To what extent do you regard Essay Example for Free

To what extent do you regard Essay At first glance Audens poem the Shield of Achilles appears to be focused on the classical world. The poems classical nature is first indicated by the title- Achilles was of course a famous Greek hero, and throughout the poem there are further classical references, many of which Auden has taken from Book XVIII of Homers Iliad- Marble well-governed cities (l. 3), athletes at their games (l. 46), Hephaestos, hobbled away (l. 61). However, the poem also combines these classical details with the modern world- Proved by statistics (l. 17), Barbed wire enclosed an arbitrary spot (l. 31). Although there is this unusual combination of classical and modern, the poem can be seen as timeless: Column by column in a cloud of dust They marched away enduring a belief Whose logic brought them, somewhere else, to grief. (The Shield of Achilles ll. 21-23) Here the army who are enduring a belief (l. 21) that they are doing good can be as easily applicable to the modern day (i. e. the situation in Iraq) as to classical times. The timeless nature of the poem can be said to be a characteristic feature as it appears in other poems such as Gare du Midi: clutching a little case. He walks out briskly to infect a city Whose terrible future may have just arrived. (Gare Du Midi, ll. 6-8) Here we are led to believe that a man is about to unleash a terrible weapon on a city and although the poem was written in December 1938, its proleptic nature allows the poem to be much more in tune with the worlds present fears1. The timelessness nature of Audens poems can perhaps be explained by his underlining of the cyclical nature of human history. Auden implies in The Shield Of Achilles that although the context of war may change through history, the content doesnt; war is frequently irrational: Where logic brought them, somewhere else, to grief. (The Shield of Achilles, l. 22) Audens use of occasional modern day diction (statistics, l. 17) allows us to realise that he is also referring to modern day situations. Thus Auden is also implying that humans dont ever learn form their mistakes; we continue to go to war. Auden also refers to this cyclical nature in September 1, 1939 Exiled Thucydides knew The habit-forming pain, Mismanagement and grief: We must suffer them all again (September 1, 1939, ll. 23-33) Here Auden is talking of the Athenian philosopher and historian Thucydides who is again underlining that human history will keep repeating because humans do not seem to learn from it: For the present stalk abroad Like the past and its wronged again Whimper and are ignored (A Walk After Dark, ll. 31-33) those who whimper continue to be ignored by those in power and so mistakes continue to be made. Similarly in The Shield Of Achilles, the strong iron-hearted man-slaying Achilles (ll. 65-6) is seen as a great hero in classical times because of his warrior status. However, in todays world the general perception of Achilles would be exceedingly different as violent, warrior-like attitudes to problems are increasingly condemned by todays society; the response to a well-aimed stone (l. 55) shouldnt be to throw a stone back. It is this kind of moral vacancy(l. 54) that leads warriors to wreak destruction upon society. Consequently it was historys mistake to celebrate warriors and Auden is implying that we shouldnt continue to idealise them because they are bearers of havoc and do not live long (l. 67), and equally dont allow others to live long either. The contrast between fantasy and reality is shown in The Shield of Achilles when Thetis, Achilles mother, looks into the shield: But there on the shining metal She saw by his flickering forge-light Quite another scene. (ll. 27-30) Thetis has fantasised about finding a pastoral idyll in the Shield, but what she actually discovers are scenes of horror- a weed-choked field (l. 52). Just as in Moon Landing, an occasional poem written to mark the landing of Apollo 11 in 1969, the moon itself has been idealised as an amazing, perfect place- worth going to see? I can well believe it (Moon Landing, l.21). The moon was very much something that many fantasized about visiting. But when the moon is actually seen on the television all the fantasies are shattered because it is no longer a mysterious, idyllic place- Worth seeing? Mneh! (Moon Landing, l. 22)- it has become besmirched by mans presence. It is clear from Audens poetry that he mistrusts idealistic dreams like those sought by Thetis, for example in Epitaph on a Tyrant, Auden criticises the ideal of perfection: Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after, And when he cried the little children died on the streets. (Epitaph on a Tyrant, ll. 1-6) The poem is referring to a dictator whose ideas of perfection, which cause children to die on the streets, are another mans nightmares, thus perfection should not always be strove for. Although like many of Audens poems The Shield Of Achilles is characteristic in certain features, it is perhaps impossible to outline a characteristic Auden poem. The Shield of Achilles lacks many features that would make it characteristic. For example, poems such as Moon Landing and a Walk After Dark are rife with colloquial (Mneh- Moon Landing, ll. 22) and recherchi (Lacrimae rerum- A Walk After Dark, l. 30) language, whereas The Shield of Achilles has none, instead the language in the poem obeys the poems principle of contrast- it alternates between classical and modern language. Therefore its reasonable to say that there are many re-occurring themes throughout Audens poems, but not that there are entire poems which are characteristic. 1 It is notable that Ist September 1939 appeared on many websites after the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Medicare In The 96 Elections :: essays research papers fc

Medicare in the '96 Elections Among the many differences between President Bill Clinton (Democrat) and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole (Republican), lays a common debate topic, Healthcare. The issue is the fact that funding in Medicare's budget will not last but another four years. Both Republicans and Democrats have ideas on how this budget should be reformed, but the two have not yet come to a median resolution. In the beginning of the Presidential campaign Medicare was a hot topic. It will be shown that as Election Day drew nearer Republicans were forced to attack President Clinton's policy because they had no substantial plan of their own. Prior to 1965, payment for a particular medical service was paid for either directly by the recipient of the care or by the recipient's insurance company. Usually to get full coverage or even coverage with a low premium the rates are outrageous. For this reason many poor, elderly and severely disabled Americans were unable to receive proper medical treatment. Then, in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson proposed one of his Great Society programs, Medicare. Medicare would allow those who were severely disabled, elderly or poor to receive quality medical treatment without worrying about the cost . This government funded program would subsidize the service of physicians, inpatient hospital care and some limited home care. The money would come from that money set aside for Social Security. Medicare, along with its sister program, Medicaid, allow broad access to physician and hospital care to all disabled Social Security recipients, most all elderly and some of the poor. Medicare has two parts, A and B. Part A, which covers all enrollees, covers hospital costs only. Part B, also known as Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI), is an optional plan for which a premium is charged. The SMI plan covers 80 percent of office visits, preventive medicine, surgery and diagnostic specialties (x-rays, etc.). What Medicare does not cover include: hospital stays over 60 days, extended nursing-home care, or the cost of lengthy illnesses. In the cases where Medicare will not cover costs, recipients usually use secondary retirement programs either from pension plans or retirement programs such as AARP (American Association for Retired People). Those who do not have such plans, are forced to drain their assets until they qualify for the sister program Medicaid. Medicaid is a program set up the same as Medicare but primarily for those who fall short of the state-specified income level. Costs covered by Medicaid are close to those covered by Medicare differing only by nursing-home care and treatment in state mental hospitals . In 1965, at the same time the

Home-Schooling

Home education has become a preferred option for a growing number of families nowadays. It is a fact that prior to the introduction of Universal education in the 19th century, home-schooling was the way to go about in teaching children. The type of children being home schooled can generally be divided into two groups, those who have never been enrolled in school and those who were withdrawn by their parents.It is important to note that there are different reasons why parents would choose to home educated their children. Some are for practical reason, like if the mother’s and father’s work requires that the family move from one place or another.Putting the children in a public school under such conditions would only put stress on the kids and the problem of instability of learning and relations. In another perspective, it becomes the choice of parents to not place their kids under an educational institution.It is either the family holds certain religious or moral beliefs , or perhaps a conviction that public schools will not be able to address the needs of their children. Today, we shall focus on the convictions held by home schooling parents that schools imbibes a sense of indoctrination and exists within a system that is flawed in itself.  A lot of arguments have been raised regarding the choice of parents to teach their children at home rather than send them off to school. This paper aims to respond to the negative connotations ascribed to home-schooling, in reference to the article written by a home schooling father named Mark Leeming which served as his rebuttal to the claim that children taught at home by their parents and/or carers miss a lot of benefits from public schools.One of the main reasons a family would chooses to educate their children at home, according to Leeming is in order to teach them of the fundamentals.I believe that when he spoke of this, he was referring to the basic foundations of a child that are not restricted to text book know-how’s. Public schools tend to overlook the significance of the little details a child has to learn in order to make it in the â€Å"real world† as the author would put it.Further, in providing home education, parents are able to render lessons that they deem their children to need, and even equip the latter with certain tools that would be helpful for them to grow up as upright individuals. Another way of looking at this is that a child has certain potentials that may go unnoticed and thus undeveloped in a classroom setting.When a child is edified at home, the parent in the role of the teacher is keen to observe the weaknesses and strengths of his/her student. In such a way that she may be quick to address the aspects of learning his/her child might have difficulty with.In the same sense, a one-on-one ratio of parent to student relations, would allow the earlier mentioned to formulate the appropriate approach that would target the personality and ability of t he student, thus rendering it more effective than a classroom setting where a generalized standard is being administered risking an oversight of the differencesSecondly, Leeming purports that the system of public education indoctrinates the beliefs a structure holds without realizing that instead of the claim that it provides haven for ideas, it is actually dogmatic, and is in fact vulnerable to educating children to be narrow minded individuals.In defense of this claim, we shall see that each class one takes has a certain prescription of what can and cannot be taught. Those who claim that home schooled become isolated and thus intolerant of social diversity are in fact using a boomerang argument.What do I mean by this? Simple, in their insistence of their so-called progressive measures and system of education they are in fact caught up in a single path of thinking.A home schooled child is as much exposed to the views of others; it does not necessarily follow the views of their pare nts. It seems that people lose sense of the fact that there is still the media and the internet. This means, that a child even if he does learn most of the school subjects at home are still exposed to the diversity of opinion out there.In truth, there is a greater chance that a child who learns things at home can be more open than the next kid enrolled in the public school. In such a way that she is not taught to dismissed a view of the world immediately, unlike in the classroom wherein she is told of what is acceptable from the unreasonable.We could see that a child at home learning through her parents and the internet, plus of course the media, with be trained in self-critical thinking. She or he would grow up informed and knowing things as she deems fit to know, not as told by other people also automatons to the system.What exist in schools are left-to-center views, and refusal to ascribe to such thinking is deemed as being intolerant. The truth is, political correctness is being used too much even at the point of not revealing what’s real for the sake of being politically correct.Classrooms share a view of social issues in such a way as to teach children tolerance, when in fact there comes a point that they would have to take sides.Home schooling is not cheap; in fact parents have to carry the burden of buying the textbooks, exercise manuals, and other instructional materials. They do so in order to provide their children with everything they need so as not to be left behind by their peers.It is not the case that if children are home schooled they would be aloft, isolated, and low self-esteemed individuals. Actually, for Leeming, this is one of the reasons they decided not to bring their child to school.The peer pressure as well as the lack of attention to the learning style appropriate for a child may lead to low self-esteem. In my opinion also, children who are home schooled are not that different from other kids. They are still exposed to the var ious sides of societies. They can still develop connections with others; have friends, even outside of school.Some may argue that home education is incomplete and lacks certain interactions needed to raise a well-rounded adult. However, we must first ask what makes an upright citizen? If we would take a look, the exposures to societal adherence and acceptance in the schools today aren’t exactly what you’d call positive.There are instances wherein values are instilled only within the four corners of the class, (and this I must note, are linear values wherein no other perspective is offered as an alternative), outside we see these so-called values being set aside, i.e. playground politics.In a home-schooling setting, a lot of methods can be employed in order to guarantee that a child who receive the type of learning most likely to help him or her to become a morally upright, well-learned individual.Things that may be taken for granted in an educational institution like, as Leeming placed it, recycling, is a practice that ought to be inculcated but instead schools tend to preach and forget.If we would really want to look at the objective grounds, then perhaps we ought to refer to statistics, where it states that home-schooled children tend to attain higher scores than mainstream schooled kids.â€Å"The main advantage of home education is one-to-one teaching, which allows parents to adapt to their children’s individual learning needs. Children of all ages are educated at home, some going on to take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) or other examinations. In general, academic achievement compares favorably with school.†(Encarta, 2005)As we have seen there is no good reason to believe that home schooling is a less propitious alternative to public schools. In fact if taken under the light, it seems that home education offers a type of learning wherein holistic development is more possibly attained.Reference:___, Home Educat ion, In Encarta Encyclopedia, premium ed. 2005, Redmond: Microsoft Corporation, 2004Mark Leeming, Article: Home-Schooling has Advantages, Shannonville, June 21, 2007

How Can Assistive Technology Benefit Preschool Special...

How Can Assistive Technology Benefit Preschool Special Education Students? The inclusion of special needs children with typically developing peers has become a key service option in preschool special education classrooms (Odom, 2000). Benefits abound, yet inclusion does not present without challenges. Young children with disabilities find it complicated to interact with objects and peers due to obstacles that their disabilities present. A child unable to speak too often goes unheard. Students with limited movement are frequently unable to participate in activities with peers. How can young children with disabilities achieve some degree of independence so that they may interact in their environments without reliance on others?†¦show more content†¦Assistive technology is both a device and a service that helps those with disabilities do things more quickly, easily or independently (South Carolina Assistive Technology Program, 2010). AT may involve; no technology, low technology or high technology (Prater, 2007). Some examples of low-tech AT devices beneficial for young children are oversized crayons, slant boards, adapted eating utensils, pillows, picture boards, and switch activated toys. Computers, software, augmentative and alternative communication [AAC] devices, and motorized wheelchairs are considered hi-tech devices. Whether low-tech or high-tech, assistive technology opens doors of possibilities, making it possible for children with disabilities to do more for themselves than ever thought possible (Willis, 2009). The ability to communicate, and express thoughts, desires, and needs with others is essential in our daily lives. But for the child with a communication disorder, being able to express wants, needs, and ideas in the preschool classroom is not a reality. Communication skills for young children are particularly important given that much of what a preschooler learns is through interacting with others (Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers, 2006). Young children need communication supports to make the most of their experiences inShow MoreRelatedPlanning And Implementing Curriculum Accommodation842 Words   |  4 Pagescontent areas Many students with LD experience trouble with reading abilities that are significantly below grade level. Consequently, the high school text book in history and other social studies classes will represent a problem. If students have problems with interpreting what is seen, they may have difficulties with timelines, graphs, maps, charts and other visual display that frequently used to explain information in social studies. 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