Obama for President an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Obama for President It is certain that Barack Obama would make the best United States president. All his plans on matters of national security, foreign policy, economy, trade, health care, crime, climate, education signifies that he is ready and able to lead a country that demands new leadership. Obamas political propaganda, eloquent speeches, massive campaigns and various supporters manifest that he would make it to the presidency. This position will be supported by arguments. First, on account of his stand on national security and foreign affairs issue, Obama is a champion. It was Felsen (2007) who wrote that: Need essay sample on "Obama for President" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Obama said that the war in Iraq and President Bush's failed foreign policy had made us less safe than we were before 9/11 attack, and outlined a new, comprehensive strategy to fight global terrorism. Obama declared that by refusing to end the war in Iraq, Bush had given it permission for a United States occupation of unknown length, at undetermined cost, with unknown consequences. (1) Definitely, Obama meant that he would like to decide for a war that has to be won including the implementation of comprehensive strategy involving five elements. Felsen outlined these five elements and these include getting out of Iraq and on to the correct battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan; developing the capabilities and partnerships we need to take out the terrorists and the world's most deadly weapons; engaging the world to dry up support for terror and extremism; restoring our values; and securing a more versatile place to live (Felsen 1). In support of this argument, many leading foreign policy experts commented that Obama has presented a thoughtful, substantive and comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy (Felsen 1). Indeed, it could contribute to the increasing debates concerning national security and foreign policy issue. Felsen also quoted Major General Scott Grations comment that Senator Obama's counter-terrorism strategy intends that he is committed to developing the capabilities needed to defeat terrorists on the field of battle, and that he has the heart to defeat the terrorists in the debate of ideas (Felsen). On the issu e of national security and foreign affairs, Obama is leading among other presidential candidates. Felsen (2007) quoted his speech as follows: As President, I will develop a Shared Security Partnership Program to make an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to take down terrorist networks from the remote islands of Indonesia, to the sprawling cities of Africa. This program will give $5 billion over three years for counter-terrorism cooperation with countries around the world, including information sharing, funding for training, operations, border security, anti-corruption programs, technology, and targeting terrorist financing. (1) Obama is so sure that this project will concentrate on aiding Americas partners succeed without repressive tactics. For him, brutality breeds terror, it does not defeat it (Felsen 1). (Counterargument, concession, refutation) However, Hillary Clinton questions the stand of Barack Obama on national security and foreign policy issue. Not only that, it was John McCain who lambasted him for saying that he would meet the President of Iran without preconditions, and that the said plan could endanger national security (Quaid 1). Quaid reported that McCain raised the specter of a leader Obama meeting with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Quaid 1). In that sense, Obama is displaying a character of inexperience and reckless judgment in his plan to talk with supporter of terrorism. With respect to the issue on trade and economy, Obama is also mindful of the future of America. Barack Obama (2008) stated that: I know that America's free market has been the forerunner of America's great economic development. It created a progress that is the envy of the world. It led to a standard of living unmatched in history. And it has provided great rewards to the innovators and risk-takers who have made America a leader for science, and technology, and discovery. (1). In line with this, the plan of Obama was to give the middle class Americans tax relief (Obama 1). Obviously, he wants to make sure that the masses are given priority so that poverty and crisis at present time will no longer be a problem. What has been the basis of Obamas great faith in Americas capability to progress economically? Obama knows that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and give more American jobs (Obama 1). Surely, Obama will stand firm against agreements that undermine Americas economic security. He will go for a trade policy that provide engine for foreign markets to support good American jobs (Obama 1). He will also utilize trade agreements to proliferate good labor and environmental standards worldwide, dealing with different kinds of trade agreements as long as it does not become a surplus with other countries, some thing that will harm us economically, and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to stay tune in to those relevant benchmarks (Obama 1). There is one thing we should understand on this. Obama is trying to eliminate the system or pattern in our trade policy that aims to protect special interests, but betray our workers, our environment and our country as a whole. Another argument to strengthen the claim that Obama will become president is the brilliant plans of Obama to address on health care issue. For how many years, health care has been an ever-worsening problem in the United States. Essentially, Obama was a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and has made affordable, quality health care a top priority (Terry 1). He developed a system through Obama's Hospital Quality Report Card Act that would require hospitals to track and report on their quality of care, including safety and timeliness on treatment and services, thus providing consumers higher choice and the information needed to make important healthcare decisions (Terry 1). Aside from that, Obama also plans to proposed the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act in order to combat medical errors and excessive costs due to outdated technology (Terry 1). In fact Terry (2007) wrote that: Obamas website enumerated some surprising facts about children's exposure to lead poisoning that has inspired him to introduce two bills to address the issue, that is the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act and Lead Free Toys Act. These are the aims to reduce the large amount of lead as discovered in many childcare centers and children's toys. (1) In connection with that, Obama is aware that poor community planning can endanger children and citizens through lack of sidewalks and safe places to play. That is why Obama's Healthy Places Act requires communities to check how new projects and policies would endanger the health of community members (Terry 1). Obama is also active in preventing men from AIDS (Terry 1). Thus, his solutions for health care problems are ready to be implemented. Simply, Obama planned to cover uninsured Americans under a quality, affordable and portable coverage for all (Health Care). It also includes mandatory coverage for children in particular. Next argument is the strength of Obamas stand on the issue of crime. Two of the most famous presidential were giving their comments about death penalty. As a bakgorunder, Egelko (2008) wrote that: When Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her campaign for the Senate in 2000, she declared - emphatically, according to an interviewer - that she supported the death penalty.When Barack Obama first ran for the Illinois state Senate in 1996, he said in a campaign questionnaire that he opposed capital punishment. (1) To interpret that, their positions seemed to show their political roots - Clinton, the moderate "New Democrat," a term she has used to describe herself and Barack Obama, the insurgent who got his start as a community organizer. Moreover, if we could still remember, by the time Obama ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, he was not advocating abolition of the death penalty. But at that time, he was saying the system of investigating and prosecuting capital crimes was so flawed that the nation should declare a change on executions (Egelko 1). Egelko pointed out that Barack Obama has changed his mind and abandoned that position as a senator. Since then, he receives the death penalty for the most heinous crimes, and calls for reforms like those he worked for in Illinois to guard against wrongful convictions, such as the tape-recording of all police interrogations (Egelko 1). That would only mean that Barack Obama is a resilient and versatile politician, thinking only of what could be the best solution to any kind of problems. That is how strong the candidacy of Barack Obama. On the issue of climate, Obama is a champion defender of the environment. His main argument about the issue was that, he does not believe that climate change is just an issue that is convenient to bring up during a campaign (Obama 1). Furthermore, Obama (2008) said that: I believe that the issue on climate change is one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation. That is why I have fought successfully in the Senate to increase our investment in renewable fuels, that is to effectively use natural resources like sunlight, wind, rain and others. (1) His main concern then, is to come up with plan to rise our fuel standard. He wants oil companies to be supported in retooling their factories, on the exchange that but they will have to make cars that use less oil (Obama 1). Obama is good in determining the problem and its solution. Obama (2008) pointed out that: In America, the 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit costs our economy $1.4 billion a day, and $500 billion in 2006 alone. Every single hour, we use $41 million on foreign oil. The result is that, glaciers are melting faster; the polar ice caps are shrinking; trees are blooming earlier; more people are dying in heat waves; species are migrating, and eventually many will become extinct. (1) The awareness of Obama on this issue will help him in going over it as soon as he will be chosen as president. Climate change will be one of his priorities. Lastly, on the issue concerning education, Barack is so much anxious to have a reform in Americas educational system. It was Green who wrote: Obamas long list of educational reforms he is in favor of, ranging from increased access to Advanced Placement courses to expanding summer school programs are being developed. Generally, the common thread in his educational positions is his belief that school funding must be increased in all aspects of education. (1) With that, Obama is in support of extending the Head Start preschool program for poor children, and voted to reauthorize the program earlier this summer (Green 1). Obama was also in the Illinois State Senate when its preschool program for low-income children was instated (Green 1). I am sure, that is what America wants for a leader. As a conclusion, it is still certain that the political plans and propaganda of Barack Obama reflects his willingness to serve his fellow Americans. His approach is highly focused for the economic and social development of America. Barack Obama has also the charisma of a political leader that can undeniably attract more support from other leaders and the American people in general. Apparently, his desire to wage a war that has to be won reflects his capability to address and solve problems of terrorism and place America in its safest and finest pedestal. Barack Obama simply believes that the United States of America will always remain a leader in terms of economic, cultural, and social aspects around the world. Finally, we all know that Barack Obama would make the best United States president. With all the arguments stated earlier, it is respectfully submitted that Obama projects a personality of a politician that thinks only for general welfare and not self interests alone. His political will magnifies his willingness to lead America with all his knowledge and capability. Works Cited Egelko, Bob. Where Candidates Stand On Crime, Death Penalty. 10, February 2008. San Francisco Chronicle. Green, Elizabeth. Where do the candidates stand on education? Barack Obama on Education. Obama 2008: Economy. 2008. Obama 2008. Obama 2008. Health Care. 2008. Obama 2008. Obama 2008: Energy. 2008. Obama 2008. Terry, Alisa. Where Does Barack Obama Stand on the Issues? Quaid, Libby. McCain Hammers Obama on National Security. 20 May 2008. Yahoo News.

American medical care Essays

American medical care Essays American medical care Essay American medical care Essay These early immigrants survived the rough times and hard American clime every bit good as the wilderness on crude basic inherent aptitudes. The early colonies were frequently ravaged by famishment and disease. During the colonial epoch. doctors’ instruction was informal. Most were literate. but some who were raised outside of New England were non. A adult male who wanted to pattern medical specialty did non necessitate any type of enfranchisement. Most did hold a period of apprenticeship with an established doctor. but even this was non a demand. Up until the late nineteenth century. really few physicians had a college instruction. Medical installations were unofficial. Most patients were treated in their places. However. even the smallest towns had poorhouses. where destitute people could populate and have limited medical attention. The few infirmaries that opened in North America during the colonial period were opened in topographic points like Quebec and New Orleans. Public wellness was unknown in North America at this clip. Towns and metropoliss did non hold boards of wellness except during times of epidemics. Because most topographic points did non hold public H2O or sewer systems. most Americans got their H2O from pumps and used privies until good into the nineteenth century. There was no trash aggregation so the streets became a genteelness land for all types of disease. There were a few efforts to act upon public wellness. For illustration. when smallpox inoculations were developed in the eighteenth century. many little town physicians had groups of people that had to remain quarantined for a few yearss to do certain they merely developed a mild instance of variola. Remedies may hold killed more people than the diseases themselves. The populace developed a really disbelieving attitude towards regular physicians. In the early nineteenth century. the bash it yourself attitude of many Americans was popular. These people freely gave medical advice. emphasized the participant of the patient in his or her ain intervention. However. other medical treatments were available besides. Probably snake oil is best remembered. Andrew Taylor Still started the pattern of osteopathy. Osteopathy incorporated bodily uses. similar to those seen in modern chiropractics. In osteopathy. these uses affected the magnetic flow of energy in the organic structure. Osteopathy discouraged usage of medical specialties. but did non prohibit them. Another reaction against epic medical specialty was homeopathy. A university-trained German physician named Samuel Hahnemann started it. Heinemann said that physicians were giving their patients excessively much medical specialty. He believed that bantam sums of drugs should be diluted in H2O before being given to a patient and that practicians should take really thorough medical histories of each patient. Quackery was a manner to gull people into believing they were being cured while doing money from them. Quackery had even been licensed in London. but it was wholly ignored by the America authorities for 100s of old ages. Hydropathy was another particular instance. The mending power of H2O. hydrotherapy indicated the value of the remainder remedy. importance of holding like-minded people around. the utility of light exercising and the fact that adult females who wore baggy vesture by and large felt better and had fewer physical ailments than the 1s who did. Another particular instance is the full issue of faith-only healing. While empirical grounds in favour of faith-only healing is missing. anecdotal grounds suggests that some people who pray do experience self-generated lessening of certain diseases. The late nineteenth century saw major alterations in medical specialty in the United States. Medicine went from being mediaeval to integrating many elements of modern scientific discipline. The progresss in chemical science. and biological science had major impacts on medical specialty. As medical practicians began to understand that the organic structure was comprised of basic chemicals and non cryptic wits. effectual interventions for diseases and hurts were developed. As medical specialty became more scientific. physicians needed both preparation and licensing. In 1847. Dr. Nathan Davis founded the American Medical Association ( AMA ) in Philadelphia to assist make professional criterions for physicians and put minimum educational demands. Medical colleges opened up across the state. increasing demands from a few months without any college background to a figure of old ages with a college grade. However. these colleges provided an highly unpredictable degree of medical instruction. with some of them a sheepskin and others provided a to notch medical instruction. As American metropoliss exploded in size during the nineteenth century due to in-migration from Europe. public wellness became more of an issue. With many 100s of 1000s of people populating in metropoliss: highly crowded. insanitary conditions ; TB was frequently at epidemic degrees in the metropoliss. During the nineteenth century. people understood that TB was non caused by miasma. but was caused by bacteriums. Peoples with TB were sometimes sent out of the metropolis to topographic points in the state. where the cleaner air seemed to assist their recovery. It was obvious that people needed clean H2O for imbibing. and bathing. So metropoliss started monolithic cloaca undertakings to assist convey clean H2O into the metropoliss while taking effluent from the metropolis. Dead animate being remains and refuse littered the street until the late 1800s when metropoliss started sanitation crews to take the rubbish out of town and mopess to travel the waste to. Many metropoliss started dispensaries so the hapless could have intervention and medicines for low cost. With the urban population detonation. the poorhouses ( likely today’s HMO Urgent Care’ ) became even larger and harder to pull off. With new medical progresss. people needed to be in large metropoliss to have certain types of intervention. Americans began to construct infirmaries across the state in the nineteenth century. The new infirmaries were by and large cleaner than the old poorhouses.

Oil and Gas Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Oil and Gas Management - Essay Example Another basic form of unconventional methods is the conversion of coal and gas using synthetic fuel techniques and advanced technology. Unconventional methods of drilling oil are still in their beginning phase and have come out of the need by the advanced nations to cater for the demand and balance it with the supply for continuous use. However, these methods have had their possible dangers especially to human health and the impacts to the environment.Conventional or otherwise the traditional methods pose enormous losses and environmental impacts on the subjects. Firstly, they destroy the formation of the earth’s crust and core. The drilling of the well to create room for exerting pressure so as to extract the oil is by itself noise pollution and especially to the people living around the mining sites and more so to those undertaking the drilling works (Boesch and Rabalais, 2000, p.117). Potential environmental disasters arise in the sense that there are threats posed to the w ildlife living nearby that has to flee to create room for the drilling process; displacement. This, in turn, threatens the survival of wildlife and especially with the availability of predators thus causing the extinction of some species. Drilling requires broad land occupation and the possible environmental impacts would be the release of harmful air into the environment, contamination of groundwater from uncontrolled gas, fluids and spills and even uncontrolled waste discharges and leakages.

United States History up to 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States History up to 1877 - Essay Example Correspondingly, young girls were the chief accusers involved in demonstrating against various people for numerous offenses comprising practice of witchcraft. The leaders in the community promptly reacted to these accusation. As a consequence, many people were killed while certain other people were jailed which forced these people to acquire debt for jail charges. Eventually, as a consequence of this incident there was a loss of land along with hampering dignity of people as well as loss of lives (Linder 1-7). The incident of witch hunt in Salem is ascertained to have happened due to various reasons and was widely prejudiced by the dread of the devil and the generally accepted belief that the devil would allocate witches with power to hurt people as a reward of their faithfulness. Salem was established by puritans during 1628. This era also reflected the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under the regime of King Charles I, the puritans were granted with a royal approval to colonize the area. However, Charles II revoked this charter in 1684 responding to the violation of charter rules by the colonists. These violations were mainly executed against the laws related with beliefs, religion and discrimination against Anglicans. These factors mainly represented the governmental causes behind the upheaval of the Salem witch trials. It can be argued that there were many other social and cultural factors that had significantly contributed towards the occurrence of Salem witch trials. In this regard, gender issue can be ascertained to be one of the major constituents related with the occurrence of Salem witch trials. Responsively, many scholars propounded that a majority of the victims who were accused and executed for practicing witchcraft were women. It has been further determined that the victims involving women were the ones who were perceived as â€Å"not fit into the typical Puritan framework of a good and obedient wife†

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Company law - Essay Example ision in good faith and for meaningful purpose Transaction with other company should not reflect personal gains To inform other members of the board concerning the transaction to seek their confidence. Decision should be rational and in the best interest of the company. The above requirements are to be fulfilled by the directors in order to satisfy the statutory duty of care and due diligence6. Business judgment In accordance with the section 134 of the Corporations Act, the upper and the bottom layers of the management should respect the provisions of the Corporations Act and the constitution of the company. The company in its own discretion can have one or more replaceable rules contained in the Corporations Act in place of Constitution. In accordance with Section 140(1) (b) of the constitution and replaceable rules have the direct bearing on a Contract that executes between the company, each director and secretary. Under the mentioned scenario each one agrees to abide by the const itution and the rules in vogue7. Here we can take example of Turquand’s case, according to which, an agent belonging to the company can make a contract without any authority, which is not in knowledge of the outsider. A rule is settled that ensures the protection of outsiders until and unless the security of company is not at stake8. Another case Crabtree-Vickers Pty Ltd v Australian Direct Mail Advertising Co Pty Ltd can be taken as an example to show that a person who lacks actual authority cannot be entered into a contract on behalf of the company and prior approval is required for entering into a contract by some person having actual authority not apparent one9. Sixty-Fourth Throne Pty Ltd v Macquarie Bank Limited [1998] 3 VR 133 is another example where Kandy used authority of... The Corporations Act is an important legislation passed by the legislators that governs the companies in Australia. It deals with the issues of formation and operation of companies in line with the constitution of the company; determine responsibilities of officers, process of acquisitions, mergers and fundraising.Directors should not deploy themselves in a critical position where they are unable to serve in the best interest of the organization. This inclusive of entering into commercial transactions with other entities where one cannot take decisive part in making a decision for the company. With regard to protect the rights of shareholders in case of oppressive changes in the Constitution by the Board of Directors, we may invoke the provision of section 994 of the Companies Act. According to which â€Å"A member of a company may apply to the court for an order on the ground that the company's affairs are being run or have been conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of its members generally or of some part of its members† .The mentioned section in fact protects the interest of the minority shareholders in circumstances where the majority shareholders act in a way which is detrimental to the interests of minority shareholders. Moreover, in view the effective role of the Central Bank of Malaysia and the Security Commission of Malaysia, the chances of jeopardizing the interest of shareholders are diminished.

Importance of Stakeholders in Curriculum Development

Importance of Stakeholders in Curriculum Development Curriculum development requires the input of different stakeholders such as teachers, school heads, parents, community members, students, district administrators and school boards. The role of the teachers involves defining different course components that are considered relevant, in line with the latest technological development in the education sector. In addition to developing the curriculum, teachers help in executing the curriculum development findings. Teachers continuously contribute to the development of school curriculums by developing periodic course teaching plans and giving consideration to the special needs of the students (Dillon, 2009). Therefore, having a good curriculum without the input of teachers cannot help in achieving the learning objectives and goals. Although modern technology is quickly finding its root into the education system, teachers still remain at the center of the students learning progress. In other words technology must be integrated into the curri culum but it cannot provide a perfect substitute for the roles played by teachers in curriculum development and the general learning process. The other important group of stakeholders is the school administrators. Their role in curriculum implementation cannot be underestimated since they are the people that monitor the implementation of the curriculum. In addition, they employ teachers (in the case of private schools). Furthermore, they are responsible for purchasing learning materials which is an essential requirement in curriculum implementation. In other words, school administrators may influence the extent to which the school curriculum is implemented by regulating the release of the necessary learning resources. The school administrators may get information from teachers, students and even the community regarding the success of the curriculum implementation process. In addition, they can also employ the services of professional to evaluate the performance of the curriculum. The parents on the other hand support and influence the implementation of the curriculum through financial resources, that is, payment of school fees. In addition, the parents may help in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the curriculum by keeping a close check at the lessons learnt in school and monitoring the childs home assignments (homework). Moreover, the parent may stand in the gap between the child and school administration by providing the student with resources that may be required in the curriculum but are not available in school. Furthermore, the parents may help teachers to monitor the behavior and social development of the child, especially for children with special education needs. The parents can get reliable information on curriculum development by enquiring from their children or by enquiring from the teachers or school administrators. In addition, professionals such as psychologists and social workers may offer contribution on the various ways of dealing with students with special needs. For instance, professional counselors may provide various useful options of dealing with student of foreign origin or those with disabilities. Community members can assist the school administration in the implementation of the curriculum by co-operating and providing the necessary resources that may not be available in the school setting but are found within the community setting. In addition, the community members can also volunteer and act as school board members. Other stake holders in the curriculum development include the government and the professional regulation commission that provides license to graduates of different colleges and universities. Professionals and community members can source information on curriculum development and progress from government reports on the performance of schools or by enquiring from teacher s, students and school administrators. Organization of Various Curriculum Development Stake Holders The parents are usually organized into parent association. All parents are required to register with the relevant parents association where they are required to democratically elect their leaders. The parents, through this association, give their views regarding the curriculum development to the district curriculum development team. The relevant professional body such as the district association of professional counselors and psychologists, through their advisory boards, also provides their recommendations and suggestions in the curriculum development process. On the other hand, teachers have organized themselves into curriculum drafting and evaluation teams. Such teams are usually charged with the responsibility of drafting, evaluating and amending the curriculum in line with the latest technological development in the education sector. In addition, the teachers curriculum teams are also involved in the evaluation of the output of the curriculum. The various groups work well because there exists a systematic way of engaging every stake holder in the curriculum development process. First and fore most, the teachers and the curriculum development leaders provide guidance and opinions regarding what should form the content of the curriculum. Because students spend most of their learning hours with the teachers, it is assumed that teachers understand the unique academic and social needs of the students better. The teachers start by analyzing the current curriculum, that is, the strengths and weaknesses and possible areas that needs to be amended. Thereafter, opinions from the parents, community leaders and other stake holders are considered before a final draft of the curriculum is compiled. The parents curriculum development team consists of all the members of the parents association teams. However, such parents are required to register with the district curriculum development committee before their views could be considered as valid. The members of the parents team are given the mandate to choose their leadership. Through the parents leadership team, their opinions are sought and taken into consideration by the district curriculum development team. Similarly, the professional counselors association is given the mandate to elect their leaders. However, the leadership of the professional bodies supporting the curriculum development process must be approved by the district curriculum development committee. This is because professional bodies acts as advisory agents on major policy issues related to curriculum development in schools. Therefore, the district curriculum development team must ensure that such professional bodies are led by a credible team. In addition, such professional bodies work closely with the teachers and curriculum development leaders during the evaluation of the curriculum and academic performance. Other community members such as community administrators and religious leaders are also answerable to the district curriculum development team. Such community leaders must however be registered for their concerns to be given attention by the curriculum development team. They are also required to elect their leaders through which their contributions are channeled to the district curriculum development team. In addition to the reports obtained from the various groups of stakeholders in the curriculum development process, the district curriculum development team organizes a curriculum development forum every year where all members of the public are welcome to participate. Such a forum is aimed at collecting information and concerns that may not have been handled by the existing and participating curriculum development stakeholders. In addition, the district curriculum development team has put in place structures that ensure that information flows from the various stake holders to the district curriculum team in an orderly manner. Although the development of the curriculum is the responsibility of all the stake holder (the parents, teachers, community members, members of professional bodies and the school administration), the execution or implementation of the curriculum is often left to the district curriculum development team, headed by the district director of curriculum, in collaborati on with teachers and school administration. Designing a Structure for Stakeholder Involvement In Curriculum Work The designing of a comprehensive structure for stakeholder involvement in curriculum work entails a careful consideration of various factors that contributes to effective learning process both inside and outside the classrooms. Because the size of my district is considerably large with a student population of 13,000, the curriculum development team must considerably be large in order to effectively represent the big student population. The leader of the district curriculum development team would be the district curriculum director who will be charged with the responsibility of chairing all the curriculum development committees as well as providing general direction and leadership in the curriculum development process in the district. In addition, there would be a curriculum director who shall deputize the district curriculum director and would help him/her in discharging his/her duties. The district curriculum development team would also comprise other curriculum development specialists in every subject area such as mathematics and science. Such curriculum specialists would help the district curriculum director in making important decisions during the curriculum development process. The district curriculum development team would seek information and fully engage professionals, parents, the community and other relevant stakeholders when designing the school curriculum. The district curriculum development team would organize for a curriculum development research week every year in which a continuous data collection and evaluation of curriculum in schools would be evaluated. Interview Questions The planned interview with the district curriculum director made the day unique. The interview, as scheduled, commenced at noon and took about three hours, ending at around three oclock in the afternoon. The material day for the interview was 2nd January, 2013. As the chief academic researcher in the district, responsible for careers and student development in high schools, the information from the interviewee, the district curriculum director and the findings of the interview would be very important in helping me to understand the role of different stakeholders in the curriculum development process. The first question of the interview was about the defining elements of a good curriculum. I found that putting focus on the academic development of the student was a key element in developing an effective student centered curriculum. The district curriculum director explained that all the stake holders including teachers, school heads and other professionals in the curriculum development process must put the student at the center of every step in curriculum development. In addition the curriculum director explained the importance of having in place a comprehensive curriculum leadership for a successful execution and implementation of the curriculum objectives. The director mentioned two main types of curriculum leadership, that is, static or managerial curriculum leadership and a dynamic kind of curriculum leadership. He went further to explain that static curriculum leaders try to produce a certain level of predictability and routine in the day to day operations of the school. On the other hand, a dynamic kind of curriculum leadership entails a continuous process of integrating critical thinking and modern technology in the development of a visionary and goal oriented curriculum. However, the director was quick to emphasize on the need to continuously focus on aligning the curriculum to suit the modern technologically advanced world, that is, employing the dynamic kind of curriculum leadership for the realization of a learner centered and progress oriented curriculum. He explained that although teachers and school heads enjoy independence in disseminating knowledge, they must remain conscious to the dynamic work place environments and information communication technology so that the learners may be effectively packaged to adapt to the technological dynamics of the modern world. The second question of the interview session was about which groups of people or stakeholders should be involved in the curriculum development process. The director stated that a good school curriculum should cover all aspects of learning, including academic, social and physical aspects. Therefore, all relevant groups of professionals and stakeholders should be involved in the development of a curriculum that meets the expectation of both the students and the community. He added that parents, teachers, school heads, social workers, psychologists and the community should all be involved in the curriculum development process. In addition, he pointed out the need to address the interest of students with special needs when developing the curriculum. For instance, students of foreign origin or those with disability must be accorded special consideration and care in their learning endeavor. However, the director noted that the curriculum development leader must be competent when coordinating and organizing various ideas into a comprehensive curriculum development policy statement. The other question of the interview was about how to gauge the effectiveness of a good school curriculum, that is, how to assess whether the curriculum is centered on the needs of the learner. Achieving a fruitful learning experience, he posed, should be the main objective of any curriculum developer or curriculum leader. In other words, the strength of a good curriculum development does not lie in the number of policy statements it contains but it does lie in the ultimate classroom experience gained by the learner. In response to the question that was seeking a clarification on the best method to engage the input of all teachers in the curriculum development process, the district curriculum director explained that a new method of training some teachers to be curriculum development leaders is quickly gaining acceptance. Such an approach ensures that those teachers who have undergone such training shares the skills with their colleagues hence effectively disseminating curriculum devel opment skills to all teachers. The findings of the interview were found to be in line with the class readings. For instance, Wiles (2008), explains the importance of curriculum development leadership in the development of a good curriculum. He further pointed out that static curriculum leadership entails the maintenance of all the programs that are already in place. In addition, he emphasized that curriculum leadership should target the impartation of specific, knowledge, attitude and behaviors for students and at the same time help in engineering the school programs to achieve all important aspects of the learning process. Wiles added that curriculum developers should embrace change as an essential variable in the curriculum development process. In other words, curriculum development should be the principle guide to all other activities carried out in the school program. As pointed out in the interview, a more advanced approach to curriculum development where some teachers pursue special training in curriculum development and thereafter work closely with colleagues is gaining momentum. Such an approach is more effective since the curriculum leaders work both as teachers and curriculum developers (Wiles, 2008). In addition, a good curriculum development team must include teachers, community leaders and parents as analyzed during the interview. Furthermore, for the curriculum to be managed effectively there must be a detailed plan showing the time periods within which various curriculum targets are to be achieved and the roles of every participant in the curriculum development and management process. Tallerico (2012) emphasizes on the need of curriculum development leaders to provide direction .Furthermore, the curriculum leader must continuously monitor and review the outcome of the curriculum management and where possible draw up a control program. In general, the interview findings informed me on the importance of an effective curriculum in the execution of learning objectives. In addition, a dynamic approach to curriculum development is more suitable for a learner centered curriculum development because such an approach takes into account the modern technological advancement when developing the curriculum (Dillon, 2009). Furthermore, the interview informed me of the need to involve parents, teachers, school heads, the community and all other stakeholders in the curriculum development process. In addition, the interview findings further stressed on the need to have a continuous evaluation framework that helps in analyzing the success of the developed school curriculum in satisfying the learners needs.

Chivalry :: essays research papers

Chivalry We live in an age where the brutality and the vigilante justice of the knight errant is no longer acceptable for people with positions of stature in society. While courage and honor are still praised by society, one rarely finds a man true to his word regardless of cost. Chivalry towards ladies is sometimes mistakenly decried by those supporting equality for women. And Courtly love, in it's modern form, is frowned upon. Those who might have a keen sense of justice often have only indirect methods of fighting for the right -- legislation just can never be as satisfying as clouting a knave over the head with the flat of a blade. It seems that justice in American society is often tempered by compromise, rather than a blacksmith. Skill at arms is more often attained as an exercise, rather than a useful tool, and strength of body, while glamorized, is degraded by large numbers of "men of the mind." Chivalry is a lot like ethics; it is a governing principle concerning fair play as far as medieval combat among your peers was concerned. Do not attack an unarmed knight - allow him to arm himself first, if you unhorse your opponent and your opponent is still able to fight, get off your horse to fight, etc. - fair play with honor and respect. At the end, there still was a winner, and the winner ended up with more respect and admiration from those concerned that had he fought without chivalry. What am I getting at? Capitalism can be much the same way. American businesses have taken advantage of this system though, a system that one can cheat in and get away with, instead of being honorable and respectable institutions that children could look up to. So many things are like this that I just shake my head and sigh when I think about them - is American just a scam? Where did all the honor and respect go? In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," Gawain made a promise to the huntsman to give him whatever gifts he received that day in exchange for whatever gifts the huntsman received that day. On the third and final day of Sir Gawain's visit, he received a green girdle from the huntsman's wife, who was his secret lover. The only reason that he accepted it was because he, like Lancelot, had fear in his heart; only Gawain's fear was dying. The huntsman's wife told Gawain that the girdle had magic powers and would protect him from his fate, for the next day Gawain was going to fulfill a promise that he had made to