The Movie “Serpico” and Police Corruption Research Paper Example

The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption Paper The movie, â€Å"Serpico†, (Maas, 1973) was based on a true story about Frank Serpico, a New York police officer who wanted to expose the corruption in law enforcement and went undercover in order to reveal their criminal activity. He is offered a share of the money in which the corrupt officers share and when he refuses to take part in their activity, he is shunned by his fellow officers and they don’t want to work with him and he remains in danger because he chooses to be honest. Serpico understands that the other officers in his force, are likely to place him in a position that is ultimately, life threatening. Al Pacino plays the role of Frank Serpico, in this movie, who was a real life NYPD detective, (Cannan, 1997) who almost died because of his loyalty to his belief that good cops really do exist. Even when Serpico talks to his superiors in his department, he gets nowhere. Police Commissioner, White acted as if he didn’t care about Serpico’s concerns and ignored his plea for help. We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Serpico was sure that there were as many crooked cops working in New York City, as there were criminals. He remains loyal, throughout the movie, to his strong belief that police officers should be trustworthy, even though it places his own life in imminent danger. When Commissioner White doesn’t help, Serpico took his plea to a New York Times editor. With the scandal being talked about causes the mayor of New York City to conduct an intense investigation; The Knapp Commission, into Frank Serpico’s bold claims. Frank Serpico became a police officer in 1960 when he had faith in law enforcement and thought that criminals were arrested with traditional methods without using excessive force while arresting them. Seeing all the corruption, Serpico wanted to refrain from joining in one the corruption and asks another officer, by the name of Bob Blair, whom he trusts, to help him in his battle against criminal activity within the New York City police force. Eventually, Serpico went to court, in order to expose the corrupt officers who had tried for so long to bring him down. He testified to the fact that he had witnessed the corruption with his own eyes. The definition of corruption is described as â€Å"forbidden acts involving misuse of office for gain.† (Trautman, 1997) Author, Jack Gattanella tells us about the movie, â€Å"Serpico. â€Å" He says, â€Å"The real powerhouse performance by Pacino, thirty years down the line, still one of his finest.† Al Pacino was perfect for the role of Frank Serpico. Pacino depicted Serpico as an honest and good natured cop who only wanted to do the right thing while exposing those officers who weren’t. Global standards to combat corruption in police forces and services, (Interpol, 2007) have a duty to ensure honesty and ethical behavior and should use force in normal boundaries, in police departments. Frank Serpico (U.S. News, 2007) states that, â€Å"Frank Serpico, the former New York City cop who became a symbol for police honesty, lashed out at society’s leaders.† Serpico continues to hold strong to his faith that society can be led by honest individuals who hold police positions. From the very beginning of the story, where Al Pacino is slumped over in his car seat and dripping blood on his car seat, on his way to the hospital to get treatment for his injuries from being shot, the movie is shown as flashbacks in Serpico’s mind as he thinks about his days of being an honest cop, until the end of the story where he is testifying against the corrupt officers who tried to kill him. Police corruption still remains in our society as we read in Daniel J. Shanahan’s book, â€Å"Badges, Bullets and Bars†. (Shanahan, 2006) We learn a firsthand account of police disloyalty on the force as Shanahan tells us about some of his own experiences while being a cop. Frank Serpico was very courageous in his fight to show human decency and honesty in this movie. He left behind guidelines for all officers who work in law enforcement and will always be remembered as an early display of the way cops are supposed to perform in their duties. In today’s society, there still remains corruption in law enforcement but we still do have loyal officers just like Frank Serpico who are truly dedicated to their careers and work toward upholding the proper standards of the law and not getting involved in pocketing money that doesn’t belong to them, while performing acts that are of criminal nature. â€Å"Serpico† proved to be both educational and enlightening about the corruption in New York City police forces.

People Should Consider Owning a Pet Because Doing so Can Relieve Stress

People Should Consider Owning a Pet Because Doing so Can Relieve Stress Introduction People often deliberate on complicated techniques of reducing stress such as practicing yoga, meditation or sports activities. These are great techniques, but the issue of having a pet as a best friend is unique and one of the recently discovered best practices of relieving work-related strains or stress. Human friends are good and unique social beings compared to pets, since they provide a variety of social-economic benefits including stress reliefs. This paper will however form an analysis of the social benefits of owning or caring for a pet particularly benefits that relate of stress reliefs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on People Should Consider Owning a Pet Because Doing so Can Relieve Stress specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dogs and cats are furry and fun to play with. Does interaction with these animals provide stress-relieving benefits? The paper will analyze some of the health benefits that a p erson can get through interaction. It will also check on benefits of providing care for pets such as dogs or cats among others. According to Heath and Schofield (429), research indicates that persons who are able to cater for pets get some extra unique benefits linkable to excellent social supports. Arguably, the social interaction between humans and animals is more beneficial in terms of health gains and stress relief, than just mare friendship or pattern of living. Control of mood Living with a pet provides a chance to adjust the frame of mind, since pets have some loving touch and caring looks, which make owner to adjust from any bad moods automatically (Lundy and Janes724). Various scientific explorations support a range of benefits that relate to keeping a pet, especially for someone with a chronic illness. The animals’ mood-enhancing techniques are unique discoveries of solving stress or moodiness. Exercising Exercising is one of the main ways to control work-related p ressure or stress. The process of finding and sticking to a daily exercise routine is not easy, since it requires good discipline. Pets are a good means of encouraging an exercise or a routine. Pets also follow a certain routine such as engaging in a morning or else evening stroll, walk or run. Such routines have to be accompanied by the pet owners, who provide the companionship. Analysis of the daily walk routines indicates that the pet owners will engage a constant procedure or working-out, without notice of any form of fatigue. This routine is more applicable for owners who live in urban settings (Robino, 32). Exercise is generally a good, health and important means of managing stress. Owning a pet therefore means engagement in such a practice, thus increasing the daily health benefits. Pets will therefore encourage owner to engaging daily working-out schedules. Social support Taking a pet for a walk around the park provides people the opportunity approach and talk to the owner. It creates an opportunity for others to comment, thus making the owner to be more socially approachable. The pets also present a starting point for a social talk therefore providing opportunity to increase the number of new friends. The owner has increased chances of expanding his/her social network through such daily meeting with new friends, particularly during the walks. According to Evenson and Simon (1), social friends and acquaintances that one is able to meet may turn out to be very resourceful in providing great stress management benefits.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Loneliness One of the main sources of stress is loneliness since a person suffers from redundant form of thinking, that mainly focus on personal weaknesses. Pets therefore provide a unique companionship and love, whereby one is able to enjoy by sharing the solitude. The excellent, special and reserv ed snuggles of the pet often accompany the loneliness. â€Å"Pets would therefore be the best antidotes for any form of stress that relating to loneliness† (Brock and Grady, 57). This is evident with people in special homes or care centres. They suffer less lonely times when there have pets to care for, than even when they spend time with human beings. The stress reduction mechanism in this case has direct relation to pet ownership. The animals provide ways of reducing the strenuous feelings of isolation and low social sustenance from people. Considering the home-care example, the aged people may suffer from isolation since they receive very short visits. Even the long-shift visits are incomparable to the pet’s un-interactive but full-time companionship visits. Stress Reduction by Humans Compared to Pets Talking to a good friend and a keen listener is very critical. We often share our life experiences and strenuous problems. Researches indicate that times spend sharing the stressful or strenuous feelings with a pet are much better than meditation (Brock and Grady, 57). Sharing is therefore less stressful when the pet provides the support compared to getting support from friend or family members (Brock and Grady, 57). The presence of a family member or spouse tends to compromise the sharing session due to feeling that one may judge the expressed feelings. Pets on the other hand have no ability to judge, and therefore provide the loving support regardless of the situation or feeling. Therapeutic care Pets have a special attraction to their caregivers. Dog has affection and care for the owner thus the reason they are man’s best friend. It shows this affection wholly during play and thus is able to assist one to achieve and maintain happiness in numerous interesting field activities. There is a very extensive link between pets and their ability to relieve stress. Pets also assist in gaining other health-related benefits that are essential in r elieving stress. Historically, pets provided good therapeutic care for the owner, through address of various beneficial jobs. The pet’s playfulness and joy during performance of duties is amazing and encouraging particularly for a broken character. Dogs therefore undergo various therapies and training programs in the aim of ensuring that they are in a position to provide assistance in time of need.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on People Should Consider Owning a Pet Because Doing so Can Relieve Stress specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A good use of the rehabilitation program is provision of assistance and other forms of beneficial care, such as comforting the elderly in health or day-care settings. The pet therapists assist in controlling grievances such as losses and other traumatizing situations. Distinctive pets such as horses can assist in physical activities for instance movement. They also assist those wh o have physical strains or challenges. Research is currently trying to find the truthfulness of implication that dog pets can assist children learn to improve their reading skills (Brock and Grady, 58). The therapeutic pet therefore seem an excellent means of assisting human beings overcome complicated issues that can cause stress, and generally they assist one to achieve their wellbeing. Fitting In Pet are domesticated animals that fit in to all types of families (super-rich, poor or middle class). The need to own a pet depends on personal choices, since some people have the inevitable eagerness to own one due to their love for specific spices. Most pet owners feel relaxed and happy to own a pet of their choice. Owning a pet therefore cause a close relationship with this pet of choice. Pets offer people a comforting, happy and friendship feeling, which is rare to find from other sources. Old people in particular have fear that comes in with age and they often feel insecure. Young p eople who should be giving them attention, affection and security seem not to be concern of these needs. They fail to pay attention to the elderly when they are actually in dire need for the attention or consideration. Pets such as cats or dogs on the other hand provide this critical care by being by the sides of these aged people, who can then touch and feel their warmth. The pets always reciprocate the pampering by rubbing their bodies against people or by trying to feel them back. Pets provide the elderly some opportunity to experience how good it feels to pamper someone even when the caretakers provide very little time or attention. They also share some activities with the pets such as walking around. These healthy activities ensure people remain in shape as well as ease them deep and stressful thoughts. The pet acts as a stress eliminator in many unique ways such as taking cover of many activities that requires sharing. Indoor pets are often affectionate and friendly and thus p rovide comfort by ensuring the caregiver is not lonely or bored. Cats are predominantly playful and appear to tease someone who is in a meditational state.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They therefore know how to bring back the attention of someone who seems to be worrying. Their playfulness eases stress when the caregiver or the elderly person participates in their initiated activities, such as running or playing around the house. Relieving Emotional Stress Most pets are very interactive; cats particularly appear to be good listeners. This means that one can share with them some of their deeper emotions, particularly in view of the fact that they cannot share or broadcast the information, they provide an opportunity to share secretive information that would otherwise be hard to disclose to fellow human beings. They also form a reliable outlet for the emotions and this make the person sharing information to relax, even when there is a huge probability that the pet will take no action to address the issue. Sharing enables one to feel relieved, even when solutions are not viable. Today various pets such as dogs or cats are trained to perform certain tasks such as gui ding the blind. The visually impaired would therefore not need to worry about finding their way. Pets also learn various tricks or ways of entertaining people. Different pets provide dissimilar optimistic feelings for instance, birds and fish attract attention due to their movements and beauty. Watching them for a while makes one feel peaceful and relaxed. There is a great peace of mind developed when one is keenly admiring different fishes swim in a fishpond or an aquarium. A relaxed mind means stress-free time, therefore these pets are able to build back a stable and focused mind for better concentration over other development projects. Animals are a great source of rumour, which is known as a main source of stress reliever (Evenson and Simon, 1). The playful nature of pets provides the owner with a free show that causes great fun. Their acts are animated and natural; therefore, they present a funny, yet a safe show. Psychological gains The overall mood of a person is greatly impr oved when a furry friend such as a cat is involved. Unlike human beings, animals do not determine if a person is moody before engaging an activity. They innocently provide a warm welcome to people or try to incite an amusement form them, despite the bad temper. It is impossible for any disgruntled person to remain in such as sombre mood after such a warm welcome. Pets therefore have unique ways of destructing people especially diverting their caregivers from stressful activities by introducing entertaining performances (Case, 104). Their unconditional affection changes the bad or stressful moods to better feelings. They also offer companion to lonely people and ensure that the loneliness is disrupted. The pet is also non-judgemental and sharing feelings or day’s event with them eliminates chances of bad feelings or solitude that can lead to stress. Economic Advantage Pets provide the owners with a relief from stress recovery procedure that is better than hospital or psychiatr ic therapy. The relief is cheap and fully available through companionship. The elderly homes do not need entertainment programs to keep the spirit alive, introduction of a pet lightens up the place. Other than therapy equipments, day care homes for the elderly and for those recovering from illnesses are fit with fish aquariums where they can watch the fish glide around and the amusement eases pressure related illnesses (Heath and Schofield, 429). There are huge feelings of affections and fulfilment in caring for a pet such as by feeding, cuddling, grooming or giving general care. The nurturing instincts provide relaxed and stress-free feeling. Having a pet makes the owner or caregiver to act naturally from instincts as opposed to following some defined lifestyle or arranged style of soothing stress. Many doctors have various ways of helping people relieve stress including use of strong medication, but people should know that natural ways like keeping a pet assists in curing such com mon conditions. Conclusion Although pets come with extra caring needs, the weight between benefits of owning a pet outweighs the shortcomings. Their support in times of stress is more essential and critical especially during tough times, when the furry touch provides the required lovely feeling. The unconditional love is hard to find among humans beings, but the pets love their owners unreservedly and thus the reason cuddling or snuggling them provides a relief. They also have a comic nature due to their animal character or ability to perform ridiculous acts, which keep life lively. Comic lifestyle relieves stress and makes one forget lifestyle troubles. Dogs require walks that increase a person’s level of exercising. Such physical activities have been proven as main stress relievers. When one has a dog pet, the aggressive nature makes them feel safe. Various pet have unique ways of alerting the owner over possible attacks or dangers such as fire or smoke, and the maintenance of such peace reduces chances of ailing as well as increasing stress-related worries. It is important to fuss over one’s pet because scientist have proven this as a major way of relieving stress that relates to blood pressure, cardiovascular illness or stress-related conditions. Brock, Barbara. and Grady Marilyn. â€Å"Avoiding burnout: a principals guide to keeping the fire alive†. California, CA: Corwin Press, 2002. Print. The book mainly covers the concept of stress for instance issues concern with tolerance of stress (including use of pets), common sources of this stress, normal and burn-out syndromes and ways of avoiding depression or stress-related problems. Case, Linda. â€Å"The cat: its behaviour, nutrition, health†. Iowa, IA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003. Print. The author mainly concentrates on cat’s reactions and relations with their caregivers. The book also portrays ways of understanding the cat’s behaviours especially companionship and h ow the relationship assists in managing human stress. Evenson, Ranae. and Simon Robin. â€Å"Clarifying the Relationship Between Parenthood and Depression†. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour. 2005. 1-12. Print. The journal provides an overview of daily family routines that may assist in management of health issues and stress. The authors also emphasis the issue of stress management and it benefits to pet owners. Heath, Hazel. and Schofield Irene. â€Å"Healthy ageing: nursing older people†. Trento, Italy: Harcourt Publishers Limited, 1999. Print. The book touches on various perspectives of aging and lifestyles of older people. The framework has a clear theoretical and biographical approach of addressing various challenges that elderly people face. It also presents ways of understanding, integrating and overcoming the challenges, including the use of pets. Lundy, Karen S. and Janes Sharyn. â€Å"Community health nursing: caring for the publics health†. Bosto n, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009. Print. This book is a critical analysis of needs for health of people, and how the community or surroundings cater for these needs. It particularly analyzes how the community or social setting shapes people’s lifestyles. Rubino, Leonard. â€Å"Success Happiness One Day at a Time; an instructional manual for your life†. Florida, FL: Phoenix Publications Inc, 2006. Print. This book emphasizes on the issue of relieving stress or moodiness through use of pets. It also addresses various ethical concerns on the religious setting mainly focusing on love, happiness, attraction, faith, stress, mood, ambition, mind, success an immorality. Siegel, Jeremy. et al. â€Å"AIDS diagnosis and depression in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study: the ameliorating impact of pet ownership†. AIDS Care. April 1999. Print. The article touches on pet ownership among people suffering from HIV/AIDS and particularly analysis of their lifestyles. It compares the amount of stress or depression different victims face depending on whether they own a pet or not.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 25

Personal Statement Example Secondly, information is the starting, but not the finish point for critical thinking. Knowledge creates motivation, without which person cannot think critically. To generate a complex idea, you need to rework a lot of facts, ideas, texts, theories, concepts. The ability to think critically has anyone at any age, not only students, but even first-graders accumulate enough experience and knowledge. Of course, the children `s ability to think will still be improved with training, but even kids are able to think critically and quite independently. Speaking about the practical side of this issue, I would like to cite as the example driving a car. In fact it is a complex skill that is not howling, like the ability to ride a bike. Before I got behind the wheel, I had to pass a certain theoretical training. It did not required to memorize certain rules, but it was preferable to understand exactly how they work, where and why they are applied. The beginner, who is driving the first time, makes hundreds of unnecessary movements, because he has no necessary skills. During training I got them, but it was forbidden to ignore the instructions instructor. From the point of view of experienced driver each situation on the road is unique in some extent and requires the driver to take quick and optimal solutions. Often the conflict may be solved not in one way, but two, three or more, starting from the selection of the route, speed, and direction of the detour. It requires to time to evaluate the traffic situation in whole with all its con sequences. In each level of studying there is a complex area of skills based on elementary actions. You must go to the macro level to achieve real results. Similarly, in critical thinking we rarely make only one elementary thing. Thus we have to combine or use a lot of the basic skills of critical thinking. Even reading can be called an activity on macro level. When we read, we

Marketing Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Objectives - Essay Example The new product is code named as M2030. Marketing Objectives The target market of the company is all the households and offices of that are looking for lighter and efficient products. The product is aimed for UK market. M2030 will be a good choice for families considering the product’s ease and efficiency. â€Å"UK Households spent an average of ?474 per week in 2010.† (Office of National Statistics, 2011) As per the statistics department, fuel and power form one of the major components of the expense items. It is also seen that consumers have spent more disposable income for consumer durables in 2010. This trend is expected to continue in 2011. The product will be more focused on London, Northern Ireland, South East, East and South West. (Office of National Statistics, 2011) The marketing objectives of the product M2030 are as follows: 1. To become the best in class product in the product category 2. To make the product available in all the leading electronics stores 3 . To offer the product to the customers at a highly competitive price 4. To create an impact in the minds of the customers regarding the benefits of the product. This report will further look into the detailed aspects of marketing of M2030 in UK. A detailed analysis of the competition and environment is also included in the report. Competitive Situation Analysis G’s products can be classified based on the three way consumer classification system of convenience, shopping and specialty goods. The products of G Electronics are kettles, toasters, juicers, mixers, ovens, dish washers, and micro waves. All these products can be classified as Shopping Goods. (Kurtz, 2011) The following five force model analysis will analyze the competitive situation of Company G. Supplier Power: The Company maintains excellent relationships with the existing suppliers. But for producing M2030, the company requires new materials which are different from those supplied by the existing suppliers. The s upplier power is comparatively less for G as the numbers of suppliers are high. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is comparatively higher for Company G. Products that are not as efficient as M2030 are available at a lesser price in the market. But then this happens only if the customers prefer cost benefit over efficiency. Switching cost is comparatively low for this product category. Buyer Power: Buyer power is very high in this case. The customers are flooded with numerous products by various brands. All products differs each other in terms of the design, price, efficiency, etc. Buyer concentration is high for microwave oven market. Also, the chances for customers to have inclination towards a particular brand are very high. Threat of new Entrants: Threat of new entrants is low in this industry though there are big companies who still foray into unrelated businesses. Brand identity and research costs are two main factors that hinder companies from entering this indu stry. There is definitely a threat from big companies who has the capital and knowhow to enter the segment. Degree of Rivalry: Some of the strongest players in the industry are Philips, IFB, Panasonic, Samsung, Siemens, LG, Sharp, Whirlpool, Daewoo, etc. There are just the leading brands. Apart from this there are other brands that has significant cumulative market share. Therefore, the degree of rivalry is high in this industry. (Mindtools, 2011) SWOT Analysis

Literacy and Young People Essay Example for Free

Literacy and Young People Essay Literacy means the ability to read and write. Only recently has the word ‘literacy’ been applied as the definitive term for reading and writing, mostly since the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy in schools. The skills of reading and writing complement each other and develop together, it therefore makes sense to use the term ‘literacy’. Reading and writing are forms of communication based on the spoken language. Effective speaking and listening skills are essential in order to develop literacy skills. The progression of literacy skills is a vital aspect of development and learning. Without the  ability to read, write and listen children and young people may not be able to function effectively in school, college, university or at work or communicate with others about their ideas and participate fully and safely in the community. Literacy enables children and young people to express themselves creatively and productively. The majority of jobs and careers rely on an element of basic literacy (and numeracy) skills. Literacy is required in our everyday lives, to keep us safe by being able to read signs and follow instructions, read directions, reading newspapers, recipes, food labels, dealing with  household finances. Literacy also enables us to progress with technology by being able use computers competently, surfing the internet and being able to read and write emails. As the heart of all learning lies the two key skills, literacy and numeracy. Literacy is possibly the more important of both skills as children and young people need literacy in order to access further curriculum areas, e. g in order to approach a numeracy problem, the question needs to be read and understood before the answer can begin to be found. The development of literacy is important from an early age for all children and young people. As Teaching Assistants it is likely that we will be supporting children and young people with communication difficulties or other Special Educational Needs which could have an impact on their literacy skills, a situation may also arise where English is not the first language. It is important that children and young people are encouraged to explore the way the English language works, e. g phonics for vocabulary, reading, writing and spelling. This will enable children and young people to gain knowledge to be able to read, write and spell confidently. Amanda Pinfold TDA 3. 11 2 The learning objectives are associated to 12 strands in literacy to demonstrate progression in each strand. The strands are as follows:- Speak and listen for a wide range of purposes in different contexts 1. Speaking 2. Listening and responding 3. Group discussion and interaction 4. Drama Read and write for a range of purposes on paper and on screen 5. Word recognition: decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) 6. Word Structure and spelling 7. Understanding and interpreting texts 8. Engaging and responding to texts 9. Creating and shaping texts 10. Text structure and organisation 11. Sentence structure and punctuation 12. Presentation Within my setting we aim to encourage children and young people to be able read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding, to be able to orchestrate a full range of reading cues (phonic, graphic, syntactic, contextual) to monitor their read and be able to correct their own mistakes. To understand the sound and spelling system and use this to read and spell accurately, have fluent, legible and cursive handwriting. To have an interest in words and their meanings and a growing vocabulary. To know, understand and be able to write a number  of genres in fiction and poetry, understand and be familiar with some of the ways in which narratives are structured through basic literacy ideas of setting, character and plot. The ability to understand, use and be able to write a range of non-fiction texts, plan, draft, revise and edit their own writing, have a suitable technical vocabulary through which to understand and discuss their reading and writing. Children are encouraged to be interested in books, read with enjoyment and evaluate and justify their preferences. Develop their own powers of imagination, inventiveness and critical awareness through reading and writing. In the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) Children and young people should be given the opportunity to speak, listen and represent ideas in their activities. Use communication, language and English in every part of the curriculum and to become immersed in an environment rich in print and possibilities for communication. All Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) – Children and young people should learn to speak confidently and listen to what others have to say. They should begin to read and write independently (using phonic knowledge) and with enthusiasm. They should be using language to explore their own experiences and imaginary words. All Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) – Children and young people should learn to change the way they speak and write to suit appropriate situations, purposes and audiences. They should read a range of texts and respond to different layers of meaning in them. They should explore the use of language in literary and non-literary texts and learn how the structure of language works. Intervention groups are offered in speaking, reading, writing and listening to those children and young people who are under-attaining and booster groups for the more able. Where the pupils performance is significantly below average we will seek specialist provision such as speech therapy, EAL programmes and reading recovery will be accessed as needed. In Key stages 1 and 2, English sessions use the National Strategy unit plans (our own versions) focusing on shared reading, shared and guided writing and producing sustained Amanda Pinfold TDA 3. 11 3 outcomes. Further lessons are also used for focused activities in phonics, guided reading and comprehension. In Key Stage 1 there is a daily phonics session, daily guided reading and English lesson. There is one discrete handwriting session each week. In addition to this, there is also a slot used for the development of speaking and listening and the class story. In lower Key Stage 2 there is also a daily phonics session, four guided reading sessions and a daily English lesson. There is one discrete handwriting session every fortnight. Additionally there is also a slot used for the development of speaking and listening and the class story. In upper Key Stage 2 there is a daily phonics/spelling session, four guided reading sessions and a daily English lesson. There is one discrete handwriting session every fortnight. Additional there is a slot used for the development of speaking and listening and the class story. The monitoring and evaluation of the English policy is the responsibility of the English co- ordinator who is responsible to the head teacher and the governors for the development of English throughout the school. This is to be achieved in a variety of ways: ?Regular discussions with staff concerning the progress of groups and individuals ?Involvement in long and medium term planning across the school in English ? Regular classroom observation and working alongside colleagues to help identify  strengths and weaknesses, to provide support to individual staff where appropriate ?Regular monitoring of resources, planning and children’s work ?Reviewing of assessment outcomes and data to evaluate the quality of learning in English throughout the school. ? Checking that within a key stage there is coverage of the full English curriculum in line with national curriculum requirements, the early learning goals and current National Primary Framework objectives (where used) ?Checking that appropriate opportunities to raise multicultural and gender issues are created and taken  ?Ensure that the time spent on the teaching of English is meeting our pupils needs Literacy Lessons are the same time each day, after morning break time. They are broken down into phonics and spelling, guided reading and English. The lesson starts at 10. 45 and finishes at 12. 30pm. The children start by gathering on the carpet area to be given an overview of what is happening in the day’s lesson. As a Teaching Assistant a discussion would have taken place with the Class Teacher prior to the lesson taking place to establish the lesson plan and what is expected of you for the lesson. Some Teaching Assistants may have  been involved with elements of planning a lesson and able to give their own ideas as to how is the best way to carry out activities. It may be that you work with a designated group of children who have development issues and require more attention. It is important that the Teaching Assistant works together with the class teach to monitor the progress of pupils in all areas of literacy development. This will usually ensure that the children and young people are focused and able to meet the learning objectives. Some pupils will require more encouragement to participate than others through the use of praise and  feedback, whilst identifying any concerns or problems they may have. Monitoring of the children and young people also involves the relaying of information to the Class Teacher in respect of learning objectives and feedback as to how the tasks were Amanda Pinfold TDA 3. 11 4 managed and how to achieve their goals going forwards. We also carry out intervention activities in my setting where a group of children are taken out of the lesson by a Teaching Assistant to carry out some additional literacy activities to concentrate on tasks such as sounds of letter groups, reading sessions and basic spellings to  help improve their literacy development. There are also groups of children who are taken out of lessons 3 times a week to carry out additional reading activities to help improve their reading skills. In our classrooms, we also use a ‘working wall display’ to show the key learning objectives for the terms activities and the pupils are able to use this to assist with their learning independently. Within my setting we also have a reading partners lesson on a Thursday morning where year groups visit other class rooms and read with each other, e. g Year 4 read with reception, Year 3 read with year 1 and year 2 with year 5. This gives children and young people to the chance to gain confidence in reading and speaking in front of other children who are of a different age and more developed. Amanda Pinfold TDA 3. 11 5 Bibliography Textbooks: Textbooks: Burnham,L, Baker,B (2010) Level 3 Diploma Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (Primary). Harlow. Heinemann part of Pearson Burnham,L(2002) Brilliant Teaching Assistant. Prentice Hall Kamen, T (2008) 2nd Edition Teaching Assistants Handbook NVQ SVQ Levels 2 3. Maidstone. Hodder Education Primary School Literacy Curriculum Policy overview Amanda Pinfold TDA 3. 11 6.

Prelude to Beowulf´s Last Fight :: English Epics Literature Anglo Saxon Essays

Prelude to Beowulf ´s Last Fight The Old English epic Beowulf depicts Anglo-Saxon warrior culture where fate (wyrd) governs the actions of the hero. Beowulf, now over seventy years old and king of the Geats, has earned his respect and glory on the battlefields as a great warrior. The honorable old king has ruled for fifty years, and according to the author, "he was a wise king, an old guardian of the land" (Norton, 55), when the dragon attacks Beowulf's Hall, assaulting Geats at night. The dragon - "the worm" - as he is referred to sometimes by the poet, while guarding the treasure in the depth of his cave, is awakened by a slave who steals the cup from his hoard. The dragon, being greedy, is infuriated: "the hoard-guard waited restless until evening came; then the barrow keeper was in rage: he would requite that precious drinking cup with vengeful fire."(Norton, 56) The treasure, that is now guarded by the worm, once (over three hundred years ago) belonged to a tribe of great warriors. Many have died over the years on the battlefields; only one, the Last Survivor, has escaped the terrible fate, and so he speaks: " War-death has taken each man of my people, evil, dreadful and deadly, each of those who has given up this life, the hall-joy of men. I have none who wears sword or cleans the plated cup, rich drinking vessel. The company of retainers has gone elsewhere†¦ There is no harp-delight, no mirth of the singing wood, no good hawk flies through the hall, no swift horse stamps in the castle court. Baleful death has sent away many races of men." (Norton, 56) Parallel to this speech is the ubi sunt passage from Old English poem "The Wanderer." The old warrior, the wanderer or, as the poet calls him, "the earth-walker," who has lost his comrades in the battles, talks about the loneliness of exile and the aimlessness of war: "Where has the horse gone?

Acquisition of a Good Education

Education is defined as acquiring skills. There are many different ways to be educated and many subjects that can be studied. A good education is one that teaches a student to think. This is proven by Edith Hamilton, Malcolm X, and Adrian Rich in their works to define what they believe about learning and its importance to our world. In Edith Hamilton's essay, The Ever-present Past, she described a good education as one that is modeled after the ancient Greek's ideas. She defines being educated as being â€Å"able to be caught up into a world of thought† (752). The Greeks were taught to think. They were cultivated on an individual level so that they knew how to conceive ideas on their own. During the times of the ancient Greeks students were shown how to appreciate poetry, music, arts, and mathematics. They carried their education of thought into their government and their ways of life. The era of the ancient Greeks was laid by the teachings of their schools and therefore helped make them into a notable civilization. Today, Hamilton believes that with our set way of teaching we are not encouraging individuals to think. She concludes that we are â€Å"headed towards a standardization of minds† (756). Hamilton believes that we need to challenge our society to shape our educational goals after those of the Greeks. With the problems our world faces we should study how the Greeks triumphed in a savage world and how they were educated to do so. Then maybe we can learn how to prevent the â€Å"standardization of the minds† in our society and avoid repeating the ill-fated history of the ancient Greeks (754). In Malcolm X's, â€Å"Freedom Through Learning To Read†, a chapter of his autobiography, he describes a good education as being able to understand life. He wrote of how he desired to acquire more knowledge. This inner struggle began when he envied his friend's intelligence and when he was unable to express himself eloquently in letters. From that point he began to read everything. Malcolm X started by copying a dictionary to learn all the words he could. From there he never spent fifteen minutes free time without a book (48). As he studied the works of Mr. Elijah Muhammad he realized how the history of the black Americans were not included in most books. He searched to find a book to learn the history of the African-Americans and finally found a few that taught him about slavery (49). Malcolm X said that through his domestic education a new world had been opened up to him. He achieved his goal of learning to read and through that obtain what is considered by many a good education. He was able to read, understand, and form ideas and opinions based on what he had read (53). Through reading Malcolm X was capable of expressing his own views and our society benefited greatly from this self-educated man. In Adrienne Rich's, â€Å"Claiming An Education†, a speech given at Douglass College, she describes a good or serious education as the study of languages, ideas, methods, and values (58). Part of being educated is â€Å"refusing to let others do your thinking, naming, or talking for you†(59). Some of the most important things needed to fulfill intellectual independence are to learn the ways of rationalizing, deep discussions, and writing. Rich writes about how it is our own responsibility to claim an education and how we should not sell ourselves short (59). In order to learn we first need to assess what we hear and read in our courses to form an opinion (57). In order to form an opinion, Rich says that we have to first commit ourselves to our studies and expect others to show us respect. Rich describes an education as a commitment and a responsibility (59). Throughout these essays the main ideas were that to be educated a student has to be an individual and be able to think. There are many arguments over what we should study and how we should be taught. There is no wrong or right way to teach or certain subjects that need to be studied. As long as the students are taught to think for themselves and have the desire to learn, they will be able to obtain a good education.