The Color People Essays - The Color Purple, Language Of Angels

The Color People The Color People Rape, incest, sex , forced labor, and a little reefer on the side. These are all of the components of a Novel by Alice Walker. All of these views are illustrated proficiently in Alice Walkers third novel, The Color Purple. Each one of these aspects had a lasting impression upon the ideals and notions of the time. Walker's writing's helped to break the racial barrier that existed in some people's minds. One way that the barrier was destroyed was through Walker's depiction of an imperfect black person. If a white person wrote about a less than perfect black person than it was considered racist. Now that a black person is writing about other blacks that are foretaking in acts that are, in their eye's, immoral and corrupt, the subject is brought into a new light. These actions are discussed out in the open, and the idea that all people have their own "flaws", is thought to be more fisable. Walker combines all of these issues in her story in a deceptive way. They all are linked together by way of a semi-believable story line with one major overlaying theme. Prescott sums it up nicely, "Love redeems, meanness kills"(p74). This is illustrated in many ways in Walker's novel. One perfect example of this is Mr. _____. Mr. _____, as he is called throughout the novel, was a wife beater, who, having been denied Celie's sister, marries Celie to look after his children. He beats her and rapes her and is just plain nasty to her. Finally, one day, after Celie discovers another mean thing that Mr. ____ did to her, she leaves with her girlfriend to start a new life. Mr. _____ is left all alone. He starts to fall apart. He becomes afraid of the dark, and just gives up on life. That was his meanness that started to destroy his life. Now, just as Mr. ____ is nearing death, his son Harpo, starts to take care of him. Mr.___ starts to love him again. Now Mr.____'s life takes a towards revival. He becomes a new man. Once he starts to love his life starts to look up again. His and his son's love redeemed him. "The more I wonder, he say, the more I love. And people start to love you back, I bet, I say. They do, he say, surprise. Harpo seem to love me." (Walker, pg. 290) Walker's novel is very unique in regards to style. Her use of black idiom is very effective and adds the extra fragment of actuality and authenticity to the story line. "Walker's use of language, especially Black idiom, is masterful and adds poignancy and depth to the narrative." (Another characteristic of Walker is the inclusion of highly controversial and unique circumstances in her novel. For example, many authors of the time, black or white, would address the idea of either inter-racial or same-sex relations. Walker was an active feminist and her voice and opinions show through in many of her novels. The Color Purple includes many dynamic characters throughout. Mr._____ is a good example of one such character. In the beginning of the novel he is a mean, strange old man who only marries Celie because he needs somebody to look after his kids. Mr.______ is really in love with her sister, but their father decides that her sister Nettie is too young for marriage so he settles for Celie. This shows how unfeeling Mr.____ is in the first portion of the novel. He beats his wife and overworks her and rapes her and abuses her. He is an all around bad guy. "First he put this thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying you better shut up and git used to it." (Walker, pg. 1,2) However, Mr.____ comes upon a big change in his life when Celie finally leaves him. Mr.____ is left all by himself and forced to survive and maintain himself on his own. Here is where he runs into some problems. Here is where the big change takes place. Mr.____ changes his evil ways and begins to show some compassion and love. The end of the novel depicts a markedly different Mr.____ then the beginning of the novel portrays. In the end of the novel Mr.____ and Celie actually have a civilized conversation and begin to see face to face. They become friends and often visit each other's homes and

Free Essays on Violence In The Media

â€Å"Monkey see, monkey do† has become a well-known saying in today’s modern, media-warped society, but is it correct? What has the world come to these days? It often seems like that everywhere one looks, violence rears its ugly head. We see it in the streets, back alleys, school, and even at home. The last of these, our homes, is a major source of violence. In many living rooms, there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television. The people who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violent scenes with sometimes devastating results. Much research has gone into showing why our society is so mesmerized by this glowing box and the action that takes place within it. Only a mere sixty years ago the invention of the television was viewed as a technological breakthrough with black and white ghost-like figures on the screen so small, hardly anyone could see them. Today that curiosity has become a constant companion to 90% of the American population (Sherrow 26), mainly, children and teenagers. Unfortunately, it is these violent programs that are endangering our present-day society. Violent images on television, as well as in the movies, have inspired people to set spouses on fire in their beds, lie down in the middle of highways, extort money by placing bombs in airplanes, rape, steal, murder, and commit numerous other shootings and assaults. (Brown 78) Most of what is broadcast or transmitted, even in the news, today is with reference to the chaotic condition of our planet. The more atrocious the event, the more publicity it receives. â€Å"The average American child will witness†¦200,000 acts of media violence by the time that child graduates from high school.† (Sherrow 6) â€Å"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders,† James Baldwin wrote in Nobody Knows my Name. â€Å"But they have never failed to imitate them.† (Sherrow 56) This basic truth has all bu... Free Essays on Violence In The Media Free Essays on Violence In The Media â€Å"Monkey see, monkey do† has become a well-known saying in today’s modern, media-warped society, but is it correct? What has the world come to these days? It often seems like that everywhere one looks, violence rears its ugly head. We see it in the streets, back alleys, school, and even at home. The last of these, our homes, is a major source of violence. In many living rooms, there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television. The people who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violent scenes with sometimes devastating results. Much research has gone into showing why our society is so mesmerized by this glowing box and the action that takes place within it. Only a mere sixty years ago the invention of the television was viewed as a technological breakthrough with black and white ghost-like figures on the screen so small, hardly anyone could see them. Today that curiosity has become a constant companion to 90% of the American population (Sherrow 26), mainly, children and teenagers. Unfortunately, it is these violent programs that are endangering our present-day society. Violent images on television, as well as in the movies, have inspired people to set spouses on fire in their beds, lie down in the middle of highways, extort money by placing bombs in airplanes, rape, steal, murder, and commit numerous other shootings and assaults. (Brown 78) Most of what is broadcast or transmitted, even in the news, today is with reference to the chaotic condition of our planet. The more atrocious the event, the more publicity it receives. â€Å"The average American child will witness†¦200,000 acts of media violence by the time that child graduates from high school.† (Sherrow 6) â€Å"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders,† James Baldwin wrote in Nobody Knows my Name. â€Å"But they have never failed to imitate them.† (Sherrow 56) This basic truth has all bu... Free Essays on Violence In The Media Violent Lyrics That Cause Violence Since the 70’s, music has been accused of being the cause of violent behavior. During the 70’s and 80’s, several heavy metal bands were being blamed for the sudden outbursts of violent behavior among teens. Back then, Ozzy Osbourne was the choice of blame among the media. They were accusing him of having secret messages in his ‘satanic’ lyrics, which hypnotized and manipulated the minds of young listeners everywhere. During the 80’s, punk bands began to take over the music scene. The media then directed the blame towards the new artists. In 1988, rap was invented. The media also changed their views on who to blame. They broadcast several stories on the news, on how new age music was affecting the lives of the next generation. Soon blame was put on the African American rap artists, believing that they were poisoning today’s youth. Rap music was becoming known as a bleak way for someone to express themselves, labeling rap as the newest r ebel music. People were beginning to believe stories that rap music lead to substance abuse, crime, rape and killing. Between ‘94 and ’95, punk rock was taken to new levels, when Marilyn Manson created the first industrial rock album. His unique style and originality were not welcome among society. The media started to point fingers at Manson as well. But for some reason, youth were attracted to his image. Today’s media, places blame on Eminem. His brutally honest lyrics were taken as insult to a lot of people. The media argues that the lyrics are to shock and offend people, when they may just be something used to catch a listener’s attention. The media has created a pattern by switching the blame from artist to artist. Its no surprise that when the subject of violent lyrics comes up, teens always have a good argument, no matter which side they’re on. There is one thing that is the same with all the artists who have been victims of the me...

Patron and Matron

Patron and Matron Patron and Matron Patron and Matron By Mark Nichol As Latin scholars may recognize, patron and matron are cognate with the Latin words for â€Å"mother† and â€Å"father.† However, their senses, and those of inflectional forms of these words, extend beyond the immediately family. Patron, which means â€Å"sponsor† or â€Å"supporter,† ultimately derives from the Latin term pater, meaning â€Å"father,† but the senses of its intermediate form, patronus, are â€Å"bestower,† â€Å"lord,† and â€Å"master† as well as â€Å"model† and â€Å"pattern.† (Pattern, as a matter of fact, stems from patron, the identical French forebear of the English word.) Because of the diversity of definitions, a patron can be a wealthy philanthropist who supports an artistic endeavor or a social cause or a mere customer of a business establishment. The similar-looking term patroon, a Dutch variation on the French word, denotes in historical American English usage a landholder in Dutch colonial territories in what is now the northeastern United States. Patronage applies in either sense to the act of being a patron. Likewise, patronize has a dual meaning: In its positive connotation, it simply describes being a customer, but it also has the pejorative sense of â€Å"condescend,† or â€Å"look down on,† from the notion of a person of higher social status arrogantly regarding someone of supposedly inferior standing. Two words that contain the letter sequence seen in patron but are descended directly from pater are patronym (literally, â€Å"father’s name†) and patronymic (literally, â€Å"from the father’s name†); the latter is both a noun and an adjective. Matron, from the Latin word mater by way of matron, meaning â€Å"married woman,† also has modern senses that deviate from its familial origins: The word now signifies a woman with a mature demeanor and high social status, though the adjective matronly derogatorily suggests someone of a certain age and a certain bulk. In a wedding party, however, a married maid of honor is called a matron of honor regardless of age or size. Historically, a female supervisor in a public institution such as a prison or a school was called a matron, and in animal husbandry, a matron is the female equivalent of a stud. Matronym and matronymic are the female equivalents of patronym and patronymic. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyHyper and Hypo7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

John Quincy Adams Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

John Quincy Adams - Article Example One of his journal entries at forty-five is a statement filled with reflection upon a continuous personal struggle with insecurity as the country’s president passionately endeavored to resolve his own indifference in serving and shaping the American nation based on convictions established by his roots. To JFK, even if this meant desertion by the Federalist Party, his depicts a real story of unusual courage, a point when a reader shifts perspective from the common view of a heroic political figure but one may readily admit that the bravery shown through the profile of Adams is by itself justified. It truly takes a huge amount of courage to be able to convey imperfections across a multitude who are in typical recognition of flawless leaders only. One of his journal entries at forty-five is a statement filled with reflection upon a continuous personal struggle with insecurity as the country’s president passionately endeavored to resolve his own indifference in serving and shaping the American nation based on convictions established by his roots. To JFK, even if this meant desertion by the Federalist Party, his depicts a real story of unusual courage, a point when a reader shifts perspective from the common view of a heroic political figure but one may readily admit that the bravery shown through the profile of Adams is by itself justified. It truly takes a huge amount of courage to be able to convey imperfections across a multitude who are in typical recognition of flawless leaders only. Daniel Webster As an ideal example of a man with an authentic word of honor, Pres. J. F. Kennedy paid tribute as well to Daniel Webster who did not cease at aiming to win favor for the cause of the Union while working to impede the natural course of the Civil War. Like the few other notable profiles, Webster occurs to be characterized in Kennedy’s creation as a man who deserves even the reverence of the modern world for taking grave risks in the act of unifying the States at the expense of his profession and the economy attached to it. In all eloquence, D. Webster expressed his determination to pursue his undaunted convictions toward the preservation of the Union to the extent of not receiving a due acknowledgment after tedious hours of dedicated speech and as if he were constantly at the frontline of the stiff rivalry between the irreconcilable South and North. One evidently identifies in his case one of JFK’s most admired traits, as firmly standing for what the man co nsiders as his sense of fervent and unbreakable truth. This had been adequately manifested in Webster’s manner of persuasion in tone or his astounding presence of spirit and verbal delivery that could be felt spontaneously radiating from out of a solid core or a well-integrated whole where mind and heart are a single entity so that audience at the time acquired the impression that ‘he looked like one, talked like one, was treated like one, and insisted he was one (Kennedy 53).’Â  

The Social Workers Role in Multidisciplinary Team Essay

The Social Workers Role in Multidisciplinary Team - Essay Example Realizing that the social worker's role is strongly influenced by the current trends and changes shaping the 21st century, this paper will look at the current role of social worker. The first part will generally discuss the important functions of social worker in the society. Afterwards, this paper will specifically expound on the crucial part played by the social worker in multidisciplinary teams. Generally, social workers carry out six basic functions in the society. Firstly, social workers are often seen as counselors who help various individuals in addressing their personal dilemmas. This counseling role has been a "powerful and recurrent ideas throughout the history of social work" and "has been closely associated with its core values of respect and recognition of the inherent role of the individual." Social work is often linked on how successful these agents are in extending their wisdom on distressed people. Second, social workers are expected to act as advocates of the poor and socially excluded, serving as a voice that will inform specific societal institutions of their needs and demands. Social workers also partners with abused and "disempowered" individuals and group with the core objective of empowerment. These agents are also irrefutably tasked to assess the needs or risks faced by groups and individuals. In order to efficiently carry out their role, social worker s also function as care managers who arrange care for individuals. Lastly, social workers are agents of social control who aids in maintaining the social system "against the demand of offenders" or other individuals possessing problematic behavior (Asquitin, Clark, and Waterhouse 2004). With the aforementioned roles carried out by social workers, they are, in fact vital in maintaining a healthy, efficient, and well-functioning society. Social workers are essential forces which shapes each society by ensuring that they help preventing the rise of societal problems. If problems are already present in a community, social workers are there to give solutions to these problems. These are the basic roles of the social workers in the general society. This is also the reason why they are often a part of multidisciplinary teams for child protection, family care, and patient care. Thus, in order to fully see how these general functions are carried out, this paper will look at a closer milieu which features the workplace of social workers-in multidisciplinary teams. Multidisciplinary teams are "groups of professionals from diverse disciplines who come together to provide comprehensive assessment and consultation" (What is a Multidisciplinary Team n.d.) The primary purpose of multidisciplinary teams is to help team members resolve difficult issues and fulfill a variety of additional functions according to their disciplines. In the case in child protection teams, typical members are child, youth, and family social workers, police, child abuse team, doctors for sexual abuse care, health workers, care and protection coordinators, care and protection resource panels, and community organizations. It should be noted that as a multidisciplinary team, these members represents different approaches to child protection, different skills, and specialization. Thus, they are imbued

Dtlls - Enabling Learning and Assessment Essay Example for Free

Dtlls Enabling Learning and Assessment Essay Coursework 1 – Reflective Account of Peer Assessment Activity Within this piece of work I will be reflecting on an assessment activity used by a peer whilst I was observing their lesson for A-level psychology. The learners were all aged 17-19 and the lesson was on theories of depression and was a revision session for learners before their exams the following month. The assessment activity was an informal formative assessment where the students were placed into groups of two or three learners and were then given an area of the subject matter, the learners then had to create revision notes as a group on a piece of flipchart paper using their own notes and text books. The learners were then given 15 minutes to revise these notes, once this time was up the tutor then asked the learners to all find a new partner and then teach their revised notes to their peer. The ‘tutor’ peer would try to give all their key notes without looking at the flipchart, but some learners were allowed when they got stuck on certain points. The ‘student’ peer would have to take written notes to aid with their revision. The learners would then swap in their pairs and the roles would be reversed, after both learners had shared their revision notes they would then swap again to find a new learner to pair with, this process continued until all learners had a full set of revision notes for the subject. Brown et al on the subject of assessment ‘validity’ state ‘It is often described as the match between what is intended to be measured and what is measured.’ (Brown et al., 1997, p.239). I believe this activity was very valid as it allowed the tutor to assess the notes the learners would be revising from for a summative exam in the future. The aims of this assessment were explained in full detail and the learners understood what was expected of them from this activity. The point of the activity was for peer learning to take place to aid revision in the subject of theories of depression; this was definitely achieved by the end of the lesson as every learner had a full set of revision notes on each aspect of the subject confirming the validity of the assessment. The students were in charge of creating their own notes in each group and then passing these notes onto their peers, this does cause some reliability issues as with all learners some students may have put more effort into their revision notes than others. Therefore you may get a learner who has put as much information into his or hers notes as possible giving a vast amount of knowledge on a certain area of the subject and they may then  receive from a peer basic knowledge of another area of the subject. Reece and Walker talk of ‘reliability’ as ‘the ability of a test to consistently measure what it is supposed to measure.’ (Reece and Walker, 2007, p.348), I believe this method of assessment does not consistently measure but the tutor did circulate the classroom at all times aiding learners if they were finding it hard to put key points down on paper. This method does however aid differentiation as less able learners were given the chance to gain knowledge of the subject from more able learners. The more able learners also had the chance to practice and develop their subject knowledge aiding revision in the class. Word Count: 520 References Brown, G., Bull, J. and Pendlebury, M. (1997) Assessing Students Learning in Higher Education. Oxon, p.239. Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2007) Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. 6th ed. Sunderland: Business Education Publishers Ltd, p.321. Coursework 2 Assessment Information within own Organisation Assessment information within my own organisation is recorded from the beginning of a learner joining the college. Every potential student as part of the interview stage takes part in a minimum core assessment; this is a basic screening test to assess the student’s literacy and numeracy skills. This initial assessment allows us to correctly place the learner on the right level of course. These results are placed in the college database, following the enrolment of each learner the minimum core results form a group differentiation profile for each class; put together by the course leader. This profile is used by the tutor so they can differentiate learning tasks and understand individual learner’s needs from the very beginning. Once the course commences formative assessments are created by the tutor and used in each lesson. Each learner receives feedback from these assessments and if needed, targets can be set so the learner is clear on what is expected of them. Validity and reliability of assessments used during a course are checked at regular standardisation meetings within curriculum teams, these take place to sample marking of formative and summative theory assessments. Allowing tutors to internally verify samples of learners work so all tutors  in the department are consistent in their marking. Reece and Walker explain ‘validity’ as ‘how well the test measures what it is supposed to measure† (Reece and Walker, 2007, p.321). Within these meetings the team will also evaluate and create formative and summative assessments for future use; a chance to share good practice. The meetings are also used to discuss practical assessments as different tutors can have differing views on as sessment criteria; this aids the reliability of the assessments. Summative assessments are entered on a standardised tracking document which every tutor in the department can access. Updating this tracking document then enables each tutor or the head of department to see the progress of every learner helping to identify any ‘at risk’ students who may need more attention or end up not completing the course. This document is shared with the learners; they can see what still needs to be achieved to gain their qualification and how far they have come in terms of progression, this aids motivation in the classroom and also a sense of achievement to see how much they have already completed. The learners have logbooks provided by the awarding body VTCT, this is where tutors record all practical summative assessment and sign off to say they have met the criteria set by VTCT. The logbook is used by the learner to build a portfolio of consultations forms and photographs from practical’s, written assignments and any online tests the learner has to complete during the course. The college also uses Pro-Monitor a computerised package which tutors can record individual learner progress and set targets for learners to achieve by a certain time. Learners can access Pro-Monitor and input individual targets they wish to achieve, it can also show them graphs and visual aids on how much of their qualification they have achieved, this is brilliant for more visual learners who may find written feedback harder to understand. These different ways of recording assessment information are vital in enabling tutors to identify when students are falling behind and planning for future development, a side effect of not using these implements could be learners nearing the end of their course without completing assessments that are mandatory. References Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2007) Teaching, Training and Learning- a Practical Guide. 6th ed. Sunderland: Business Edition Publishers, p.321. Coursework 3 – Evaluation of Assessment Activities Assessment is defined by Gravells and Simpson as ‘a measure of learning, at a given point in time. Relevant skills, knowledge and/or attitudes can be measured towards a subject or qualification.’ (Gravells and Simpson, 2008). There are three main types of assessment; initial, formative and summative; these types of assessment can then be informal in the way of crosswords, gapped hand-outs, quizzes, discussions and journals or they can be formal in the way of exams, assignments, tests and observations. Formative assessment, used properly, is such an integral part of the teaching and learning process that it could be argued that it shouldn’t even be called assessment. When we consider teaching and learning methods, many of them – questioning, case studies, and projects – are also assessment methods used as learning checks. Scales states ‘Assessment for learning is based on the belief that everyone can learn and formative assessment is a key strat egy to help learners improve and develop’ (Scales, 2010) With this in mind the first assessment activity to be evaluated is a crossword used as an informal summative assessment. Crosswords are a simple and easy way of assessing learner’s knowledge during a unit. Crosswords can be uploaded to the college interactive website ‘cloud’, learners can then download the activity as a form of homework or as an extension task during directed studies. These can then be handed in to the tutor for marking. A more effective method is to use a crossword as learning check during a lesson; once the learners have completed the crossword they can then discuss as a group the answers. The tutor can also use extended questioning, asking more able learners to explain in more depth an answer to help aid differentiation. Feedback from learners suggests that crosswords are a challenging way of testing knowledge and encourages the learners to look at subject matter in different ways without having to sit tests all the time, which can be very daunting for certain learners. Something gained from feedback from a group of level 1’s, is that because a majority of the learners have learning needs which affects their literacy; they find the crossword in itself challenging to complete. To overcome this it has been noted that providing learners with a word bank of key words for each unit has helped in completing such tasks as  crosswords, as the learner still needs to know which word they are looking for but aids in developing their spelling for the future. Feedback is the most important part of formative assessment; research suggests that immediate oral feedback is the most effective, whether this is done by one on ones or as a group discussion. The feedback provided should be developmental and make the learners extend their thinking and learning to a higher level and should also focus on positive points first before moving onto more ‘developmental’ area’s for the learner to consider. By conducting formative assessment it can ensure that the teacher gains a full understanding of the learners existing capabilities so that realistic goals can then be set and additional support if needed can be organised. With this feedback individual targets can then be created for each learner and placed on the college Pro-Monitor system where the learners can access their targets as and when needed to see how they are developing in the course. Learners are also encouraged to create their own personal targets on Pro-Monitor, using feedback from formative assessments it allows learners to realise key strengths and weaknesses to help in creating these targets. The use of this feedback is very much like the idea of ‘scaffolding’, Bruner (Wood et al., 1976) coined this term in the 1950’s and believed using a more knowledgeable other to challenge the learner to achieve more by providing ‘scaffolding’ to help them climb to higher levels. Learners in dialogue with teachers can see where they want to reach but initially may need help in the form of questions, prompts and pointers to get there. Summative assessment is the assessment of learning and it leads to the gaining of qualifications and grades. Weeden suggests ‘Summative assessment is a snapshot judgement that records what a learner can do at a particular time.’ (Weeden et al., 2002, p.19) This process of qualification is important for learners and it is good to keep in mind the emotional aspects and design of assessment in relation to validity and reliability. With this in mind the second assessment activity to be evaluated is a practical observation used as a formal summative assessment. Practical observations are used throughout all 3 NVQ levels in beauty therapy as the subject is extremely vocationally based. Beauty therapy NVQ’s are broken down into units, for each unit there will be practical assessments that have to be completed at the end of the unit, where the learner is observed and assessed by the teacher. VTCT are  the awarding body for the beauty therapy NVQ’s and they set out the practical assessment criteria for each unit, this criteria is printed in the learners logbooks which is where each assessment is signed off if a pass has been achieved. To aid the reliability of the practical assessments all beauty lecturers at the college come together at standardisation meetings where the criteria is discussed in detail and a learner marking sheet is created which includes each of the areas the learner has to meet to gain a pass in the assessment. If this was not done each teacher could interpret the assessment criteria in different ways therefore learners would not be assessed fairly and reliably. Petty states ‘the same examiner should give the same mark if they unknowingly mark a script twice on different days’ (Petty, 2009), using standardisation this means that even with practical based assessments the results should always be the same. To help learners during practical assessments learning outcomes are written on the whiteboard to highlight key points they will need to show competency in or do to achieve a pass in the assessment. During the observation the teacher will also ask questions to the learners to help achieve the unit criteria, this is also where differentiation of the learners can take place as more able learners will be asked more open-ended and higher order questions then less able learners who will be asked standard criteria questions. The use of cameras in practical assessments is something that is still fairly new and is being experimented with but does seem to show some success. As part of the observation learners have to keep their working area clean and tidy and show due regard for health and safety, the teacher can now take pictures of each learners working area before the assessment takes place and then at the commencement of the assessment. With regards to practical assessments like nail art, make-up and face painting the finished article can also be documented by a photo that the learner can then be used in their own portfolio to be sent to the awarding body. From these pictures the teacher can then feedback to the learner at the end of the assessment any positive points of the practical and also any areas that the learner would need to further develop, the learner can then have these pictures as a visual aid to understand how they can improve for the next assessment and also works as a good revision aid for the future. Another approach to embrace ICT in assessments is to video learners assessments so they can themselves evaluate  and feedback on client care and professionalism during their observation. It has been noted that using cameras in practical observations has been received well by the learners, they have commented that it brings a new dimension to receiving feedback and allows them to visualise areas they need to focus on improving and reinforces the assessment criteria for them too. Feedback from practical observation is given individually immediately after the learners assessment, feedback is given verbally with key points both positive and ones for development are written on the bottom of the consultation form the learner completed during the assessment (these consultation forms also go into the learners portfolio). Practical assessments can leave a lot to interpretation by the teacher so it is important the practical marking sheet is filled in during the observations and a pass or fail is determined by how many of the boxes the learner showed competence in, depending on which level the learner is currently studying determines the number of criteria they need to meet. Learners can feel very nervous and daunted by practical assessments at the beginning of the year as it the proverbial ‘unknown’, formative practical assessments do help to calm learners worries as they are a ‘trial run’ of the summative assessment, also setting out some time to explain and discuss the unit assessment criteria and what will be expected of them from this. During the practical observations themselves the use of cameras also seems to help learners forget the formalness of the observation and relax into the assessment. In conclusion all assessment methods should be a positive contribution to learning and good assessment activities are important to aiding teaching. However assessments are only worthwhile if they assist the learner and teacher to move through the learning outcomes of the unit, otherwise it is irrelevant. Designing assessment activities which stretch the learner’s abilities and promotes their development is a skill that comes with experience and understanding of the current learners on your course and it is definitely something that will always be tweaked and changed throughout your career. Word Count: 1,594 References Gravells, A. and Simpson, S. (2008) Planning and enabling Learning in the Lifelonf Learning Sector. Exeter: Learning matters, p.50. Petty, G. (2009) Teaching Today – A practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Scales, P. (2010) Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education, p.180. Weeden, P., Winter, J. and Broadfoot, P. (2002) Assessment: Whats in it for schools?. London: Routledge Falmer, p.19. Wood, D., Bruner, J. and Ross, G. (1976) The role of tutoring in problem solving. In: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry., pp.89-100.

Thomas Pynchon in TV Land: The Televisual Culture in Vineland :: TV Television Cultural Essays

Thomas Pynchon in TV Land: The Televisual Culture in Vineland Mark Robberds’ 1995 Article "The New Historicist Creepers of Vineland" is an insightful look into how Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel fits the new historicist criteria of Michel Foucault, Stephen Greenblatt, and other new historicists. He convincingly argues for the "vinelike" characteristics of the novel, and shows how it is "genealogical in structure and archeological in content" (Robberds 238). What Robberds means is that Vineland is a complex narrative with more characters than a three-part miniseries. The book, which opens in 1984, is set as much in the sixties as in the eighties. After meeting each character, we are treated to their history and interaction with other characters over the previous fifteen to fifty years, in some cases tracing back to their parents and grandparents. All this personal and cultural history fits into Robberds’ definition of Foucault’s new historicism nicely, but Robberds seems so eager to fit Vineland into this box that he mis ses one of the true pleasures of reading Pynchon. Robberds writes that Greenblatt and others treat texts as "‘cultural artifacts’ with no intrinsic aesthetic value, but as microcosms of cultural and institutional patterns" (Robberds 238-9). He expands on this idea in a section of his article called "Cultural Artifacts: A Televisual Guide to Vineland:" Vineland does not seem to provide an avenue for directly mimetic passage from text to reality, unless one intends to read all mention of popular culture in the text as essentially parodic. The text neither applauds nor parodies the televisual but presents it instead as "cultural artefact." (244) This position is contradicted by the text, in which Pynchon parodies television to no end. Robberds supports his statement by quoting characters saying, "It was like being on Wheel of Fortune" (Pynchon 12), but he doesn’t mention passages like "†¦Twi-Nite Theatre, which tonight featured John Ritter in The Bryant Gumbel Story†¦" (Pynchon 355). Television is more than just "cultural artefact" in Vineland; it is a medium for Pynchon to parody and over which to pass judgement. J. A. Cuddon’s A Dictionary of Literary Terms defines parody as: The imitative use of words, style, attitude, tone, and ideas of an author in such a way as to make them ridiculous. This is usually achieved by exaggerating certain traits, using more or less the same technique as the cartoon caricaturist. In fact, a kind of satirical mimicry.