Christian Missionary Activity on Indigenous African Religion 1800

Christian Missionary Activity on Indigenous African Religion 1800 Introduction Religion is a very complex and wide issue. It can be defined as a set of beliefs in regard to the various aspects associated with the universe for example its cause, nature and purpose. The universe is perceived as the creation of a supernatural being and hence there are devotional practices and ritual performances that are directed towards the relationship between people and the superhuman being and a set of codes that oversee the way people attached to a certain religion behave.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Missionary Activity on Indigenous African Religion 1800-1900s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It can also be said to be a particular set of beliefs and practices established and approved by a group of individuals such as Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian religions. Various parties were involved with the changes that have been experienced in the indigenous African religion. Christian mis sionary is one major factor that cannot be underemphasized when talking about religion in Africa. This piece of work looks at the issue of Christian missionary activity on indigenous African religion in the 19th and 20th century. The focus will be on the extent to which Christian missionary activity effectively suppresses the religious traditions which in one way or the other strived to replace it. The focus will be on the Europeans experiences with indigenous African religions especially those in East Africa. Background information Traditional or indigenous religion has been there as long as human beings have lived. In Africa, it was orally transmitted as opposed to the use of the scripture. There has been not much distinction when it comes to concepts of Islam and Christianity in most parts of Africa. This is because these aspects usually co-exist with components of indigenous spirituality. Although there have been a controversy on whether Islam should be termed as a traditional r eligion, a significant number of people argue that it is a traditional African religion based on the fact that it not only co-exist in Africa but it has also been absorbed into the African culture. Christian religion is also not a new aspect but rather a concept that have existed for approximately 2000 years. It mainly entails following the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Although the initial Christian church faced a lot of challenges and opposition from the Roman officials, Christianity spread rapidly. Right from the beginning, there was the belief that it is the responsibility of Christians to share their religious beliefs in an effort of converting others into Christianity. Starting from the early 19th century to the end of the 20th century, a significant number of Christian missionaries from different parts such as North America, Europe as well as West Indies was all over Africa. The work of Christian missionaries was enhanced in a way by the European colonialism. The main g oal of the missionaries was to spread Christianity as wide as possible through converting as many Africans as possible. This was made possible through teaching and preaching about Christianity1.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discussion General Overview Christian missionary is an aspect that is highly associated with the changes that have taken place in the field of religion in different parts of Africa. A Christian missionary can be defined as a member of a Christian-related religious group or association who is sent in specific areas with an aim of perpetrating some evangelism services such as education and promotion of literacy, promoting some economic development, enhancing social justice in some settings and more so teaching religious issues to the communities. The teachings could either be aimed at converting the people to some beliefs and practices or else t o inform them so that they may make an informed decision in regard to religious practices. Christian missionary activity in African countries between the 19th and 20th centuries was not without some notable impacts but rather, some of its effects are still felt up to the present times. Just like any other aspect Christian missionary activity is linked with both positive as well as negative effects on many aspects more especially indigenous African religion. Although it is clear that there were positive changes brought about by the Christian missionary activity, it is much easier to spot the negative attributes for instance where the African were forced into some practices instead of being given the freedom to choose on how to live their religious lives. All in all, from the available literature on this topic of discussion, it is evident that there existed the concept of religious syncretism where there were instances of a variation of beliefs among the individuals involved. This is more so because of the diversity that exist among human beings making uniformity in ideas and perceptions to be somehow a hard concept to achieve. This difference helps in bringing out both positive as well as negative attributes that are associated with Christian missionary activity2. Although the Whites or rather the non-Africans were involved with most of the missionary related work especially the preaching of the gospel, the process was not effective until the Africans themselves were actively involved in the work, either voluntarily or under some pressures from the missionaries. This was more so when it came to the issue of preaching the gospel with the name of bringing about some desirable changes among the African communities, or rather changing some of the beliefs that were so much engraved into the indigenous African religious beliefs to fit the beliefs of the missionaries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Missionary Activity on Indigenous African Religion 1800-1900s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Missionary work through the Africans was deemed to be more effective than that perpetrated by the Whites since they were able to understand the Africans better and interact with them using their local languages. Some of the active African missionary groups include the National Baptist convention and the African Episcopal Methodists among other groups. In as much as there is usually a strong belief that Christianity brought about by missionaries was a form of suppression of the indigenous African religions, there was more to this as this research will clearly reveal to us. Much evident can also be deduced from the situation that prevails in religion today. There are still varied religious beliefs shaped by what different religious groups perceive to be right and wrong, based on some doctrinal backgrounds. Form this reason; we can therefore state that the Christian missionaries had both positive and negative effects towards the African religions although the positive impacts seem to surpass the negative ones. This is because the missionary activities were accompanied by a lot of social and economic developments. In the process of perpetrating their missions in different African countries, the missionaries faced some challenges in the form of rejection and resistance from the African. This can be drawn from the natural attitude exhibited by human beings as they tend to resist change mainly because of some doubt in a new aspect or else because of the fear of the unknown and the need to adapt to the changes. For this reason, we can find some instances where there existed different levels of conflict between the Christian missionaries and the Africans. Despite the conflicts, there still exist some instances of friendly coexistence between Christianity and the indigenous African religious traditions. The conflicts arose when the Christian missionaries decided to re voke traditional practices in an unruly manner rather than impacting sense into the Africans or incorporating the changes in the existing practices. Friendly coexistence on the other hand was experienced whenever there was mutual benefit to be achieved by parties, the missionaries and the Africans3. In order to gain a deeper understanding of this issue it is good to ask ourselves about the various issues and circumstances that surrounded the issue of conversion from traditional religious beliefs into the so called modernized Christian missionary beliefs. A brief analysis of the conversion process is also crucial.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conversion entails changing the traditional Africans and the Muslims into Christianity and their practices. Although the conversion process out to be a smooth one, without force, it was not the case but rather the missionaries opted to achieve their target and goals irrespective of the means they used without caring about the consequences involved. This left some people to suffer as a result of opposing what the missionaries wanted. From research, it is evident that the conversion processes was in most cases associated with a lot of evil, deception, persecution as well as exploitation. Despite this, we still cannot underemphasize the fact that the conversion also had some benefits. In as much this paper focuses on Christianity as the main religion of discussion, there is need to cover the concept of Islam especially in the in the context of being a product of slave trade in different parts of East Africa. Christianity has been associated with slave trade. For instance the Roman Cath olic Church and other protestant religious groups in Europe did not contest slave trade. Some even used the bible to base their arguments about slavery and slave trade. Muslims were however the majority of people who were on the receiving end. This does not however imply that Christians and members of other religions were not involved in the slavery trade. There has been great struggle between Christianity and Islam where the Christians usually perceive themselves to be more superior to the Muslims. For this reason, the Christians have been on the fight towards outdoing the Muslims in different ways especially through converting them into Christianity. However, it has not been a smooth move but rather one full of conflicts especially due to the fact that there are very parallel beliefs between the Islamic and Christianity religions. Each religion tries to defend itself based on the doctrinal beliefs and so the only solution left is to respect each other and look for ways through whi ch they can both co-exist in harmony and peace. This is part of exercising freedom of religion or rather worship. Nevertheless, with the passage of time some Christians were able to stand against slave trade. They strategically used the bible to oppose slavery as they could not really point out the scriptures that advocated for slavery. African Christians are also credited for their fight to abolish slavery. Through their anti-slavery movements, most slaves converted into Christianity and hence helping greatly to the achievement of the Christian missionaries’ main agenda. Following the existence of numerous changes that have taken place in the indigenous African religion as a result of Christian missionary activity, there has been a notable increase in the attempts to come up with a global church history that in one way or the other reflects the changed realities and at the same time, exposes all aspects that are associated with everything that surrounded the changes. Various writers have tried to bring out the issue in different perspectives all in an effort of enhancing understanding of the issue among people. For further understanding of the concept of Christianity, I would suggest that there be comprehensive comparative studies in the history of Christianity and its role in transforming the indigenous African religion4. Apart from discussing the topic in general I will take some African countries as examples to enhance our understanding in regard to the changes experienced in indigenous African religion as a result of the Christian missionary activity. Some of the countries that I will cover include Botswana, Zimbabwe as well as South Africa. Zimbabwe and Religion Just like any other, Traditional Zimbabwe religion is unique. What is clear is that the religion has a strong monotheistic profession of faith which is rooted in the belief of a Supreme creator or God. However, there has been a change that was brought out by the Christian missionary activi ty in the country. The faith that prevails among the communities in Zimbabwe is now melded into a part traditional and part Christian. The joint faith has gathered a lot of support from the local community. The traditional concept of this two-sided faith in Zimbabwe is entrenched in the custom of presenting all prayer needs to the supreme God mainly through the family ancestors. There was some form of opposition in the course of adapting the new beliefs that were brought about by the missionaries. A notable example was when the Ndebele took up arms against the European missionaries in the year 1986. This was after a consultation and agreement was made between priests and the so called oracles of ‘the place of the benevolent spirits’. The early Christian missionaries in this country realized the holiness of the Shona and Ndebele and more so the strong belief they had upon their God. For this reason, they opted to adopt the local concept into their scriptural teachings an d practices making it one and the same with the Christian faith. This made things better since the missionary Christianity did not seem to be a completely new concept and thus did not face a lot of opposition as a result of the change. There is a coexistence of the traditional religion and the modern Christianity concepts. A significant percentage of the country’s population has however believed in Christianity outright mainly the Roman Catholic. Nonetheless there are great followers of denominations such as the Anglican, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventists, Apostolic, Presbyterian, Salvation Army as well as Baptist. The first missionary stations were established in the year 1859 at Inyati and at hope fountain in 1870. The two were controlled by the London Missionary Society. Other mission centres followed as years passed by. The Zimbabweans took a relatively long time before they took charge of the missionary related activities such as teaching and preaching. Although Zimbabwe religion is dominated by Christianity, it also has some Hindus, Muslims and Jews5. Botswana and Religion This is a republic in central southern Africa. The first missionaries to perpetrate Christianity activity in Botswana were Elder Bruce Midgley and his wife by the name of Sister Patricia Midgley under the direction of Pres. R.J. Snow, the then South Africa Johannesburg Mission leader. Approximately 50 percent of the total population in Botswana is Christian. The missionaries considered Botswana to be a very promising country where the gospel would be easily spread and in future, many stations ought to be set up to reinforce Christianity missions. In a nutshell, despite the fact that Botswana cannot be claimed to be an absolute Christian country, it is evident that the Christian faith in the country has played a critical role in nation building through bringing about a lot of development projects as well as promoting high levels of education and literacy among the communities. Th e most notable Christian church in the country is the London Missionary Society/ the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. This church among other religious groups greatly changed the beliefs that were engraved in the indigenous African religion. Christianity effects can also be felt in other sectors for instance the economy, politics as well as education. It also changed the way of life of the people in Botswana as they had changed perceptions towards various life issues. The London Missionary Society aimed at converting the Batswana to Christianity and thus they persuaded the people to do away with the traditional practices they were used to for instance polygamy, rain making, alcohol, witchcraft, initiation schools as well as dowry issues that in one way or the other contradicted with Christianity practices. Even currently, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) leads in various developmental projects in Botswana for instance in politics, education , health as well as politics6. South Africa and Religion South Africa was also not exempted from Christian missionary activity. Right towards the end of the 18th century, European missionaries played a pivotal role in the transformation of the African community in South Africa. Christianity in this region came along with other aspects of civilization and development. European missionary’s activity in South Africa is a concept that is very interesting in that it had a lot of contribution in the region. The missionaries for instance aimed at serving humanity and more so bringing about social and other changes aimed at improving their quality of life. They however had a negative side where they were so much into moral righteousness that they saw the Africans to be very wrong and judged their practices wrongly due to lack of understanding. It is important to note that missionaries and Christianity were accepted in South Africa as a result of the positive changes they were able to bring along for instance on the side of technological advancement like irrigation practices. It is also worth noting that it was not an easy aspect for the missionaries to covert the Africans in South Africa since most of them had other personal agendas such as the attainment of psychological security and to gain other material advantage other then spiritual reasons. Converts were also not appreciated by the rest of the society and for this reasons it took a relatively long time for the missionaries to reach their target in South Africa7. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident there exist a lot of discussion elements in relation to the topic of study; Christian Missionary Activity on Indigenous African Religion in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Christian missionaries are associated with bringing a lot of changes among the African communities not only in regard to religious issues but also when it comes to other general life aspects for instance literacy and education as well as economic developments among other aspects. All in all, Religion is a very complex and wide issue. Various parties were involved with the changes that have been experienced in the indigenous African religion, the Christian missionaries being a major element. The main goal of the missionaries was to spread Christianity as wide as possible through converting as many Africans as possible. This was made possible through teaching and preaching about Christianity among the local African communities. Although the Whites or rather the non-Africans were involved with most of the missionary related work especially the preaching of the gospel, the process was not effective until the Africans themselves were actively involved in the work, either voluntarily or under some pressures from the missionaries. The Africans are therefore deemed to have played a great role in effecting the changes that were experienced in the indigenous African religion. Bibliography Chidester, D. (2001). Chr istianity: A Global History. New York, Penguin. Chidester, D. (1996). Savage systems: colonialism and comparative religion in southern Africa. Cape Town, University Press of Virginia. Cool, E.D and Cool, M.S. (1990). â€Å"Missionary work begins in Botswana† Web. Zvobgo, J.M.C (1996). A History of Christian Missions in Zimbabwe, 1890-1939. Gweru, Mambo Press, Zambezia XXIV (ii) 412pp. Footnotes 1 D. Chidester (2001). Christianity: A Global History. New York, Penguin 2 D. Chidester (1996). Savage systems: colonialism and comparative religion in southern Africa. Cape Town, University Press of Virginia 3 D. Chidester (2001). Christianity: A Global History. New York, Penguin 4 D. Chidester (1996). Savage systems: colonialism and comparative religion in southern Africa. Cape Town, University Press of Virginia 5 J.M.C Zvobgo (1996). A History of Christian Missions in Zimbabwe, 1890-1939. Gweru, Mambo Press, Zambezia XXIV (ii) 412pp 6 E.D Cool and M.S. Cool (1990). â€Å"Missionary work begins in Botswana† 7 D. Chidester (1996). Savage systems: colonialism and comparative religion in southern Africa. Cape Town, University Press of Virginia

Summary of Sartres The Transcendence of the Ego

Summary of Sartres The Transcendence of the Ego The Transcendence of the Ego  is a philosophical essay published by  Jean Paul Sartre  in 1936. In it, he sets out his view that the self or ego is not itself something that one is aware of. The model of consciousness that Sartre  provides in this essay  may be outlined as follows. Consciousness is always intentional; that is, it is always and necessarily consciousness of something. The object of consciousness can be almost any kind of thing: a physical object, a proposition, a state of affairs, a recollected image or moodanything that consciousness can apprehend. This is the â€Å"principle of intentionality† that forms the starting point for Husserls phenomenology.   Sartre radicalizes this principle by asserting that consciousness is nothing but intentionality. This means conceiving of consciousness as a pure activity, and denying that there is any ego which lies within, behind or beneath consciousness as its source or necessary condition. The justification of this claim is one of Sartres main purposes in The Transcendence of the Ego. Sartre first distinguishes between two modes of consciousness: unreflecting consciousness and reflecting consciousness. Unreflecting consciousness is simply my usual consciousness of things other than consciousness itself: birds, bees, a piece of music, the meaning of a sentence, a recollected face, etc. According to Sartre consciousness simultaneously posits and grasps its objects. And he describes such consciousness as positional and as thetic. What he means by these terms is not entirely clear, but he seems to be referring to the fact that in my consciousness of anything there is both activity and passivity. Consciousness of an object is positional in that it posits the object: that is, it directs itself to the object (e.g. an apple, or a tree) and attends to it. It is â€Å"thetic† in that consciousness confronts its object as something given to it, or as something that has already been posited. Sartre also claims that consciousness, even when it is unreflecting, is always minimally conscious of itself. This mode of consciousness he describes as non-positional and non-thetic indicating that in this mode, consciousness does not posit itself as an object, nor is it confronted by itself. Rather, this irreducible self-awareness is taken to be an invariable quality of both unreflecting and reflecting consciousness. A reflecting consciousness is one that is positing itself as its object. Fundamentally, says Sartre, the reflecting consciousness and the consciousness that is the object of reflection (the reflected consciousness) are identical. Nevertheless, we can distinguish between them, at least in abstraction, and so talk about two consciousnesses here: the reflecting and the reflected.  Ã‚   His main purpose in analyzing self-consciousness is to show that self-reflection does not support the thesis that there is an ego situated within or behind consciousness. He first distinguishes two kinds of reflection: (1) reflection on an earlier state of consciousness that is recalled to mind by memory–so this earlier state now becomes an object of present consciousness; and (2) reflection in the immediate present where consciousness takes itself as it is now for its object. Retrospective reflection of the first kind, he argues, reveals only an unreflecting consciousness of objects along with the non-positional self-awareness that is an invariable feature of consciousness. It does not reveal the presence of an I within consciousness.  Reflection of the second kind, which is the kind that Descartes is engaged in when he asserts â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† might be thought more likely to reveal this I. Sartre denies this, however, arguing that the I that conscious ness is commonly thought to encounter here is, in fact, the product of reflection. In the second half of the essay, he offers his explanation of how this occurs. Brief Summary Briefly, his account runs as follows. Discrete moments of reflective consciousness are unified by being interpreted as emanating from my states, actions, and characteristics, all of which extend beyond the present moment of reflection. For example, my consciousness of detesting something now and my consciousness of detesting the same thing at some other moment are united by the idea that I hate that thinghatred being a state that persists beyond the moments of conscious detestation. Actions perform a similar function. Thus, when Descartes asserts I am now doubting his consciousness is not engaged in a pure reflection on itself as it is at the present instant. He is allowing an awareness that this present moment of doubt is part of an action that began earlier and will continue for some time to inform his reflection. The discrete moments of doubt are unified by the action, and this unity is expressed in the I which he includes in his assertion.   The ego, then, is not discovered in reflection but is created by it. It is not, however, an abstraction, or a mere idea. Rather, it is the concrete totality of my reflective states of consciousness, constituted by them in the way that a melody is constituted by discrete notes. We do, says Sartre, apprehend the ego out of the corner of our eye when we reflect; but if we try to focus on it and make it the object of consciousness it necessarily disappears, since it only comes into being through consciousness reflecting on itself (not on the ego, which is something else). The conclusion Sartre draws from his analysis of consciousness is that phenomenology has no reason to posit an ego within or behind consciousness. He claims, moreover, that his view of the ego as something that reflecting consciousness constructs, and which should, therefore, be regarded as just another object of consciousness that, like all other such objects, transcends consciousness, has marked advantages. In particular, it furnishes a refutation of solipsism (the idea that the world consists of me and the contents of my mind), helps us overcome skepticism regarding the existence of other minds, and lays down the basis for an existentialist philosophy that genuinely engages the real world of people and things.

Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cross-Cultural Communication - Essay Example In today’s world of cultural diversity, emotions like empathy can really help more than sympathy in improving cross-cultural communication between the native people and foreigners in any place. Bennette (11) says that the communication strategy which is most suitable in context of cultural diversity, is empathy which literally helps people from diverse backgrounds understand and respect each other’s feelings and values. It is suggested that empathy works more magic than sympathy in ensuring successful cross-cultural communication because this makes an individual actually participate in others’ sorrows, rather than merely imagining him/herself in the depressed person’s position. This sort of an empathic attitude really helps in incorporating the necessary element of understanding in cross-cultural communication. Cultural empathy phenomenally aids in communication because in this way, one really seeks to learn and comprehend what viewpoints other person†™s culture presents about myriad issues, and this results in a very strong connection between two culturally diverse people. In a story â€Å"A Town Called Rosewood† written by (Carnes, Tauss, and Blackmun), it is mentioned how race and other such stereotypes mattered greatly in the destruction of a whole town called Rosewood and how its population got homeless and scattered as a result of the horrendous massacre initiated by the biased white people back in 1923. the uncontrollable mess all started when a black man falsely accused and this gave the white neighbors an unjustified chance to crackdown on the town mostly occupied by the less influential black people. Following are two letters addressed to each of the two groups, the native residents of Rosewood and their more influential white neighbors in an effort to inform each party about the values and cultural norms

The education system compare and contrast 2 countries(USA&UK) Essay

The education system compare and contrast 2 countries(USA&UK) - Essay Example According to the national curriculum, there are four key stages in the education system. The first and second stages combined, form the primary level of education, comprising of learners between the ages of five to eleven year. Stages three and four make up the secondary level and comprise of learners between the ages of eleven and fourteen year. Throughout the above stages, standard assessment tests are regularly administered to learners. The last key stage is the GCSE in which, students learn English, maths, citizenship, Information Technology, science and physical education. At the end, learners take the GCSE examinations in each subject. At the higher education stage, learners may opt to further their education by enrolling in vocational colleges or pursue secondary education for another year. Entry into universities in the United Kingdom, however, requires students to study for two more years then sit the Advanced Level examinations. Undergraduate degrees take three years to complete, one year for a master’s degree or two years for a research master’s degree. A doctorate takes three years to complete while professional courses such as teaching, medicine and law take five years. In the United Kingdom students are not ranked within their study year, rather, the GCSE, SCE, AS and A-level exams are used to assess their performance. The education system of the United Kingdom is advantageous in that; it provides in-depth learning of a particular discipline. This is especially useful for a student wishing to specialise in a particular field especially at the university. Another advantage is that education is relatively cheap since it is state funded. A disadvantage, though, is the number of subjects taught to children at the primary stage, which is seen to be too much for such young brains to handle. In the United States, the structure of the education system incorporates; primary, secondary and higher successively.

Assessment Methods Essay Example for Free

Assessment Methods Essay Question: Explain the main types of assessments and explain how you conduct or could conduct an initial assessment of learners Assessment is one of the main resources of learning. It is key to understanding and developing for both teacher and learners. Here are the different methods of assessments and how I would use them in my organisation. Initial Assessment: this method comes into play the minute the group of learners are introduced to a new teacher. It is a crucial part of their learning journey as it provides information needed to decide a learners starting point. It is the benchmark from which learners can progress and achievement can be measured. For example, teaching a new child on his or her first football session with my organisation, the teacher would need to assess age, physical attributes and most importantly if the child has every played or been taught before and if yes, to what standard. After this initial assessment it can then help the teacher plan a better programme for this individual and development can begin. Observation: Observing learners in action, whether it is certain drill or game situation is pretty much the main key to overseeing their developing firsthand. Also gauging their understanding, by them mirroring what they are being taught or shown. This can help the teacher grasp whether the teaching session has been successful and pitched at the right level. By viewing individual performances the teacher can assess this thoroughly and record notes of the session in the ‘evaluation section’ on the session plan. Formative Assessments: This is the ongoing assessment which takes place over the duration of the course to ensure each learner is or can demonstrate a progressive understanding of the learning objectives from each session. This can be done on an observational basis as well as QA (question and answer). For example, the teacher seeing a learner performing a skill that was taught as part of a drill in training and then progressing this into a game/match situation without being prompted. Witnessing this, noting it and then asking questions to that individual, such as – Why did you do that skill? Did it work? – allows that learner to gain some form of feedback on their actions in that situation. Question and Answer: QA is the obvious point of gauging what information has been taken on board by your learners. As well as learning the physical attributes of football, it is important learners know exactly why they are being taught a certain skill or drill and when and where they can use it in a game situation. So creating scenarios where learners can be shown something then questioned – why did we do this and can you think of a better way – will give the teacher a better understanding through the relevant responses from individuals or the group. This can be done on the pitch or broken down into a classroom situation. Getting answers from learners in a verbal or written way can help assess and test their awareness and knowledge in certain areas. Summative Assessment: This is the all important assessment that allows learners to gain that precious feedback in their development and standard of achievement in every object they undertake. Whether it is their performance in a football match or a task set within a training drill, the feedback given lays the path to progression for that learner within the task or match and allows the learner the chance to listen and acknowledge the teachers comments and take on board and develop for future situations. This can be delivered to them verbally or as a written player development report done on a weekly or monthly basis. Assessment Records: The records we keep on individuals are called Player Development Reports (PDR’s). The reason we keep those is to assess players’ progress throughout the course, from initial to final assessment. These are kept by the teacher and updated every session. They consist of the initial assessment, in which the teacher gathers all relevant information from them such as medical information, ability and special needs. This information is taken into consideration when setting aims and objectives. Learners will then be assessed to find their level, taking on numerous tasks and graded accordingly. This outcome again is recorded in their PDR to identify their needs and progression route. Following each session the teacher will add a comment in the PDR on what was achieved during the session and evaluating how well that individual participated, also commenting a note for development and new objectives. Along with learners PDR’s, the teacher will also assess the effectiveness of their teaching as each lesson goes by. This can be done through all forms of assessment, with the teacher evaluating their session judging on the understanding from each learner from that particular lesson. This will allow room for improvement or change of teaching style for further development within the group. This will all be noted in the ‘Actions for Development’ section of the evaluation page of the session plan. Record Keeping: Keeping records is one of the best methods to track progress, development and capability of all learners in your group. They also help keep the running of your organisation to a high standard, therefore making a good environment for learners to evolve. Throughout the course learners will be observed, assessed and tested through different methods in each objective they attempt or complete. These outcomes can be recorded through PDP’s (Personal Development Plans), test papers and documented one-to-one tutorials. These can be set aside and revisited at any point by learner or teacher. Keeping records, with regard to session plans and test results, etc, is also an important tool that allows teachers to evaluate and refine their sessions and any aspect of the rapport between teacher and learner that may need changing or improving, to ensure effectiveness when delivering a session. Also gauging who may need more help or who is ready for more extensive work. In my organisation the types of records we keep are slightly different but still as effective. As a football coach the records I keep consist of medical and incident forms, contact details of learner and venue, (including addresses), CRB numbers and coaches’ ID badges, also a copy of insurance. For obvious reasons these are kept safe and secure between sessions, but during sessions these would be on-hand with the coach in case of any accidents, incidents or emergencies.

Cloning - National Academy of Sciences and Human Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

National Academy of Sciences: Human Cloning The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) made headlines when it issued a broadside that would, if followed by Congress, grant an open-ended license for biotech researchers to clone human life. True, the NAS recommended that Congress ban "reproductive" cloning, that is, the use of a cloned embryo to produce a born baby. But it also urged that human cloning for purposes of experimentation--often called "therapeutic" or "research" cloning--remain unimpeded by legal restrictions. Such a public policy would permit virtually unlimited human cloning--so long as all the embryos created thereby were destroyed rather than implanted in a woman's womb. The recommendation from a well-known scientific organization did not appear at this particular time by coincidence. The Senate will soon consider S. 790, legislation authored by Sam Brownback (R-KS) that would prohibit any creation of human clones--whether for research purposes or for reproduction. The House passed a virtually identical ban in a bipartisan vote last summer, and President Bush strongly supports the bill. Thus the legal future of human cloning--and the potential fortunes to be made by Big Biotech in the United States--hang in the balance in the Brownback bill. Limiting the ban on human cloning to procedures designed to lead to the birth of a baby would accomplish next to nothing. Figuring out how to clone human life successfully is going to be very difficult. Thus, early research would likely focus on perfecting techniques. Should this be successful, researchers would next attempt to maintain the resulting embryonic clone for a week to two weeks--long enough to harvest their stem cells. (The biotech company Advanced Cell Technology announced it has created human clones and maintained them to the six-cell stage(Advanced), which is not long enough for stem cells to appear.) Should the stem-cell Rubicon be crossed, implantation of the embryonic clone would then be relatively easy. Hence, the next natural (dare I use the word?) step would be the manufacture of human clones not just for research or genetic manipulation but for implantation, gestation, and birth. In any case, the morally serious question is whether human cloning is permissible-- not when those cloned should be killed once created. Much as an original oil painting can be seen only dimly beneath its patina, an agenda to eventually permit unrestricted cloning for all purposes can be discerned between the lines in the NAS report.

The Mood of Romeo and Juliet

The Heartbreaking Ending: A Tragic Mood in Shakespeare’s Love Story Most people think of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, as a love story. But as the title suggests, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is just that: a tragedy. The narrative is about the struggles of Romeo and Juliet’s love despite the century-long feud between their families. Like many tragedies, which end with fatality, the play ends with the deaths of the â€Å"star-crossed lovers. † Throughout the play, Shakespeare conveys strong feelings, or moods. In Act Five, Scene Three of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery, irony, and symbolism to create a tragic mood.The first device Shakespeare uses to create a tragic mood is imagery. After the bodies of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris are found, Lady Capulet describes the scene in Verona: O, the people in the street cry ‘Romeo,’ Some ‘Juliet,’ and some ‘Paris’; and all run With open outcry toward our monumen t. (V. iii. 191-193) These lines show the chaotic aftermath of the death of the three adolescents. This creates a tragic mood because the audience gets a picture of a sad, weeping community. The sense of distress and grief depicts tragedy and sorrow throughout the town. A second device used is irony.There are many examples used in Act Five. One instance of dramatic irony is when the audience knows that Juliet is under a sleeping potion, but Romeo does not, and he is about to kill himself. When Romeo enters the Capulet tomb, he sees Juliet and cries out: Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Though art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks And death’s pale flag is not advanced there. (V. iii. 92-96) Here Romeo is describing Juliet and how beautiful she is, even though she’s â€Å"dead. † She is actually beautiful because she is still alive!The audience feels so awful fo r Romeo, because right after he kills himself Juliet wakes up and finds her lover is dead because of her. Shakespeare’s use of irony appeals to the readers’ emotions, creating a tragic mood. Lastly, Shakespeare created a tragic mood by using symbolism. Previously, the Friar described poison in a soliloquy: O, mickle, is the powerful grace that lies In plants, herbs, stones, and other true qualities; For naught so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give; Nor ought so good, but, strained from that fair use, Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse. (II. iii. 5-20) The Friar is saying that +true and naturally good things can be turned bad when not properly used, like poison derived from plants. This is like the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, which corrupted the love between Romeo and Juliet to the point of death. This creates a tragic mood because something completely innocent has been manipulated by human hands. The pois on was originally harmless plants; it symbolizes the feud between the families. Both the poison and the feud literally and figuratively killed Romeo and Juliet. This creates a tragic mood because if it were not for the feud, they would have lived happily ever after.Shakespeare created a tragic mood in Romeo and Juliet by using irony, imagery, and symbolism. Imagery gives us insight to the chaotic mess of people in Verona. Irony plays on our emotions and makes us sympathetic for Romeo’s unawareness. Symbolism gives a deeper meaning to the deaths. He contrasts this tragic mood with the feelings of love and romanticism earlier in the play. Shakespeare does this to show that in life, things go wrong and there are not always happy endings. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Elements of Literature Third Course. Orlando: Holt, 2007. 901-1024.