The Protagonist Essay Example for Free

The Protagonist Essay Have you ever picked up a book and within minutes you couldn’t put it down? Have you felt a deep connection with a character, yet at the same time; not understood why the characters do the things they do? The way we connect with our favorite characters is no accident. The author’s resolve when writing is for the reader to connect with the protagonist of their stories. I know that The author of â€Å"Circumcision† Pramoedya (Prah-MOO-dia) Ananta Toer exploits his â€Å"narrator† as his protagonist because: he is the most central character in the story, the author uses him to evoke the reader’s emotions and feelings, and the narrator goes through trials and tribulations, and creates a change in his character and transforms him in the story. I could easily tell that the narrator was the most central character in the short story â€Å"Circumcision†. With the opening of the first sentence, â€Å"I spent my evenings at the local prayer house learning to recite the Quran.† The narrator starts to speak in the first person point of view. Although this is not a clear indication of him being the central character, it does have the reader wondering. Throughout the story the author keeps repeating the words â€Å"my† and â€Å"I†, and once again that really puts emphasis on what the main character is doing and the connection with the narrator. As the author develops the narrator’s character he defines him as a young Muslim kid who seems to be between the ages of eight and thirteen. Most of the following pages of the story are all about how the narrator is going to be circumcised. The author uses the narrator to tell his story and employs the sequences of events in his plot. As the main character of the story, the narrator is built up through the craft of his author. The author uses his narrator to grab the attention of the audience and gradually build commonality with the reader. When the author makes his narrator more universal the reader can relate with the authors fictional character, and gain access to more heartfelt feelings from the reader. The author knows the character of his narrator is important, so he uses his character’s abilities to engage the reader. If the author can hook his readers, then he truly has all their emotions and they will feel the sequence of events as his character does. The protagonist according to Deblanco and Cheuse â€Å"will have desires or objectives† (84), and it is these desires and objectives in the story that engages me as I am reading. In the story, the narrator has to struggle with decisions that could impact his whole adult life and whether or not he is going to be, in his eyes, a â€Å"good Muslim†. The author has me wanting to continue reading the story to see if the narrator will go through with the circumcision. He engages me and brings me in to his scene and I feel the narrator’s pain and rejoice in his celebrations. The narrator is the author’s protagonist because a protagonist mostly overcomes adversity and grows from his situation. The narrator in the story is struggling with the choice to be circumcised or not. In the early part of the story, the narrator says â€Å"If I haven’t been circumcised was I really a good Muslim†. In order for the protagonist of a story to grow up, or transform, he must have motive and purpose. The author gives the narrator purpose and motivation when the young boy is told of all the wonderful things he will receive when he is circumcised. As the narrator is sitting in the chair, waiting for his turn at the knife, the suspense is building inside his head. He says â€Å"I was incredibly scared. I wanted to be a good Muslim, but that wasn’t enough to still my terror.† Pramoedya (Prah-MOO-dia) Ananta Toer (98). The author uses this point in his story to build up his rising action. At this point in the story the narrator is challenged with adversity and we are waiting to see what the authors’ resolution will be. As a result of the narrator undergoing the procedure, he transforms from a young boy to a young Muslim man. In conclusion, the protagonist of the short story â€Å"Circumcision† is the narrator. He is the most central character in the story. He is used to strike commonality and evoke the reader’s emotions and feelings, and the narrator grows through trials and tribulation. I hope that after reading the story and this analysis that most readers will agree.

Ancient Civilizations in China: History and Culture

Ancient Civilizations in China: History and Culture Ancient China is Located in Asia. It has the oldest surviving civilization in the world. Most people talk about other civilizations, such as; Egypt, or Rome. Ancient China has a very interesting history. In Ancient China, they had a total of 11 dynasties. No one is sure of when exactly it began, but roughly from 4000-5000 years. The aspects this essay will focus on are education, social classes, and art and architecture. Agriculture in China was is part of social classes, everyone- except the royal families- has jobs to do, and most people are farmers and silk makers, or have any other hard working job. In ancient China, there is lots of different architecture, and they are all based on their history and their rulers. In China the roofs of most buildings, were curved. It was not just because of structural use, but it had a symbolic significance. And by being tiled, it shows as a sign of wealth. And the reason they are curved is because they protected the inhabitants from evil spirits, which were believed to travel in straight lines. In China a buildings roof was normally put up before the walls. It was supported on purlins (horizontal beams) and crossbeams resting on columns rather than on triangular roof tresses. The walls which were made of wooden panels or brick were filled in later and were not load-bearing to any large extent. This system gave Chinese architects freedom to think about different silhouettes for their buildings. Another thing that is created in China, is silk. Silk is made from silk worms. You must unravel, spin and weave their cocoons. You must first take the cocoon of the silk worms, and then connect it to the machine that pulls the silk of the cocoon by a thread. Then once the silk is all off the cocoon (its still wet), they take all the wool together and put it on a curved metal rod, which stretches the wool, also they leave it to dry there. Then they have some people hold all sides of it and stretch it out till it is roughly the size of a single bed. And then they cover it. The more advanced the cocoon is, the thicker the silk is. This could be the job of many farmers. I think ancient Chinas art and architecture is always something to do with their beliefs or rulers. Social classes were very important in ancient China, The Chinese believed that strict social groups and people should behave according to their social position.  This belief that strict social groups and people should behave according to their social position, was proven by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher. Under the emperor, there were four social classes in China. The four classes were nobles officials, peasants, artisans and merchants.   The emperor and his family were the top class in China. Emperors believed that they were chosen by heaven and therefore didnt need to obey humans. An emperor expected his subjects to be loyal and obedient. The noble class in ancient China was very privileged. Nobles were usually the extended family of the emperor and empress and those people that excelled in their fields, mostly in the military. The status of nobles, however, changed often depending on who gained or fell out of favor with the emperor. When a new emperor came to power, it was common for him to favor a new set of nobles. They often became land owners so they could collect taxes from the people who lived on their land, which made them richer. If the nobles gave some of their income to the emperor, they would receive privileges and were afforded some protection in return. If nobles committed a crime that would result in them being sentenced to death, the emperor could grant them a special favor that would allow them to commit suicide, which they considered a much more honorable death. Officials were another group that had high social status in ancient China. Boys whose families could afford to send them to school began their education at an early age to become officials and were prepared to pass a difficult exam. If they didnt pass, they were usually still able to find jobs since they were considered well educated. Officials were arranged in ranks. The two most senior officials acted as advisers to the emperor. Most officials lived very comfortably and were well-respected because of their position and education. Peasants Even though peasant farmers in ancient China were one of the lowest social classes, they were still considered important because they produced the food for the rest of the society. Most peasants were very poor and led simple lives. They worked very hard and hardly ever had a day off. Peasant men worked in the fields and had to tolerate harsh conditions. They worked through the burning heat of summer and the extreme cold of winter. The harsh conditions could also spoil their crops and land, which has consumed most of their time. If the crops were spoilt, poor families had very little to survive on during the winter. If women wove and sewed cloth, they could help provide clothes for their families and they could sell any excess items to earn more money. Even the poorest peasants had to pay taxes, even if their crops were not successful. This left many families, during the winter months, with little to eat.   Artisans were part of the normal class and included painters, carpenters, potters and jewelry makers. Artisans made more than farmers but less than the merchants. They didnt have a good social status but they were respected for their skills. Metalworkers became very important during the Han period. Metalworkers produced weapons and many useful everyday objects, like cooking pots. Weavers worked with silk, which was very valuable. The merchant class included traders, animal breeders and money loaners. Merchants were thought of as the lowest social class in ancient China. Even though they have a low social status, some merchants became very rich and lived in luxury. .During the Han dynasty, some merchants became so rich that they might have been a threat to the emperor and the nobles. The richest merchants attained their wealth by investing money in land and properties. Several merchants, though, were not as wealthy. In order to limit their wealth, merchants had certain restrictions placed on them. Such restrictions included paying heavy taxes and being sent away to join the army. Slaves had existed in ancient China, but they made a very small percentage of the population. Some slaves were relatives of criminals while other sold themselves or their children as slaves if they were very poor. Ancient China appears to be very serious about social classes. In fact, I think everybodys lives ruled around their class. Most of the children in ancient China never got a chance to go to school at all. They had to work hard in the fields, feeding the  animals, weeding the vegetables, planting  rice, or taking care of their  little brothers or sisters. But if you were a boy, and your father could have spared you from the fields, he would send you to school. Beginning in the  Han Dynasty, many schools used to be free, and the emperor paid for their fees. If there were no schools in your village, you might have had to go live with relatives or with strangers in another bigger town. Boys would normally start school when they were six years old. Primary schools were very small, and only had one teacher for the whole school. There was one chair for the teacher, but all the boys had to sit on stools. You were supposed to go to school every day, without weekends, from 6:00 in the morning until about 4:00 in the afternoon. They didnt have math lessons, or science. You learned how to  read and write, a nd then you memorized many pages of  Confucian philosophy  and learned how to write essays and poetry, and how to  paint pictures. Then, you stayed at this school until you were sixteen or seventeen, which is when you are ready for the first examinations. Education in China was quite important, since it was what their futures depended on. If they were not educated, they would most likely work at farms, or work for others in a low social state (if they were not rich). When they are educated, it gave the people a chance at having a better life. Maybe they would be assisting the royal families, and not as a slave. They could be advisors, or maybe even teachers. I think they needed education quite a lot, in order to be anything big in life. I think ancient China is very interesting and complicated. I think the past was quite hard as it seems most people, if they are not rich or dont have any royal relations, dont get any special treatment, in fact, they barely get and good treatment at all. They had seemed to have lead interesting lives and have various beliefs. Their civilization lasted for a very long time, and they have a very developed society ever since it had started. Bibliography Allan, Tony.  Ancient China. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. Print. Allison, Amy.  Life in Ancient China. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. Print. Ancient China Social Classes.  Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication | Cross Cultural Training. Web. 17 May 2010. . Chinese Roofs.  Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 4 May 2010. . Eyewitness Travel Guide China.  Dk Pub, 2010. Print. History of Education in China.  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 May 2010. . History of Silk.  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. . Http://homepage.mac.com/zichi/.Pictures/blogger2/silk-worms.jpg Http://seaholmeps.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/chinese-architecture.jpg Http://www.cntravel.biz/China/ancient-China/confucius.gif Http://www.kavehfarrokh.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/terracota-army.jpg http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-173_t-471_c-1707/social-hierarchy/nsw/history/ancient-societiesChina/ancient-China:-part-i Shang Chou (Zhou) Dynasties Ancient China for Kids.  Ancient China for Kids Main Index. Web. 2 May 2010. . Ten Laments Technology and Education in Ancient China.  Logoi.com An Educational Site about Cultures, Languages and History. Web. 17 May 2010. .

The Recluse Essay -- Literary Analysis

Wordsworth suffers solitude, even as he celebrates it. Alone, the poet can explore his own consciousness; it exists at both poles of the notion of ‘emotion recollected in tranquillity’, and is the dominant developmental mode of Wordsworth’s childhood as depicted in The Prelude (1805). Independence is what is exalted in his introduction to that poem: he greets the ‘gentle breeze’ as a ‘captive†¦ set free’ from the ‘vast city’ which has been as a ‘prison’ to his spirit. The oppression of city living is alleviated in this opening reacquisition of isolation; the relief is evident: ‘I breathe again’, ‘that burthen of my own unnatural self [is shaken off], /The heavy weight of many a weary day/ Not mine, and such as were not made for me’. In this, the commencing statement of his autobiography, the independence of solitude is represented as the essential quality of his poetic felicity. T he ‘egoistical sublime’ observed by Keats is manifest in this poetry in a separation from other men, rather than in that of a Byron, whose narrators’ egotisms are evinced by their social interactions. Wordsworth’s company is nature; his sister, his wife, his children exist as assimilations rather than relationships. The sister of Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, is conjured into independence in the final paragraph, so as to exist as a previous self: ‘For thou are with me’, he suddenly reveals, ‘and in thy voice I catch/ The language of my former heart’. She is externalised when poetically useful; and it is by this externalisation that Wordsworth is able to avert and diminish his poem’s undercurrent doubts. ‘This prayer I make/ Knowing that Nature never did betray/ The heart that loved her’, has a contrary traction as a plea intimating des... ...this as his essential condition, but it is worth observing that ‘recluse’ does not imply total isolation. Wordsworth’s solitude, as he left childhood, was never again to be absolute; for as consciousness developed, so did his capacity to apprehend himself, in language, so even alone he could not be alone without self-intercourse, mediated by language. His solitude was necessary for his vocation, but his vocation trespassed on that solitude; for to be a poet is to cast experience away from the self: even in egotism, isolation is disrupted by the projection of an audience. Works Cited Gil, Stephen ed. William Wordsworth: The Major Works (OUP 1984) Hartman, Geoffrey Wordsworth’s Poetry 1787-1814 (Yale University Press 1971) Morgan, Monique R. ‘Narrative Means to Lyric Ends in Wordsworth’s Prelude’ (Narrative, Volume 16, Number 3, October 2008, pp. 298-330)

Daisy in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay -- Great Gatsby Fitzgera

Daisy in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the character of Daisy Buchanan undergoes many noticeable changes. Daisy is a symbol of wealth and of promises broken. She is a character we grow to feel sorry for but probably should not. Born Daisy Fay in Louisville, Kentucky, Daisy was always the princess in the tower, the golden girl that every man dreamed of possessing. ?She dressed in white, and had a little white roadster, and all the day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night,? (79). Daisy is beautiful, rich, and appears very innocent as a young woman, although it is later suggested that she was quite promiscuous. While she was the object of every man?s desire, Daisy was madly in love with Jay Gatsby. Daisy tried to escape to New York to see Gatsby off to war but was prevented by her parents because Jay did not meet their standards. They disapproved of him because he did not have as much money or come from a family in the same social class as their own. Though Daisy wrote letters to Gatsby and promised to remain faithful she married Tom Buchanan from Chicago the very next year. Tom was incredibly wealthy and ?the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,? (80). Daisy seemed to be madly in love with her new husband and looked to be very happy. Daisy has been married to Tom for quite a considerable amount of time and they have already had a daughter by the time Daisy?s cousin, Nick, reappears in Daisy?s life. Mrs. Buchanan is extremely friendly with her cousin and always seems glad to see h... ...nted everyone to feel sorry for Daisy. However, one finds it hard to feel sorry for someone as well off as herself. She is a symbol of money and the corruption it brings. One must be careful not to identify Daisy with the green light at the end of her dock. The green light is the promise, the dream. Daisy herself is much less than that. Even Gatsby must realize that having Daisy in the flesh is much, much less than what he imagined it would be when he fell in love with the idea of her. While Daisy Buchanan undergoes numerous changes throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, she remains a symbol of wealth, broken promises, and dreams corrupted. While one finds it easy to feel sorry for her, she is in no means the victim of the novel. Work Cited F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992

Essays --

The Evolution of Warrantless Searches With Alcohol, Blood, And DNA With the creation of the First Congress, framers manifested the Fourth Amendment to provide sufficient privacy standards for the citizens of the United States of America. Framers upheld the 4th Amendment to sustain a functioning government-governed relationship, where officials respect individuals’ privacy and rights. During the First Congress, framers explicitly granted, â€Å"the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized† to the citizens. Moreover, courts have delineated two major clauses from the primary text of the Amendment. The first clause essentially protects the privacy of an individual to be safe in person. The immediate second clause introduces a circumstance which warrants are non-essential. Furthermore, both the expectation of privacy and certain circumstances to preserve government interests have collectively emerged from the two clauses. Consequently throughout court cases in the U.S, the protections of the Fourth Amendment have resulted in disagreement explicitly concerning searches violating a person’s privacy and reasonable searches for where no warrants are required. Recently, blood and DNA extractions embody an indispensable role in modern law enforcement. The advent of blood, DNA, and other technologies are now the most significant scientific advancements in the modern era. Since the first use of forensic DNA identification in 1986, DNA’s role in ... ...forcement has utilized blood and DNA tests to exonerate suspects convicted of crimes and guide officials to convict other suspects. Furthermore, in effect of the Supreme Court cases, blood and DNA tests now promote a superior justice system more effectively and efficiently. The recent cases, which have provided many exigent circumstances where warrants are not essential for a search, have developed excelling tactics and procedures to ensure the integrity of modern law enforcement. After these cases, lower courts and law enforcement teams are now able to act quicker and responsively to enforce governmental interests. In conclusion, the trials Samson v. California, Missouri v. McNeely, and Maryland v. King have established clear boundaries for 4th Amendment and they have facilitated the advancement of efficient and applicative technology in modern law enforcement.

An Analysis of Early Years Philosophies

Introduction The importance of early years’ education has long been recognised within both academic and professional circles. By establishing strong theories and policies during the early years of education, this then has a knock-on effect on the other aspects of education and makes the overall educational system more effective, in terms of producing capable adults. This paper will look firstly at the contribution of leading theorists when it comes to the provision of key documents in order to guide those in the practical application of these theories in the context of early years’ education (Catron and Allen 2007). The paper will then go on to look at current policies and practices in early years’ education and how these either support or disprove the theoretical perspectives laid out. The final section then goes on to establish a personal philosophy of how the author here has pulled together existing theories and practices to develop their own approach to early years education. Key Theories of Early Education Unsurprisingly, those involved in the theories and philosophy which have emerged, over the years, in relation to early years’ education have gained considerable attention. In order to consider the theories each will be looked at in turn to look at their own contribution and in order to consider any advantages and disadvantages associated with these theories and concepts. This will be broken down within each theory to look at the key issues of: Children’s learning Relationships Learning Environment Meeting Children’s Needs MontessoriChildren’s Learning The educational approach developed by Montessori promotes the notion of freedom and independence in early years’ education, provided of course there are limits put in place with respect to the existing level of education and understanding of the children involved. Although multiple different approaches have been developed and are broadly considered to be based on the educational theories of Montessori, there are certain elements of this educational theory that would be essential, regardless of how it is applied in practice (Montessori, 1994). This includes the use of mixed age classrooms for children between the ages of three and six, with the students themselves having a choice of activities. Once they have been given a range of choices, the work time should be uninterrupted, as far as possible and a discovery model of behaviour being used to encourage the children to explore themselves, rather than being directly instructed on certain patterns of behaviour. In order to facilitate this approach, there needs to be freedom of movement within the classroom. Meeting Children’s Needs Montessori is largely considered to be an educational theory. In reality it is more of a theory of human development and nature, with two key basic principles. Firstly, when children and adults engage in any form of development, they take on board a self construction approach, as they interact with items and the environment around them. This recognises that the learning experience is directly linked to interaction with external factors and it is the stimuli is crucial to this educational theory and places a much heavier emphasis on facilitating, rather than direct teaching (Cadwell and Rinaldi 2003). Learning Environment With this in mind, those looking to apply this educational theory, in practice, will need to consider the environment almost as much of the content of the lesson itself. This is achieved by creating a harmonious and clean environment that is uncluttered and encourages free movement and activity, but also ensures that the availability of material is linked to the area of development being targeted. By restricting the material available, this has the effect of guiding the learning experience, but not to such an extent that the individual feels constrained. This educational theory also breaks down the age groups of those involved, with the recognition that children under the age of six are undergoing an incredibly dramatic development period and therefore developing self-construction during this period will potentially be the most important element of long-term development. Certain key expectations are included within this educational theory to guide expectations, without constraining e ither teacher or student. For example, the acquisition of language is something that is recognised as taking place, continuously, and therefore social behaviours will only truly become a fundamental element of the learning experience from approximately 2 years onwards, according to this educational theory.Waldorf Education (Steiner)Another formative educational philosophy is that referred to as Waldorf education or Steiner, which was established in Austria the early 20th century. As a result of this, several independent Waldorf schools were established, primarily in Germany, although also in neighbouring countries. This theory of education looks at the stages of development as being a crucial underpinning factor as to how education should take place. This theory broadly splits child development into three distinct stages, each of which lasts around seven years. The early years’ education which takes on-board the first seven years focuses primarily on providing hands-on activi ties and creative play opportunities, so that the primary focus is on child development through physical and practical activities, during this phase. Children’s learning For the purposes of this analysis, it is the first stage that is most important. However, so that it can be seen how these early years of education fit into the broader picture, it is worth noting that the second stage focuses more on social development and the third on academic understanding. Although the Waldorf theory can largely be seen as an educational theory that can be attached to independent schools across Central Europe, many of the theories and philosophies have permeated more traditional educational establishments. Relationships The education ideas put forward by Steiner largely follow the concept of common sense and go beyond simply what is taught to children. These theories also look at the environment and broader issues such as health and well-being. Taking this developmental approach is, in many ways, similar to that looked at above, with the Montessori theory; however, it is much more focused on ensuring practical experiences, where the children are not necessarily focusing on maintaining freedom as the primary and key theme (Roopnarine and Johnson. 2005). The emphasis during the early years period is on providing children with practical activities that will allow them to live life experiences either by following the examples of others, or by their own experimentation. Throughout this theory there is also a heavy emphasis placed on nature, where external influences may be seen to be relevant.High ScopeMore recently, developed in Michigan, USA, is the High Scope early childhood educational approach which looks at a variety of different educational establishment, including kindergarten, pre-school and even home-based childcare, in order to look at the ways in which early childhood development should be best established, so as to lay down the foundations for future learning. The development of this educational theory was primarily founded on the concept developed by the psychologist Lev Vygotsky, which takes a scaffolding-style approach, suggesting that adults should form a learning â€Å"scaffolding† around children, to take into account their current level of development and encourage them to build on it (French and Murphy 2005). Relationships Several central concepts have been developed alongside this educational theory and although participation from the student is important, as it is with the other two theories, there is, however, a structure associated with this educational theory which distinguishes it from the previous theories (High/Scope Educational Research Foundation 2001). Learning Environment For example, environment is seen as important, within this educational theory and the classroom is expected to comply with a high scope model would have several well-defined interest areas, e.g., there would be a toy area and an art area, clearly delineated and made available for the children. This supports the basic learning approach that is advocated by the other two theories in that students will gain from interaction with adults and their own construction of the world around them. However, this is done in a much more structured way, where the daily routine requires early years’ children to be following a predictable sequence of events throughout the day and there not being complete freedom, as advocated by Montessori. To a certain extent, this theory can be seen to be a muted version of the earlier theories. Furthermore, although a heavy emphasis is placed on a constructivist and interaction approach, a much more rigid structure is put in place to ensure that there is consistency and comfort offered to the students and that they understand exactly what is likely to happen, on any given day.Forest SchoolsFinally, there is the specialist theory associated with Forest Schools Education which involves outdoor education and suggests that the children are able to develop confidence and knowledge through having a large amount of outdoor activities and engaging at times within a forest environment. These types of schools are seen as a means of building independence within any age category and the theory of Forest Schools has become a pedagogy, in its own right. This recognition of the importance of the environment is itself something that can be utilised, either in its own right or alongside the previous theories of development of early years children, as advocated by the other theories, mentioned above. Government Legislation and Guidance Within the UK, the Department for Education provides guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The aim of this guidance is to produce basic compulsory standards that all entities involved in the early years’ education provide. The statutory framework for the EYFS stage was established in 2012 and is the full document guiding those involved in the provision of years’ education is seen as merely a minimum standard that they are required to meet and any underlying aims and objectives that should be in mind when establishing their own methods and philosophies. This was given its statutory status by virtue of the Childcare Act 2006. There are underlying aims associated with the guide, including the desire to provide consistency and equality of opportunity for all young children, which will ultimately then provide a secure foundation upon which every child can develop in an appropriate manner and according to their abilities and desires and become well adjusted young adults, in the future. Basic safeguarding welfare requirements are also fundamental to this guidance and, although the focus here is on educational theories, it should be noted that early years’ education theories should, at all times, consider welfare issues and how these may interact within the educational environment (Helm, and Katz 2001). Overarching principles recognise that each child is unique and will be in a constant state of learning and development, and will therefore need to be adaptable and taking the lead from the child in question. Furthermore, the establishment of positive relationships, both with their peers and adult groups is crucial and educational environments should be enabling and positive, regardless of precisely how they are set up or managed. Depending on the nature of the early years provider there may be more specific requirements when it comes to learning and development. For example a childcare provider for wrap-round services, e.g. outside of school hours, would have a lesser requirement to support learning and development, as it would be presumed that the learning and development has been covered within the educational environment. In order to ensure sufficient flexibility, while also ensuring equality and consistency with policies produced in the area of learning and development down into three key subjects: communication and language; physical development; and personal, social, emotional development. All providers of early years’ education need to provide basic supporting literacy, mathematics, general understanding of the world and expressive arts and design. To a certain extent, the rigidity of the current requirements would prevent total freedom within the educational environment and this would disallow a pure theory, such as that of Montessori, to be used although many of the elements of this educational theory can still be present, despite the constraints of the statutory guidance. When establishing methods of learning and development the guidance requires the use of a mixture of directed and free play within any education establishment and this prevents the approach from begun being entirely focussed one way or the other. The binding agreement to deliver the statutory framework requires that there are three characteristics which must be applied to all the activities that are undertaken by those involved in early years’ education. Firstly, there is the need to encourage playing and exploring which is supportive and congruent with the earlier theories of Steiner and Montessori and which encourage every child to explore and develop during their early years. Secondly, there is the need for active learning which encourages children to concentrate and to continue to strive to achieve the results that they are after (Anning et al 2004). Thirdly, there is the need to encourage the creativity and critical thinking of the children, in order to develop their own thoughts and ideas, as well as making links between ideas which they can then use in the future. Although the statutory guidance has a relatively large level of structure attached to it, on the whole, it follows the educational theories on early years’ education advocated by Steiner and Montessori. Certain requirements are also placed on early years’ education providers; for example, a pupil must have an allocated key person with whom they interact and who has responsibility for ensuring that they are developing and learning in an appropriate manner; this is also seen as a welfare and safeguarding issue, where this is a non- negotiable requirement. Certain standards are expected of children at any stage of early years’ education, such as the requirement that, by a specific age, sentences should be constructed and the children will be regularly reviewed and tested, in order to ascertain whether they are meeting the requirements, exceeding the requirements, or falling short. Although it is not expected that every child will develop at the same place, regular monitoring in many areas which are deemed to be weak is critical and a fundamental part of the current framework, so that the child in question can then be supported to develop in these weak areas. The main assessment is undertaken in the final term of the academic year in which the child becomes five years old is provided to the child’s carers / parent and other professional that are relevant during the early years. This assessment has several purposes other than to simply ascertain the current stage of learning for the child in question and provides information for the teacher who will be dealing with the child, as soon as they enter into compulsory education. This indicates that the early years’ agenda does in fact have the underlying aim of placing children in the best possible position to enter Year One (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment 2004). Another important aspect of the statutory guidance which is relevant to this discussion is the heavy emphasis placed on partnership arrangements, with the requirement for early years’ education providers to engage with the local authority, where appropriate, particularly for welfare and safeguarding issues. The essence of the policies here, therefore, is to fulfil certain requirements for having the statutory, basic standards in place, while also offering freedom to the early years’ educational establishment, in order to allow them to adjust, depending on the nature of their establishment and the types of facilities available to them. This would seemingly be a combination of theories, as discussed above, and goes largely along with the early focus on freedom and independence, but with slight constraints put in place. Based on this it can therefore be argued that the closest educational theories discussed above to the current situation are that of High Scope, where the adult operates as a form of scaffolding around the independent and free learning of the children. There does however need to be clarity, on a day-to-day basis, but the children themselves are given the freedom to develop at their own pace. A Personal Philosophy By looking at the educational theories explored in the first part of this report and also looking at the way in which the government has established guidelines, both compulsory and optional for educational establishments, the author here has been able to develop their own personal philosophy for early years’ education. This personal philosophy also draws, to a certain extent, on reflective learning from the author’s own experience within the early years teaching environment. As a result, and in the opinion of the author, it was found that the educational theories that support the notion of entirely free play are not as effective as the current educational agenda. However, whilst there are merits in the notion of entirely free experiences for very young children, as advocated by Montessori, it is suggested here that there needs to be a degree of structure, as this is more reflective of the educational experience which the children are likely to receive in the future. Moreover, there is an underlying aim within early years’ education to present children with the best possible foundation before branching into compulsory education and this would seem to be the main focus. The author also believes that the most appropriate philosophy is a combination of Waldorf and High Scope, stating that there needs to be at least some degree of structure and expectation, in order to ensure that there is sufficient consistency. Each child leaving early years’ education needs to be in position to undertake compulsory education; therefore, without having at least some boundaries and expectations laid out for all involved in education, this would result in some children not being able to achieve basic standards. This could ultimately impact, not only on their educational knowledge, but also on their self-esteem, if they were to enter compulsory education considerably behind others, in terms of attainment (Hohmann, 2002). Applying the statutory rules which are in place within the UK also supports this philosophy and recognises the fact that the ability of children to learn and develop will be different, particularly within the early years, and there needs to be at least some freedom for the children to explore and make up their own minds. This does, however, need to be structured and facilitated by the educational professionals, so that any individual weaknesses can be identified and supported in such a way that would not be possible, if total freedom were given to the students. Educational theories provide a strong background to the way in which education should be delivered, both from a physical environment perspective, through to how the adults responsible for delivering education interact with the children in their care. Despite the need for structure, it is noted here that a strong emphasis should also be placed on freedom of choice for the children when building social and self-esteem factors, which are arguably going to be the foundations for future learning, far beyond technical skills such as the ability to read and write (Penn, 2005). By looking at the broader developmental issues, such as those set out in the statutory guidance, those involved in delivering educational standards can adapt to deal with any issues that arise, rather than being constrained to delivering a specific curriculum. Based on this, my own personal philosophy of education is a hybrid between High Scope and Waldorf, with a bias towards increasing structure, so that basic standards are achieved, regardless of the underlying skills and personalities of the children involved. References Anning, A., Cullen, J. and Fleer, M. (eds.) (2004). Early childhood education: society and culture. Delhi, New York and London: Sage Publications Cadwell, L. B., and C. Rinaldi. (2003) Bringing Learning to Life: A Reggio Approach to Early Childhood Education. New York: Teachers College Press. Catron, C. E., and J. Allen. (2007) Early Childhood Curriculum: A Creative Play Model, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. Department of Education (2012) Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/2716/eyfs_statutory_framework_march_2012.pdf French, G. and Murphy, P. (2005). Once in a lifetime: Early childhood care and education for children from birth to three. Dublin: Barnardos. Helm, H and Katz, L (2001) Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years, New York: Teachers College Press. High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. (2001). The physical learning environment: Participants guide. Michigan: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation Hohmann, M., et al. Educating (2002) Young Children: Active Learning Practices for Preschool and Child Care Programs. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press. Montessori, M (1994). From Childhood to Adolescence. Oxford, England: ABC-Clio. pp. 7–16 National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (2004). Towards a Framework for Early Learning. Dublin: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Penn, H. (2005). Understanding early childhood. Glasgow: Open University Press. Roopnarine, J., and J. Johnson. (2005) Approaches to Early Childhood Education, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Standard vs. Automatic Compare & Contrast Essay

Jacob Phaneuf 10-20-12 Eng 101 (Compare & Contrast) When buying a new car, many people do not stop to think about what kind of transmission that they would like. While most cars today come in automatic versions, there are also five and six speed standard transmissions available on most car models. While certain people may not even know how to drive a standard transmission, it is not the popular choice, but for the people who enjoy using both feet to drive there is always the option.While most cars on the road today are automatics there are still ups and downs to both transmissions, standards may last longer, but automatics are easier to use and more convenient. Standards are usually sportier then the everyday persons automatic car, but they can also save on gas, and can be a little quicker compared to the same exact same automatic transmission model. While driving a standard can be a nightmare for some, others enjoy this feeling very much.Being able to drive with two feet is a very o dd thing to be able to get used to, and also having a third pedal. This added third pedal is called a clutch, and must be pressed every time the vehicle switches gears, where as in a automatic the transmissions switches gears unnoticeably and requires no action from the driver. While having the control to be able to tell a vehicle what gear to go into when ever you want too, gives the car a much sportier feel, but also makes the vehicle a lot more fun to drive and also a little quicker off the start.Driving a standard is only for certain people though, while to others it may seem easy, learning to drive a standard can be a difficult task and if not done right can result in stalling or even permanent car damages. Having many things to remember to do while driving a car can be a frustrating thing to have to do, but thankfully there are automatic transmissions, which has many more conveniences and is much easier to use and drive then a standard car.Driving an automatic requires only on e-foot operation and a computer does all the gear switching electronically. Automatics are the most popular choice when purchasing a car, because they are so simple, easy, and can also be fun to drive. While driving a standard can be a lot more fun, it can also be a lot more stressful considering there are things to always be aware of. Staling is something that is very easy to do and can happen for a few reasons, the clutch was released too quickly, or the transmission was left in gear when the clutch was removed.Also traffic can be a very stressfully thing to deal with in a standard because of the constant use of two feet moving every time the car must move forward. Hills can also be a major challenge for even the most experienced standard transmission drivers. When on a hill, the vehicle will be able to roll backwards until the driver has successfully engaged first gear, but stalling is still a great possibility and can cause big problems for an inexperienced driver.When it comes to choosing the right transmission, be sure you will be able to drive the vehicle the proper way, if not then at least have a person available to teach the proper ways. While both transmissions are great ways to drive, one driver may prefer one over the other, they both drive differences but will both get you to the same place. The only major difference to remember is that a standard transmission can be a lot more work, and the driver has to be ready to deal with the frustrations of a standard transmission. Happy driving!