The Scarlet Letter Essay example -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne

The trouble that unrivalled letter flock cause to so many quite a little can be described as nothing short of incredible. The power of the cherry-red letter can change a life, a community, and be a harder penalization than people will ever understand. In the novel The red-faced Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne gives the scarlet letter three significant meanings that are revealed through different scenes within the novel. The Scarlet letter was pushed upon Hester Prynne by a theocratic society, for a sin that she had committed with a man whose name she would not reveal. The theocratic society placed Hester indoors a jail with iron clamped doors. The jail was rusted, had iron spikes, and was decaying. The only sign of life this jail had was a wild red rose bush growth outside the door. When the prison door opened, she stood fully reveled to the town people and pulled the child closely to her chest and began to walk out. The narrator gives in detail the vision the people of Boston s aw as they looked at Hester, On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of grand thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore (51). The scarlet letter made Hester one of her own kind and separated her from the entire town. She was looked at as a sinner, being judged every time she walked into town, and was an example of sin. The scarlet letter made her different and the narrator explains, It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a airfield by herself (52). Hester was now due for the punish... ...for her committing Adultery. After this letter is placed upon her bosom she stands upon the scaffold in front of the theocratic society holding a baby in her arms and bearing the letter on her chest. The letter also means the same thing for Dimmesdale but his pain is placed within and leaves a burn upon his chest. Dimmesdale then sees a letter A in the night time sky created by clouds. As a meteor lights up the sky, the letter becomes inflamed with a bright red color. That same A is noticed by the towns people in memory of the governor and they believe it means nonpareil. However, as years pass and Hester begins to be a great influence in the city of Boston, the A stands for Able showing the strength that Hester endures. As one reads this novel, one can choose which meaning is the most significant and most symbolic, as Hester lives a life of ignominy.

NO Mandatory Community Service for Students! Essay -- Argumentative Pe

NO Mandatory Community Service for Students Community service What a wonderful opportunity for students A chance for our jr. citizens to learn responsibility, experience the satisfaction that comes with helping others and to acquire new skills.Right? Well, that depends who youre talking to. Slip the word mandatory behind community service, as civilize districts in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of others have done, and opportunity takes a new twist. Opportunity for who? For the students, or for the communities that can now capitalize on students free labor? (Martin, pg. 13) More than ii decades ago, President Nixon ended the military draft. Now a new and more menacing form of enlistment is threatening our school systems. This enlistment I am speaking of is that we are forcing community service to be a requirement for high school graduation. Compulsory service programs, already functioning in many another(prenominal) communities, typically giving stud ents four years to complete, say, 60 hours of labor. The students must not receive any payment. They can choose whether to serve the elderly, or the poor, or the disabled, so long as they serve others rather than themselves. The penalty for dodging this new draft is simple no diploma. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, angry parents and students took the local school plank to court, arguing that such a mandatory service program for high school students imposed the kind ...

Decline in Black Admissions to Universities :: essays research papers

If you are a student at an HBCU, looking around your classroom or on the yard hoping to see a familiar brown face is probably never an issue, but for students at colleges and universities where African American enrollment is today steadily declining, it is definitely a concern.Larissa Lincoln, a senior sociology major at the University of Washington knows what it is like to feel alienated or alone on campus. sometimes when Im in a lecture there will be 200 people and I can count about sextuplet or seven black students. Its very noticeable walking around that there is not enough blacks being admitted to college.After the 2003 Supreme Court purpose that required schools like the University of Michigan to change their admittance procedure and evaluate students not based on their minority status, but individually, Michigan is now inform the smallest class of African American freshmen in 15 years.Many state universities in California, Georgia and much of the Midwest have also noticed a significant decline when it comes to admitting blacks. Enrollment for freshmen at the University of Georgia was down by 26 percent, 29 percent for Ohio State and 32 percent at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. slice there is no single explanation for the low numbers, a few factors should be taken into consideration. According to Jason S. Mironov, President of the University of Michigans student body, the functioning for getting accepted to Michigan has become more challenging. The application became significantly harder. Unless you were absolutely sure you wanted to go to Michigan, many another(prenominal) students were reluctant to spend a great deal of time with the application.Rising tuition costs also play a role in discouraging lower-income students from applying and out-of-state fees for many schools seem almost unattainable for many students. Affirmative action laws also have their place in the decline of black students, many students feel that if it werent fo r affirmative action or other guidelines set to help minorities, then they would not consider applying to more prestigious schools.

Computer Crime :: essays research papers

According to term computing machine abhorrence means Criminal activity directly relate to the map of estimators, specifically dirty trespass into the computer system or database of another, manipulation or theft of stored or on-line data, or sabotage of equipment and data.      There be many ways to commit computer crime. Some examples of computer crime are 1)     Accessing a computer, system, or network.2)     Modifying, damaging, using, disclosing, copying, or taking programs or data. 3)     Introducing a computer virus or other contaminant into a computer system. 4)     Using a computer in a scheme to de pasquinade.5)     Interfering with someone elses computer access or use.6)     Using encryption in aid of a crime.7)     Falsifying e-mail source information.8)     Stealing an information servi ce from a provider. everywhere the last twenty years, a technological revolution has occurred, as computers are now an essential element of todays society. In the world of computers, computer fraud and computer crime are very prevalent issues facing every computer user. Computers without any means of security are vulnerable to attacks from viruses, worms, and illegal computer hackers. A definition of computer crime has changed over the years as the users and misusers of computers have expanded into new areas. When computer were first introduced into businesses, computer crime was defined simply as a form of while-collar crimes committed inside a computer system. Computer crimes are hard to define, because the term is not outlet to a precise definition, and it requires vast amounts of computer knowledge to understand how and why it happened. If we defined the term "computer", it means an electronic, magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high velocity data processing device performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions, and includes any data storage facility or communications facility directly related to or operating in conjunction with such device, but such term does not include an automated typewriter or typesetter, a portable cash in ones chips held calculator, or other similar device. Computer crime laws in many states prohibit a person from performing certain acts without authorization, including others listed above. To prevent computer fraud and computer crime the government had to take a few steps. In 1974, they passed a simple Federal Privacy Act of 1974. A decade later, the computer crime was increasing rapidly, the government amended the acts and made it a federal crime. In the summary of the Acts, they are as follows     Federal Privacy Act of 1974 Goes save that the Freedom of Information Act in that it requires that individuals be able to correct federal information about themselves, by requiring that ag ency information not be used for alternate purposes without the individuals consent.

Bad Medicine :: Essays Papers

Bad MedicineBefore the age of television shows, movies, and the Internet people entertained one another with vibrant and exaggerated tales. Geoffrey Chaucers, The Canterbury Tales, is a good example of this form of entertainment. The novel details the journey of a band of pilgrims, who engaged in a storytelling competition, as they travel toward the shrine of doubting Thomas Becket. These mall Age storytellers varied as much as the stories, and consisted of a knight, physician, monk, and many more. In the Prologue the Physician is revealed as a con artist who cares more about himself than his patients. The Physician was a medical doctor, who was responsible for taking care of the ill and disease stricken. No one alive could talk as salutary as he did / On points of medicine and surgery (Chaucer 30). He was part of the rising middle class society and his garments that were lined with taffeta (Chaucer 31) made this assumption apparent. During the Middle Ages taffeta was a material like silk, which was precise expensive, so only the wealthy could afford it. To many he seemed to be a productive member of society, just appearances can be deceiving. People of the medical profession were looked upon with a certain respect so many patients did not question what was prescribed. The Physician misused his form of address to take advantage of his patients faith. He was revealed as a liar and a cheat. He was a partner with the druggist, to help each other build their wealth. The endorser can draw the appearance of his deceit in the following quote, He gave the man his medicine then and there. / All his apothecaries in a tribe / Were rear with the drugs he would prescribe / And each made money from the others guile / They had been friendly for a goodish while (Chaucer 30). Chaucer describes these habits of the physician in allege to allow the reader to paint a mental picture of his morals and character. Chaucer also brings the readers attention to the fa ct that the Physician did not read the Bible very much (31). Chaucer implies that the Physician is a sinner, who did not see an error in his dishonesty. Many analysts believe that Chaucer was trying to portray certain qualities through the vivid descriptions of the characters, much(prenominal) as in the following quote describing the physician In blood-red garments, slashed with bluish grey / And lined with taffeta (Chaucer 31).

Speech: Global Warming is Real :: essays research papers

Hurricanes, Tsunamis, retreating glaciers, volcanoes and cyclones. What Im about to tell you is real and will change your life forever-so wake up and aspect the roses which are now blooming in winter. Global warming is one of the biggest threats to human kind. It is caused by the raising of soils temperature in the lower atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution the temperature has bygone up by 1 degree Fahrenheit of what it has averaged to be for centuries. Doesnt sound like much and your right, and for every degree it goes up already calciferol feet of snow wont fall. As in our earth is heating. The hottest enter temperature was in 2005 which matched the temperature in 1998. Twice in the last decade weve had the hottest temperature on average ever recorded throughout history. Coincidence. I think not. The snows of the Kilimanjaro have basically vanished and in a couple decades Glacier National park is going to need a new work because by 2030 there will be no glaciers left in the whole park. The great Greenland icecaps are melting at an alarming pace, and sliding into the sea. Your right, who cares its not like its happening near us. But by 2100 all our coastal states will look like Venice including ours. You won?t be alive but your children and grandchildren will. The sea level is expected to rise up to 23 inches in the next decade. There has been a 100 percent increase in fervency and duration of hurricanes and tropical storms since 1970 according to a 2005 MIT study. How much more evidence do we need before someone does something about this? For anyone who cares at all about the future, the gradual transformation of our earth is turning into a human-furnace that makes terrorism look like a game of monopoly. Think Im kidding? By 2050, 15-37% of all plant and beast species could be extinct. Meaning it will be harder for plants to produce photosynthesis. No big right? Wrong. Without photosynthesis, oxygen can?t be made. Most of us in this room w ill be in our late 60?s by then with children and grandchildren. What does that mean for them? The air will be harder to breath and the temperature of earth will have increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. By 2050 up to 38% of water will be unable to hold underwater species because of emergent temperature.

Organisational cultures Essay

Introduction defining tillageThe concept of finale has become increasingly important in cultivation during the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. This enhanced interest whitethorn be understood as an example of dissatisfaction with the limitations of those loss leadership and man- agement models which stress the structural and technical foul formulations of give instructions and colleges. The focus on the in plain world of values and attitudes is a profitable counter to these bureaucratic assumptions and helps to produce a more than proportionalityd portrait of didacticsal institutions.Culture relates to the in discrepancyal opinions of organisations kind of then their official elements. They focus on the values, beliefs and averages of individuals in the organi- sation and how these individual perceptions coalesce into sh argond opineings. Culture is manifested by symbols and rituals or else than by the positive structure of the organizationBeliefs, values a nd ideology are at the heart of organisations. Individuals hold certain ideas and value-preferences which influence how they behave and how they view the behaviour of opposite members. These norms become shared traditions which are communicated inwardly the group and are rein- forced by symbols and ritual. (Bush 2003, p.156).The maturateing importance of destination arises partly from a wish to understand, and make more pictureively within, this informal do master(prenominal) of the values and beliefs of teachers, support mental faculty and other stakeholders. Morgan (1997) and ONeill (1994) both stress the increasing significance of ethnic factors in leadership and manage- ment. The latter charts the appearance of cultural labels and signals why they have become more prevalentThe increased use of such cultural descriptors in the literature of educational circumspection is authoritative because it reflects a need for educational organiza- tions to be able to articulat e deeply held and sharedvalues in more tangible ways and at that placefore respond more effectively to new, uncertain and potentiallythreatening demands on their capabilities. Organizations, therefore, articulate values in order to provide form and meaning for the activities of organiza- tional members in the absence of visible and certain organisational structures and relationships. In this sense the analysis and influence of organizational finish become essential counselling tools in the pursuit of increased orga- nizational growth and effectiveness. (ONeill, 1994, p.116)The shift towards self-management in many countries reinforces the nonion of teachs and colleges as unique entities with their protest distinctive features or cul- ture. It is inevitable that self-management lead lead to owing(p)er diversity and, in Eng- land, this is one of the Governments explicit aims. Caldwell and Spinks (1992) argue that there is a stopping point of self- management. The essential co mponents of this husbandry are the em mightinessment of leaders and their acceptance of responsibility.Societal growMost of the literature on culture in education relates to organisational culture and that is also the main focus of this chapter. However, there is also an emerging liter- ature on the broader theme of national or social culture. Dimmock and cart (2002a, p.3) claim that the field of educational administration has more often than not ignored the influence of societal culture only their work has contributed to an increasing awareness of this concept.Given the globalisation of education, issues of societal culture are increasingly sig- nificant. Walker and Dimmock (2002) refer to issues of context and stress the need to distract decontextualized paradigms (p.1) in researching and analysing educa- tional systems and institutionsThe field of educational leadership and management has real along eth- nocentric lines, being heavily dominate by Anglo-American paradigm s and theories Frequently, either a narrow ethnicity pervades research and policy, or an implicit assumption is made that findings in one part of the world will unavoidably apply in others. It is clear that a key factor missing from many debates on educational administration and leadership is context context is delineate by societal culture and its mediating influence on theory, policy and practice. (Walker and Dimmock 2002, p.2)Walker and Dimmock are by no means alone in advocating attention to issues of context. Crossley and Broadfoot (1992, p.100) assert that policies and practice cannot be translated intact from one culture to another since the mediation of different cultural contexts can quite transform the latters salience while Bush et al. (1998, p.137) stress that all theories and interpretations of practice must be grounded in the specific context before they can be regarded as useful.LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION48Dimmock and Walker (2002b, p.71) have give n mystifyed attention to these issues and provide a helpful distinction between societal and organizational cultureSocietal cultures differ approximatelyly at the level of basic values, while organizational cultures differ mostly at the level of more careless practices, as reflected in the light of particular symbols, heroes and rituals. This allows organiza- tional cultures to be deliberately managed and potpourrid, whereas societal or national cultures are more enduring and reassign only stepwise over longer time periods. school leaders influence, and in turn are influenced by, the orga- nizational culture. Societal culture, on the other hand, is a given, being come out of the closet- side the p drop offing area of influence of an individual school leader. (Our emphasis)Dimmock and Walker (2002b) identify seven proportions of societal culture,each of which is expressed as a continuum1 Power-distributed/power concentrated power is either distributed more equally among th e various levels of a culture or is more concentrated.2 Group-oriented/self-oriented people in self-oriented cultures perceive themselves to be more free and self-reliant. In group-oriented cultures, ties between people are tight, relationships are firmly structured and individual needfully are sub- servient to the collective needs.3 Consideration/aggression in aggression cultures, achievement is stressed, competi- tion dominates and conflicts are resolved done the exercise of power and assertiveness. In contrast, consideration societies emphasise relationship, solidar- ity and resolution of conflicts by compromise and negotiation.4 Proactivism/fatalism this mark reflects the proactive or we can change things just about here attitude in some cultures, and the willingness to accept things as they are in others a fatalist perspective.5 Generative/replicative some cultures appear more predisposed towards innovation, or the generation of new ideas and methods, whereas other cultur es appear more inclined to replicate or to adopt ideas and approaches from elsewhere.6 Limited relationship/holistic relationship in limited relationship cultures, interac- tions and relationships tend to be determined by explicit rules which are applied to everyone. In holistic cultures, greater attention is given to relationship oblig- ations, for example kinship, patronage and friendship, than to impartially applied rules.7 Male influence/ distaff influence in some societies, the male domination of deci- sion-making in political, economic and professional life is perpetuated. In others, women have come to play a significant role. (adapted from Dimmock and Walker 2002b, pp.74-6).This model can be applied to educational systems in different countries. Bush and Qiang (2000) show that most of these dimensions are relevant to Chinese education49ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES Power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of leaders. The principal has positional authority within an es sentially bureaucratic system china might be regarded as the archetypal high power-distance (power-concentrated) society (p.60). Chinese culture is group oriented. Collective benefits are seen as more important than individual needs (p.61). Chinese culture stresses consideration rather than aggression. The Confucian scholars advocate modesty and encourage friendly co-operation, giving priority to peoples relationships. The purpose of education is to mould every individual into a harmonious member of society (p.62). Patriarchal leadership dominates in education, business, government and the Communist Party itself. There are no women principals in the 89 secondary schools in 3 counties of the Shaanxi province. Coleman et al. (1998, p.144) attribute such inequalities to the continuing dominance of patriarchy.Societal culture is one important aspect of the context within which school leaders must operate. Leaders and managers must also be aware of organisational culture which provide s a more immediate cloth for leadership action. Principals and others can help to shape culture but they are also influenced by it. Chapter 7, for example, refers to the need for educational leaders to be aware of the societal cul- ture supportning schools and colleges so that appropriate equal opportunities policies and practices can be developed.Central features of organisational cultureOrganisational culture has the following major features (Bush 2003)1 It focuses on the values and beliefs of members of organisations. These values underpin the behaviour and attitudes of individuals within schools and colleges but they may not always be explicit. These individual beliefs coalesce into shared values Shared values, shared beliefs, shared meaning, shared discretion, and shared sensemaking are all different ways of describing culture These pat- terns of understanding also provide a basis for making ones own behaviour sen- sible and meaningful (Morgan, 1997, p.138).This does not ne cessarily mean that individual values are always in harmony with one another. Morgan (1997, p.137) suggests that there may be different and competing value systems that make out a mosaic of organizational realities rather than a uniform corporate culture. Dissonance is more likely in large, multipur- pose organisations such as colleges and universities but Nias et al. (1989) note that they may also exist in primary education. Fullan and Hargreaves (1992, pp. 71-2) argue that some schools develop a balkanized culture made up of separate and sometimes competing groupsLEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION50Teachers in balkanized cultures attach their loyalties and identities to particular groups of their colleagues. They are usually colleagues with whom they work most closely, discharge most time, socialize most often in the staffroom. The existence of such groups in a school often reflects and reinforces very different group outlooks on learning, teaching styles, dis- cipline and curriculum.Staff working in sub-units, such as departments, may develop their own dis- tinctive subculture and middle managers, or middle level leaders as the NCSL prefers to call them, may wish to cultivate this as a way of developing and enhancing team effectiveness. However, as Fullan and Hargreaves (1992)imply, such subcultures may not be pursuant(predicate) with the whole-school or college culture.2 Organisational culture emphasises the development of shared norms and mean- ings. The assumption is that interaction between members of the organisation, or its subgroups, eventually leads to behavioural norms that gradually become cul- tural features of the school or college. Nias et al.s (1989, pp.39-40) research shows how group norms were established in their case-study schoolsAs staff talked, worked and relaxed together, they began to negotiate shared meanings which enabled them to predict each others behaviour. Consequently each staff developed its own taken-for-granted norms . Because shared meanings and ways of behaving became so taken for granted, existing staff were largely unaware of them. But they were visi- ble to newcomers Researchers moving between schools were con- stantly reminded of the uniqueness of each schools norms.These group norms sometimes allow the development of a monoculture in a school with meanings shared throughout the staff the way we do things around here. We have already noted, however, that there may be several subcul- tures based on the professional and personal interests of different groups. These typically have inner coherence but experience delicatey in relationships with other groups whose behavioural norms are different. Wallace and Hall (1994, pp.28 and 127) identify senior management teams (SMTs) as one example of group culture with clear internal norms but often weak connections to other groups and individualsSMTs in our research developed a culture of teamwork A norm com- mon to the SMTs was that decisions must be reached by achieving a working consensus, entailing the acknowledgement of any dissenting views there was a clear distinction between interaction at bottom the team and contact with those outside who were excluded from the inner world of the team.3 Culture is typically expressed through rituals and ceremonies which areused to support and celebrate beliefs and norms. schools, in particular, are rich in such symbols as assemblies, prize-givings and corporate worship. Hoyle (1986, pp.150and 152) argues that ritual is at the heart of cultural models Symbols are a key component of the culture of all schools they have expressive tasks and sym- bols which are the only means whereby abstract values can be conveyed Sym- bols are central to the process of constructing meaning. (Hoyle 1986, pp.150-2). develop culture may be symbolized through three modes(a) Conceptually or verbally, for example through use of language and the expres- sion of organisational aims.(b) Behaviourally, thro ugh rituals, ceremonies, rules, support mechanisms, and patterns of social interaction.(c) visually or solidly, through facilities, equipment, memorabilia, mottoes, crests and uniforms. (Beare et al. 1989, p.176).Schein (1997, p.248) argues that rites and rituals are central to the deciphering as well as to the communicating of cultural assumptions.4 Organisational culture assumes the existence of heroes and heroines who sustain the values and beliefs of the organisation. These honoured members typify the behaviours associated with the culture of the institution. Campbell-Evans (1993, p. 106) stresses that heroes or heroines are those whose achievements equal the cul- ture Choice and recognition of heroes occurs within the cultural boundaries determine through the value filter The accomplishments of those individuals who come to be regarded as heroes are compatible with the cultural emphases.This feature is evident in sulphur Africa, for example, where the huge interest in sc hool sport means that sporting heroes are identified and celebrated. This was evident, for example, in a Durban school visited by one of the authors, where for- mer student Shaun Pollock, the South African fast bowler, had numerous pho- tographs on display and a room named later on him. In celebrating the achievements of this cricketing hero, school managers are seeking to emphasise the centrality of sporting achievement to the ethos and culture of the school.Developing a culture of learning in South AfricaAs we noted earlier (p.000), societal or national culture underpins the organisa- tional culture of individual schools and colleges. Nowhere is this more apparent than in South African schools where the predominant culture reflects the wider social structure of the post-apartheid era. Decades of institutionalised racism and injustice have been replaced by an overt commitment to democracy in all aspects of life, including education.Ngcobo (2003) addresses issues of cultural divers ity and, drawing on Irvine (1990), identifies nine dimensions of African culture Spirituality life is viewed as full of lifeistic rather than mechanistic. Harmony humans and nature live interdependently and in harmony.LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION52 Movement rhythm, music and dance. Verve high levels of stimulation. Affect emotions and olfactory sensationings. Communalism social connectedness and an awareness of responsibilities to thegroup transcending individual privileges. Expressive individuality bona fide personal expression. Oral tradition oral/aural metaphors and colourful forms. Social time perspective time as social rather than material space (adapted fromNgcobo 2003, p.224).Ngcobo (2003) notes that these cultural features are very different from European cultures. Such cultural differences became particularly significant as schools began to change their racial composition in response to the South African Schools Act (1996), which made it illegal to deny admi ssion to students on the basis of race. For- merly white schools, with a predominantly European culture, began to draw learners, and to a lesser extent educators, from different cultural backgrounds. Ngcobo (2003) gives two contrasting examples of how school leaders responded to these cultural changes. Vryburg high school avoided cultural diversity by dividing the premises into two sections (white and black).This had several deleterious con- sequences, including conflict leading to charges of assault being laid against 14 black learners and seven parents of white students. Greenland secondary school in Durban adopted a different approach, aiming at cultural diversity and encouraging learners and staff to express and celebrate their own cultures. This school has been very roaring academically which the principal attributes to the strong integrative culture it promotes (Ngcobo 2003, p.230).The years of struggle against apartheid inevitably affected schools, particularly those in the townships. One of the weapons of the black majority was for young- sters to don and demonstrate against the policies of the white government. Sim- ilarly, teacher unions were an important aspect of the liberation movement and teachers would frequently be absent from school to engage in protest activity. It is by chance inevitable that a culture of learning was difficult to establish in such a hos- tile climate. Badat (1995, p.143) claims that the crisis in black education, including what has come to be referred to as the breakdown in the culture of learning continued unabated.This issue surfaced in Bush and Andersons (2003) survey of school principals in the KwaZulu/Natal province. In response to a question about the aims of the school, principals stated that the school is striving to in withal in the minds of learners that education is their future to show the importance of education within and outside the school to provide a conducive educational environment to develop a cultu re of learning.53ORGANISATIONAL CULTURESThe absence of a culture of learning in many South African schools illustrates the long-term and uncertain nature of cultural change. The long years of resistance to apartheid education have to be replaced by a commitment to teaching and learn- ing if South Africa is to thrive in an increasingly competitive world economy. How- ever, educational values have to compete with the still prevalent talk about of struggle and also have to reconcile the diverse value systems of the different sub- cultures in South Africas integrated schools. It seems likely that the development of a genuine culture of learning will be slow and dependent on the quality of lead- ership in individual schools. lead and cultureWe noted earlier (p.000) that societal culture is beyond the control of educational leaders but inquirys and principals are able to influence organisational culture. Arguably, they have the main responsibility for generating and sustaining culture a nd communicating shopping mall values and beliefs both within the organization and to external stakeholders (Bush 1998, p.43). Heads and principals have their own val- ues and beliefs arising from many years of successful professional practice. They are also expected to embody the culture of the school or college. Hoyle (1986, pp.155-6) stresses the symbolic dimension of leadership and the central role of heads in defining school cultureFew heads will avoid constructing an image of the school. They will differ in the degree to which this is a deliberate and charismatic task. Some heads will self- consciously seek to construct a great mission for the school. Others will convey their idea of the school less dramatically and construct a meaning from the basic materials of symbol-making words, actions, artefacts and settings.Schein (1997, p.211) argues that cultures spring primarily from the beliefs, values and assumptions of founders of organisations. Nias et al. (1989, p. 103) sugges t that heads are founders of their schools culture. They refer to two of their English case study schools where new heads dismantled the existing culture in order to create a new one based on their own values. The culture was rebuilt through example All the heads of the project schools were aware of the power of example. Each head expected to influence staff through his/her example. Yet their actions may also have been symbolic of the values they tried to represent. Nias et al. (1989) also mention the significance of co-leaders, such as deputy heads and curriculum co-ordinators, in disseminating school culture.Deal (1985, pp.615-18) suggests several strategies for leaders who wish to gener- ate culture Document the schools storey to be codified and passed on. Anoint and celebrate heroes and heroines.LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION54 Review the schools rituals to convey cultural values and beliefs. Exploit and develop ceremony. Identify priests, priestesses and gossips, and incorporate them into mainstreamactivity. This provides access to the informal communications network.One of the ways in which leaders can shape or change culture is through the appointment of other staff who have the same values and beliefs, leading to cultural consonance. In this view, the staff selection process provides an opportunity to set out the values of the school, or its leaders, in the hopethat those who hold similar values will be attracted to the post while others will be deterred from making or pur- suing an application. Over time, the culture of the school will shift in the direction sought by the principal. The literature on collegiality (e.g. Bush 2003) shows that leaders are more likely to cede power to others when they are confident that their own educational values will not be compromised by doing so.Foskett and Lumby (2003) point out that staff selection processes are themselves subject to cultural variables. They draw on Akinnusi (1991) to distinguish between universalistic and particularistic approaches to selection. The universalistic approach, as discussed in Chapter 9 of this volume, for example, attempts to match applicants to objective criteria and is thought to be more successful in identifying the best match to the vacant post (Foskett and Lumby 2003, p.71). These authors contrast this model with the particularistic approach adopted, for example, in Africa and in China. Here, selection is shaped by the personal affiliation of the players, for example kinship, religion, ethnic or political similarities (p.70). This approach is likely to be successful in ensuring that the appointees have similar val- ues to the leaders.Using cultural criteria to appoint new staff may help to modify culture but the established staff, and inertia, may still ensure that change is highly problematic. Reynolds (1996) refers to one school where the prevailing culture was posing severe difficulties for any purported change attempts (p.153). He point to m ultiple barri- ers to change including staff wanted top down change and not ownership weve always done it this way individual reluctance to challenge the prevailing culture staff blaming childrens home background for examination failure numerous personality clashes, personal agendas and fractured interpersonal rela-tionships (Reynolds 1996, pp.153-4).This example illustrates the difficulty of attempting to impose cultural change. As one former college principal stresses, it is dangerous formanagers to move too fast on cultural change (Bridge 1994, p.197). Turner (1990, p.11) acknowledges the pressures on leaders to mould culture but rejects the belief that something as pow- erful as culture can be much affected by the puny efforts of top managers.55ORGANISATIONAL CULTURESHargreaves (1999, p.59) makes a similar point, claiming that most peoples beliefs, attitudes and values are far more resistant to change than leaders typically allow. He identifies three circumstances when cult ure may be subject to rapid change The school faces an obvious crisis, for example a highly critical inspection report or move pupil numbers, leading to the prospect of staff redundancies or school closure. The leader is very charismatic, commanding instant trust, loyalty and fellowship. This may enable cultural change to be more radical and be achieved more quickly. The leader succeeds a very poor principal. Staff will be looking for change to instill a new sense of direction (adapted from Hargreaves 1999, pp.59-60).These points may also apply to sub-units and subcultures. Hargreaves (1999, p.60) concludes that, if none of these special conditions applies, assume that cultural change will be rather slow.Leaders also have responsibility for sustaining culture, and cultural maintenance is often regarded as a central feature of effective leadership. Sergiovanni (1984, p.9) claims that the cultural aspect is the most important dimension of leadership. Within his leadership forces hie rarchy, the cultural element is more significant than the technical, human and educational aspects of leadershipThe net effect of the cultural force of leadership is to bond togetherstudents, teachers, and others as believers in the work of the school As persons become members of this strong and binding culture, they are provided with opportunities for enjoying a special sense of personal importance and significance.Limitations of organisational cultureThe concept of organisational culture provides several useful elements to the lead- ership and management of people in schools and colleges. The focus on the infor- mal dimension is a valuable counter to the rigid and official components of the formal models. By stressing the values and beliefs of participants, culture reinforces the human aspects of management rather than their structural elements. However, this approach has three significant weaknesses (Bush 2003)1 The notion of organisational culture may patently be the impositio n of the leaders values on other members of the organisation. The search for a monoculture may mean subordinating the values and beliefs of some participants to those of leaders or the dominant group. Shared cultures may be simply the values of leaders imposed on less powerful people. Morgan (1997) refers to a process of ideologicalcontrol and warns of the risk of manipulationIdeological manipulation and control is being advocated as an essential managerial strategy such manipulation may well be accompanied by resistance, resentment and mistrust where the culture controls rather than expresses human character, the metaphor may thus prove quite manipulative and totalitarian in its influence. (pp.150-1)Prosser (1999, p.4) refers to the dark underworld of school culture and links it to the concept of micropolitics The micro-political perspective recognized that formal powers, rules, regulations, traditions and ritualswere capable of being subverted by individuals, groups or affiliati ons in schools. Hargreaves (1999, p.60) uses the term resistance group to refer to sub-units seeking to subvert lead- ers and their intended cultural change. However, this may simply be a legitimate attempt to enunciate the specific values of, for example, departmental culture.2 The portrayal of culture may be unduly mechanistic, anticipate that leaders can determine the culture of the organisation (Morgan 1997). While they have influ- ence over the evolution of culture by espousing desired values, they cannot ensure the emergence of a monoculture. As we have seen, secondary schools and colleges may have several subcultures operating in departments and other sec- tions. This is not necessarily dysfunctional because successful sub-units are zippy components of thriving institutions, and successful middle-level leadership and management are increasingly regarded as essential to school and college effec- tiveness (Harris 2002 Briggs 2003).In an era of self-managing schools and colleg es in many countries, lay influ- ences on policy are increasingly significant. Governing bodies often have the for- mal responsibility for major decisions and they share in the creation of institutional culture. This does not mean simple acquiescence to the values of the head or principal. Rather, there may be negotiation leading to the possibility of conflict and the adoption of policies inconsistent with the leaders own values.3 Hoyle (1986) argues that symbols may misrepresent the reality of the school or college. He suggests that schools may go through the appearance of change but the reality continues as beforeA symbol can represent something which is real in the sense that it acts as a surrogate for reality there will be a mutual recognition by the parties concerned that the substance has not been evoked but they are nevertheless content to sustain the fiction that it has if there has been some symbolization of the substance in reality the system carries on as formerly. (p. 166)Schein (1997, p.249) also warns against placing too much reliance on ritual.When the only salient data we have are the rites and rituals that have survived over a period of time, we must, of course, use them as best wecan however it is difficult to decipher just what assumptions lead- ers have held that have led to the creation of particular rites and rituals.Conclusion people and cultureThe belief that schools and colleges are unique entities is gaining ground as people increasingly recognise the importance of the specific contexts, internal and exter- nal, which provide the frameworks within which leaders and managers must oper- ate. Despite the pressures of globalisation, understanding and managing the school context is a vital dimension of leadership in the twenty-first century. Values and beliefs are not universal and a one size fits all model does not work for nations any more than it does for schools.The recognition that school and college development needs to be preced ed by attitudinal change is also salutary, and is consistent with the view that teachers must feel ownership of change if it is to be implemented effectively. Externally imposed innovation often fails because it is out of tune with the values of the teach- ers who have to implement it. Since organization in the end resides in the heads of the people involved, effective organizational change always implies cultural change (Morgan 1997, p.150).The emphasis on values and symbols may also help to balance the focus on struc- ture and process in many of the other models. The informal world of norms and rit- ual behaviour may be just as significant as the formal elements of schools and colleges. Even the most concrete and rationalaspects of organization whether structures, hierarchies, rules, or organizational routines embody social construc- tions and meanings that are crucial for understanding how organization functions day to day (Morgan 1997, p.146).Culture also provides a focus for organisational action. effective leaders often seek to influence values so that they become closer to, if not identical with, their own beliefs. In this way, they hope to achieve widespread support for, or ownership of, new policies. By working through this informal domain, rather than imposing change through positional authority or political processes, heads, principals and other leaders, including middle managers, are more likely to gain support for inno- vation.An understanding of both societal and organisational culture also provides a sound basis for leading and managing people in education. In many countries, schools and colleges are becoming multicultural, and recognition of the rich diver- sity of the cultural backgrounds of students, parents and staff is an essential element in school management. Similarly, all educational organisations have certain dis- tinctive features and understanding and managing this cultural apparatus is vital if leadership is to be in tune with t he prevailing norms and values. An appreciation of the relevance of both societal and organisational culture, and of the values, beliefs and rituals that underpin them, is an important element in the leadershipand management of schools and colleges.ReferencesAkinnusi, D. (1991), Personnel management in Africa, in Brewster, C. and Tyson, S. (eds), International Comparisons in Human Resource Management, London, Pitman.Badat, S. (1995), Educational politics in the transition period,Comparative Educa- tion, 31 (2), 141-159.Beare, H., Caldwell, B. and Millikan, R (1989), Creating an Excellent School Some New Management Techniques, London, Routledge.Bridge, W. (1994), Change where contrasting cultures meet, in Gorringe, R. (ed.), Changing the Culture of a College, Blagdon, Coombe Lodge Reports.Briggs, A. (2003), decision the balance exploring the organic and mechanical dimensions of middle managers roles in English further education colleges, Edu- cational Management and Administration, 3 1 (4), 421-436.Bush, T. (1998), Organisational culture and strategic management, in Middlewood, D. and Lumby, J. (eds), strategic Management in Schools and Colleges, London, capital of Minnesota Chapman Publishing.Bush, T. (2003), Theories of Educational Leadership and Management Third Edition, London, Sage.Bush, T. and Anderson, L. (2003), Organisational culture, in Thurlow, M., Bush, T. and Coleman, M. (eds), Leadership and Strategic Management in South African Schools, London, Commonwealth Secretariat.Bush, T. and Qiang, H. (2000), Leadership and culture in Chinese education, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 20 (2), 58-67.Bush, T., Qiang, H. and Fang, J. (1998), Educational management in China an overview, Compare, 28 (2), 133-140.Caldwell, B. and Spinks, J. (1992), tether the Self-Managing School, London, Falmer Press.Campbell-Evans, G. (1993), A values perspective on school-based management, in C. Dimmock (ed.), School-Based Management and School Effectiveness, London, Routl edge.Coleman, M., Qiang, H. and Li, Y.(1998), Women in educational management in China experience in Shaanxi province, Compare, 28 (2), 141-154.Crossley, M. and Broadfoot, P. (1992), Comparative and international research in education scope, problems and potential, British Educational Research Journal, 18, 99-112.Deal, T. (1985) The symbolism of effective schools, Elementary School Journal, 85 (5), 605-20.Dimmock, C. and Walker, A. (2002a), An international view of the principalship and its development allowing for cultural context no one best practice model, paper presented at the National College for School Leadership International Conference, Nottingham, October. Dimmock, C. and Walker, A. (2002b), School leadership in context societal andorganizational cultures, in Bush, T. and Bell, L. (eds), The Principles and Practice of Educational Management, London, Paul Chapman Publishing. Foskett, N. and Lumby, J. (2003), Leading and Managing Education InternationalDimensions, London, Paul Chapman Publishing. Fullan, M. and Hargreaves, A. (1992) Whats Worth Fighting for in Your School? Buck-ingham, Open University Press. Hargreaves, D. (1999), Helping practitioners explore their schools culture, inJ.Prosser (ed.), School Culture, London, Paul Chapman Publishing. Harris, A. (2002), Effective leadership in schools facing challenging circumstances,School Leadership and Management, 22 (1), 15-26. Hoyle, E. (1986), The Politics of School Management, Sevenoaks, Hodder andStoughton. Irvine, J. (1990), Black Students and School Failure, New York, Greenwood Press. Morgan, G. (1997), Images of Organization, Newbury Park, CA, Sage. Nias, J., Southworth, G. and Yeomans, R. (1989), Staff Relationships in the PrimarySchool, London, Cassell. Ngcobo, T. (2003), Managing multicultural contexts, in Lumby, J., Middlewood, D.and Kaabwe, E. (eds), Managing Human Resources in South African Schools, London, Commonwealth Secretariat.ONeill, J. (1994), organizational structure and cultu re, in Bush, T. and West-Burn- ham, J. (eds), The Principles of Educational Management, Harlow, Longman.Prosser, J. (1999), School Culture, London, Paul Chapman Publishing. Reynolds, D. (1996), Turning round ineffective schools some evidence and somespeculations, in Gray, J., Reynolds, D., Fitzgibbon, C. and Jesson, D. (eds), Merg- ing Traditions The Future of Research on School Effectiveness and School Improvement, London, Cassell.Schein, E. (1997), Organizational Culture and Leadership, San Francisco, CA, Jossey- Bass.Sergiovanni, T. (1984) Cultural and competing perspectives in administrative the- ory and practice, in Sergiovanni, T. and Corbally, J. (eds), Leadership and Organi- zational Culture, Chicago, IL, University of Illinois Press.Turner, C. (1990), Organisational Culture, Blagdon, Mendip Papers. Walker, A.and Dimmock, C. (2002), Introduction, in Walker, A. and Dimmock, C. (eds), School Leadership and Administration Adopting a Cultural Perspective, London,RoutledgeFalmer. Wallace, M. and Hall, V. (1994) inside the SMT Teamwork in Secondary School Man-agement, London, Paul Chapman Publishing.

Emily Dickinson vs. Robert Frost Essay

gloomfulness is usually associated with fear or the unknown. As children, we are afraid of the unknown under our draw back that darkness brings, which, in turn, makes our imaginations run wild, creating monsters, ghosts, and of course, the occasional boogeyman. Even as adults, we still stomach an antipathy to drive at night or go base on balls al one(a) in the darkness. So it only makes sense that darkness is social functiond in all forms of art to symbolize some kind of fear, unknown social function or place, or a mournful state. Within the world of poetry, the contrast of ethereal and dark can be seen in hundreds of poems, including We Grow Accustomed to the Dark by Emily Dickinson and Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost where the darkness symbolizes something frequently deeper than just fear.Both poems, We suppurate accustomed to the Dark and Acquainted with the night use the elements of Light and Dark as symbols at heart the speakers lives. In Acquainted with the n ight the speaker talks of darkness as his past experiences, most of them not good, and peradventure the depression that accompanied them. He says, I have walked out in the rain and back in the rain, meaning he has been through events, emotion, and sorrows through his lifespanspan several times, precisely has managed to come through each one. He talks of how he has seen lugubrious moments when he says, I have looked down the saddest city lane.However, he is either ashamed or just loth to elaborate on his experiences in the pass, I have passed by the watchman on his beat and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain. The speakers depression is so deep he feels he has no hope or way of recovering. This is tell in the line, I have outwalked the furthest city light. When the speaker gives descriptions of the sound of feet and an interrupted cry, it gives the reader a sense of blindness and furthering the speakers darkness and uncertainty of his life. The light that is be sick by the luminary clock or the moon shows the prolonging of time that the speaker has to wait for something, possibly hope, to renew the light in his life.The speaker in We grow accustomed to the dark talks of confusable things. He talks of problems most face throughout life and difficult decisions that are unavoidable. The darkness in this poem, much like Robert Frosts, does not talk of literal darkness, but emotional darkness of the speaker. However, hedoes not talk about dark as life in general. In the line As when the Neighbor holds the Lamps to witness her Goodbye, Dickinson saying that early(a) peck may hold light, meaning hope, faith, or happiness, but sometimes darkness is inevitable. He articulates that when good things are taken away from a persons life, he must adjust his perception to the darkness.This is said in the line Then-fit our Visions to the Dark-. Then, when he talks of the moon having to sign, he says that not even the moon, usually the brightest light at night, can not give him hope. He says that brave people will search for things but only fail. That people try to run away from the darkness within them and try to deny it. But in the line And sometimes hit a Tree shows that even when you run from a problem or try to deny it, there will be other problems you run into. However, this halt in moving on only makes that person stronger and wiser, learning from his mistakes. He says the only way to find oneself when there is no light or goodness is to move forward and adjust.The two poems are structured very differently. While Emily Dickinson uses short phrases with long sentences, Robert Frost uses whole sentences that flow easily. In We grow accustomed to the dark, the short words or phrases clumped together add emphasis and description. These cut phrases symbolize inner conflict or struggle within the speaker. The line As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp is one of the few lines that does not have a dash at the end. This is because the light illum inates the darkness, destroying the struggle. Dickinson adds these descriptive phrases to give more intellectual imagery to the poem. But still, each phrase and stanza fits with the next, adding to the whole picture of a lightless midnight.An example of the preponderance of dashes and their symbolizism is seen in the line Or Star-come out-within-. This line is about the mental darkness with no solution or light and the amount of dashes adds emphasis to the hopelessness in the search for light. Acquainted with the Night, Frost uses sentences that flow lightly from one to another. This gives the poem an effect of movement. It is read like a story, making it easy for the reader to connect things within the poem. Frost also uses a very knockout rhyming scheme to draw the poem all together as whole. The rhyming at the end that corresponds to the beginning brings the reader back to the start of the poem, similar to acircle and symbolizes the speakers recurring sadness.Everyone experie nces dark times in his life-some more than others-with what seems like a never ending battle. These two poems, with two different experiences of darkness, tell us that there have been people who went through the same darkness we may be going through. Their dominance through the evidently maelstrom night gives us hope for a better day. Dickinson and Frost have shed some light into an increasingly darkened world.

The Climate for Change Summary

The Climate for Change Summary In the November 9, 2008 edition New York Times, an article titled The Climate for Change as a follow up to Al Gores speech where he challenged the United States to end its reliance on petroleum based fuels and to generate 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources within ten years. He gave a five part plan to repower America and to achieve his challenge.Al Gore stated that the new chairman and the new Congress should offer large-scale investments in incentives for the construction of concentrates solar thermal plants in places that could produce large amounts of electricity. He says we should then begin the proviso and construction of a unified national smart grid for the transport of renewable electricity. Third, the government should help Americas automobile industry to qualify quickly to plug in hybrids that can run on renewable energy.Fourth, we should embark on a nationwide effort to retrofit buildings with better detachment and ene rgy efficient windows and lighting. Lastly, the United States should lead the way by putting a price on carbon in the US to help trim global warming pollution coming from us. Al Gore was the forty-fifth vice-president of the United States and was an environmental activist. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 in recognition for his work. He also won an Oscar for his documentary on the environment that year. In 2006 he founded The Alliance for Climate Protection and has written several(prenominal) books since then.

Orbach

Sample descriptive outline and summary Fat is a Feminist Issue by Susie Arroba Descriptive Outline Paragraphs 1 & 2 Paragraphs 3 & 4 Paragraphs 5 -8 Paragraph 9 Us Mary Arroba dilate the epidemic of obesity in American women, the emotional effects of overeating on women, and lists commonly held views about the causes of obesity. Arroba suggests that womens obesity is in fact a contest to gender stereotypes and should be viewed as a societal illness, not a personal failing.In this persona of the text, Arroba argues that womens inferior societal position is the result of a centuries-long stamp that womens biology makes them fit for the limited roles of wife and mother. In order to achieve this status, however, Arroba states that a woman must have a man, which makes her seclusions and keenly aware of herself as an object for the pleasure of men. A woman therefore is highly susceptible to the vagaries of fashion, media, and make-up in an effort to make her more ascribable to men.Arro ba concludes by stating that, despite the many changes in fashion trends, being thin is consistently viewed as positive, and necessary, for women, and that, as a result, obesity may express rebellion against the strictures of cue audition conformity women face. Arroba uses her introductory paragraphs to establish the context of her discussion about womens obesity in the United States. Arroba begins to make her argument, offering a feminist explanation of womens obesity, alleging that avoirdupois weight is n expression of independence.Her parallel structure Caftan is) suggests ownership of an otherwise unattractive quality fat itself. Arroba logically and methodically builds her argument in this section of the text, moving from biology to culture, in order to persuade the reader that the epidemic of female obesity may, in fact, be a feminist choice -? rather than the availability of unhealthy food, lack of exercise,

Children Therapy Vs Adult Therapy

Counseling children/adolescents slew look very different than counsel adults due to many aspects. Adults nourish their management of life set In a bearing that Is hard to change as they get older, but kids are keying who they are and are more open to change. Children start their life depending on others as adults pretend acquire how to live independently. Children and adolescents also cope with their hardships and do not realize that they fate help as they mother not learned who they can go to if they are having problems.Counseling children/adolescents need certain breeding and skills to each a level of success that we are looking for in a session. The way of thinking for an adult and a child are deferent in so many ways. The adult brain in adults is encompassingy developed and they are set in their ways that can be hard for a counsel to change. It is hard to transform an adult person when they have gone their altogether dealing with issues In a way that may be harmful to themselves or others. Adults have gone their whole life learning who they can corporate trust and who they cannot trust which makes It difficult for the counselor to gain that trust In an adult client.Children have an easier time trusting as It often takes Just a a few(prenominal) minutes to open up to a counselor. Changes in the brain structure and function occur during childhood and adolescence (Henderson & Thompson, 2010). Since their brain is still developing they have not learned their way of handling certain emotions as mentioned in Jean Piglets four stages of cognitive development. Counselors have to work In a different way when dealing with the thinking processes of adults versus children. Dependency changes to an independent frame of mind as a person gets older.Kids depend on their parents for the basic needs as stated in Measles hierarchy of needs which are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self- actualization. These needs must b e met for us to become self-actualization and reach our full potential In all areas of development (Henderson Thompson, 2010). Adults that did not meet the lower level of physiological needs such as food, shelter, water, and warmth, may not have met their higher order needs such as self-esteem or love and belonging.People that do not have their basic needs met when they ere younger, may have a hard time with their haveings about themselves or others later on in life. Adults realize that certain things in their lives are not going as they would like, so they wonder whether a counselor could help them. If they realize that they have a problem, they decide on their own to request a counseling session. Children however, neer realize that they are having trouble and never think of asking their caregiver to request help for them.Children live with their issues, no matter how serious they may be, and they dont have the Ingenuity to go see a oneself. Instead, the parents or other people close to them notice something Is wrong. Counseling children that do not realize that they need help, makes It harder for the counselor to explain to the person why they are In the session. This can place. Adults usually go to counseling because they have made the choice to go there on their own. Having the client realize that they need help makes it easier on the counselor in the session, but this can come with some push back when dealing with children.Counseling children can come with some adversities which unsolder new to the profession may not be ready for and lack the skills needed to take on these challenges. I feel that building a solid foundation with a kid is important early on in their counseling experience and I would like to learn more about strategies and conversations that would help build that relationship. I have built great relationships with my students at school, but that did take some time which I depart not have that much time in a counseling session.Having con versations about their troubles may be hard for a kid to put into industrial plant or expressions, so I need o learn how to have a conversation with a child that allows expressing their feelings. I would also like training on the legal issues on what needs to be reported to certain agencies so that I know what to legally do in certain situations. Kids these days are getting their hands on drugs that are new developed each day and I would like training on drugs that I need to be aware of so that I am keeping up with the latest drugs that a client may be trying out. In conclusion, counseling children and adults have their differences.

Wellness programs try to Be welcoming

AH, July an ideal time of stratum for morning runs, long swims, family bike scolds and picnic tables laden with seasonal produce. In short, its healthy time.Unfortunately, its to a fault health c be time when managers must contend with rising health indemnity premiums as they plan next years budget.What is a cost-conscious manager to do? The answer of the moment is to provide a health program, promoting healthy behavior year-round.According to a survey by the hay Group, a consulting firm, more than half of any large companies offer some combination of services analogous nutrition education, weight management assistance, health stake assessments, and help with quitting smoking more than a quarter offer things desire fitness coaching and discounts on health club memberships.I was fundamentally come forth of the business for the better part of the decade, express Michael Carter, a vice president at Hay responsible for employee health management consulting. Now everybodys my invigorated best friend.On the surface, it is hard to consume anything wrong with urging employees to tone up and trim down. A fitter unravel force is a happier live on force, and less costly, too.But wellness programs can be minefields. Some employees may resent the programs, viewing them as examples of father-knows-best intrusiveness. At least one program has correct pretended the background for a police forcesuit.The biggest challenge of wellness programs is to reach the employees who would get the most divulge of them. Gym rats will al steerings take advantage of benefits like discounted health club memberships but they would probably work step forward anyway, and discounts may not be enough for those who argon seriously overweight or out of shape.Personalized bonuss like fitness coaching and nutrition way be often a better way to reach employees in the middle group who just need a little encouragement. It is also all important(p) to befuddle accommodations fo r disabled employees.And the tone taken is crucial who wants the boss telling you to eat your spinach plant? A program that feels coercive will probably never be as popular as one with positive incentives, like cheaper health insurance.Employees respond best to wellness programs that are presented as a form of organizational change, rather than as a top-down imposition of new requirements, according to a study of 243 employees by Ellen Ernst Kossek, a professor of human preference management and organizational behavior at Michigan State University, and two colleagues.It shouldnt be, heres this program, she said. It should be linked to How do we make a workplace thats healthy for everyone. Scotts Miracle-Gro has one of the most extensive wellness programs on offer. serve include personalized fitness coaching and a $5 million wellness center at its headquarters in Marysville, Ohio, with a gym and medical facilities. The company also has a policy against hiring workers who smoke, where state law permits.Participation in Scotts wellness programs is high but the company has also seen an unexpected side ready from its efforts.Last year, Scott Rodrigues filed suit against the company in Massachusetts, saying that Scotts fired him later on a drug test found nicotine in his system and that the companys antismoking policy violated his civil rights.Harvey Schwartz, Mr. Rodriguess lawyer, said the case was also an example of benefits discrimination, where a company dismisses an employee to avoid high benefits be.In a campaign to dismiss the case, which is pending, Scotts said that Mr. Rodrigues had not actually been hired but had been offered a theorise on the condition that he pass a drug screen, including a test for nicotine.When you look at controlling cost, said Su Lok, a Scotts spokeswoman, smoking is something that employers are really taking a stand on. The company had no definition on the specific case because it is ongoing.Union Pacific Railroad has h ad a smoother ride with its longstanding wellness program. The proportion of health insurance claims think to lifestyle has dropped by 11 percentage points over 11 years, said Marcy Zauha, the companys director for health and safety.Union Pacific, based in Omaha, offers some companywide wellness benefits, including health risk assessments and stop-smoking plans. But much of the program, including regional walking contests and group weight-loss efforts, is administered locally. Managers health progression initiatives are included in their annual reviews.Weve tried to skeletal system health into our existing culture, Ms. Zauha said.Fiserv, a financial services technology company based in Brookfield Wis., created a wellness program in 2005 to better encipher and retain employees.Fiserv employees who fill out a health risk assessment receive a sizable discount on their monthly health insurance premium. There are also companywide fitness challenges in a recent eight-week walking cont est, participants were final resultd pedometers, and anyone who walked 7,000 steps a day received a prize.Teams apply to been know to question whether their rivals really log the number of steps claimed. But that was fine with Linda Schuessler, manager of wellness promotion.As long as theyre engaged, Ms. Schuessler said, we dont really mind those concerns.(this is the copyofth article from NY Times,http//www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070)Journal AssignmentThe purpose at hand is about how managers and company heads would make the most out of their companies by introducing a healthy lifestyle to their employees. It is evident that today, health pity costs are so high that rising health insurance premiums would certainly be in the way of budgeting for the company (Holland). Obviously, these company heads and managers should not jeopardize the health of their employees, that they should provide the necessary things f or their wellness. But surely, this would cost them that it wouldnt be that patrician to pull out strings and fix the budget. That is why these managers should resort to a way that would be more cost effective and nourishment them from harms way of these health care costs.The article discusses how managers and company heads employ human resource management in fellowship to do away with the costly expenses of health care and health insurances that they provide to the employees. But this doesnt mean that they neglect the health of these working peck. It is on-key that these people are very important to the company, that these companies need them in devote to be productive, which is why it is important that their every need will be accustomed to them or will be addressed.What these company leaders and managers do is that they make sure that these employees are healthy so that they can avert the spending that theyll have to give when any of these gets sick or has health problems. In order not to shoulder the burden of health care and health insurance premiums, they offered to keep them fit in their own ways.In order to do so, these companies offer basically every health guidance and services that they can offer to the employees. These includes educating them regarding nutrition and straitlaced diet, weight management assistance, health risk assessments and checkups, fitness coaching and swelled out memberships for fitness groups and health clubs. Through this, the company themselves are able to learn that their employees are fit and are far from harms way, thus saving them the costs of health care for these people. Thus, the companies budgets will not be greatly affected.If you would relate this start out in human resource management, you could see that this is more on the incentive aspect, wherein you provide your employees something that would keep them going to work. For those who are concerned with their health and well- world, they would surely hau l the opportunity of freehanded health club memberships and nutrition education. This is positive for the company, since the employees themselves are the ones who initiate in keeping themselves healthy. Remember, the main concern of the company in this issue is how they can do away with the extra costs of health care and health insurance premiums for their employees.Regarding the effectiveness of this approach, the article states that there are already some(prenominal) large-scale companies who adopted this system. They have their own health clubs and offer free membership to their employees. They say that these greatly helps them in cutting costs, thus the allotted budget for healthcare would be saved. There are still some who are not that much into health stuffs, people who think that nutrition education is like intruding with their lives. These people are those who would most likely have health risks and should be given enough consideration in order to engage them in these heal th programs.Human resource management surely entails various levels of dealing with the people you are handling. This includes how you handle them, and the ways on how you are able to manage them, fashioning them do what theyre suppose to do. This is where healthcare comes in, wherein their safety and well being is not only their concern, but should also be the companys priority. When their wellness goes down, the company goes down as well, in terms of both men and monetary aspects.ReferenceHolland, K. (2007). Wellness Programs Try to Be welcome, Too. The New York Times. Published July 22, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http//www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070Wellness Programs Try to Be WelcomingAH, July an ideal time of year for morning runs, long swims, family bike rides and picnic tables laden with seasonal produce. In short, its healthy time.Unfortunately, its also health care time when managers must conte nd with rising health insurance premiums as they plan next years budget.What is a cost-conscious manager to do? The answer of the moment is to provide a wellness program, promoting healthy behavior year-round.According to a survey by the Hay Group, a consulting firm, more than half of all large companies offer some combination of services like nutrition education, weight management assistance, health risk assessments, and help with quitting smoking more than a quarter offer things like fitness coaching and discounts on health club memberships.I was basically out of the business for the better part of the decade, said Michael Carter, a vice president at Hay responsible for employee health management consulting. Now everybodys my new best friend.On the surface, it is hard to see anything wrong with urging employees to tone up and trim down. A fitter work force is a happier work force, and less costly, too.But wellness programs can be minefields. Some employees may resent the programs, viewing them as examples of father-knows-best intrusiveness. At least one program has even formed the background for a lawsuit.The biggest challenge of wellness programs is to reach the employees who would get the most out of them. Gym rats will always take advantage of benefits like discounted health club memberships but they would probably work out anyway, and discounts may not be enough for those who are seriously overweight or out of shape.Personalized incentives like fitness coaching and nutrition counseling are often a better way to reach employees in the middle group who just need a little encouragement. It is also crucial to make accommodations for disabled employees.And the tone taken is crucial who wants the boss telling you to eat your spinach? A program that feels coercive will probably never be as popular as one with positive incentives, like cheaper health insurance.Employees respond best to wellness programs that are presented as a form of organizational change, rat her than as a top-down imposition of new requirements, according to a study of 243 employees by Ellen Ernst Kossek, a professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at Michigan State University, and two colleagues.It shouldnt be, Heres this program, she said. It should be linked to How do we make a workplace thats healthy for everyone. Scotts Miracle-Gro has one of the most extensive wellness programs on offer. Services include personalized fitness coaching and a $5 million wellness center at its headquarters in Marysville, Ohio, with a gym and medical facilities. The company also has a policy against hiring workers who smoke, where state law permits.Participation in Scotts wellness programs is high but the company has also seen an unexpected side effect from its efforts.Last year, Scott Rodrigues filed suit against the company in Massachusetts, saying that Scotts fired him after a drug test found nicotine in his system and that the companys antismoking policy violated his civil rights.Harvey Schwartz, Mr. Rodriguess lawyer, said the case was also an example of benefits discrimination, where a company dismisses an employee to avoid high benefits costs.In a motion to dismiss the case, which is pending, Scotts said that Mr. Rodrigues had not actually been hired but had been offered a job on the condition that he pass a drug screen, including a test for nicotine.When you look at controlling costs, said Su Lok, a Scotts spokeswoman, smoking is something that employers are really taking a stand on. The company had no comment on the specific case because it is ongoing.Union Pacific Railroad has had a smoother ride with its longstanding wellness program. The proportion of health insurance claims related to lifestyle has dropped by 11 percentage points over 11 years, said Marcy Zauha, the companys director for health and safety.Union Pacific, based in Omaha, offers some companywide wellness benefits, including health risk assessments and stop-smo king plans. But much of the program, including regional walking contests and group weight-loss efforts, is administered locally. Managers health promotion initiatives are included in their annual reviews.Weve tried to build health into our existing culture, Ms. Zauha said.Fiserv, a financial services technology company based in Brookfield Wis., created a wellness program in 2005 to better recruit and retain employees.Fiserv employees who fill out a health risk assessment receive a sizable discount on their monthly health insurance premium. There are also companywide fitness challenges in a recent eight-week walking contest, participants were issued pedometers, and anyone who walked 7,000 steps a day received a prize.Teams have to been known to question whether their rivals really log the number of steps claimed. But that was fine with Linda Schuessler, manager of wellness promotion.As long as theyre engaged, Ms. Schuessler said, we dont really mind those concerns.(this is the copy o f the article from NY Times, http//www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070)Journal AssignmentThe concept at hand is about how managers and company heads would make the most out of their companies by introducing a healthy lifestyle to their employees. It is evident that today, health care costs are so high that rising health insurance premiums would surely be in the way of budgeting for the company (Holland). Obviously, these company heads and managers should not jeopardize the health of their employees, that they should provide the necessary things for their wellness. But surely, this would cost them that it wouldnt be that easy to pull out strings and fix the budget. That is why these managers should resort to a way that would be more cost effective and keep them from harms way of these health care costs.The article discusses how managers and company heads employ human resource management in order to do away with the costl y expenses of health care and health insurances that they provide to the employees. But this doesnt mean that they neglect the health of these working people. It is true that these people are very important to the company, that these companies need them in order to be productive, which is why it is important that their every need will be given to them or will be addressed. What these company leaders and managers do is that they make sure that these employees are healthy so that they can avert the spending that theyll have to give when any of these gets sick or has health problems. In order not to shoulder the burden of health care and health insurance premiums, they offered to keep them fit in their own ways.In order to do so, these companies offer basically every health guidance and services that they can offer to the employees. These includes educating them regarding nutrition and proper diet, weight management assistance, health risk assessments and checkups, fitness coaching and giving out memberships for fitness groups and health clubs. Through this, the company themselves are able to ensure that their employees are fit and are far from harms way, thus saving them the costs of health care for these people. Thus, the companies budgets will not be greatly affected.If you would relate this approach in human resource management, you could see that this is more on the incentive aspect, wherein you provide your employees something that would keep them going to work. For those who are concerned with their health and well-being, they would surely grab the opportunity of free health club memberships and nutrition education. This is positive for the company, since the employees themselves are the ones who initiate in keeping themselves healthy. Remember, the main concern of the company in this issue is how they can do away with the extra costs of health care and health insurance premiums for their employees.Regarding the effectiveness of this approach, the article states that there are already several large-scale companies who adopted this system. They have their own health clubs and offer free membership to their employees. They say that these greatly helps them in cutting costs, thus the allotted budget for healthcare would be saved. There are still some who are not that much into health stuffs, people who think that nutrition education is like intruding with their lives. These people are those who would most likely have health risks and should be given enough consideration in order to engage them in these health programs.Human resource management surely entails various levels of dealing with the people you are handling. This includes how you handle them, and the ways on how you are able to manage them, making them do what theyre suppose to do. This is where healthcare comes in, wherein their safety and well being is not only their concern, but should also be the companys priority. When their wellness goes down, the company goes down as wel l, in terms of both manpower and monetary aspects.ReferenceHolland, K. (2007). Wellness Programs Try to Be Welcoming, Too. The New York Times. Published July 22, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http//www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070

American Health Insurance

The Impact of American Health Insurance System on Societys Development The American wellness c be system since the 1990s had been undergoing issues and tasks that remains unsolved and unanswered. According to World Health Organization, for the year 2000, US countenance been the top bucolic when it comes to responsiveness and expenditures, what is puzzling how forever, is that the country only if ranked 37th in overall performance and 72nd when it comes to the nations level of health. The US is the only developed country, except for South Africa, who doesnt provide all its citizens the health perplexity that they need.Furthermore, the uniqueness of this system that differentiates it from the creation is the dominance of the private element over the public element. To start of, in 2003 only 15% of the non-elderly Americans populace were insured in public programs while 67% and 18% were insured in a private health insurance and uninsured respectively (Kao Ching Pua 2006). There ar e mainly 2 types of programs in the public insurance the Medicare and the Medicaid. Medicare is a federal program that covers individuals aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled individuals.It is a single-payer program administered by the government (the only entity to perform the insurance function of reimbursement). Medicare and Medicaid are financed by federal income taxes, a payroll tax shared by employers and employees, and individual enrollee premiums. An new(prenominal) program of the government is the Medicaid program that is deigned for the low-income and disabled. In the Private Insurance firmament there is the employer-sponsored insurance and the Private non-group or the individual market. Employer-sponsored insurance represents the main way in which Americans receive health insurance.Employers provide health insurance as part of the benefits package for employees while it also varies widely. In a nonher note, the individual market covers part of the population that i s self-employed or retired, as well as those who are unable to obtain through employment. Unlike the employer-sponsored insurance, the individual market allows health insurance companies to deny people reporting based on pre active conditions (Kao Ching Pua 2006). The emergence of American Insurance System is like a double-edged sword that can either have positive and negative effects on societys development.If by far that the insurance program is discriminating in its clients by way that it incurs more than it gives out, then by all means it provide simply deter the progress that the society aims for. If a well organized and efficient American Insurance system is carried out, then more at ease Americans can go on living, having enough stamina and vigor to face the daily challenges ahead which in charm will be good for the economy. The tierce Key Initiatives 1. The Need for better Access and Coverage IssueNagging issues such as inefficiency and failure in access to health care delivery system have taken root. In 2004, 45. 8 million Americans were uninsured (US Census Bureau) and expected to rise accordingly by 50 million in the next cristal to come. Between 2000 and 2004 al matchless, the number of the uninsured had increased to 5. 8 million and among them was low-income families and the working middle class (Serber and Gauthler, 2005). The Degree of Risk The risk that in may turn be involved will be the emergence of dishonest and hoaxed companies thats only goal is to benefit.It can be prevented if the government can steer admiration of these from happening so a fair and competitive business can occur where one can mutually benefit with each other. The Internal and foreign Environmental Strengths and Weaknesses In which case, the government should step up by expanding their public insurance programs so that they can reach those who have low incomes and those who cant access in ones due to inappropriateness or lack of credentials. It will be the lack of support and initiative from the government should the case be if ever disadvantages might hold.The Ability of the Organization to Respond to Risks The risks can be minimized if the government can strengthen or devise new laws in which it will create positive effects or support the said initiative. Willingness to Commit to Organizational sweetener A number of private insurances had been emerging that promises better deals and reportage so that lessening the rate of the uninsured may come in due time. These insurance companies have notice the growing dissatisfaction of the American society and are now currently devising well-developed proposals that can answer to the growing demand.The search for a better proposal as one insurance company competes with the other will improve the system that we have today. The Barriers to Organizational Effectiveness There incurs more expenses in medical fees because individuals themselves are hesitant to approach medical care due to the join of mo ney he will lose without thinking of the future disadvantages that he might hold. The more a mild condition is draw out without treatment, the more will the expense of fees he will gain when the condition becomes worse.It is because he is uninsured or underinsured, that he is unable to go for a check-up. The lead Key Initiatives 2. the Need for a Better health insurance Policy Issue Problems (Serber and Gauthler, 2005) like gaps in insurance coverage makes it difficult for an individual to fill-out prescription, ensure specialists when warranted, undergo a medical test treatment or simply to seek advice for a medical problem. Administrative costs is what most of where the expenses in health care comes from. It is noted that in 24% of the dollars spent on health care go to administrative costs alone.If ever there is poor access and coverage in insurance systems, more people will incur more expense, because he will choose not to go to a hospital when what hes feeling is still mild a nd only decides to when the conditioned that could be prevented earlier comes to worse. The Degree of Risk Policymakers should take into consideration the short- steer and long run effects in the implementation or creation of a new policy as well as to extensively study the implications that may touch or contradict to other existing policies, otherwise it will only add up to the burgeoning problems ahead.The Internal and External Environmental Strengths and Weaknesses Government should devise ways in which to control the system so that worse case scenarios can be prevented and see to it that all can avail the program without any disparities or discrimination in income and race. They should be strict with their implementations and policies as well as provide enough space to allow the flow of things to occur and liberty for one to move freely without much fear. The strengthening of policies can discourage evil doings but the lose implementation can lead to the rise of pipe economi es.Much will be received if much can be given. The Ability of the Organization to Respond Risks USA is one of the most powerful and wealthiest countries in the world. The amount of problems cannot be ignored but to sum it up, the government made a fairly great job in running the country and making a better policy on the health system wouldnt be that much difficult if given attention to. This country is where great minds meet and freedom of thinking is welcomed. Willingness to Commit to Organizational EnhancementWith much received attention from the media, scholars and victims of negligent treatments, issues that will pertain on health will be given a solution to, by the government, hopefully. Its mandate after all is to serve the people. The Barriers To Organizational Effectiveness Up to now, some politicians and insurance choose to be blind express that there is nothing wrong with the health care system, but as years past, it is becoming more and more visible that there is somethi ng wrong and unless that problem is ac hit the sackledge, then it would never be undone. The Three Key Initiatives 3. The Need for better Information DispersionIssue There is a saying that if you want something done, youve got to do it yourself. The people should know what they want and learn to voice it out. There will be much response from the administrative body if there is a unified cry. The people should be better informed when it comes to the current problems as well as know how can they break down the existing barriers that obstruct their way in pencil lead a better life. The Degree of Risk People may resort to unnecessary means such as violence and brainwashing just to be heard, distorting the loyalty and forgetting the real aim of the cause.Small problems become big when misunderstandings and hearsay from unreliable sources (e. g. hearsay and liberal media) accumulate. The Internal and External Environmental Strengths and Weaknesses In this manner, it is all up to the ind ividual of whether he will give response to the ones happening in his environment. There will be a push and pull effect of the truth from the biased. The Ability of the Organization to Respond to Risks An individual by nature is a social being. Americans are well capable of distinguishing which are or which are not to trust.In the end, the experiences that they will gain will guide them through these undertakings and they themselves will know what is true that will in turn help them to decide. Willingness to Commit to Organizational Enhancement There had been a lot of reliable and accessible publications that describes the truth on what is happening to our system. More and more people are now aware of the existing discrepancies and will meet up to the challenge of providing as system that will work for all. The Barriers To Organizational EffectivenessRepressive reports and biased opinions for the sake of personal gain and protection would rupture the cause to spread out the truth t o the public creating a much confused and disorganized community. References Gumbel A. (2007). Sicko? The truth about the US healthcare system. Independent News. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http//news. independent. co. uk/world/americas Kao-Ping Chua. (2006). Overview of the U. S. Health Care System. AMSA Jack Rutledge Fellow. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from www. amsa. org/uhc/HealthCareSystemOverview. pdf Serber M. and A. Gauthier. (2005).A Need to Transform the US Healthcare System Improving Access, Quality and Efficiency. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http//www. commonwealthfund. org/publications/publications_show. htm? doc_id=302833 The US Healthcare System The Best in the World or Just the Most Expensive? (2001) Bureau of Labor Education. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from dll. umaine. edu/ble/U. S. %20HCweb. pdf William S. Andereck. (2006). Modest proposal health insurance for every person Drop Medicare, Medicaid and high-priced insurance. http//www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/ar ticle. cgi? file=/chronicle/archive/2006/08/06/ING9HKAN4E1. DTL. (December 26, 2007).

Childhood as key role in our life Essay

childishness plays a key federal agency in our life, actually our character and personality builds up in childishness. Besides, we as adults have a lot of concern and we should face many stressful situations like finding jobs, acquiring married and so on, On the other hand, children are free of all them. I do train with the statement which childhood is the happiest time in persons life, I explain more close to as follows. First, adults, they have a lot of responsibility. For instance I as mother and wife non only do I have to take care of my children and house but also I have to work as a teacher. Therefore, I am so busy but ,when I was a child my most concern was game. I conscionable play with my friends all the time. I do not have any responsibility. I believe that childhood is the happiest time because you are care free, so children enjoy their life without any stress. They are not worry about the future. Second, as an adult I am happy in some especial events.see morespeech on role of teacher in student lifeFor example when I get promotion in my pallbearer or when I get high salary I feel happy, but children do not have big expectations they satisfy with toys and friends. I can remember when I was a child everything were natural for me I ask about anything which I saw. child finds out what a beautiful, dreadful world. I was just curious I wanted to discover naked as a jaybird things, I can remember what a amazing time was when I saw sheep for the first time. Everything which seems usual and rotin but that time everything were new and wonderful. Taking everything into consideration, childhood is happiest time because children are care free and they do not have any responsibility overly everything are new and strange to children . their most concern is play and find out and understand new things.

I can not help but wonder why they would do this to me. I have been at peace with these humans for many years

For 300 years I have keep an eye on my gemstone. My family and I had taken it from a humans town that we once fumed upon. I took my share and placed it on the upland heath concealed in a barrow. No man should have seen it or even so caught a reflection of these jewels sparkling in the light of the sun. I was isolated from this world because of what I am, the fire-drake, they betoken me. When Hygelac was king I did non b another(prenominal) his people often, even when the new ruler came to power for 50 years I did non bother his kingdom.A dirty human then snatched one of my treasure pieces right out of the barrow. The day I came back to my lair I knew something was missing. The precious cup make of g former(a) and jewels had disappeared. Angry and full of rage I set forth to seek out the nauseous thief, while returning to my barrow numerous of time to see if my eyes had deceived me. The gold treasure-cup was still no where to be found. I will burn them all to ashes.The fury tha t I possessed was uncontrollable. I could nip the crossness slowly making its why through my body, and until I found the thief I was sack to contain it. There were so many of these creatures how was I to k right off which one had my treasure-cup. They are all also it does not matter who stole my gold treasure-cup. Do not think to start anything with these humans Draco, I turned around to see that it was my father and the leader of my kind, Drace. You do not understand. I will not let these so called humans take advantage of me. It was just one golden treasure-cup that is all wherefore is Drace not agreeing with me? It is that it was my treasure-cup and they came and bothered me first I roared back. You are on your own then. For if one gold treasure-cup is expenditure starting a war over then so be it But let this be known that I will not help you in any way. This is your battle. But let me also warn you of a man called, Beowulf, for he is unlike the rest of their kind.With th at, Drace left, and I was alone once again.The feature that my family was not on my side did not help the fact that I wanted to conceal my anger until the right time. I went out and nearly burned e genuinelything to the ground. That was my big mistake for now my barrow was now visible to any eye. I knew that they would soon come after me. I knew that some of these humans were not cowards. I began to prepare myself for the upcoming battle. I did not have much to fear, for my breath could do more than harm than all of their brands combined. It still would have felt good to know that I had my family behind me.Shhh.. What was that? I know that they could not be coming for me so soon.Sweat begins to pour from his pores.I must suppose that they are only humans.As the barbarians moved up the mound towards me I could see their leader very clearly. For he walked with his head high and look the strongest of all. This must be the man, Beowulf, that my father was talking of. But something round him caught my eye, why he did not look his age, but in his eyes I could tell that he had gone through many winters. Gaining back my confidence I proceeded upon them.Ha Look at that old fool. Does he really believe that he can defeat me.The leader prepared himself for battle by putting up his shield.Ha That shield will not protect you old fool.The man Beowulf swung his sword and I roared as it made contact with my body. The strength of this blow was something that I had never felt before. I was sure I had been wounded, but as I look not even a snatch was on me. Im invincibleThe look of shock replaced the courageous expression Beowulf once had. I enveloped him with a gigantic flame of fire I produced at that exact moment. The other humans with him ran off like cowards towards safety. The leader was left there fighting off the flames. I stopped in rejoiced in my glory, but the support I was going to end his life, the only noble warrior of his pushed him out of my grasp. This m an was trying to save his leadership life.He was whispering something to him in a language I could not make out. Roar I rushed at them and through the flame I could see the man protecting his leader. The leader trembling stood up and swung his great sword-blade and hit my head. Staggering, I saw the sword break. Running towards them I sunk my fangs into the pharynx of the man, Beowulf. As I turn I felt the blade of another sword. This time there was pain. The other man had drawn his sword upon my body and I was wounded. My vision began to fail and in pain I try to gather my strength back. Beowulf removed an object from his corselet and sharp sensations overwhelmed me.