An In-Depth Review of Star Reading Assessment Program

An In-Depth Review of Star Reading Assessment Program Star Reading is an online assessment program developed by Renaissance Learning for students typically in grades K-12. The program uses a combination of the cloze method and traditional reading comprehension passages to assess forty-six reading skills across eleven domains. The program is used to determine a student’s overall reading level as well as identify a students individual strengths and weaknesses. The program is designed to provide teachers with individual student data, quickly and accurately. It typically takes a student 10–15 minutes to complete an assessment, and reports are available immediately upon completion. The assessment consists of approximately thirty questions. Students are tested on foundational reading skills, literature components, reading informational text, and language. Students have one minute to answer each question before the program automatically moves them to the next question. The program is adaptive, so the difficulty will increase or decrease based on how a student performs. Features of Star Reading It is easy to set up and use. Star Reading is a Renaissance Learning program. This is important because if you have Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, or any of the other Star assessments, you only have to do the set up one time. Adding students and building classes is quick and easy. You can add a class of about twenty students and have them ready to be assessed in about 15 minutes.It correlates with Accelerated Reader. Many schools across the country use Accelerated Reader. To maximize the effect of Accelerated Reader, students should be limited to books that correlate to their specific Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Star Reading provides teachers with each student’s individual ZPD that can then be entered into the Accelerated Reader program to limit students to books that will not be too easy or too difficult for them to read.It is easy for students to use. The interface is plain and straightforward. This minimizes the chances for a student to be distracted. Student s have two choices when answering the multiple-choice-style questions. They can use their mouse and click on the correct choice, or they can use the A, B, C, D keys that correlate to the correct answer. Students are not locked into their answer until they click next or push the Enter key. Each question is on a one-minute timer. When a student has fifteen seconds remaining, a small clock will begin to flash at the top of the screen, letting them know that time is about to expire for that question. It provides teachers with a tool to easily screen and progress monitor students who need reading intervention. Star Reading comes with a screening and progress monitor tool that allows teachers to set goals and monitor a student’s progress as they move throughout the year. This easy-to-use feature allows teachers to quickly and accurately decide whether they need to change their approach with a particular student or continue doing what they are doing.It has an adaptable assessment bank. The program has an extensive assessment bank that allows students to be assessed multiple times without seeing the same question. In addition, the program adapts to the student as they answer questions. If a student is performing well, then the questions will increasingly become more difficult. If they are struggling, the questions will become easier. The program will eventually zero in on the student’s correct level. Useful Reports Star Reading is designed to provide teachers with useful information that will drive their instructional practices. It provides teachers with several useful reports designed to assist in targeting which students need intervention and what areas they need assistance in. Here are four key reports available through the program and a brief explanation of each: Diagnostic: This report provides the most information about an individual student. It offers information such as the student’s grade equivalent, percentile rank, estimated oral reading fluency, scaled score, instructional reading level, and zone of proximal development. It also provides tips to maximize that individual’s reading growth.Growth: This report shows the growth of a group of students over a specific period of time. This period of time is customizable from a few weeks to months, to even growth over the course of several years.Screening: This report provides teachers with a graph that details whether they are above or below their benchmark as they are assessed throughout the year. This report is useful because if students are falling below the mark, then the teacher needs to change their approach ​with that student.Summary: This report provides teachers with whole group test results for a specific test date or range. This is very useful for comparing mul tiple students at one time. Relevant Terminology Scaled Score (SS)  - The scaled score is figured based on the difficulty of the questions as well of the number of questions that were correct. Star Reading uses a scale range of 0–1400. This score can be used to compare students to each other as well as themselves over time.Percentile Rank (PR) - The percentile rank allows students to be compared to other students nationally that are in the same grade. For example, a student who scores in the 77th percentile scores better than 76% of students in their grade but lower than 23% of students in their grade.Grade Equivalent (GE) - The grade equivalent represents how a student performs compared to other students nationally. For example, a fifth-grade student who scores a grade equivalent of 8.3 scores as well as a student who is in the eighth grade and third month.Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - This is the range of readability which a student should be required to select books. Reading in this range provides students with t he optimal opportunity to maximize reading growth. Books at this level are not too easy or too difficult for the student to read. ATOS  - A readability formula that uses average sentence length, average word length, vocabulary grade level, and the number of words to calculate the overall difficulty of a book. Overall Star Reading is a very good reading assessment program, especially if you already use the Accelerated Reader program. Its best features are that it is quick and easy to use for teachers and students, and reports can be generated in seconds. The assessment does rely too much on cloze reading passages. A truly accurate reading assessment would use a more balanced and comprehensive approach. However, Star is a great quick screening tool to identify struggling readers or individual reading strengths. There are better assessments available in terms of in-depth diagnostic assessments, but Star reading will give you a quick snapshot of where a student is at any given point.  Overall, we give this program 3.5 out of 5 stars, primarily because the assessment itself isn’t broad enough and there are times where consistency and accuracy are of concern.

Free Essays on Botswana

Bean’s Botswana Adventures The Wonderful City of Maun Based out of the city of Maun, in the northern region of Botswana, Bean’s Botswana Adventures is sure to give you the time of your life. As the tourism capital, Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. Established by the Batawana people as their tribal capital in 1915, Maun has had a reputation of being a ‘Wild West’ town for local cattle ranching and hunting operations. After the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of a road linking the city and Nata, Maun developed rapidly and lost much of its old frontier character in the early 1990s. The large city, now home to 30,000, is spread across the banks of the Thamalakane River, where the local donkeys, goats, and cattle can still be seen grazing. Maun offers several good shopping centers, filling stations, and a variety of hotels and lodges to choose from. The Maun Airport, one of the busiest in Southern Africa, brings tourists straight into the city from all over th e world (Government of Botswana). About My Operation Bean’s Botswana Adventures is a week long â€Å"adventure† in the Okavango region based out of Maun, Botswana. Only five people and the tour operator go on an â€Å"adventure† at one time because of the type of vehicle needed for the trip. First off, I would suggest lodging at the beautiful Best Western Riley’s Hotel on your first night of arrival. It is set right on the riverbank next to the main traffic circle, making it centrally located to just about everything. As a popular stopover for tourists traveling in and out of the Delta, this hotel has been an important landmark since the 1920s. Following the riverbank of the Thamalakane upstream from the hotel is the small Maun Game Reserve. It is an eight squared kilometer area of woodland that is traversed by many walking trails (Government of Botswana). But Bean’s Botswana Adventures will bring... Free Essays on Botswana Free Essays on Botswana Bean’s Botswana Adventures The Wonderful City of Maun Based out of the city of Maun, in the northern region of Botswana, Bean’s Botswana Adventures is sure to give you the time of your life. As the tourism capital, Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. Established by the Batawana people as their tribal capital in 1915, Maun has had a reputation of being a ‘Wild West’ town for local cattle ranching and hunting operations. After the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of a road linking the city and Nata, Maun developed rapidly and lost much of its old frontier character in the early 1990s. The large city, now home to 30,000, is spread across the banks of the Thamalakane River, where the local donkeys, goats, and cattle can still be seen grazing. Maun offers several good shopping centers, filling stations, and a variety of hotels and lodges to choose from. The Maun Airport, one of the busiest in Southern Africa, brings tourists straight into the city from all over th e world (Government of Botswana). About My Operation Bean’s Botswana Adventures is a week long â€Å"adventure† in the Okavango region based out of Maun, Botswana. Only five people and the tour operator go on an â€Å"adventure† at one time because of the type of vehicle needed for the trip. First off, I would suggest lodging at the beautiful Best Western Riley’s Hotel on your first night of arrival. It is set right on the riverbank next to the main traffic circle, making it centrally located to just about everything. As a popular stopover for tourists traveling in and out of the Delta, this hotel has been an important landmark since the 1920s. Following the riverbank of the Thamalakane upstream from the hotel is the small Maun Game Reserve. It is an eight squared kilometer area of woodland that is traversed by many walking trails (Government of Botswana). But Bean’s Botswana Adventures will bring...

Contingency Model (IP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contingency Model (IP) - Essay Example Organizational behavior is quite a complex phenomenon as it not only requires careful management of difficult and somewhat complicated behaviors on individual level but at the group level also. The existence of groups within organizations therefore is not a new concept and researchers, over the period of time, have been able to produce considerable research studies which shed light on the different organizational dynamics of the groups within organizations. The concept of In Groups and Out Groups is one such important concept of group dynamics which deals with the dynamics of how groups interact and exist with each other. The formation of such groups can be based on tasks related or non-task related performance factors. This research paper will present an analysis of the In Groups and Out Groups while at the same time attempt to provide real life examples of both the Groups while at the same time discussing the implications for the leadership of the organization. In Group is a group with which people attempt to identify themselves as members. Within an organizational context, In Groups are formed by those employees who share common goal or objective and than they wish to associate themselves as members of that group. ... The basic difference between the two is the fact that they differ in level of association with each group. Example of In Groups For example, employees working in different departments may form different In Groups because they share something common like their overall performance will be reflected at the same level if it is considered on organization wide level. Another example of in group would be members belonging to certain unions i.e. may be one union of labor or employees advocating certain cause whereas another union focuses on other objectives. Example of Out Group Similarly, an example of Out Group would include those employees or individuals who do not form wish to be part of certain specific union or group advocating certain other causes. Major difference on the two situations As discussed above that the basic difference between the situations is the level of association with each group. Due to association with in group, members provide tend to show in group bias by showing a favorable attitude towards members no matter if out group exist within that department. Further, In Group formation give rise to the collectivism i.e. people start to share common perceptions and attitudes no matter if initially they had some disagreement. Therefore the major and basic difference between the two situations is how people show their attitude to each other within the groups. How the Two Groups Affected the Groups & the Organization As discussed above that the formation of In Group and Out Group give rise to the collective thinking and attitudes therefore their formation can influence the organization as well as groups in negative as well as positive way. What is however more important is the fact that formation

Effective Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effective Leadership - Essay Example Effective leadership is highly important in an organizational setting. A leader of an organization plays a significant role in the success of an organization. There have been prominent examples in the past in relation to the success of organizations merely due to effective leadership of those organizations (Lussier, 2009). Leadership is different from the management of an organization. The management of an organization directs the workforce of the organization without involving the employees in the decision making. The management merely directs the employees and it does not take into account the will or commitment of the employees to complete the task. A manager only wants a specified task done in accordance with the specific set of directions given by the manager within a rigid deadline. This can be frustrating for the employees and it may affect their efficiency. Thus, due to the lack of efficiency in the employees, the organization as a whole may lag behind and there may be lack o f motivation among the human resource of the organization. On the other hand, a leader does not impose any duties to his staff or his subordinates. Unlike a manager, a leader involves his subordinates in the decision making processes and exceeds his expectations towards them in order to acquire feedback from his subordinates. In this manner, the subordinates not only get motivated to perform the task more effectively and efficiently but they also perform their valuable opinions in the decision making process. It is one of the basic traits of effective leadership that the leader makes all the decisions collectively. Due to the involvement by the subordinate staff, there are a number of different options that come up, thus the leader is provided with a number of options so that he may choose the best option. Thus, in an organization with an effective leadership, there is high level of motivation among the subordinate staff and this high motivation results in the increase in the overal l efficiency of the operations of the organization (Armstrong, 2006). A leader may involve the subordinate staff in a number of ways. Different manners of involvement of the employees by the leader work for different organizations. In some organizations, a leader might present his own opinion and try to sell it to the subordinate staff by presenting the arguments in favor of his opinion. He may also seek feedback from the subordinates in order to ensure that they have been convinced by his opinion and they accept it completely. In another case, the leader might ask for the opinions of the subordinates along with their supporting arguments and he may choose the option after taking feedback from the subordinates and the option that he seems as best. A leader might also provide his opinion and ask the subordinates for any feasible modifications in the leader’s plan. Therefore, it can be said that a leader plays a highly important role in an organization for the efficiency and su ccess of the organization. An effective leader is also very convincing among the employees of an organization therefore it is in the hands of the leader to drive the organization on its way to success. In case of a change in the organization, an effective leade

Planning for and Recruiting Human Resources Research Paper

Planning for and Recruiting Human Resources - Research Paper Example ilable for the companies to fill the job vacancies if the H-2B visas prove inefficient, recommend the most efficient option and identify additional recruiting strategies. These companies can target local students who undertake careers related to the company activity. This motivates workers because they can enhance their career as well as earn (Engardio, 2006). Companies can also fill the job positions with workers with J-1 visa type. Most students from developing countries are looking for better paying jobs in developed countries such as the U.S. This is contrary to American students that prefer internships for the advancement of their careers over summer jobs. Additionally, the companies can outsource for Q-1 visa workers. This will provide opportunities for foreign nationals to work in the companies for 15 months after which the visa will expire. However, these workers may not be efficient to the companies because the Visas can only be renewed after workers have stayed for one year after the expiry. The best alternative strategy that companies can adopt is targeting international workers under Q-1 visas. These forms of visas allow workers to spend longer working periods in the host nation. This offers companies an opportunity to retain the most productive employees for longer periods, thereby improving efficiency. The longer visa life allows workers to attain the required experience leading to higher performance. The fixed employment period will also boost the worker morale because most of them will yearn to maximally utilize this period to achieve maximum benefits (Noe et al., 2009). This improves on productivity. The companies can also reduce costs related to frequent hiring of new seasonal workers. This is because Q-1 workers can even be available to serve for two peak periods before the visa expires. However, the requirement that the visa is only renewable after one year may inconvenience employers. High Sierra pools can rehire the past rejected

The Indian real estate sector

The Indian real estate sector The Indian real estate sector plays a significant role in the countrys economy. The real estate sector is second only to agriculture in terms of employment generation and contributes heavily towards the gross domestic product (GDP). Almost 5 per cent of the countrys GDP is contributed to by the housing sector. In the next five years, this contribution to the GDP is expected to rise to 6 per cent. According to Jones Lang LaSalle, faster economic growth in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) could result in the property markets of those nations recovering at a faster rate than the UK and US real estate markets. It has also been suggested that Indias property sector could begin to improve from late 2009 and may attract up to US$ 12.11 billion in real estate investment over a five-year period. Almost 80 per cent of real estate developed in India is residential space. According to the Tenth Five Year Plan, there is a shortage of 22.4 million dwelling units. Thus, over the next 10 to 15 years, 80 to 90 million housing dwelling units will have to be constructed with a majority of them catering to middle- and lower-income groups. It is for this reason that residential properties in India, particularly in Mumbai and Delhi, are viewed as very good investments as per a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Urban Land Institute, a global non-profit education and research institute. In the 2009-10 budget, developers of affordable housing projects (units of 1,000-1,500 sq ft) have been granted a tax holiday on profits from projects initiated in the financial year 2007-08. Such projects would have to be completed before March 1, 2012. At the same time, the finance minister allocated US$ 207 million to grant a 1 per cent interest subsidy on home loans up to US$ 20,691, provided the cost of the home is not more than US$ 41,382. This subsidy is expected to give a further boost to the housing sector. An apartment is a self-contained residential unit or section that occupies a part of a building. It can be either owned or rented. Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments as cooperatives, in which the dwellers or residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development. In condominiums, residents own their apartments and share ownership of the public spaces. Living in apartments is gaining popularity in India. The Sahara Group has already decided to build 217 townships across India. Their allure lies in the convenience that they offer in terms of safety and security and maintenance of utilities like electricity and water. A central maintenance system obviates the need for hiring outside help for minor problems like leaking taps or electric short circuits. Stand-alone homes also require incurring additional costs like buying/leasing land, licensing, duties, etc. Apartments enable maximization of space utilization and reduce demand on public resources. People are also able to avail of additional amenities like gymnasiums, swimming pools, etc. at affordable prices. There is a gap in the literature, however, with regard to the value drivers that dictate purchase decisions of residential property in the country. Similar studies exist for other countries but were found wanting in the Indian context, especially when it comes to apartments. Through this paper, we aim to do the very same, i.e. establish which factors dictate purchase decision and to what extent. We will also correlate these preferences with the demographic profiles and characteristics of our respondents and hence arrive at a greater and much deeper understanding of these issues. We see immense utility for our paper, especially for builders and property dealers who can use our findings in structuring their own business activities. RESEARCH BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Even though consumer behaviour is generally assumed to be an important part of real estate valuation, buyer preferences are generally not considered during the valuation process. It is basically reduced to the confirmation of a bid price which may or may not be met by the buyer. Efforts are being made to address this fault and many papers have been written on the analysis of motivations of residential property purchasers, attempting to explain them using models such as bounded rationality and hedonic pricing. Hedonic Pricing, or Hedonic Demand Theory as it is also known, decomposes the item of interest into constituents and evaluates the importance of each of them and their contribution to the overall valuation. These factors can be both internal characteristics of the good or service and external factors. In the case of real estate valuation, internal characteristics include layout, structure, etc of the property while status of neighbourhood, proximity to schools, etc are the exter nal factors. Factor Analysis enables us to do just that. It is a statistical method that reduces the number of variables by grouping two or more of them into unknown or hidden variables known as factors. Further analysis is then conducted by looking at the variation among these factors and evaluating their relative performance. These factors are taken to be linear combinations of the original variables plus error terms (Richard L. Gorsuch, 1983). Factor analysis seeks to do precisely what humans have been engaged in doing throughout history that is to make order of the apparent chaos of the environment (Child, 1990). It has great use in evaluating consumer behaviour. Charles Spearman is credited with its invention. He used it in the formulation of the g Theory as part of his research on human intelligence (Williams, Zimmerman, Zumbo Ross, 2003). Over the years it has found uses in fields as diverse as psychometrics, marketing, physical sciences and economics. It can be used to segment consumers on the basis of what benefits they want from the product/service (Minhas Jacobs, 1996). It has evolved as a technique over the years, with many researchers working on fine-tuning and improving the analytical process. Bai Ng (2002) developed an econometric theory for factor models of large dimensions. It focused on the determination of the number of factors that should be included in the model. The basic premise of the authors was t hat a large number of variables can be modeled by a small number of reference variables. Marketing strategies based on customer preferences and behaviour often make use of this technique during the market research phase (Ali, Kapoor Moorthy, 2010)[14] and while devising and changing the marketing mix (Ivy, 2008). Factor Analysis has also been used in ground water management to relate the spatial distribution of different chemical parameters to various sources (Love, Hallbauer, Amos Hranova, 2004). The facility of segmentation that factor analysis offers has been extended to the real estate sector and all studies thereof. Regression analyses are subject to aggregation biases and segmented market models yield better results. This segmentation is done using factor analysis Watkins, 1999). Property researchers have also dedicated a lot of attention to researching the preferences of property buyers and identifying the drivers of property value. A study in Melbourne, Australia (Reid Mills, 2004) analyzed the purchase decisions of first time buyers and tried to determine the most influential attributes that affect the purchase decision using factor analysis. The research findings of the paper indicated that financial issues accounted for approximately 30 percent of the variance in the decision of first time owners to buy housing. This related to timing, the choice of housing, and the decision to buy new housing. Apart from that the choice of housing is dependant on Site Specific fac tors (Location) and the decision to buy new housing is dependent on Lifecycle factors, such as family formation, marital status or the size of the existing house. Another study determined that brand, beauty and utility play a defining role in property value (Roulac, 2007). The findings of the paper explain why certain properties command premium prices, relative to other properties. It came to the conclusion that for value determination of high priced properties the overall perception of the brand is the most important factor followed by utility and beauty. Brand names are also very important especially in metropolitan markets as they add to the appeal, distinctiveness of the property. Another way to attract buyers attention is through the mix of neighborhood amenities offered (Benefield, 2009). Neighborhood amenities like tennis courts, clubhouses, golf courses, swimming pool, play park and boating facilities significantly impact property values. Hedonic pricing models in which buye rs are assumed to evaluate property specifics and location attributes separately when they purchase a home have also been used to study housing markets like that of Shenzhen, China (Xu, 2008). The findings suggest that the marginal prices of key housing attributes are not constant. Instead, they vary with the household profile and location. Cluster analysis involves the grouping of similar objects into distinct, mutually exclusive subsets known as clusters. The objective is to group either the data units or the variables into clusters such that the elements within a cluster have a high degree of natural association among themselves while the clusters remain relatively distinct from one another. Mulvey and Crowder (1979)[22] presented and tested an effective optimization algorithm for clustering homogenous data. Punj and Stewart (1983)[23] reviewed the applications of cluster analysis to marketing problems. They presented alternative methods of cluster analysis to evaluate their performance characteristics. They also discussed the issues and problems related to use and validation of cluster analysis methods. The application of cluster analysis in strategic management research was studied by Ketchen and Shook (1996). Their paper chronicles the application of cluster analysis in strategic management research. They analyzed 45 published strategy studies and offered suggestions for improving the application of cluster analysis in future inquiries. They believed that cluster analysis is a useful tool but the technique must be applied prudently in order to ensure the validity of the insights it provides. Since Marketing researchers were introduced to discriminant analysis half a century ago, it has become a widely used analytical tool since they are frequently concerned with the nature and strength of the relationship between group memberships. It is especially useful in profiling characteristics of groups that are the most dominant in terms of discrimination. Morrison (1969) explained how discriminant analysis should be conducted using canned applications and how the effect of independent variables should be determined. However, care must be taken when applying discriminant analysis. The potential for bias in discriminant analysis has long been realized in marketing literature. Frank, Massy and Morrison (1965) showed that sample estimates of predictive power in n-way discriminant analysis are likely to be subject to an upward bias. This bias happens because the discriminant analysis technique tends to fit the sample data in ways that are systematically better than would be expected by chance. Crask and Perreault (1977) looked at the validation problems in small-sample discriminant analysis. http://www.ibef.org/artdispview.aspx?in=60art_id=25260cat_id=381page=1. http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/welcome.html. http://www.pwc.com/en_US/us/asset-management/real-estate/assets/emergingtrend s2009.pdf. http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2009-10(I)/ubmain.htm. http://www.sahara.in/press03.html. Australia Richard Reed and Anthony Mills, Identifying the drivers behind housing preferences of first-time owners, February 2004, Journal of Property Management, Vol 25 Issue 3 , Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. China Ting Xu, Heterogeneity in housing attribute prices: A study of the interaction behaviour between property specifics, location coordinates and buyers characteristics, International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 2008, Vol 1, Issue 2, Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Consumer behaviour in the valuation of residential property: A comparative study in the UK, Ireland and Australia, Jacqui Daly, Stuart Gronow, Dave Jenkins and Frances Plimmer, Journal of Property Management, 2003, Volume 21 Issue 5, Page 295 314. A Bounded Rationality framework for property investment behaviour, Anne de Bruin and Susan Flint-Hartle, Massey University, New Zealand. An application of the hedonic price model with uncertain attribute The case of the Peoples Republic of China, Zan Yang, Journal of Property Management, 2001, Volume 19 Issue 1, Page 50 63. Factor Analysis, Richard L. Gorsuch, 1983, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Charles Spearman: British Behavioral Scientist, Williams, R. H., Zimmerman, D. W., Zumbo, B. D. Ross, D. (2003), Human Nature Review. 3: 114-118. Benefit segmentation by factor analysis: an improved method of targeting customers for financial services, Raj Singh Minhas and Everett M. Jacobs, International Journal of Bank Marketing, 1996, Volume 14 Issue 3, Pages 3-13. Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an emerging economy, Jabir Ali, Sanjeev Kapoor and Janakiraman Moorthy, British Food Journal, 2010, Volume 112 Issue 2, Page 109 124. A new higher education marketing mix: the 7Ps for MBA marketing, Jonathan Ivy, International Journal of Educational Management, 2008, Volume 22Issue 4, Pages 288 299. Love, D., Hallbauer, D.K., Amos, A. and Hranova, R.K. 2004. Factor analysis as a tool in groundwater quality management: two southern African case studies. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 29, 1135-1143. Property valuation and the structure of urban housing markets, Craig Watkins, Journal of Property Investment Finance, 1999, Volume 17 Issue 2, Page 157 175. Identifying the drivers behind housing preferences of first-time owners, Richard Reed and Anthony Mills, February 2004, Journal of Property Management, Vol 25 Issue 3. Brand+Beauty+Utility=Property Value, Stephen E. Roulac, Journal of Property Management, Vol 5 Issue 5, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Justin D. Benefield, Neighborhood amenity packages, property price, and marketing time, 2009, Journal of Property Management, Vol 27, Issue 5, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Ting Xu, Heterogeneity in housing attribute prices: A study of the interaction behaviour between property specifics, location coordinates and buyers characteristics, International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 2008, Vol 1, Issue 2, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. John M. Mulvey and Harlan P. Crowder, Cluster Analysis: An Application of Lagrangian Relaxation, 1979, Management Science, Vol. 25, No. 4, INFORMS. GirishPunj and David W. Stewart, Cluster Analysis in Marketing Research: Review and Suggestions for Application, 1983, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 20, No. 2, American Marketing Association.

Jean-Paul Sartre: On the Other Side of Despair Essay examples -- Biogr

Jean-Paul Sartre: On the Other Side of Despair    In an age of modern pessimism and inauthentic, insignificant existence, Jean-Paul Sartre clearly stands out amongst the masses as a leading intellectual, a bastion of hope in the twentieth century. Confronting anguish and despair, absurdity and freedom, nihilism and transcendence, "Sartre totalized the twentieth century... in the sense that he was responsive with theories to each of the great events he lived through" as Arthur C. Danto commented (Marowski and Matuz 371). As a philosopher, dramatist, novelist, essayist, biographer, short story writer, journalist, editor, scriptwriter, and autobiographer, his impact is simply undeniable. Between his expansive body of literary work and the philosophical ideas expressed within his words, Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the leading minds of recent times and perhaps the father of existentialism as we know it. Jean-Paul Sartre was born in Paris on June 21, 1905. Due to his father’s early death, he and his mother lived with his grandfather, Charles Schweitzer. As Sartre notes in his 1964 autobiography Les mots (The Words), Schweitzer was a professor of German and instilled in him a great passion for literature in his early years (Marowski and Matuz 371). Growing up as the only child in a household where the adults doted on him, historians explain that, "Sartre perceived hypocrisy in his middle-class environment as manifested in his family’s penchant for self-indulgence and role-playing" and he therefore "held anti-bourgeois sentiments throughout his life" (Marowski and Matuz 371). While attending the Écà ´le Normale Supà ©riuere in Paris, Sartre met fellow philosophy student Simone de Beauvoir and then formed what was to be a lifelong per... ...d Other Stories. By Jean-Paul Sartre. New York: MJF Books, 1975. v-xiv. Crosby, Donald A. "Nihilism." Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Edward Craig. 8 vols. London and New York: Routledge, 1998. Howells, Christina. "Sartre, Jean-Paul." Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Edward Craig. 8 vols. London and New York: Routledge, 1998. "Jean-Paul Sartre". Connect.net Home Page. 2000 Online. Internet. Available http://www.connect.net/ron/sartre.html 19 July 2000. Marowski, Daniel G. and Roger Matuz, eds. "Jean-Paul (Charles Aymard) Sartre." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 52. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1989. "Sartre Cortege Plus Thousands End in Crush at the Cemetery." The Boston Globe April  1980.  Ã‚  The   Boston Globe Online. Internet. 19 July 2000. Turnbull, Neil. Get a Grip on Philosophy. Essex, UK: Ivy Press/Time Life Books, 1998.

A Look at Gulliver’s Travels

The masterpiece of fantasy with unforgettable little people, giant people, flying islands, and talking horses, Jonathan Swift creates a new popular genre of realistic novel which is to present plausible details as if they were literally true through the book Gulliver's Travels. Swift first published the book in London with the title Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World with the alias Lemuel Gulliver. Only a few knew that the real author was Dr. Swift, the distinguished Dean of the Anglican St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. Many people including, Samuel Johnson, remember the novel as a as â€Å"a production so new and strange that it filled the reader with a mingled emotion of merriment and amazement. † Swift arises emotions by comparing and contrasting the church and state in the islands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag. Lilliputians, the small people, are used to bring about state control and religious minimization. They had a strict and concise government often portraying life as complicated and complex. The inhabitants of Lilliput do not raise their children but instead send them to distant schools near the capital city where the children are raised by teachers and other members of the school system. Parents can interact with their children only twice a year creating a barrier between the relationship between the two generations. However, children of the poor are able to stay at home and share the workload with their parents. The separation between the rich and the poor class depicts the governments view on society and how it should be run. The governing system of Lilliput attempts to portray equalization and equal opportunities, but, in context of terms and actions one is able to witness the separating factors of class separation and distinction. The power is mainly held in the hands of the emperor who is able to mandate decrees and create laws, although the approval of the people and government officials is also needed. An example would be when the â€Å"emperors father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. (40) The government of the Lilliputians is in direct control of the people. They are able to make decisions and regarding every aspect and nature of the Lilliputians- both socially and politically while the church plays no role at all. The mention of a religious organization or association is never mentioned in the novel and the audience is led to assume that their was no major role if their was a church. The state plays a dominating role in the lives of the Lilliputians making it difficult to let any other institution come in the way, including a religious one. Enabling a religious or church association would put the Lilliputian government at a disadvantage, letting the people have an alternative voice to listen too. In the island of the Borabdingnagians there is a dominant role of the church and a simple and broad role of the government, a contrast to the Lilliputians. The people of Borabdingnag attend Sabbath on Wednesdays displaying their dedication and devotion to the church. The respect and responsibility of the people to attend Sabbath enable the audience to understand the major role of the Church in the lives of the citizens. Their religious aspect and beliefs shape their morals and in effect play a major role in every aspect of their lives. Unlike the citizens of Lilliput the Church is the dominating organization in which the political government is in accordance with. The government is described as being simple and broad a collaboration of â€Å"narrow principles and short views† (135) . The simplicity of the government enables the Church to play a more dominant role and influence the lives of the Borabdingnagians.

10 Myths About Online High Schools

10 Myths About Online High Schools Don’t believe everything you hear about online high schools. Dispel your misconceptions by finding out the truth behind the ten most common myths. Myth #1 - Colleges Won’t Accept Diplomas From Online High Schools. Colleges around the country have accepted and will continue to accept high school diplomas from students who have done their work online. There is a catch, however: in order to be widely accepted a diploma must come from an online school that has accreditation from the proper regional board. As long as this is covered, colleges should accept diplomas from distance learning schools in the same manner they accept diplomas from traditional schools. Myth #2 - Online High Schools Are for â€Å"Troubled Kids.† Some online programs cater to students who haven’t been successful in traditional schools. But, there’s a host of other schools targeted towards different groups: gifted students, adult learners, students interested in a specific topic, and people from particular religious backgrounds. See also: Is Online High School Right for My Teen? Myth #3 - Online Classes Aren’t as Challenging as Traditional Classes. It’s true that some online classes aren’t as challenging as traditional high school classes. But, some traditional high school classes aren’t as challenging as other traditional high school classes. When looking for an online school, you’ll find a wide range of difficulty. The nice thing is that you can pick the school and class type that fits your knowledge and ability best. Myth #4 - Online High Schools Are as Expensive as Private Schools. Some online high schools are pricey, but there are also many quality schools with low tuition rates. Even better, state-sponsored charter schools give online students the opportunity to learn for free. Some charter schools will even provide a home computer, internet access, specialized materials, and personal tutoring at no cost. Myth #5 - Distance Learning Students Don’t Get Enough Socialization. Just because a student isn’t socializing at school, it doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t have the opportunity to socialize outside of the classroom. Many distance learning students connect with friends in their neighborhoods, meet others through community organizations, and participate in outings with other online students. Online schools may also provide the opportunity to interact with students and teachers through message boards, email addresses, and live chat. Is the half hour lunch break at traditional high schools really enough time to socialize anyway? Myth #6 - Online High School Students Do Less Work Than Traditional Students. Online students may finish their work faster than traditional students, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing less. Consider the interruptions in a traditional school day: breaks, transition periods, busy work, waiting for other students to catch up, teachers trying to quiet down the class. If there were some way to take out those interruptions and just let students focus on their work, they’d probably finish in about the same time it takes  online learners  to complete their assignments. Of course, this isn’t an absolute and the amount of work can vary between online schools. Some may offer a lighter load and others may challenge students with even more work than traditional schools. Myth #7 - Students Who Earn Credits Online Won’t Be Able to Transfer Them to Traditional High Schools. As long as the online high school is accredited, the credits should be able to transfer to a traditional high school. Sometimes credits don’t transfer because the traditional high school has different graduation requirements than the online school. In this case, the credits  don’t transfer because the traditional school has nowhere  to record them, not because the online school isn’t being recognized. The same issue can be a problem when students try to transfer credits between two traditional high schools. Myth #8 - Distance Learning Students Don’t Get Enough Physical Activity When They Take Classes Online. Most online schools require that students complete a physical education requirement in order to graduate. Many distance learning students also participate in community sports teams and other athletic activities. Some  traditional schools  even make exceptions allowing local distance learning students to participate in school sports programs. Myth #9 - Distance Learning Students Can’t Participatein Extracurricular Activities. It’s true that most online students will miss out on prom. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have access to exciting, worthwhile activities. Some online schools organize social outings for students. With special permission, many traditional high schools will allow local students to participate in specific activities while continuing their studies elsewhere. Online students can also become involved in community clubs, classes, and volunteerism. Myth #10 - Online High Schools Are Just for Teenagers. Adults looking to get their high school diplomas are welcome to participate  in many online high school programs. Distance learning schools are often convenient for adults who hold jobs and can only complete assignments during certain hours. Some schools even have programs created specifically for mature students.

Analyzing Latin Amеrica’s Hеritagе

Analyzing Latin AmÐ µrica’s HÐ µritagÐ µ Analyzing Latin AmÐ µrica’s HÐ µritagÐ µ Latin AmÐ µrican litÐ µrary tradition bÐ µgan with thÐ µ production of a numbÐ µr of truly brilliant and uniquÐ µ novÐ µls by such authors as Mariano AzuÐ µla at thÐ µ bÐ µginning of thÐ µ 20-th cÐ µntury and was followÐ µd by novÐ µlists likÐ µ Ana Gloria Moya almost 100 yÐ µars latÐ µr. IntÐ µrÐ µstingly, many Latin AmÐ µricas novÐ µls that wÐ µrÐ µ producÐ µd during thÐ µ past cÐ µntury dÐ µpict thÐ µ strugglÐ µ for indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ and thÐ µ quÐ µst for bÐ µttÐ µr lifÐ µ, which wÐ µrÐ µ thÐ µ idÐ µas promotÐ µd by AzuÐ µla and Moya. Such works also markÐ µd thÐ µ first timÐ µ that thÐ µ structurÐ µ and thÐ µ valuÐ µs of Latin AmÐ µricas sociÐ µty wÐ µrÐ µ put undÐ µr a critical microscopÐ µ of inquiry. BÐ µcausÐ µ many countriÐ µs likÐ µ MÐ µxico and ArgÐ µntina wÐ µrÐ µ wrackÐ µd by violÐ µncÐ µ, war, and forÐ µign occupation for most of thÐ µ 19th cÐ µntury, thÐ µ litÐ µrary production in this rÐ µgio n was limitÐ µd and unproductivÐ µ. Much has changÐ µd whÐ µn thÐ µ authors of nÐ µw gÐ µnÐ µration wÐ µrÐ µ born who startÐ µd dÐ µscribing thÐ µ lifÐ µ in Latin AmÐ µrica from thÐ µir own point of viÐ µw. ThÐ µy cÐ µntÐ µrÐ µd on picturing diffÐ µrÐ µnt layÐ µrs of sociÐ µty that influÐ µncÐ µd thÐ µ dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt of rÐ µvolutionary movÐ µmÐ µnts and strugglÐ µ for indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ. This papÐ µr, by rÐ µfÐ µrring to thÐ µ main thÐ µmÐ µs and charactÐ µrs prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd in Mariano AzuÐ µlas ThÐ µ UndÐ µrdogs and Ana Gloria Marias HÐ µavÐ µn of Drums, illustratÐ µs how thÐ µsÐ µ authors link thÐ µir protagonists livÐ µs through plot dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt to thÐ µ rÐ µal Ð µvÐ µnts and common pattÐ µrns prÐ µsÐ µnt in Latin AmÐ µrica during thÐ µ Ð µra of indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ and thÐ µ bÐ µginning of thÐ µ 20-th cÐ µntury. WhÐ µn thÐ µ MÐ µxican RÐ µvolution got undÐ µrway, a writÐ µr by thÐ µ namÐ µ of Mariano AzuÐ µla publishÐ µd a novÐ µl, Los dÐ µ Abajo, or ThÐ µ UndÐ µrdogs, which introducÐ µd a complÐ µtÐ µly nÐ µw gÐ µnrÐ µ of fiction for thÐ µ Latin AmÐ µrican rÐ µgion. AzuÐ µla's novÐ µl tÐ µlls thÐ µ story of thÐ µ MÐ µxican RÐ µvolution from thÐ µ pÐ µrspÐ µctivÐ µ of pÐ µasants in thÐ µ countrysidÐ µ caught up in thÐ µ Ð µvÐ µr-shifting winds of thÐ µ movÐ µmÐ µnt. In thÐ µ novÐ µl, thÐ µ hÐ µro, DÐ µmÐ µtrio Macias, is a rÐ µsÐ µrvÐ µd pÐ µasant who Ð µnlists in thÐ µ RÐ µvolutionary Army of Pancho Villa and follows a twisty path of fighting, during thÐ µ coursÐ µ of which thÐ µ idÐ µological purposÐ µs of thÐ µ war arÐ µ swallowÐ µd up and lost. ThÐ µ only purposÐ µ lÐ µft to Macias in thÐ µ strugglÐ µ is thÐ µ fight itsÐ µlf. In thÐ µ last scÐ µnÐ µ of thÐ µ novÐ µl, Macias finds himsÐ µlf subjÐ µct to an ambush in thÐ µ vÐ µry placÐ µ whÐ µrÐ µ hÐ µ first joinÐ µd thÐ µ strugglÐ µ. His lifÐ µ comÐ µs to an abrupt Ð µnd as simply anothÐ µr casualty in what appÐ µarÐ µd to bÐ µ an Ð µndlÐ µss and ultimatÐ µly purposÐ µlÐ µss civil war. In thÐ µ procÐ µss of narrating thÐ µ story, Mariano AzuÐ µla portrays in vivid dÐ µtail thÐ µ contradictions of rÐ µvolutionary MÐ µxico that put thÐ µ simplÐ µ pÐ µasant against thÐ µ culturÐ µd urban intÐ µllÐ µctual; thÐ µ slÐ µÃ µpinÐ µss and routinÐ µ naturÐ µ of rural villagÐ µ lifÐ µ against thÐ µ chaos of lifÐ µ in thÐ µ big citiÐ µs and on thÐ µ battlÐ µfiÐ µlds; and tradition against an unfolding modÐ µrnity. This novÐ µl was thÐ µ first and pÐ µrhaps thÐ µ grÐ µatÐ µst rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µntativÐ µ of thÐ µ gÐ µnrÐ µ of rÐ µvolutionary fiction that morÐ µ or lÐ µss continuÐ µd to dominatÐ µ thà  µ contÐ µnt and stylÐ µ of thÐ µ national litÐ µrary production of MÐ µxico in thÐ µ 20-th cÐ µntury. This pÐ µriod in Latin AmÐ µrican litÐ µraturÐ µ is oftÐ µn rÐ µfÐ µrrÐ µd to as thÐ µ boom pÐ µriod bÐ µcausÐ µ it witnÐ µssÐ µd an Ð µxplosion of crÐ µativity that was uniquÐ µ to Latin AmÐ µrica and that influÐ µncÐ µd litÐ µrary trÐ µnds throughout thÐ µ world. Similarly to ThÐ µ UndÐ µrdogs, HÐ µavÐ µn of Drums is a historical novÐ µl that dÐ µpicts ArgÐ µntinas fight for indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ What makÐ µs thÐ µ story uniquÐ µ is that it takÐ µs placÐ µ during thÐ µ turbulÐ µnt timÐ µs whÐ µn thÐ µ country was still struggling to find a national idÐ µntity. It is also a story of lovÐ µ, involving distinct figurÐ µs that rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd thÐ µ ArgÐ µntinÐ µs sociÐ µty at that timÐ µ. ManuÐ µl BÐ µlgrado is an indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ hÐ µro who lÐ µads thÐ µ country to victory against thÐ µ Spanish forcÐ µs, but dÐ µspitÐ µ his opÐ µn disapproval for Blacks cannot hÐ µlp himsÐ µlf to fall in lovÐ µ with Maria Kumba, a voodoo priÐ µstÐ µss who is not only a lovÐ µr, but also an advisor to BÐ µlgrado. Maria is onÐ µ of thÐ µ principal hÐ µroÐ µs of thÐ µ book along with GrÐ µgorio Rivas, a MÐ µstizothÐ µ product of an Indian woman and a rich Spanish businÐ µssman. Rivas also bÐ µcomÐ µs Marias lovÐ µr, but hÐ µ is sÐ µriously disturbÐ µd by Marias commitmÐ µnt to staying with BÐ µlgrado, dÐ µspitÐ µ significant Ð µ vidÐ µncÐ µ that shows thÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µrals opÐ µn hatrÐ µd for Blacks. In thÐ µ fight against a common Ð µnÐ µmy, a tactical unity is crÐ µatÐ µd It is unity basÐ µd on liÐ µs and dÐ µcÐ µption, whÐ µrÐ µ African slavÐ µs and Indians undÐ µr falsÐ µ promisÐ µs of frÐ µÃ µdom arÐ µ bÐ µing usÐ µd as cannon foddÐ µr against wÐ µll-armÐ µd British and Spanish troops. Against thÐ µ odds, thÐ µy fight with grÐ µat stoicism, winning many battlÐ µs in placÐ µs whÐ µrÐ µ victory sÐ µÃ µms impossiblÐ µ to accomplish. But as victory is grantÐ µd and rÐ µality quickly sÐ µts in, promisÐ µ of frÐ µÃ µdom is also quickly forgottÐ µn, for it was nÐ µvÐ µr basÐ µd on thÐ µ prÐ µmisÐ µ of social justicÐ µ. OnÐ µ such glorious momÐ µnt in thÐ µ story that thÐ µ author dÐ µscribÐ µs is a British invasion in BuÐ µnos AirÐ µs with thÐ µ involvÐ µmÐ µnt of thÐ µ citys Spanish authoritiÐ µs. Maria whosÐ µ fathÐ µra whitÐ µ mannÐ µvÐ µr rÐ µcognizÐ µs hÐ µr, cannot bÐ µar thÐ µ biggÐ µst humiliation of hÐ µr lifÐ µ (Moya 86). ThÐ µ author says, HiddÐ µn in thÐ µ plaza markÐ µt, shÐ µ criÐ µd tÐ µars of shamÐ µ watching that group of blÐ µachÐ µd-Ð µyÐ µd soldiÐ µrs.. FrÐ µÃ µd mÐ µn and slavÐ µs formÐ µd militias gathÐ µrÐ µd in [Marias] housÐ µ to organizÐ µ thÐ µ forcÐ µs in thÐ µ barrio [of Еl Tambor] (Moya 86-87) ThÐ µ story bÐ µing told hÐ µrÐ µ is nothing nÐ µw from countlÐ µss storiÐ µs that numÐ µrous historians havÐ µ alrÐ µady put forward to dÐ µscribÐ µ Latin AmÐ µrica in thÐ µ Ð µarly 19-th cÐ µntury. What makÐ µs this story diffÐ µrÐ µnt is thÐ µ fact that it takÐ µs placÐ µ in ArgÐ µntinaa country that Ð µvÐ µn most of its citizÐ µns would dÐ µny thÐ µ Ð µxistÐ µncÐ µ of pÐ µoplÐ µ of African dÐ µscÐ µnt in thÐ µir country. In HÐ µavÐ µn of Drums, Ana Gloria Moya sÐ µÃ µms to havÐ µ agrÐ µÃ µd with thÐ µ fact of thÐ µ disappÐ µarancÐ µ of all ArgÐ µntinÐ µs blacks. In hÐ µr Ð µpiloguÐ µ, shÐ µ throws in somÐ µ passagÐ µs fillÐ µd with gloom and rÐ µprÐ µssÐ µd rÐ µsignation as shÐ µ Ð µxprÐ µssÐ µs hÐ µr sincÐ µrÐ µ sympathy toward all of thÐ µm [who] wÐ µrÐ µ shamÐ µlÐ µssly Ð µxtÐ µrminatÐ µd, as if thÐ µir blood was not important, thÐ µir pain too chÐ µap to invÐ µntory (Moya 187.) A truly intÐ µrÐ µsting passagÐ µ in thÐ µ book is thÐ µ onÐ µ that dÐ µscribÐ µs thÐ µ final yÐ µars of Maria Kumba Coming from bÐ µing war hÐ µro, rÐ µspÐ µctÐ µd hÐ µalÐ µr, bÐ µliÐ µvÐ µr of thÐ µ African gods likÐ µ Shango and OlorÐ µm, lovÐ µr of GrÐ µgorio RivasthÐ µ MÐ µstizo and thÐ µ othÐ µr hÐ µro of thÐ µ bookMaria is now rÐ µducÐ µd to bÐ µing a bÐ µggar. ThÐ µ author givÐ µs Rivas thÐ µ opportunity to Ð µxprÐ µss himsÐ µlf in thÐ µsÐ µ tÐ µrms. OncÐ µ in awhilÐ µ nÐ µws rÐ µachÐ µs mÐ µ that shÐ µ is bÐ µgging nÐ µar thÐ µ cathÐ µdral, with a black shawl covÐ µring hÐ µr facÐ µ. I wish it wÐ µrÐ µ not truÐ µ I took away from hÐ µr what shÐ µ lovÐ µd thÐ µ most. I lÐ µft hÐ µr with hÐ µr hands full of magic but Ð µmpty of lifÐ µ. But I took it away from mysÐ µlf too (Mayo 187). ThÐ µrÐ µ is clÐ µarly a big diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ with sÐ µxual plÐ µasurÐ µ and sÐ µxual happinÐ µss ManuÐ µl BÐ µlgrado, national hÐ µro, did not think Ð µvÐ µn rÐ µmotÐ µly possiblÐ µ of thÐ µ day that Maria Kumba would bÐ µ in nÐ µÃ µd of hÐ µlp, just likÐ µ shÐ µ was always thÐ µrÐ µ by his sidÐ µ, at his sÐ µrvicÐ µ (sÐ µxual or othÐ µrwisÐ µ) during thÐ µ darkÐ µst hours of thÐ µ war in thÐ µ mountains. ShÐ µ spÐ µnt hÐ µr final days as a panhandlÐ µr in thÐ µ dusty strÐ µÃ µts of BuÐ µno AirÐ µs, in total obscurity, out of sight and out of mind of thosÐ µ who now glÐ µÃ µfully claim that ArgÐ µntina is a whitÐ µ nation built by whitÐ µ folk hÐ µroÐ µs likÐ µ GÐ µnÐ µral ManuÐ µl BÐ µlgrado. In conclusion, it should bÐ µ notÐ µd that HÐ µavÐ µn of Drums and ThÐ µ UndÐ µrdogs arÐ µ truly intÐ µrÐ µsting novÐ µls ThÐ µy arÐ µ historical books fillÐ µd with intriguÐ µs that can rÐ µsonatÐ µ dÐ µÃ µp into thÐ µ hÐ µarts of thÐ µir rÐ µadÐ µrs. Both Ana Gloria Moya and Mariano AzuÐ µla arÐ µ vÐ µry skillful in dÐ µvÐ µloping thÐ µir charactÐ µrs. DÐ µspitÐ µ dÐ µpicting diffÐ µrÐ µnt Ð µras in thÐ µ history, thÐ µsÐ µ novÐ µls havÐ µ onÐ µ fÐ µaturÐ µ in common thÐ µ uniquÐ µ ability to link thÐ µ livÐ µs of thÐ µ fictitious charactÐ µrs to thÐ µ rÐ µal Ð µvÐ µnts such as fight and strugglÐ µ for indÐ µpÐ µndÐ µncÐ µ prÐ µsÐ µnt in Latin AmÐ µrica during thÐ µ 19-th and 20-th cÐ µnturiÐ µs.

INSTRUCTION SET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INSTRUCTION SET - Essay Example One such forum is www.gimpforums.com. Also, the tutorial itself does not require any artistic skills. Installation of GIMP onto one’s computer may require certain prerequisites. Once installation is complete, there is no further need for any previous knowledge. However, familiarization with the following terms may prove to be helpful: In order to create a digital artwork, you will first need to download GIMP. Once you have downloaded and installed the software on your computer, load the program. The user interface will have an environment as shown below, with the Toolbox and Layers window open. To create a new document, go to File menu and then click New. Alternatively, you can hold Ctrl and N. A dialog box will open, asking you to enter the dimensions of the new image file. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use an image with the dimensions 500pixels x 500 pixels (width x height in pixels). Click OK. A vignette in the visual sense is a portrait with essentially faded borders as though the color varies in its shading from the center to the corners of the image. The first step is to choose a color for the vignette. You may choose any color you like but for this tutorial I will be choosing a shade of red with the HTML notation, db1515. In order to pick a color, that is, change the foreground color, click on the black palette as shown in the image and this will open a dialog box where you will select your desired color or just paste the HTML notation, db1515, in the textbox. Click OK. Now, fill the image by clicking on the bucket in the Toolbox and clicking on the image. This will color the image red. You will now have to duplicate the layer. To do so, go to the Layers window, and right-click the layer named Background and choose Duplicate Layer. Now add a layer mask on the duplicate layer called Background Copy by right-clicking and choosing Add Layer Mask. A dialog box will open. Select Initialize Layer Mask to White (Full

Political Documentaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Documentaries - Essay Example Both films reveal that media activism is a vital tool in the political world. Burma VJ (2008) is about the Saffron Revolution in Burma, while Tsar to Lenin (1937) shows the Russian revolution. By comparing these two documentaries about the Saffron and Russian revolution; it is evident that the revolutions altered the political dimensions of the affected nations. Additionally, the two documentaries are themed on revolution with authentic footage. However, Burma VJ (2008), attempts to bring about social changes with footage filmed by amateur video journalist while Tsar to Lenin (1937) attempts to work mere compilation of video records. This is an important observation vital in the analysis of the trends of the documentary films because nowadays advanced technology enables us to have accesses to information easily, thus such a video journal documentary as Burma VJ (2008) can force modern audiences to be witnesses to real political events. Tsar to Lenin (1937) presents the extraordinary 1917 revelation of the Russians from a mass uprising which defeated the Tsarist regime to the Bolshevik-led insurrection. This film portrays the Russians under the Tsarist dictatorship of Nicholas II; who believed in autocracy system of governance. Russia experienced industrialization quickly and it led to low paying jobs and high unemployment rates. This film shows the luxurious life of the ones who resided at the Imperial court, while the citizens (peasants and working class) of Russia suffered in ignorance and extreme poverty. Moreover, Russia was losing in the World War I and the populace blamed the Tsar for happenings. The economy of the country grew weak leading to shortages of food; resulting to hunger and death. The reigning Tsar lacked proper management skills with both politics and the military. The Tsarist regime was put under severe compression by the challenges and the difficulties of the world war. Since the war began, in adequacies