhetoric of treatment and training had had its day. Finally, King and Morgan proposed the term ‘humane containment’: The current organisation of the prison system is heavily influenced by past practice. This has shaped the system that we now have today. So, it is difficult to assess progress of 20th Century. Harsh and punitive experience of prison overrides any idea of progressive treatment. Biggest rises can be seen from 1974 onwards. It is a fact that this matter is very important and serious for the society and has to be developed according to the needs of the society according to its progress at times. 1. Goffman, E. (1961) Asylums, Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. Harmondsworth 2. Jones, K. (1993) Asylums and After: A Revised History of the Mental Health Services from the Early Eighteenth Century to the 1990’s. 3. Morris, N and Rothman, D.J (eds). (1995) The Oxford History of the Prison. Oxford University Press. 4. Porter, R. (2002) Madness: A Brief History. Oxford University Press. 2 Ruggles-Brise quoted in Garland 1985. 3 Prison Rule 6 in 1949 but Prison Rule 1 since 1964. 4 such as Borstal where principles of rehabilitation were initiated. 5 â€Å"the prison was decentred, shifted from its position as the central and predominant sanction to become one institution among many in an extended grid of penal sanctions. Of course it continued to be of major importance, but it was now deployed in a different manner, for a narrower section of the criminal population and often as a back up sanction for other institutions, rather than a place of first resort†. Changes in Prisons in Twentieth Century in Britain. (2017, Nov 17).

Economic Injustices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic Injustices - Essay Example t involves exploitation of children as labor, also they are forced to work for longer hours, paid low wage rates, poor working conditions that endanger their health and they are denied their rights to education. (Liz Stuart (2005)) There are two factors that lead to child labor and they include the demand factor and supply factor, the demand factor refers to the demand by employers to employ children, firms will employ children given that the children are paid less wages, they are more obedient given that they are not members of any labor union and that these children can be coerced to work more hours. The supply factor refers to the supply of labor, children may want to work in order to support their families or even earn a living. An Article by Liz Stuart (2005) provides a good example of child labor, the article states that in 1996 it was discovered that some products that were being sold in Mark & Spencer shops were produced using child labor, it was discovered that the shops were importing cloths from a factory in morocco that employed children aged 12 years, when this was made public the girls were dismissed from the factory. (Liz Stuart (2005)) On going efforts to eliminate child labor include product boycotts, consumers refuse to buy products produced using child labor, in the above example of Mark Spencer the company was afraid of the consequences of a boycott and this is why they stopped employing children. Another effort to stop child labor is the implementation of laws by various organizations, example the UN declaration on children rights regarding child labor. (Katharine Johnson (2004)) Sweatshops refers a factory that employs labor for long hours and at the same time offering low wages, it is an economic injustice given that this is a form of exploitation whereby laborers are forced to work for more hours against their will and also are paid low wage rates. The firms earn large profits as a result of this form of exploitation, due to high

Susan Meiselas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Susan Meiselas - Essay Example The Maryland Art Source web page dedicated to Meiselas tells how she was given grants in order to begin film and photography programs in the school houses of the rural south. Later she was able to combine her teaching ideas with oral history and photography and she continued to work with teachers in New York city at the Center for Understanding Media. In 1976 she joined the Magnum Photos co-operative. The members portray and interpret world events , issues and people.Since that time Meiselas worked as a freelance photographer. She is best known for her pictures of human cruelty and coverage of human rights issues in Latin America, travelling in 1977 to Nicaragua to photograph the civil war then being conducted, with huge loss of life, between the forces of the dictator General Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­as and his Sandinista opposition. In 1981, she photographed a village in San Salvador which had been destroyed by the armed forces and also took photographs of the El Mozote massacre which took place in the same year when Salvadorean soldiers , who had been trained by the military of the United States, killed some 1000 civilians in the name of an anti-guerilla campaign. Her work is known world wide Meiselas has had many one-woman exhibitions in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Her photographs are included in more permanent exhibitions both in America and elsewhere. She has been honored with many awards in recognition of both her work and her courage including the Robert Capa Gold Medal for outstanding courage and reporting in 1979 given by the Overseas Press Club for her work in Nicaragua. This was followed by the Leica Award for Excellence in 1982, the Engelhard Award from the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1985. In 1992 she was named as a MacArthur Fellow. The Maria Moors Cabot Prize was given by Columbia University for her coverage of Latin America and she also

HRM of Sonoco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HRM of Sonoco - Essay Example The strategic value of the Human Resource Management Structure in the development and implementation of the organization’s goal cannot be gainsaid. Thus its involvement in any planning and roll out of strategies and initiatives is not only a must but mandatory (Little, 2011). Sonoco is a 100 year old organization that have survived wars and repeated economic crises. It is also a paternal organization that values relationship rather than performance. Sonoco will be examined in this thesis to assess how the value of human resource management will be applied. Background The growing role of Human Resource Management in organizations (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich, 2005) that enable it to play an important role in strategic initiatives cannot be made more apparent that in the case of Sonoco. For the better part of the last one hundred years Sonoco packaging company have successfully achieved uninterrupted growth coupled with impressive financial success. However, the past several glob al crises have also affected the primary customers of Sonoco that contributed to a drastic reduction in its fiscal performance. Despite these adverse economic situations Sonoco managed to grow through the acquisition of several other companies. In trying to survive several crisis that would include reduced local demands Sonoco also had to contend with the increasing visibility of off-shore competitors that severely undercuts its prices. To resolve these challenges Sonoco tried and failed to get the right talents that would give it a fresh perspective. Instead Sonoco experienced productivity issues. The unreliable market experienced during the case would have been as a result of poor production which is also a consequence of lack of... According to the research findings the growing role of Human Resource Management in organizations that enable it to play an important role in strategic initiatives cannot be made more apparent that in the case of Sonoco. For the better part of the last one hundred years Sonoco packaging company have successfully achieved uninterrupted growth coupled with impressive financial success. However, the past several global crises have also affected the primary customers of Sonoco that contributed to a drastic reduction in its fiscal performance. Despite these adverse economic situations Sonoco managed to grow through the acquisition of several other companies. In trying to survive several crisis that would include reduced local demands Sonoco also had to contend with the increasing visibility of off-shore competitors that severely undercuts its prices. To resolve these challenges Sonoco tried and failed to get the right talents that would give it a fresh perspective. Instead Sonoco experien ced productivity issues. The unreliable market experienced during the case would have been as a result of poor production which is also a consequence of lack of proper management by the group managers and corresponding supervisors within the packaging department. Some of the consequences of poor management experienced in the case study include but not limited to reduction in sales which negatively impacted the company creating a perception that the company is losing consumer interest in the global market.

Group work in Primary Schools

Group work in Primary Schools Group work, known to others as collaborative or cooperative learning, is defined as a situation in which, two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together [Wikipedia Contributors, 2010]. This paper focuses on how working collaboratively impacts both teaching and learning in primary schools. It describes the background to the development of collaborative learning and highlights the techniques often employed. The principles to effective group work are explained, with both advantages and disadvantages noted. Collaborative learning is a pedagogical strategy which utilizes a variety of learning activities to enhance a students understanding of a particular topic. This is an improvement to traditional learning models also defined as non-interactive lectures, where knowledge is gained from direct lectures or the reading of books and articles. Traditional learning commands very little interaction or participation from the students, therefore a lot or very little may be learnt depending on the individual. Collaborative learning consequently stands as a constructivist approach to learning, and is identified as originating from a constructivist epistemology, as students are asked to participate and contribute to their own learning and development. The ideas of scholars such as Burner, Kohlberg, Piaget and Vygotsky are used in the development of collaborative learning, which essentially implies that both the student and the environment are actively dynamic entities in the learning process as the student tries to impersonate the lessons. This process requires that knowledge be discovered and translated using language and other learning aides to which the students can actively relate. Lawrence Kohlberg researched the moral decisions made by children. His investigation is such that he developed an interview process offering a number of scenarios, each with a moral dilemma for which he had pre-determined answers. He realized that six stages of moral development existed and that some people are unable to reach most advanced levels of ethical interpretation. He thereby concluded that; the development of moral reasoning happens in a particular sequence, and that each step of the way is a precursor to the next [KidsDevelopment.co.uk, 2010]. Jean Piagets theory of Cognitive Development suggests that individuals go through a series of stages on their way to independent thinking. Piaget states that all knowledge concerning reality results from actions or operations upon it, which makes it change, revealing its stable and variational properties (Piaget, 1980 p222). Lev Vygotsky believed that socialization increases knowledge and often time changes a childs thoughts and behaviours. Vygotsky suggests that learning is achieved in three ways; imitative, instructed and collaborative. Imitative learning involves the student simply copying what was taught and instructed learning involves the student following directions previously given. Vygotskys work was focussed on two important ideas. First being the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); this describes the level of differentiation between a problem that a student can solve independently and a problem in which a student will require the assistance of others. ZPD is often identified as an individuals level of actual competency relative to their level for potential development. The second idea is known as scaffolding and describes the aspect of support given to students when it is desired. Group work allows students to work together in small teams, combining people with varying backgrounds, experiences, technical and intellectual competencies, towards the attainment of a specific objective. Each member of the team has the responsibility of learning the material for himself, while also helping other members to clearly understand the lesson thus creating an atmosphere of achievement (Palmer, Peters and Streetman. 2008). Students thereby gain both knowledge and social skills. The use of group discussions helps students to explain concepts and ideas by providing immediate feedbacks. Students learn how to troubleshoot cooperatively in order to find the best solution to a problem. When students formulate their own solutions in this manner, they are truly thinking critically (Davis, Mahler Noddings, 1990). Swortzel expresses that there are two major theoretical approaches to group work Motivational and Cognitive (Swortzel, 1997). Group work is seen as motivational because students recognize that their success or failure in the attainment of the specified goal is dependent on them being able to work together as a team. They thereby encourage each other to get the assigned tasks done properly and on time, in so doing cooperative learning increases students motivation to do academic work (Johnson, Johnson Holubec, 1986). The cognitive approach suggests that through group work students become more critical with their thinking. Students are stimulated to think outside the box, thus acquiring increased levels of perception, awareness, and reasoning and judgment abilities. Group discussions are very interactive with each individual expressing their viewpoint. Within a diverse group, there will be undoubtedly varying opinions consequently highlighting approaches to the same topic. A collaborative framework must first be established before the implementation of collaborative learning techniques. The teacher should research collaborative learning and observer other teachers who have already implement the use of group work. The teacher should grasp a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages to group work and must develop a keen appreciation for the technique of scaffolding. The teacher then needs to decide if collaborative learning is ideal for the subject being taught, the type of students and take into account classroom restrictions, if any. Teachers implementing collaborative learning are expected to be competent in the following areas: Specifying instructional objectives Determining group size and assign students to groups Determining Group Size and Assign Students to Groups Classroom arrangement Planning instructional materials to promote Interdependence Assigning group roles Assigning tasks Structuring positive interdependence and accountability Explaining the criteria for success Specifying desired behaviours Before implementing collaborative learning the teacher should explain to the students their decision for the use of group work and explain the advantages and disadvantages. The determination of group sizes may vary depending on the nature of the task and the workload. Groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous, grouping students with similar interests and strengths or they may be totally randomly selected. Once groups are established they usually do not change very often, so as to allow students to develop a constructive working relationship with each other. It is important that the furniture in the classroom be organized in a way which allows the students to work as a unit, preferably facing each other, whilst allowing for their flexible movements. Teachers should take into account the existing resources needed for successful task completion and ensure that they are readily accessible by the groups. The instructions and materials a teacher chooses for a group should ensure that each member of the group makes a meaningful contribution and that individual assignments within the group will be evenly distributed. Teachers should structure positive interdependence and accountability by regularly testing both the groups and the members of the group for understanding of the subject matter. Members should be encouraged to be able to actively defend the stance of the group and their own. The criteria for success of the group should be clearly communicated and measures put into place to evaluate the groups performance as a unit as well as the individual performances of the members. Once the groups have been established, teachers need to monitor the behaviour of the students and assist with needs while monitoring. In so doing, teachers may assist with the answering of questions and provide and alternate point of view or opinion. Teachers may also provide feedback on the work completed or the progress made. Should conflicts arise within the groups, teachers should intervene to ensure that such conflicts are quickly resolved and explain the implications of undesirable behaviours. It is also very important that teachers provide approbation and, or motivation where it is deserved. Students play the most important role in the art of collaborative learning. Their roles include and are not limited to, working together, actively listening to each other, keeping records of work and progress, questioning each other, assuming personal responsibility and completing the assigned task. An article written by Dillenbourg and Schneider states that there are a few mechanisms to collaborative learning: Conflict or Disagreement, suggesting that when peer to peer conflicts arise, social factors cause learners to ignore the disagreement and to some extent forces them to find a feasible solution to the problem. One aspect of this theory states that diverging viewpoints usually lead to academic gains, while the other states that when conflicts are not verbalized they do not predict positive outcomes (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). This article draws two conclusions relative to this mechanism one being that slight misunderstandings can be as efficient as a clear conflict between two agents who respectively believe P and not P and the second being that verbal interactions generated to solve conflict are related to learning outcomes (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). Alternative Proposal also referred to as the confirmation biases by Dillenbourg and Schneider (1995). In so doing students actively develop ideas that support their suggestions and completely disregard ideas that do not. They often times cannot abandon their idea or suggestion because another suggestion may not be forthcoming; however other group members make alternate suggestions. (Self-) explanation; the Self-Explanation effect, as it is in known in many cognitive science literature, describes that in a situation where one student is more knowledge that the other, the latter will automatically learn from the form, and also that the former will grasp a better understanding of the topic being explained as he endeavours to translate into to terms to with the latter student can actively relate. Having successfully explained the more knowledgeable student would have improved upon his skills to interrelate and gained improved confidence. Had there been any uncertainties in the explanation, someone even more knowledgeable might be able to clarify. Internalization; the article explains this mechanism as one in which students explain or justify their suggestions to each other, the verbalization of such impacts all involved and that the concepts communicated are integrated into the listeners reasoning. Thinking is viewed a discussion that one has with oneself and which develops on the basis of discussions we had with others (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). The article also states that for this mechanism to be effective a few conditions must be met, One condition is that subjects can only assimilate concepts which are within their zone of proximal development, i.e. within the neighbourhood of the current cognitive level. Another condition is that the less able peer is not left as a passive listener, but participates into the joint problem solving strategy (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995) Appropriation, this is explained as one student observing the ideas or explanations of another and taking those ideas or explanations and building on it to make their own. Learning is two-fold as the first student reinterprets his actions relative to that of the second, and the second student got a sound foundation on which to build. Shared Cognitive Load, this involves the distribution of tasks which will come together to achieve the overall objective of the group. When the workload is even shared between students, each student can work meticulously on the assigned task, thereby eliminating redundancies and improving the efficiency of the group. Mutual Regulation, by employing any of or a combination of the mechanisms previously described, students often have to regulate the actions of each other to ensure that the stipulated guidelines are adhered to for the attainment of their goals. Social Grounding, described lucidly by Dillenbourg and Schneider as the mechanism by which an individual attempts to maintain the belief that his partner has understood what he meant, at least to an extent which is sufficient to carry out the task at hand (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). This mechanism requires the speaker to check for understanding, and where misunderstand is visible to clarify, thereby building a share understanding of the problem. George W. Gagnon. Jr., and Michelle Collay developed another design for collaborative learning and in this model teachers develop a series of steps that their teaching structure follows as listed below: They develop a situation for the students to explain (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They select a process for groupings of materials and students (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They build a bridge between what students already know and what the teachers want them to learn (Gagnon and Collay,2004) They anticipate questions to ask and answer without giving away an explanation (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They encourage students to exhibit a record of their thinking by sharing it with others (Gagnon and Collay, 2004), and They solicit students reflections about their learning (Gagnon and Collay, 2004). A comparison of there collaborative techniques, is illustrated in Appendix 1. Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991) highlights three key tasks teachers should follow for the evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness after there group work is completed. Firstly, teachers should provide a closure through summarization. That is, to summarize the lessons important points or to have each group explain their work and the points they found of most significance. Secondly is to evaluate the students learning, by assessing how they have attained or failed to attain the desired outcome and providing the feedback required, allowing students to improve on their ability to work as a group and hence personal development. Thirdly, teachers should make note of the techniques that worked and why they worked and if necessary adjust their lessons. A popular definition of constructivism is that Constructivism is a theory of knowledge which claims that knowledge is not passively received but actively constructed by the learner, and that the function of cognition is adaptive, serving to organise experience, rather than discover reality(online, 2010) Group work has academic, social and physiological benefits to both students and teachers. Academic benefits include: the development of critical thinking and the active involvement of students in the learning process. The social benefits include: the development of social learning systems for students and builds diversity understanding among students and teachers. The physiological benefits include: increased self-esteem through peer-to-peer instructions and it reduces the anxiety of students. Although collaborative learning seems to be dependent on the actions and willingness to learn, which should for many be a natural process, there are many disadvantages as there are advantages to is implementation. A few of the obstacles faced are; some students prefer to work competitively rather that collaboratively, teachers lack the ability to readily assess the work produced, teachers sometimes do not know how to measure the effectiveness of their teachings in a collaborative setting, sometimes the assigned tasks are not applicable to a students goals or abilities, and sometimes the tasks are not difficult enough to challenge but not so difficult as to stonewall a conversation. Some groups may be comprised of slow learners who may be viewed as others as invaluable, thereby promoting superior behaviour by the fast learners. Table 1, Appendix 2, illustrated various group structures and the advantages and disadvantages to these groups. Nigel Hastings and Karen Chantrey-Wood from Nottingham Trent University explores the many strategies teachers utilize in group work activities, many of which are strongly endorsed by a committee known as the Plowden Committee. By spending time with groups of children, teachers could adjust their teaching to the needs of the individuals of that group to a greater extent than when working with an entire class of students as a whole. This also ensures that all children have a reasonable amount of direct contact with their teacher regardless of the fact that they are working in groups [Hastings Wood, 2002]. This suggests that collaborative learning enhances the occurrence of individualized attention given to students, by introducing one-on-one interactions between students and peers and students and teachers. The article also illustrates that classroom arrangement is very important in ensuring that collaborative learning is efficient and effective. It shows that collaborative learning in widely accepted and very commonly practiced across the globe; In primary classrooms throughout the UK, it is standard practice for children to sit around grouped tables usually with four to six children in each group. Such arrangements are also common in primary schools in other English-speaking countries, Australia and USA for example. Precisely because this configuration is so normal and so well established in our schools, it is unusual to ask about its rationale or to question its appropriateness [Hastings Wood, 2002]. An abstract written from an experiment conducted by Gillies and Ashman, One hundred and ninety-two Grade 6 children participated in a study which compared the effects on behavioural interactions and achievement of (a) cooperative learning in which group members were trained to collaborate to facilitate each others learning, and (b) cooperative learning in which members were not trained but were merely told to help each other. Stratified random assignment of participants occurred so that each gender-balanced group consisted of one high-, two medium-, and one low-ability studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Gillies Ashman, 1999). The observations showed that the students who worked in the Trained groups where more responsive and helpful to each other, giving explanations where necessary to assist as they worked together. It showed that students in the untrained groups were a lot less helpful towards or cooperative with each other. From the results it was also concluded that the children in the trai ned groups exercised more autonomy with their learning and obtained higher learning outcomes than untrained peers (Gillies Ashman, 1999). This study is one of the many to attest to the success of group work. Despite some drawbacks Collaborative learning has numerous benefits, as is explained, ranging from academic to physiological and it implementation in primary schools is quite a positive move. Students at the primary school level are quite impressionable and there is no better time for them to develop the very valuable competences that working in a group has to offer. At the primary school level they are mature enough to have an understanding of what group work requires. Many of the studies conducted were centralized around childhood developments. Students who can successfully work in groups from the primary school level are usually better equipped for when entering higher level learning institutions. They would have learnt to comfortably relate with peers and adults, such as teachers or other authority figures, they would have learnt the value of self-expression and self-explanation, actively listen and respect the views of others. These students realize that as individuals we have d ifferent backgrounds, experiences and traditions and as such may have diverging approaches to the same problem. These students will also be better able to differentiate between the need to work collaborative and the need to work competitively and in so doing will know when best to apply the respective approaches. This research has revealed that both the teachers and the students play a pivotal role in the success of collaborative learning. Teachers are not expected to only assign tasks and sit back while the students work on their own. Teachers must play an active role throughout the process. They must plan for the assignment with clearly structured tasks that will promote collaborative interactions, promote interdependency and stimulate cognitive thinking among students. Teacher must monitor the process providing ongoing feedback and be readily able to resolve conflicts should they arise. Teachers should be able to actively scaffold their students, knowing when their support is needed and that it should gradually be withdraw. Students in order to successfully achieve their objectives in groups must appreciate the benefits of group work. They must have a clear understanding of the desired objective and the sub-task requirement to successfully achieve the objective. They must be able to actively and reflectively listen to each other and utilize creativity and objectivity to work positively together. In so doing they will learn to foster positive work attitudes with others, thereby improving on their interpersonal skills as they prepare for the work world. Appendix 1 Three Constructivist Design Models [1] 1. The Learning Cycle 2. The Learning Step developed by George W. Gagnon. Jr. and Michelle Collay 3. The Information Construction (ICON) model created by Robert O. McClintock and John B. Black, and is very similar to Dillenbourg and Schneider. Appendix 2 Table 1: Forms of Cooperative Groups[2] NAME OF GROUP WHAT IS THIS? WORKS BEST FOR BENEFITS DRAWBACKS Pair-share 2 students with one problem share their ideas or questions. Each person speaks, listens, gives feedback. Content that requires discussion, reflection, or explanation. Increased engagement time, Helps those who are shy Fewer perspectives and solutions Jigsaw Each member of the small group researches one part of the question /content for a certain amount of time. The members of the group come back together. Each member teaches his/her part to the rest of the group. Content with four or five parts to research. Students gain teaching and research skills Some students feel pressured by a time limit Split-class discussion The class is split into half. Each side discusses /debates their knowledge /beliefs, etc. Debates or discussions Students may change their opinion or develop a different perspective Some students may speak less with such a large group. Random groups of 3 Class is split into groups of 3. The groups discuss the topic. Predicting what will happen, responding to a situation. Receive a variety of feedback, group members are accountable Easy to leave out or team up against a shy student or one who has a different opinion Ability/Interest/Friendship Group Students are divided into groups based on some quality that they all have in common. Creating plays/skits or an activity in which students must work together outside of class. Students can work at a pace that best suits them, students are rarely bored and often motivated It is unrealistic to find a completely homogeneous group, weaker or unpopular students may be excluded. Diversity Groups Students are formed into groups where they come from a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, etc. Exploring geography, history, and diverse lifestyles. There are many opportunities to gain different perspectives Minorities may become alienated Multi-aged groups Students are divided into groups in which there are a mixture of ages Older students teaching younger students (i.e. science experiments). Older students- there is less pressure to compete with peers, Younger students fell important that an older person is spending time with them Older students may be a bad influence; Older students may not know how to work with a younger child or an at risk student Peer-led Conferences Students prepare and lead a discussion of material with parents, instructors, students, etc. A major project in which students set up stations for several intelligences. Students get the opportunity to authentically teach, students learn self confidence. Students whose parents are inactive in the school may be alienated from those whose parents participate; some students may not be involved in interactions. Notes: These diagrams were obtained from: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/implementation_sub1.html This table was obtained from: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Cooperative_Learning#Frequently_Asked_Questions_about_Cooperative_Learning

Attention Leads to Confidence in the Chrysanthemums Essay -- John Stein

Women, always have and always will love receiving attention; especially when that attention is from a male because girls just like feeling special above all else. In The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck, Elisa Allen likes this recognition as well. However, her husband Henry is selfish and too occupied to deal with Elisa and this makes her feel unimportant. Later on, when the man on the wagon arrives at the ranch Elisa and her chrysanthemums find the respect that every woman hopes to secure. Nonetheless, that respect given to Elisa was brief since the man discards her confidence and her chrysanthemums on the road. Therefore, it is clearly evident that the amount of notice bestowed to Elisa and her chrysanthemums alludes to her level of confidence. Throughout the story, Henry Allen’s selfishness and mixed priorities result in the neglect of Elisa which causes her to feel unappreciated and unloved. Elisa is not very comfortable around her husband Henry, this fact is illustrated when â€Å"he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens† (Steinbeck 270). By keeping Henry outside of the garden, on the other side of the fence it is shown that Elisa does not trust him to get near her chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums are very symbolic in the story as they symbolize Elisa Allen herself, and her only source of joy in the world. Henry is not welcomed into the garden for fear that her confidence, joy and beauty may be crushed. Henry opposes Elisa and the hard work the protagonist has put into her chrysanthemums. Henry tells her that â€Å"[he wishes she would] work out in the orchard and raise some apples [as big as her chrysanthemums]† (Steinbeck 270). In d oing so, Elisa’s efforts go un... ... cries because her dignity is gone, and it becomes a realization that she will never get the attention she seeks, the one that will give her the confidence she needs. It appears as though hope is non existent for Elisa Allen and that is why the protagonist is described as â€Å"crying like an old woman†. In conclusion, Elisa’s level of confidence is directly proportional with the amount of attention given to herself and her chrysanthemums. Henry’s selfishness causes Elisa to experience feelings of neglect. The bearded man’s interest in Elisa makes the protagonist feel very confident as a woman. Eventually, this same man makes Elisa realize that her expectations of men were too high as the man threw away her only source of joy in the world. When receiving unexpected extra attention, be prudent because it may be for other reasons than the one originally thought.