A New Life :: Personal Narrative Divorce Family Essays

A New Life After about eight years of my mother’s searching to replace the love once received from my father and my hopes of my parents getting back together, she fell in love with someone new, shattering all my hopes. Assuming this new love wanted to replace my father, I put up an emotional wall. Eventually, this wall crumbled down when I realized that my parents were happier apart than when they were together. Even though my mother and father no longer had a relationship, the one between my mother and me matured drastically. This occurred after I finally accepted that she, too, needed love, a love that her children alone could not give her. After my parents divorced, my mother became lonely. Finally, she decided to start dating. My mother had never really dated before my parents got married, so it seemed rough at first. For the first time, my mother relied on me for approval. I took on the parental role and, therefore, terminated any unapproved relationships, since her date could end up as my new father. I finally decided to introduce her to one of my friend’s fathers of whom I did approve. I had no intention of them getting married. I just wanted her to date someone who would treat her right and I knew he would. As time passed, they began to see more and more of each other and I noticed a drastic change in my mother’s attitude. She began acting like a teenager. She even got that giggle that girls get when they get a crush. I felt positively overjoyed at seeing my mother like this. About two months after they began dating, she came home late one night and said she had a surprise for us. My sister and I continued to play our Nintendo game not thinking anything of the surprise she had mentioned. However, our game of computerized Monopoly came to a sudden end. I could not believe what I was hearing. After only two months of dating, my mother and Mike started talking about marriage. My mind went blank and I could not even get out congratulations. Apparently assuming I disapproved, my mother stormed out of the room, angered and hurt. She avoided me the next day, unsure of what to say to me. The following day after school I remained in my room. My mother brought Mike over to talk with me.

Educational Research Essay

The research study explores the influence of technological developments to student motivation and positive learning outcomes. Educational institutions have started to incorporate the use of technology as an instructional tool to facilitate teaching and learning. One of the most recent additions to instructional tools used for classroom instruction is the employment of mobile technology. These technologies include the use of SMS or Short Message Service, e-mail, online forums and discussion boards. The purpose of the research is to probe deeper on the effects of these technologies to motivational learning, pressure within the learning environment, and the outcomes of performance. The result of the study proved that the use of internet and mobile communications lessens the pressure that students feel within the learning environment. Therefore, motivating the students to learn and feel comfortable during classroom instruction. Moreover, mobile communications opens up other alternatives for students to communicate with their teachers without any hesitations at all. Although the research acknowledged the benefits of employing mobile communication combined with internet tools, it still suggests that further studies be conducted on the topic. Critical Evaluation The research study is yet again one of the many proofs on how technology is becoming an integral part of education and is influential in producing positive learning outcomes. With the addition of mobile communication still it remains to be a motivational factor for students to learn and reflect that they actually have been learning by coming up with high grades during evaluation and assessment. This means that with the employment of mobile communications, students are able to produce desirable learning outcomes. Perhaps one of the things that make technology a motivational tool is because of its widespread use in almost every aspect of life. People, especially the younger generation, regard technology as a trend. Incorporating the technologies that students are familiar of makes it a powerful instructional tool to arouse the interest of the learners. Learning is not limited to the confines of the educational institution because mobile communication allows learning to extend beyond the four walls of the classroom. Moreover, communication is best facilitated, especially with students who are not good oral communicators, through online communication. These observations allow educational institutions to consider the employment of mobile technology to their curriculum and their instructional tools, perhaps, also considering the emergence of globalization.

Human Condition Essay Essay

The human condition is a term which references our complicated existence by highlighting our ongoing ability to adapt and change both our perceptions and values. Through our mental capabilities of both creativity and imagination, humanity is able to achieve a sense of both self-actualisation and liberation, resulting in them acting as the core of our existence where, without them we would become susceptible to the overwhelming flaws of the human condition. Evidencing this are the three texts, ‘Dejection: an Ode’, ‘This Lime Tree Bower my Prison’ and ‘Focus’, which Samuel Coleridge’s â€Å"Dejection: an Ode,† is a poem describing a man’s torment as he attempts to overcome his dispirited state as a result of the loss of a romantic relationship. The poem highlights the importance of creativity within humanity through the persona’s struggle to maintain joyous after the loss of such ability, presenting the fact that without creativity, we would become susceptible to the negative aspects of the world. Beginning the poem using pathetic fallacy, Coleridge relates the persona’s reality to the growing storm, which through describing the â€Å"dull pain† received from his loss, highlights the duality present within our emotions, and hence the idea that we have the ability to experience both love as much as we do despair. The poet again reinforces our vulnerability to reality by using a metaphor to describe how it â€Å"coils around my mind,† presenting the fact that without hope and optimism, reality can hinder our creativity. Describing that he was born with a â€Å"shaping spirit of imagination,† the persona alludes to the idea that humanity maintains the ability to bring about their own happiness, which as a whole, demonstrates to the audience that life can only ever be worth living when we have found our own contentment and joy, as encountered only through our imaginative pursuits. As the poem concludes, the importance of maintaining happiness is reiterated as the persona wishes his lover to rejoice, asking for joy to become the â€Å"eddying of her living soul,† which again expresses the concept of inner contentment, which at times can only be found through creativity, as the core of the human existence. Coleridge’s ‘This Lime Tree Bower My Prison’, is a poem describing a man’s changing views as he contemplates the natural word which he has been prevented from seeing. Coleridge’s poem demonstrates the ability of individuals to modify their morals and values upon receiving a cathartic release from their relationship with nature, as predicated almost entirely on the imagination. Through allowing the persona to visualise the encounters his friends are making with nature along their journey, Coleridge first demonstrates the capabilities of the imagination in allowing us to picture things in certain detail, as shown through â€Å"now my friends emerge,† which in all exemplifies the presence of imagination in our relationship with nature. Furthermore, the description of their journey demonstrates the liberation received from engaging with nature, as shown where they â€Å"wander in gladness,† which relates to the cathartic release obtained from viewing nature that pushes us to reassess our ideas and perceptions. By showing his gradual change in tone, the influence of the persona’s imagination is shown, which when in conjunction with his exclamation of â€Å"yes!† reveals our emotional capabilities if becoming engulfed in our imaginations of nature. Also, by choosing to allow the persona to speak in a melodramatic tone, the poet is able to again explicitly demonstrate his overwhelming feelings from picturing various landscapes, as seen in the alliteration â€Å"silent with swimming sense,† which further reveals nature’s ability to liberate our senses. Similarly, Coleridge’s conclusion to the poem, which involves a reflection of the persona’s realisations as he contemplated the beauty around him, provides a retrospective view of experience and what he â€Å"henceforth shall know,† which ultimately reveals humanity’s capabilities to both adapt and change their morals and values through perceiving new ideas and perceptions. Ari Kruger’s ‘Focus,’ is a 2011 short film depicting the changing perceptions of a young man as he enters and loses a romantic relationship. The film portrays the inevitable presence of flaws within the human existence, while simultaneously recognising the natural beauties that are still present. The concept of being unable to decipher things beyond the obvious is first received by Kruger’s choice to film in black and white, which in conjunction to the man’s struggle to continue to see the positive traits of his partner, highlights humanity’s inability to, at times, see beyond the realm of ‘black and white’ and hence recognise the more ‘colourful’ aspects. The man’s growing blindness over the beauties of his relationship due to an unnamed flaw is successfully conveyed through the use of camera focus to gradually blur the young girl until she is ultimately unrecognisable, which mirrors the consequences of choosing to focus singularly on the imperfections of humanity and overlook the positive attributes. In the shot where the girl looks grumpily along as he uses his computer, the device is seen as a metaphor for the technological advancements or barriers which have hindered his appreciation of all things natural, namely the positive traits of his partner. Parallels with this exist within Coleridge’s ‘This Lime Tree Bower My Prison,’ where the persona is blinded from feeling the beauty of nature by his resentment, describing how it had ‘dimmed mine eyes. ’ The superiority of those who recognise both the beauties and flaws of humanity can be seen through the higher positioning of the girl on the bed as the man sits on the floor, further highlighting the importance for ourselves to similarly do so. Through creating a parallel between the beginning and end of their relationship, Kruger demonstrates that despite the melancholy tones of the last scenes, the man has now achieved liberation by realising his own flaw as the pinnacle of their conflict, which as shown through the repetition of non-diegetic music, allows us to realise the cathartic release we can only achieve from recognising the dichotomised attributes of humanity. Although it is complex, the human condition can be simplified into several key aspects that act as the core of our existence, as outlined in the above texts. It can be seen that through creativity and imagination, humanity is able to reach a sense of self-actualisation which allows them to realise the basic flaws of their existence without overlooking its natural beauty.

Christology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Christology - Essay Example Acts 2:32-32 says, â€Å"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear†. Some other instances where this resurrection is the central theme are Acts 3:13-18; 4:10-12; 5:29-32; 10:37-43, and so on. Similarly, one can find this resurrection as the main theme in the Epistles. To illustrate, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul provides a number of reasons why this resurrection is the basis of Christian faith. When some people in Corinth fail to believe in the resurrection of the dead, Paul explains the various dire consequences in the absence of resurrection. First, the act of preaching Christ will be futile, and hence, even faith in Christ will be useless. If Jesus were not resurrected from the dead, no one would be redeemed from sin as promised. That means all the preachers would be liars and Christians would be come a pitiable lot on the earth. Thus, one can see that it is this resurrection which gave the disciples enough courage and faith in what they preached. Secondly, the late 60s AD witnessed persecution of Christians by the Nero-led Roman government. In 62 AD, both Peter and Paul were executed, and this persecution continued till the early 4th century. In order to make the early Christians face the cruelties boldly, and to sacrifice their own life for this great cause, Jesus’ success over death acted as a catalyst (Vinzent 143). With this spirit, Romans 12:1 says, â€Å"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship†. Moreover, the Old Testament is full of prophesy about the resurrection, and for those who believed in Scriptures, the saviour is the one who would win over death. To illustrate, Hosea 5:15 reads, â€Å"I will go and return to my place, till they

Critical Analysis of a curriculum model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Critical Analysis of a curriculum model - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the Singapore Kindergarten Curriculum. The cultural, political and/ or theoretical constructs that underpin the curriculum, and the issues and debates therein will be investigated. All registered kindergartens in Singapore come under the purview of the Ministry of Education. Kindergartens cater to the needs of children aged between three and six years, with children aged three in nursery classes, and children four to six years of age in kindergarten (K1 and K2) classes. Class size may range from twenty to forty children (Lim, 1998). Preschool and kindergarten prepare the young child for admission to school at the age of seven years. In Singapore, the term ‘preschool’ includes both child care centres and kindergartens, available in both the private and public sectors. Preschool programmes are provided by numerous large organisations such as The People’s Action Party Community Foundation which organises up to 70% of the kindergarten classes for preschoolers, the People’s Association and the National Trade Union Congress (Lim, 1998). The range of settings include religious-based preschools such as those managed by churches, workplace child care centres, private kindergartens such as Montessori kindergarten, government-subsidised kindergartens, commercial organisation- or private-run facilities (Ling-Yin, 2006). Early years’ provision for education and care has been extremely diverse in Singapore until the formulation and implementation of the Ministry of Education’s Nurturing Early Learners: A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in Singapore in 2003. Before introducing the new curriculum, in spite of the centralised management of the various forms of preschool settings by the Ministry of Education, the provision for early childhood remained extremely varied, differing according to the social strata, cultural group, family and parental needs. Because of the

Photosynthesis In Plants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Photosynthesis In Plants - Essay Example Three leaves of the bouquet were covered by aluminum foil ensuring that the foil was blocking light from the leaves. The foil was removed from one leaf every week, photographed and observed for the three-week period.ResultsIn Figure 1, the leaves were green and healthy. Figure 2 shows leaves that had turned to light green and almost white in color. Vascular bundles were clearly visible in addition to the green spots on the leaf. The color at the center of the leaf was lighter than the periphery. Figure 3 shows leaves that are brown and dried out.DiscussionThe findings indicate that light is necessary for photosynthesis. The leaf in Figure 1 was green and healthy despite being covered by the aluminum foil because the energy in the chloroplast could still sustain photosynthesis. The leaf in Figure 2, was turning light green to indicate minimum photosynthesis was taking place. The leaf in Figure 3 had been covered for a longer period of time and the energy needed for photosynthesis was depleted. Moreover, there was no more light energy that could be absorbed for photosynthesis. This experiment shows that a low light intensity leads to a low rate of photosynthesis. This would deduce that an increased light intensity would lead to a high rate of photosynthesis at an optimum level.ConclusionIn summary, photosynthesis is essential for plants. Therefore water, temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide should be made available to ensure the survival of plants.

Archplot in the film Die Hard Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Archplot in the film Die Hard - Movie Review Example These struggles must represent the protagonist's particular desire to achieve his objectives against the antagonistic force. There is a linear time frame which characterises the temporal features of the story. This linear time frame is produced as a result of discrete and causally related events. The final feature of the Archplot is the nature of the story's ending. The ending leaves no room for doubt as to the fate of the characters. The ending, in short, is characterised by a finality which cannot be altered. This essay will argue that, in nearly all respects, the Die Hard screenplay conforms closely to the main features of the Archplot. This screenplay pursues the fundamental features noted by McKee, and a textual analysis of the screenplay will be employed to analyse each of these features of the Archplot, respectively. There is a preliminary question as to whether the main protagonist is active or passive. The protagonist in Die Hard is John McClane, a New York City police officer. The script introduces him as "mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip" (Die Hard: 3). He has a Beretta pistol visible through his open jacket and, in an early attempt to establish the protagonist as an active character, the script contrasts him with a fellow airline passenger when "McClane turns, looks at the Babbit clone next to him. Caught, he tenses, holds his armrests in exaggerated fear" (Die Hard: 3). The Babbit reference is to a famous American literary work which bemoans the passivity and the helplessness of the working man. The physical description of the protagonist, the gun, and the explicit literary reference seek to immediately establish McClane as the anti-Babbit, or the opposite of passive and helpless. McKee establishes various guidelines, or commandments if you will, for creating an active protagonist within the Archplot framework. First, the action must always be within the control of the protagonist. This does not require that the protagonist drive the action forward, indeed the protagonist may be placed in a reactionary role, but that the protagonist is always connected in some way to the plot as it unfolds. Second, the plot must pose challenges and obstacles for the protagonist; in this way, an active protagonist is one whom is presented with barriers to the achievement of certain goals and objectives. Finally, the active protagonist is characterised by an event or a situation which throws his life out of balance or in some other way renders him vulnerable to an antagonistic force. The John McClane character conforms extraordinarily close to McKee's notion of an active protagonist. Die Hard begins and ends with the protagonist. John McClane comes to Los Angeles, becomes embroiled in an adversarial conflict, reigns supreme in the conflict, disposes of the adversary, and then continues to enjoy the original purpose of his visit. As an initial matter, McClane is perfectly tailored for the conflict which he encounters, describing himself as "a New York cop who used to be a New York kid, and I got six months backlog of New York scumbags I'm still trying to put behind bars. I don't just get up