Saturday, August 31, 2019

Mte 506 Observation Analysis

Classroom Observation Analysis Research Paper Della Armstrong University of Phoenix/MTE 506 November 12, 2012 Kathleen Sherbon Classroom Observation Analysis Research Paper Education theory can either be descriptive like the sciences or normative like in philosophy. Education theory postulates what education processes are supposed to consist of; it sets the standards, norms, and goals in carrying out an education process. The scientific education theory gives a set of hypotheses, which have to be experimented and verified.The two approaches have produced two broad categories of education theories, which are the functionalist’s theory of education arising from the Sociological perspective of education and the behaviorist theory of education from the psychology of education. I will conduct an observation Analysis in an Elementary classroom to observed teachers and students as they work using the education theory. Introduction Many instructional approaches exist that have been de veloped to reach more students. Teachers have to select the instructional approaches that work best for students.These approaches have been tested and researched from various theoretical perspectives. An education theory is the speculative thought or education and just like any other theory, it explains, guides, and describes the practices of education. The earliest speculation on educational processes began during the times of classical sophists Greek philosophers. Current education speculations use terms like and rogogy, curriculum, learning pedagogy, education organization, leadership, and policy. Education thought is derived from various disciplines like, philosophy, sociology, critical theory, psychology, and history among others.This paper will discuss five topics based on the best education theory to be applied in the classroom setting with focus on two education theories postulated by Gardner and Sternberg. This paper will also address information processing by students, beh aviors of teachers to promote thinking, implications of language development on learning and teaching, and on the relationship between the emotional and social development on student behavior and learning. On November 10, 2012, I went to Park Elementary/Middle School and conduct an Analysis Observation with a first grade teacher (Mrs. C. Turner). There were twenty students in this class.The ratio was consisted of 12 girls to 8 boys. All of the children were African American except two of the students. There were two white girls in this class. This school is placed on academic probation because the school did not do well on their school performance test. This school has an â€Å"F† because too many children failed the ILEAP Test. My reason for choosing this school is because I wanted to know why this school was not improving on their school performance and test scores. The observation was conducted in Mrs. Turner’s class. Mrs. Turner teaching grade first; I observed two subjects (English and Spelling) on that they.Evaluate the Application of Educational Theories in the Classroom Setting Which Educational Theories Were Employed? There seems to be a continuum of intelligence and ending with Gardner’s multiple intelligences (Bee & Boyd, 2010). The standard IQ test only measures the intellectual and academic dimensions of intelligence and Gardner’s multiple intelligences proposes eight separate domains of intelligence each with their strategies for measurement. On this continuum the teacher went so far as to employ the precepts of Sternberg’s triadic theory of intelligence, but not so far as to try and cover Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.I observed the class on Friday, so it was test day. There was a language comprehension test and a spelling test. Both tests specifically gauge intellectual ability to the absence of any type of measure about practical or creative intelligence. However, after the tests the students were a sked to color, cut out, and paste a large pumpkin to their folders (creative), and then the teacher had a story time where the class talked about the dangers of lightning (practical). Which Educational Theories Could Have Been Used to Better Enhance Instruction and Learning?As per Gardner’s multiple intelligences, the naturalistic and intrapersonal aspects of intelligence were those that were addressed the least in the class I observed. The class is almost entirely indoors-only having outside time at the playground-so there no time to develop the ability to recognize patterns in nature. I think the teacher tries to compensate by covering activities that invoice nature themes, such as the lightning worksheet, but there is only so much of nature that can be studied in the air conditioning, under fluorescent lights.Also, there was very little development of intrapersonal intelligence. The teacher mostly relied on consequences as a means to control behavior rarely trying to devel op the personal strengths and goals of the students. I also believed that the teacher could have used constructivism; to better enhance instruction and learning. Constructivism is â€Å"that learning is meaning, it is reflecting on experienced† (Educational Theories, November 2012). Mrs. Turner could have enhanced lesson to incorporate real life connections to the students to make it meaningful for them.Also, she could have had students predict what was going to happen next in the story. The teacher could have asked the students who were the main characters in the story. What do they think the title is going to be about? How do they think the story is going to end? How practical is the Application of Educational Theories in the Classroom? I think that the application of Sternberg’s tri-archaic theory is extremely practical. Public School already attempts to cover all three domains of intelligence through the use of band, athletics, music, art, workshop, and work-study programs.I think that some of the areas of Gardner’s multiple intelligences might be outside the prevue of public education, such as naturalistic intelligence or intrapersonal intelligence. Both of these areas of intelligence require a large investment of time to develop properly and require special circumstance to be implemented adequately. For instance, a naturalistic education would in clue a lot of time in nature itself, which goes again the classroom environment of current-day education. Also, intrapersonal development requires quite a bit of alone time to think, which is not readily available in a classroom environment of current-day education.Also, Intrapersonal development requires quite a bit of alone time to think, which is readily available in a classroom setting. Also, it is very practical to apply educational theories in the classroom like constructivism, behaviorism, and the social learning theory. A teacher can use a combination of educational theories in a cla ssroom. The teacher can build upon the student’s knowledge and emphasize problem solving and the teacher can also use the Social Learning Theory with modeling. The teacher can model the behavior to the student and use positive and negative reinforcements with behaviorism.Even though, the teacher did use Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence in the classroom. Gardener’s theory â€Å"has eight domains of intelligence† (Linguistics Logical, Spatial, Bodily Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, intrapersonal, and Naturalistic) according to Bee and Boyd, (2010). The different types of intelligence can be used in daily lessons throughout the day. Describe The Application of Information Processing to Student Learning? How Does Theory of Information Processing Apply to Student Learning?There appear to be two forces at work when discussing the application of information processing: 1) innate ability; 2) acquired knowledge (Bee & Boyd, 2010). So, a large volume of acquire d knowledge can compensate for a lower IQ but only to a point. An expert with a higher IQ; will still performance better than an expert with a middle or low IQ. As this applies to student learning, children with lower IQ, and therefore less effective and efficient strategies for processing information must acquire a largely body of information on a given subject before they can perform as well on testing as students who have higher IQs.How Does the Classroom Environment Affect Information Processing and Learning for Adolescents? Information processing theory also explains that, â€Å"children are born with some basic, in born cognitive strategies [that] change during the early years of life, with more complex ones emerging and old, ones being used more flexibly† (Bee & Boyd, 2010. p. 197). The text goes on to explain that as adolescents engage more in a particular activity, say building blocks, they develop more complex and efficient ways of accomplishing their creative goals .The classroom environment should foster development of these complex cognitive strategies. There needs to be a repetitive assortment of tasks that are geared towards building the same cognitive strategies, such as when a spelling word is studied by writing it, reading it, putting it in a sentence, drawing a picture of it, defining it, and then acting it out. In this way repetition can bread cognitive development. Compare Adolescent Student Learning in a Social Environment and on Educational Environment. Which are More Conducive to attention and Memory?Willingham (2007) makes it clear that attention is a finite, cognitive resource that can only process a limited amount of information at a time. In particular, it is important to realize that refractory period exists between the firing of neurons during which no new attention stimuli can be chosen. In social situations there is usually more than one stimulus competing for the attention of and individual; whereas, in a classroom attent ion is directed to one stimulus-the teacher. This would seem to dictate the educational environments are more conducive to attention than social situations.Furthermore, Willingham posits that secondary memory is encoding, stored, and retrieved along semantic lines. As this pertains to adolescent student learning, it is important for new information to be connected new to pre-existing information. Rote memorization is not as effective as learning information through rhymes or saying or through stories, since all of these involve connecting new information to existing information. Social situations would seem to have the upper hand here, since the social environment provides a context for learning that builds upon existing peer relationships and shared experience.Whereas some of this is presented in the classroom setting it is between the teacher and the students, but only to a lesser degree. Evaluate Teacher Behaviors That Promote Student’s Thinking Abilities What Teacher Beha viors Did You Observe That Facilitated Student Comprehension and Reasoning? There was one activity in Particular that I think facilitated student reasoning: the teacher held two objects in each hand and asked the class which one weighed the more. The teacher would then put the objects on each side of a scale and find out which one was heavier.Then the class would hypothesize about why they were wrong or right. This teaches students that objective information can be determined quite separate from subjective opinions and estimations. Estimations are only useful as long as scientific instrumentation is not present to determine objective facts. On the subject of comprehension, they took a comprehension, test. It was apparently design to measure grammatical and spelling skills. It was a list of sentences with a blank and multiple choice answers. The students had to read the sentence and decide which word best fit-in- the blank.I was astonished that the exercise had several trick question s and questions that could have two possible answers. I believed the teacher designer of the sheet was trying to teach the students how to think, rather than how to find the right answer. Why Did These Teachers Behaviors Positively Affect Students’ Thinking Abilities? Both of these activities were designed to cause the students to think. When I was in school teachers were concerned with how to teach us to get the right answer. We had just started state standardized tests and we had learned a lot of multiple choice strategies.However, in the class I observed there were many times multiple right answers and the teacher didn’t just want to know the right answer she wanted to know how the students got the right answer. The weight questions were particularly positive, since it forced the children to confront their deficits in conservation with scientifically determinable facts. This lesson translates into all kinds of cognitive advancements: different height glasses can hav e the same amount of water (volume) and different sized objects can have the same weight (density). Which Teacher Behaviors Impeded Student Comprehension and Reasoning?The spelling test was, I believed, the least productive. It was based on the rote memorization model of learning, in that the student had to hear the word and write it on a piece of paper. Some students do not learn this way and do not regurgitate information this way. There are children that are audio learners and they should be allowed to recite the spelling of the word. Some of the students had a very hard time writing the spelling, words, not because they didn’t know the word, but because they have a hard time translating the audible letters of the word into the written letters of the word.Why Did The Teacher Behaviors Negatively Affect Students’ Thinking Abilities? The teacher behaviors negatively affect students’ thinking abilities because the students wanted to get a 100% on their spelling test to be able to get a prize out of the prize box. This auditory/visual deficiency also speaks to the inverted-relationship between stimulation and performance. As stimulation increases (social pressure, teacher pressure, and peer pressure to make a good grade on the test), so performance on the test increases; however, there is a cutoff beyond which simulation begins to effect performance negatively.The students were motivated to get a 100% on their spelling test, because their teacher added increase pressure by adding a reward to the performance on the test. This affected the grades on their spelling test making the students to perform negatively, since the stimulation was too much for these students. Analyze The Implications of Language Development Affect Teaching? How Does Delayed Language Development Affect Teaching? â€Å"Delayed language development seems to be the result of a defect in fast-mapping processes and a poor receptive language† (Bee& Boyd, 2010).As with m any other types of cognitive development component to language assimilation, acquisition they have. In the case of school education, this would mean that persistent reading can compensate for any biologically or environmentally caused deficits in language development can be used of phonic approach that translates specific letters into sounds and vice-versa. Since poor language learners have a problem with letter- sound combinations, this approach should overcome that obstacle. Lastly, it is paramount that the reading program for the students be flexible and responsive to the student’s linguistic needs.If pa phonic approach is not working well, then maybe a reading comprehension-learning the words as part of phrase or sentence-approach would work better. How Does Language Development Affect Learning in Children And Adolescents? The systematic and explicit phonics approach to language instruction stipulates â€Å"that the lessons should move from simple words to more complex w ords in an explicit manner that emphasizes the letter-sound correspondence† (Bee & Boyd, 2010). On the other hand, the whole langrage approach seeks to teach language through the meaning and context of the word rather than the actual structure of the word.This avenue tries does not explicitly teach letter-sound correspondence unless the student has specific questions about how the sound work. Last, the balanced approach to language learning pursues a bi-lateral means of instruction, making use of both of the systematic and the whole language approach. They argue that it is important to develop a love of reading in children through the efficient uses of phonics. Language development has a large impact on reading comprehension. After all, the meaning of a complex sentence cannot be derived without first understanding the subsidiary words and grammar of the sentence.Moreover, reading comprehension helps with writing abilities of the students as well. Conclusion Finally, the five topics based on education theory have been explained and the teacher and the students were observed; and I believed that educational theories were conducted in Mrs. Turner’s second grade class. References Bee, H. , & Body, D. (2010). The developing child (12th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Education Theories. http://crescentok. com/staff/jaskew/isr/education/theories. htm. Retrieved November 10, 2012. Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal. New York, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Educational Observation of Development of a 5th Grader Essay

Archie is a 10 year old in the fifth grade class here at Friends’ School. He’s attended this school from preschool until now, a total of seven years. He lives in the neighborhood and tends to be one of the first kids in the classroom every morning. In general he seems to be a happy child, smiling often. He has a tendency to be quite goofy at times and struggles with impulse control, often speaking out in class or being disruptive by talking or making jokes. This seems to stem from his ADHD, which he is on medication for. Though he has many challenges related to his ADHD, he displays an aptitude for math, enjoys reading, loves computers and is full of random facts that he adores to contribute. His general health seems fine however we have noticed that he spends quite a bit of time in the bathroom on occasion. We suspect that he may have digestion/constipation issues, however this is unclear and only speculation, as his younger sister is known to have these issues. He is on ADHD medication and takes that daily. He chooses not to eat a snack mid morning, but seems to eat a light lunch every day. He is of average height and weight in comparison to his classmates. He has plenty of energy daily and hasn’t missed any school due to sickness in these first 5 weeks of school. Archie is the oldest of two children. His younger sister is in the second grade here at Friends’ School. His parents are his adoptive parents, though his sister is biological – I do not know any further information about this at this time. His parents are both Lawyers by trade, though the Mother is the only one currently practicing. His father is the Hockey Coach at DU. I see both parents frequently here at the school dropping off and picking up their children. In addition, their Nanny and Aunt are often here at the school and heavily involved in their lives. They also are very involved with them at home and are on top of Archie’s behavior including enforcing consequences. Why I selected this child? The decision on which child to choose was an interesting process for me. I found it quite difficult because I truly wanted to learn the most from this process as possible. Not only about this one individual child, but learning that will relate to future students in my classes. I knew that I wanted to choose someone that didn’t fall into the gifted/exceptional categories  academically because in the future I don’t see myself working with kids that are outliers on either end of extremes, and didn’t feel I would learn what I wanted to by choosing someone from those categories. Once removing some of those kids, that also removed some of the obvious choices with quirky personalities! However, I find myself lucky to have a number of interesting and bold personalities in class and no one that seems to get overlooked or blend into the cracks. I took a look at the kids that were right were they needed to be academically, however had some barriers to learning socially/emotionally/behaviorally etc. Who needed extra help in ways that I don’t currently know how to attend to? How do you support these types of kids and encourage them to be part of the group and follow norms without squashing their own unique personality? By asking myself these, among other questions, it became obvious that Archie was my choice. I see my future classrooms having at least a few children like him that have ADHD or similar learning issues. I want to know how to relate to these kids, encourage them, and support them. I also hope to learn how to help them manage their own behavior in the classroom to allow the other children to learn and not be a constant distraction which often leaves them feeling like an outsider or looked down upon by classmates. Key questions about this child: 1. How severe is his ADHD disorder, when was it diagnosed, what is being done to help him compensate? What aspects of his learning are most affected by this disorder? 2. How to understand what life is like for him from his point of view? 3. What is the main cause for his inabilities to self regulate and his lack of impulse control? 4. Does his behavior change based on the time of day or day of the week? What about subject matter? 5. What are his strengths academically? Weaknesses? 6. Where is he developmentally in comparison to his classmates? National Norms? 7. Physical Development? (coordination, stamina, fine motor skills, rt/lt dominance, nutrition etc) 8. Mental/Cognitive Development? (multiple intelligences, level of executive function etc) 9. Does he have any other health issues? Possible digestive/constipation? 10. What is his background in regard to being adopted and does that have any bearing on his current issues? (ie. Drugs/alcohol birth parent? etc) 11. Does his  sister have any similar behavioral or learning issues? 12. Who are his friends and how does he relate to them? Do any of his issues get in the way of those relationships? 13. How does his family & life outside of school affect his daily life in school? (ie extracurricular activities, consequences, family culture, parental expectations etc) 14. What language and questions are best when communicating with this child? What approaches work? What encourage him vs deflates him? 15. How does he function in large groups, small groups, pairs? 16. How does he respond when he’s faced with something difficult or makes mistakes? What motivates him to try harder? Participate? Key questions for me to learn from this study: 1. What can we do as teachers to help him with these issues?   2. How can I connect with him and support him?  3. What can I learn from this child’s behavior and needs that I can use with other future students? 4. What exactly is ADHD and how does it affect a child’s learning? 5. How might I better support and motivate children with learning disorders? 6. When comparing students development in general, what factors influence their development? Physical Development Archie falls into the category of the Middle Years which occurs from the ages of six to twelve. This is a time when growth slows down in comparison with the periods preceding and following it (Stone & Church, 1984, p426). Archie is 10 years and 2 months old. He is one of the youngest children in his class, though his physical development seems to be consistent with that of a typical 10 year old. He is 56.5 inches tall and weighs 80 pounds. When directly compared to his 20 classmates, both male and female, his height falls in the middle of the pack at the 10th tallest and his weight slightly higher at the 15th heaviest. When compared to the national average growth charts in the United States, he falls into the 75th percentile of 10-year-old boys in both height and weight (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000). His BMI, calculated at 17.6, places him into the 65th percentile for boys his age and is deemed a healthy weight (Center for  Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). He has not hit his adolescent growth spurt yet, which is not expected until he turns twelve or thirteen. (see Appendix B for all growth charts) Overall, Archie’s general health appears good. Since the beginning of the school year, he has only missed one day of school due to being sick. This seems to be on par with others in his class. He has been clinically diagnosed with ADHD and is currently on medication for this issue. The medication is administered in the morning then again at lunchtime by our administrative staff. He has expressed the annoyance of having to take the medication during the day at school but said that it really helps him in class, so it’s worth it. Archie said he has been taking ADHD medication since he was in second grade and it has tremendously helped. In addition to the ADHD diagnosis, we have observed some potential digestive issues. A few times a week, Archie will disappear for long periods of time in the bathroom. When asked if everything is all right, he says yes, however this is abnormal behavior for a 10 year old. It is understood that his younger sister who is in the 2nd grade does indeed have constipation issues, so we think that may be affecting Archie as well. Over the course of my 6 weeks of observations, this bathroom behavior continued which leads me to speculate that something is going on in regard to his digestion and elimination. The ADHD medication does not appear to affect his physical health, however his eating habits do seem to be affected. The majority of the children eat a snack every morning around 10am and Archie never does. I’ve asked him why and he says he isn’t hungry. He prefers to get on the classroom computers for the 15-minute duration of snack time. For lunch everyday, he brings a Vanilla Ensure along with a few other nutritious items. Ensure is a nutritional shake that has essential vitamins, minerals, fat, and protein, along with aiding in digestion and providing energy. I was told he started bringing these last year to make sure that he was getting some nutrition during the day because he often times did not eat much. I also wonder if a secondary reason has to do with his digestive issues. He nearly always drinks the Ensure and occasionally eats the other items he brings. He is nearly always one of the first children done with his lunch and is eager to get on the computers to play a game. In addition to his daily snack and lunch habits, I have noticed that when offered snacks or sugary treats he never partakes. A few examples are  during birthday celebrations or the harvest festival, both of which consist of potluck treats brought in by classmates. In addition, the music teacher says that he never takes the skittle reward claiming â€Å"he said he doesn’t need extrinsic motivation!† It seems that there is a clear link between his ADHD medication consumed during the day and his lack of appetite. I am unsure of how he eats at home, however seeing that his height and weight fall into healthy categories, his current nutrition must be providing what he needs. Throughout the day, his energy levels are consistent, however his focus and attention seem to be best in the morning. Many times a day we gather the group into a circle. He tends to be fidgety and move a lot, so he is allowed to sit on a stool during these times (unlike other children who sit on the floor). These times seem to be the most difficult for him to manage impulse control, stay focused and suppress excess energy. These behaviors are consistent with his ADHD and there have been modifications in the classroom, such as the stool, to support him with that. His mood seems to stay consistently jovial throughout the day, and his bodily movements don’t seem to express this aspect of him. It appears his motor skills are appropriate for his age, though it is clear during observation that those skills are not nearly a s advanced as many of his classmates. His large motor skills show the most obvious discrepancy. His movements when running, kicking and throwing a ball are awkward, jerky and only mildly coordinated (See picture #8a in Appendix A). Children with ADHD are notoriously clumsy and tend to have problems with how they perceive their bodies in relation to space (Freed & Parsons, 1997, p64). His PE teacher says that he has never been that great at sports and often seems to exaggerate his bodily movements. She suspects some of the exaggeration is to be humorous and to distract from his lack of coordination in comparison to the other students. Energetically he seems to easily have the stamina to keep up with the sports and activities at hand, however, the interest in these activities seems to be lacking. This shows up not only in PE class but also on the playground at recess. Over many days of observing Archie at recess, never once did I see him participate in any kind of sport activity. Daily the other children are playing kickba ll, capture the flag, four square or tag, and he never chooses to join in. He often chooses to hang out with the same 2 to 3 boys engaging in non-physical activities while talking and sitting on the picnic  table, under the play structure or hanging from the chain loops. A few times I observed him reading by himself on the playground. I find it intriguing that his energy and body movements inside the classroom seem heightened, yet he does not feel the need to exert this energy outside of the classroom. Personal interest and aptitude in sports seems to play a role in this discrepancy. However, it leaves me curious as to what else might be influencing his physical behaviors and choices. In addition, it is said that during the middle years, motor skills blossom as children become proficient at many types of physical activities, skills and games (Stone & Church, 1984, p450). This also makes me wonder what he might be missing out on developmentally by not having interest in these physical activities. His fine motor skills are on par with the other students in his class. Though his handwriting is not always perfect, when he takes the time, it is often much nicer than the other boys in the classroom. His written work, both writing and math, is legible, tends to be larger letters, and of average quality (see Appendix C ). His drawing and art skills are less advanced, more careless and not as refined as evidenced by picture #6b & 6b of his art project box in comparison to four other students (see Appendix A). His attention to detail in writing is much more pronounced than in drawing (see Appendix C, 4/5/6). He is right handed, holds the pencil appropriately and writes with adequate pressure. He is sufficiently coordinated with scissors and math tools as well. There is no evidence that his fine motor skills are deficient, just not as advanced as some though on par or exceed others in his classroom. Overall, Archie’s physical development seems to fit the usual pattern of his age group. The differences I have observed are in his gross motor skills being less coordinated than others and his lack of interest in physical activities during recess and PE. I have not noticed any physical development issues that are affecting his learning or social interactions, though it is clear that his ADHD does have an impact on all areas of his life. Cognitive Development Perhaps the most intriguing aspects of Archie’s development are in both the social/emotional and cognitive realms. He is a generally happy child that comes to school everyday with a positive attitude and a smile on his face.  He is caring and empathetic to others and is quite self-aware and reflective. He has the tendency to be quite goofy, often looking for ways to be the class clown and generate a laugh. Controlling his urges to speak out, move about or be appropriate in the moment is very difficult for him. You can see that he often acts first then thinks later. His impulses seem to get the best of him at times and often leads to him causing interruptions and getting into trouble. You can see that he is a good-natured boy and means well, however his low executive functioning skills make it difficult for him in the classroom. Luckily, his happiness seems to remain strong and resilient despite his social/emotional shortcomings. All of this can be accounted for when viewed through the lens of a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Therefore, we must first examine his cognitive development before addressing his social/emotional development. ADD is described as a neurological syndrome that has three primary symptoms: impulsivity, distractibility and hyperactivity. The American Psychiatric Association states in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) that 3%-7% of school-aged children have ADHD (Freed & Parsons, 1997). Research shows that each year there is a drastic increase in reported cases and boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Why might this be? Children with ADD or ADHD (incorporating the hyperactivity component) are often easily distracted, find it difficult to listen, follow directions, trouble sitting still and control impulsive behaviors. It is not surprising that in the typical school system that a child with these issues would be looked at as a nuisance and difficult to teach. Freed and Parsons (1997) say that the percentage is growing because of the cultural influences and failure of our educational system to understand and adequately address it [ADHD]. In their book, Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World, they make the argument that mostly gifted and virtually all children with ADD share the same learning style (Freed & Parsons, 1997, p17). They are often highly visual learners, with non-sequential processing and creative tendencies. Interestingly enough, Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory also addresses this discrepancy in learning behavior. Gardner’s multifaceted view of intelligence suggests a plurality in view of mind and intelligence, recognizing many different facets of cognition and their strengths and weaknesses (Gardner, 1993, p6). Our  American school system has been set up to support left-brained learners who are strong at regurgitating information but weak at creative and problem solving skills. The ADHD ch ild does not fit well into this rubric, which results in his disorder looked at as a problem as opposed to a gift. Both theorists suggest that there are students like Archie who think differently and possess strengths that are not explored or supported in the traditional school system of our left-brain focused society. Luckily, we as educators are learning and expanding! As stated in The Compassionate Classroom, â€Å"The trust level rises markedly when students realize that a relationship based classroom teacher is supporting their common needs rather than ranking their academic differences.† (Hart, Hodson, 2004, p. 20) As I stated in my introduction, my decision to choose this child was in order to learn what I could do as a Teacher to help these non-traditional learners flourish in their education. Archie was formally diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade and began seeing the school psychologist at that time. His kindergarten/first grade teacher said they had been talking to the parents since kindergarten about the need for some intervention and possible learning issues, yet the parents were quite resistant up until the second grade. At that point, they did decide to get Archie evaluated and it was determined that he had ADHD and medication would help him. Due to Archie being adopted, I found it intriguing that his biological sister also had ADHD. What is the hereditary link and how does adoption play a role? After further investigation, one study published by the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that out of 808 adopted children ages 4-18, 21% had enough behavioral symptoms to qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD. This is over twice the rate in the general population (Connell, P). They also say that 40% of children with ADHD will have a parent with ADHD, usually the father (Adesman, MD). Wow! It isn’t a stretch to start to see the link and why. ADHD greatly effects the executive function of an individual, so poor impulse control and accompanying behavior may account for the factors that make these numbers abnormally high. These adoptive children are exposed to more risk factors such as smoking, drinking, drugs, malnutrition, neglect, and unplanned pregnancy (Kunz, 2010). Archie and his sister came from the same set of birth parents three years apart. It does not surprise me at all to think that these siblings were exposed to any number of risk factors  seeing that the parents chose to give up one child and then got pregnant 3 years later and gave that one up as well! One of the areas most affected by ADHD is in the realm of executive function. In a 1990 study published in the medical journal Lancet, a discovery was found when using PET scans to measure the brain activity in 9 children with ADHD. The scans showed an abnormally low cerebral activity in the frontal areas of the brain responsible for concentration, language development, attention span, impulse control and logical, sequential reasoning. Conversely, they found higher activity in the occipital or rear lobe, which is the primary visual area of the brain (Freed & Parsons, 1997, p36). If the areas of the brain most affected by ADHD are associated with carrying out executive function, that wo uld explain Archie’s behavior in many ways. His biggest issue is with impulse control. He calls out answers and comments consistently throughout the day, and has a hard time waiting to be called on when he’s excited with an answer. His humor is often interjected at inappropriate times and if you ask him why he chose to do what he did, he often says he couldn’t help it and that he had to. It seems that in the moment, he doesn’t â€Å"think† before he acts. When in a group at circle his attention starts out on task but then diminishes quickly over time. If he is working independently he often needs to sit by himself in order to focus. I’ve observed that he participates in small groups pretty well, however if with certain kids he just goofs off. His strength seems to be in cognitive flexibility as he is able to problem solve, adjust to various settings and is socially aware of others and their point of view. A great example of this perspective shift is when he is pulled aside for inappropriate behavior. Once removed from the initial impulsive moment he can easily see how his behavior was inappropriate or disrespectful to the class or teacher. Archie usually becomes apologetic and submissive, saying sorry and that it won’t happen again. I’ve been impressed by his mature response to these instances and level of respect shown. Many children might make excuse after excuse, however, he admits that it was a poor choice on his part and moves on. Theorist William Damon had an interesting six-stage theory on human moral reasoning and its relation to authority. It seems to me Archie falls into the fifth stage of special preparation where the superior is seen as superior and obedience is founded on respect and faith in the authorities  concern (Stone & Church, 1984). Despite Archie’s ADHD diagnosis, he appears to be developing cognitively at his appropriate age level. In both 4th and 5th grade, his writing and reading assessments place him squarely performing at grade level (see Appendix D). For the writing he was given a prompt to write a story, create a rough, then final draft. For reading, he was asked to read a short story out loud and respond to a series of comprehension questions. When comparing the two grade level evaluations, you can see the improvements made from year to year and the expansion of his abilities in these areas. If you take a look at his current writing samples, you can see his personal expression expressed and some really creative thinking, in addition to the accurate use of conventions (see Appendix D). Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D. says that typical ten year olds combine ideas in short, choppy sentences but with enough punch to catch the readers interest (Ames, p42). This is evidenced by his personal narrative story on page 6 of Appendix C . He seems to enjoy math, actively participating and contributing in his 5th grade level math classes. His math worksheets and homework indicate that he has a solid knowledge of the curriculum being covered and can do it on his own in and outside of class (see Appendix C, 7/8/9/10). He shows a similar eagerness and competency in Science, Spanish, Spelling and Technology. His music teacher says that he tends to goof off more than not and is awkwardly coordinated with instruments or drums in comparison to other children. However, he has expressed a love for music and is currently enrolled at The School of Rock in drum lessons. His parents said that he is doing quite well. I wonder if this individual musical instruction works for him better than in a whole class group environment. ADHD children have difficulty filtering out all the stimuli and their nervous system is on overload (Freed & Parsons, 1997, p55). If Archie feels more stimulation than other children, that can explain his difficulty in certain highly stimulating learning environments like music or PE. Middle years children typically turn their attention toward the world at large. Piaget describes this as the stage of concrete operations, during which children have limited capacity for abstract thought but can deal with objects quite fully (Stone & Church, 1984, p. 493). Piaget believes that children construct their knowledge of the world though active manipulation with materials (Pawlina, 2011) Essentially, learning by  experience. Archie is most engaged in school when he is actively â€Å"doing† something and problem solving. When administering the Piagetian tasks he showed competent levels of knowledge in laws of conservation, reversibility and demonstrated logical thinking. When asked why he knew what he knew, most of his responses were matter of fact and then expanded in very creative and unique ways. For example, in the water level comparison, he said they were the same amount because I didn’t take any water out†¦.†unless it quickly evaporated† ha ha. Or when asked about the wood beads, he very animatedly exclaimed, â€Å"What do you mean? They’re ALL wood!!! So obviously more wood beads!† and laughed. Archie always has a humorous, clever remark to add in all his interactions. Though not always appropriate, his sense of humor is one of his biggest strengths. This in addition to his creativity and ability to think beyond what he sees in front of him tells me that he has progressed beyond the concrete operational stage in ways that aren’t accounted for in Piaget’s tests. Critics of Piaget’s theory note that he does not account for other competencies a child has developed. I believe this is where Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory and Right and Left Brain Dominance theories realistically cover far more of the learning population in our world today. In taking a Right Brain, Left Brain dominance test (TPT, 2012) we concluded that Archie is a combination of both left and right brained. Though he is right handed and a right foot kicker, his eyes and ears are left dominant (see Appendix E). We took some time to go over the typical characteristics of each and he claimed he identified with nearly all of the Right brain qualities. I then gave him The Connell Multiple Intelligence Questionnaire for Children (Connell, J.) which is a series of statements you are to check off if it describes you (Appendix ). Archie scored highest in the areas of Word Smart, Nature Smart and People smart. These categories correspond to Gardner’s labels Linguistic, Naturalistic and Interpersonal intelligence (Zeiger, 2012). This does not surprise me! In observation, it is evident that Archie is extremely creative with his words, both written and oral, he has a charismatic, humorous, and sensitive personality in addition to showing interest in science, geography and nature in general. Social/Emotional Development Archie’s social and emotional development seem to reflect similar advances as his cognitive development. Being that your happiness is generally based on your experience of the world around you, it is clear that Archie is at a happy place in life. Ames (1998) says that a typical ten-year-old has generally reached an enjoyable state of equilibrium. They love life and share it enthusiastically with those near and dear (p21). This truly seems the case for him as he comes to school every day in a pleasant mood, a smile on his face, eagerly interacting with classmates and has only complained about not liking homework! In his earlier years at Friends School, the school psychologist started to work with Archie to build his low self-esteem, ease anxiety and self regulate impulse control. Right off the bat she implemented play therapy, allowing him to choose materials that help him express himself. He chose a lot of mastery kinds of games that he was able to solve or figure out and this made him feel better about himself. She says he was always a well-intentioned kid, he just doesn’t think before he acts. This behavior got him into a lot of trouble in 3rd grade, so she worked with him on better control and choosing which children to be around. At this time he had only been formally diagnosed with ADHD and on medication less than one year. She said, â€Å"Once his bio-chemistry was corrected, he had to go back to learn what the other children had already learned about choosing friends, making good decisions and controlling impulses. â€Å" It makes sense that these areas of social finesse are behind those of his classmates and affect his interactions to this day. Social difficulties often accompany special needs learners and giftedness, I see this clearly represented in both Archie and other students with these labels in my classroom. Regardless of his past, I see that classmates really seem to enjoy his humor and contributions. No doubt his caring and empathetic nature, along with that humor, are his strengths socially. When administering the Piagetian tasks, I asked him about how he thought 5th grade was going. With a big smile he said â€Å"fine, I like it.† I proceeded to ask about his friends and who was a best friend. Many times he said â€Å"I have lots of friends†, but no mention of a best friend. Louise Bates Ames state’s in her book Your Ten-to-Fourteen-Year-Old that some ten-year-old boys have a â€Å"gang† of friends whom they seem to like about equally: â€Å"To me they aren’t best friends. They’re all my friends† (p262). In my observations I noticed  that Archie gravitates to specific friends during recess, while chatting in the classroom during transition or in the morning before classes. These friends are nearly always boys. He initiates conversation often in these circumstances; most times extremely enthusiastic about whatever it is he would like to share. On the playground, it’s most common for him to choose 2-3 boys to hang out with and have conversations throughout the entire recess, preferring that to any sport or activity. The fact that he only chooses to socialize with other boys is consistent for his age group. Nearing the end of the middle years, the majority of girls and boys are not interested in the opposite sex†¦yet. However, they are aware that boy-girl relationships lie ahead of them (Ames, 1989, p38). Erikson describes the crisis of this period as industry vs. inferiority saying that children are aware and eager to acquire information about sex (Stone & Church, 1984, p451) Though I am not there for their sexual education classes on Fridays, I did observe during a field trip that Archie was joking around about those types of relationships, teasing a few of the girls, and making jokes of bladder infections. It was good natured and harmless, this indicates to me that he is aware of the future potential, though clearly not ready for it himself. Play touches on every aspect of development and learning (Rogers & Sawyer, 1988, pvii). Due to his common choices at recess, I have not adequately been able to observe Archie’s choices of play. It is common for this age group to move from symbolic play into an interest in games with rules. This transition period roughly corresponds to Piaget’s concrete operational period of cognitive development (Rogers & Sawyer, 1988, p20). An exception in Archie’s recess choices was a time for a few days where there was a group of about 20 children of all ages who created a game using the used tires on the playground. I watched the interaction for two days in a row and was quite impressed with the level of creativity they all displayed in the rules of this game and how well they self monitored it’s progression. Archie was actively involved as one of the referees. He did not ever participate in the competitive aspect of the races, but immensely enjoyed being the keeper of the rules, telling others where to go, start the race and call the winner. He even ran inside once to get a camera to capture the â€Å"photo finish† (see picture#3b in Appendix A). Piaget outlined two criteria for games with rules: competition and mutually agreed upon or  formal rules to govern the activity (Rogers & Sawyer, 1988, p50). This playground game certainly fits that criterion. I think it is interesting to note that he chose a role where there was no competitive motivation, but allowed him to be in charge and step into a leadership role. I loved seeing this for Archie because leadership is an area I don’t think he has much experience with. This game gave him the opportunity for success! Research tells us that play contributes to learning and cognitive maturity in so many ways, I do wonder what impact the lack of play has on his social development. When working in groups, Archie is often supportive of the others and contributes, however is rarely the leader. Often he will get off task and interject humor becoming a disrupter. This happens especially when grouped with certain other boys in the room. He seems to work better independently or with one other partner, especially when he is interested and there are hands on activities. Though he knows who these students are that trigger his inappropriate behavior, he still needs to work on making better choices. Therefore, it is paramount to help him facilitate good choices when choosing partners or groups. We actively remind him and others to make good choices, and if that is not displayed I quietly pull him aside and ask if that was his best choice of partner or behavior. He immediately get’s a sheepish grin saying â€Å"no†, looking down in humility. In any intervention of behavior that I’ve observed with another adult, myself included, he is consistently respectful and more than willing to listen, including the ability to quickly admit when his is wrong. Ames (1989) says â€Å"Ten’s usually respect the teacher and often accept her word as law even more than that of their parents.† (p41) Overall, Archie is a well-integrated, happy child who is learning and developing socially and emotionally. He gets along with others, displays caring and empathy, is happy with the friends he has and enjoys a positive experience of school. Any shortcoming he has is easily explained by the affect ADHD has on his executive functioning skills and general maturity. It has been helpful to learn that I need to focus on helping Archie implement tactics that help him make better choices in the future, and not focus on bad behavior. Clearly, his impulse control gets the better of him, so any way to help him to increase his awareness around others is imperative. Summary Archie is a great kid, with lots of potential along with some unique learning needs. His sense of humor and excitement is contagious, making him quite a likable child. He has the combination of many factors influencing all aspects of his development. It is exciting to hear the feedback of previous teachers and therapists; his development has come a long way since entering the school in preschool. He has shown consistent improvement in his academic abilities from year to year and marked improvement from second grade until fifth since being medicated for ADHD. In my observation of him in the classroom, it seems that his behavior has much to do with his level of interest he has in the topic and who he is surrounded by. We are actively looking for ways to help him succeed and give him the right environment to promote his learning. Giving children many modalities of input and experience is key to tapping into all the intelligences of both right and left-brain learners. Visual, verbal, kinesthetic, and artistic aspects must be incorporated into lessons to support all learners. Archie has consistently displayed higher than average intelligence when he is actively engaged and fully understands what is expected of him. It has been such a privilege to take a closer look at someone else’s life in an attempt to learn them better so that you may then be better. He has helped me create empathy for him and others that have learning impediments like ADHD, poor executive functioning skills or social/emotional deficits. It is fascinating to look back and review my initial questions posed for this study and see that I have been able to answer them all to some degree! Not only do I have a greater understanding of this specific child and his development, but an increased knowledge of what is going on for students with special needs and how I may help them. As teachers, our understanding of where a student is at and how to get them to the next level is essential to our children’s learning. Vygotsky says that through observation, we can know a child’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Pawlina, 2011). In this space of what a child can do independently and what they can do with adult support, lies the opportunity of learning and development. This child study has provided that opportunity for acute observation and questioning of what a child with ADHD and right brained learning tendencies needs. We as educators need to adapt to the needs of our individual learners. Archie is lucky to be in a school where social emotional needs are a strong focus in  the classroom. This allows him the support he needs to accommodate his reduced executive function skills, yet the space to express his creativities and unique personality. Gardner says in his 1993 book Multiple Intelligences: In my view, the purpose of school should be to develop intelligences and to help people reach vocational and avocational goals that are appropriate to their particular spectrum of intelligences. People who are helped to do so, I believe, feel more engaged and competent, and therefore more inclined to serve the society in a constructive way† (p9). I completely agree with Gardner and see myself as a liaison to learning. Maybe Alexandra K. Trenfor said it best â€Å"The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see†. Works Cited Adesman, Andrew (2012) Expert advice: ADHD and Adoption. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://www.parents.com/parenting/adoption/parenting/adhd-adopted-child/ American Psychiatric Association (2000) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington: American Psychiatric Association. Ames, Louise Bates. (1988) Your ten-to fourteen-year-old. New York, NY: Dell Publishing. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000, May 30). Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://www.cc.gov/growthcharts Connell, J.D. The Connell Multiple Intelligence Questionnaire for Children. Scholastic Teaching Resources Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://printables.scholastic.com/ Connell, Pam. (2012) ADHD and Adopted Children. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://adoption.families.com/blog/adhd-and-adopted-children Freed, Jeffrey & Parson, Laurie. (1997) Right-brained children in a left-brained world: unlocking the potential of your ADD child. New York, NY: Fireside. Gardner, Howard. (1993) Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York, NY: Basic Books. Hart, S. & Hodson, V. (2004). The compassionate classroom: relationship based teaching and learning. Encinitas, CA: PuddleDancer Press. Kunz, Marnie. (2010, March 23) Adoption & ADHD. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/83314-adoption-adhd/ Pawlina, S. (2011, September 16) Developmental Theorists – Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Gardner and Dewey [Overview handouts] The Premier Tutors (2012, April) Are You Right-brained or Left-brained? That Is the Question. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://thepremiertutors.org/ Rogers, Cosby S. & Sawyers, Janet K. (1988) Play in the lives of children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Stone, L. Joseph and Church, Joseph. (1984) Childhood and adolescence: a psychology of the growing person (5th Edition). New York, NY: Random-House. Zeiger, S. (2012). Multiple Intelligence Test for Children. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://kids.lovetoknow.com/

David Hume- Aesthetics

David Hume is one of the most significant thinkers among the Enlightenment. He is motivated by the question what is beauty, and how certain responses to artwork reflect objectivity. Hume’s essay of 1757,â€Å"Of the Standard of Taste† elegantly describes examples of the tradition of aesthetic judgment The growth of scientific knowledge influenced a sense of general optimism among Enlightenment thinkers. This sense of optimism in result called for a more critical use of human intellect. By overturning long established dogmas, people scrutinized the very prerogatives of reason in relation to political and religious institutions.During this same time, theorists were trying to take account of all the various creative activities that were occurring such as poetry, music, dance, architecture, and sculpture etc. They generalized them into one category of â€Å"fine arts† or â€Å"beaux arts† assuming all activities were unified by the common function and purpose; pleasure. Hume devotes his aesthetic philosophy to describe and analyze art and taste within the field of criticism. clea Humes essay â€Å"Standard of Taste† is divided into four major parts. First part compares the two views of artistic values. He supports the idea of common sense what it comes to judging artwork.It seems from this philosophy that no response to artwork can be wrong because personal taste varies throughout people and therefore cannot be dismissed. Hume rejects the conclusion that beauty simply equates with the sentiment of pleasure received by the object or thing. This is because he says sentiment â€Å"exists merely in the mind† which makes no individual response more superior than another. The Second stage of Humes argument The third stage that Hume discusses in his essay (17 through 27) outlines what he believes constitutes a true judge of art and what may be required to improve ones own standard for judging art. Strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of all prejudice. † These specific factors in his mind would result in an individual worthy of a true judgment of at least a certain kind of artwork. In the fourth and concluding stage Hume stems from the third in the concept of who is the true standard. While seeking this specific critic of beauty one has to also take into account peculiar circumstances that may effect the experience and overall judgment of works.Circumstances can arise from unavoidable prejudices, which even the best critics cant avoid. Factors of natural differences such as age can result in generational differences, as well as cultural biases. A critics moral outlook constitutes as another circumstance that may complicate the judgment of certain kinds of works. Moderate moralism, Hume advocates as the best position to view works in because it confine circumstances where a work will be blemished by improper moral attitudes. David Hume was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 7, 1711. He was a philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist.He is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of Western philosophy and the Enlightenment. He is known especially for his philosophical empiricism or sense derived knowledge and skepticism and also for his influence on another important thinker during the Enlightenment, Emanuel Kant. Hume constantly tried to describe how the mind works in regards to knowledge and how the mind works. Experience meant a lot to Hume because he thought it served as the basis of his theory of knowledge. Hume attended the University of Edinburgh at the extraordinarily young age of 10 or 12.At first his family and him thought that a career in law was what his future may entail due to a family tradition on both sides. Yet, later he had become inspired by the different pursuits of philosophy. After a nervous breakdown and a few years to recover in 1729, he tried a job in a merchants office in 1734. He then came to a turning point in his life where he retired to France to spend the majority of his time studying and writing. During this time spent Hume produced a writing which was separated into three books called A Treatise of Human Nature.These books was the first of Hume’s attempts at a full fledged philosophical endeavor. It was certainly his most thoroughly written product of his thoughts mostly explaining his theories about mans process of thought and knowledge. During his younger years, Hume was earning enough money to gain leisure for his philosophical studies. In this time he wrote, rewrote, and added to the book, Treatise. It was in this set of three books that Hume developed his mature thought about the nature of reasoning in regards to fact and experience.The growth of scientific knowledge influenced a sense of general optimism among Enlightenment thinkers. This sense of optimism in result called for a more critical use of human intellect. By overturning long es tablished dogmas, people scrutinized the very prerogatives of reason in relation to political and religious institutions. Hume was the first philosopher of the post medieval world to reformulate the skepticism of the ancients. (Cranston) His conclusion that man is more a creature of senses and practical sentiment or taste than that of reason guided many prominent philosophers to follow.Hume’s general analysis of measuring the aesthetic experience of an object or thing is generated from a personal taste. He believes that there is no wrong evaluative response to a work of art. No reaction or opinion can be dismissed simply because it maybe disfavored by the majority. If something is beautiful to someone then this fact cannot be argued or judged upon by another. Of course, this philosophy comes with certain limitations and specifications determining who is worthy of true judgment of works according to David Hume.In Hume’s essay he outlines what people can do to improve on e’s taste and what kind of qualities must be instilled to qualify as a true judge of at least some kinds of works of art. Five qualities, Hume says, would qualify for this job. â€Å"Strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of all prejudice†. These conditions he believes need to be evident in order to achieve a more qualified personal taste towards a specific kind of work. Even with the best critics there can be certain complicating circumstances that can interfere with judgment.Hume believes these kinds of unavoidable prejudices come from a matter of moral outlook. Bias that comes from individual morality varies greatly and Hume thinks that this can be a huge flaw when it comes to a persons judgment of work. Hume advocates a position of moderate moralism when it comes to â€Å"the natural boundaries of vice and virtue†. This way the works being exposed to the individual judge will not be blemished by overt premonitions. When interpreting Hume’s essay about taste it is hard not to consider the possibility of contradiction because he recommends two very different standards.Hume seeks to find the true rule regarding how to measure sentiments of beauty in regards to personal taste. In doing so, the reader receives two sources of ideas from this search. The question now is whether a good critic defines good art, or good art in terms of good critics. Another aspect regarding Hume’s essay is the very idealistic vision of the most qualified judge of beauty. I find that this ideal critic couldn’t possibly exist because it is only natural for our different background of culture, morals, and religion to effect our opinions.Tastes in Hume’s context are the pleasures or displeasures that a person can take in the beauties of poems, paintings, and other artistic compositions. For Hume, taste is the capacity for one to react and conceive responses based on external stimuli. This ability to correspond external stimuli with an initial response or reaction is what we would call an â€Å"aesthetic experience†. When looking at works of art one can either accept it as pleasurable and attractive or disregard it as ugly or unpleasant. Both of these separate reactions require such experience to occur.In addition, the value judgments that occur in result indefinitely effect our value of taste. The position Hume holds in the essay is that some people who qualify as the â€Å"true† judges determine the good works of art. Hume discuss’ the receptive side of art criticism rather than the creative side that actually conceives and creates the art itself. The position Hume holds in the essay is that some people who qualify as the â€Å"true† judges determine the good works of art. For Hume, taste is the capacity for one to react and conceive responses based on external stimuli.This ability to correspond external stimuli with an init ial response or reaction is what we would call an â€Å"aesthetic experience†. When looking at works of art one can either accept it as pleasurable and attractive or disregard it as ugly or unpleasant. Both of these separate reactions require such experience to occur. In addition, the value judgments that occur in result indefinitely effect our value of taste. Hume contends that differences in aesthetic taste are too obvious and great to deny.It is the extent of these differences that indicate whether the reality of universal approval or disapproval effects an individuals taste. In almost every culture there will be a consensus or general analysis when evaluating certain works. Hume does not see a big difference between artistic and moral values. He corresponds the two as related and both a factor in the judgment of arts. Tastes are â€Å"sentiments† and opinions or â€Å"judgments†. While all sentiments coming from any individual could be considered right, only few judgments or opinions remain right.Taste is considered a sentiment and therefore subjective by all means. In relation things that exist such as beauty and deformity are also extremely subjective qualities. The sentiment therefore exist merely in the mind of the individual who contemplates them. Yet, this existence does not constitute a valid opinion or judgment based on what existing in the mind. Taste is irredeemably subjective, individual in scope, culturally and historically conditioned, therefore relativistic. It seems as if Hume is stuck between two different conclusions, relativism and objectivism. He mostly settles between the two

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Compare and Contrast the poems Emily Dickinson because I could not Essay - 1

Compare and Contrast the poems Emily Dickinson because I could not stop for death and A.E Houseman immortal parts - Essay Example For instance, the analysis of death in both is examined from a solemn point of view. Dickinson uses symbolism and allegory to communicate the futility of life when death strikes (Holden and Birch 113). There is the use of humanism to make death animate especially as noted in the first stanza, second line. The persona depicts the powerful nature of death to pluck humanity from their comfortable environments to a state of oblivion. In other words, Dickinson’s use of allegory takes the form of being powerless in the presence of death. On the other hand, A.E Housman uses phonological sounds such as consonance, alliteration and assonance to reveal the permanency of death. In the first stanza, he uses the morning dream and night to dream to reveal the times of life that are affected by death. Additionally, in the superseding lines he uses say and day that are both consonance and assonance in the representation of the futility of life. There is also the use of symbolism in the third stanza when he explains about a tongue that speaks with lungs that shout. This is another revelation of how death is treated with respect and reverence in the lives of both personas in the poems. However, it is also noteworthy to observe the use of metonym in the poems to explain the internal and external repercussions of death. For example, in ‘The Immortal Part’ by A.E. Housman, he describes a brain that hums hive of dreams in the last line of the third stanza. This is a clear indication of the fundamental roles played by the brain for human judgment in life. Apparently, this is also manifested in Emily Dickinson’s poem where she talks about a death that did not acknowledge hurry in the first line, second stanza (Christensen 139). Another significant comparison is based on the use of personification and iambic pentameter to communicate the theme therein. For instance,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Analyze blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Analyze blog - Essay Example These two concepts are highly related in their application; people in the course of discharging their duties and responsibilities often use them. Critical thinking is an important practice that has to be practiced by all people in the social and other dimensions of life including careers. This practice refers to the disciplined procedure of active and skillful conceptualization, application and evaluation of information. The information in reference is collected though various ways that include; observations, reasoning, experience among others. The process of critical thinking comprises of all the examination of structures and elements of thought that is implicit on all ways of reasoning, which include purpose, assumptions, problems and other empirical grounds that lead to certain conclusions (Horvath 2011). Critical thinking is an important process that guides effective and efficient practices in various professions. In becoming a professional nurse, an individual has to learn how to think and act like a nurse, this is an essential practice that governs the way they make decision in discharging their duties (LeMone & Burke 2011). The difference between the nurse and other medical practitioners lies in the way they view clients, their medical challenges, as well as the actions and practices they engage in caring for the particular patient. Critical thinking in nursing means that nurses learn the main requirements in the profession, concepts and ideas as well as particular theories relating to nursing. Critical thinking is important in developing the intellectual capacities of people including their skills in making them become disciplined and resourceful persons in their field. In addition, it makes them become self-directed people that can handle various issues and challenges in their life and profession. In nursing, critical thinking describes the processes used in thinking systematically and in logical ways while discharging

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Should smoking be banned Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should smoking be banned - Research Paper Example the university student smokers in this investigation as explicated by Al-Dawood reported to have started smoking between the ages of ten and fifteen (150). While this trend is continuing, it is worth noting that the negative effects of smoking are far-reaching. With regards to the extensiveness and seriousness of the effects of smoking, it is justified to allude that smoking should be banned. This paper explicates the reasons why smoking should be banned. Smoking is one of the leading causes of death according to Desapriya et-al (1158). This is in relation to second hand smoke that affects the health of individuals. In the US alone, Desapriya et-al posits that in excess of 126 million individuals are today at risk of developing health problems relating to smoking due to second hand exposure. Approximately 22 million of these are considered to be children (1158). In this viewpoint, smoking ought to be prohibited as it risks the lives of innocent children and the public as well. A large proportion of people in the world have been reported to have died as a result of second hand smoke. The incidence of these deaths are estimated to be approximately fifty thousand casualties annually in the US (1158). Prohibiting smoking especially in public places could be in line with the protection of the civil liberties of members of the public. In other words, prohibiting smoking could save the public from the harmful consequence related to second h and exposure to cigarette smoke. In the achievement of this action plan, Desapriya et-al (1158) asserts that various countries have in fact implemented strategies geared towards deterring people from smoke in public places such as workplaces and hotels. The most substantial reason that supports the prohibition of smoking is probably its effect on unborn foetuses. Smoking is considered very addictive and therefore, many female smokers face a lot of challenges in relation to relinquishing the smoking habit during pregnancy. Figures

Monday, August 26, 2019

Short critical refelction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Short critical refelction paper - Essay Example I know many teenagers who can download movies, post to Facebook, find a YouTube video and more, but the minute they need to learn something there is a lack of knowledge. Am I wrong here? What would the author of the textbook say? Explain. Without a doubt, with every new interface and technology innovation comes a lack of knowledge even amongst teens. However, teens are more likely to take interest in these things and investigate these matters even more. Hence, teenagers become experts at the technological sphere. Most teenagers learn something through other friend and through trial and error. In addition, most teenagers lack the ideals of coding, C++ and other key computer languages that make social networking susceptible. Some teenagers even feel threatened with the new technology and are reluctant to adapt it. The younger generation is not tech savvy as expected as they will miss out on some key pieces of essential information that comes with new technology. The author of the textbook agrees with all the principles and insists that there is a culture difference and not an age factor. The advent of the 21st century has no doubt made improvements in technology. However, crimes have also become more sophisticated as well. Gaining access to information has become drastically happy. Personal information can be easily fallen in the wrong hands which can be detrimental to individuals. The major types of cybercrime can be fraud and identity theft. Identity theft occurs to 9.91 million Americans whose losses accumulated to a hefty $52.6 billion. In order to prevent identity theft, it is critical that one does not provide personal information to unreliable sources. Furthermore, a user must be aware of phishing and other suspicious email that asks individuals of personal information. Lastly, there are many scams that are also available in popular sites such as craigslist and careerbuilder. Most of these scams do not give their name or a telephone number.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Why I Am Attending College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Why I Am Attending College - Essay Example Jealousy was my little dark black secret as I watched my friends have the financial support to attend college. My mother is a college educated woman but she did not pressure any of her children to go to college. Sure, she would casually mention going to college, in passing, but when I was a senior in high school she did not encourage me to attend. I guess she thought I would figure it out on my own someday. I remember her saying, â€Å"If you go into the medical field as I did you will never be out of work.† This went in one ear and out the other. I did not take what she said to heart or give it much thought. I felt that filler jobs just ended up on my lap; due to being in the right place at the right time and because I was young and fairly attractive. Now that I am turning 40 and I am a parent; that has changed. My pilgrimage to attain a higher education is to provide a stable life for my son, be a positive role model, and to aspire to find something in life; that can only be found by expanding my education. Having a stable career and not just a job is a very important step in my life. A stable career will enable me to provide a good home and be able to afford a college education for my son. The right stable career is able to point you toward financial freedom and it gives you an opportunity to be in demand in the job marketplace. There are many career choices where hardworking employees will always be in demand; healthcare workers, accountants, and morticians are examples of some of these. My immediate family is in the healthcare field. My mother and father are lab technicians, my sister is a certified nursing assistant, and my brother is an x-ray technician. It seems natural that I would eventually choose this career path.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Personal financial planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal financial planning - Essay Example Briefly explain what options are available to Jack with respect to the payment he will receive upon termination of his employment, including his superannuation balance. Calculate the resultant tax treatment of the payment with respect to those options.One of the best options jack could plan is to pay a small amount of future pre-tax salary to the investments. The plan for such investments would also help to pay for personal insurance to protect the family income.During this period Jack would have return of deposits amounting to $ 8000 and the return from superannuation as $ 1350. This could be deposited on long term basis and as the seven years are completed the amount could be added with the Marions return to meet their living expenses.At the present rates both Joe and Marion would require $ 55,000 to lead a very comfortable life. If this is the amount that the couples expect after their retirement then the they must have accumulated saving of $137500 at 4 % interest per annum. Thei r total savings is estimated as 4,36,000/- which doesn't include the superannuating benefits of both Joe and Morion.Even if these aspects are accounted the current position would be enough if they expect to support in the same manner in future. The cost of living certainly would enhance and hence the gaps that exist between the current estimate and actual expense in future would be very huge.The major benefit of transition to retirement provision is to receive a part of superannuation as pension while being involved with it. It would help to sail smooth into the retirement period while enjoying some tax related concessions available to pensions. The guideline for opting the transition to retirement varies from one scheme to another. As an example, some of them specify that one's preservation age must be below 65 years and continues to be in workforce. And the government might not have specified the minimum or maximum hours that you might be working. One could collect the super as 'non-commutable account based pension". In some situations, the account holder is allowed to take a maximum of 10 percent only while being in a transition period. A minimum account balance, say $ 25,000/-, is to purchase some of the products designed for transition to retirement. Also, certain stipulations like minimum account balance of $ 1000/- is required in the account. Part D Describe two current legally accepted strategies that could be employed by the couple to enable them to maximise any Centrelink benefits in their final retirement. The important areas that could be employed by the couple for planning the post retired life are Age pension : This can chosen based on the qualifying age and also on certain test conditions like asset and income test. Allowances are related to the people who are not presently in the workforce. Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card is anothet option for those who fail to qualify for the senior health care card. Part E Identify the two methods of nominating a beneficiary for superannuation members and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Outline the tax treatment of superannuation lump sum death benefits

Friday, August 23, 2019

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Quiz - Essay Example The Third Reich’s objective, according to Hitler in 1940, was to transform the entirety of Western Europe by radically transforming it into the Nazi Herrenvolk—the living space of the Nazi Master Race. READ: http://www.dac.neu.edu/holocaust/Hitlers_Plans.htm #16: When he first became Chancellor of Germany in the early 1930’s, Hitler declared Christianity was the foundation of German society. He spent the rest of his life promoting National Socialism which was hostile towards religion, he eroded the rights of all churches, persecuted the Jewish people, gradually began to suppress the rights of evangelical Christians and Catholics—ending denominational and youth organizations, prohibiting denominational schools, and widely defaming and imprisoning clergy of the Christian church who refused to be silent about the truth. #20: Hitler solved the Jewish question with the â€Å"Final Solution†, not only in Germany, but across Western Europe. He makes this statement as if he were speaking from a table in a country that is not at war, which is not taking over other countries, with plans to take over even more. Every country occupied by the Third Reich, saw imprisonment, repression and extermination of the Jewish citizens who lived there. In a speech in 1939 he said, â€Å"Workers of all classes and of all nations, recognize your common enemy! The common enemy was the Jewish race. READ:http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitjew.html #24: The context of this statement was in relation to research remaining free of any state restrictions. In that context I agree with the statement. Taken out of context, truth can be evil; especially in relation to Hitler’s views that his was the only truth when it came to the promotion of National Socialism and the eradication of the Jewish people. #26: I find this surprising given the fact that Hitler hated America and all things American. In one conversation he ridiculed America’s reliance on

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Design for the project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Design for the project - Essay Example It is a type of static structure diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the classes of the system, their attributes,   methods, and the relationships among objects. They describe the object and information structures used by an application, both internally and in communication with its users.It is a type of static structure diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the classes of the system, their attributes,   methods, and the relationships among objects. They describe the object and information structures used by an application. (i) It helps to organize the project for everyone to identify the project overall theme and then the interlocking parts of research or activities that relate to the overall theme.If it is a demonstration project then one identifies the different sections of the demonstration and how they go together and the most important parts.A data dictionary refers to the descriptions of data items in a database.  In developi ng programs that employ the use of a data model, a data dictionary shall often be consulted to point out where a data item fits in the structure, its values and what it means in the real world.Why it is Used.(i) It is an important fundamental since it illustrates all the entities and their properties in a data model.(ii) It aids in the implementation of a database because of entities. (iii) It reduces data redundancy. The data dictionary also allows controlling the addition of new data elements and thereby avoiding duplicates.

1860 Presidential Election Essay Example for Free

1860 Presidential Election Essay Every four years, each presidential candidate proclaims that the problems facing the nation this year is graver and more important than any other time in American history. The 1860 Presidential election stands alone as the most important presidential election in American history because this actually was the case. There have been other elections that have been important. If Wendell Wilkie had beaten Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 election or if Al Gore had beaten George W. Bush in the 2000 election, this world may have been very different. But that probability was brought to the light months or years after the election was over. The chief difference with the 1860 election was that the country knew that the nomination of each candidate along with who would be elected would have immediate and then long term results for the country. The 1860 presidential election saw four distinct candidates, all trying for the most important office in the land at our most important time. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican from Illinois, his rival for the 1856 senate race, Stephen A. Douglas representing the Northern Democrats and also from Illinois, John Bell, a Constitutional Unionist and John Breckenridge a Southern Democrat were all in the race. The fact that the Democrats had split over the issue of slavery, forcing members to walk out of two Democrat conventions forced the party to have to send two different candidates and thus, increase the chances that the election would go to Lincoln.   The nomination of Abraham Lincoln for the Republican ticket was unsure from the start and even Lincoln assured himself that he would lose. In the bestselling book Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin details in fascinating fashion, the list of more qualified, more educated and possessing more resources, fought for their nomination for president. But Lincoln was chosen because he was a moderate on the number one issue of the day: slavery.† I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with slavery in the States where it exists, said Lincoln early in the conflict.[1] Seward and Chase, two of the others who brought competition to the field, were seen as either too radical or apathetic towards the issue of slavery and made their displeasure known. While Seward was taking a European tour, Lincoln was meeting and greeting the people. His attendance and speech at New York’s Cooper Union in 1860, solidified him as a man of the people. The Democratic Nomination was complicated as well. The Democratic Party was split over the issue of slavery in the same way the country was. At their convention in April of 1860, fifty Democrats walked out to form their own faction of the party.[2] John Breckenridge was nominated by the Southern Democrats and Stephen A. Douglass was nominated by the Northern Democrats. The Democrats met again on June 18 and this time 100 delegates walked out and would not adopt a resolution supporting slavery in the territories. The Northern Democrats nominated for their candidate Stephen A. Douglass, Senator from Illinois. Douglass had been involved in the famous Lincoln Douglass Debates for the senate. In this senate race, Douglass won but in the process, alienated the South by saying that popular sovereignty could prevent slavery from being enacted in the new territories. The South remembered this and would make sure that his answer would come back to haunt him in the election. This was a chief motivating factor which caused the split within the Democratic Party, thus giving an advantage to the Republican Party which took advantage of such factions. For years, Democrats had united behind the doctrine of popular sovereignty. It was this fact which helped Douglas get elected to the senate in the 1858 debates with Abraham Lincoln. The idea behind this was that slavery within a new territory was up the majority of people within that state. Popular Sovereignty also promised to keep the future of slavery out of the hands of the politicians in Washington as they were distrusted for the most part by the people within the slave states. On the surface, the idea seemed to be a sound and practical compromise to the threat of a civil war. Most Northern Democrats assumed that slavery would not be allowed to spread into the West due to natural impediments. The climate, terrain and the swift movement of Free State settlers into the West would discourage slaveholders from entering the territories. While Southerners demanded that the Democratic Party come out with a platform that defended slavery, Douglas and his supporters could not agree. Despite the fact that the convention went through 54 ballots, Douglas failed to achieve the needed 2/3 vote to receive the nomination of a single Democratic party. However, once the Southern Democrats walked out of the convention, Douglas did receive the needed 2/3 vote from the delegates that were present.[3] Only then was did he receive the nomination of the Northern Democrats. It was a hollow victory. However, his nomination resulted in the splitting of his party and another candidate would only help to confuse the issue as well as spread out the limited number of electoral votes available. The Republicans, after seeing the problems that had been caused within the Democrats, saw this as an opportunity that they could use to their advantage. They were confident, going into their convention in Chicago, that they had a real chance of winning.   The only question was who was going to be nominated. William Seward was considered the front runner.   He was more established, had a classical education, the money and proper connections that prompted the party bosses, at first, to consider him a viable candidate for the nomination. But this all changed at the convention. Alienated factions seemed to arise and served as an unmistakable impediment for Seward and his hopes of becoming the Republican nomination for the 1860 Presidential election: an occurrence which seemed like a foregone conclusion just six months earlier. Delegates were concerned that Seward was too closely identified with the radical wing of the party. Also, Seward, being deeply religious, saw the issue of slavery as an issue that was above that of the Constitution as he called for a higher law to dictate the end of slavery. 19th century America was a deeply religious age but such beliefs seemed to pull him to the right of center in this regard. â€Å"Over the years, his angry phrases calling upon a ‘higher law’ than that of the Constitution that had come from men of freedom†¦ had alarmed Republicans moderates in the West. This only proved that Lincoln was the man to elect.†[4]Compared to Seward, Lincoln had more of a chance to help avoid a civil war as he was seen as more of a moderate within the Republican Party on many issues that were troubling the country and the Southern states at this time. But this did not being much comfort to the Southern States because the main position that the Republican Party he ld on slavery was not in doubt. The key to the success of the Republican Party was its position on slavery as well as the fact that the Democrats were now split. The Republican Party opposed the expansion of slavery and many within the party condemned it as an immoral institution. Republicans thought that by limiting its expansion would put slavery on the road to eventual extinction. Even though this stance was made public, the Republican base rejected a more radical stance that would have Southerners associate them with the abolitionist cause. So in this fact, Republicans upheld slavery within the states where it already existed. Also, there was a faction of the party which included Lincoln, which was willing to support a Constitutional amendment that would guarantee slavery forever in the hope that a civil war would be avoided. In this fact, Lincoln’s announcement in September 1862, that he would be issuing an Emancipation Proclamation, came to the shock of his cabinet because it was contrary to what the platform of the Republican Party during the 1860 election.[5] Republicans would be willing to compromise a great deal with regard to the issue of slavery in order to avoid a civil war and in the process, distance themselves from the abolitionists who were seen as too radical from both the South and even parts of the North. However, as long as the strong Republican base and their beliefs on slavery served as an impediment and a threat to the South and their protection of slavery, either Lincoln or Seward would have garnished a negative response from the Southern States. Since it was essential to carry the West and because Lincoln had a national reputation from his debates and speeches, most notably, the 1858 debates with Stephen A. Douglass, Lincoln won the party’s nomination. This is true also because Lincoln was seen as a moderate on the issue of slavery. It would not be until the Civil War was well under way when Lincoln became more certain that slavery must not continue. But at this time, Lincoln had said that he would leave slavery alone if it meant that the Union would be saved and a civil war would be avoided. The party platform states that slavery would not be allowed to spread any further. This was heavily unpopular in the South but it was in line with what Lincoln believed. The containment of slavery was the best that the moderates within the Republican Party could hope for while at the same time, avoiding a civil war. Doris Kearns Goodwin, in her book Team of Rivals, spoke to the appeal that Lincoln had among the people and the cha racteristics that helped Lincoln, an unlikely candidate in many ways, secure the nomination. â€Å"Lincoln was aware that being a man of the people was an advantage, especially in the raw Western states critical to the election of a Republican candidate Lincoln was astute enough to capitalize upon this invaluable political asset.†[6]   It was also seen that Lincoln was more of a candidate for the people and on the surface, it did not seem that he was as hungry for the office as the others and therefore, would remain true to his own self instead of saying and doing only what was needed in order to get elected. â€Å"Though Lincoln desired success as fiercely as any of his rivals, he did not allow his quest for office to consume the kindness and open heartedness with which he treated supports and rivals alike, nor alter his steady commitment to the antislavery cause.†[7] These are the characteristics that helped endeared Lincoln as a man of the people. The campaign was an interesting one that garnished a great deal of interest among the country. The turnout from the 1860 election would be one of the highest in history as the country knew all too well, that the results may lead to a civil war. Stephen A. Douglas became the first presidential candidate in history to undertake a nationwide speaking tour; something that is now seen as essential in order to win within contemporary candidates. Douglas traveled to the South even though he did not expect to win many votes. He spoke for the maintenance of the Union and would so until the official start of the Civil War. The 1860 Campaign, despite the presence of four separate candidates was more organized than the 1856 campaign. In 1856, John C. Freemont, the first Republican candidate,   crusaded zealously against slavery and these efforts were then countered with the warnings of civil war. As a result, James Buchanan was elected and did absolutely nothing to either speed up or curtail the threats towards a civil war. What also helped the chances of the Republicans was the 1857 Supreme Court Decision regarding the Dred Scott Case. This resulted in a clear advantage in the 1858 general election which gave a commanding lead to the Republicans. By 1860, every observer could see that the Republicans had an almost unbeatable advantage in the Electoral College as well since they dominated every Northern state. This would come to fruition as the number of popular votes that Douglas got in relation to the number of electoral votes he received was far below that of Lincoln’s. The election was held on November 6, 1860. The notable difference was the exaggerated sectionalism of the vote. In nine southern states, Lincoln’s name did not even appear on any of the ballots. Also, the importance of the Electoral College would be as important as any other election history, second only to the 2000 election. Due to the fact that there were four candidates, it would be unlikely that any one candidate would receive the popular majority. While Lincoln only captured 40% of the vote, the division of the Electoral College allowed him to capture 17 states plus four electoral votes from the state of New Jersey to receive a total of 180 electoral votes and the win. Although the three-way split among the non Republicans complicated the issue, Lincoln would have still won the election because he won the majority of the electoral vote. Lincoln also won a popular majority in every state that cast its electoral votes for Lincoln. He finished the campaign with 1,865,908 vot es. Douglas finished second with 1,380,202 votes but because of the split in the electoral votes throughout the country, he only received twelve electoral votes, far short of the 152 needed to win.[8] He received nine electoral votes from Missouri and three of the seven electoral votes from New Jersey. Bell won Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia while Breckenridge won every slave state except for Missouri. The result of the 1860 election was almost an immediate one. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina voted to succeed from the country.   The southern states had been waiting for an excuse to break away from the country and the election of Lincoln fit the bill. Stephen A. Douglas threw his support behind Abraham Lincoln and went on a speaking tour to try to stop a civil war from coming. He died in this process in April of 1861 and neither his efforts, nor the efforts of any single man, could stop what the country knew was about to come. With the succession of South Carolina in December 1860. â€Å"Not surprisingly, South Carolina acted first. There is nothing in all the dark caves of human passion so cruel and deadly as the hatred the   South Carolinians profess for the Yankees,[9] With the following of twelve more states, the Civil War had become a foregone conclusion. With the attack on Fort Sumter in April of 1865, despite the only casualty being a Union horse, the Civil War had started and only after four years and 620,000 casualties, did the war finally come to and end as did the institution of slavery within the country forever. The end of the Civil War also led to the assassination of President Lincoln and his Vice President, Andrew Johnson serving as an impediment to the Reconstruction of the South. The 1860 Presidential Election was one of the most important elections in the country’s history. The main difference with this election over others, was that the entire country knew that the outcome of the election had a direct impact on whether or not there would be a civil war, how the civil war would play out and what would be included in peace. Abraham Lincoln, right before the end of the Civil War, said: ‘With malice towards none and charity for all,†[10] in talking about the need for the North and South to come together as one people again. History knows that the people made the right choice that November day in 1860. And all those that are motivated by his speeches and actions are the benefactors of such wisdom and future generations will continue to do the same. WORKS CITED Burns, Ken. 1989.   The Civil War. Boston: PBS Video. Burns, Ken. 1992. The Civil War Companion Book.   Boston: Alfred Knoff Publishers Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins McPherson, James. 1998. Battle Cry of Freedom. London: Oxford University Press. [1] McPherson, James. 1998. Battle Cry of Freedom. London: Oxford University Press. [2] Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins p. 142. [3] Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins p. 167 [4] Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins [5] Burns, Ken. 1989.   The Civil War. Boston: PBS Video. [6] Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins [7] Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2006. Team of Rivals. New York: Harper Collins p. 178. [8] Burns, Ken. 1992. The Civil War Companion Book.   New York: Alfred Knoff Publishers [9] McPherson, James. 1998. Battle Cry of Freedom. London: Oxford University Press. P.641 [10] Burns, Ken. 1992. The Civil War Companion Book.   Boston: Alfred Knoff Publishers p. 321