Saturday, January 25, 2020
Roel of Violence in Edwin A. Abbotts Flatland :: Abbott Flatland Essays
Roel of Violence in Flatland        Some people turn to violence when something does not go          their way, or someone says something they do not agree with. It        does not take brains to solve a problem with your fists; it just makes  people look immature, and uneducated. Fighting and violence is         more prevalent at Bloomsburg than in many of the students home         towns. It seems that people are to busy or to drunk to just sit down  and talk things out like reasonable people.                                 Violence plays a major roll in the novel Flatland.  It seems like someone is always disagreeing with someone, and creating a  conflict, as when the square resorts to violence by sending his        hardest right angle into a violent collision with the stranger, only  because the square would not let himself be convinced of the           mysteries of Spaceland, or if an infant whose angle deviates by half a  degree from the correct angularity is summarily destroyed at birth.  If we destroyed all the mentally retarded people at birth because      they have flaws, and are not like everybody else, or if everyone       attacked people just because of something they said that we did not  believe--if this happened all the time, we would completely destroy  the world.                                                                    The college scene is really horrible when it comes to violence.  Members of fraternities and sororities are terrible at staying calm,  and controlling their temper, because of alcohol, and other drugs.     When a person drinks he becomes this monster of violence, a            fighting machine. People lose all senses of right and wrong when       they have the beer muscles on. A slight bump of the arm at a party     can trip the switch of a drunk, violent person. Even the weakest       person can experience this amazing feeling of power if she drinks      excessive amounts of alcohol. In small towns about the only            violence there is to see is in the bars, and taverns. Usually it is the  uneducated, lower-class people just blowing off a little steam. Life  in a small town is for the most part simple.
Friday, January 17, 2020
The Gifted Children
Started in the 1970†³s, America†s Gifted & Talented programs are used to enhance the curriculum of students included in either category in order to challenge and strengthen their unique abilities. These students are usually provided a separate class with specialized lessons in all areas and a teacher with a special degree in gifted education. I feel that it is important that the teacher was a gifted student who would know what the students must face as â€Å"above average†members of their school. The job market for gifted education offers a wide range of opportunity and gifted teachers are needed all over the One of the earliest programs for gifted and talented students was set up in 1974, at The Old Donation Center, in Virginia Beach. Students scoring within the top 3% of students on an assessment test are referred here to be further challenged. These students are considered gifted and have special teachers and classes to promote development of their talents and minds. Programs like this began to pop up around the nation in the 70†³s; however, gifted students were looked down upon by teachers, parents, and peers. Many people considered them to be â€Å"freaks†because they were different. They didn†t understand the implications of the terms â€Å"gifted†and â€Å"talented†. Most people simply expected gifted students to act more mature or to be geniuses, even though gifted students are the same as other children in their needs as human beings. Some gifted students were forced to grow up too fast and some simply ignored the fact that they were smarter than others, thus, they were lost in the shuffle. The irony of it all is that gifted-ness seems to run in families and the children of these repressed gifted students are, themselves, But what exactly is a â€Å"gifted†student? Students (elementary & secondary) are given a repertoire of tests. These tests check IQ, psychomotor ability, specific academic aptitude/talent, creative and productive thinking, leadership ability, and skills in the visual and performing arts. The main requirement, the IQ, is tested by a standardized IQ test (remember, however, that IQ tests are not always perfectly accurate). Ratings are given to each bracket of IQ scores: If a student receives a rating of â€Å"gifted†or higher (130+), he/she is considered to be a gifted student and is introduced into the designated programs. These students are given the opportunity to choose classes that are meant to teach them how to use their minds for critical thinking, reasoning, and artistic pursuits. Students in these classes are also exposed to culture, literature, and other subject areas that are not usually covered in what they term â€Å"normal classes†. The gifted classes are mainly in an open format allowing the student to create the parameters of his/her work and allowing them to be creative in their learning experience. Each class is presided-over by a teacher that has specialized degrees in gifted education. Almost every school in the United States has a need for a gifted class, making job opportunities endless; there are never Gifted teachers must have both a degree in education (secondary or elementary) and a degree in special education (gifted). These teachers are individuals that must have stamina, people skills, and open minds. It is also important (to the students) that the teacher himself/herself was also classified as gifted. It sets a common bond, shows them that the teacher understands the problems they face as so-called â€Å"smart kids†. These students are often ridiculed by heir peers and looked-down upon by their teachers. They are often separated from others their age by a barrier that can only be described as their â€Å"intelligence†. This is why, often, gifted teachers have degrees in administration, counseling, or psychology. All teachers that I interviewed told me that a continually upgraded education is a must (as are additional degrees). In order to keep up with the students one must attend seminars, workshops, special classes, etc. There is no end to the amount of education that could help you to understand gifted students and the role of their teacher†. Also, if a teacher has extra educational qualifications, he/she could be asked to step up to the position of administrator or, more often, counselor. This means pay raises. Though the average salary for teachers is approximately $27,500 per year, it is â€Å"a worthwhile undertaking†according to Jane Mansueto, â€Å"It is incredible to work with gifted students. They are incredible! †She went on to remark that it is fascinating to imagine that they are of the same level of intelligence as the teacher and what they must be feeling inside. She feels that the students are not othered by what their peers think, but actually tend to understand that other†s opinions mean little compared to their own. Mrs. Mansueto taught at Elm Grove Middle School for 5 years. She commented on her role as a gifted teacher to consist of â€Å"one part mentorship, one part hardship, and one part friendship†. When asked what kind of hours she keeps, she laughed and asked if she was supposed to have time off. According to Mrs. Mansueto, unlike a â€Å"normal†teacher, a gifted teacher has no books to go by or preset material to teach, or, for that matter, a preset subject to teach. They are given a blank page and, using input from students, must draw up lessons from every subject area and constantly challenge the inquisitive minds of the gifted. Jane Mansueto attended Trinity College where she majored in both elementary education and gifted education. Her favorite part of being a gifted teacher is being with the students, working hand in hand with them to plan and carry out projects and trips. Though the pay is average, and there is not much room to be promoted if you wish to remain in the classroom, gifted teaching has its personal rewards. Jeff Simpleton, a gifted teacher as well as a former gifted student, states, â€Å"I really think that by being gifted, I am in touch with what they have to go through. They know that I can understand. †Mr. Simpleton†s class consists of 6 high school students, who have many problems due to the intelligence barrier and a kind of isolation that has built up over the years between themselves and their classmates. They seem to feel that they have a reputation that they must live up to. The students try to please everyone†¦ they push themselves with sheer motivation and determination and drive. Mr. Simpleton feels that this is â€Å"what makes them so great†. He feels that anyone with a sense of adventure and a need for something new day after day would find teaching a gifted class to be the perfect job for Gifted teachers are important to the development of their students minds. They are understanding individuals who must work hard to make the curriculum interesting and challenging. With the proper education it is possible to go far as a teacher of the gifted. Various Internet sites. No info available for documentation.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
5 Important Oedipus Rex Quotes Explained
Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) is a famous play by the great ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles. The play was first performed around 429 BCE and is part of a trilogy of plays which also include Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus. In a nutshell, the play tells the story of Oedipus, a man doomed from birth as a result of a prophecy which states that he will murder his father and marry his mother. Despite his familys attempts to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled, Oedipus still falls prey to fate. The simple plot of the play can be easily summed up in just five key quotes. Oedipus Rex has influenced artists and thinkers around the world for more than two millennia. Its the basis for Sigmund Freuds psychoanalytical theory, appropriately named the Oedipus complex; as Freud notes of Oedipus in his seminal work The Interpretation of Dreams: His destiny moves us only because it might have been oursâ€â€because the oracle laid the same curse upon us before our birth as upon him. It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. Our dreams convince us that this is so. Setting the Scene Ah! my poor children, known, ah, known too well,The quest that brings you hither and your need.Ye sicken all, well wot I, yet my pain,How great soever yours, outtops it all. Oedipus exclaims these sympathetic words at the beginning of the play to the people of Thebes. The city is beset with a plague and many of Oedipuss citizens are sick and dying. These words paint Oedipus as a compassionate and empathetic ruler. This image, juxtaposed with Oedipuss dark and twisted past, revealed later in the play, makes his downfall even more striking. Greek audiences at the time were already familiar with the story of Oedipus; thus Sophocles skillfully added these lines for dramatic irony. Oedipus Reveals His Paranoia and Hubris The trusty Creon, my familiar friend,Hath lain in wait to oust me and subornedThis mountebank, this juggling charlatan,This tricksy beggar-priest, for gain aloneKeen-eyed, but in his proper art stone-blind.Say, sirrah, hast thou ever proved thyselfA prophet? When the riddling Sphinx was hereWhy hadst thou no deliverance for this folk?And yet the riddle was not to be solvedBy guess-work but required the prophets artWherein thou wast found lacking; neither birds nor sign from heaven helped thee, but I came.The simple Oedipus; I stopped her mouth. This speech by Oedipus reveals a lot about his personality. A clear contrast from the first quote, Oedipus tone here shows that he is paranoid, has a short temper, and is pompous. Whats happening is that Teiresias, a prophet, refuses to tell Oedipus who the murderer of King Laius (Oedipuss father) is. A bewildered Oedipus reacts by angrily taunting Teiresias for being stone-blind, a charlatan, a beggar-priest, and so on. He also accuses Creon, the person who brought Teiresias, for planning this perplexing scene in an attempt to undermine Oedipus. He then continues to belittle Teiresias by saying how useless the old prophet, as it was Oedipus who defeated the Sphinx who terrorized the city. Teiresias Reveals the Truth Of the children, inmates of his home,He shall be proved the brother and the sire,Of her who bare him son and husband both,Co-partner, and assassin of his sire. Provoked by Oedipuss offensive words, Teiresias finally hints at the truth. He reveals that not only is Oedipus the murderer of Laius, but he is both brother and [father] to his children, both son and husband to his wife, and the assassin of his [father]. This is the first piece of information Oedipus gets in discovering how he unwittingly committed incest and patricide. A humbling lessonâ€â€Sophocles shows how Oedipus hot temper and hubris provoked Teiresias and set his own downfall in motion.  Oedipus Tragic Downfall Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud,Wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud.Ah me, ah me! What spasms athwart me shoot,What pangs of agonizing memory? In a grotesque scene, Oedipus screams these lines after he blinds himself. At this point, Oedipus has realized that he indeed killed his father and slept with his mother. He is unable to cope with the truth after he has been blind to it for so long, and so symbolically blinds himself physically. Now, all Oedipus can see is darkness, like a shroud. The Conclusion of One Story and Beginning of the Next Though I cannot behold you, I must weepIn thinking of the evil days to come,The slights and wrongs that men will put upon you.Whereer ye go to feast or festival,No merrymaking will it prove for you Oedipus utters these words to his daughters, Antigone and Ismene, at the end of the play before being cast out of the city. The introduction of these two characters foreshadows the plot of another famous play by Sophocles, Antigone.
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