Teaching Poetry Essay Example For Students

Teaching Poetry Essay The development of listening comprehension forms one of the important bases of this recess. The child learns to understand what they hear, speculating about what it could mean. The content of what the children are offered in the new language is of crucial importance in motivating them to work out the meaning of what they hear and read. The same is true for developing speaking skills. Poems give children the opportunity to gain experience with pronunciation and intonation, through play, without anxiety. Recent findings in cognitive psychology demonstrate clearly that the development of foreign-language skills doesnt take place independently of the childs general cognitive development. In this case the teacher can help develop the poetry.. Introduction_ Summary. References 1 7 con Children learn a language Nina development oaf listening corn process. The child learns to UN could mean. The content of wet crucial importance in motivator and read. The same is true fool opportunity to gain experience without anxiety. We will write a custom essay on Teaching Poetry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Recent filling development of foreign-langue general cognitive development childrens general intellectual skills, while at the same and speaking skills, which should precede reading an the key factors that determine the rate and success of main incentive to initiate learning a foreign language reserves and sustain the long and often difficult Lear motivation, even individuals with the best of abilities c goals. Teachers working in state schools are first and f curriculum, but we cannot ignore the fact that this ca our learners. In addition, adolescent learners come WI psychological baggage and interests making the task greatest challenges for teachers. Using authentic liter materials is one way of motivating adolescents yet the novel in a foreign language can be daunting for many mentioned reasons the theme of my course paper is paper consists of questions which at the beginning c hillier in general where I looked at how children lea create the right environment for learning. The rest of research of how poems influence the development of Topicality of the theme is that on one hand poems are language that may help a teacher to involve the studs process, and on the other hand it is still not much pre at schools especially when it comes to more special s object of the course paper is the process of teaching p learners. The subjects of the course paper are the etc exercises that can be used when teaching poetry as a The aim of the course paper is to develop the method earners. The tasks of the course paper are: 1) to give the psychological characteristic to the child basic principles of teaching poetry; 3) to emphasize the importance of using poems to De determine role of poems in developing productive skill course paper is in development of techniques and me 1. The child as a learner. Teaching children can cause many teachers, particular teach adults, a variety of problems and generate a ran beginning the children will be highly motivated and e childrens general intellectual skills, and speaking skills. Which should pre the key factors that determine the rat main incentive to initiate learning a FCC persevere and sustain the long and o motivation, even individuals with the goals. Teachers working in state school curriculum, but we cannot ignore the our learners. In addition, adolescent I psychological baggage and interests r greatest challenges for teachers. Using materials is one way of motivating ad. Evolve in d foreign language can be dad mentioned rea sons the theme of my paper consists of questions which at I children in general where I looked at create the right environment for Lear research of how poems influence the Topicality of the theme is that on one engage that may help a teacher to I process. And on the other hand it is is at schools especially when it comes etc object of the course paper is the prop learners. The subjects of the course p exercises that can be used when teach The aim of the course paper is to dive. Learners. The tasks of the course pap 1) to give the psychological characters 3) to emphasize the importance of us determine role of poems in developing course paper is In development of etc Teaching children can cause many et, teach adults, a variety of problems an beginning the children will be highly language, and the main aim is to maintain this Iroquois and interest so that they develop a area you dont feel they are learning very fast. Most introduced to a second language at an early gag proficient in the target language will be higher. Ay the earlier the better. It is suggested that another language is between 6 and 13 [13, p. 66 to-early teens often catch up very quickly with c age. Also this does not mean that languages ca experience and environment at school and how play a vital role in language acquisition, regard Whatever the age, when children learn a second help to create opportunities in their future. The communicate with others under diverse circus bevel of proficiency, learning a second language generally broadens a childs outlook on life. It al and career opportunities. What stops children f Feeling uncomfortable, distracted or under pre Feeling confused by abstract concepts of gram they cannot easily understand; Activities which long time; Boredom; Being over-corrected . Reading the list above, one may be surprised a traditional educational practices. In fact, arrears classroom teaching may have the effect of prep learn better. One cannot force a child to learn, environment, useful resources, and carefully SST opportunities. Children learn by: Having more opportunities to be exposed to the associations between words, languages, or sent clear, relatable contexts; Using all their senses observing and copying, doing things, watching experimenting, making mistakes and checking t feeling a sense of confidence when they have e particularly when their peers are also speaking child has their own way of learning. It is a coma personality factors, some of which are explained of learners can be successful second language evaluate the methods children are using, and theyre not working. Using what you know AIBO below would suit them best. Dominant Senses Some prefer using pictures and reading (Visual explanations and reading aloud (Auditory learn physical activity to help them learn (Kinesthesia Some children are outgoing and sociable and eel language, and the main aim is to man curiosity and interest so that they De, you dont feel they are learning very f introduced to a second language at al proficient in the target language will say the earlier the better. It is segue another language is between 6 and 1: to-early teens often catch up very quiz age Also this does not mean that Lana experience and environment at choc play a vital role in language acquisitive Whatever the age, when children Lear help to create opportunities in their if communicate with others under diver level of proficiency, learning a second generally broadens a childs outlook c and career opportunities. What stops Feeling uncomfortable, distracted or Feeling confused by abstract concept! Hey cannot easily understand; Active long time: Boredom: Reading the list above, one may be traditional educational practices. In FRR classroom teaching may have the fee learn better One cannot force a child environment, useful resources, and Having more opportunities to be expect associations between words, language Lear, relatable contexts; using all the observing and copying, doing things, experimenting, making mistakes and feeling a sense of confidence when the particularly when th eir peers are also child has their own way of learning. It personality factors, some of which are of learners can be successful second evaluate the methods children are us theyre not working, using what you k below would suit them best, Dominant Some prefer using pictures and read explanations and reading aloud (Audio physical activity to help them learn (K Some children are outgoing and socio because they want to be able to communicate q Orr about mistakes, and are happy being Cree have acquired. Other children are more reflect learn by listening and by observing what is hap They may be cautious about making mistakes b Analytical processes Some children need to have everything clearly that they can understand how things work (Deed patterns that are easy to apply to the world the explanations and often ask Why? a lot. Others they are learning for themselves based on their children like asking questions and having their are more likely to tell you what they understand agree with them . .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .postImageUrl , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:hover , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:visited , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:active { border:0!important; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:active , .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u89c62eca2c8e6b03acd3eede31bad4fe:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Analysis of Defense of poetry EssayRepeating, encouraging, hat is needed to help a child to overcome MIS correcting the child or they might be discourage use: Dont correct, model the correct form of the boy wanted home, you can say, Yes. The boy Encourage children to correct themselves, this learning process. Say Almost right, try again Is but do not give them the answer; Some core over-correct. A page full of crossing out and cord is always being told, Wrong! Do it again! ; Apart let the child develop their ideas and fluency that corrections. The ideas are more important than level of English in mind. Give lots of praise and cant know everything . Top ten classroom teach ing: Plan what you are going to do in advance step b and your pupils know exactly where you are go only way you will be able to control up to 30 chill the first to know if you havent prepared and re your year by being firm and be consistent in you children expect a disciplined, structured class routines. Check with the class teacher what AC and make it clear to the pupils that you expect t names and address them directly; Be mobile and walk round the class; Have a clear signal for stopping activities or who silence and wait for their full attention before y instructions or demonstrations. Make sure child do; Never underestimate childrens abilities or limited English but they still have the same intent child of their age. Keep them interested by pr meaningful activities; Always ensure that child with them at the end of a lesson. Children will feel proud and have a sense of achievement if they leave the classroom being able to ask, for example, a new question in English, say something about themselves, or tell a poem. This means (see the first point above) that your aims will be clear to the children. Avoid activities that over-excite it is often difficult to return to a calm and controlled learning environment after a noisy game. Avoid activities that require a lot of movement as you will find that there is often very little space in a classroom for this type of activity. Also avoid activities that require a lot of cutting and pasting unless there is a clear linguistic outcome, as these can cut into valuable time, apart from creating a great deal of mess; Make positive comments about the childrens work and efforts and let them see that you value their work; Have additional material prepared to cope with faster and slower pupils needs and dont let activities go on too long . 2. Basic principles of teaching poetry. A lot of teachers get the same look the sigh, the rolling eye, the slump. Were going to be doing poetry in the next few classes. The teacher cringes through it, the children cringe through it. There are a few things about poetry and writing though which can inspire and bring a teacher back to believing in their ability to teach it as well as ability to help others love it. To paraphrase Robin Williams in The Dead Poets Society, poetry doesnt need to be complicated to be beautiful. They are: Keep it simple One of the biggest misconceptions is that poetry has to be difficult. This Just is not true! A teacher may have the greatest successes with simple poetic forms like Haiku, Limericks, and even lyrical narrative like Dry. Guess books which have short, simple themes. Haiku is usually about nature. Limericks are humorous and meant to poke fun. Moreover, each one can be used to convey simple ideas, using very simple techniques in writing to produce surprisingly sophisticated work . Discovering the poem For example, there are several rules concerning classical Japanese Haiku: They are three line poems; Have a syllable pattern of 5-7-5 (though this is dictated by the classical Japanese and would not necessarily be enforced in English as syllables can be shortened! ; Are usually about nature; Take place in the present (use phrases like this tree, these blossoms); Are intensely personal (seldom use names, but instead use I / you / he / she / our); Take on a remarkable literary device despite their brevity Juxtaposition! . When teaching it the teacher may follow a very time honored approach used in LET known as the guided discovery approach, which basically means helping students figure things out for themse lves without simply presenting it to them. Started with three impel poems each having some visual motif (eagles, icicles, mountains); Get pictures of these, split them into groups, and give each group one picture. Groups may have two minutes to write a three-line poem based on the picture; When finished, poems must be written on the board. Putting them side-by-side with authentic Haiku these pictures are based on, students can start forming a basis for comparison; At that point the teacher is able to activate the students and set their minds to work, saying: These are called Haiku. Look at all three! Tell me what they have in common and therefore) what makes each a Haiku of the poems youve written, which ones resemble Haiku most closely! ; Within minutes, the class as a whole can compile almost all the points listed above. They take back their own work and each group rewrites its Haiku to match the form they uncovered. Using this method as a way into poetry can be incredibly rewarding and encouraging as young people automatically feel that they can take control of the work. As a side note, the exact same technique can be used for other poetic forms as well. Limericks, for example, can be done in the same way with a great deal of success . Interacting with the poet The teacher may give the class the first two lines of Haiku only and ask them to fill in the third. By doing this, students take control of the poem and are able to engage with it. They ware able to react openly and honestly to each others final lines. In the end, they get excited and want to find out what the final line is. Moreover, when they realism that more than a few of these poems have a punchier ending, they try quite hard to predict them. This allow them to get into the mind of the poet and help them understand what someone, several hundred or even a thousand years ago, was thinking. Oddly enough, this technique backfire though! . Activities where students interact with and engage the poem and access the thoughts of the poet are invaluable to the teaching of poetry. This kind of activity is great for helping students better understand poetic forms, predicting endings or final words for classical sonnets, rhyming couplets, limericks, and song lyrics. Students might not be genius writers but they will start becoming much more prolific in their writing practice. Writing will no longer be Just a function, it will be starting to become more than that. It will be starting to become a form of play instead of work . Here line poems: Have a syllable pattern of 5-7-5 (TTT should not necessarily be enforce Take place in the present (use pr personal (seldom use names, but ; remarkable literary device despite teaching the teacher may follow as the guided discovery approach, things out for themselves without simple poems each having some of these, split then into groups, AR two minutes to write a three-line must be Mitten on the board. Put pictures are based on, students chi point the teacher is able to activate These are called Haiku Look at al (therefore) what makes each a Ha resemble Haiku most closely! ; WHOM Larsson all the points listed above. Rewrites its Haiku to match the for poetry can be Incredibly rewarding feel that they can take control of TTL can be used for other poetic form same way with a great deal of such, The teacher may give the class TFH the third. By doing this, students t with It. They ware able to react pop end, they get excited and want to realism that more than a few of TFH hard to predict them, This allow TTT understand what someone, severe thinking Oddly enough, this techs students interact with and engage invaluable to the teaching of poetic better understand poetic forms, p sonnets, rhyming couplets, Limerick Ritter but they will start becomes Writing will no longer be lust a fur It will be starting to become a for 3. Using poems to develop receptive skills. .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .postImageUrl , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:hover , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:visited , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:active { border:0!important; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:active , .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0 .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2fc1ce48608dfd9c5ddb3fc92c8ff1f0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare 'Follower' and 'Death of a naturalist' EssayUsing poetry in the classroom is important and MO opportunity for students to work with authentic et they make it possible to work with a whole text, an poem in the same lesson. This can be done success so long as the poems are selected with care and WI language level of the students in mind. Through the deepen their understanding of British contemporary specialist, not a literature teacher, you will find it e favorite reading and listening activities if you wan otter into the classroom . Active listening It is crucial for students to be able to get a feel for more so than for most pieces of prose. This isnt a and so listening to their teacher read the poem, or perhaps by the poet or by an actor, is essential. As students will need some kind of preparation and t engaged. They might be asked to check predictions discussion, to compare their suggested rhyming co identify stressed words and syllables. You might al listen to recorded or live discussions about poems. Form of a couple of teachers or a group of students even an interview with the poet. The teacher may he natural information gap. If the school has the f be used: Divide the students into two, or even three Give each group a different cassette or CD and task together to share what they have learned; Remember is a key factor in any activity relating to literature mustnt forget to encourage art for arts sake. Listed anything else, for that matter), is to be fostered at every opportunity, because of the obvious benefits which include motivation, vocabulary acquisition and learner autonomy. Many good song lyrics could be termed poetry and treated accordingly in the classroom, copyright rules permitting . Active reading Reading activities can centre around not only the poems themselves, but also around background reading sources like biography or criticism. Some reading texts might be produced by other students, perhaps based on internet research, if the school has the facilities; Dont get stuck in literary analysis unless the students have specifically asked for a literature lesson, but do draw attention to useful syntax, grammar and vocabulary, and beware of common poetic conventions like inverted word order, ensuring that students are aware that this is a deviation from the norms of everyday English language; Too much analysis can kill enjoyment, and teachers are aiming for the opposite! As a pre-reading activity, the students may be asked to predict what they are about to read. With poetry, this can be done with the title as a catalyst, by revealing the lines gradually on an overhead projector, or by looking at the first verse of a longer poem. Refer students back to what they have read in the text so that they are Justifying their predictions; One might like to prepare some Jigsaw reading exercises too. With shorter poems, this might involve different groups working on efferent, thematically related, poems, each group having the same set of questions; Exam students might benefit from some discourse analysis: its easy to make your own close exercise with a poem, and the students can be encouraged to try to deduce the meaning of new vocabulary from the context; More advanced learners might enjoy identifying register and reading between the lines to infer meaning. Once again, exploit the chance to encourage reading for pleasure too. Though the teacher might need to spend a bit of time finding a poem that links thematically with the scheme of work, and making sure the copyright rules are respected. Also other issue must be averted: Reject poems that are too long, too archaic or too obscure, or cant muster any enthusiasm or that the students may not respond to. The wrong poem is worse than no poem at all; Look for what you need to explain pedagogical rationale and the aims of activities very clearly, and students who have disliked studying literature in their own language may need extra motivation; Reassure the students that their other needs, e. . Exam preparation, are being met; Its worth taking the risk and using poems though, because poems can foster a love of English, ND they are so versatile; Use poems as warmers or fillers and as the catalyst for many different activities with students ranging from Pre-intermediate to Proficiency, and with multilevel classes; Students find a poem a welcome, and sometimes in spirational, change from a course book. Poems can be involving, motivating and memorable, and they can supplement and enrich Just about any lesson . Poems can be an inspirational basis for, or supplement to, a language lesson where the aim is to develop reading or listening skills. At both lower and higher levels, students can be very excited and proud of themselves for reading and understanding poetry in the original English version and perhaps best of all they start to enjoy a real taste of the culture . 4. Using poems to develop productive skills. Teachers and students enjoy reading and listening to poetry in their own language and perhaps in English too. Poems are, after all, authentic texts, and this is a great motivator. Poems are often rich in cultural references, and they present a wide range of learning opportunities. Generally, the aim is to teach English through poetry, not to teach the poetry itself, so the teacher does not need to be a literature expert. Most of the tried and tested activities used regularly by language teachers can be adapted easily to bring poetry into the classroom . Communicative speaking activities Before doing any productive work, it is good to give the students plenty of pre- reading activities so that they are adequately prepared: As a way into a poem, the teacher might play some background music to create the atmosphere, show some pictures to introduce the topic, and then get students to think about their personal knowledge or experience which relates to this topic; They then talk about the poem, iris with a partner and then in small groups, perhaps coming together as a class at the end to share ideas. The teacher may monitor and feed in ideas and vocabulary if necessary, give brief feedback on language used and note any language problems to be dealt with at a later date; The teacher may prepare worksheets f speaking activities which might involve a quiz, a questionnaire, sent completed and discussed, statements to be ranked and discussed, a Students might predict endings to verses, the whole poem, or event the end of the poem; Afterwards, the students could talk about thee espouse to the poem, discuss the characters and theme, or debate Role plays work well, interviewing a partner, or even traumatizing the making a video. Students could compare poems on related topics, w groups working on different poems and then regrouping to pool thee Working on pronunciation. It can be fun to get students to rehearse and perform a poem. The t the poem to them or play a recording, and they identify the stresses class takes a chunk (usually a line, sometimes two) at a time, and on claps out the rhythm while the other half beats time, and then they teacher recites while the students mumble rhythmically, and then a rows they could chant in a whisper, a shout, or show a range of me to work best when it is improvised. Try to keep it snappy its a high and the teacher has to know and trust each other! The teacher can intensive phoneme work centered on the rhyming patterns in the p are crying out to be exploited in this way. Lie is important to elicit POS before revealing the poets choice, and discuss which suggestions h same sound and which dont, leading to a minimal pair activity [17, Writing activities A poem can spark off some wonderful creative writing. Students can or stanzas individually or in pairs or groups.

Constipation in Older Adults Essays

Constipation in Older Adults Essays Constipation in Older Adults Essay Constipation in Older Adults Essay 2011). It is non-life-threatening; it causes distress that leads to patient discomfort and diminished quality of life. Constipation is considered a major health concern for providers of care, especially for patients in high-risk groups such as the elderly; less mobile individuals, and the neurologically impaired. The causes of constipation can be influenced by physical, psychological, physiological, emotional and environmental factors. I picked constipation to discuss because I am a Personal Support Worker, I provide care for the elderly; most of them have health conditions which are likely contributory factors. Older adults are more prone to constipation than younger adults because peristalsis of the intestine usually weakened as we age; ingestion of certain medications; also due to reduced activity levels; muscle weakness and inadequate amounts of fluids and fibre intake. (Kozeir et al, 2010). As a primary caregiver to my Clients, I have to make sure they are meeting the quality of life by simply monitoring signs and symptoms of constipation. Prevention is better than to treat, every precaution must be made to prevent a recurrence. Also, it is my responsibility to teach the family how to care for their love ones whom they suspect to be constipated. I have a Client who is paraplegic due to Spinal Cord Injury, she is also diabetic. Since March of 2010 she is on opioids for long term pain management. Recently an MRI has been done to her to see why her pain scale is always 10 out of 10, 10 as the worst pain she ever experienced. The Neurosurgeon said she has a syrinx on her spinal cord. He won’t do any surgery because it will only make her condition worst. This means, she has to learn how to live with the pain since no further medical procedure will help her to be pain free from the syrinx. Knowing that constipation is a major problem for her since she is taking opioids for pain, I took up some in-service training conducted by my agency. I am trained to do digital stimulation and use of suppository for the management of chronic constipation. In her care, I often incorporate these procedures to prevent fecal impaction, as well as to prevent any complications that might be associated with constipation. Educating the patient and health promotion are important functions of a nurse. First, it is vital for the adult Client and to her family to know how to manage constipation because opioid-induced constipation is a significant problem that requires attention and should be monitored frequently. Secondly, a stool softener is often employed and bulk-forming laxatives should be avoided because of the risk of obstruction. A member of the oncology team should be approached for advice if needed. (Prynn, P. , 2011). Since my Client is using a power wheelchair, exercise is recommended, it tailored her physical ability and may benefit from daily activities such as moving her head, lifting her arms and hands while cooking, etc. Lifestyle modification such as providing privacy and strictly following the Client’s daily routine. Having a regular time for defecation (e. g. best time is after breakfast or after other meals or at bedtime). Lastly, provide dietary information. Suggest eating high-residue, high-fibre foods; adding bran and/or flaxseed daily (must be introduced gradually); and increasing fluid intake (unless contraindicated). Day et al. , 2010). To support nursing practice at the point of care, whether at the bedside, in a patient’s home, or in a community setting, Physicians, Nurses, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Personal support worker to name a few interprofessional team members works hand in hand to promote quality of life to older adults. Each membe r of the interprofessional team plays an important role to the clients care but I want to discuss the role of the Dietician. Dieticians are experts in food and nutrition. Adapting what you eat may help to ease constipation. Dieticians advise people on what food to eat which leads to a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal. Adjusting the diet, usually the elderly should eat more food containing cellulose, such as crude flour, brown rice, corn, celery, leek, spinach, and fruits to increase dietary fiber, stimulate and promote intestinal peristalsis. â€Å"Dietary fibre intake should be from 25 to 30 grams of dietary fibre per day. Dietary intake of fibre should be gradually increased once the client has a consistent fluid intake of 1500 ml per 24hours†. (Rnao,2005). Consultation with a dietician is highly recommended. Another interprofessional team memeber that plays an important role in caring for older adults is the Dentist. The Dentist assesses the Client’s mouth for infection and bone loss on gums. Aging affects muscles of the gums to shrink, Clients are asked to see the dentist every 2-3 years for dentures refitting. † People who have loose-fitting dentures or those who lost their teeth have difficulty chewing. Most of the time they prefer soft, processed meals that are low in fibre’. (Day et all. ,2010). Client’s with dentures are also educated to avoid eating hard foods to chew such as nuts, etc. Denture sealers are also used to keep the dentures I place and to avoid irritating the gums by keeping the food out. Patient education and health promotion are important functions of the nurse. After health history is reviewed, the nurse sets specific teaching goals. These goals are for the patient to restore and maintain defecation, methods to avoid constipation, relieving anxiety about bowel movement elimination patterns and to avoid complications. (Day et al. , 2010). Nurses need to be aware of the condition and knowledge of its management. If fecal impaction is suspected, depending on the agency policies the client is often given an oil retention enema, after 2-4 hrs cleansing enema is given, suppositories , or stool softeners which are ordered by a physician. A Digital Rectal Examination is done which means manual removal is feces should be performed if other measures fail. (Woodward, S. ,2012). References: Day, R. , Paul, P. , Williams, B. , Smeltzer, S. , amp; Bare, B. (2010). Brunner amp; Suddarth’s Texbook of Canadian Medical-Surgical Nursing. (2nd Canadian ed. ). Wolters Kluwer Health; Lippincott Williams amp; Wilkins. Kozier, B. , Erb, G. , Berman, A. , Synder, S. , Bouchal D. , Hirst, S. , Yiu, L. , Stamler, L. , amp; Buck M. (2010). Fundamentals of Canadian Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practive. (2nd Canadian ed. ). Toronto: Pearson Canada Kyle, G. (2007). Developing a constipation risk assessment tool. Continence. UK. 1(1): 38-45 Prynn, P. (2011). Managing adult constipation. Practice Nurse (PRACT NURSE), 41(17), 23-8. Retrieved from database CINAHL with full text Woodward, S. (2009). Assessment and management of constipation in older adult. Gastrointestinal disorders. UK. 24(5). pp. 21-26

Strategic Review based on Zara Case Study Essay

Strategic Review based on Zara Case Study - Essay Example The report presents a brief introduction to the capabilities and competence of the organization which leads to the competitive advantage of Zara over its rivals. Resource audit of Zara briefly highlights the physical, financial, and intellectual resources of the company. It also puts some light on human resource and then critically evaluates the intangible assets of the company. The report clearly mentions that vertical integration is the hallmark of Zara which is well supported by its value chain. The paper critically discusses how Zara adds value to its products to gain a competitive advantage to dominate the fashion industry. Zara is one of the most recognized global brands in the world, but it was badly affected due to the allegations of slave-labour. The incident is stated briefly in the middle of the paper. In the end, the case study configures that Zara is practicing a hybrid strategy which is combination of cost leadership strategy and product differentiation strategy. The pa per recommends few steps and target markets where Zara should venture. No doubt, due to globally changing scenario, Zara must take few innovative steps with respect to its online retailing network and expansion strategy. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1.0Introduction (203 words) 4 1.1 Aims and Objectives 4 1.2 Methodology 4 2.0The External Environment (1201 words) 5 2.1 PESTEL-DG (All information extracted from Appendix-1) 5 2.2 Porter’s 5 Forces 7 3.0The Internal Strategic Audit (1192 words) 9 3.1 Resource Based View (RBV) 9 3.1.1 Resource Audit 9 3.2 Value Chain 11 4.0The Company Reputation and Brand Image (486 words) 13 5.0Zara’s Strategy and Recommendations (1308 words) 15 6.0REFERENCES 20 7.0 Appendices 23 7.1 – Appendix 1 – PESTEL-DG 23 7.2 – Appendix 2 – Porter’s 5 forces 24 7.3 – Appendix 3 – Resource Audit 25 7.4 – Appendix 4 – VRIO Model 26 7.5 – Appendix 5 – Value Chain 27 1. 0 Introduction (203 words) Zara apparel has become the flagship brand of the ?2.5 billion holding group Inditex (Zara Case Study, 2013), Zara has 1,751 stores around the world with 65 in the UK alone (Inditex Group, 2013). The company’s founder, Amancio Ortea Gaona, began retailing clothes in 1963 with the first Zara store opening in 1975. He is current the third richest man in the world with a net worth of ?38 billion (Forbes, 2013). Zara’s strategy has been instrumental to its success, hence why it is so important to analyse it. This report is a strategic report which will review Zara and the industry it is in. It will primarily focus on the UK market but will also include global aspects. 1.1 Aims and Objectives This report has four main aims and objectives: To analyse the external environment To carry out an internal strategic audit To review the company’s reputation and brand image To identify the company’s current strategy and give recommendations on how they should continue in the future. 1.2 Methodology This report took an analytical approach grounded in existing literature and evidence from reliable journalistic, practitioner and government sources. All the research is secondary research based mostly upon qualitative data but also including quantitative information were needed. 2.0 The External Environment (1201 words) This section is focused to looking at the external envi

Control Process in Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control Process in Management - Research Paper Example The control process, in this case, can be described by use of the following steps; first, the management of united airlines makes establishes plans (Morden 156). In this cases, the united airline have a committee that is composed of members from the entire department in the organization. The committee is charged with the responsibility of formulating plans for the organizations. The committee formulates plans and set standards to achieve the objectives. The plan formulated by the committee must define the expected results and how results will be verified. Second, measurement of performance actual performance; in this case the management of united airlines measures the actual productivity obtain and this through the various method of performance appraisal. For example, in the year 2007, the actual sales from online booking ticket was 213,456 tickets. The organization a clear method of gathering and reporting tickets sold during the period.  The third step is comparing the actual performance achieved with the standards. This step compares the actual performance with the set standards, in this case, the managers of united airlines determine whether any deviations from the set standards are. In this steps the variation between the actual results and the set standard are determined. In the fourth step, the manager determines the action that should be taken where there are deviations from the set standards. This step is known as the† Take corrective actions† the manager determines the changes that should be taken if there is a ny, and how to implement those changes.

Rubber Industry In Srilanka Economics Essay

Rubber Industry In Srilanka Economics Essay There are no export restrictions and no licensing requirements for rubber dealers and exporters; however, the Government imposes duty on the import of synthetic rubber and related input materials. At present synthetic rubber imports are subjected to a CESS37 of SL Rs 15 per kg, which has led to higher prices for final products. The Government also charges SL Rs 4 per kg as CESS on procurement of natural rubber (EDB 2007), and this has significantly impacted the cost of rubber products. The rubber products manufacturing sector could be further encouraged, if the CESS on domestically consumed natural rubber is reduced while the CESS on raw rubber exports is increased, thus favoring domestic rubber demand without affecting the Government revenue. The changes in CESS policy should aim at natural rubber to become more competitive locally and to increase export of higher value added rubber products. Although the total CESS collection is said to be available for the development of the rubb er industry and the long-term production of raw rubber, both the rubber cultivation and rubber manufacturing sectors complain that the CESS is not utilized for that purpose. However, at present the Government uses the CESS to finance replanting of rubber trees and provide certain social benefits to smallholders. The Government also plays a pivotal role in rubber research and development, and by extension, rubber cultivation. However, the industry lacks expertise on product and compound developments, introducing only limited innovations. There is currently no centralized rubber- and/or polymer-based product testing facilities, especially the ones focused on quality improvements in Sri Lanka. Although polymer-based and compound material testing facilities exist at several research and academic institutions, cost testing procedures in these institutions do not have official accreditation and their certification is not internationally recognized to testify the quality of Sri Lankan rubber products an important requirement in the export market. Finally, all rubber product manufacturers must obtain Environmental Protection License (EPL) from the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), affirming their continuous compliance with minimizing noise and dust levels to protect the environment. Conclusion: Government has no any restriction on Export and licensing. Government imposes duties on import because of that its leb to higher prices for final product. Government also apply CESS on procurement so, its directly impact on its price. If CESS reduced in domestically and increased in exports than favouring domestic rubber demand without affecting the government revenue. Government are not provide polymer based product testing facilities, especially the ones focus on quality improvement in srilanka. 7. Economic Factor Effect on Rubber industry in Srilanka: In general, the economy of Sri Lanka has not been adversely affected by the currency crisis that occurred in the South East Asia (SEA) starting on the 2n d July 1997; compared to other SEA countries due to following factors: a. Majority of foreign investments in Sri Lanka were not confined to SEA countries only like Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. b. Sri Lankan rupee was allowed to devalue gradually over time as a floating currency. Among the SEA countries, Malaysia had been the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the past decade followed by Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Philippines. In comparison to US $ Mn 32348 and 18198 received by Malaysia and Indonesia respectively the investment in Sri Lanka in terms of FDI is not significant at all. Total FDI attracted by Sri Lanka between 1985 and 1996 amounts to just over US$ Mn. 800 only. A further amount of US$ Mn 85 has been invested in Sri Lanka during the I* half of 1998. Hence, the distribution of FDI between these Asian countries clearly explains the reason as to why Sri Lanka did not experience a noticeable impact of the Asian financial crisis. Other issue that needs to be investigated is that the nature of International borrowing and capital account convertibility adopted in Sri Lanka. Owing to the borrowing restrictions enforced by the Sri Lankan monitoring authorities, opportunities given to the private sector for borrowing mon ey from the lending organizations in International financial market is limited. Further, the capital convertibility becomes important only if Sri Lanka has substantial foreign investments. One of the reasons for less foreign investments in Sri Lanka during the past decades is the war that is going on from 1983 and if not for that definitely there would have been very much more foreign investments in the country by now and the situation in the country as a result of SEA financial crisis would have been much worse. Out of the 19.7 billion US$ invested in Malaysia investments from Japan alone is 8.2. bn US$. In Indonesia out of 48.3 on US$ total investment, 22.0 bn US$ is from Japan. In Thailand, out of 61.7 bn US$ investment, 37.9 bn US$ is from Japan. But in Sri Lanka, out of the total investment though South Korean component is about 20%, the balance 80% is evenly distributed among all countries in the world. However, due to the possible drop in both export revenue and FDI, the possibility of Sri Lankan economy getting affected in the future remains fairly strong. As a result of the currency devaluation in major rubber producing countries in the world viz. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the effective farm-gate price paid to their rubber farmers rose rapidly and hence they produced more rubber since July 97 than the anticipated target figures for 1997. Releasing of buffer stocks kept in Thailand during this period to ease their economic problems worsened the situation for rubber and as a result the rubber production recorded a surplus of over 10% by the end of 1997. Hence, the global rubber price dropped rapidly until May 1998, recording a figure of Rs. 45.00 per Kg. for average grades of RSS from the figures above Rs. 65.00 recorded before July 1997. Similarly in the case of other industries like the garment industry and commodity export industries, the revenue fell far bellow the expected targets. Due to the financial hardships faced by South Korea, Malaysia, and Honkong, a fall in foreign investment in Sri Lanka too, is excepted. Eventhough the total rubber production in the country dropped from 112 000 MT to 106 000 MT in 1997, the amount of latex crepe produced out of the total production remained even slightly above the production in 1996. This was mainly due to the attractive premium price paid for this top quality commodity in the world market which has already reached Nitch status. In order to maintain this position for this commodity in the world market, RRI owned Dartonfield Estate gained ISO 9002 in the middle of 1998 while few other crepe factories in the country are already very close to gain this important standards registration. However, Sri Lankan authorities have taken all necessary precautions to prevent an over supply situation of latex crepe rubber in the International Market. The environment safe water soluble bleaching agent introduced to the crepe industry by RRI Sri Lanka is now exported to both India and Indonesia by Chemanex Ltd. In order to help the small holders who were badly effected by the 25-40% price decline in sheet rubber and the farmgate price paid to them for their latex by the centrifuged latex manufacturers, a cess of Rs.5.41 levied on raw rubber exports was abolished by the Government of Sri Lanka from May 1998. This along with the gradually declining rupee value against the US Dollar helped the small holder to withstand the sharply declining rubber prices at least to some extent. Central Bank of Sri Lanka is maintaining a 10% depreciation of the rupee in 1998 compared to the 7.4% depreciation maintained through out 1977. Conclusion: Majority of foreign investments in Sri Lanka were not confined to SEA countries only like Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Sri Lankan rupee was allowed to devalue gradually over time as a floating currency. 9. Technology Factor Effect on Rubber Industry in Srilanka: Natural rubber plays a key role in the economies of many of the nations that have the climate and resources for growing and processing this valuable commodity. Among these countries is Sri Lanka, where rubber exports are one of the highest foreign exchange earners. The rubber therefore is an important agriculture crop to Sri Lanka, having around 151, 000 Ha of rubber plantation in it. Sri Lanka is the worlds leading supplier of solid rubber tires. But Sri Lankas rubber production has shown a declining trend since 1996 though Sri Lanka is bestowed with rich resources of natural rubber and other process materials as well as the availability in comparatively cheap labour. So it is obvious that there is a burning problem in the raw rubber industry and Researcher therefore made a hypothesis that there can be a major component missing in the whole supply chain of this industry and that would have been the technology component, which is more advanced in other countries. Researcher therefore made an effort to do a detailed study to check whether Sri Lanka is technologically lagging with compared to the Natural rubber processing state of art country by assessing the Technology status of Sri Lankan raw rubber industry. Having assessing the technology status, research was targeted to check the significance of technology status to the industry productivity, i.e. annual yield per hectare. For that researcher has integrated the APCTT model, 1988- increasing degrees of sophistication of Technology components, and the framework for technology based development, technology content assessment developed by Asian and Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)- UNESCAP( 1988) to assess the technology status of this industry. According to the model analysis, it can be concluded that technologically Sri Lankan raw rubber industry is lagging behinbestd to the technology status of global industry leaders like Malaysia, Thailand and India and that has resulted in a lower productivity of this industry. According to the statistical analysis, especially lower status of technology factors like Info ware, Orga ware and Human ware as well as non-technology factors like lower number of trappable trees per hectare have affected the Sri Lankan raw rubber industry productivity i.e. actual annual yield per hectare though there are hardly any relationship with the industry productivity and the status of techno ware component. Factors affected to lower the status of each technology component was evaluated with the qualitative techniques like, SWOT analysis, value chain analysis and the cause an effect diagrams and found out that lower consideration on workforce and their education background as well as training and retraining facilities, bad management practices due to the poor Managerial competence, rigid organizational structure has become major drawbacks of this industry. Conclusion: Since 1996 rubber industry is declining and rich resources of natural rubber and other processing material became more costly than labor cost. By the doing research on technology status India Malesiya, Thailand are playing a best role in producing rubber but Srilanka is also producing best quality of solid rubber tire which is having a good demand in the market . In Srilanka the technology used by most of raw rubber manufacturers is very old and this results in low productivity. 10. Environmental Factor Effect on Rubber Industry in Srilanka: Rubber Industry is a major industry in Sri Lanka, which has a significant contribution to national economy. Also, Rubber Industry generates many employment opportunities to rural population having lower level of education. The technology used by most of raw rubber manufacturers is very old and this results in low productivity and high environmental damage which people to do not tolerate any longer. A closer look reveals that rubber industry consumes large volumes of water, uses tons of chemicals and other utilities and discharges massive amounts of wastes and effluents. The few cleaner production assessments and implementation programs carried out in Sri Lanka has shown tremendous benefits. Some of them are lesser usage of chemicals, energy and utilities including water, improvement in productivity and profitability, lesser loads and volumes of effluent discharged to the neighborhood, better image and relationship with employees internally and with the neighborhoods externally. These benefits should encourage many rubber industrialists to follow a cleaner production program in their own places. Many have realized cleaner production is the only way to survive in todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s competitive market where cost of production is on the increase and prices are decreasing. Conclusion: In Sri Lanka, raw rubber manufacturers are mostly use very old technology and because of that low productivity and high environment damage are increased which harm a lot to the people as well as environment and creates more pollutions. http://www.sjp.ac.lk/ http://environmentlanka.com/blog/2006/environmetal-impacts-of-rubber-industry-in-sri-lanka/Bottom of Form

My Philosophy Essay -- Teaching Education Essays

My Philosophy A teacher plays a very important role in a child’s life, and that is the main reason I want to be a teacher. I want to be able to inspire, empower and help children to discover their unique learning ability, special interests and qualities. As a teacher I will be able to give students the gift of an education, which will help them advance as adults. I feel that there are many ways to go about teaching and managing a positive learning environment. I want to have a classroom in which students feel personally altered by their experience in my classroom. Progressivism is one major philosophical approach that I plan to use in my classroom, along with an assertive discipline approach. In my classroom I want students to accomplish new material, learn to overcome the subjects they struggle with and develop confidence in what they do. I hope to help students acquire more of themselves in their education and strengthen their qualities. I not only want them to succeed in subjects but also grow as individuals. I plan to use the progressivism approach in my classroom because I believe that hands on education in a very effective way of learning. It helps students to get a first hand experience to see and feel what it is they are learning. I also think that working with groups in their classroom is very beneficial to students. By interacting with their peers they will learn how to share their ideas, accept others points of view and learn how to develop relationships , which is a very important part of life that will help them to succeed in their careers. I hope that my students leave my class with lots of new information , positive attitudes about learning, co nfidence and an open mind. ... ...gh teaching and getting a better perceptive on children will make my life a fulfilled one because I will have been blessed by God in being part of a child’s life in a positive way. I want to continue to learn how to be an effective teacher and become an encouraging figure for a child’s life. Teaching is more than instructing or giving information to students. It is about empowering students, inspiring them to grow intellectually, giving them courage to be creative, expanding their curiosity and providing opportunities. As a teacher I will always be learning just as my students. I will listen to them and grow from experiences with them. Learning in a multifaceted process that is different with every individual. As a teacher I want to be able to attend to all my students ways of learning, therefore I will continue myself to learn and understand students.

Examining Race-Related Aspects of James Cameron’s Avatar

Examining The Race-Related Aspects Of Avatar While evident that many who saw the film Avatar were more than satisfied with it visually, I found it interesting that I heard little about the plot or characters. After all, as a writer, these elements, to me, are what make or break the outcome. After going to see the critically acclaimed film, I was left with a blatant feeling of injustice regarding the film’s race issues. The problem I had with the film is the concept of a white male entering into a world of ethnic people (in this case, aliens), with the sole intent of using them for his own personal gain.Not only has this all too familiar story been used again and again, but also, the outcome is always the same. While I do not believe that the film endorses racism, I do believe that certain racial ideologies play a major role in the film. Whilst some may argue against that point, by simply breaking down the story, it is simple to make the connections. Regardless of if it was int entional or not, there are some obvious racial undertones in Avatar, and they should not be ignored no matter how impressive the graphics are.In the specific clip I have chosen to analyze, Jake, the human who joins the Na’vi to fight against his own kind, has returned to Pandora after being labeled a traitor and losing the trust of the Na’vi. To gain it back, he immediately tames a Toruk, a red dragon who the natives are very fearful of. The dragon had never been tamed by anyone from the Na’vi clan. The ability and heroism just spewing from Jake makes it seem as though he is the only one with the answers that the Na’vi need to save Pandora. The scene transitions to the clan praying to the Hometree, despite their knowledge of the tree having never â€Å"taken sides†.In the midst of all of this, Jake comes flying down on the red dragon, the sun beaming behind him, illuminating his path. Then comes the very demeaning imagery of Jake dismounting the dr agon in front of the Na’vi, while they practically bow to and worship him as if to say, â€Å"You are superior to us, after all! † Jake certainly assumes as much, because he soon starts yelling about how this is â€Å"our† land, and they need to do what he says to save it. While watching the film, I first began drawing a lot of parallels to class discussions of how Columbus and the Spaniards conquered America. In Avatar, human corporation is mining a valuable mineral on Pandora, an Earth-like moon that is inhabited by the Na’vi, an â€Å"alien† race. In the late 1400’s, despite also having discovered an entire race of people, the Spanish found gold in America and began mining.Once it became difficult for them, they enforced slavery upon the natives of the land, and mercilessly killed them upon resistance. In the article Sex And Conquest: Domination And Desire On Ethnosexual Frontiers, Joane Nagel reminds us of the â€Å"relative powerlessne ss of many native women, and reports that sexual exchanges were often coerced, involving rape, forced prostitution, and slavery. In Avatar, the human scientists uncover that underneath Hometree, the Na’vi clan’s dwelling, lies the richest deposits of the mineral that they value, and by the end of the film, are ready to destroy it and its’ inhabitants. This, to me, is an example of racism in how the humans were willing to treat the Na’vi (kill them) in order to acquire more â€Å"gold†. While elements are different, Columbus’ conquest of America strays not so far from the plot that drives Avatar: a â€Å"civilized† race relentlessly compromises what they deem to be an â€Å"uncivilized† race.It can even relate to how American factories are built in foreign countries to avoid specific labor laws. As Americans, how can we justify that the people working in foreign countries assembling our iPhones are equal to us? If so, wouldnâ₠¬â„¢t we demand that they deserve equal pay? The ideology of the self-righteous, superior race and their ultimate disregard for all others is, sadly, an overused theme present in this film and our audiences should be seeing less of it.Despite all â€Å"humans† being expelled from Pandora in the end, a white male, in this case, Jake, Avatar’s protagonist, gets to be the boss in the end. In exchange, he gives up his body, his culture, and every â€Å"human† aspect about him. The one thing he fails to let go of is his superiority. With the film ending like this, and not allowing one of the original Na’vi to ultimately prevail, a subconscious message is being delivered. Just like in Dances With Wolves, a white male goes native and soon ends up as the great leader.In just three months of immersion in their culture, Jake learns enough about the Na'vi (their folkways, their animal-taming skills, and even the secret to their ultimate test of warrior prowess, some thing no other Na'vi has mastered in five generations) to become their leader in their struggle against genocide by his own former allies. Hometree even answers a prayer of Jake’s, and she had never answered prayers of the natives, her own people, even once before then. An interesting contrast is set up to disguise the fact that Jake’s character is representative of racism.On one side, there are the power-hungry, militaristic humans who show no moral restraint against the Na’vi. Their opposition is Jake and the rest of the humans who want peace with the natives. While the first group is presented as obviously racist, most would draw the conclusion that the second group, the protagonists, must not be. While the characters themselves are not racist, the age-old â€Å"white Messiah† fable is. This story has played out in American race politics several times. Progressive, liberal white males were responsible for Indian â€Å"removal† and â€Å"schooli ng† replacing Indian genocide, and segregation replacing slavery.Each time, it seems that supporters of progressive policies just have to say, â€Å"Look, I’m progressive. I’m not like those old-fashioned racists,† and then they simply cannot be deemed as racist. This is the trend in our society that the outcome of Avatar is glorifying. Forms of racial supremacy have been changed over time, but have never been ended altogether. To be fair to the â€Å"humans† of Avatar, the Na'vi and their entire planet ended up regarding the humans as a disease with which there can be no peaceful existence.Their solution is, simply, the expulsion of humanity from the planet, or in Jake's case, culture transfusion. Forced assimilation with the native culture in Avatar is almost too familiar to how their still exists an ideology in America that â€Å"foreign† residents must assimilate to the â€Å"white† culture. Forgotten is that every white citizen of America is descendant of some foreign culture. America should be a melting pot for all cultures, and if James Cameron, the director, producer and writer of Avatar, had truly agreed, perhaps the outcome of the film would be different.So did James Cameron write and direct this because he is a racist white male? No. But does James Cameron even acknowledge that his film carries racist undertones? No. The casting for the film had his seal of approval, so why were actors of color used to portray the Na’vi people? The Na'vi may be tall, blue aliens, but they seem to resemble the noble savages in older Hollywood movies: they're played by actors of color, they live a primitive lifestyle in harmony with nature, they sport tattoos and dreadlocks and exotic jewelry, and they have courage and athleticism but not necessarily rationality or ambition.Most importantly, why does white Australian Sam Worthington star as the cultural infiltrator? Cameron has more than once stated that Avatar is meant to encourage people to respect each other’s cultures and differences, and while that may be the overt meaning, he fails to touch on the issue of racial superiority. Again, Cameron did not sit down and consciously make a decision to write a racist film. However, he did indirectly use the film to express his white liberal understanding of anti-racism. Really, his views are just a kindler, gentler, more patronizing racism.If not, perhaps the Na’vi would have saved Jake instead of being incapable of saving themselves. Avatar doesn’t ask the moral question of â€Å"Should the natives be conquered? † It asks, â€Å"How should the natives be conquered? † Had the film been written and directed by a person of color instead, there may have been an opportunity to avoid this. Columbia College professor Kristin Pichaske’s excerpt, Historical And Political Framework: Race, Colonialism And African Cinema discusses how most filmmakers are Western whi te males who control the portrayal of Africans, or minorities, in cinema.In addition to holding the purse strings, Western interests controlled the production infrastructure. As recently as 1993, Diawara would write that Africa lacks film-processing laboratories, sound-dubbing and synchronizing studios, and editing facilities, a fact which significantly limits an African director’s ability to complete a film on his own terms, in his own country and within a reasonable span of time (1993: vii).While this is not universally true at this point (the facilities he describes now being available in South Africa and also rendered somewhat obsolete by the development of high-definition video), it is certainly true that most of Africa suffers from a dearth of film infrastructure and that this creates yet another form of dependence on the West. Having to rely on the West for the skills that they cannot afford, the absence of African directors involved in the depiction of their culture i s blatantly apparent.Perhaps James Cameron was not the right person to direct Avatar, as he cannot truly understand the racial ideology that his film is perpetuating. However, if an African director were given the opportunity, a white Western moneylender who demands that he cater the story to white audiences will undoubtedly be funding him. Present day racist ideologies are best understood when comparing them to Magic Eye images: bizarre images concealing a seemingly hidden, 3-D picture.While some people see the 3-D image right away, others have to look for a while before they can find it. Some people never do find it. However, once you know that the 3-D image is there, you end up wondering how you didn’t see it in the first place. The racism depicted in this film is a lot like a Magic Eye image. It is a fantasy story about race told from a white man’s perspective, for white people. I believe this to be true after simply looking at the history of Cameron’s films : Titanic, Aliens, and The Terminator all contained predominantly white casts.Had he intended his films to be seen by a racially diverse audience, I’m sure he would have had enough common sense to diversify his cast of characters. Avatar is also at the end of a very long history of similar films. Avatar’s storyline has been compared to that of Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas. In all three films, white male characters realize they are unhappy with the treatment of the â€Å"others,† but go beyond assimilating and skip to leading the people who they so recently oppressed.Since there have been so many films spanning all genres telling the same story, when will the white directors begin to use the issue of race in a different light? African-American scholar Donald Bogle, who literally wrote the book on how black people have been portrayed throughout Hollywood history (Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies ;amp; Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films) says that while not overtly racist, it is â€Å"a movie that hasn't yet freed itself of old Hollywood traditions, old formulas. If I were to have written a film like Avatar, I would have made the Na’vi completely capable of saving themselves by reversing the power roles of Jake with the clan. It would mean straying from an age-old format, but also, challenging the racial insecurities of the white audience that the film was intended for. Would the film be as popular if the natives of Pandora did not possess traditional, savage-like qualities? The juxtaposition of the film Avatar with historical events such as Columbus onquering America, and also, overused tales of the white protagonist bringing a race of â€Å"savages† to victory predates most steps towards civil rights equality. Filmmakers of minority races are far and few between, and are often funded by white Westerners when directing. With every film in Hollywood being produced by the â€Å"white man†, will our society ever see things from the point of view of a minority race? If no, then Hollywood’s inability to realize that the decision to continue producing the same point of view is interfering with our society’s ability to think outside of racial boundaries. | | | | | |