Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Example for Free

Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Continuous comprehensive Evaluation should be carried out in relation to learners’ cognitive, affective and psycho-motor growth. Cognitive growth refers to the intellectual development of learners (such as learners’ knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). Affective growth emphasizes learners’ attitude, interest and personal development. Psycho-motor growth deals with learners’ ability to perform some activity or do some practical work. Therefore, if you want the teaching-learning process to be really effective, you should evaluate the learners continuously and comprehensively Hence to bring about the improvement in the quality of education and the holistic development of the child who is tomorrow’s global citizen, evaluation process should focus adequately on both scholastic and non-scholastic areas of development. Hence the focus needs to shift to comprehensive evaluation. The comprehensive evaluation also needs to have continuity at regular intervals through out the academic year. This thought is further gets support from the fact that the National Progressive Schools Association has also recommended the scrapping of class X board exams This module focuses upon the various evaluation tools and techniques which can be used for decision making with reference to learners scholastic and non scholastic needs. By comprehensive evaluation, we mean that evaluation should not concern itself only with knowledge but it shall also take into account the factors that are inherent in students’ growth such as skills, understanding, appreciation, interest, attitude and habits. In other words, evaluation should cover all the learning experiences of the learner in curricular as well as non-cognitive areas. Need of Continuous comprehensive evaluation. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation is intended to provide a holistic profile of the learner through assessment of both scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of education spread over the total span of instructional time in schools. It helps to identify those positive attributes of the learner which are not usually assessed during the examinations conducted by the Board As it is spread over a period of two years in class IX and X it provides several opportunities for the school to identify the latent talents of the learners in different contexts.

Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil Company Essay Example for Free

Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil Company Essay †¢ Prepare a ratio analysis for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2012. Organize your analysis per the following outline: (1) Liquidity Current ratio: 25,000/17,000=1.47% Quick ratio: 25,000-17,000/17,000=25,000 Comments on liquidity- The results cant really determine how well or bad the company is doing until you compare it to another company. This ratio helps show the ability to pay off short term obligations as they are due. (2) Asset management Total Asset turnover: 10,000/40,000=.25 Average collection period (ACP): 10,000/365=27 3,000/27=111 days Comments on asset management- Each $1 of asset is producing . 25 in sales. Using assest utilization shows why one firm turns over assests more rapied than another. Average collection period states that it’s taking the customer around 111days to pay off their bills. This indicates how long sales stay on companys books. (3) Debt management Debt ratio: 20,000/40,000=50% Times interest earned: 3,000/200=15 times Comments on debt management- Times interest earned shows the number of times that income before interest and taxes covers the interest obligation . The higher the ration the stronger the interest paying ability of the firm . (4) Profitability Net profit margin:1800/10,000= 18% -Return on Assets (ROA): 1800/40,000= 4.5% -Return on Equity (ROE): 1800/20,000= 9.0% Extended Du Pont equation: .25x.18-0.045(4.5%) Comments on profitability to include your comments on the sources of ROE revealed by the Du Pont equation These types of ratios indicate if the firm is making any money, and how much in relation to whats invested. They also give you an indication of how the firm is doing in controlling its costs. Net profit margin sales minus all expenses, including interest and taxes . So the net profit margin ratio measures the proportion of each sale dollar that remains after all expenses are paid for . Joes is at 18% . The ROA should be compared to past years ROA to determine wheather it is good or bad. The ROE is the bottome line which can be compared to other investments and see where they are. It evaluates the return the firm produces. The Du Point equation allows you to understand the source of return but it need to be compared to a similar industry to see truly where the company is. (5) Market value ratios PE ratio: Market price of company stock /earnings per share of stock 50.00/1.80=27.7 Market to book ratio: Share price of stock/book value per share To get the book value per share you take total equity /common shares outstanding 20,000/1,000=20 then you take share price /book value per share 1.80/20=.09 Comments on the market value ratios The M/B ratio gives you an indication of the value of a firm’s intangible non-listed assests. These numbers help you get an idea what it will cost you to get $1 of the firms assets. Stock’s market price represents how much investors are willing to pay today for that claim. I the M/B ratio is higher than 1.0 therefore , you can say that the value of the equity claim has gone up. If you look at the M/B ratio for Joe’s the equity claim has gone up since its at 27.2. For the purposes of this exercise, assume the following data for Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil: Stock price on Dec 31, 2012†¦$50.00 Number of common shares outstanding on Dec 31, 20121,000

What Is Art? Expressivism in Art

What Is Art? Expressivism in Art A definition of art would help to identify what art is in order for individuals to recognise and appreciate it, but there is controversy as to how to define art or whether art can be defined at all. It will become clear that features of what it takes to be art are not particularly simple to pinpoint. For example, the aestheticist would suggest that good art must look good, but it is not enough to say that something is art if it has the quality of being aesthetically pleasing. Beauty may apply to a large number of things that are not readily accepted as art, or on the contrary, not all art may be aesthetically pleasing at all. Furthermore, the aesthetic standard of art will only please a certain class of people. There are many conceptual definitions of art that attempt to outline the necessary and sufficient conditions required for something to be considered a work of art, though I will focus on the concept of expressivism as it proves to be the most convincing to me. I will set out to define art as understood by the expressivists Tolstoy and Collingwood, through which it will become clear that it takes much more than external features such as beauty to define art. Tolstoy makes some important contributions to the nature of expressivism, but exacerbates his views as he emphasises the significance of religion in defining art. It is here that Collingwood seems to have the edge, and the more appealing definition seems to be a combination of the benefits of both theories. I will therefore argue for the importance of having a definition of art, as although conceptual ones are tricky in themselves, it is equally as troubling to omit the use of a definition altogether. Expressivism largely deals with the fact that art connects with people via their senses. It defines art through the expression of emotion that is entailed by the artist in their artwork and the emotional impact that it has on the audience. To Tolstoy, something is art if it creates an emotional link between the artist and its audience, uniting them insomuch that the emotion portrayed through the artwork affects the viewer. It is true that every man has the capacity to receive, through hearing or sight, another mans emotions and feel those feelings himself, just as each man has the ability to affect another man through his expression of feeling, and Tolstoy infers that this is the heart of which the activity of art is based. But more specifically, the infection is characteristically indirect, in that it begins when one person, the artist, expresses through his artwork his emotion, which is communicated to the viewer through the artwork as a medium. As a simple example, Tolstoy describes a boy who encounters a wolf and feels fear. On experiencing this, he describes the experience to others in such a way as to arouse the fear that he experienced in himself and infect the avid listeners with the particular emotion. This analogy shares with art three distinct characteristics: individuality, clarity and sincerity. It is individual because it focuses specifically on one emotion, creating emphasis and increasing infection. It is clear because the emotion portrayed is pure and communicated without distraction, making it all the more infectious. Lastly, it is sincere because the stronger the artist or storyteller feels when communicating the emotion, the more infectious the feeling will be to the viewer. All three are important contributors to the quality of art, as the stronger the infection, the better is the art as art  [1]  . Tolstoy notes that many inaccurate definitions of art arise from that fact that they consider the pleasure that art gives, rather than the purpose that it serves in life and in humanity. To direct the aim of our endeavours at pleasure and to define it accordingly is like judging food based on the satisfaction of our tastes. Our taste buds are not an accurate basis for what can be universally known as good food, nor is beauty to good art. Hence, Tolstoy maintains that the concept of beauty when looking to define art simply confuses matters, and in order to define art accurately, it is necessary to avoid considering it as a means of pleasure, but rather as one of the conditions of human life that we use to interact and to communicate emotion between one another. So far, these discussions seem plausible as they allow for the objectivity of art and the basis of the definition to be intelligible and clear, rather than plainly aesthetic. Intelligent and clear expression of emotion enables us to grasp what is or is not art and maintains the meaning of art, otherwise any such expression of emotion could be defined as art and the definition steadily loses its meaning until it simply becomes a meaningless concept. But the strength of Tolstoys reasoning seems to falter at the part of the explanation that he deems most fundamental. Central to his argument, Tolstoy criticises the art of his era and infers that art had lost its true meaning to be exchanged for a counterfeit concept of art, which sought only to please those of a certain class. Real art is led by religious perception, which must be accepted in order to influence our understanding of feelings expressed through art. By religion, Tolstoy explicitly means Christianity, and it is declared that the best emotions communicated through art are those that appeal to Christian teachings of mans love for God and neighbour. Anything else, to Tolstoy, was insignificant art which aimed only at giving pleasureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (and) did not deserve such esteem and encouragement  [2]  . He likens the replacement of real art with counterfeit art to worshipping false idols in Gods place. To suggest that art has departed from religious influence and has therefore lost all meaning seems irrational and slightly hypocritical. He accuses counterfeit art of appealing only to a certain class of people, but to place a religious constraint on the value of art does not, as Tolstoy intends, unite the classes, but places exclusivity on art too. The overbearing problem here is that good art doesnt have to be religious, and rather than defining art objectively, Tolstoy seems to have defined it around his own moral and religious perspective. It seems particularly harsh to rule out those who dont conform to his own form of Christianity as being in error and thus cannot appreciate true art. As Tolstoy, Collingwoods conception of art holds that it is essentially an expression of emotion, though perhaps provides a more sophisticated account. So, as Tolstoy does, Collingwood recognises that the expression of emotion is familiar to every artist. The realisation of this emotion, however, is imminent though not discernible. The artist is conscious of feeling something though he may not immediately realise what it is, so he expresses it as a way of not oppressing it. It is not until he has expressed it, that he realises what emotion it is. Further, he lists individualisation as an important factor in the expression of emotion. There are names for the types of emotions that we experience: happiness, anger, sadness and so on, but these emotions also come in many forms. The happiness I may feel right now is different and distinct from the happiness I felt yesterday, or any other time. They are individual and not general. Collingwood illustrates this with the poet, who recognises the peculiarity of his emotions and makes efforts to individualise them by expressing them in terms that set them apart from other feelings of the same kind.  [3]  This distinguishes art from craft, craft being that which has a general aim, and however accurately attempts to describe it may be, will always be defined as the production of a thing having characteristics that could be shared by other things  [4]  . He illustrates this quite succinctly: the joiner could make a table out of specific pieces of wood, with specific measurements th at arent shared by any other table, but those factors could still, in principle, be shared by other tables. So the artist, in contrast, does not make, he creates ex nihilo. He does not aim to create an emotion in his audience but more specifically, an emotion of a certain kind. At this point, Collingwood introduces the third important contributing factor to the definition of art. To create art ex nihilo would suggest that it begins in the mind, as the artist creates the artwork as a means of expressing what he is feeling. Hence, the third factor of art is imagination. Collingwood provides an important account of pinpointing real art, as he necessitates that the role of a true artist is not to instil or arouse emotion in his audience, but to produce an artwork, so if a musician, make a tune. It is easy to think of the music as art, but this is a common mistake. The tune exists perfectly and complete when it is still imaginary in the artists head. It doesnt become real until it is played for its sound to be heard by an audience, but this is where the mistake is made. Collingwood maintains that there are two different and distinct things here and we often mistake the wrong one to be art. The music, or artwork, is not the assortment of noises played out by inst ruments, but rather the tune in the musicians head. As a result of distinguishing art from craft he upholds that expression is an activity of which there can be no technique  [5]  as unlike craft, art has no preconceived end, coinciding with Collingwoods view that the artist doesnt know what emotion he is feeling until he has expressed it. This is possibly the most troubling part of his theory as we often consider art to be a demonstration of great skill. Perhaps Tolstoy can even recognise that the artist is skilful in communicating his emotion to an audience in a way that the ordinary person cant. Good technique is consistent with helping artists express their feelings creatively, as the painter can communicate them much more effectively with the knowledge of different brush strokes to exhibit different visual effects, or the blending of different colours together to instil a variety of different moods in his artworks. It seems absurd to say that it is only thorough absence of technique that produces real art. To conclude, the benefits that we can take from the two expressivists is that art requires a definition in order to retain the meaning of what real art is, and that art serves as a medium for communicating emotions. It is true that we feel certain emotions that artwork seem to convey. It is also true that these emotions can be infectious, for example on listening to a particularly upbeat song, we may suddenly feel a sense of happiness. It is also true that emotions consist of many different forms. Happiness stretches from satisfaction to elation and it is perhaps the individuality of feelings that artists experience that contribute to the individuality and quality of artwork. Collingwoods distinction between art and craft is also quite key to the definition of art, as although both may require a certain level of skill, the artist is very much about expressing emotion through his skill while the craftsman is merely making for the sake of making. So on this basis, a combination of the benefits of both expressivist theories seems to provide a valid definition of art. With omitting the defects of both theories, it would seem easy to suggest that if art really is so difficult to define, then maybe it is a subjective concept, and what it is should be left for people to determine for themselves. But that isnt an adequate conclusion, as it makes for difficulty in talking meaningfully about art, or what one considers being good or bad art, as each will have a different idea of what art is. Further, to say that art is something that which cannot be defined is, in itself, defining it in a particularly unsatisfactory way, as it achieves nothing. It is for this reason that a conceptual definition of art is preferable to not having one at all.

Stalinization: Justifying the Terror :: Russian Russia History

Stalinization: Justifying the Terror No other nation has developed at a more fast and alarming rate than Russia under the control of Comrade Joseph Stalin. The 'Stalinization' of Communist Russia may have seemed brutal and unjust, however, many historians agree that many of Stalin's actions were completely necessary for Russia's industrialization. Some of the actions taken included the Five Year Plan for Industry, Five Year Plan for Agriculture, and rapid urbanization. These are the three most important aspects of transforming The Soviet Union into a world economic power. It was soon realized that Lenin's NEP (New Economic Policy) could not continue for much longer. It was granting Russian farmers to own they're own land and to sell they're produce for a profit. The NEP may have been effective for a short while to pull Russia out of her economic slump, but Marxist beliefs dictate that farms must be collectivized. This was the only way that the farms might be able to meet they're target for grain production (which had fallen short by nearly 7 million tons under the NEP). In light of this, Stalin introduced the new Five Year Plan of Agriculture. There was about 25 million plots of privately owned land that were too small to be effective for Grain production. So under the Agriculture Plan, the walls between these small holdings were knocked down and the farms were collectivized. This meant that land could be cultivated much more efficiently with the use of fertilizers, tractors, and other such machinery that otherwise could not be used in a small, privat e holding. Thousands fled the countryside in fear of collectivization to join newly built cities. This led to a rapid urbanization of cities such as Novosibirsk and Moscow, that were expecting to house little more than three million, instead found themselves having to support over six-and-a-half million people that were finding jobs in the industrial work force. This was, however, very hard on the living conditions of the Russian people in these cities. Many people found it hard to get work. Others, with the highest paying jobs, still, were forced to have they're families share one bedroom accommodations with one or two other families! With so many people in urban areas of Russia there were twice the amount of people working in the coal mines and drilling more oil wells. This in turn helped with Stalin's Five Year Plan for Industry.

Othello’s Female Roles Essay -- Othello essays

Othello’s Female Roles  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Let’s look at the roles of the three lady-characters in the Shakespearean drama Othello. Their roles are not marginal, but are rather vital to the tragedy.    In the Introduction to Shakespeare’s Othello: The Harbrace Theatre Edition, John Russell Brown summarizes the role of the heroine of the play:    When considered functionally, Desdemona’s role may be seen to be every bit as demanding as those of the principals. The fact that she has far fewer words to speak and is on-stage for a much shorter time detracts nothing from the scope of the role, but rather shows that the actress herself can move the audience with the quiet authority of her stage presence and her realization of this girl’s courage and openness of mind and heart. (xviii)    For the women in Othello, life as they would have it was an uphill battle. Susan Snyder in â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective† reveals some of the hurdles which women had to face in finding a suitable role in society:    The pervasive notion of woman as property, prized indeed but more as object than as person, indicates one aspect of a deep-seated sexual pathology in Venice. [. . .] Iago fans to flames the coals of socially induced unease in Othello, fantasizes on his own about being cuckolded by Othello and Cassio. In an ideology that can value only cloistered, desireless women, any woman who departs from this passivity will cause intense anxiety. (295)      One key role for the heroine of the drama, Desdemona, is to support the general. David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies states that the hero equates the young woman he so deeply depends on for happiness, with his mother (226). A different role for the her... ...h, Inc., 1973.    Kernan, Alvin. â€Å"Othello: and Introduction.† Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1964.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Snyder, Susan. â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective.† Shakespeare: Othello. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.    Wayne, Valerie. â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello.† The Matter of Difference: Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed Valerie Wayne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.    Snyder, Susan. â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective.† Shakespeare: Othello. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.   

Dune Essay -- essays research papers

Dune   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book all started with the family Atreides landing on plant Arrakis, commonly known as Dune. The planet Dune was the centre of the universe due to its immense amounts of spice. This spice is greatly needed for all planets as fuel and for raw materials. The family Atreides were asked by Emperor himself to go and mine the spice on the planet. Their greatest enemy the Harkonnen's, were also on Dune. These two families mining the precious spice on the same plant would lead to great troubles and wars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon after that, I was introduced to a very brave and insightful young man. The young man is Paul Atreides. Paul is medium height with short, black hair. His mother Jessica is a Bene Gesserit that means she knows the â€Å"weirding way.† This means Jessica is trained to kill and is also trained as a mind reader. She is very tall and beautiful and is always concerned with the actions of Paul, the future ruler of the galaxy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessica's teacher, the Reverend Mother heard of Paul and thought that he might be the great leader that the prophets told of. The Reverend Mother came to Dune and tested Paul to see if this was so. Paul underwent great pain and suffering but passed the tests with the highest reverence. Duke Leto, Paul's father now came into the picture. He was the leader of the Atreides Family. He seemed very established and perceptive. The Atreides family represented good and honesty while their enemies, the Harkonnen's, were ruthless killers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harkonnen home planet, Gedi Prime was very desolate and dark. It represented the immorality and darkness within the Harkonnens. Their leader Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was very obese and inhuman. He killed his own slaves for fun and hated the Atreides with a passion. He hated their peaceful and honest ways. Most of all he despised their coming to Dune. This Harkonnen leader appeared the typical tyrant leader. Vladimir Harkonnen's most trusted solider Feyd-Rautha was also like him except his physical appearance was that of ideal shape and form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Back at the Atreides base more characters are introduced to me. They are Duncan Idaho who was the personal trainer for Paul Atreides, Dr. Yeuh who was a good friend of the Duke and later was found out to be a traitor, and Thufir... ... understand the characters and their emotions with more comprehension. There were many themes in ‘Dune' such as â€Å"you shall get your just deserves.† This means that what you have done to others shall be done back to you in full. The Harkonnens army combined with the Emperors attacked and beat the Atreides. Paul in turn strikes back with brute force that many have not seen throughout their existence. The Harkonnens and the Emperor were annihilated and Paul's vengeance was paid. I must say that this science fiction book did create a sense of reality meaning that this situation could happen in the future. A boy or girl born in the future who is destined to be the almighty ruler. He/she will guide us out of depression and into a new era of peace and prosperity. Their may be truth to this story and one day a fight between good and evil may come to reality. Dune is the typical `Good guys vs. Bad guys' theme. The Atreides are at war with the Harkonnens and the good always win (as you already know.) Although this plot is really used too much Frank Herbert did an excellent job to disguise this fact. He blended this into a great story line of action packed adventure and dreams of the future.

Ethical Consumerism

Ethical Consumerism What is ethical consumerism? Ethical consumerism is the purchasing of products and services produced in a way that minimizes social and environmental damage while avoiding products and services having a negative impact on society or the environment (http://www. scribd. com/doc/19589310/Contract-Law). Ethically made products are those that are produced with the least harm to the environment, animals, and humans. There are four types of ethical buying. The first one is positive buying as in energy saving light bulbs.The second is negative purchasing which is avoiding products that disapprove of, such as battery eggs or gas-guzzling cars. The third one is company-based purchasing. You choose whether or not you support a company based on what it produces. The last one is the fully-screened approach. The fully-screened approach is a combination of the first three. When purchasing products or services the consumer should consider the quality of the product, the conditio ns in which the products produced and if any harm is caused to the environment.When items are sold at really low prices, it should make the consumer stop and think, â€Å"Is this really a bargain? † How consumers spend money influences social and economic justice, the environment, animal welfare, and democratic freedoms. As consumers, we have an ethical obligation to society. As consumers, we should only buy products that are safe to use or healthy to consume, In order to do that, we must not buy from companies that exploit humans or animals maintain and increase social poverty, inequality and deprivation (http://www. atheistnexus. org/group/consumerethics).We must identify companies that value their employees and customers, pay fair wages, and provide a safe and healthy work environment, and maintain sustainable business and environmental practices and practice positive buying. Positive buying is favoring ethical products, and businesses that operate on principles based prim arily on benefit for the greater good rather than self-interest,allowing for business self-interest only for the perpetuation of doing general good outside of self (http://knowmore. org). Moral boycotting is another way to help society.Moral boycotting is the practice of avoiding or boycotting products which a consumer believes to be associated with unethical behavior. Reasons for boycotting would be factory farming, harm to the environment, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, and low wages. Boycotting can damage reputations and cause a loss in profits. If we are a socially responsible organization, you would think people would prefer to buy from us than a company who isn’t socially ethical. As consumers, we have the power and must take responsibility for this power by making informed and empowered choices in the products we purchase (http://www. mallsimplelife. com/2009/09/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/). We must be positive consumers, and use our buying power to influence t he effects consumerism has on the living planet. References (Ethics and Consumer video [Video file]. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://library. uco. edu ) (http://www. scribd. com/doc/19589310/Contract-Law) (http://www. atheistnexus. org/group/consumerethics) Small Simple Life : Positive Impact with Ethical Consumer †¦ (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. smallsimplelife. com/2009/09/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/