How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Essay Example

How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Paper Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Relationship between the setting and themes The themes of this story include loneliness, deception, alienation, phoniness, relationships and intimacy. There is a close relationship between the setting and the themes. The themes have been developed from the setting of the story. The persona of this story is called Holden Caulfield. As he narrates this story, he is recovering in a metal clinic. The period set for this story is near Christmas. Holden is a lonely boy because he expresses the way he dislikes his roommate and neighbor. This shows that he does not have many friends in school. The only friend he has is a girl called Jane whom he dates. He is sad because he has been expelled and will leave her behind. He says that this is the fourth school he has failed out. This means that he is a loner who does not even seek academic help, he had rather fail. Salinger (69), his sister tells him, â€Å"You don’t like anything that’s happening†¦.. You don’t like any schools. You don’t like a million th ings. You don’t†. This statement shows withdrawal from the society, hence loneliness. Holden is expelled from school and goes back to New York. He is not concerned about his future. Even when his teachers try to counsel him, he expresses lack of interest. This is an evidence of deception. Phoniness and deception are related because deception is an example of phoniness. He is deceiving himself that nothing is wrong with his life. He even refuses to go home because he does not want to confess the truth to his parents. In the hotel, he lies about his age to the ladies he flirted with. This shows that his lifestyle is accompanied by a lot of lying. Ironically, he criticizes people about deception. He says that adults are full of phoniness moreover; they do not want to accept it. This shows that he does not accept he is also a victim of the same vice. Salinger (1), he says that, â€Å"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like†¦.† This statement clearly shows that Ho lden grew up in an environment, which was unpleasant and full of phoniness. Throughout the story, Holden is viewed to be excluded from the normal living. He is alienated from the society. He alienates himself as a way of protecting himself from other people. He does this because he dislikes socializing with other people. He feels that it is confusing and overwhelming. Therefore, he opts to live in a world of his own, which ends up being harmful. He is unable to address himself to anyone and is unable to understand and solve his problems. As a result, he considers himself normal whereas he is not. Due to this urge of alienating himself, he is seen to go out with Sally but sends her away because he feels he wants to be alone. This could be the main reason why he eventually ends up in a mental clinic. Even as Holden is seen to be lonely and alienated, he seems to love women. He pays Maurice to provide for him a prostitute. When he went to Pencey School, he dated Jane and still tried to contact him afterwards. He feels uneasy when she goes out with anyone else. He refuses to go home and spends time in a hotel with women who are even older. This setting brings the theme of relationship and intimacy. Salinger (76) he says that â€Å"You don’t always have to get too sexy to get to know a girl.† Introduction of intimacy at such an early age shows how immoral the society has become. According to the story, Holden was in a boarding school, which was away from his home town. This is a gesture of rejection from his parents. It seems unfair because the sister goes to a nearby school and lives at home. As for him, he was sent to a boarding school far away from home. The school was in Pennsylvania, whereas he lived in Manhattan, New York. Lack of concern from parents could be the reason of his alienation and lack of interest in education. His indulgence to intimacy at an early age shows lack of guidance from parents or guardians. In chapter nine, he confesses that, â€Å"Sex is something I just don’t understand. I swear to God I don’t.† This confession is an indication of negligence from parents. They should have taught him about such life’s issues. We can conclude that Holden ended up in a mental clinic as a result of his parents’ incompetence in raising him well. Works cited Salinger, Jerome. D. The catcher in the rye. New York, NY: Penguin books. 2010. Print

Free Essays on George Washington As A Military Leader

George Washington was born on his father’s estate in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732. He was the eldest son of a well-to-do Virginia farmer, Augustine Washington, by his second wife, Mary Ball. The Washington family was descended from two brothers, John and Lawrence Washington, who emigrated from England to Virginia in 1657. The family’s rise to modest wealth in three generations was the result of steady application to farming, land buying, and development of local industries. Young George seems to have received most of his schooling from his father and, after the father’s death in 1743, from his elder half-brother Lawrence. The boy had a liking for mathematics, and he applied it to acquiring a knowledge of surveying, which was a skill greatly in demand in a country where people were seeking new lands in the West. For the Virginians of that time the West meant chiefly the upper Ohio River valley. Throughout his life, George Washington maintained a keen interest in the development of these western lands, and from time to time he acquired properties there. George grew up to be a tall, strong young man, who excelled in outdoor pursuits, liked music and theatrical performances, and was a trifle awkward with girls but fond of dancing. His driving force was the ambition to gain wealth and eminence and to do well whatever he set his hand to. George Washington was the first president of the United States and one of the most important leaders in United States history. His role in gaining independence for the American colonies and later in unifying them under the new U.S. federal government cannot be overestimated. Laboring against great difficulties, he created the Continental Army, which fought and won the American Revolution out of what was little more than an armed mob. After an eight-year struggle, his design for victory brought final defeat to the British at Yorktown, Virginia, and force... Free Essays on George Washington As A Military Leader Free Essays on George Washington As A Military Leader George Washington was born on his father’s estate in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732. He was the eldest son of a well-to-do Virginia farmer, Augustine Washington, by his second wife, Mary Ball. The Washington family was descended from two brothers, John and Lawrence Washington, who emigrated from England to Virginia in 1657. The family’s rise to modest wealth in three generations was the result of steady application to farming, land buying, and development of local industries. Young George seems to have received most of his schooling from his father and, after the father’s death in 1743, from his elder half-brother Lawrence. The boy had a liking for mathematics, and he applied it to acquiring a knowledge of surveying, which was a skill greatly in demand in a country where people were seeking new lands in the West. For the Virginians of that time the West meant chiefly the upper Ohio River valley. Throughout his life, George Washington maintained a keen interest in the development of these western lands, and from time to time he acquired properties there. George grew up to be a tall, strong young man, who excelled in outdoor pursuits, liked music and theatrical performances, and was a trifle awkward with girls but fond of dancing. His driving force was the ambition to gain wealth and eminence and to do well whatever he set his hand to. George Washington was the first president of the United States and one of the most important leaders in United States history. His role in gaining independence for the American colonies and later in unifying them under the new U.S. federal government cannot be overestimated. Laboring against great difficulties, he created the Continental Army, which fought and won the American Revolution out of what was little more than an armed mob. After an eight-year struggle, his design for victory brought final defeat to the British at Yorktown, Virginia, and force...

How To Get People To Read Your Blog + Scannable Content

How To Get People To Read Your Blog + Scannable Content Do people  really read  anymore? Its a bit of a conundrum that content marketers and bloggers are facing today: Publish lots of consistent content. Make sure its long-form content. And then there are the trolls who seem to love TL;DR (meaning too long; didnt read) which actually gets searched about 74,000 times every month. So  how do you get people to read your blog, really? Reading something on the web takes 25% longer  than reading it off of the printed page. Do you have 25% more time? I know I don’t. And that’s why I find that I scan content online much more than I do when I’m reading a book or magazine. Maybe I feel like things are going faster when I’m online, or maybe it’s just a habit. Whatever the case, much of the content I consume online starts out from scanning. I’m a scanner. How To Get People To Read Your Blog With Scannable Content via @JulieNeidlingerWho Scans Content? Scanning is not the same as speed reading (if there is such a thing). Rather, it’s more of a triage approach to gathering information. Scanners are people who whiz through a piece of content, grabbing as much information as they can without reading every single word. (And by scanners, I do not mean the rather frightening movie of the same name, because believe me, you don’t want to attract those kinds of scanners.) Scanners aren’t there to read your blog post in depth. At least, not at first. They might dive in and read if your content caught their eye, but for the most part, when someone is in scanning mode, they’re basically on the fast hunt for specific information they need right now. Scanners may not read your post entirely at first, but are hunting for specific information.Scanners might need your content for research for their own  content. They might be searching for new content ideas. Or, they might truly be looking for information, but have a time crunch to work under and are trying to cram as much into their mind as they can before they move onto the next thing on their list. Creating Scannable Content If you break down scanners' behavior, you’ll understand a bit more what they're looking for, and how to create content that fits their needs. 1. Maximum information, least amount of time. Scanners want to get the most amount of information, in context, in the least amount of time. Richly woven metaphors and thick prose need not apply; these are the â€Å"skip-over parts† of excessive description that you can avoid and not miss anything important. Scannable content offers maximum information to be read in the shortest amount of time.Say what needs to be said, now. You may have a point to make, and data from six different sources to back it up. Use all the data, build the proof, but be sure to summarize it in a visually noticeable way (e.g. pullquote, chart) so the scanner doesn’t have to wade through it. 2. Easily understood information. Scanners need a bird’s-eye-view of content to get an understanding of how things fit in. Content needs to be easy to understand in a single sitting in order for scanning to work. Easy-to-understand content is: Visual. Visual content is popular for a reason. Readers don’t have to dig into chunks of text to find numbers and learn whether the author is describing a trend. They can look at a nice bar graph instead. Scanners appreciate visuals that fit the content  and are in proper context instead of arbitrary images that are simply there because people like pictures. Arranged closely. Closely arranged content isn’t content without white space. Rather, it’s related content that isn’t broken up too much. Using lots of graphics or CTAs in the body of your content serve as speed bumps, slowing scanners down. They have to scroll a lot, both up and down, to get a sense of where the copy they are looking at falls into place. Graphics push copy further away from their headings and subheadings, so they quickly lose the context the outline-format heading system provides. Using graphics to get people to slow down is kind of the point for some blogs, because they want to convince you, then convert you, and not see you bounce in and then out with the data. Short.  Author Jeff Goins  makes the point of noting that shorter content is more conducive for scanning than uber long content. Part of this has to do with the ability to maintain an understanding of a piece of content. If it’s extremely long, it tends to have lots of headings and subheadings. This makes it harder to remember as you scan it. (â€Å"What point was this under? What are we talking about again?†)  Ã‚   Paced.  When it comes to the topic of scanning, what I mean by pacing is more about visual arrangement than storytelling. Pacing has to do with white space, headings, pull quotes, bold/italics, and bullet points. Scanning a small paragraph is easier than a long one. Bullet points indicate an important list. Bold or italic text adds emphasis inside a text block. Pull quotes highlight important thoughts. And headings mimic an outline format. Shareable.  Scanners readily share; it’s both curating and bookmarking to them. They might not leave comments that keep conversation going, but they do have a propensity to share on social media even if they haven’t read the full post. Social share buttons and techniques are not wasted on scanners. Weight.  Posts that have a lot of weight are posts that are (usually) long, in-depth, and packed with multi-faceted information. Lighter content is more conducive to speed reading, and possibly more conducive to scanning as well. Content with one key point, hammered home, is  great for scanning.  The denser and more in-depth the content, the less scanning works. If you have a seriously meaty post, you will need to carefully consider how you make it scanner appropriate. Scannable content is visual, arranged closely, short, paced, shareable, and weighty.3. Scannable content favors  the left. There’s a reason the left sidebar is popular in apps and on websites. Your eye follows a predictable pattern (most of the time) when reading. For scanners whose native language is read left to right, 60% of their time  is spent on the left side of the page. Take this into consideration when contemplating centering your headings or CTA. You’d be better off keeping things starting on the left (and vice versa if your language reads from the right). 4. Scannable content rates high on the search engine. Let’s not forget that scanners are scanning before they even get to your site. In a Google eye-tracking study, they found out that people generally stick to the first two or three search results. Scanners rely on Google to serve up the best options. That means you’d better work hard at hitting high in search results if scannable content is what you’re banking on. 5. Best stuff comes first. This is the inverted pyramid approach  that reporters often use in writing. People will scroll, but not forever: 80% of readers time is spent â€Å"above the fold†. That means you should put your best content above the fold. Where that â€Å"fold† hits for people who might be using a laptop or a mobile device is different, but just look at it as front loading your best content, your most important data, or your most amazing graphic. Think of the fold as the first break in the content, such as your first CTA or where you place an advertisement. Get the good stuff before that so they have a reason to even be interested in your CTA as well as read past the fold. 80% of your readers' time is spent above the fold. Cover the best stuff first.6. Looks like someone cared. Let’s not underestimate the value of a first impression. You can follow any number of rules and get everything up against the left and be the first search result and have your copy broken up into usable chunks and still get a scanner to bounce out. Why? Your website is a mess. Simplicity cannot be oversold. Get rid of the distractions, whether it’s too many fonts or colors, or a bunch of craziness with ads and graphics in a sidebar. If you’re using a professional template, chances are you have professional design going for you. But if you aren’t using a template, or need to update your brand look, do consider hiring a professional designer to help you with your logo, color palette, and font pairings. It’s a shame when great content is ignored because it was wrapped in an old circus tent. It’s a shame when great content is ignored because it was wrapped in an old circus tent. Getting Conversions Out Of Scanners OK. So you know what kind of copy scanners are looking for. And you can serve that up to them. But what are you  looking to get out of scanners? Like any visitor to your site, you want conversions. The idea that someone bounces in, grabs a few morsels and the leaves is disheartening. To inspire action, you have to make something sticky, something that slows the scanner down slightly, without shattering their ability to absorb the full post. The standalone CTA. Headlines (and headings) matter, because that’s what scanners are relying on. But here’s a better approach: the copy surrounding your CTA matters. Hugely. Think of your CTA as a standalone piece of content. You have to take into account all of the things we’ve established that scanners rely on. White space, design, color, attractiveness, clarity, easily understood information...do your calls to action do that? Do they get to the point- in clear language and paced design- and leave no doubt what the benefit is and what the reader is to do? The copy and language surrounding the button is a big deal. The logical leading. Your CTA has to make sense not only within the post, but within the headlines and headings. By creating content that is front-loaded and with headings that forgo the clever for the accurate, you funnel that scanner through the post one main point at a time so that when they arrive at your first CTA, it makes sense to them. Your headings should mimic the carefully constructed logic that the full reader is getting so that when both the reader and scanner arrive at the CTA, it isn’t unexpected. For example, this is terrible: How To Train A Cat To Do Tricks And Become Famous Choose a subservient breed. Gain its trust. Download our free copy of the best slow cooker recipes! Purchase treats for bribery. Get an Instagram account. Ridiculous example aside, it’s easy to forget that even if you go into detail about how to use a slow cooker to gain a cat’s trust (I don’t even want to know), your scanner won’t have read that detail and your CTA will be utterly unmotivating because it has the feel of someone who only has one ebook to offer (slow cooker recipes) and is going to push that in every blog post. Your CTA must: Fit the logic of the scannable elements. Fit the search terms that brought the scanner there. The reality of scanners should motivate you to make many different offers, ebooks, or other action items that fit with the broad swath of content you write about. Value the periphery. There’s the big action you want (â€Å"Click here to buy my $500 seminar!†), but there are also the peripheral actions that can pay off in other ways (â€Å"Tweet this quote†). That periphery has value; it’s not just leftovers. Salvage peripheral action and make social sharing easy. Even if the scanner doesn’t make the big conversion you hoped for, you can still get a social share out of it. Should All Content Be Built For Scanners? One last thing: Not everything you create should be built for scanning. It’s OK to make an entree even if everyone seems to be lining up for dessert. There are people who are actually reading and would benefit from content optimized for the hardcore reader. If everything were to cater to people who skim but don’t read, the world would be populated by Clif’s Notes instead of novels. Tragedy, indeed.

Marketing Communications Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Communications Plan - Essay Example Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit that is responsible for the production and marketing of its video games consoles including the Sony PlayStation. The history of the PlayStation began in 1988 when Sony and Nintendo worked together on a product called the Super Disc. However, Sony and Nintendo parted company and the Super Disc was never launched by Nintendo. In 1991, Sony modified the Super Disk as part of its development of the first Sony PlayStation. Sony launched the long awaited PlayStation 3 in the USA in 2006 just two days before the launch of the Wii from Nintendo. These two new consoles proved to be immensely popular and most retail shops sold out of both within days. Soon afterwards both of the consoles appeared for resale in large numbers on the auction website eBay. The asking prices for some of these resale consoles were up to five times the original retail price. Microsoft's Xbox 360 console had a one-year lead in the market and enjoyed buoyant sales as a result. Nintendo's Wii positioned itself away from its main two competitors through the deployment of its ground-breaking motion-sensing controller (Cheng J, Mark Freeman-Aloiau M, Xin Guo, Pullen A. 2007) In 2In 2009, the PlayStation 3, helped by a $100 price cut, has outsold Nintendo's Wii console for the first time. Sales of the PlayStation 3 more than doubled to 491,800, while those of the Wii fell 33% to 462,800 (Satariano, A. 2009). The PlayStation 3 is expected to give a further boost to Sony's earnings in time for Christmas this year when the latest version of the blockbuster role-playing game for the PlayStation, 'Final Fantasy', is launched in December (iStockAnalyst, 2009). 2.0 Marketing Strategy 2.1 Positioning Strategy Sony uses the newest and greatest technology to appeal to their customers. The people who are most interested in staying up-to-date with the newest technology are usually men of the ages 15-30. To reach that market, they make games that are attractive to men of those ages; these games tend to be the shooters and high action games such as Kill Zone and God of War. However, they do make games for younger children; these games have a more adventure based game play such as Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot. Beyond gaming, Sony also hopes to reach movie buffs with their high-definition movie playback thanks to Blu-ray technology. Blu-ray offers the latest advancement in movie entertainment experience. The detail of these movies is so good that you can literally see individual pores on people's faces. As you might expect, this means detail on everything is very high and movie buffs love this. 2.2 Product Strategy The PS3 offers the most advanced visuals and audio of any other game console and most computers. Hardcore gamers want their games to be more visually pleasing, and that is exactly what Sony has given them. They have changed very little about control setup except they have added some motion sensitivity (after they saw Nintendo unveil this feature in the Wii); this means that people who have played PS1 and/or PS2 won't have to learn how to hold and use the controller all over again. Also, there are a lot of classic games available for download via the Playstation Network (for a

PolicyMaking in the EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

PolicyMaking in the EU - Essay Example Were it admitted to the EU, Turkey would be the most populated country and the first to be predominantly Muslim. Though its accession would have little effect on the European Commission, it would dramatically affect the European Council. Despite these many positives, some negatives make many weary about Turkey's inclusion. Agriculture is a major concern of EU policy. As Turkey's inclusion would affect voting power, Turkish concerns could change the common agriculture policy. Also, the European Union allows free movements of citizens among member nations. "A free flow of [Turkish] immigrants could destabilize labor markets around Europe. Though many of the members today feel that the presence of the Turkey would definitely create an impact on the growth of the European Economy, an equal number of the members feel that Turkey cannot be included into the EU as it is not geographically apt to be called 'European'. Its accession talks have since been delayed by a number of domestic and external problems. Several European countries such as Austria have shown their reluctance to allow Turkey into Europe. The issue of Cyprus continues to be a major obstacle to negotiations. European officials have commented on the slowdown in Turkish reforms which, combined with the Cyprus problem, has led the EU's enlargement commissioner to warn of a crash in the negotations with Turkey. Despite these setbacks, Turkey had closed its first phase in negotiations in June 2006. Based on what it views as lukewarm support for its accession to the EU and alleged double standards in its negotiations. France and Austria have indicated they will hold referundums on Turkey's membership), the Turkish public has become increasingly euroskeptic in recent times. Arguments favoring Turkey's membership in the European Union Economy An important in the favor of Turkey's inclusion is the rapid economical growth it has been achieving in the last 4 years. Although the current GNP per capita is still lower than all of the other new EU-countries, the current economic growth rate suggests that in a few years, Turkey will have overtaken Poland and Romania. In addition, Turkey has a young population. That, combined with the size of the country, and its growth rates, constitutes a major dynamism and a good opportunity for the EU. (Barry.M.Rubin, 2003) Relationship with the NATO Atlancist countries outside Turkey have always felt the inclusion of Turkey into the European Union would help counteract France's completely oblivious stand against the US. In countries like France, Netherlands and Germany, this is viewed as a point working against the country. Turkey is a strong regional military power which could give the EU more military capabilities. The Turkish Armed Forces are the second largest standing armed force in NATO after the United States Armed Forces, and they are the strongest in the Muslim world. Many countries in the west believe that the inclusion of the country in the EU would cement its alignment with the west. Many people in Turkey also believe that the Turkish inclusion could actually result in less military influence in the country and more stable Government. It could also improve in sustaining the economy. The Energy resources Turkey has now become the Energy hub of the continent. Direct piping between Russia and Iran carries natural gas to Turkey, which is planned to be distributed to the

Assessments for Early Childhood Programs Essay Example for Free

Assessments for Early Childhood Programs Essay William J. Wilson once said, â€Å"The person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer or the best businessman. These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, or perseverance†. Why do we test students? What is the purpose of assessments? Do these tests and assessments benefit the students? These are questions educators have been asking for years. It is impossible for one to determine a child’s academic abilities based solely on a test. Yet there still needs to be some form of assessments performed in order to evaluate the academic level each student has reached. But how much assessing is too much? How heavily do educators rely on the results of these assessments? The main issues, when it comes to assessing early childhood students, are the consequences of the assessment results and how they affect the child. According to The National Academies of Sciences, there are two key principles that support the success of assessment. The first is that the purpose of an assessment should be a guide for assessment decisions. The purpose for any assessment must be determined and clearly communicated to all stake- holders before the assessment is designed or implemented. Most important, assessment designed for programs should not be used to assess individual children. Because different purposes require different kinds of assessments, the purpose should drive assessment design and implementation decisions† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). The second principle is that any assessment performed should be completed in a â€Å"coherent system of health, educational, and family support services that promote optimal development for all children. Assessment should be an integral part of a coherent system of early childhood care and education that includes a range of services and resources† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These two principles explain the main purpose of why assessing is important and how assessments should be conducted. After having an understanding of the purpose of assessments, why is it so important to begin evaluations at such a young age? What is the purpose of evaluating infants and toddlers? Author Sue Wortham explains evaluating toddlers and infants determine whether the child is developing normally or if they show any signs of delay and need assistance. All in all, the main purpose of assessment is to benefit the child (Wortham, p. 32). The NAEYC believes that during a child’s early years, evaluating and assessing their development should be the primary focus. They want to study how young children grown and learn. All the â€Å"results of assessment are used to inform the planning and implementation of experiences, to communicate with the child’s family, and to evaluate and improve teachers’ and program’s effectiveness† (Wortham, p. 4). Teachers also use assessment results to in order to plan their curriculum accordingly. So exactly do assessments search for? Assessments look not only for what the child is already capable of doing independently but also what they can do with the help of a teacher or another student (Wortham, p. 35). So how are they assessed exactly? There are many different assessments given to children across the U. S. everyday. These may be administered orally or as written works, such as questionnaires, surveys, or tests. These may include: standardized tests, observations, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, interviews, or portfolios. Each of these serve a different purpose in order to give different pieces of information needed to evaluate the child in question. Standardized tests, though many disagree with them, are meant to measure individual characteristics. Observations, on the other hand, are one of the most effective ways to measure students’ characteristics. When children are young, it can be hard at times to determine if there are any developmental delays (Wortham, p. 39). Developmental checklists, or scopes, are mainly used at all levels of education. These checklists are lists of the learning objectives that have been established by the teacher in order to keep track of their learning and development. Items on a checklist are rated with a negative or positive response from the teacher. Rating scales, unlike checklists, provide measurement on a continuum and are used when a collection of criteria is needed to attain specific information. Another form of assessment teachers commonly use is Rubrics. Rubrics were created to â€Å"evaluate authentic and performance assessments† (Wortham, p. 41). Rubrics, like rating scales, have a range of criteria that must be met. However, unlike rating scales, rubrics can be used to not only determine the quality of performance required, but are also used to assign grades. Rubrics make it easy for students to understand what is expected and is makes it easier for teachers to grade assignments. The final types of assessments that are most frequently used are performance and portfolio assessments. These evaluations might be administered through interviews given directly by the teacher in order to understand the child’s thinking and understanding (Wortham, p. 41). Teachers may present these evaluations through directed assignments, activities, or games. The performance results are typically kept in a student or teacher portfolio. These portfolios contain samples of student’s work and are used as a sort of progress report card. Keeping detailed reports of student’s work in the portfolios help teachers keep track of their student’s progress and help determine which areas of learning are lacking attention (Wortham, p. 41). Overall, according to Wortham, these tests, whether administered to an individual child or a group of students, are meant to determine a student’s â€Å"abilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, values, and personality characteristics† (Wortham, p. 9). Now having an understanding of the different types of assessments used to evaluate students and the purpose, let us turn to the negative and positive effects of these evaluations. It is crucial for educators to administer tests and evaluations carefully, because it they are poorly articulated, it can lead to decisions that are unfair or unclear, and they may do harm to programs, teachers, and, most importantly, children (Snow, C. E. Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 341-342). Evaluations and assessments are not meant to punish a child, and therefore, should never be overseen lightly. It is important that the information gathered outweighs any negative effects. Editors of Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How, Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, explain that â€Å"although the same measure may be used for more than one purpose, prior consideration of all potential purposes is essential, as is careful analysis of the actual content of the assessment instrument. Direct examination of the assessment items is important because the title of a measure does not always reflect the content† (Snow, C. E. Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 346). So what are some negative effects? Negative consequences of assessment findings may include program de-funding, closing a center, firing a teacher, mislabeling a child, or a reduction in program resources (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These effects, such as mislabeling a student, can follow students for the rest of their education career. Once a child is entered into a program, it can be difficult at time for teachers to look past that label. Children all develop at different his or her own pace. No one child will develop and learn the same way as another child. They all grow up and develop at different stages. Yet educational theorists have been able to observed and gather enough information to conclude that children, if divided in age groups, do tend to follow a certain development pattern. The problem is, it is hard to determine which children are the outliers in these results without carefully administering proper assessments. Assessments are not used to necessarily judge student or punish them. Their main purpose is to help students, teachers, and parents. So what are some positive effects of assessment and evaluations? Students that benefit from assessments and evaluations are those that are properly observed and tested. Teachers also benefit from the use of assessments because it helps them create an appropriate curriculum for their students. Evaluating children at a young age can have a positive effect if a delay or disability is in fact found, and because it was caught early, the student has a better chance of exceeding their potential in school. Catching developmental delays or disabilities at a young age is the same as finding cancer at an early stage in the sense that the earlier the cancer is found; the chances of survival are greater. Assessment results are used to plan for instruction, evaluate instructional programs, and report student progress. These are all positive results of assessments. Without the results of assessments and test, how can educators determine what to teach their students? Evaluations, if planned and administered properly, can be more beneficial than harmful. Unfortunately, not all teachers evaluate children fairly or appropriately. So it is important for parents to stay involved in their children’s education in the event that the results of an evaluation do not match the potential of their child. Parents should know the norms and abnormalities of their child’s behavior. Therefore, it is always beneficial to the child for parents and teachers to communicate. This way if a child is acting up in class, and the teacher notifies the parent, the parent may confirm any fears right away by simply saying, â€Å"that isn’t like him† or â€Å"he’s just nervous†. Avoiding drastic measures and not jumping to conclusions is the proper way to evaluate a child fairly. What are the predicted long-term benefits to Early Childhood Assessments? Are assessments and student evaluations accurate? Should teachers be required to assess and evaluate students as much as they already do? These are just a few of the questions that plagued educators for years. Too much assessing has placed so much pressure on students and teachers, inevitably taking away a child’s desire to learn for the sake of learning. The purpose of assessments and evaluations is a great concept, but placing too much pressure and emphasis on the test results is tainting the original purpose of learning.

The Racial Contract Essay -- essays research papers

In The Racial Contract, it is argued that contemporary structures of white domination in the United States operate by means of an epistemology of ignorance for white people. White people inadvertently suffer from cognitive dysfunctions such that they cannot understand the racially (and racistly) structured world in which they live and, indeed, helped create. For Mills, while no person of any race is self-transparent, becoming a white person entails a particularly extreme form of self-opacity regarding issues of race that corresponds with a conspicuously bad or offensive misunderstanding of the world. Recently with the invasion of Iraq, the president has proven that white people believe that they are correct when that in any given conflict it must quell the conflict through force rather than understanding of the predicament. It must be astonishing to a lot of white Bush supporters to learn that the horrible conditions in Iraq would only be made worse when a foreign country whose lead er represents Christian ideals (which aren’t the prevailing consensus in Iraq), believes that Iraqis people need another conflicting force in a country ravaged by extreme racism. Because of the racialized moral psychology created by the racial contract, white people are ironically often unable to see race and racism. Although Mills does not make use of psychoanalysis, his work suggests both how and why psychoanalytic theory can be of help to critical race theory’s project of examining race for the purpose of challenging racism and white privilege. While the white cognitive dysfunction described by Mills sometimes operates preconsciously, his concept of the epistemology of ignorance also points to the vast pools of human thought inaccessible to consciousness, and thus unconscious. This refers not to a mere gap or empty space; rather, it is something that is actively, dynamically produced, and which stubbornly maintains its existence. This means that as unconscious entity, racism’s effectiveness is found in its ability to perpetuate itself as something invisible and unknowable. Most race theories that omit the unconscious operations of race and ra cism touches on only the tip of the iceberg that is white privilege. This is not to say that white privilege is only psychical. But the importance of the economic, political, geographical, and other aspects of white privilege should not le... ...stood, yet it was made illegal to possess. The fear of white Americans losing their jobs was a major contributing factor and unconsciously, people of Hispanic descent had become the perfect â€Å"scapegoat† for the irrational paranoia that existed during the time period. It is not a coincidence that the majority of people in the correctional system are black, but there is the hope that through the knowledge and respect of one another those grievous acts that divide people into skin color, race, ethnicity, and religion can find a common ground. Common ground as in laws that everyone can agree on, not just what the majority decrees as being justice. There isn’t any government that can achieve this because of the seemingly infinite amount of strife in the world which causes people to become refugees and flee to strange countries. The only way that I can perceive the extinction of unconscious racism is the development of science which can prevent hardships. A common enemy has historically been known to bring people together, whether that enemy is a shortage of food or lack of resources, the most basic needs of freedom and liberty bind all men together with a goal in a positive direction.

The leaves IGCSE

Readers will note how Lord Newsworthy relies on his butler to put his hat on and to take the cap off his new lessee. Much of the story humor derives from the dialogue, with even the butler given choice lines. By contrast, the head-gardener Is given a comic Scottish accent (she's paying' me TWA upon' a week'). Students should be encouraged to note dialogue and descriptions they find particularly funny, and explain why. The comic figure of Lord Newsworthy is central to the story.Students should consider the way in which he responds to his son's courtship and eventual marriage to Aggie Donaldson, and what it reveals about snobbery and class. They might examine, too, how Woodlouse portrays Lord Newsworthy comic concern for the well-being of his prize pumpkin and also consider why the latter makes its first appearance about a third of the way through the story. Humor In The Story He gives orders as an Earl but nobody really listens to him. We see this when Freddie acts confused about the girl he was seen kissing, â€Å"Girl?He quavered. Girl, governor? † this brings in the humor as we are shown that the poor Newsworthy is not taken seriously. He keeps asking about the girl but Freddie keeps going around in circles, taking his time to answer Newsworthy. Though, even after Freddie has explained he still asks who the girl is. The bathos was shown in † , †¦ No Earl of Newsworthy had ever won a first prize for pumpkins†¦ † The story was built up with a mysterious picture only to find out that the picture was Just an â€Å"ordinary' pumpkin.The anta climax creates a sort of humor because we're all waiting to hear about the mysterious picture and then we find that Its nothing big Just a pumpkin completion. Lord Newsworthy Characterization Lord Newsworthy Character Is created In many different ways through hat he says, his thoughts, his actions, his appearance and what others think of him. Lord Newsworthy longs to the landed gentry and speaks i n a very posh, British dialect. By using manner of speaking was used in early twentieth century Britain. When Newsworthy is speaking, he uses many exclamation marks.When he is speaking to Freddie, he jumps to the conclusion that the pumpkin had been harmed. â€Å"Frederick! Speak! Tell me! † shows that Newsworthy panics very easily and gets distressed when there is no need by assuming things. We learn a lot about Newsworthy from his inner thoughts too. Elements Of Humor In his story â€Å"The Custody of the Pumpkin,† P. G. Woodlouse creates humor in a variety of ways. The story describes (among other things) Lord Newsworthy frustration that his inner-do-well son, Frederick, has been flirting with the daughter of the estate's gardener.Early in the story, the following passage, which is typical of the story's humor, appears: â€Å"Frederick! † bellowed his lordship. The villain of the piece halted abruptly. Sunk in a roseate trance, he had not observed his father. But such was the sunniest of his mood that even this encounter could not damp him. He gambled happily up. â€Å"Hullo, governor,† said Freddie. He searched in his mind for a pleasant topic of conversation, always a tater of some little difficulty on these occasions. â€Å"Lovely day, what? † His lordship was not to be diverted into a discussion of the weather.He drew a step nearer, looking like the man who smothered the young princes in the Tower. The humor of this passage depends on a number of factors, including the following: Use of the very forceful verb â€Å"bellowed,† especially when that verb is followed by the words â€Å"his lordship. † We don't usually think of dignified English aristocrats as bellowing, and so this combination of words is funny partly because of the comic incongruity of the verb and the noun. The phrase would be far less amusing if it had been written â€Å"bellowed Newsworthy† or even â€Å"bellowed the lord. The wor ds â€Å"his lordship† are especially cultivated and thus seem out of place when following â€Å"bellowed. † The description of Frederic as the Milan of the piece† is also amusing. Frederick is not evil or dangerous or malign. Thus Woodlouse uses comic exaggeration here and elsewhere. There is a comic contrast between the angry Newsworthy and the love-smitten Freddie, who is still â€Å"[slunk in a roseate trance. † As the phrase Just quoted illustrates, the humor of the story dependence in part on mimic overstatement.It would not be nearly so amusing if Woodlouse had written that Freddie was â€Å"still thinking of his beloved. † The phrase â€Å"roseate trance† is a splendid example of ostentatious hyperbole. Use of comic verbs, as in â€Å"gambled,† which implies a light-heartiness totally in contrast to the mood of Lord Newsworthy. Use of comic slang, as when the son of an English aristocrat speaks to his father as if he were a coc kney (â€Å"Hullo, governor†). Such speech, designed to diminish his father's anger, is only likely to increase it, thus providing an example of comic irony.Finally, nee more aspect of the humor of this passage deserves attention: the use of a comic simile, when Newsworthy is described as looking â€Å"like the man who smothered the young princes in the Tower. † This phrase is humorous for several reasons: it is exaggerated; it is vivid; it catches us by surprise; and it is highly inventive. (Imagine anger. â€Å") Woodlouse, then, uses a variety of standard techniques for achieving humor, most of which depend, in one way or another, on incongruity. The contrast between â€Å"Frederick† and â€Å"Freddie† is Just one of many examples of the incongruous in this passage and in the story as a whole.

Notes – Belonging

English Related Texts Text 1: Text 2: â€Å"My Big Fat Greek Wedding† Text 3: Text 1: What does it convey about belonging? The image conveys the concept of not belonging. It conveys the idea that a sense of not belonging can cause feelings of frustration and confusion. The image also communicates the message that being different physically from what is accepted as the stereotyped norm can influence whether or not one belongs. It conveys the idea that a certain image is valued in our society and that everybody who does not fall into the stereotyped image is or can be socially rejected. Techniques: Salient image: the salient image is the three tall and thin women that appear to be rejecting the lady that is slightly shorter. The fact that the taller women are the dominating aspect of the image reinforces the idea that these types of women are valued with in our society. o Colour: the dominating women are wearing the colour red while the lady that is being rejected is dressed in the colour green. The colour red is represents beauty, power and passion. The fact that the colour red is worn by the dominating women reinforces the idea that these women are valued in our society.The woman that is being socially rejected is wearing the colour green which usually is a symbol of nature. The green implies that she is naturally beautiful. The image however conveys that her natural and inner beauty is rejected and she is looked down upon as her exterior image does not resemble that that is valued and accepted. o Symbolism: the three dominating woman are looking up, with their noses lifted up in the air. This is usually a symbol of superiority. They believe themselves to more significant than the other lady whom they are rejecting.This conveys that they perceive her as worthless, insignificant and inferior. It clearly emphasises the idea they do not accept her. o Text: the written text â€Å"Damn! Should have worn red†¦ † highlights the idea that not belongi ng causes feeling of frustration and confusion. It shows the viewer that she does not comprehend the reason for her rejection as she does not perceive her self as any different. It conveys that she believes that if she had worn red she would have been accepted into the group. Text 2: What does it convey about belonging?This text conveys that one will always feel a sense of belonging to family and culture to some extent regardless of the circumstances because family and culture shape your identity and are always with you were ever you go. It illustrates the idea that family, culture and beliefs all shape ones identity. It also conveys that sometimes, in order for one to belong within a certain group, they must make change to them selves in order to meet the expectations of the other group. Scenes: 1. Opening/ introductory scene 2.Tula meets Ian’s family 3. Ian’s family meets Tula’s family 4. The wedding ceremony. o Scene one: In this scene, we are introduced to T ula, the protagonist of the movie with her father Gus. From the opening line of the movie, it is clear to us that she has not fulfilled the expectations of her family and specifically her father. â€Å"You better get married soon, you look so†¦ old† her father tells her. The atmosphere represents the mood of Tula. It is raining heavily and dark outside, suggesting that she is discontent with her life.The techniques of flash back and voice over allow us to view Tula in her childhood. These collaboratively convey that as a child Tula was not accepted with her peers as she â€Å"[she] knew she was different from the other girls†. Her culture and significant different appearance was a barrier to her belonging with the other girls at school. Tula’s unacceptance had a profound impact on her as we can clearly see that she was envious of the other girls through â€Å"I so badly wanted to be like the popular girls†.The quotes â€Å"way past my expiration dat e† and â€Å"I have no life† emphasise the idea that Tula is not content with her life and suggest that she has no aspirations for the future. o Scene two: In this scene Tula is introduced to her boyfriend’s parents. Her boyfriend Ian is a non Greek that her family disproves of. Previous to this Ian showed Tula that he accepts her despite their cultural differences through â€Å"what’s there to work out? We’re not from different species†.This conveys that he perceives them as equal and does not discriminate against her due to her culture and family. In the scene where Tula meets Ian’s family we see the cultural difference is a major barrier to belonging. The awkwardness in this scene and the silence from both parties indicates that their cultural differences restrict them as it causes a lack of communication and understanding. They are unable to empathise with each other. The lighting is dim which further highlights the awkwardness and Tula’s discomfort. Scene three: in this scene, the difference between the two families is clearly illustrated. The close up of Ian’s parents when they first arrive at Tula’s house clearly conveys their shock, confusion and disturbance. This is due to the clash in their lifestyle and also because they were expecting a â€Å"quiet dinner [to] meet [her] parents† and instead find the whole family roasting meat on a spit in the front yard. The silence from Ian’s parents when Gus introduces his â€Å"family† conveys that they are speechless and further emphasises their shock.Repetitive close-ups of Ian’s family furthermore convey their shock and inability to comprehend some of the Greeks’ actions. At the end of this scene, we see Gus Portokalos’ perception of Ian’s family and his belief that it will not work between him and his daughter due to the clash in lifestyle as his parents they â€Å"look at [them] like [thei r] from the zoo† despite their kind actions towards them. o Scene four: It is during the wedding ceremony that the Miller family and Portokalos family finally accept each other.During this scene we see that Ian’s family are finally enjoying them selves as they no longer have a confused and surprised expression on their face. They have finally reached an understanding and came to the ultimate realisation that despite their cultural differences they are still the same and that Ian and Tula should be together. It is in this scene that we see that everyone belongs as they have bonded due to the love of Ian and Toula. The mid shot of Ian’s mother after Gus’ speech allows us to see her expression and reaction to the speech.We see that she has found humour in his speech and agrees that despite their differences they are still the same. Ian’s father tells Toula that it â€Å"is just a really nice wedding† which contrasts with his reaction to when he first saw the reception. The voice over of Toula at the end of this scene â€Å"my family is big and loud. but they’re my family†¦ and where ever I go, what ever I go they will always be there† conveys that she herself has finally come to accept her family, culture and traditions and she finally feels a sense of belonging towards them.Text 3: What does it convey about belonging? This image conveys the struggle for some to belong. It conveys that sometimes difference can cause unacceptance into some groups which ultimately leads to not belonging. Techniques: o Symbolism: The yellow duckling is the outsider. It is different to the others and thus does not belong. It is literally looking up at the other duckling suggesting that it figuratively looks up to them, envies them and admires them. It shows us they the little yellow duckling is struggling to fit in. Irony: the fact that the yellow ducking is not fitting in with the black duckling is ironic because it is usua lly the yellow ducklings that are the dominant group and the black one is classified as the â€Å"ugly duckling†. This reinforces the idea that being different will cause not belonging with another group. o Colour: The colour green on the other end of the ledge that that the black ducklings are walking on symbolises another side where it is better as the saying goes â€Å"the grass is greener on the other side†. On the other hand, the yellow duckling is stuck on the grey side and is struggling to move up.This conveys that while the dominant group will progress and move forward with their lives the yellow duckling will continuously struggle and be stuck. This conveys that not belonging can affect an individual in a negative way. o Symbolism: the dominant group is above the rejected duckling which symbolises that they are superior and more significant while she is below them. The fact that she is below them conveys inferiority further reinforces the idea that not belongi ng can have negative effects on an individual.

Biography of Mok

Biography of Mok Free Online Research Papers He was the archetype of a successful entrepreneur who earned his money through hardship and persistence. It took just one terrible mistake, a serious misplace confidence in a friend, to wipe out the fortunate which took him years to amass. The life of this man, Jason Mok who is my dad’s friend, has change dramatically because he was unable to control the consequences of his fatal mistake. Born in a village in China to parents who were farmers, Mok had a difficult childhood. They were so poor that they couldn’t afford to send him to school. Illiterate and unskilled, Mok eked out a living as a labour, toiling long hours everyday. After scrimping and saving for years, Mok and his brother started a company selling construction materials to developers. Lady Luck smiled on him and his business boomed. With the money he earned and the knowledge he gain from property development, Mok invested in real estate. As it turned out, he has the Midas touch. From being among the poorest of the poor in his hometown, Mok became the richest man around, living a luxurious lifestyle. His was the perfect life- or so it seemed. One day, Mok’s longtime friend who was also a successful entrepreneur ask Mok to be the guarantor for his loan. Without any hesitation, Mok signed on the dotted line. This was the start of his woes. His friend turned out to be irresponsible and reckless. Having lost all his money on the wrong investment, his friend took off, leaving Mok to pay off his massive debts. As if he was under a curse, Mok also ran into deep trouble with his own business at the same time and lost millions. As a result, the bank seized all of his possessions and Mok became a bankrupt overnight. Left with a few thousand dollars he had hidden, Mok fled to Canada to join his family. Despondent and unable to accept the truth that he was a bankrupt, Mok initially drank himself into stupor everyday. Desperate to regain the wealth he had lost, Mok also started to gamble. He finally reached a point when he realized that he was going nowhere. Today, he is a freelance driver, earning enough to get by. Mok has resigned himself to his fate, knowing that he will never be who he once was. Mok exemplifies someone who is unable to control the direction of his life due to on mistake he made. This is a tragic story of one who rose from rags to riches and back to rags again. His fatal mistake did not just affect him, but also his family. They now live day by day, trying to make the most of their new- and less glamorous- direction of life. Research Papers on Biography of Mok19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayResearch Process Part OneHip-Hop is ArtQuebec and CanadaThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaEffects of Television Violence on Children

Emiliano Zapata and the Plan of Ayala

Emiliano Zapata and the Plan of Ayala The Plan of Ayala (Spanish: Plan de Ayala) was a document written by Mexican Revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata and his supporters in November of 1911, in response to Francisco I. Madero and his Plan of San Luà ­s. The plan is a denunciation of Madero as well as a manifesto of Zapatismo and what it stood for. It calls for land reform and freedom and would become very important to Zapatas movement until his assassination in 1919. Zapata and Madero When Madero called for armed revolution against the Porfirio Dà ­az regime in 1910 after losing crooked elections, Zapata was among the first to answer the call. A community leader from the small southern state of Morelos, Zapata had been infuriated by members of the wealthy class stealing land with impunity under Dà ­az. Zapatas support for Madero was vital: Madero may never have dethroned Dà ­az without him. Still, once Madero took power in early 1911, he forgot about Zapata and ignored calls for land reform. When Zapata once again took up arms, Madero declared him an outlaw and sent an army after him. The Plan of Ayala Zapata was enraged by Maderos betrayal and fought against him with both the pen and the sword. The Plan of Ayala was designed to make Zapatas philosophy clear and draw support from other peasant groups. It had the desired effect as disenfranchised peons from southern Mexico flocked to join Zapatas army and movement. It did not have much effect on Madero, however, who had already declared Zapata to be an outlaw. Provisions of the Plan The Plan itself is a short document, containing only 15 main points, most of which are quite tersely worded. It denounces Madero as an ineffective President and a liar and accuses him (correctly) of trying to perpetuate some of the ugly agrarian practices of the Dà ­az administration. The plan calls for Maderos removal and names as Chief of the Revolution Pascual Orozco, a rebel leader from the north who had also taken up arms against Madero after once supporting him. Any other military leaders who fought against Dà ­az were to help overthrow Madero or be considered enemies of the Revolution. Land Reform The Plan of Ayala calls for all lands stolen under Dà ­az to be immediately returned. There was considerable land fraud under the old dictator, so a great deal of territory was involved. Large plantations owned by a single person or family would have one-third of their land nationalized to be given to poor farmers. Any who resisted this action would have the other two-thirds confiscated as well. The Plan of Ayala invokes the name of Benito Jurez, one of Mexicos great leaders, and compares the taking of land from the wealthy to Juarez actions when taking it from the church in the 1860s. Revision of the Plan Madero barely lasted long enough for the ink on the Plan of Ayala to dry. He was betrayed and assassinated in 1913 by one of his Generals, Victoriano Huerta. When Orozco joined forces with Huerta, Zapata (who hated Huerta even more than he had despised Madero) was forced to revise the plan, removing Orozcos status as Chief of the Revolution, which would henceforth be Zapata himself. The rest of the Plan of Ayala was not revised. The Plan in the Revolution The Plan of Ayala was important to the Mexican Revolution because Zapata and his supporters came to regard it as a sort of litmus test of who they could trust. Zapata refused to support anyone who would not first agree to the Plan. Zapata was able to implement the plan in his home state of Morelos, but most of the other revolutionary generals were not very interested in land reform and Zapata had trouble building alliances. Importance of the Plan of Ayala At the Convention of Aguascalientes, Zapatas delegates were able to insist on some of the provisions of the Plan being accepted, but the government cobbled together by the convention did not last long enough to implement any of them. Any hope of implementing the Plan of Ayala died with Zapata in a hail of assassins bullets on April 10, 1919. The revolution did restore some lands stolen under Dà ­az, but land reform on the scale imagined by Zapata never happened. The plan became part of his legend, however, and when the EZLN launched an offensive in January of 1994 against the Mexican Government, they did so in part because of the unfinished promises left behind by Zapata, the Plan among them. Land reform has become a rallying cry of the Mexican poor rural class ever since, and the Plan of Ayala is often cited.

Compare and Contrast between Saudi Arabia and USA Essay

Compare and Contrast between Saudi Arabia and USA - Essay Example In the education system, there are similarities and equal differences between America and Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the similarities manifest in freedom to choose institutions of learning, governments spending and provision of education for all including those with special needs. The differences manifest in literacy levels, stages of education, gender roles, role of religion, and attitude towards education. In fact, in both countries, education is a major priority and as such both governments allocates huge resources to the education sector. To this extent, both governments finances general education for both boys and girls, accords financial assistance to needy students and offers free post-secondary education to all. At the same time, both governments provide many learning institutions that are well equipped to allow for specialization and high quality education (Sedgwick, 2008). In addition, students in both countries are at liberty to choose the school or universities where they can join public, private, or home school. Furthermore, both countries create an enabling and competitive environment for the provision of education to students with special needs. ... In fact, in both countries, education is a major priority and as such both governments allocates huge resources to the education sector. To this extent, both governments finances general education for both boys and girls, accords financial assistance to needy students and offers free post-secondary education to all. At the same time, both governments provide many learning institutions that are well equipped to allow for specialization and high quality education (Sedgwick, 2008). In addition, students in both countries are at liberty to choose the school or universities where they can join public, private, or home school. Furthermore, both countries create an enabling and competitive environment for the provision of education to students with special needs. Nevertheless, there are huge disparities in the running of education systems between the two nations. Indeed, the level of attitude towards education varies in that while in America education attendance is mandatory, education atte ndance is a matter of choice in Saudi Arabia. Actually, education is uniform at primary and secondary levels.  In addition, the aspect of religion plays part in Saudi Arabian education system and has no effect in American education system. Actually, education in Saudi Arabia relates with religion where the school curriculum follows sharia law and Qur'an teachings. The issue of gender brings a huge difference between the two education systems. Saudi Arabia practices sex segregation according to sharia law thus offering single-sex schools while America offers multi-sex schools (U.S. Network for Education Information, 2001). Uniquely is the fact that though education is universal for both genders in America giving