Program Development and Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Program Development and Evaluation Essay Early Childhood Education focuses on the education, language, culture, development and care of young children. As a profession, Early Childhood Education has emerged as one of the major vehicles for child-advocacy in the provision of accessible, high-quality child care and pre-school education. Child care, in this society of increasingly busy working couples, is an important service in the community. Whether it is called child care, kindergarten, preschool, a developmental learning center, a child development center, or one of many other names, they are all providing the important service of caring for our precious children. The increased demand for early childhood education services is partly due to the increased recognition of the crucial importance of experiences during the earliest years of life. Children’s experiences during early childhood not only influence their later functioning in school but can have effects throughout life. For example, current research demonstrates the early and lasting effects of children’s environments and experiences on brain development and cognition (Chugani, Phelps, Mazziotta, 1987). Positive, supportive relationships, important during the earliest years of life, appear essential not only for cognitive development but also for healthy emotional development and social attachment (Stern, 1985). The preschool years are an optimum time for development of fundamental motor skills, language development (Dyson Genishi, 1993), and other key foundational aspects of development that have lifelong implications. In Australia, early childhood educational programs cover a 0-8 years age range. In the state of New South Wales, Kindergarten is the first year of compulsory schooling thus it is governed by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the curriculum content governed by the NSW Board of studies. Child care, on the other hand refers to the care of infants (ages 0-5) by other people during specific periods when the parents are at work. With this set-up, different programming methods are employed. The difference between child care and kindergarten is that kindergarten is an educational experience while child care tends to be care giving so that both parents can work. Good child care programs offer experienced, well-educated teachers who promote childrens cognitive and social development. Kindergarten programs, on the other hand, have set programming standards that are based on the curriculum content governed by the NSW Board of studies. However, in the light that infants and up to kindergarten age belong to the early childhood category, it is best that programming should be the same. It should be able to provide the necessary resources to ensure that every student is offered a high-quality learning environment that prepares a child for further schooling. The purpose of this paper is to present the basis that programming for all early childhood educational programs in NSW should, for the most part, be the same regardless of the setting in which the program exists. Main Body Programming is the process of setting an order and time for planned events or activities. It is the designing, scheduling, or planning of a program. In a formal education setting, syllabus is prepared to outline the set of activities or programs. In NSW schools, teaching and learning programs and the assessing and reporting of student achievement relate directly to the learning outcomes and curriculum content provided in the NSW Board of Studies K-6 syllabuses. As clearly stated in the K-6, programming for kindergarten falls under this curriculum. These syllabuses are grouped into six key learning areas (KLAs). Creative and Practical Arts English Human Society and Its Environment Mathematics Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Science and Technology (Retrived Aug. 31,2006 from http://www. curriculumsupport. education. nsw. gov. au/primary/index. htm) The Board of Studies develops a syllabus for each of the learning areas. Along with a defined aim, each syllabus has a set of objectives and outcomes, expressed in terms of knowledge and understandings, skills, values and attitudes. On the other hand, mostly day care in NSW are managed by community organizations, local councils or private operators. These day care and other childrens services are licensed by the Department of Community Services. NSW Department of Education and Training employs an early childhood trained teacher and a teachers aide in each preschool class. Teachers plan an educational program, which nurtures each childs self esteem, well being and development. The preschool or day care program is designed to stimulate childrens thinking, communicating, investigating, exploring and problem solving skills. Children are encouraged to join in physical activities and to develop good health and safety habits. The program includes play based activities that help children learn how to interact positively with other children and to recognize and accept their own feelings and those of others. The program also supports the development of early language, literacy and numerical skills. In terms of child upbringing however, it is always advocated that child care is inherently inferior to parental care. However, independent studies suggest that good child care for non-infants is not harmful. In some cases, good child care can provide different experiences than parental care does, especially when children reach two and are ready to interact with other children. A study appearing in Child Development in July/August 2003 found that the amount of time spent in child care before four-and-a-half tended to correspond with the childs tendency to be less likely to get along with others, to be disobedient, and to be aggressive, although still within the normal. On the other hand, bad child care puts the children at physical, emotional and attachment risk. As a matter of social policy, child care should also be regulated by the government so as to ensure quality early childhood education. A good early childhood education program should instruct children in different skill areas that they would need in further schooling. Such skill areas include learning to read, to do math, to progress in science, and to understand the world and how it works. Through early childhood education programs, children are able to become familiar with books, words, language use, numbers and problem solving, as well as important social skills (paying attention in class and peer relationships). Through all these activities, teachers should create positive relationships through warm, sensitive, and responsive care, which will help children feel valued and gain more from their learning experiences. Children need positive relationships so that they feel comfortable and learn how to cooperate with others. This is where skilled early childhood educators should come in. Early childhood care and kindergarten education need teachers who are educated enough to handle young children from infancy through age six. Relationships between teachers and families are also important, and help build environments that nurture childrens growth and development. Children observe the interactions between caregivers and their parents, and what they observe in these interactions is used to build their own relationship with these new adults in their lives. This is a process called social referencing (Hutchins Sims, 1999). There are many ways that quality early childhood programs build relationships with children and among teachers and adults. In visiting a program, how teachers interact with the children fostering positive relationships is clearly seen. Classrooms are welcoming to all children, and children are encouraged to join the group. Teachers communicate with children in a warm manner, including laughing and showing affection, and responding to their needs. Teachers use a gentle tone of voice with children, and bend down to speak with them at eye level. Teachers provide a balance of group activities and one-on-one activities, to encourage children to develop both group and individual relationships. Children in turn have opportunities to play and interact with other children, who help them build friendships and develop social skills, such as working together and taking turns. In good child care program, infants get individual attention from teachers, who communicate with smiles and other nonverbal behavior, and also talk with them, so that infants start to recognize and understand words. Quality early childhood programs foster positive relationships among the children, between children and adults, and among teachers and families to help children get a great start on learning. In view of the need to acquire good educators, the development of professional standards for teachers has grown in importance in the field of education in Australia and overseas. At the national level, development of the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is a key initiative. The Competency Framework for Teachers was created and standards were developed by national teaching associations for English, Mathematics and Science. This Framework is the product of a comprehensive consultation process involving teachers, professional associations, tertiary institutions, the Australian Education Union and other key stakeholders. The Competency Framework for Teachers articulates the complex nature of teaching by describing three professional elements of teachers’ work: attributes, practice and knowledge. These elements work in an interrelated way as they are put into practice in classrooms. Early childhood professionals working in diverse situations and resources are responsible for implementing practices that are developmentally appropriate for the children they serve. These teachers have an ethical responsibility to practice, to the best of their ability, according to the standards of their profession. They are required to acquire the knowledge and practical skills needed to practice through college-level specialized preparation in early childhood education/child development. Moreover, aside from teachers, administrators of early childhood programs are also encouraged to acquire necessary skills in maintaining good practices in their field. In addition to management and supervision skills, administrators have appropriate professional qualifications, including training specific to the education and development of young children, and they provide teachers time and opportunities to work collaboratively with colleagues and parents. Providing appropriate curriculums or programs to meet the desires of individual children who learn at different rates and in different ways needs much skill and knowledge from the educator or teacher. In planning the everyday program a wide range of teaching strategies will be needed that involve individual, and large and small group activities. Not simply should the provision offer children opportunities for a broad range of creative and ingenious play activities, but there must be sufficient time and space to permit children to develop and extend their play, sometimes alone and at times in the company of other children or an adult. Programs have changed in response to social, economic, and political forces. However, these changes have not always taken into account the basic developmental needs of young children, which have remained constant. Programs should be tailored to meet the needs of children, rather than expecting children to adjust to the demands of a specific program. In the Hyson, Hirsh-Pasek, and Rescorla study (1990), pre-school children enrolled in child-initiated programs displayed lower levels of test anxiety than children enrolled in academic programs, regardless of parental preferences for classroom approaches. In the second study (Burts et al. , 1990), children in inappropriate classrooms exhibited more total stress behaviors throughout the day and more stress behaviors during group times and workbook/worksheet activities. Early childhood teaching is simply and completely about children and their well being. The tenet that each child is unique is basic in early childhood philosophy. It is very important therefore that early childhood educators should plan flexible programs that accommodate individual growth. Additionally, an early childhood perspective acknowledges the importance of providing children with opportunities to interact, understand and cooperate in groups (Day Drake, 1986). In view of these arguments, the principle of programming in the framework of the KLA and in the context of a formal academic education should not yet be employed in the early childhood education, in particular, kindergarten class. The Curriculum for early childhood education must be subjected to vigilant evaluation. The program should see children as active learners, supporting them to become self-determining, being problem solvers and decision makers. It should not be a stiff program but offers a framework for childrens learning. Though it has much in common with usual nursery practice, it places greater accountability upon children for planning and executing their own actions. Working on an idea of the plan, do and review, the environment is arranged so that it optimizes childrens learning, using key experiences to examine and plan for the individual needs of children, for instance adult-child communication strategies, partnership with parents, observation and record keeping. The key experiences embedded concept of active learning are: †¢ Using language such as depicting objects, events and relations; †¢ Active learning such as controlling, transforming and mixing materials; †¢ Characterizing ideas and experiences such as role playing, pretending; †¢ Developing rational reasoning such as learning to label, match and sort objects; †¢ Understanding time and space such as evoking and anticipating events, learning to get things in the classroom. (Curtis, A. , 1999) These key experiences not only offer the framework for planning and evaluating activities but also facilitate the staff to guide children from one learning incident to another. They suggest questions to put to the children and facilitate staff to assess childrens development and offer a basis for discussion with the parents. To achieve individually appropriate programs for young children, early childhood teachers must work in partnership with families and communicate regularly with the childrens parents. During early childhood, children are largely dependent on their families for identity, security, care, and a general sense of well being. Communication between families and teachers helps build mutual understanding and guidance, and provides greater consistency for children. Joint planning between families and teachers facilitates major socialization processes, such as toilet learning, developing peer relationships, and entering school. Mutual sharing of information and insights about the individual childs needs and developmental strides help both the family and the program. Regular communication and understanding about child development form a basis for mutual problem solving about concerns regarding behavior and growth. Teachers seek information from parents about individual children. Teachers promote mutual respect by recognizing and acknowledging different points of view to help minimize confusion for children. The positive attributes of parent/teacher relationships are relatively easy to develop when teachers and parents have the same backgrounds, speak the same languages, share values and goals for children, and, in general, like one another. Parents are also more likely to relate to their childrens caregivers and teachers in positive ways, and are aware of the conditions under which the staff is working. For both parents and teachers, continuity of the children’s educational experience is critical to their development. Such continuity results from communication both horizontally, as children change programs within a given year, and vertically, as children move on to other settings. As such, programming of early childhood education should be based more on creative learning and not on rigid academic programs and they should be the same from child care to kindergarten. Lastly, the community and the society at large also have a stake in the quality of early childhood programs. Early childhood education entails an informed community willing to act upon the idea that high quality early education is necessary for future generations (Pascall, C. and Bertram, T. , 1997). When early childhood programs succeed in getting children off to a good start, families, schools, and communities will be strengthened. Children will grow up to be responsible, law abiding and productive citizens who will contribute to the country’s progress. In this sense, posterity itself eventually reaps the benefits of high-quality early educational experiences. Conclusion Curriculums and programs are frequently viewed only in terms of the product or the content to be taught. It is far more encompassing than this, though. The curriculum should also be considered in terms of the processes linking to learning and teaching, the objectives that both teachers and learners hold, the contradictory social and cultural experiences’ learners and teachers bring, and the realities that occur from classroom interactions and situations. In early childhood education, set programming standards that are based on academic formal structure and being practiced in classrooms should not be employed. Teaching and learning programs and the assessing and reporting of student achievement that relates directly to the learning outcomes and curriculum content provided in the NSW Board of Studies K-6 syllabuses is not yet applicable and favorable for very young minds. Instead, programs and teaching practices in early childhood settings should be more responsive to the needs and interests of the children. Programs should include a plan of activities that matches the childrens needs and promotes their independence. The plan should contain activities and exercises that help children to develop social, motor, language, and thinking skills. Programs should also provide a variety of experiences designed to encourage exploration and problem-solving, and an awareness of how diverse the world is beyond the home. Daily morning schedule for kindergarten as well as child care should be very similar. The only difference between the two settings is that kindergarten school children tend to arrive all at once while children arrive at child care centers according to their parents work schedules. Early childhood education in both kindergarten and child care settings must actively work to provide learning in a nurturing environment that matches the needs of the children. Parents also have active role in this endeavor. Children learn much from the adults around them, not simply from the planned learning opportunities but also from the customs and routines of daily living. The attitudes of the adults and other children and the shared relationships that are formed are as vital to childrens development as the activities in which they are engaged. The goals of the entire child care community, then, must be to encourage and support early childhood professionals to raise standards in our young children’s education. In providing an effective and successful program for early childhood education, our society and our country will reap the rewards of raising disciplined and productive children who will contribute greatly in our communities. References: †¢ Burts, Diane C. ; Hart, Craig H. ; Charlesworth, Rosalind; DeWolf, D. Michele; Ray, Jeanette; Manuel, Karen; Fleege, Pamela O. (1993). Developmental appropriateness of kindergarten programs and academic outcomes in first grade. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Vol 8(1), 23-31. †¢ Bredekamp, S. and Copple, S. (eds) (1997). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (revised edition). Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. †¢ Bredekamp, Sue (ed) (1998). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Retrieved from http://www. newhorizons. org/lifelong/childhood/naeyc. html. †¢ Chugani, H. , M. E. Phelps, J. C. Mazziotta. (1987). Positron emission tomography study of human brain functional development. Annals of Neurology 22 (4): 495 †¢ Curtis, A. (1998). Curriculum for the Pre-School Child, second edition, London and New York:Routledge. †¢ Curtis, A. (1999). Evaluating Early Childhood Programmes: Are we asking the right questions? Paper presented at Early Childhood Conference, Santiago, March 1999. †¢ Edwards, C. , Gandini, L. and Forman, G. (eds) (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children, second edition, London: Ablex Publishing Corporation. †¢ Glascot, Kathleen. (1994). A Problem Theory for Early Childhood Professional. Childhood Education. Proofquest Education Journal, Vol. 70,3,131. †¢ Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Hyson, Marion; Rescorla, Leslie. (1990). Academic environments in preschool: Do they pressure or challenge young children? Early Education and Development, Vol. 1(6), 401-423. †¢ Hutchins, T. Sims, M. (1999). Program Planning for Infants and Toddlers: An Ecological Approach. Sydney: Prentice Hall. †¢ University of Illinois, Children’s Research Center. DAP:What Does Research Tell Us?. Retrieved Aug 31 from http://ceep. crc. uiue. edu. †¢ Website of NSW Dept . of Education and Training. Retrieved Aug, 31, 2006 from http://www. curriculumsupport. education. nsw. gov. au/primary/index. html

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The story begins in the year 1984 in the nation of Oceania. Winston Smith is a low ranking Outer Party member working for a government system called the Party. The Party and it’s omniscient leader known as Big Brother, control everything including language, history, and it’s citizens. Everywhere Winston goes, he is being monitored by the Party through telescreens and by the Thought Police. The most recent implementation of the Party’s control over the nation has been the creation of Newspeak, an attempt to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words that relate to it. Rebellion is the ultimate crime a citizen can commit, and even thoughts about rebellion are illegal. While working in the Ministry of Truth, a branch of the Party that controls and alters history, Winston begins to question the validity of the Party and it’s doctrines. He wishes for privacy and freedom but cannot express these feelings without fear of the Thought Police, who patrol thoughts and punish people who think poorly of the Party or it’s leader. In order to escape the Party’s tyranny, at least in his...

Lack of Sleep Effects Student’s Gpa

Lack of Sleep Has a Direct Effect on a Student’s GPA Gilbert, S. P. , & Weaver, C. (2010). Sleep Quality and Academic Performance in University Students: A Wake-Up Call for College Psychologists. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 24(10), 295-306. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from the SocIndex database. Key Terms Defined GPA: Grade Point Average DWI: Dropped, Withdraw, Incomplete (Classes) GDI: Goldberg Depression Inventory PSQI: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index SummaryThis study was done to identify the relationship between sleep deprivation and a student’s academic performance in areas such as GPA, class attendance, and incomplete assignments. 557 people were used for this with 35. 7% being male and 64. 3% being female. And the average age of the subjects being 19. The participants of the study were asked to complete several surveys to determine if they qualified for the study. A demographic survey asked about their GPA and the courses they dropped, withdrew fro m, or failed to complete. This was done to judge the student’s previous academic levels.Next, they took what is called the GDI to determine the student’s levels of depression. Students who showed abnormally high levels of depression were removed from the study to be further analyzed. The students remaining had scores of average or below average levels of depression. The final test was the PSQI, which is a self-report survey to determine the subjects sleep patterns. Using these self-report surveys the conductors of the experiment were able to determine that there is a relationship between quality of sleep and academic performance. SignificanceThis study is the first known to have found a direct relationship between poor academic performance and poor sleep quality using a large sample size. Previous studies used smaller groups and had not accounted for depression as a factor in poor academic performance. This study also found that the quality of sleep many students exper ience is well below ideal and that this affects the GPAs of females more so than males although the reason behind this could not be determined. Socially this information can be used when counseling students experiencing poor academic performance, but show no signs of depression.Evaluation The authors presented the procedures and results of this study very effectively, and the materials were made extremely easy to understand. I believe the study could have been more in depth and accurate if actual sleep studies were conducted along with the self-report surveys. Along the same lines, a flaw in the study is that the researchers opened up the possibility of false reporting by only using the surveys and trusting the students to be completely honest. If I were to use two words to describe this article they would be â€Å"expected† and â€Å"well-planned†. Expected† is referring to the results of the study. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that there i s a connection between the quality of sleep and academic performance, however they expound upon that assumption and find more in depth results in the study. As for â€Å"well-planned† it is a word used to describe the procedures used to carry out the study. Eliminating depression as a variable was impressive foresight on the researchers part and is a large part of what makes this study so effective. ConclusionThis article has thoroughly increased my knowledge of the extent of sleep’s effect on academic performance. While I hypothesized in my own mind that there was a connection, I had no idea how strong. I also think this article has helped me to understand how to help students struggling with academic performance and how to try to figure out all the possible issues instead of issuing a stereotypical label such as laziness. I believe further research should investigate the causes of this decreased quality of sleep and possible cures if it is a medical or biological iss ue.

Work Experience

For this essay, my task is to produce an essay explaining what my work experience week was like. Even though I can't put every detail down, I will write about the most important parts of my week that will remain as good, and some also embarrassing memories. When I heard about work experience my first thoughts about it were, ‘what if Im not good enough. ‘ and ‘I wonder where I'll be put. ‘ To say the least, I was very nervous. We had forms to fill in about work experience. I had to tick off what I would prefer to do, so I chose to work in retail and fashion. So I was likely to work in a clothes shop, ironically that's where I got put. I was now officially working in Burtons. I wanted to work in retail because I was generally interested in fashion, as at the time I wanted to become a fashion designer. I soon realised working in retail had nothing to do with the fashion itself, it did however, have a lot to do with business. At first I was a bit worried because I thought only men worked there, so to calm my nerves, me and a few of my friends decided to go and have a little look in there and see what it's like. Luckily, I did see a couple of women in there so I realised that I wouldn't be the only one. Besides, working with young lads weren't going to be a bad thing was it? As the time got closer, I had to start thinking about travel and what I'd wear there. These small problems were soon easily solved. I decided that I would get the bus there, but because I was placed at the Burtons in Bracknell, I would have to leave about an hour before starting time, as buses took about 40-50 minutes at rush hour. What I was going to wear soon became no object as I went shopping the weekend before. New clothes- every girl's passion. So I was pretty much set; I had my clothes, my way of getting there, and everything I needed was organised. Monday finally came, as I sat on the bus at 8. 0am, the nerves soon reappeared. For the next 40 minutes, I sat there thinking about what it would be like, but soon acknowledged that the majority of my year was in the same position as I was. I also recognised that it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. So when the bus stopped I walked positively towards the shop, the funny thing was, I was slightly early, so I had to stand outside, I felt a bit out of place at that point, and im sure I looked quite stupid. It didn't matter too much to me though; I just concentrated on making a good impression. So I stood waiting patiently for the grey, shutter to slowly open. About ten minutes later, they eventually did. And the shop was up and ready for the day ahead. I stood up straight, and confidently walked towards the front desk where the employees were all gathered. I introduced myself and got fully acquainted with all the staff present. The manager, Andrea, gave me a brief introduction on what goes on at the store, and just small bits of necessary information id need to know to get me throughout the week like where my locker was based. She then sent me and another employee- Michael, down to the staff area to do my health and safety assessment, just to see what I knew about the process †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ but before I went to do the assessment Michael took me outside to see where I would have to go if a fire occurred. This didn't take long. After that I proceeded to do the assessment. It wasn't very interesting, in fact, I actually almost fell asleep! Putting that aside, it was quite an eventful morning. Throughout that day, I just got to know a bit more about the staff; I also asked a few questions about the shop as well, one that I asked was if they had cameras in the store itself, and Richard, another employee, said to me â€Å"Would you like people watching you whilst you're working all day? I don't think I'll ever forget that, in reply to his question, I said no. So Burtons didn't have security cameras? This led me onto thinking whether anyone stole from the shop. Surely they didn't otherwise they would put cameras in, but I found out a bit later on that people do steal. This isn't good for their inventory either. So throughout the week I'd hear one employee after another saying that they found a tag and coat hanger on the floor, this annoyed Andrea a lot. Another thing that annoyed Andrea was when a group of my friends all decided to come in and greet me on my first day. I knew that this wasn't very professional so I told them that they would have to leave. After that small incident, Andrea explained that I was to act like I was a real employee to Burton and my friends were not aloud to come in and distract me like they did. I understood that and carried on with what I was doing. My time at Burtons was fairly boring, with the work that is. I had to go around the shop making sure everything was in its rightful place; another thing I had to do was sort the delivery totes. I had to unwrap the products, tag them, cube them and then go and find where they were meant to go. It made the time go by, and I preferred doing this to walking around the shop organising the clothing. One thing I learnt from this was that in retail, the people don't call the boxes ‘boxes'. They call them ‘totes' I don't know why this is but it' just what they used. So that was what delivery was. This is all I tended to do during work experience. Id have a laugh with the other staff members, it helped because their ages ranged from 16 to 20. So I found it easy to get along with them. This helped me feel more comfortable there. Towards the end of the week, a couple of the staff decided to play a little joke on me, so when I got back off my 15 minute break, Richard told me to go downstairs to see Andrea. So I discontinued what I was going to get on with, and pondered down to see her. She and another employee gave me a task. This was to walk over to Topshop, and ask the manager for a ‘long weight' me being unaware of this joke, agreed to it and went to do what they had asked. I wasn't really thinking about what they had asked for, I was thinking more about not making any mistakes. So when I arrived, I went to the front desk and asked for the ‘long weight'. The lady at the till looked at me puzzled for a second, and then called for assistance. the manager came out and told me it was a joke, and that there was no such thing as a long weight, well apart from the long wait I had received from the ‘long weight'. Once I had understood what had happened, me and my extremely red face exited the store and remained back to Burtons. Only to come back to be laughed at more, I was not amused! I just continued back to my work and didn't say much after that. So that was my embarrassing moment; I guess it could have been worse, but I still didn't appreciate being humiliated in front of a shop full of strangers. But despite that incident, I found the week to be a big wake up call in all honesty. I never thought that working in a shop could ever be so tiring! I was on my feet for seven and a half hours. As I had an hour for lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. The thing was, when the shop had very few customers, that was the most tiring part, because there was nothing there to keep me occupied. For all five days, there was at least an hour where this occurred. I dreaded it! In conclusion, I found the week very productive, I learnt a lot more than I expected to, met new people, got an insight about what real work is, and my real accomplishment†¦ getting to work on time everyday. I was very proud of myself for this, and it still amazes me to this day. I would defiantly advise for the work experience programme to continue as it worked wonders for me, and to thank me for the work I did, Andrea gave me a box of maltesars for the hard work and dedication I put in there. She also said that I had a place there to work if I wanted it. I didn't take up the offer as I don't feel that's the best place for me.

Deconstruction of I, Robot Essays

Deconstruction of I, Robot Essays Deconstruction of I, Robot Essay Deconstruction of I, Robot Essay Study the film I, robot and deconstruct using the key concepts. Look closely at the character played by Will Smith, how does his blackness impact on the audiences understanding of his role? I, robot is an action sci-fi film which stars Will Smith as Del Spooner. It is a futuristic view of the world and is set in the year 2035. This is a very common genre of film for Will Smith, as he has been in many action/ action sci-fi films such as Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997) and Enemy of State (1998). However, more recently, he has branched out into different film genres such as Shark Tale (2004) for which he did the voice over for Oscar and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) which was a drama. He was born on the 25th September 1968 in Philadelphia. While at school he gained the nickname Prince because of his attitude and knack for getting out of trouble, he later added to this and became the Fresh Prince. Unusually this and the place he was born would later be the basis of an episodic comedy which he starred in called The Fresh Prince of Bel-air (1990) which ran for six years, and for which he also won an award for Top TV series, he was nominated twice for Best performance by an actor, twice for outstanding lead actor and many more. This was his first major break and lead to his acting career. Overall he has won 28 awards and has been nominated for 49. I, Robot is not a stereotypical futuristic film, although it was set 31 years in the future, it is still very realistic. There are many normal things which have just been upgraded to be futuristic. For example, the yellow police tape which section things off is still in this film, but now they are holograms instead, which subtly shows that this is the future, but it is not extremely advanced, so much so that the film would seem unreal. There is also a holographic projector which appears when Will Smith seems to be talking to an old man, but then the camera pans round so that the audience can see that it is simply a holographic image. These things slowly introduce the idea of the future to the audience. There are other objects in this film which do not fit in with the stereotypical view of the future, for example the cars do not hover and there is even a petrol fuelled motorbike. The clothes they wear in this film are very similar to the clothes we wear today. However some characters such as Calvin are wearing unusual clothes which do set them apart from people of today. For the start of the film she is wearing a shiny silver suit, which many people to associate with the future. However, the people are not outrageously different and advanced; they are still shown to be normal people by anyones standards, and although there are robots, a lot of them do normal everyday jobs, such as at the start of the film the audience can see two robots as dustmen, a dog walker and there is even a robot postman going door to door. The film opens with the audience viewing Del Spooner (Will Smith) at home, eating breakfast, having a shower, going through his normal chores and talking to his friend and going round his grandmas. This gives the audience an insight as to what he is like outside of work, it shows the audience that he is a normal person. This is when you first see his hatred for robots, when he tells his grandma, those robots arent going to do anyone any good which is then shortly followed by him chasing a robot with a handbag. This then introduces to the audience the fact that he is a police man. We then see him at work in the office, which shows the audience the two sides of his life. However it also soon becomes clear to the audience that he is suffering from survivors guilt which influences many of his actions. Will Smiths character is a police officer but, just like in Men in Black, he is not a stereotypical one. The stereotypical view of an American police officer is one who is always seen in his uniform, is overweight and is always seen to be drinking coffee and eating doughnuts rather than doing any actual work. However Will Smiths character does not conform to any of these stereotypes. He is also the only policeman who doesnt wear a uniform of some sort. In the whole film his character is a sort of black sheep, he is the only one without a uniform, the only one who believes the robots are no good, and even in his house he has a stereo which is controlled using a remote controller rather than voice recognition. The audience can tell this is obviously not normal for this time because when Calvin goes to his house and tries to figure out how to switch it on and off, she cant. It is clear that he is not comfortable with the amount of technology around him, as he says to Calvin I must be, l ike, a malfunction magnet, because your shit keeps malfunctioning around me. As with many of his films, Will Smith, rather than trying to hide it, draws attention to the fact he is black. For example, in Men in Black (in which he is also a police officer) he jumps down off a bridge onto an open top bus and he says its just raining black people in New York. It is obvious that the fact that Will Smith is black does not hinder his life or his acting and he is completely comfortable with it and it is obvious that he feels the same, in an interview about one of his previous movies he said its not a black movie or a white movie, its a movie1. I do not think that the fact he is black makes any difference to how the audience perceives his character, apart from the irony that he is so prejudice or racist to the robots. This is shown by the fact that he always makes reference to it in most of his films. In I, Robot he says at one point I mean, youre a cat, Im black and Im not going to be hurt again. The fact that he can make these comments in a film also implies that h is blackness does not really matter to the film and is not an important aspect of it. However there is one comment in I, Robot which is more serious than the others and is not said in a comic tone. Will Smith says to Calvin one look at the skin and we figure we know just whats underneath. This could just be referring to just seeing somebody and not really knowing them at all but it is more likely a reference to the fact that he is black and she is white. Will Smith does not stick to films which are primarily for coloured people, in many of his films, the lead could have been played by a person of any race, and in fact his role in Men in Black was originally cast for a white Caucasian male, which just emphasises the fact that the colour of his skin is not a major part of his role. This film is also very similar to Men in Black in many respects. For example to start with Will Smith is a police officer, and both he and his superior officer are black. In I, Robot Will Smith and Chi McBride (who plays Lt. John Bergin) are the only two black people in almost the entire film, and they are also the only people in authority. In the film the audience do see other police officers but they do not take a real role in the film, so these two men would be the highest ranking out of everyone else in the film. Everyone who is not in authority is white. This film also follows some of the theories such as Todorov and Propp. The state of equilibrium is that they all live happily with robots, which is disrupted when Dr Laninng dies and they find Sonny the robot. The recognition of the disruption is when Sonny is jailed and is suppose to be decommissioned and the attempts to repair the disruption are when Del Spooner, Calvin and Sonny kill Viki. A new equilibrium is reached when all of the robots are sent off to live away from the humans. It is also easy to see Propps theory in I, Robot. The Hero is Del Spooner, the Villain is Viki, the Donor is Sonny and the Helper is Calvin etc. however interestingly there is no romantic plot which does go against Propps theory.

Science Research Paper

Science Research Paper Science Research Paper Science Research Paper: Making a Discovery! As a rule, students who study sciences often write science research papers. What should you do if you get such an assignment? The purpose of writing of a science research paper in a certain scientific discipline is to express some new ideas in the sphere of research in this discipline. So, you should make some suggestions, put forward some theory or hypothesis, make some discovery or present some innovations. Besides, your ideas should be proved by some experiments, observations or calculations. Thus, your science research paper should have some practical application and, hence, make some contribution in the development of science. Science Research Paper Should Be Informative So, if you have something to say to the scientific community, get down to writing of a science research paper. But pay attention: such a paper should be written properly. So, if you have some questions, the following tips will be helpful for you. Become a real re searcher! You may reach success in paper scientific write only in such a way. What does it mean? You should have a look inside the studied issue; make the deep analysis of it. So, research your paper topic. In this situation the key element of your success is interest. You should be interested in the issue you are going to investigate. It goes without saying that your ideas (hypotheses, innovations and others) cannot appear from nowhere! They should be based on the previous investigations. So, you should provide the strong basis for your ideas. For that purpose you should study different scientific works on the topic. That will help you make your ideas sound convincing. All your ideas should be put in the logical order. So, make an outline before writing your science research paper. State the main points that will be highlighted in your paper. Point out the parts your science research paper will contain. Do not forget that each of them should be focused on a certai n point but all of them should be interrelated. Your science research paper should be written in a certain format. You should discuss all the requirements with your tutor. Of course, there should be no mistakes in your paper. Any of them will spoil the general impression that your research will make on your audience. So, you should re-read your paper for several times before submitting.So, this is the main information you should keep in mind if you need to write a science research paper. If you face any difficulty, you are welcome to contact us for help!

Egonomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Egonomics - Assignment Example The nature and pattern of human consumption has evolved significantly over the years with a significant move away from goods produced under mass production (initiated by the car maker Henry Ford) towards specialized production and finally customized production. It is not surprising that the focus of many companies today is no longer just the provision of an exceptional quality product or service but one which caters to niches and has the capability of being adapted as per individual requirements of the customer. In other words, personalization and the creation of unique customer experiences has become the new source of gaining competitive advantage in the midst of largely undifferentiated products and services. To set themselves apart from the crowd, consumers are increasingly flocking towards products that others do not have. This is because, as humans, our behavior is more often â€Å"irrational† than rational and that various purchases cannot be explained in the light of ae sthetics, utility of performance. In other words, the fact that most of engage in building and sustaining our self-esteem and self-confidence means that we often pay a price much higher than the actual worth of the product just for the sake of its exclusivity or limited availability. One such example is that of the recent launch of limited number of exclusive Apple iPhone 24 carat gold handsets that cost a fortune ($2853) to consumers (Trivedi).The pricing reflects the exclusivity of the product which, most consumers may find as a cushion to their self-image. Similarly, the LeBron James Limited Edition watch by Audemars Pigue is designed to cater to enthusiasts who would like to own this $51,500 watch (Adams) as a status symbol and to set them apart from the crowd. The high price reflects the (monetary) worth of the owner/consumer which is consistent with psychology that suggests that human beings are prone to engaging in impression management or casting favorable impressions of one self in the society. Furthermore, considering that humans have imperfect knowledge about themselves, they constantly strive for feedback from others (through praise of appreciation) to boost their perception of themselves. An example is of a customer who is praised by his friend for wearing a $51,500 watch and who receives increased attention from others by virtue of this valuable possession. This can be referred to as â€Å"personal branding† or differentiating yourself from other brands or individuals. In other cases, the same may be considered as a â€Å"requirement† as per social benchmarks (Benabou and Tirole). For instance, an individual attending high profile dinner of delegates may consider it as a disgrace to his self-worth to wear anything less than a custom-made designer outfit or designer shoes. Keeping these trends in view, it is no wonder that companies are looking towards the personalization of their service offerings as well. This is commonly known as o ne-on-one marketing or micro-targeting whereby promotional tools such as the e-mail, internet, direct mail, special events and others are used to target customers with specific psychographic profiles or lifestyles. For instance, HSBC posted banner ads on its websites that were highly personalized meaning that the bank offered special â€Å"offers† depending on the account balance of the customer and the content