The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock - 1647 Words

The lives of many people are often dictated by their mindset, the fixed disposition or emotional outlook of their current situation. Sitting at the bright end of the spectrum, there are optimist who see the best in everything; thus creating a positive outlook and the mindset to accomplish any goal. However, most people succumbed to a pessimistic point of view. It results in a fear of the unknown, and a sense of meaningless throughout their daily lives. Simple actions such as communication become frustrating tasks, causing many to avoid the situation to protect their emotional well being. This mindset can be seen in T.S. Eliot’s work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The main character, Prufrock, plans to ask the woman he loves the†¦show more content†¦Eliot’s conservative nature caused him to dislike the cheerfulness and optimism of the nineteenth century, and preferred damnation rather than the ugly sight of modern civilization. The Eliot and Prufrock dà © doublement can be seen in the depiction of the setting. The streets are described as half deserted, containing cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants, with yellow smoke engulfing the entire city. The negative depictions of the setting show Eliot’s dislike of rising urbanism and Prufrock’s pessimistic views. Eliot uses this style of writing to explore and freely express his own mind. In Tradition and the Individual Talent, Eliot states that â€Å"private emotions might be intense or painful enough to make it seem necessary to escape from them,† where ‘escape from’ is interpreted as ‘express.’ (Smidt 91) Eliot had a strong desire to reveal his subconscious and private emotions, but â€Å"the full understanding was not meant for the general reader.† Through this creative technique Eliot is able to introduce a character, whose attributes are not as immediately recognizable as the poet, and utilizes this character as a mask or disguise to express some private emotion. In addition, Elisabeth Cardonne-Arlyck’s Mind Your Tongue: Autobiography and New French Lyric, the author creates the perspective to use the character Prufrock as a mobile mask that transforms into existential reality. By connecting Eliot’sShow MoreRelatedThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock970 Words   |  4 PagesNever in Love When reading the title of T.S Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† it is believed we are in store for a poem of romance and hope. A song that will inspire embrace and warmth of the heart, regretfully this is could not be further from the truth. This poem takes us into the depths of J. Alfred Prufrock, someone who holds faltering doubt and as a result may never come to understand real love. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† takes us through Prufrock’s mindset and his self-doubtingRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1072 Words   |  5 Pages We may never be given a second chance to do something daring ever again so we seize the day! However, people like in J. Alfred Prufrock make the attempt to do but it doesn’t work. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† written by T.S. Elliot, essentially is about a simple man that wishes to ask a question, although the question is never revealed, the reader is taken on journey the with the speaker, only to find that they have spent a lengthy amount of time of their lives without ever asking theRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1928 Words   |  8 PagesHuman Voices Wake Us and We Drown’: Community in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’,† James Haba contends that the repeated use of â€Å"you†, â€Å"we†, and â€Å"us† in T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† creates a personal ambience around the reader and Prufrock. Because of this, Haba argues that Eliot’s use of personal pronouns and references produces a sense of community and intimacy between the reader and Prufrock (53), even though Prufrock seemingly struggles with emotions of intimacy andRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Love Song of Alfred Prufrock: Taking the Love out of Song A tragedy in a poem is usually characterized as an event that has a tragic or unhappy ending. They generally are used to teach morals or lessons. T.S. Eliot’s, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, is considered a tragedy because of the way Eliot uses four different writing styles: word choice, figurative language, images, and biblical allusions. Using these styles, Eliot acknowledges the tragic endeavor of single, reclusiveRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The dramatic monologue â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by Thomas Stearns Eliot and published in June of 1915. Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri on September 26, 1888, where he grew up and lived until the age of eighteen. After high school, Eliot studied at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA and the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Eventually, Eliot ended up in England where he married his wife Vivien and spent the remainder of his lifeRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1125 Words   |  5 Pagesmodernism. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, despite being one of T.S Eliot s earliest publications, still manages to remain one of the most famous. He uses this poem to not only draw out the psychological aspect of members of modern society, but also to draw out the aspect of the time that he lived in. The speaker of this poem is a modern man who feels alone, isolated, and incapable of making decisive actions for himself. Prufrock desires to sp eak to a woman about his love for her, but heRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock986 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot and Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold the poets utilizes poetic devices to convey their respective themes. Through use of symbols and metaphors, the speaker in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock displays his fears of the changes brought with the younger generation, and isolation from the changing society. The speaker in Dover Beach, utilizes symbols, metaphors, and similes to state that the younger generation has less faith than the older, and societyRead MoreThe Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock1966 Words   |  8 Pagessymbolism to capture the readers attention in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The poem has a dramatic discourse. The percipience of lifes emptiness is the main theme of the poem. Eliot exhorts the spiritual decomposition by exploring a type of life in death. T. S. Eliot, who in the Clark Lectures notes, Real Irony is an expression of suffering(Lobb, 53), uses irony and symbolism throughout the poem to exemplify the suffering of J. Alfred Prufrock who believes he is filled with spiritual morbidityRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1005 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† published in 1915, was written by a man named T.S. Eliot. The speaker of the poem begins to describe an evening that appears to be somewhat romantic and a little mysterious. As the reader progresses into the poem, the mood soon fades and the reader starts to figure out that this evening is not what they pictured. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is a poem written by Robert Frost. The poem was first published in 1927. The speaker of the poem has a similar mood asRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay990 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Elliot is in part a satire. It was written in the form of a dram atic monologue delivered by the poem’s speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock. It begins with him asking an unknown â€Å"you† to accompany him on a walk. The two walk through town and stumbles upon women talking about Michelangelo at a social event. The women’s bare arms and long dresses show off their knowledge of art. Prufrock wishes to talk to the women and is attracted to them sexually but he is afraid

Why Is Literacy Important - 1964 Words

As an education support worker is important to clearly understand and grasp literacy, how vital literacy is in our lives to ensure children are not illiterate. So to understand literacy we must look at what is literacy. Literacy is not only the ability to read and write but rather a person’s ability to utilise and put the skills together. But before children can read and write, they need to learn about words, sounds, language, books and stories. In modern days literacy includes the ability to use language, numbers, images, computers and other means to understand, communicate and seek knowledge. The key to literacy is reading development, a skill that will allow the student to understand the words when spoken and understand the written†¦show more content†¦Sharlene Kalaitzoglou CHCEDS503A- Support the development of Literacy Skills P1 Encouraging literacy development- giving students opportunities to listen to and use language. Communication: Communicating is important for literacy development. Bonding and interacting with your child from infancy is the first form of communication that your child experiences. Your baby may communicate with you by smiling, facial expressions and cooing to your sounds which are both forms of verbal and nonverbal communication. These types of back-and-forth interactions are getting your child ready for talking and socialising. To encourage your child to build on communication you can; With your infant copy the baby sounds back to your child as this can help your infant understand how language is put together. Sing songs together- this introduces new words to the children while introducing music as a form of communication Talk about everyday things with the students- what they did on the weekend- encourage them to extend on the activities and express their feeling about the event. Assist students to break words down in segments. For e.g.: the word run- this can be broken down as r-u-n or ru-n or r-un. Another e.g.: running- this can be broken down to runn- ing. Reading: Reading is importance in a student’s

Research Methods in Anthropology French Journal of Change Management

Questions: Identify the subject area the study relates to within business and management. Identify one theory with reference that relates to the topic of the research proposal. Methodology Outline the proposed research strategy and research methods to be used. What primary and secondary data would you like to collect and how would you like to collect it? Are there any ethical issues around the data collection and storage to consider? Project Plan Provide a table listing the tasks required to complete the portfolio and the timescales for each. List also any resources needed. Answers: Background of the research topic Leadership takes active participation in helping the employees for achieving a set of objectives. Leaders lead by examples and often build an element of positivity amongst the employees. While adapting to change, leaders have an important role to play for addressing the necessary information to the employees so that they do not lose their confidence (Dawson 2014). The research topic would entail the various roles played by the leaders for managing the employees towards successful intervention of change management in the organization. Research Aims The primary aim of the researcher is to evaluate the elusive of leadership for implementation change management in Opus Recruitment Solutions. Research Objectives To identify the impact of leadership for implementing change management in a small scale business To evaluate the importance of leadership for adapting the employees of Opus solutions in relation to change management To identify the challenges faced by the leaders for implementing change management in Opus Recruitment Solutions To propose suitable recommendations against the rising issues of Opus recruitment solutions in regards to change management Research Questions What is the impact of leadership while implementing change management in a small-scale business like Opus Recruitment Solutions? What is the role of the leaders for adapting the employees of Opus Recruitment Solutions towards change management? What are the challenges faced by the leaders, while implementing change management for Opus Recruitment Solutions? What are the proposed recommendations in contrast to the rising issues faced by the leaders of Opus Recruitment Solutions while implementing change management? Research Problems The major issue faced by the organization is the adaptability of the employees towards implementation of change management. The leaders were unable to convince the employees, as there was an element of fear amongst them for losing the job (Kvalnes 2014). However, the primary intention of the leaders was to enhance the organizational scenario by implementing the change. The employees were reluctant for adapting to changes and the overall scenario created a negative impact on the operations of the organization in the competitive market. Literature Review Concept of leadership and Change Management Leadership is the ability of a person for leading or guiding other individuals, team or an organization towards a change. On the other hand, change management refers to the process of changing the organizational practices for enhancing organizational profitability. Leadership Traits The leadership traits comprise of the key requirements that a leader should possess for attaining organizational success. The traits if of an effective leader are as follows: Emotional Stability Dominance Enthusiasm Conscientiousness Intuition Tough- mindedness Self-assurance Compulsiveness Culture Web Theory This theory emphasize that an organization should identify the organizational culture before implementing organizational strategies. After investigating the internal process of Opus Recruitment Solutions, it can be said that the company has adopted a transparent approach for communicating with the workforce (Welbourne 2014). Moreover, the company is dealing with a diversified workforce and depending on this organizational culture, the company has adopted transformational leadership approach. This leadership approach helps the organization in allowing the workforce in sharing their viewpoint regarding decision-making process. Transformational leadership Style Transformational leadership refers to the leadership trait, which allows a leader to build strong communication with the workforce. Moreover, transformational leaders allow the team members to take active participation in organizational decision-making process. Research Methodology Research Proposition The researcher implemented suitable strategies and techniques outlined in an proper methodology to attain the Objective oriented outcomes in an competent way. The researcher will implement the philosophy of positivism, Deductive approach, descriptive research design, surveys and interviews as the research strategy for successful progression of the study (Bernard 2011). The researcher collected primary and secondary sources of data for penetrating the research topic and enhance the quality of the study in a suitable way. The researcher will conduct the quantitative analysis by spreading survey questionnaires to 50 employees of Opus recruitment Solutions, UK. The qualitative analysis of the study will involve telephonic interviews of three managers in Opus recruitment solutions. The researcher will select probability sampling technique for quantitative analysis and non-probability sampling technique for qualitative analysis of the study. Sources of Data Primary data will collect specific information from the respondents of the survey. The researcher will be able to identify the issues underlying the topic while gathering factual data from the respondents of the research (Green 2011). The secondary data sources will comprise of information gathered from journals, magazines, articles and work of other researchers. The information may be manipulative in nature due to its commercial approach. Data Collection Methods The researcher will aim to enhance the standard of the topic by implementing quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Quantitative analysis will allow the researcher to conduct statistical analysis, thus helping the researcher to identify the research issues in a proactive way (Freshwater 2012). The qualitative analysis will enrich the content of the study through effective gathering of data from the managers of Opus Recruitment Solutions. Analytical procedure For successful understanding of the study, analytical procedure is regarded as one of the decisive aspects of Quantitative research, through which the researcher may classify, review and assess the key objectives in co-relation to the subject matter of the study. The researcher will make effective utilization of statistical analysis in the form of tables, pie charts, Mean, Median and Mode (Cao 2011). The content analysis approach will helpsthe researcher to upgrade the research quality by collecting realistic and needful data. Ethical Considerations Under any circumstances, the researcher will not implement the data for commercial purposes. The respondents will enjoy voluntary participation of data and under no one can exert external pressure on the researcher (Chan et al. 2011). The information and data of the respondents will not be disclosed and therefore, they will take pleasure in full privacy of their personal information. All the rules and regulations of the Data Protection act will be kept into consideration for successful intervention of the study. Research Timetable The time horizon of the research study states the amount of time required for conducting the overall study in a suitable way. Refer to appendix 1 Anticipated Findings of the research study The researcher would identify the researcher issues upon conduction of the statistical analysis. The researcher would mainly look forward to identify the issues faced by the employees for adapting to change and evaluate various ways approached by the leaders to handle crises Identification of the issues will allow the researcher to probe for suitable recommendations for successful adaption of change management in Opus Recruitment Solutions. Reference List Bernard, H. R. 2011 Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches 5th ed. Plymouth: Alta Mira Press. Burnes, B., 2014. Understanding Resistance to Change to Building on Coach and French Journal of Change Management, 15(2), pp.92-116 Cao, N., 2011. Thoughts on the methodology of nanosafety research CSB, 56(2), p.126 Chan, S., Zee, Y., Jayson, G. and Harris, J., 2011 'Risky' research and participants' interests: the ethics of phase 2C clinical trials Clinical Ethics, 6(2), pp.91-96 Dawson, P., 2014. Reflections: On Time, Temporality and Change in Organizations Journal of Change Management, 14(3), pp.285-308 Freshwater, D. 2012 Reading mixed methods research: contexts for criticism, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), pp. 134-46. Green, G., 2011. Experimental validation of the RI design evaluation methodology. J. of Design Research, 9(1), p.1 Jones, S., 2014 Distributed leadership: A critical analysis Leadership, 10(2), pp.129-141 Kvalnes, O., 2014. Leadership and moral neutralization Leadership, 10(4), pp.456-470 Welbourne, T., 2014.Change Management Needs a Change. Employment Relations Today, 41(2), pp.17-23

Problems in Education free essay sample

Our topic was problems with education and thinking about this was overwhelming because we came up with so many issues and could realistically talk about just a few so our journey consist of: funding issues and the importance of this is that the more money invested in schools produces better environments, better teachers, better courses, expanded teaching capabilities and students encouraged by this would exceed our expectations. Discrimination: with the change in funding we could eliminate the unequal standards of schools which would foster equal opportunities and hopefully come to alleviate poverty and a future with no need for discrimination. Benefits of arts: arts of variety expand imagination, open creativity, allow feeling, thinking and connecting with others, it fosters peace and appreciation of life and people. It could possibly be a bridge to a cure for hostility and negativity in schools. It has already proved to better skills and performance in academic studies. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems in Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page No child left behind: A absolutely good idea but the program itself has many problems, the idea that every child gets equal education is great, but the standards of teaching to a test stifles the learning possibilities and the variety of what is being taught. It hinders growth, imagination, creativity and delivers a very narrow scope of living skills or what we encounter in or contribute to society. Being well rounded means having a broad educational background, fully developed varied abilities and well balanced in range or variety of aspects, this cannot be possible when teaching to memorizing tests. Looking into or fixing any one of these individually would not give what is needed in our education system, in combination or simultaneously would be big step in working in the right direction. Ignorance is lack of knowledge, and if everyone is educated on an equal field we could safely say that ignorance would be wiped out. We may still have some that think and act unintelligently but there would be few, by widespread education we as a society could possibly not have some of the pressing problems that we face today. With diligence and encouragement we could make great strides and changes in our society that would benefit all. We could see less addiction, less need for government assistance, dwindling of prisons, families intact, more caring of other people, less crime, no shortage of needed jobs, much less discrimination, standards higher, better possibilities in government and our next generation making better choices with other societal issues. All because education becomes a priority and we will have fully developed, well balanced educated people with a varied range and variety of abilities to make our world better. We chose education because it is the best start for things to change, without education many may not see what needs to change or how to make the changes. Education as a priority is the jumping off point. Funding is a large problem in education. Though education is inarguably an extremely important asset, it is constantly getting the short end of the funding. Though funding varies from state to state, it is safe to assume that the more money that goes to our education, the better we will all do. By funding schools we invest in our future and American competitiveness. With better education more Americans will be able to find jobs to support themselves or their families; we will also solve many other economic problems. An obvious economic problem that would be decreased is the unemployment rate. With improved funding to education, less affluent children, or adults looking to go to college, could have better affordable schools to attend. An initial problem that comes to hand with low funding to schools is overcrowding. Schools that receive less funding tend to have a higher amount of students per classroom. This in turn, creates a less effective learning environment. This problem is prevalent among K-12 public schools across the country. With more students, teachers aren’t allowed the time to give each student the attention they may need. While some students can function in an environment like this, the average student will have issues learning in such an environment. â€Å"In 2008, 17 of the nations 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50%†. (11 Facts Bout Education and Poverty in America) This statistics are unfortunate, and can be improved through adequate funding. Because approximately half of all education spending is state-funded, state cutbacks force districts to raise revenue on their own, or trim resources like educational services and lay off teachers. The cuts have also hurt economic recovery, as  194,000 school jobs nationwide were lost between August 2010 and August 2011. (Zhao, Emmeline) In 2011 thirty-seven states cut their budgets towards education as much as 12. 9%. (Zhao, Emmeline) With education, cutting budgets entails many things that take away from the schools effectiveness. For example, laying off teachers, removing programs, or reusing old equipment and books. Perhaps more government funding could help aid this problem? Most of the United States money goes towards areas like Medicaid, Social Security, and defense, leaving only a small 2% sliver of the money going to education. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) Though it’s hard to say exactly what could be alleviated in order to provide education with more funding, there has to be some excess expenditure somewhere. An example would be in defense. Perhaps if there were less involvement in other countries, the government would have more funding available to up the quality of education in America? Why is it especially important America improve its education system? With the economy unstable, America’s middle class is dissolving. With the unemployment rate up, we need affordable education available to all ages. In this highly technological world, with increasingly complex jobs, education for less affluent individuals is a must. Without it our poverty rate will continue to rise, and America’s need for a highly educated workforce will not be met. In order for education to be made more readily available, legislatures must agree to provide more adequate funding to public colleges and universities, as well as student aid. We need governmental policies and programs that provide sufficient federal and state funding to public higher education institutions and increased financial aid to students, most importantly low- and moderate-income students. Funding must return to levels in which spending on higher education per student keeps pace with inflation. (Kallison, 41) The fear of massive college debts should not be a barrier between a person and their ability to attend college. A possible remedy could be pricing of college based on your income or that of your family. Or perhaps discounts on the basis of good grades? However, both of these would e hard to enact without proper funding to the college. Public education in the United States is a very valuable aspect. It is the education that is offered to our children to hopefully establish a better future. The public school system in America today is lacking in academic achievement. As demands for better education increase, the complete education that our chil dren truly receives is decreasing. From the lack of government support the students faces not only a type of stereotypical and racial inequalities, but also lack of support and funding for their school from the government especially those less affluent children. This can progress to negative attitudes toward themselves and students learn to fail due to low self-esteem. Ethnic discrimination in schools can be described as not giving a person an equal education based on their race. The term racial discrimination generates a distinction between one group of people with another. It differ depending on the social economic factors and culture that lead on the decision by students and teachers in choosing who is to succeed and who is to fail in the school performance. We find that this discrimination in schools has led to unfair disciplining system among other factors in schools. Though teachers claim that the policy and disciplinary practices in schools are balanced and objective, there are still main reason that lead to an increase in the number of students of color being sent out of school. The consequence of racial discrimination which teachers are assumed to be practicing to discipline on students depending on the gender, socio-economic factors and race causes inequalities in public schools. Due to the growing urban population, many suburban schools are growing hence increasing the racial differences. This has directed to a cultural adjustment through which teachers lacking knowledge with the belief systems, cultural values and perspectives of the students. Consequently, due to lack of the teacher’s knowledge, teachers are not able to understand the behavior of a particular students socio-economic factor. This experience creates differences among the members in the learning organization. Ethnic discrimination especially in public school is a growing concern. If we discriminate against our students we are ultimately creating a big problem because it adds to society’s social problems such as violence, drugs, early dropout and lower college attendance rates. Students of all ethnic backgrounds lose when they are not given the chance to learn from teachers of all races. We believe teachers also lose out when they are not given or taking the chance to learn how to teach to students of different races. We think that complete removal of ethnic discrimination in schools is a long way away. Some might not be aware of how much discrimination still exists in our schools today. Teachers are valuable part of a child’s education. They are the thrust that children need. Teachers in wealthier school has more of a successful outcome and will more than likely push students to their full potential. While the teacher who is just there for a job will just push the children to get out of high school, so the less affluent children are often held back later in life due to lack of decent education. In an affluent area, the schools are clean, well kept and look more like small college campuses. Any child attending this kind of school will continually want the finer things in life and will unlikely settle for less than the best. But in a less affluent neighborhood where schools are run down, vandalized, and are usually un-kept, a child will likely settle for less. We believe that the problem with school lies not in the idea of public education, but in the way public schools are managed and funded. If one walked into any public school, the odds are great that youll find demoralized teachers, overflowing classrooms, and possibly unsafe classroom. Additionally many students endure psychological or behavior problems that teachers are not adequately qualified to handle. Therefore, both teachers and students end up failing one another. In conclusion, there are many solutions to prevent the inadequacy of our public school, the discrimination and the lack of support from our government. You should always challenge discrimination at school. It is crucial that one can recognize anti-discrimination practice. All schools have a discriminatory policy. All teachers, faculty and teaching assistants should read and follow. It is not easy to alter the views of others, but discriminatory comments and actions must be challenged. But what the government and institutions and rest of the public can do is help minimize this issue. Our suggestions for resolving this issue are to push more accountability in everyone. Push for more responsibility on student performance and change how assessment will be measured and judged in public schools. Students should also be assessed not only through test scores but also through attendance, schoolwork, and participations. Parents should also play a big part of their children lives. Parents should also hold the schools responsible for the advancement of their student’s knowledge and skills. Accountability needs to apply to everyone, starting with the students and parents, the teachers and administrators. We have covered Government funding, discrimination racial and ethnic but discrimination presents itself in many forms, it is not always as apparent as race, ethnicity or gender and sometimes not expressed intentionally, by default older returning students and students with different learning abilities seem to get passed by without adequate response to their needs. With unemployment on the rise, people being laid off from jobs, others in recovery looking for a new start and the call to mothers with empty nest syndrome, going back to school and exploring new careers has become a new phase in our society, one that should be admired and encouraged. This movement to reeducate is a positive reinforcement of people wanting to be productive in society and also serves as example of how to respond to hard times. Our schools seem to have added programs (that are always threatened with budget cuts) to help welfare to work (fast track), veterans returning, second language students, students with disabilities and students with high performance but somehow the missing piece is students with different learning abilities and older returning students. This is important because instead of leaning on government assistance or becoming criminal to survive these students are trying to reeducate to be productive members of society and financially care for themselves and their families. Older students have expressed a feeling of wanting to inspire young people with their example. They are proof that monies should be put into continued and alternative education instead of more prisons or weapons. Arts education has been facing many challenges even though teachers, business leaders and a large number of Americans agree on its value to students. It seems that the when cuts are being made it is always the most needed programs that are cut. Studies have shown that arts in all forms help students grow intellectually, socially, emotionally and test scores improve. Arts have been highly motivating and seem to reduce tardiness and truancy at schools and foster critical thinking, creativity and problem solving as they become adults â€Å"which are necessary skills in the 21st century economy†. All research seems to show that arts advance academic excellence and are the desired courses which bring children to school. Research professor of education at New York University, Diane Ravitch about arts says â€Å"they expand student’s ability to think, feel and get connected to other students†. With all the studies and the majority of Americans agreeing that arts are needed how does it become such a challenge to provide? As a society we should be outraged, this kind of thoughtless blunder is what keeps us from reaching our full potential. Allowing things to slip by or finding something else more important at the time, we should be looking to the future our children are what we expect to make things better but our money goes in another direction. Education is the key to expanding our minds and gaining understanding, this is what will not allow us ignorance but open doors to better our lives everyone’s. These are a few options for change, first there needs to be an assessment of returning students and if they are over 30yrs of age give them different criteria for reaching their degrees or credentials. The college requirements are made for young students who are not sure of their course in life and it gives them well roundedness. Where older adults returning to school most know what they are back for and some of the side requirements take up precious time and their financial aid which are both very important to older students. There is no benefit to the rearrangement of life and possibilities or new beginnings to follow a new career if the requirements don’t allow you to get there in a timely fashion. Next would be to stop placing students who have different learning abilities into the category of disabled. Auditory teaching is but one form and as we know so many students learn differently, and are not offered the experience of the best teaching technique for their skills. Instead most are diagnosed with learning disability and stigmatized from then on, and not given the benefit of their different ability. There should be teachers with different strategies and effective learning styles and new spaces for particular abilities. This can be integrated into the curriculum and students can pick there form of learning and we would down size the amount of students with disabilities. Many students would rather do poorly than to be labeled with a disability, it never goes away and all that is seen is disability by students, teachers and employers. How cheated they must feel that we not recognize the possibilities and teach to their abilities. Last on the list is Art education I am still amazed that with all the positive views we still ave to find financial stability, education needs to be at the top of the list for money and programs. With education at the forefront of everything we could change so much; ignorance would be a word in the dictionary instead of how so many people live. Education could take the place of addictions, prison population, poverty which in turn would change so much discr imination. People who could feel good about themselves and support their families without struggle would give way to more peace and lower stress cut medical spending. If we could only see the benefits and strive to do better what a world we could live in. No Child Left Behind Act and schools teaching to the test is one way that the public school system is failing these generations of children. Teaching to the test eliminates teachers ability to teach children lifelong skills, has created a larger achievement gap between the affluent and the poor and minority, and has brought down education standers rather than bringing all children up to a higher stander. Teaching to the test reduces teacher creativity, innovative instruction, the use of varied teaching strategies for diverse students, and teacher and student motivation. This type of testing is forcing instruction to change from exploratory, lifelong learning to teaching to the test through memorization and repetition eliminating the opportunity for teachers to teach students life skills like creative thinking and problem solving. These are skills that follow children through their life, allowing them to; think through ideas, create their own opinions and work with others cooperatively. If we do not teach these important skills to the next generations we are selling them and our future short. We are creating a population that can memorize and recite but are not able to make and think through hard decisions with an understanding of their true outcomes. An example of this is when teacher was talking to an eighth grade history class about the Articles of Confederation. The students were able to give certain facts about one of the eight Features of the Articles of Confederation regarding No Chief Executive; but could not make the connection that they chose that Feature because the colonies just experienced an abusive rule by King George III. An eighth grade history teacher at Springveiw Middle School, Rocklin, CA) The No Child Left Behind Act penalizes the educationally disadvantage students it is supposed to help. It has created a new gap between well-off children and the poor and minorities. Funding for schools are based off the standardized test scores. The affluent schools already have the funds to maintain the privilege of studying a full and varied curriculum. While the re is growing evidence that the curriculum is narrowed for poor children and children of color. These are the children that are subjected to the most pretest pressures, the lack of variety in their curriculum, thus leading to a higher dropout rate, lower interest in furthering academics, and discouragement from teachers. This is creating a system that perpetuates the problem. â€Å"NCLB is just not working –at least not for inner-city schools. According to a recent report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 30% of all American students do not graduate from high school. For the predominantly minority students living in large cities, the statistics are even worse. Only one half, 52%, of students in the nation’s fifty largest cities graduate from high school, and in four large metropolitan areas (Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis), fewer than 35% of the students graduate. † (CUMBERLAND LAW REVIEW [Vol. 40:2] pg 397-398) Under the No Child Left Behind Act each state creates the standard the schools have to meet, this allows states to create low standard tests. Some states have established a lower proficiency standard, and some states declare most students proficient even when their performance is miles short of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standard. By setting widely varying standards, states render the very notion of proficiency meaningless. †According to Thomas Toch, co-director of the research group, Education Sector, the increase in testing required under NCLB puts pressure on states to switch to multiple choice tests. Although the multiple choice tests generally require students to merely recall and restate facts, they can be scored at a fraction of the cost of tests that are hand written— those with essay questions. Forty-two percent of our nations children are now taking mandated math and reading tests that are entirely multiple choice. † (ENCOUNTER: Education for Meaning and Social Justice Pg. 34) There has been a lot of criticism of No Child Left Behind Act and standardized testing. One recent solution that is being brought up and trying to get implemented is The Common Core State Standards Initiative. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare children for college and the workforce. Their idea is to take the standardize testing and add more analytical thought, creative thought and preparation of life skills. This is their new definition of the standards: that they are aligned with college and work expectations; that they are clear, understandable and consistent; include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and are evidence-based. This will not solve all the problems but it is trying to take the already standardized testing and create a more well rounded baseline. In conclusion we have discussed the possibilities of solving the education problems, the benefits of making education a priority and the starting place for making strides in problem solving in our society. We have to start here with our education or we continue to breed ignorance and continue to become more stagnant and problems only get worse without solution. Government funding: Solutions are more money in every aspect because this is our priority, monies to make teaching a job worth its weight, monies to all schools, produce funding towards our future, allowing students to attend any and all choices of learning without financial worries. Racial Discrimination: Everyone speaks out about discriminatory practices, everyone should be more accountable and the more equal the playing field the better our chances. Other discrimination and arts: Assessment for older retuning students, and different requirements to fast track them to their goal. To teach to student’s abilities instead of labeling them as disabled, new effective learning styles and strategies, spaces for different learning and integrating the different teaching styles into the curriculum so students can sign up for appropriate classes. Arts education money-money-money. No child left behind: There have been specialists looking at how to revamp this initiative and that is all good but the real issue is to keep teaching open to the teachers and the students they teach. Our best effort would be to expect the best and keep education a priority so students become educated and well- rounded. Once more we chose education as the priority because everything will become clear with equality of education and higher standards for everyone. With this we will have fully developed well balanced educated people making choices about a future. [pic] Bibliography Web page: â€Å"11 Facts Bout Education and Poverty in America† Zhao, Emmeline Retrieved from: http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america# Web page: â€Å"K-12 Education Funding: Most States At Levels Lower Than Pre-Recession, Cut Spending This Year† Retrieved from: http://www. uffingtonpost. com/2011/10/07/k-12-education-funding-mo_n_1000396. html Web page: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, â€Å"Policy Basics: Where do our Federal Tax Dollars Go? † Retrieved from: http://www. cbpp. org/cms/index. cfm? fa=viewid=1258 Scholarly journal: Kallison Jr. , J. M. , Cohen, P. (2010). â€Å"A New Compact for Higher Education: Funding and Autonomy for Reform and Accountability. Innovative Higher Education† Scholarly journal: McReynolds, Kate – â€Å" The No Child Left Behind Act Raises Growing Concerns† Encounter; Summer2006, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p33-36, 4p Scholarly journal: Smyth, Theoni Soublis – † Who Is No Child Left Behind Leaving Behind? † Clearing House; Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 81 Issue 3, p133-137, 5p Scholarly journal: Altshuler, Sandra J. 1 [emailprotected] ewu – â€Å"No Hispanic Student Left Behind: The Consequences of High Stakes Testing† Schmautz, Tresa Children Schools; Jan2006, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p5-14, 10p Scholarly journal: JONES, CRYSTAL L. – â€Å"NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND FAILS THE REALITY TEST FOR INNER-CITY SCHOOLS: A VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES. Cumberland Law Review; 2009, Vol. 0 Issue 2, p397-461, 65p Scholarly journal: Hout, Michael Elliott, Stuart Frueh, Sara 5. â€Å"Do High-Stakes Tests Improve Learning? † Issues in Science Technology; Fall2012, Vol. 29 Issue 1, p33-38, 6p, 3 Color Photographs, 1 Chart Scholarly journal: Haretos, Chrisanti â€Å"THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001: IS THE DEFINITION OF ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS ADEQUATE? † Kennedy School Review; 2005, Vol. 6, p29-46, 18p Online Magazine: Baker, Beth – (2012) â€Å"Art Education† Retrieved from: CQ Researcher, volume 22 issue 1