How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others How much of your day do you spend obsessively comparing yourself to your friends or colleagues? Your best friend from college makes more money than you do, even though she’s been at her job for less time. Your cubicle mate always gets complimented by your boss, even though you know she spends half her workday on Facebook. If you’re a frequent player of the comparison game, you know it always leads to you  feeling terrible about yourself. Yes, everyone on LinkedIn is doing better on the ladder than you are. And yes, everyone on Instagram is living their best life. But did you know that without the whole story, you really have no basis for comparison? Here’s how you can make sure to not fall into the trap of needless comparison. The next time you play the â€Å"here’s why he’s better† game, simply remember these tips, take a deep breath, and work on improving yourself rather than holding yourself against impossible standards.1. Realize that c omparisons don’t tell the whole story.Are you comparing what you know to be your worst against what you judge to be someone else’s best? Are you comparing your beginning to someone else’s middle? Your early career to their glory days? Your entry-level salary to their 40-year career? Remember that comparisons require metrics, which are hard to come by even when you aren’t trying to compare apples to oranges or seeds to trees.2. Understand that you’re wasting precious time.Every hour you spend comparing yourself to someone else is an hour you’re not spending doing better, learning more, acquiring new skills, and moving forward. Comparing yourself to someone else shifts your mindset away from where it needs to be- on you- by putting it somewhere else much less productive. Focus on yourself and what you must do to be where you need to be, and cut out the rest of the noise.3. Know that social media is not your friend.The next time you fall down a n Insta-hole of perfectly posed pictures, turn off your device (or at least shut down your app) and force yourself to spend at least one hour without logging back on. If you spend that hour working on a self-improvement project, that’s all the better. Work on building the kind of life you can be proud of. Focus on the present, not on how many â€Å"likes† you got on your last post. Do something for yourself or someone else that will actually matter.4. Turn that frown upside down.Address whatever negative feelings are lurking in the back of your brain and try to turn them into positives. Use your jealousy and insecurity to spur you to grow faster and more. In fact, instead of viewing the person who’s making you feel less-than as competition, you can think of him or her as a muse or an inspiration to do better. You might even reach out to that person in a mentorship or brain-picking capacity!5. Keep your dignity.You have nothing to gain in comparison situations, b ut everything to lose- not just your time and energy, but your drive, your passion, your pride, and your dignity. You’re only in control of one life- your own. Do what you can to make it the best it can be, and don’t become bitter and jealous while forgetting to make something of yourself in the meantime.

Problem and soluyion paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Problem and soluyion paper - Essay Example At that time the teenager starts searching for a university to attend too. Most universities are not near the place where the teenager lives, thus most teenagers move out of the parents’ house in order to attend college. The single parent at that time will no longer enjoy the company of their child. The parent now has to face life as if they were single once again without kids. A lot parents have trouble dealing with their changes in life once a kid leaves for college. This phenomenon is referred to as the empty nest. The empty nest can be defined as a time when marital satisfaction decreases because parents derive considerable satisfaction and the children departure leaves parents with empty feelings (Messac). The empty nest becomes harsher on single parents because they don’t have a partner to support them. Problem Statement Single parents are emotionally attached to their kids. The departure of their only sibling once they go to college creates an empty nest that aff ects the person emotionally. Once the kid leaves for college the single parent is left with a lot free time which the person does not know what to do with. A problem statement of this situation is: How can single parents continue with their lives in order to fulfill the hole left by the departure of their kids once they leave for college? Alternative Solutions Once the kid of a single parent leaves for college the parent is left with a lot of time for themselves. The parent might become depressed because they miss the presence of their kid in their household. There are ways in which the parent can defeat the empty nest feeling they are exposed too due to the departure of their kid. The work life of the parent alone is not sufficient to satisfy the social needs of the parent. An alternative solution for the parent to forget about how much they miss their kid is to take a vacation. The longer the vacation time the better off the parent will be. The vacation spot can be within the Unit ed States or outside the United States. The destination chosen and the longevity of the vacation will depend on the budget of the parent. My recommendation is for the parent to take an extended vacation of at least one month. While on vacation the parent will forget about the departure of the kid. The person will be enjoying quality time alone. Once the person comes back from the vacation it is likely that the individual will have a new perspective in life and the emotional attachment to their child will be lessen. A second alternative solution for the parent going through an empty nest feeling due to the departure of the kid for college is for the parent to get involved in volunteer work. One of the biggest benefits of volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in the community and country (Nationalservice). Volunteering can be extremely rewarding because the person will notice how their service will benefit a person in need. There are various options for volunteering activities. A person can volunteer at a homeless shelter in order to help humans that have no home and are fighting everyday to find food. Another option for volunteer work is for the individual to volunteer at an elderly care center. The elderly go through similar situations as single parents as far as not having another person to share time with. A third volunteering option is to spend time with children at boys or girls

The Main Difference Between Printed and Electronic Search Research Paper

The Main Difference Between Printed and Electronic Search - Research Paper Example The information about the ASDA supermarket in Yellow pages is brief. It is not categorized and of course, it does not provide information about up-to-date special offers. But it gives a short overview of the company, so the reader at once understands what the company does and where it is situated. There is no structure in publications about ASDA in newspapers, magazines and journals, but that information is always corresponding to the date of the article. All news and articles have a brief mention of company ownership. For example, Private Label Magazine writes: â€Å"ASDA, the Wal-Mart owned UK retailer, has relaunched ‘Meals Made Easy,’ its gourmet ready meals private label range, according to a report by Planet Retail. The range of chilled oven-ready meals has over 70 SKUs. The range features redesigned packaging and has been relaunched with a multibuy pricing promotion.† History of ASDA can be found in Internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a multiling ual, Web-based, free-content encyclopaedia. It is written collaboratively by volunteers, meaning articles can be added or changed by nearly anyone. The project began on January 15, 2001, and is now operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. The English-language version of Wikipedia currently has 786,750 articles. According to Wikipedia, the name ASDA is a contraction of Associated Dairies and was founded in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire. ASDA went through a troubled period in the early 1990s but was then revived under the leadership of Archie Norman, who later became a front bench Conservative MP. He was chairman of the company during the period 1996–99.

Financing the Short Term Obligations of The Business Coursework - 1

Financing the Short Term Obligations of The Business - Coursework Example Trade Credit implies the allowance of credit businesses by the providers of raw materials and other equipment. In this type of financing, though no cash is allotted to the business, but it is given the liberty to delay the payment for the goods up to the termination of the credit. Bank Credit is another popular source of short term financing which allows businesses to draw credit at once or in phases. There are various sub-categories of Bank Credit such as Loans, Cash Credit, Overdraft and Discounting of Bill. The third short term financing source is Customers’ Advances in which businesses ask customers to pay a part of their payment in advance. This is often the case when orders are large as it facilitates the company to overcome its short-term necessities. The fourth source is Account Receivables which are sold to bank or any other finance company through Factoring. In this manner, the business selling the receivables gets the amount while the finance company takes over all the associated credit risks (World Academy Online, 2011) Task 2 1. Activision Blizzard Inc as well as Electronic Arts Inc. have financed their short term requirements mainly through Bank Credits and to some extent through the selling of Accounts Receivables too. In case of Electronic Arts Inc, short term obligations form the bulk of the total liabilities, indicating the high dependence on short term financing (Electronic Arts Inc, 2012). In contrast to Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard uses relatively less short term obligations in terms of relative percentages (Activision Blizzard Inc, 2012) 2. Activision Blizzard Inc. Liquidity Ratios 1. Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 5,385,000,000 / 2,907,000,000 =1.85 x 2. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (5,385,000,000 – 112,000,000)/ 2,907,000,000 =1.81 x Efficiency Ratios 3. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 1,280,000,00 0 / (4,447,000,000/360) =103.62days 4. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (1,181,000,000) / (4,447,000,000/360) =95.61 days 5. Stock Turnover Days = (Inventory x 360) / Cost of Goods Sold (2011) = (112,000,000 x 360) / 2,126,000,000 =18.96 days Electronic Arts Inc Liquidity Ratios 6. Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 3,032,000,000 / 2,001,000,000 =1.52 x 7. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (3,032,000,000 –77,000,000) / 2,001,000,000 =1.48 x Efficiency Ratios 8. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 391,000,000 / (3,589,000,000/360) =39.22 days 9. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (996,000,000)/ (3,589,000,000/360) =99.91 days 10. Stock Turnover Days = (Average Inventory x 360) / Cost of Goods Sold (2011) = (77,000,000 x 360)/ 1,499,000,000 =18.49 days 3. Activision Blizzard’s current ratio is greater in contrast to that o f Electronic Arts Inc. It suggests that Activision is covering its short term obligations with its current assets in better manner. This suggests that in case of any possible emergency in future, Activision will stand a better chance of overcoming it because of its higher current ratio whereas Electronic Arts would comparatively find it difficult. In this manner, Activision’

Curriculum Development and Design Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Development and Design Essay These programs arose from the thinking of a group of pioneers who believed that the educational approach that had been developed by medical education innovators at McMaster University was also most relevant for the preparation of occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Consequently, a group of educators from both institutions, Mohawk College and McMaster University, combined their skills and created a vision that became the diploma programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy. This approach was problem-based learning, and was used as the foundation for both programs from their inception to the present day, across three different iterations of curriculum. One of the key innovations to the way in which the college programs were taught was the combination of using faculty from both the university and college to teach all courses. In the 1980s, a degree completion program was launched that provided graduates of the diploma program a chance to upgrade their qualification to a bachelors degree from McMaster University. This was particularly important since the minimum credential for entry to practice had been raised to the baccalaureate level by the professional associations. In 1989, the program moved completely into the university setting and the graduates were granted a BHSc(PT) or BHSc(OT), a bachelor degree in health sciences. Ten years later, in 2000, candidates were admitted to the entrylevel masters programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The Pedagogical Framework: Problem-based Learning As briefly referred to above, the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs at McMaster University have a strong history with and legacy of problem-based learning. While the initial curriculum models were strongly influenced by the inaugural undergraduate medical curriculum, time and confidence presented opportunities to create our own models. These models reflect the special nuances of each discipline. Problem-based learning is recognized as having begun at McMaster University, in the medical curriculum, and was in response to critical concerns about the nature of more traditional learning models in medical curricula. The intention was to create an approach to teaching and learning that was learner-centered, yet based upon clear objectives and evaluation criteria. The key difference was the expectation that learners would be facilitated and guided rather than taught (Barrows and Tamblyn 1980; Neufeld 1983; Saarinen and Salvatori 1994). Both the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs at McMaster University have embraced these ideas, although with differing degrees of connection and commitment to the original model. In fact, true problem-based learning models should naturally emerge from each individual context and culture. There is no â€Å"right† way although there is a growing recognition of a common set of principles and elements that can be applied to determine the â€Å"problembased-ness† of a learning environment (Maudesley 1994; Walton and Matthews 1989). Problem-based learning principles tend to become grouped in two distinct categories: first, the values upon which problem-based learning is based and second, some characteristics that are held in common understanding as being critical to the core of problem-based learning. Underlying values include: partnership, honesty and openness, mutual respect, and trust. Core characteristics incorporate: Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 13 i Learning which is student/learner-centered i Faculty roles that are those of facilitator and guide i Learning scenarios which form the basis, focus, and stimulus for learning i New information and understanding that is acquired through self-directed learning (Baptiste 2003 p. 17) Consequently, there is a continuum of problem-based curricula from pure through hybrid models. The masters entry-level physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs at the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University continue to be based upon problem-based principles. Although both programs are very different one from the other, there are also many common elements and approaches that are celebrated. Examples of these similarities are cited throughout this book, particularly in the chapters focusing on evidence-based practice and ethics education. Approaching the Task of Curriculum Renewal Perhaps one of the most overwhelming, yet exciting, tasks with which to be confronted is the opportunity and challenge of developing a new curriculum. This task is made even more daunting when circumstances provide a chance to do something different based on external forces and not a need to change because â€Å"something is broken†. Over the past few years, and in several years to come, many educational programs in rehabilitation science are facing this situation. The changing nature of the entry-level credential for occupational therapists and physiotherapists demands that faculty undertake a detailed review of curricula, to determine the optimal approach to moving toward graduate-level preparation, or, at the very least, complete a review of existing curricula models to identify their responsiveness and congruence with emerging practice expectations and demands. Approaches to such a massive task can vary from ensuring the preservation of what is good from the existing curriculum to making a total shift and adopting a radically Table 2. 1. Principles for curricular change and innovation Rationale should be articulated explicitly Overall goals should be reiterated constantly throughout the process Continuing communication is essential, coupled with a clear rationale Ensure that the intended change is in response to a defined and recognized need or purpose Ensure that the innovation is seen as a high institutional priority Focus on pedagogy and not on resources for implementation Foster strong leadership support Identify incentives for faculty participation Gain faculty buy-in for the curricular blueprint Involve the active teaching faculty throughout the process Anticipate potential barriers to change and develop strategies to address them Recognize the potential need for and value of negotiation Adapted from Guze (1995) 14 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 new approach and design. To have an optimal effect, options to be considered should bear relevance to the pervading culture of the institution and environment within which the curriculum is to thrive. Also, decisions must be made concerning the pedagogical choices of how learner-centered the curriculum should be, and what particular educational modalities are the best for the circumstances. This chapter will address the entire picture of curriculum development and design, from the first conversations about how to engage in the renewal process through making decisions about methods of teaching, approaches to learner assessment, and preparation of entry-level practitioners for the emerging practice contexts. Guze (1995) provided a clear and succinct discussion of several core principles that can guide curricular change and innovation (Table 2. 1). The following is an overview of these principles. Where to Begin? Motivation for curriculum renewal can come from both internal and external forces. External expectations from regulatory and professional bodies are tending to impose standards for new practitioners that require: i Preparation at an advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgment i The ability to assume roles that require autonomy and a strong sense of professional ethics i Engaging in their professional role from the first day of practice, in a conscious nd moral manner that requires reflection and self-awareness Regardless of whether the motivation for curricular change stems from a desire to do something differently or better, or from outside influences, the task is one that requires careful planning. However, it is imperative that any planning process recognizes the need to dream and envision what could be, to create a model that will exemplify those visions, and to produce a graduate who is well prepared to face the complexities and challenges of emerging practice. When developing a curriculum, four general questions must be asked: i What is the purpose of the curriculum? i What educational experiences can be created to fulfill this purpose? What is the most effective manner in which to organize these educational experiences? i How can we determine that the purpose has been fulfilled and the goals attained (Wiers et al. 2002)? Another very critical element of any change is the recognition that the cultural context is a key in managing change successfully. Hafferty (1998), when reflecting upon the realities of a medical school curriculum, discusses the existence of informal and hidden curricula as well as the formal curriculum. He posits that, in order to induce a lasting change, the entire organizational culture needs to be engaged to facilitate stud ents and faculty alike in embracing and working with change. When facing the task of curricular reform, redesign has to occur not only in terms of content, but also in relation to the Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 15 educational processes that enable the learning to take place. This is the difference between reforming the syllabus and reforming the curriculum; the overall learning environment of the educational program and institution is changed (Burton and McDonald 2001). Once the decision has been made to reform the curriculum, a first step is to complete an environmental scan and situational analysis that explore the educational and organizational environment within the institution, to determine what will facilitate the proposed changes. By defining a clear and newly articulated set of riorities and guidelines, changes that are being made within the curriculum will be given the vehicle through which impact can be made upon the surrounding environment (Genn 2001). This strategy is part of the first overall phase, the planning p hase. This is when the need for change is established and the vision for change is designed. It is during this phase of development that the non-negotiable elements of structure and process are determined. For example, within the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, both the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programs were already designed as two-year, twenty-four-month, curricula. Also, the province of Ontario mandates that all masters programs are two years in duration. Therefore, the decision was readily made, based on these graduate program regulations and history, that the new masters entry-level curricula would be twenty-four months long. One key commitment was clear and that was to the foundational philosophy of problem-based, selfdirected learning utilizing the application of these principles to small group, large group, and skills-based learning experiences. Wiers et al. (2002) provide a clear and helpful outline of ten general steps of curriculum design within a problem-based learning context (see Table 2. 2). While this rubric is structured around the specific processes inherent within problem-based learning development, most of the guidelines can apply broadly across any curricular development process within any pedagogical framework. From the onset, all faculty members at McMaster University were on board regarding the need to undertake the development of entry-level masters curricula in both occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Both disciplines had undergone dramatic changes in the preceding two decades, largely focused upon the growth of foundational science and evidence for practice. Professional practice models had emerged for both professions and provided a strong backdrop against which to create fresh ap- Table 2. 2. Ten general steps in curriculum design for a problem-based learning (PBL) environment 1. . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Give rationale for the curriculum and form a planning group Generate general educational objectives for the curriculum Assess the educational needs o f future students Apply general principles of PBL to the curriculum Structure the curriculum and generate a curriculum blueprint Elaborate the unit blueprints Construct the study units Decide on student assessment methods Consider the educational organization and curriculum management model Evaluate the curriculum and revise as appropriate Adapted from Wiers et al. (2002) 16 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 proaches to the preparation of graduates for entering practice. While both the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs undertook curriculum renewal at the same time, the physiotherapy program had engaged in an ongoing process of change across the preceding five years. Many of the issues, concerns, and changes addressed and implemented by the occupational therapy program had already been addressed by physiotherapy. Therefore, this chapter will focus predominantly upon the initiatives inherent within the curricular shift within occupational therapy, although reference will be made to processes within physiotherapy as appropriate. Designing Our New Programs Deciding upon the overarching constructs that would determine the final curriculum model was a complex and dramatic process in many ways, and one in which everyone was eager to participate and have a chance to have input. At the onset of the development of the occupational therapy program, three faculty retreats were held that progressed from a totally unstructured brainstorm of what would be perfect, to a detailed accounting of core curricular elements in the context of a delivery structure. In the initial retreat, all full-time faculty members together with some part-time members participated in a â€Å"blue-skying† day-long session during which everyone spoke of their dreams for the perfect curriculum. What if we could do what we wanted? What if we did not have to be concerned with logistics like room bookings? – and so on. This exercise provided us with a high-level ppreciation of the values and elements that were important to us as a collective. It was from this beginning â€Å"fantasy† that the next level of planning emerged. The second retreat was more structured and focused upon the creation of a continuum for learning that resulted in the overarching framework for the cur riculum, together with the delivery methods. A process was followed whereby we decided upon a central construct around which the whole curriculum would evolve, namely, â€Å"occupation†. To support this core notion, there were several longitudinal conceptual threads that represented continua of thought such as: wellness to illness, simplicity to complexity, local to global, and unifaceted to multifaceted. Through this process, we were able to identify the starting place for the first study term, and to create a high-level framework for the progression of the total curriculum (see Table 2. 3) In physiotherapy, the process began similarly with a faculty retreat; however, the focus varied slightly. Initial discussions identified elements of the curriculum that we Table 2. 3. Occupational therapy curricular framework Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 Content theme Wellness, health, and occupation Person, environment, and occupation Development, disability, and occupation Youth and the development of self Adulthood and disability Complexities of contemporary practice Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 17 alued and wanted to maintain and those needing less emphasis. Through ongoing curricular evaluation and feedback, we identified new areas that needed to be included in the emerging curriculum and other areas that needed to be enhanced. These areas were discussed within the context of the changing practice of physiotherapy and the knowledge and skills required by the physiotherapist in the new millennium. The decision was made to use a curricular framework that incorporated a modified â€Å"body systems† design, as current physiotherapy practice and clinical specialties were aligned with this model. Inclusion of a Community Practice/Community Health unit allowed or a focus on emergent health care roles in the community and on integrating health promotion and disease prevention into practice. The faculty recognized that while many physiotherapists identified their practice in an area related to the body systems, increasingly clinicians were faced with more complex patients with multiple system involvement. Hence, the final unit of study focused on integrated practice dealing with clients with complex multisystem health care problems. Following the initial planning process, it is now time to initiate the plan. It is during this time period that the â€Å"unfreezing† of old organizational patterns and the introduction of innovations into the educational environment take place (Burton and McDonald 2001). Often, while there is a strong commitment to engaging in the conversations that lead to the design of a changed reality, it is a very different matter to start â€Å"doing† and actually making that changed reality come to life. A cooperative internal environment is essential for the realization of that initial dream and therefore it is well worthwhile for planners to engage in a transparent and collaborative experience that enables maximum participation and open debate. A process of this nature is characterized by collaborative problem solving, effective communication, abilities in conflict resolution, and a cultural expectation of working together in harmony that guides the overall enterprise (Burton and McDonald 2001). Therefore, it is of importance to determine at the onset the values and behaviors by which the development experience will be approached to set up structures and processes that will ensure that the best attempts at making it so will be expended. During the initiation period, we experienced intense interest and levels of emotion from all participants regarding the manner in which the planning and the visions for the two disciplines would be evolved and realized. As mentioned previously, we had determined that the existing problem-based learning principles would remain but that the key changes would be realized through the manner in which the content was introduced to the students and through which the continuum of learning would evolve. Similarly, we were committed to maintaining a student-centered approach. One core difference was to be the manner in which the experiential component of professional preparation would be integrated more centrally into both curricula. Previously, the curricula were designed in a more traditional fashion whereby the clinical fieldwork experiences were placed at the end of each study term and were linked directly to the area of academic focus for the preceding learning block. By definition, once the overarching concepts of the curricula were determined to be different from the previous models, then fieldwork placements would become less strictly aligned. This was reinforced more heavily in the occupational therapy program which was originally designed around developmental stages and central practice populations. Students would face a more eclectic approach in their clinical learning; therefore, both programs determined that learning around professional issues and practice expectations should be interwoven through the longitudinal axis of the curriculum. 18 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon Redevelopment Within a Problem-based Learning Culture 2 As with any problem-based learning system, the small group learning unit is the nucleus of the whole curriculum. However, the success of problem-based, small group learning is supported by the strategic use of large group interactions for the imparting of theoretical and expert knowledge, while still maintaining a problem-based learning philosophy. Similarly, the application of problem-based learning principles is a critical piece of one-on-one learning and synthesis of knowledge and information throughout the academic and clinical components of the curriculum overall. Both the physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs elected to continue to utilize problem-based learning methods in a manner that celebrated the development already achieved over twenty-five years of curriculum development. This has evolved over time very differently in each program. For example, during the planning process for the occupational therapy curriculum, efforts were made to define new models for tutoring and many were identified and put into place. During the second year of the occupational therapy program, the problem-based tutorials occur only once weekly. This allows additional scheduling time for including the evidence-based practice courses and is also in response to the difficulties many practitioners are experiencing in gaining release time from employers to participate as tutors. In this new tutorial model, tutors are required to participate in only one weekly session with two or three tutors’ meetings across the term instead of weekly. Application of problem-based learning principles in large groups has been maintained and, in fact, enhanced particularly in the clinical skills sessions. Students often are placed in small groups (different groups from their core tutorial group) and provided with opportunities to explore assessment tools and intervention methods. Through these group experiences, the students apply a problem-based learning approach to the identification of learning issues, the uncovering of essential information and resources, and the synthesis of their understanding of the tool or technique. Integration of Experiential Practice Preparation Within a Problem-based Learning Framework As mentioned earlier, both the physiotherapy and occupational therapy faculty groups were committed to ensuring the integration of academic and experiential learning into the curricula from the beginning, and were focused on developing innovative models for the synthesis of practice preparation into the core academic units. It is important to note that the work related to integration commenced at the very onset of the curriculum planning process. In the case of the occupational therapy program, there had always been sessions held throughout the full curriculum that provided opportunities for the Clinical Placement Coordinator (now Professional Practice Coordinator) to inform, advise, educate, and monitor students in preparing for their practice experiences and in checking in with them following these experiences. However, a greater focus on such integration was placed within the masters entry-level curriculum model in order to ensure that students were being prepared to meet the enhanced expectations of a graduate program. Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 19 Evaluation Within a Graduate Problem-based Learning Framework There should be clear and close linkages between how students learn and how that learning is assessed. Therefore, some information will be presented here relative to the evaluation methods developed at McMaster University in the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs. Student Evaluation. In the preceding years, the two programs at McMaster University had been very involved in designing evaluation/student assessment tools that reflected the principles of problem-based learning and provided students with opportunities to integrate their academic learning with their growing professional awareness and identity. Most of these tools are built around the basic problem-based learning process of exploring a learning scenario that has been developed to address the objectives for the particular learning unit. Essentially, problem-based evaluation needs to be congruent with the underlying values and principles of problem-based learning. Traditional methods of assessing students’ knowledge tend to be contradictory to these principles and therefore should not be applied out of context. Problem-based learner assessment should: i Be congruent with the underlying problem-based learning process illustrated by the development of learning scenarios based on real life practice situations i Mirror the problem-based learning process of reflecting on a practice scenario, efining learning issues, researching, synthesizing, and synopsizing the learning with application to the defined case i Involve personal reflection and enhanced awareness of individual critical think- ing and clinical reasoning skills F aculty Evaluation. As with student assessment, the evaluation of faculty is central to the maintenance and enhancement of a problem-based learning culture. And, similarly, faculty evaluation is built into the roles played in any given learning context. In the case of the small group tutor role, faculty members are evaluated by each student and provide a self-evaluation to students during the course of the group process. Following the completion of the small group experience, students evaluate the faculty member as well as the overall course, and these ratings are provided to faculty and placed in their file for attention at times when promotion, tenure, and merit increase decisions are made. For those faculty members, practitioners, and others who facilitate large group sessions in both theory and practical skills, similar evaluations are completed. This process has been in place over many years and has not changed since the advent of the new curricula. However, the items being evaluated have altered to reflect the expected level and scope of graduate teaching. Student Self-assessment: Development of the OTPPI. Students admitted into the occupational therapy program are not expected to have any prerequisite courses completed during their undergraduate education. This has been the case from the very beginning. In the program itself, there are no formal courses that provide students with basic knowledge related to the foundational sciences that underlie occupational therapy practice such as anatomy, physics, biochemistry, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. It has been the long-held belief that in a pure problem-based learning 20 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 environment, the learning is accomplished through the horizontal meshing of various areas of knowledge and information; that through the integration of these sciences and bodies of knowledge, students can gain the understanding they require by using real life situations as springboards for integration and synthesis of all inputs. Consequently, recent efforts were expended to develop the Occupational Therapy Personal Progress Inventory (OTPPI), a tool that was developed from the experience of the undergraduate medical program over the past few years (Blake et al. 1996; Cunnington 2001). The OTPPI focuses on foundational knowledge that our students need in order to become practicing occupational therapists. It is not a test of the application of that knowledge in practice. The examination consists of 90 multiple-choice questions developed with the expectation that a â€Å"star† student would be able to answer by the time of graduation. There are three main domains included in each examination: biology (this includes anatomy, physiology, etc. ), social sciences (this includes psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. ), and research (this includes statistics, research methods, ethics, etc. ). The breakdown of each examination is 40 percent biology, 40 percent social science, and 20 percent research. The examination is generated each term and students in both years have the same examination, with the expectation that the students in second year will achieve a higher result than those in the first year. Students receive a detailed report with their scores and a profile of how they have progressed over time. They are provided with information about their total score as well as a breakdown on each of the three domains. They also receive a zone score, which is an indication of how well they have performed on the test in comparison to the other members of the class. Students in the yellow or red zones may want to review their scores in more detail and make learning plans to address gaps that may have been identified through the examination. This tool is designed as a self-assessment measure, the individual results of which are known only to each student. We have made a conscious choice that results are not used in the summative evaluation of the students, and are intended to provide the learners with a sense of how they are progressing in accumulating knowledge relative to the basic sciences of their discipline. The students are expected to use that information to set plans in place to address weaknesses (e. g. , through problem-based tutorials, individual assignments, etc. ). The OTPPI has been a pencil and paper test so far, but steps are being taken to convert it to a web-based format. While the occupational therapy program has undertaken this initiative on a pilot basis, initial responses would indicate that students are finding the process helpful to them, although this is very new at the time of publication. Integration of Evidence-based Practice Skills into the Curricula. The integration of skills related to practicing in an evidence-based manner is seen to be critical to both programs. A detailed description of the models adopted by the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs is found in Chapter 5. In both programs, there is a strong commitment to evidence-based practice as a central onstruct for the curriculum and a natural partner for client-centered and problem-based principles. Conclusion Since their inception, the masters entry-level programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy have presented opportunities to revisit our history and legacy in health sciences education. In order to reflect on the overall process, the general steps for curriculum design offered by Wiers et al. (2002) will be revisited (see Table 2. 2). Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 21 For us, the rationale for the curriculum was clear both from an internal and an external perspective, and the notion of forming a planning group was a natural approach to the task. Our profound commitment to involving our broad academic community was illustrated through the involvement of a wide range of individuals encompassing full-time, part-time, and sessional faculty members as well as members of the wider practice community. Such involvement was realized throughout the planning process and continues through such individuals’ representation on our Education, Curriculum and Admissions committees. The need to define clear general educational objectives for the curriculum was also recognized at a very early stage. We found that being able to determine the goals and directions from the outset served to facilitate the planning that followed. Assessing the educational needs of future students was assisted by our own knowledge concerning the entry-level competencies demanded by our professional regulatory colleges. Also, the connections we have with our practice communities and past graduates were invaluable in providing a background for determining the shifts necessary within the curriculum to fulfill practice expectations. Similarly, the same thoughtful reasoning was used to consider the differences of teaching and learning between undergraduate and graduate approaches to education. Applying general principles of problem-based learning to the curriculum was not a concern for us, given our long history of internalizing this philosophy. Specific difficulties arose when converting the undergraduate courses and assessment tools to the needs of a graduate program. Nevertheless, problem-based learning in many ways is a gift for this transition since it resembles closely the natural proclivities of graduate work – smaller groups, self-directedness, learner autonomy, and a degree of freedom to determine learning directions. Structuring the curriculum and creating a blueprint became different experiences for physiotherapy and occupational therapy. As mentioned previously, while the planning processes looked ostensibly similar, the manner in which the final curricular models were derived was very different (see Tables 2. 3 and 2. 4). However, after the master models were created, the processes for elaborating the blueprints and constructing study units were again very similar. Methods of student assessment tended to remain grounded in the familiar processes and tools that we had developed across our history with problem-based learning. However, as each curricular element emerged throughout the planning (e. g. , evidence-based practice, ethics, clinical skills, fieldwork) so did innovative ways to enhance the student assessment processes that were already strong. Details of these innovations will be discussed in the book chapters relating to these specific areas. Consideration of the educational organization and curriculum management model required particular attention since our lines of accountability had shifted, with the Table 2. 4. Physiotherapy curricular framework Unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 Content theme Fundamentals of physiotherapy practice Fundamentals of musculoskeletal practice Fundamentals of cardiorespiratory and neurological practice Advanced neurological practice Community practice Integrated practice and professional transition 22 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 move to the School of Graduate Studies. Two slightly different models of governance emerged, with the Admissions Committee being the only shared group between physiotherapy and occupational therapy. However, both governance models reflect a central group responsible and accountable for curriculum and another group that oversees general program functioning. Curricular evaluation remains an ongoing responsibility and expectation. Chapter 13 provides a particular model for curriculum evaluation that was used by the occupational therapy program, the Program Logic Model. However, there are many ways in which faculty members can retain a clear image of what makes up a curriculum and what indicators are critical to evaluate for the success of the program overall. The three years of planning and launching the new curricula at McMaster University were years of extremely hard work, high energy and output. As we see each student cohort graduate, and receive feedback concerning our students and graduates in practice settings, we feel heartened that we appear to be on the right track. We know, however, that curriculum development is an ongoing process.

Portrayal Of Social Issues Faced By Women

Portrayal Of Social Issues Faced By Women The aim of this extended essay is to analyze how Patience Agbabi portrays the issues women are faced with in her poem cycle Seven Sisters from her poetry collection Transformatrix and examine the different viewpoints of the main themes presented in the seven poems from the perspective of the poet. This is done by first distinguishing three main topics in the seven poems which are: Teenage pregnancy and prostitution Adolescence and fairytale stereotypes Sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations These topics were then thoroughly analyzed by detailed investigation of the poems and additional external sources. With the purpose of understanding the message behind the poems more adequately, an interview with the poet, Patience Agbabi, was organized first by contacting her through www.patienceagbabi.wordpress.com and later by email. The correspondence is attached in the appendix. After an in depth research of the main topics, it was possible to conclude that Patience Agbabi portrayed the women and the social issues in a more unconventional manner by highlighting the virtuous as well as the unpleasant characteristics of the main characters. This is different for example from the media which, influenced by society, typically only presents only one point of view and thus disregards the opinions of the people who actually suffer from the social issues discussed in this essay. Introduction Patience Agbabi is a British poet born in London in 1965 to Nigerian parents. She was educated at Oxford Univeristy and published the poetry collection, named Transformatrix, in 2000. This extended essay will analyze seven sestina poems from that collection, suitably called the Seven Sisters, which are a truthful interpretation of the poets view on women and the many challenges they go through. With each of the seven women representing a different time and type of life, Patience Agbabi has given a very interesting depiction of the transformation of women through time. The issues in the poems vary a great deal. The main topics discussed are teenage pregnancy and prostitution, adolescence and fairytale stereotypes, and sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations. In her poems Patience Agbabi tries to break the stereotypes of women that have formed from years and years of misunderstanding and lack of interest to know the other side of the story. It is interesting to see that even th ough a feminist, the poet does not depict the women in the seven poems in an extremely positive or ideal manner; the characters are all authentic and with flaws, as it is in real life, which is exactly the reason why they are so intriguing to read. Instead of the worn out depictions of the topics in the poems, Agbabi tries to explore a different viewpoint and widen the understanding of for example transvestites, lesbians or rebellious teenagers. The poet uses one of the most difficult forms of poetry to master, the sestina, to emphasize the most important aspects in each poem. A sestina is a highly structured poem consisting of six six-line stanzas followed by its envoy. The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the stanzas, but in a different order each time  [1]  . The six repetitive word are time, girl, end, child, boy, dark each of these representing the central themes of the poems and combining the Seven Sisters together. In whole the question this essay aims to answer is: How does Patience Agbabi portray the issues women are faced with in her poem cycle Seven Sisters? Teenage pregnancy and prostitution Teenage pregnancy has been a problem throughout history, the only difference being that nowadays it is much more talked about and there are actual measures taken to relieve the situation. During the Second World War however, which is also the time frame for the first poem Martina  [2]  , the situation was much worse and the problem was ignored or denied. As described in the poem, the war had a horrific effect on people as most were living in constant fear, thinking only about the outcome of the confrontation. With the men sent to battle, the women had to provide for themselves and for many it meant getting a job and working long hours for the first time in their lives. It is to no surprise then, that some women resorted to easier ways to keep their previous lifestyle and at the same time help the war-effort. The so called victory girls or khaki-wackies provided respectable companionship for military men: they wrote letters, played cards, danced with them and eventually ended up c arrying their children as a result of imprudence.  [3]  In the poem Martina, the difference between the two manners of behaviour is described by the fact that in the time of fear and despair, when women had to work hard and food was in very short supply, the so called khaki-wackies had a much more glamorous lifestyle, at least on the outside: .. But we were weekend disciples, evacuees scared of dark nights pierced with blitzkrieg pyrotechnics, child- like, clinging to mothers skirt. She found time to party in new nylons, good-time girl growing voluptuous from man and boy, on chocolate and plum brandy. I was tomboy  [4]   In reality they were non-professional prostitutes, girls who resorted to more straight-forward measures to survive the turbulent and uncertain times. In the last three stanzas of the poem, Agbabi describes the very typical outcome of such behaviour, which was pregnancy. As the V-girls were in majority young girls raging from the age of 12 to 17, teenage pregnancy rate was for example in the United States higher in the 1940s than it is now.  [5]   . We all knew she was expecting a child. In those days we all expected the boy to marry her. But it being wartime, too soon his two-month leave came to an end. Her father threw her out into pitch-dark Novembers clutches with words No girl of mine She gave birth to a baby girl, Martina. They wanted to put the child up for adoption. .   [6]   In these lines the poet also explains the misconception people had about the lifestyle of such girls. It was expected that the soldiers would marry the girl they got pregnant, but the reality was quite different. Majority of the men had no intention to take responsibility, and even when they did walk down the aisle, the marriages usually ended when the war was over. The girls were left behind, pregnant and rejected by the society, with no other option than to resort to illegal abortion, give the child up for adoption or try to raise their newborn alone.  [7]  The women could not expect help from their families as it was considered unforgivable to have a child born out of wedlock. The media portrayed them as people who only had themselves to blame for their situation, but the poem Martina evokes rather sympathy than dismay for the character, especially with the last lines: . In time, she got married for the childs sake, a boy- next-door type; and in time I met a girl with sloe-dark eyes and loved her till the end.  [8]   Patience Agbabi herself says that: The conversational first person narrative invites the reader to identify with these women, to enjoy their spirit and wit, to empathise with them in spite of their morals.  [9]  Throughout the poem and especially in the end, the narrator is more intrigued and fascinated by the victory girl, rather than being appalled. In my opinion it reflects that in many ways the V-girls were envied for their seemingly glamorous lifestyle and their free-spirited nature, by other, more conservative, women during that time. The other poem in the collection, that has the central themes of teenage pregnancy, prostitution and also sexual abuse is Samantha  [10]  . Unlike Martina, the life of Samantha takes place at a more modern time. The poem deals mostly with prostitution, but once again it is not from the very typical viewpoint, as the womans positive characteristics are equally emphasized with her short-comings. The poem also gives more insight to one of the reasons behind prostitution and from that also teenage pregnancy. They cant see my bump in the dark. I work Stamford Hill mostly. My first time was 96. We was really broke. Boy from the local estate. Dealer. The girls put me up to it. Once I got over the taste it was childs play. Sucked him like an ice lolly in June. We call it making ends meet.   [11]   In this stanza, the prostitute is talking about why she first got started with her line of work, and as for most girls, it is usually about financial problems and a lack of education or opportunities to find a proper job. According to Claire Sterk: money, history of sexual abuse, having grown up without love from the significant adults in their lives and being enticed by a male of female friend or by peer pressure from a group of friends are the main reasons behind prostitution.  [12]  All of those are also mentioned in the poem Samantha. When comparing Samantha to Martina then their one similarity is pregnancy, what is different, is the two womens perception of the situations. In Martina, the girl is punished for her situation and considers putting the child up for adoption. In Samantha, the prostitute has a much more positive attitude towards the fact that she has a child. ..Id die if anything happened to my kid. A child keeps you sane. ..  [13]   Even though only taking place 20 to 30 years later, the outlook on the situation had transformed, and prostitutes at that time felt like they had the right and freedom of talking about their lives without shame of what others may think. What is interesting about the poem is the fact that Samantha herself does not seem to be too disturbed about the way her life has turned out, she seems foolishly hopeful that things might change for the better. The fact is however, that the reasons that first dragged the woman into prostitution are not likely to just disappear. In an interview with the Guardian journalist, Emine Saner, a long-time sex worker told Saner that she would like to be able to stop working, but does not know how else to manage financially  [14]  . The importance of this poem and also Martina is the fact that even though both women have a distorted sense of morals, the reader can not help but feel somewhat sorry for the characters and therefore enabling them to see teenage pregnancy and prostitution in a different light than usually portrayed by the media. Adolescence and fairytale stereotypes According to Patience Agbabi herself, exploring childhood moving into adolescence is one of her favourite themes. As every person has been a kid in the past and can say that puberty is a very emotional time of a persons life, it is therefore no surprise that adolescence is an interesting topic for all writers and poets. In a life of a usual teenager, adolescence is the time of first love, discovering sexuality and for most girls the realisation of the truth behind fairytale stereotypes. One of my personal favourites, Agbabis poem The Tiger  [15]  is an excellent portrayal of a rebellious teenage girl who is just on her journey of discovering what life as an adult is actually like. Majority of young girls have a huge misconception about adulthood, mainly concerning romance. Tracy loves Darren. It was girl power, 1979. He was my aerosol boy and the swelling inscription, my lifebuoy. We lasted a month.  [16]   In the poem, the young girl gets a tattoo with the name of her first love. It is a very truthful depiction of young people s understanding of love, as they think it will last forever just like the tattoo. The reality of the situation hits youngsters usually when they gain more independence and responsibilities, which also marks the end of their puberty. The Tiger shows the ordeal in an emotional and familiar way, thus making the reader feel the angst of puberty once again. In modern society, adolescence is widely discussed, as parents seem more and more clueless of what to do when their child is behaving in a rebellious matter. By giving the reader an insight to the girls point of view, Agbabi once again enables people to see the problem from a new angle. It takes an hour to obliterate girl meets boy a minute for childhood to end, and for dark blue to fade to grey, a lifetime.   [17]   With the final stanza of the poem, Agbabi emphasizes again the fact that emotions and situations that all seemed so important during years of puberty, mean very little when compared to the rest of a persons life. The second poem in Agbabis collection that also deals with the problems of fairytale stereotyping and more generally, youngsters misconception of the life ahead, is Leila  [18]  . This poem is mostly depicting the usual dream of a little girl, in her early years of adolescence, when she dreams about charming princes and extraordinary weddings. This delusion has been created by entertainment industry, as children are exposed to more and more cartoons, films and toys in a very early age. The idea behind this is to influence the children into wanting all sorts of consumer goods, but in addition these movies and toys give the young children a distorted view of life which in later years may prove to be a major obstacle on their way of living a fulfilled life. Developmental ps ychologists have long identified the fact that playing has a crucial affect on a childs development. During play children communicate with their world and internalize elements of society, such as norms, values, and adult roles. Childrens toys have a huge effect on their development of self-image and their concept of the society one of the fundamental tasks of childhood and adolescence  [19]  . It is to no surprise then, that the poet has chosen this topic as it sheds light and explains another group of women, who are suffering from some kind of social issue. dreaming all night of her shoe-shine boy, their diamond wedding, that happy end- ing. If she were a time shed be midnight, when each child paints the dark with fantasy, when girls become women, boys become men and Once upon a time becomes The End.  [20]   The last stanza of the poem is showing exactly Agbabis point that eventually all people grow up and with that they also have to grow out of fairytales. No fairytale ever shows the life of the protagonists after the happily ever after, and therefore having unrealistic expectations in ones adulthood to, for example, have a relationship that can be compared to a classical fairytale, is a dream that in reality will never come true. The two poems of adolescence and fairytale stereotypes are not only instructive for the young girls and women who are faced with the issue, but also for those who as observers may not have completely understood or recognized it as a social issue before. Sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations Sexuality is most definitely the most controversial and most covered topic that the poet has examined in her poem collection Seven Sisters. Patience Agbabi, being a bisexual herself, gives a very interesting and somewhat perceptive portrayal of a vast variety of different women and their sexualities. Not only does she discuss the sexualities of the women themselves, but also gender expectations amongst mothers, who also wish for their child to be of certain sex. According to researchers children are increasingly more aware of their sexuality from an early age, for example according to the research of 2004 by the Guttmacher Institute, 46% of teens in the United States between ages of 15-19 have had sex at least once  [21]  . It is to no surprise then that sexuality is such a talked about topic around the world these days. The problem with young children and their sexuality is briefly discussed in the poems Martina  [22]  and The Tiger  [23]  . In the poem The Tiger, Agbab i writes about the protagonist losing her virginity at a very young age, and thus also losing her childhood. In Martina, the main character is presumably around the age of 16, but has to grow up fast, and therefore get in touch with her sexual side, because of the war. The more controversial part of sexuality in Martina is the fact that even though the character is heterosexual, the narrator is a lesbian, as said by the poet.  [24]  Sexual orientation has a very big part to play in our sense of who we are and exactly where we belong. Even though no-one chooses their sexual orientation, there are still millions of people who are strongly against homosexuality, or bisexuality for that matter. As a close to heart topic for Agbabi, she chooses a very different angle to express her feelings about the social issue concerning sexuality. In her poem Ms de Meanour  [25]  , the narrator who is also the main character in the poem, is a drag queen and in lively fashion talks about her l ife of behaving like a woman, even though actually being a man. Time for boy meets girl in the mirror and wild child bitch with a dick from Crouch End becomes Wild West End diva with dark luscious lashes. .  [26]   In my opinion the poet is trying to draw a comparison between transvestites and gay people, as both are hiding their true personality and sexuality for the benefit and content of others. Drag queens dress and act as women, for the purpose of entertaining or performing. Homosexual people, on the other hand, need to sometimes hide their preferences from other in fear of public condemnation. In the beginning of the 21st century, violence against homosexual population was increasing, even the only wrong they have done is just have the courage to show difference from the majority  [27]  . Fortunately during the last couple of years, the situation has improved, as for example in many countries and in some states in Unites States, same-sex marriages are allowed and recognized by the government. Very closely connected with this topic, is gender expectations which is another theme in Agbabis poems. Centuries ago, it was crucial for a family to have a son, for the very obvious reason that a son is stronger and was more helpful around the house. Not only are there expectations about the gender of the child before it is born, but also after. Parents assume their children to grow up and follow the manner of behaviour that is acceptable by the society. For a heterosexual couple, who have certain expectations for their child, depending on the kids sex, it is probably quite disturbing to accept if the child turns out to be homosexual for example. The poem The Earth Mother  [28]  , is set in a fairytale time of Once upon a time, where an old woman craves for a son and is initially disappointed, when the child she had already named Boy turned out to be a girl. Old Woman named it Boy and dreamt earth, wind and fire, better times And here the tale would end if little girls could truly tame the dark and little boys were really boys, not girls. Old Woman woke and saw her baby Boy was girl and being wise, gave praise and raised this girl-child .  [29]   The poem is a fascinating approach to the subject, as the Old Woman represents most parents who wish their child to grow up a certain way they have imagined. It is also educational, as in the poem even though preliminary shocked to find out that things had not gone as planned, the Old Woman still raised the child without any complaints or regrets. In my opinion, Agbabi is trying to convince the reader that even when a child does not grow up according to certain gender expectations, it is no excuse to repel person s own flesh and blood. A more terrifying theme of sexuality in Agbabis poems is child sexual abuse, which she writes about in the poem Samantha  [30]  , where the character is a young 14 year old girl, who was raped by her step-father and consequently became a prostitute. Sexual abuse between adults and children, and moreover between siblings, is unfortunately not a passing issue in todays society. In 1994, 46% of all rape cases reported, were victims of their family members.  [31]   Pervs. Like my stepdad. I was still a child when he did it. Told her I was sleeping with boys but she walked in on us that lunchtime, and called me a whore. Jealous bitch. I left that weekend. Fourteen, and still scared of the dark.  [32]   One of the most disturbing facts about child sexual abuse is that in some occasions, the parents of the children dont believe when their child tells them about the rape or accuse the child of being seductive and asking for being raped. In those cases, the parent is usually more concerned about the relationship with the abuser than the well-being of their child. Therefore it is no surprise, that after such ordeal, these children end up running away from home and when reaching adulthood suffer from low self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, difficulties with having a healthy relationships, depression, substance abuse and so on.  [33]  The frankness of the main character in the poem, shows the reader the outcome of sexual abuse without any buffers, in its purest form which has proven to be the most efficient way to get people acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and do something about one of the most horrific problems women have to go through in their lives. Conclusion Patience Agbabi is a true-hearted feminist, who in her poem collection Seven Sisters writes about some of the most common social issues women are faced with, without taking sides. In her own words: As a feminist, when I started out as a writer there was a political pressure not to let the side down. Women were seeking equality and you had a duty as a writer to show women in the best possible light. But by this second book, I let art rather than politics lead the way.  [34]  Even though there were many bigger and smaller issues discussed in the poems, the themes that prevailed and seemed to be most close to heart for the poet, were teenage pregnancy and prostitution, adolescences and fairytale stereotypes and lastly sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations. The way of portraying issues that are exceedingly talked about, making them sound innovative and interesting, and in addition finding something new to teach in all of the situations is what makes the poems beautiful and absolutely worth reading. Patience Agbabi draws the reader in with writing in first person narrative and therefore lets the reader to identify with these women and the difficulties they face. Teenage pregnancy and prostitution are often discussed from the viewpoint of the general media but what a regular person does not hear often about is the other side of the story, the truth about the situation. As the poet mentioned herself, she is not trying to idealize these women or justify their behaviour and morals, but rather give the reader a change to make up their own decision about the characters. This applies to all of the themes and characters discussed in Seven Sisters. As a whole the collection serves as a quick study book for anyone interested in women their problems, their views on society and how the society views them and most importantly it allows the reader to analyse the information without any outside influence, thus coming to a conclusion that has its bases on the persons own views rather than the views of someone else. Sources Patience Agbabi Transformatrix Edinburgh: Payback Press. 2000. Marilyn Hegarty Victory Girls, Khaki-Wackies and Patriotutes: The regulation of female sexuality during World War II New York: NYU Press. 2007. Claire Sterk Tricking And Tripping, Prostitution In The Era Of AIDS New York: Social Change Press. 2000. Ken Moore Anti-lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Violence in 2000 New York: National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.2001. Kluft Incest-Related Syndromes of Adult Psychopathology Washington: American Psyhiatric Press.1990. Penelope Maza Adoption Trends: 1944-1975 US Childrens Bureau.1984. Emine Saner Youre consenting to being raped for money Guardian.11th December 2007. http://www.eduqna.com/Words-Wordplay/841-1-words-4.html http://www.public.asu.edu/~kleong/adolescents%20barbie.pdf http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewerDocumentID=32315 Seven Sisters Unveiled FORM DICTATING CONTENT I discovered the sestina quite by accident. I was well known for being a Janis Joplin fan, the 60s rock star who lived fast and died young of a heroin overdose. I was particularly mesmerised by her rendition of Ball and Chain, a blues number she performed at the Monteray pop festival in 1967. The friend gave me a copy of a poem called You Cant Rhumboogie in a Ball and Chain (for Janis Joplin). It was written by Alice Fulton, a poet Id never heard of. The poem really captured Janis spirit and I loved it. I also loved the way the words seemed to dance around each other. Of course, what I was responding to subliminally was the form of the poem, the form known as the sestina. So what is a sestina? Like many poetic forms it has musical roots. It was invented by Arnaud Daniel (whom Dante considered the best wordsmith). The form was originally sung by the top class troubadours, those who could master the intricate form. The sestina is still seen as the most difficult form to master in modern How to Write Poetry books. Basically, you have six words which appear in a set order at the end of each line. You have six stanzas of six lines each and a final stanza of three lines. It makes more sense when you see it on the page so heres one I prepared earlier, the first one I wrote: WRITING THE SEQUENCE A poet friend from the US, Samantha Coerbell, reintroduced me to the sestina by giving me the six end words, time, girl, end, child, boy, dark. They immediately suggested to me a poem about the passing of time, adolescence, coming of age with dark undertones. I didnt analyse it too closely. One day I went to the Poetry Library in London with a couple of hours to spare. I decided to write a sestina. It was supposed to be difficult but I believed it couldnt be that hard. I managed to write something I was reasonably pleased with in that two hours. It made sense and it has a story line. I knew it was a first draft that needed more work but it was a pretty good first draft as first drafts go. Like the Alice Fulton poem, I also adhered to 10-syllable lines. Traditional English sestinas are written in iambic pentameter. I enjoyed the writing experience, using the word repetitions as a form of rhyme and thought: WHAT IF 100 people got given the same six end words. Imagine the difference in the poems theyd produce. Yet each poem would have a relationship to the next due the set repetition of the end words. Each poem would perform the same dance to a different tune. I then decided to embark on the Seven Sisters project. I gave myself a year but eventually found myself writing one sestina a month. I wanted sufficient gaps between poems so theyd be very different.

Vikings and the First American Colony Essay -- American America Histor

Vikings and the First American Colony The idea that Columbus did not provide Europeans with their first long term contact with America is now nearly universally accepted. Activists for the Irish monk, St. Brenden, and other early explorers are gaining support with new archaeological evidence. It is the Norsemen, though, that have the distinction of being the first colonizers of the Americas, whether or not chance meetings occurred before. The legacy they left the Americas is striking considering the short amount of time they actually spent here, and historians are baffled by nearly every aspect of their colony. The forces that made them abandon Vineland, their main colony, are the subject of an ongoing debate on both sides of the Atlantic. The nature, location, and inhabitants of the Americas the Vikings knew would all have been obstacles to forming a permanent settlement. The economy, the driving force for colonization, also affected the need for Vineland. The peninsula in the northwest corner of Europe known as Jutland has been inhabited by Scandinavians for centuries. Ptolmey writes about the area and Roman artifacts have been found during excavations of Norway and Sweeden demonstrating considerable contact with southern Europe (Wilson 21-23) Literacy is indicated by the Runes which first appeared at the beginning of the third century. The Runic alphabet has changed and evolved through the years, and claims of inscriprions dot the United States and are largey the basis on knowledge of Viking presence (Wilson 27). During the first century, Europeans embarked on a period of great migration, a time of great wealth and prosperity for the Scandinavians. One cause was the settlement of a new territory on the basis of "an eco... ...ed factual. Other sites in Greenland substantiate the sagas and we can rely on them for information regarding the Viking exploration of America. They do not, unfortunately, tell us the precise location of Vineland, so many aspects of the Viking adventures remain a mystery. For now, historians credit Vikings with the first European discovery of America. The colony was not permanent, but the legacy the Vikings left is seen in many places like Cape Cod where street names like Leif Lane and Viking Way dot the maps. Historians may never know all the details concerning why settlement did not last. For now the evidence points to skirmishes with the natives, the long distance from Greenland, the population shortage and the natural environmental factors. The Vikings were here for an instant and, for various reasons abandoned their settlement, leaving their mark forever.