Analysis of Cousin Kate by Christina Rossetti Essay -- English Literat

Analysis of Cousin Kate by Christina Rossetti 'Cousin Kate' by Christina Rossetti describes a cottage maiden who was seduced and used by the lord of the estate for which she worked. She was surprised and taken a back by the fact that someone so great and powerful could be slightly interested in her, and so she automatically fell in love with him. It wasn't until after he had slept with her that he left her for her cousin, Kate. The cottage maiden was devastated that he had done that to her. She felt unclean and unwanted. The lord asked for Kate's hand in marriage and she accepted. The cottage maid thought that he married Kate because she was innocent and pure, 'Because you were so good and pure/He bound you with his ring' - the cottage maiden is in complete contrast to her cousin. The only good thing that came out of this was the cottage maiden had a child, 'Yet I've a gift you have not got...' and 'my fair-haired son'. The lord had seduced the cottage maiden and used her like a 'silken knot'. This basically means that the lord used the cottage maiden as a trophy and used her when he wanted to. This is a poem based and written in the 19th century. There are three main characters in the story. Cousin Kate, the cottage maiden and the Lord. The title of this poem is self-explanatory. The poem is based on a character called Cousin Kate. As she is the main character in the poem, the whole poem revolves around her. The poem basically tells us about 19th century life and people's attitudes towards unlawful relationships. The poem tells us about a cottage maiden who had an affair with a Lord. She loses her virginity to him, and then regrets the whole ordeal. In the 19th century, if you were not known as pure ... ... but further on she's not able to contain this calmness anymore and has an outburst of hatred towards the Lord - something that she's been trying to cover. The last stanza of the poem becomes more of revenge than hatred. She feels she's had revenge over the Lord and Kate by having a child - something that they're not likely to get. She sounds very self-satisfied. Christina Rossetti has written a very good portrayal of life in early times. It shows how society rejected woman who had unlawful sex in earlier times; women were judges and disowned by all people who knew them. Society has now changed. Women are no longer judged or even looked down on by anyone. It has become a way of life that in earlier times may have been considered as dirty and unlawful, people's attitudes have changes and it is no longer as big a deal as it was in the early 19th century.

Vergil as the Greatest of all Latin Poets

Vergil is generally acknowledged as the greatest of all Latin poets. He was famous in his own lifetime and was the first poet in the history of Latin literature to be the subject of lectures given by a contemporary teacher. There seemed to be a great deal of interest in him and on his rare appearances in Rome he was pointed out in the streets as if he were a celebrity. However, in his private life he was know to be very shy and preferred the quiet countryside to the pandemonium of Rome. He was born as Publius Vergilius Maro in Andes, a small village, near Mantua (Mantova), Italy on October 15, 70 BC. He had two brothers; Silo, who died in his childhood, and Flaccus, who lived to be a young man. Vergil's father, a potter and cattle farmer, worked hard to provide his son with an Aristocratic education. After he completed his studies in Cremona and Milan, Vergil went to Rome to study law and rhetoric at Epidius' academy. It was in Rome that he met Gaius Maecenas, a Roman statesman and patron of the arts, who saw Vergil's promise of greatness and sponsored his education. In addition he developed a friendship with Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus. While in Rome, he studied alongside many prominent poets including Gaius Cornelius Gallus, Horace, and Lucius Varius Rufus. After leaving Rome, Vergil went to Naples to study under Siro. Here, he studied philosophy and also became a member of a group of Epicurean thinkers outside Naples. This group gathered in Campania, at a retreat known as â€Å"the Garden†, under the leadership of Siro, Vergil's teacher and friend. Originally, Vergil wanted to study law but he gave up after pleading only one court case and devoted himself to philosophy and literature. He spent most of his life in the countryside of Campania, but kept a house on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, which was given to him by his friend and patron Maecenas. He wrote three major works in his lifetime. Early in his career he wrote the Ecologues, a book of 10 pastoral poems. This was followed by the Georgics, a didactic poem on farm life. His last and greatest work was the Aeneid, a mythological epic poem describing the seven-year wanderings of the hero Aeneas. Vergil's first major work was composed between 42 and 37 BC. This was a ten book pastoral poem know as the Eclogues or Bucolic. It was modeled on the Idylls of Theocritus, an Alexandrian poet. Vergil's emphasis is on graceful rhymes and the description of a romantic setting in northern Italy, but he also added many realistic details such as, his father's eviction from his farm due to political seizure. The most famous of The Ecolouges, The fourth celebrates the birth of a child who is destined to usher in a new Golden Age of peace and goodwill. Critics have made definite connections between Vergil's fictional characters and real people. Some have suggested that the divine birth refers to Mark Anthony, or possibly Vergil's friend Octavian, who became Augustus, Rome's first emperor. Still others see this divine birth as a reference to the birth of Christ. His next major work was the Georgics, or Art of Husbandry, which was written from 36 to 29 BC. It is a four-book poem that described the life of a farmer. Its inspiration is said to come from the Greek poet Hesiod's Works and Days. Vergil's position as the leading poet of the age was confirmed with the Georgics publication. The poem deals with planting, caring for orchards and vineyards, stock management, and beekeeping. However, the main emphasis is on the values of Roman life, particularly the work ethic. The poem was designed to be universal in scope with the topics of war, peace, death and resurrection concluding each book. Vergil devoted his last ten years to the composition of the Aeneid. This is his last and, by far, best known work. It was written between the years of 30 to 19 BC in twelve books. Modeled after Homer's epics, the Iliad and the Odessey, the Aeneid is a mythological epic describing the seven-year wanderings of the Roman hero Aeneas, from the fall of Troy to his military victory in Italy. Aeneas, while central to the story, is more symbolic than realistic. His character exists to tell the story of the founding of Rome and to personify the Roman values of duty and responsibility. In the story, Aeneas escaped from Troy carrying his father on his shoulders and leading his young son Ascanius by the hand. He brought together a fleet of Trojans and sailed the eastern Mediterranean Sea to Thrace, Crete, Epirus, and Sicily before being shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. Here Dido, the queen of Carthage, fell in love with Aeneas. The two began to live together as husband and wife and Aeneas intended to make Carthage his home. Jupiter, king of the gods, warned Aeneas that he must leave Dido in order to continue on his destined mission to found Rome. In despair, Dido killed herself when Aeneas departed for Italy. After landing at the mouth of the Tiber River in Italy, Aeneas killed Turnus, the king of the Rutulians, in a war for the hand of Lavinia, who was the princess of Latium. According to Vergil, the Romans were direct descendents of Ascanius, the founder of Alba Longa, the mother city of Rome. The Aeneid is usually considered the first great literary epic, unlike the Iliad, which in essence is a work of oral poetry. The Aeneid was written as a deliberate attempt to glorify Rome at the request of Augustus Ceasar. The historical elements are especially prominent in books five through eight, the central portion of the poem. The Aeneid became a classic in its own day. All of Rome, particularly the royal family, followed the progress of the epic. Vergil would read aloud from rough drafts of the Aeneid to Augustus, his sister, Octavia, and Maecenas. As he refined his work during his later years, the poet led a comfortable life, devoting himself to historical research. In 19 BC, Vergil set out on a trip to Greece and Asia with the intention of revising his masterpiece. In Athens, he met Augustus and unfortunately became very ill during his stay in Greece. Augustus escorted his friend back to Brundisium, Italy, where he died before his epic could be revised to his satisfaction. To prevent the Aeneid from being read in rough form, Vergil left instructions that it be destroyed. Augustus, realizing the value of this work, intervened before this request could be carried out and assigned two of Vergil's poet friends, Varius Rufus and Plotius Tucca, to edit the manuscript for publication. The work was completed near the end of 18 BC. It achieved immediate acceptance throughout the Mediterranean as the definitive Roman epic. On his deathbed, Vergil immortalized himself with a short epitaph, which his friends inscribed above his grave. It ends with this line: â€Å"I sang of pastures, farms and rulers†. This became a touching summary of his three great works.

Chapter 32 Flesh, Blood, and Bone

Harry felt his feet slam into the ground; his injured leg gave way, and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. He raised his head. â€Å"Where are we?† he said. Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around. They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles – perhaps hundreds of miles – for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside. Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry. â€Å"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?† he asked. â€Å"Nope,† said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. â€Å"Is this supposed to be part of the task?† â€Å"I dunno,† said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. â€Å"Wands out, d'you reckon?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him. They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him. He had, yet again, the strange feeling that they were being watched. â€Å"Someone's coming,† he said suddenly. Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Harry couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And – several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time – Harry saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby†¦or was it merely a bundle of robes? Harry lowered his wand slightly and glanced sideways at Cedric. Cedric shot him a quizzical look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure. It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second. Harry and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another. And then, without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain. It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life; his wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open. From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, â€Å"Kill the spare.† A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: â€Å"Avada Kedavra!† A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him; the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes. Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead. For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared into Cedric's face, at his open gray eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows of a deserted house, at his half-open mouth, which looked slightly surprised. And then, before Harry's mind had accepted what he was seeing, before he could feel anything but numb disbelief, he felt himself being pulled to his feet. The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging Harry toward the marble headstone. Harry saw the name upon it flickering in the wandlight before he was forced around and slammed against it. TOM RIDDLE The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. Harry could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled, and the man hit him – hit him with a hand that had a finger missing. And Harry realized who was under the hood. It was Wormtail. â€Å"You!† he gasped. But Wormtail, who had finished conjuring the ropes, did not reply; he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, fumbling over the knots. Once sure that Harry was bound so tightly to the headstone that he couldn't move an inch, Wormtail drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry's mouth; then, without a word, he turned from Harry and hurried away. Harry couldn't make a sound, nor could he see where Wormtail had gone; he couldn't turn his head to see beyond the headstone; he could see only what was right in front of him. Cedric's body was lying some twenty feet away. Some way beyond him, glinting in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup. Harry's wand was on the ground at Cedric's feet. The bundle of robes that Harry had thought was a baby was close by, at the foot of the grave. It seemed to be stirring fretfully. Harry watched it, and his scar seared with pain again†¦and he suddenly knew that he didn't want to see what was in those robes†¦he didn't want that bundle opened†¦. He could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again. It sounded as though he was forcing something heavy across the ground. Then he came back within Harry's range of vision, and Harry saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water – Harry could hear it slopping around – and it was larger than any cauldron Harry had ever used; a great stone belly large enough for a full-grown man to sit in. The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now Wormtail was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand. Suddenly there were crackling names beneath it. The large snake slithered away into the darkness. The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail tending the fire. The movements beneath the robes became more agitated. And Harry heard the high, cold voice again. â€Å"Hurry!† The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds. â€Å"It is ready. Master.† â€Å"Now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said the cold voice. Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a yell that was strangled in the wad of material blocking his mouth. It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind – but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face – no child alive ever had a face like that – flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes. The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud. Let it drown, Harry thought, his scar burning almost past endurance, please†¦let it drown†¦. Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night. â€Å"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!† The surface of the grave at Harry's feet cracked. Horrified, Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue. And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs. â€Å"Flesh – of the servant – w-willingly given – you will – revive – your master.† He stretched his right hand out in front of him – the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward. Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened – he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. Harry couldn't stand to look†¦but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids†¦. Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. Not until Harry felt Wormtail's anguished breath on his face did he realize that Wormtail was right in front of him. â€Å"B-blood of the enemy†¦forcibly taken†¦you will†¦resurrect your foe.† Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly†¦.Squinting down, struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding him, he saw the shining silver dagger shaking in Wormtail's remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. Wormtail, still panting with pain, rumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut, so that a dribble of blood fell into it. He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned, instantly, a blinding white. Wormtail, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing. The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Nothing happened†¦. Let it have drowned. Harry thought, let it have gone wrong†¦ And then, suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Wormtail or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air†¦.It's gone wrong, he thought†¦it's drowned †¦please†¦please let it be dead†¦. But then, through the mist in front of him, he saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron. â€Å"Robe me,† said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them one-handed over his master's head. The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry†¦and Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snakes with slits for nostrils†¦ Lord Voldemort had risen again.

Single Sex Classrooms

Single sex classrooms create opportunities that do not really exist in a coed classroom for students. Teachers can create learning strategies in all girl classrooms, and in all boy classrooms, which do not work as well in coed classrooms. Many public schools are beginning to adopt the single sex classroom ideas and seeing dramatic improvement with grades and test scores. The strongest proof yet, that separating boys and girls works, is the drastic improvement in grades for both sexes. But to simply place girls in a classroom and boys in another classroom is not going to work.Teachers should have special training for practical gender-specific classroom strategies and learn the best practices for these gender-separate classrooms. In the book â€Å"Gender and Education† the authors Barbara Banks, Sara Delamont, and Catherine Marshall specifically state: â€Å"Teacher interactions with students are at the heart of the hidden curriculum and are important means by which informal le ssons about gender are transmitted in schools† (Banks571). Single sex classrooms simply create more opportunities and a better learning environment for our children that coed classrooms do not create.Girls in all girl classrooms and boys in all boy classrooms are more likely to study subjects that they would not necessarily choose if the class was coed. It also expands ideas of educational opportunities and core values for both boys and girls, and the classes generate custom created learning strategies and instructions to better learning. Girls in all girl classrooms and boys in all boy classrooms are more likely to study subjects that they wouldn’t necessarily choose if the class was coeducational, in my opinion. Single sex classrooms bring a broader horizon for our students more so than coeducational classrooms.Kenneth Jost the author of Single Sex Education quotes in his book â€Å"Sex segregation and discrimination persists in high school programs around the countr y, 30 years after Congress passed a law barring such discrimination in education† (Jost1). Single sex education advocates say the solution is quite easy just let boys be boys and girls be girls. Leonard Sax states in his book â€Å"Boys Adrift† that â€Å"the solution is to let boys and girls attend separate classes, so that you can take advantage of the ‘sex differences’ in learning styles†(Sax,174).You breakdown stereotypes by letting the sexes be separate. When you put boys and girls together, it just increases the gender roles. The boys do things that are thought of as typical for boys, and girls do things that are thought of as typical for girls. You do not see many girls wanting to take classes such as welding class, building workshop, weight room, architect design, and sports education. There definitely would not be many boys wanting to take classes such as drama, art, home economics, sewing class, and foreign languages.So if you eliminate the gender bias and the need to impress the opposite sex, you would possibly begin to see boys' willingness to engage in what would be considered â€Å"feminine activities,† such as choir or drama club. Girls’ willingness to engage in â€Å"manly activities†, such as welding and building workshops, and pro-dominantly male sports may increase also. Single sex classrooms expand ideas, educational opportunities, and core values for both sexes. Leonard Sax states in his book â€Å"Boys Adrift†, â€Å"A boy does not naturally become a gentleman-by whom I mean, a man who is courteous, kind, and unselfish.That behavior is not hardwired. It has to be taught† (Sax163). Most boy schools make a point of teaching boys to be gentlemen, to have self-discipline, and how to be a leader. This may be more important to learn than their actual school work. â€Å"Teenage boys without strong leadership can easily become barbarians† (Sax165). Sax was correct when he stated this, and this is exactly what is wrong with our male population today. This is why I feel so strongly about these single sex teaching atmospheres.In coed schools, boys tend to adopt a masculine attitude because girls are there. They feel they have to demonstrate their masculinity by gross macho over-reaction. Boys in single-sex schools become more sensitive men, and they are more polite. All girl schools focus entirely on girls, to improve their learning and self-esteem. It also motivates girls to try and reach goals, that they normally may find unattainable, because it is a â€Å"guy thing†. If there are no guys around, there is nothing to hold them back.Single sex education helps girls overcome the male sexism that still exist in public schools, and girls are at center stage at all girl schools with only girls in the audience. Educational opportunities such as less sex bias in teacher-student interactions. Reducing sex differences in curricula and more successful ro le models for girls. Girls at single sex schools are more likely to take nontraditional classes such as physics and advanced math because they have the opportunity to excel in them.This is mostly related to smaller classes and there being no gender bias. Also, it installs values such as, to work for and achieve excellent grades, create greater self-esteem, good character development, responsibility, and leadership. â€Å"Girls receive less teacher attention than boys, feel less comfortable speaking out in class, and face threats of sexual harassment in school†(Barbara1), as Santa Barbara states in her article. If that is true, why would you not want your child in single sex classrooms, so they could learn without fear or embarrassment?The single sex organizational arrangement spared students the interruptions and distractive aspects that are normally in coeducational classrooms. If these classes are offered, maybe girls would focus more on their studies and grades, instead of their looks and clothing. Not having to worry or be afraid of harassment from boys. Also by separating the classes, the overall population would decrease, giving students smaller learning environments. Other opportunities that come from these classes are lessons that students relate to and want to learn.No girl wants to read a science fiction book, and no boy wants to read a love story. This causes teachers to have a tough time finding lessons to teach the class that both genders can relate to. But with single gender classes the teachers’ lesson can be more suitable for each gender. This makes learning experience more interesting and fun. Giving students more educational opportunities. Single Sex classrooms generate custom created learning strategies and instructions to better student learning. Teachers have to customize what they do, to the needs and abilities of each individual student.In single-sex schools, teachers are free to choose materials that fit the interests of t heir students. In coed schools, the females are often held back or held down to the abilities and interests of the males. Teachers should have special training for practical gender-specific classroom strategies and learn the best practices for the gender-separate classroom. Boys perceive the coed school as an institution run largely by women, and run largely according to women's rules: (examples: â€Å" sit still†, â€Å"don't make too much noise†, â€Å"don't be disruptive†, etc. ).They see that the majority of the top students are girls, and the â€Å"teacher's pet† is either a female or a geek. So, many boys may devalue academic excellence. If you're a male at a coed school, being an â€Å"A† student does not raise your status with other guys. At many coed schools, being an â€Å"A† student may actually lower your status with other boys. Girls and boys that attend same sex schools tend to have higher test scores and high grades in general , rather than their counterparts that go to coeducational schools. Boys' and girls' brains develop differently.These differences are especially significant for learning in the early years. Then, as they get older, girls and boys distract each other from academics because of normal social and sexual development. The needs of each sex are completely opposite therefor the emphasis of a school for boys should not be required to be the same as a school for girls. These classes and schools also benefit kids with learning disabilities. It gives them more time with a teacher and less distractions. Also, teachers are able to create lesson plans that help focus their attention on what they need to be learning.Statistics show that girls excel in reading and writing while boys excel more so in science and math. With single gender classrooms boys could excel in English because teachers could give them topics to write about that interest them. Unlike the topic the teacher would have to pick to go with a coeducational class. Boys could write about gladiators or soldiers, and the teacher not discourage them. But encourage them to become more detailed, even if it is not sweet or nice, because there are no girls in the class to compare it to.The issue to often is boys think writing stories is for girls and geeks. Real boys play games and sports. That is the message which many coed schools today are unintentionally giving to males. Teachers in all-boys schools can send a different message. â€Å"Girls are more likely to be excessively critical in evaluating their own academic performance. Conversely, boys tend to have unrealistically high estimates of their own academic abilities and accomplishments† (Pomerantz396). So with that statement I think teachers who teach single gender classes should focus on promoting girls to believe in themselves.These teachers should help boys to really focus on their academics, rather than let them think unrealistically and challenge them t o do better. Psychologists have found fundamental differences in what motivates females, compared to males. â€Å"Researchers have consistently found that girls are more concerned than boys are with pleasing adults, such as parents and teachers. Most boys, on the other hand, will be less motivated to study, unless the material itself interest them† (Pomerantz, Altermatt, & Saxon, 2002, p. 397). Boys and girls experience different academic difficulties.Therefore, maybe the best thing to do is separate the genders and have teachers who are qualified in teaching single gender classrooms teach them. Single sex classes and schools strive to help improve students’ achievement. Single sex schools are no longer limited to providing an alternative educational route for girls. Today, boys also need this type of school environment, in order to learn effectively and be productive young men. Single sex classes and schools can help bring about greater race and social-class equality. This has become the final frontier in creating true equality of educational opportunity for all. Studies have shown when public schools have tried the single gender classrooms the results are: a decrease in disciplinary problems, higher scores on standardized test, and over all educational achievement. The benefits of single-sex schools are not only just academics. Single-sex education has been shown to expand the students' outlook on life. Allowing freedom to explore one’s own strengths and interests in life. With no fear of gender stereotypes holding them back.

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay

In 1999, The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a study on pedagogical practices of teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in 30 nations, and the role of technology the said practices (â€Å"The Second Information Technology in Education Study: Module 2†, n. d. ). It was found out that as of 1999, 12% of elementary students and 3% of those in intermediate and secondary schools do not have Internet access in their schools (â€Å"Computer Technology in Schools†, 1999). Such number would considerably be large still, if the period when the benefits of the application of computer technology in education was implied, is taken into account. Computer technology for the use of students in schools started out as computer laboratories (Lynch, 2000), which until now, is continuously evolving to becoming a tool for learning. That the integration of computer technology in schools is still on process, suggests that although its advantages have been persistently advocated, there are also powerful sociocultural and developmental forces that oppose its progression. According to Meredyth, et. al. , (1999), the status quo in the mode of instruction slows the efforts to integrate computer technology in secondary schools. At first, the people who were against the implementation of computer technology in schools argue that this would result in the replacement human instructors and making them obsolete (Richmond, n. d). As it becomes clear that the this would not necessarily become so, that is, there would only be an evolution of role from plain instructor to facilitator, the problem with the implementation now centers on the lack of physical resources (Richmond, n. d. ) and the instructors’ lack of training (Lynch, 2000). This implies that the role of computer technology in the education of secondary students per se is not, today, the major consideration in its application and the need for a clear definition of its role is necessary to speed up decisions on whether there is really a necessity for the addition or retention of the number of computer hardware in schools, or should there be in need of compulsory technical training for instructors. According to Richmond (n. d.), there are two major problems in the implementation of computer technology in education: (1) the goals and purposes of implementation are unclear; (2) the implementors do not fully understand the changes necessary for the implementation of technology in education. These problems must be addressed first if success is wanted. Although both are important aspects of the implementation, this paper will focus in defining the goal, purposes or role of computer technology in student achievement at the secondary school level. To understand this critical role, it is very important to know first the basics about some theories of learning and its current application to education technology. The theory of Cognitive Constructivism states that learning happens through the learners’ active efforts to assimilation new information imposed either by the instructor or by self-discovey (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). This means that learners must be able to relate what they learn to their experiences or experience the learning itself to be able to fully understand it. One example of this is driving. In order to learn to drive a vehicle, one must not only know that vehicles are powered by gasoline, controlled using a steering wheel, has a gas pedal to move forward or backward and a break pedal to make it stop. He or she has to experience driving to know and fully understand the significance of each theory he or she is made to know. And this experience is very important if he or she is to make life-or-death decisions once he or she takes the road. Computer technology, when related to learning may be applied in a similar way, by providing a means to simulate reality to give the students a feel of what may or may not happen as a result of their decisions. Such is the function of simulations: to instill in learners goals which are similar to reality and resultant feelings that are similar to what may happen in real life because of the as a result of the decisions imposed by the program. A lot of simulation programs have now been developed for different purposes. Sim City provides the learner-gamer an experience of building a city and a feel of becoming a Mayor. The learner-gamer is subconsciously taught of the importance of planning and how each decision might give a positive effect (here, in the form of increase in the city’s revenue) or negative (in the form of rallies and decrease in the city’s revenue). Business simulations provide learners with vicarious experience of actually owning and handling investments without the need of using or losing real money. Design programs provide the learner-designer with an idea or view of the possible perspectives or outcome of each design in mind and an opportunity to manipulate or change it according to his or her desires even before actual realization of the design. There are also simulations in many different subjects like biology physics and chemistry, which can provide the learner with the opportunity to visualize the theories and manipulate situations and then see the results as would happen if the theories are applied. Simulations have been used for decades by the aviation and military industry and just until recently, the costs of simulations have prevented smaller institutions to avail its benefits (Boehle, n. d. ). Although, still not cheap, mass production, added to the said drastic improvement in learning retention rates (Boehle, n. d. ), simulations provide a very efficient tool for learning. There is a 75-80% boost in learning retention rate for students in simulations (Boehle, n. d. ) Social Constructivism believes that knowledge is socially constructed, that is, retention of information is achieved through group efforts (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † This is learning with others and through others’ input and ideas conjoined with one’s own. This theory emphasizes the importance of other’s opinion usually for the purpose of the improvement of the said work. Applied to computer technology in its role in secondary education, this allows for interaction among many different people, not limited to those in classroom but also stretches to people in different time zones. This allows for assimilation of new and varied ideas from different people from different places who usually have different ideas about different issues, strengthening ones reasoning and improving one’s knowledge about many different areas and at the same time improving one’s social skill. The most usual form of technology which applies the Social Constructivism theory is forums. A lot of forums can be found in the internet, all areas of knowledge with its own: arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. The Theory of Behaviorism believes that knowledge is a â€Å"repertoire of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † According to this theory, learning happens through repetition and reinforcement, usually with the instructor speaking and the learner, listening. This learning theory is opposite of Cognitive Constructivism in that learners gain knowledge passively. This is the most common type of instructional mode used in schools. Still, this instructional mode can also be applied to computer technology. Tutorials in cd’s are now widely available in the market. These products simulate what and how teachers teach in an actual class, explaining concepts with voice recordings combined with moving pictures for visualization. It also comes with practice exercises much like what teachers would give to their students to evaluate the student’s learning. The only difference is that, these products can be used by the student alone, even at home.

History of Middletown, New Jersey Essay

A Starbuck or Panera Bread at nearly every corner, high rise condominiums and modern day architectural structures line the city of Middletown, New Jersey. This is the everyday picture of my hometown located north of the Navesink River in Monmouth County. Yes, I have noticed beautiful state parks, a lighthouse, and signs for tourist, but not being a tourist, I never realized or cared much for why Middletown even attracted tourists. I was looking forward to this research paper, because it gave me an opportunity to actually learn the historical significance of where I lived. I put the proverbial â€Å"tourist hat† on and took to the streets. What I learned amazed and embarrassed me, Middletown was encased in history, landmarks and all I basically new was where to get my latte in the morning. Before seeing the â€Å"sights† that I passed by so many times without pause, I wanted to learn about the history of Middletown itself, the simple facts. The township was settled in l665 by the English who migrated from Long Island, New York and New England. They had to purchase the land from the local Indian tribes and initially established three villages; the Portland Point, Shrewsbury and Middletown. The towns were organized as part of the Monmouth County in l693. Portland Point didn’t progress, but the two remaining villages prospered and were deemed as the â€Å"Two Towns of the Navesink† (Gabrielan, 2003). Middletown’s past included playing a part in the Revolutionary War. A vast number of residents stayed loyal to England and while others fount for their independence. According to Randall Barielan, â€Å"the conflict in New Jersey was a virtual civil war. Enemy participants in the major battle in New Jersey were headed toward Middletown. British forces hid in the Middletown hills during the battles. I never imagined my hometown shared a piece of our nation’s history. It’s a small town of about 60,000 people, on the Navesink River. Unfortunately, we did have thirty-six residents die on September 11th, but with that aside our crime rate is 0. 6 per 1,000 people (epodunk. com, 2007). Until this paper I thought of Middletown as a quaint village with the most impressive feature being that Bruce Springsteen, Geraldo Riviera and Vince Lombardi were born. Since I did pass a few â€Å"old† churches on my way to a Starbucks, I thought I’d esearch the spirituality history of Middletown. There were several different denominations early on with the Baptist Church founded in 1688, the oldest church in New Jersey, with at least one half of the original settlers known to be of this faith. The All Saints Memorial Church in Navesink, founded in l864 and officially becoming a National Historic Landmark in1988. Richard Upjohn, a visionary of this time period, with his English Gothic Revival architect, was chosen to construct the church laying the cornerstone in l863. According to there official website; www. allsaintsnavesink. rg, the church was awarded a â€Å"grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust to develop a long term preservation plan. † The story behind the Episcopal Christ Church, built in l702 is interesting. It was not about England settlers getting together to worship; it was more of a â€Å"missionary venture. † Colonial Governor, Lewis Morris, wrote to the Bishop of London of the people of Middletown: â€Å"There is no such thing as a church or religion among them. They are perhaps, the most ignorant and wicked people in the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Bishop sent two Anglican priests to â€Å"save† Middletown. That was over three hundred years ago and the Christ Church still remains an active congregation (christchurchmiddletown. org). Another area of Middletown I wasn’t aware of, is snuggled away high on a hill and called the Water Witch Club, founded in 1895. A 50 acre â€Å"historic paradise,† added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It is known for its â€Å"exclusive club culture,† and architecture. The Witch Club enticed visits by famous architects such as Frank A. Wright and Yew York are rich and famous. Presently there are forty-four homes at Water Witch Club that amazingly kept its â€Å"old-world charm,† throughout its history. A breathtaking site on top of a hill, which escaped me for so long (Van Develde, 2003). Before I introduce you and myself, to the several other historic landmarks in Middletown, there is one fact I was surprised to unveil. Middletown’s daily newspaper, the Times Herald-Record, often called simply, â€Å"The Record,† was the first cold offset press in the country, published in 1851. Subsequently, in 1956, the Middletown Daily Record, the first U.  S. newspaper to use cold type, printed from a garage, ignited competition for the Record. In l969 the two papers merged into the Sunday Record, but reverted back to the Times Herald-Record in 2007. The form of this newspaper from cold type to a website, in 2008, shows a timeline of innovations (record online. com). Now, back to being a tourist, I set forth to view the historical landmarks my locale had preserved for generations. Marlpit Hall was built in several stages and completed in 1756. It was the home of loyalist Edward Taylor and his family. Taylor was held under house arrest for his political views and lost most of his wealth and influence. In l936, the house was donated to the Monmouth County Historical Association. The Association restored it to become the first house museum in the region. Marlpit has five rooms all furnished to depict its setting from l756 through 1820. It is â€Å"key property† in the National Register of Historic Places in Middletown Village. A â€Å"spin-off† of the Marlpit Hall is the Taylor-Butler House, built in 1853 by descendents of the Marlpit’s Taylor family. Joseph Taylor and his wife, Mary originally called it the Orchard Home. They were particular in furnishing the home with family heirlooms. Mary was the last to live in the house, which remained vacant for ten years after her death in 1930. Henry Ludwig Kramer, a famous architect, bought it for his home and office, restoring its historical venue. George and Alice Butler bought it from Kramer in the l950’s; in turn the Monmouth County Historical Association bought the estate in l999. Actually the Association itself has an historical place in Middletown, too. It was founded in l898 by a group of citizens committed to preserving the history of Monmouth County. They built a three story Georgian building in l931 to house a museum and library (co. monmouth. nj). Middletown has two historic farmhouses; the Murray Farmhouse and the Moses D. Heath Farm. The Murray Farmhouse and barn was built in l770 and remains on its original foundation. Joseph Murray and his mother arrived from Ireland in l767 to Monmouth County where he met and married Rebecca Morris, and had four children. Joseph joined the â€Å"local militia,† when the Revolutionary War began. He acquired the nickname, â€Å"daring, notorious rebel,† because he was â€Å"openly defiant of British rule. † The farm remained in the family until l861, and had several owners until it was purchased in 1973 by the Middletown Township to â€Å"save the land from development. † Today the house is not accessible to the public but there are continuous events and tours throughout the barn and farmland (poricypark. org). The Moses D. Heath Farm provides access to numerous exhibits to illustrate the historical importance of farming in Monmouth County. They include; 19th century farm â€Å"artifacts, Gertrude Neidlinger (1911-1998) Spy House collection, and a working honey bee colony and museum. † The farm promotes the legacy of the Heath family, primarily Bertha C. Heath. Heath’s father, Clinton was a former slave until the Civil War freed him, and he fled to Middletown with his brother Calvin; who later became the first preacher at the Clinton Chapel Zion Church, founded in 1870. After he was settled as a crop farmer he sent for his wife and thirteen children. Bertha being the â€Å"youngest of 6 girls. † Born in the farm homestead on July 22, 1909, she ran two miles for a â€Å"trolley to take her to school,† each morning. Bertha was exceptionally graduating from Middletown Township High School in 1926 she moved to Upper Manhattan, New York City and lived there for forty-four years. During this period she graduated from the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health form New York University, in 1958, and a Master of Science degree from Columbia University. Bertha went beyond what a black women was allowed or able to do, and enjoyed working as a registered nurse until her retirement in 1974. Bertha with the help of her nephew, Walter Spradley and countless volunteers, organized the Heath Center Black History Committee, which still participates in Black History Month celebrations. The property has remained in the Heath Family since the post Civil War years and converted into the center of New Jersey’s African-American agricultural history. Visiting the farm is the ultimate family experience. Along with exhibits already mentioned, there is a children’s educational garden, blacksmith shop, sugar can mill and â€Å"demonstrations on how farming was conducted in the l9th century,† (heahfarm. tripod. com). The last landmark I’ll review is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. Built in l764 it is the oldest lighthouse in the nation and one of the twelve constructed before the Revolutionary War. It is octagonal, and rises eight-five feet above the ground and eighty-eight feet above the water. New York originally financed Sand Hook because the merchants lost a lot of money and crew members from shipwrecks. American and English troops both wanted control of the lighthouse during the war, so New York congressmen gave the order to darkened it to deter British ships. This proved ineffective, the British sent a landing party to relight Sandy Hook. The Americans even tried to destroy the lighthouse with cannons, but did little damage to its structure. The British controlled Sandy Hook throughout the Revolution. â€Å"The original tower of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse still stands. † Another interesting note from the National Park Service is that the lighthouse originally stood five hundred feet from the northern end of Sandy Hook, and now, because of the current of the water, â€Å"the light is five-eighths of a mile from the point. † Ironically the light continues to help mariners, as it has â€Å"faithfully done for the last l96 years,† and was designated a National Landmark on January 29, 1964 (nps. gov). Amazing how much a tourist learns about a place you call home? I had to walk in they’re shoes to notice the national historic landmarks, hidden natural treasures and areas steeped in history, literally in my own backyard. What an indelible past laid behind my everyday sights of the Gothic designed church, the farmhouses, and restored l9th century homes. It is like seeing Middletown for the first time, through the eyes of an interested stranger. My walk to Starbucks takes on a totally different meaning for me now; I take it slower, observe the artistic landscape and take pride in knowing I’m walking down a path through history.

Naming, Taxonomy, Classification of viruses Essay

Naming, Taxonomy, Classification of viruses - Essay Example Other examples of pathogens include the nematodes, fungi and bacteria. In Biology, the term nomenclature is used to refer to the naming the various taxonomic groups as per the international conventions. When it comes to the naming of viruses, there is a special body tasked with this responsibility. It is called the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), (formerly known as the International Committee on the Nomenclature of Viruses) which was established in 1966. It is the committee of the Virology Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies. Unlike the nomenclature of other living organisms, viruses are not named with respect to Carolus Linnaeus’ Latinized binomial system. They are named by use of words of English origin new international taxonomic names this is according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, R. I. B. Francki (1991). Rule No. 10 – rules pertaining the spelling of names with respect to the language used are outlined in Section 6 of Chapter 3 of the proposed viral nomenclature. This is as per the minutes of the meeting held in Moscow in 1966, Rule No. 13 - where agreed upon, the symbols may come after an abbreviation of a Latin name of a given host genus of a particular host, but if need be, a full name instead of the abbreviation may still be used, When it comes to the taxonomy of viruses, which is the classification of viruses into various taxonomic groups, the International Committee n Taxonomy of Viruses came up with a unified taxonomy. The classification system makes use of the below ranked taxons; The current list from the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) indicates that there are three (3) viral orders namely; Caudovirales – these are the tailed double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) phages, Mononegavirales – these are the ones having enveloped globular virons bearing similar single stranded negative ribonucleic acid (ss (-) RNA) genomes and