Art work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art work - Essay Example From the artwork, I can see a lot of amazing things. First, I see a very large compound composed of a building that looks like a temple. It stands out conspicuously located for everyone to clearly see exactly what it is. From inside, there are other panels and small dragons which surround the Monkey. Also identified is a well-curved sculpture of Buddha. This is quite symbolic because it has a significant role to play in the lives of Chinese Buddhists who regard the Dragon Monkey as a spiritual figure in their religion. Basically, as already hinted, the artwork can be related to the book Money: A Folktale of China in which the author was aiming at providing a detailed story of the mysterious and magical paths of the Dragon Monkey in his pursuit for heavenly powers. As examined by Wu in this book, the Dragon Monkey passed through a very long journey before eventually becoming a spiritual figure in Buddhism. At one point, Wu describes the dragon, ‘This determination it was that led him to leap clear of the toils of Re-incarnation and turned him at last into the Great Monkey Sage, equal of Heaven’ (Page 14-15). This shows that he was a respected religious figure whose powers were legitimately granted and above those of anyone else. From this statement, the Dragon Monkey was indeed a respected and revered deity amongst the Buddhists. The descriptions given in the book relate to the panting. The compound shown in the painting clearly shows how religious these people were. Also, the attachment given to the dragon indicates that it was Buddha himself who would determine how he would control the life of his followers. When he chose to use the Dragon Monkey, everyone had to accept because he was their overall father. In conclusion, the lessons learnt from the Ceiling from the Hall of Great Wisdom (Dazhidian) at the Temple of Wisdom Attained (Zhihuasi), Beijing and Monkey: A Folktale of China proves that art is

Effects of the use of web-based tools in Blended Learning Essay Example for Free

Effects of the use of web-based tools in Blended Learning Essay Technology has made a deep impact on all aspects of human lives ranging from communication to learning and enhancing individual performance. The conventional classroom is slowly being replaced by computer based training and online learning environments that has penetrated remote corners of the globe via the Internet. The use of information and communication technologies in education has transformed traditional methods of learning and teaching practices. The personalized learning environment offered by the online medium has great potentials and can influence the learning process to a considerable extent. Technology has been a great enabler of transforming and re-defining the way a system operates and the wide variety of applications that it can support. Many web based learning environments use innovative technologies that have revolutionized the learning process over the past few years. Distance learning through the use of collaborative tools and technologies available has made significant breakthroughs in the field of learning. In the past few decades a number of tools and technologies have emerged that has enabled the users to adopt distance learning courses and training departments are using it to provide cost effective means of implementing learning and development programs for their employees spread across the globe. The online learning environment is supported by various types of tools that provide high level of interactivity and collaborative features enabling participants to exchange messages, files, videos and presentations. This kind of technology is increasingly being used in a wide range of applications ranging from facilitating electronic discussion between students to enabling distance learning programs through web conferencing. The revolution in communication and information technology has had a profound effect on the teaching and learning process. The change is visible in developing learning communities online. Most of the countries and even developing economies are stressing on the use of computers as an instructional medium. E learning encompasses a wide variety of tools and technologies that can be used to stimulate the learning process in an individual. With the help of this technology a variety of online learning services are made available ranging from online searches, tutorials, college courses, and professional courses to professional training and individual development programs. The E learning model adopts high level of audio and video interaction integrated with graphics and animation tool to present the learning module in an attractive format. Educational institutions and business organizations are increasingly adopting the e learning model for learning and training purposes. E learning is being increasingly used as a solution for delivering online learning regardless of physical locations or time constraints. The whole world has become an increasingly connected global community that can share ideas and exchange information through the Internet. More people across the globe are turning towards the latest technology gadgets that have made communication channels smoother and faster. It has proved to be a big resource for individuals who would like to learn a new skill or train themselves in new fields while pursuing their current employment. Hence, E learning field has provided new and better learning opportunities extending its reach beyond university campus and corporate learning centres. Blended learning – an overview Blended learning has been described as a â€Å"phrase introduced by the distance learning community in recognizing the value of synchronous learning activities, like face to face interactions with instructors and collaborative work with peers, as complements to activities performed asynchronously by individual learners† (Howard et al. , 2006). The blended learning system includes both web based learning and traditional classroom learning environment. The web based learning system provides the students with self paced learning modules that they can pursue at leisure and convenience depending on their learning capacity. This learning environment also provides E learning tools that enable live discussions and online learning programs. The conventional classroom settings are used to clarify doubts and queries regarding the course content and student progress. An effective learning environment facilitates interaction between the learners that increases the scope to exchange ideas and opinions, share experiences and assess their level of understanding on the subject matter. A classroom environment provides this kind of face to face interaction enabling the students sharing the same learning goals to coordinate with each other, communicate their ideas and information. Jonassen (1988) has stated in his works that the effectiveness of any learning environment is based on the types and levels of cognitive and metacognitive activity engendered in the learners. It is widely accepted that learning is enhanced in instructional settings where students are engaged in processing personally relevant content and are reflective during the learning process. Learners that participate in active learning activities find learning a more pleasurable and increasingly effective than engaging in monotonous lecture sessions. Online learning provides the learners with the scope to explore the topics and study related theories that increase their level of understanding. The key ingredient to a successful computer based learning application is its ability to interact with the student and direct the flow of learning in accordance with the student capability. The visibility and presentation of information through attention grabbing graphics and multimedia tool make this a more effective learning platform. Once the attention of the student is on the learning tool the application needs to stimulate the learner’s curiosity that in turn leads to search for answers and in-depth study of the learning module. The most effective teaching method involves a high level of interaction between the teacher and the student. A dedicated teacher is one who understands the student’s learning capacity and his shortcomings and guides him through with effective feedback. A two-way communication between the teacher and the student is very effective in the learning process. Computer based learning applications are continually striving to achieve the human to human interactivity level and have been quite successful in this venture with the aid of multimedia based technologies. Blended learning combines the positive aspects of both conventional classroom learning and online learning to provide an enriching learning experience to the students. Web-based tools There are wide varieties of computer-mediated communications technologies that enable manage and support E learning. These tools have facilitated extensive collaboration and communication protocols providing an enriched learning environment. Some of these tools are email, chat, video conferencing, web conferencing, newsgroup, blogs, forums, virtual classrooms, and message boards. Synchronous and Asynchronous tools â€Å"E learning is commonly referred to the international use of networked information and communications technology in teaching and learning. It refers to educational processes that utilize information and communications technology to mediate asynchronous as well as synchronous learning and teaching activities† (Naidu, 2006). Both synchronous and asynchronous tools can be used effectively to communicate, exchange and form ideas and information on a specific subject matter. Synchronous E learning is live, real time facilitated instruction, and learning oriented interaction that enables learners to use electronic means to collaborate and participate in live forums. The root of synchronous E learning has been derived from three main influences: the classroom, the media, and the conference. The virtual classroom uses highly interactive forms of synchronous E learning tools to simulate a conventional classroom environment. White-board, discussion rooms, and break out areas are some of the concepts used to enhance interactivity between learners in a virtual classroom. Naidu (2006) also observes that most of the applications are built around the synchronous learning model that makes use of tools like virtual learning environment, rapid E learning, web casting, web conferencing, video conferencing, webinars, live E learning, and e conferencing. These synchronous E learning tools help in connecting dispersed learners, facilitating real time interaction and collaboration, fostering a sense of immediacy and co-presence, developing a learning community, and enabling access to subject matter expert resources. This kind of learning environment rules out gender and personality dominance that tends to overpower in a traditional classroom setting. It encourages learners towards better teamwork, collaboration skills, strong motivation and extended peer support (Naidu, 2006). Asynchronous tools like emails, electronic forums, online discussions, blogs, provide a platform for students and teachers to discuss ideas and opinions on a specific topic. This form of E learning is â€Å"commonly facilitated by media such as email and discussion boards, supports work relations among learners with teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time† (Hrastinski, 2008). This provides a form of flexibility to the learners since they can access learning materials and information any time according to their convenience. The learners can log on to an E learning environment and access training materials, receive and send messages to peers and tutors. In higher education, learners can pursue online courses while taking care of other commitments. Asynchronous E learning tools have the advantage of enabling users to access information and pursue their subject matter with greater degree of concentration allowing the mind to process the information at leisure. However, it also has some significant drawbacks that include greater learner discipline since the learner has to take initiatives to login and make use of the information and tasks involved in learning process. This kind of learning process is more impersonal and isolated as compared to synchronous learning tools that enable live interaction (Ashley, 2003).

The Age of The Renaissance :: The Renaissance

The Middle Ages is considered by many historians a time period of ignorance, where little or no advancements took place. The church was the center of attention, and instead of a philosophical view of the world, beliefs were centered around superstitions. On the other hand, the rebirth of education and advancements that followed the Middle Ages and was labeled as the Renaissance. There have been arguments as to whether the Renaissance is actually a separate time period, or instead, just a high point of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was definitely a distinct era. Inspiration from the ancient Greek and Roman people led to humanism beliefs and encouraged man to become multi-talented. Therefore, the Renaissance man, a man who excelled in many areas, became prominent. Also, the ideals of the people changed, and religion no longer ruled their lives. Advancements in all aspects of life virtually improved. Thus, many aspects lead to the change from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, a ti me period that was undoubtedly distinct from the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, ideas and beliefs changed greatly. Humanism, a crucial movement to the Renaissance, stressed secular ideas and beliefs and the importance of advocating human’s ideas and values. The movement drew inspiration from the ancient Greek and Roman people. Therefore, classical education began to circulate once again (document 1). The people of the Middle Ages had great amounts of ignorance and believed in faith and false ideas while focusing on childish possessions, but during the Renaissance these ignorant beliefs disappeared and humanism took its place (document 2). The church was no longer the center of life for many and some lost interest in the traditional beliefs that the church was preaching. Yet, it was still an important aspect. The church had lost large amounts of power and wealth due to the humanism movement because people became less reliable on the church and could think and follow ideals on their own. But, the church was rapidly changing during this time period also, because religion was focused on wealth and the money it could obtain (document 5). Instead, many supported the idea that the people who held secular beliefs should be ruled by noblemen that were scholarly, highly educated, and not only concerned with goods (document 5). Entirely new ideas and beliefs began to circulate during the Renaissance, and the church lost much of its great influence.

hackers Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer hackers in today’s world are becoming more intelligent. They are realizing that people are constantly developing more hack proof systems. This presents the hackers with a bigger challenge and a bigger thrill. The government is realizing this and is working on making harsher laws to, hopefully, scare away potential hackers. With the increase in hacking and the hackers intelligence, governmental regulation of cyberspace hasn’t abolished the fact that it’s nearly impossible to bring a hacker to justice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hackers do not have consequences because of the laws that the government has passed. Most hackers are good enough to cover their backs, and their trails, and phone calls. If a hacker is caught, he or she can face a long jail sentence. Unfortunately, they do not spend a long jail sentence. It is extremely hard to determined how to penalize a hacker. First we need to determined if this crime has effected anyone, and whether or not this crime has caused damages and loss of money to the victim. What it comes down to is the age of the hacker, I feel that their age should not be taken into consideration. Because hacking is extremely difficult to accomplish, so the hacker has knowledge of what he or she is doing. Hacking is extremely complicated crime to commit, it takes years to learn to how to hack correctly. When one hacks for pleasure or for profit they should both have the same con...

Rhetorical Analysis for Dennis Baron Essay

Making English the official language legislated on August 1, 1996, with Congress. A college professor, of English at the University of Illinois, wrote an essay called, â€Å"Don’t Make English Official-Ban It Instead† by Dennis Baron. The essay had appeared in the Washington Post on September 8, 1996. The given claim that Baron makes is that English should be banned. There were six given reason Baron stated and one of the few were English is not pure English anymore, English would die out, and English ownership, who it would belong to. He continued to support his reasons and give examples. Many of his reasons consisted of his analogies, humor, and point of view. Dennis Baron’s satire is effective for the defending opponents of the official English bill because of his overplayed satirical humor, along with his use of sarcasm; although his satire is not effective for the opposing opponents because of his lack of evidence, his choice of a one-sided argument, and his assumptions about what would happen with banning English through-out the satire. Even if the British are now our allies, there may be some benefit to banning English today. † (Baron 870) is one of many satirical humor that Dennis Baron used; defending opponents of the official English are effected here because of how he mocks the British. Another use of his humor is when he states, â€Å"We wouldn’t have to worry about whose English to make official. (Baron 870) After Baron sated this, he questioned whether it to be, â€Å"English of England or American English? Of Chicago or New York? Of Ross Perot or William F. Buchley? † (Baron 870) The defending opponents of the official English bill were effected by Dennis Baron’s satirical humor, as well as the sarcasm, throughout his satire. With his sarcasm and humor, he had given a few evidence with this usage.

Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Who can be wise, amaz’d, temperate, and furious, loyal and neutral in a moment? ~William Shakespeare On October 2, 1869 in the town of Porbandar, in what is now the Gujarat province of India, a son was born to the local prime minister and his wife. That child was named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, later known to millions of Indians as the father of their nation. He lived an ordinary boyhood in the seaport town and attended school in nearby Rajkot. As a boy he attended temple near his home and readings were taken alternatively from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and the Moslem Koran.(Gold) Since his city of birth was a seaport, looking out into the world, it hosted nearly 2 dozen religions. This would help greatly in developing a tolerance and acceptance for all religions.(Erikson) As is custom in the Hindu religion he was married in an arranged ceremony at age 13, his wife was a mere 10 years of age. Despite the difficulties before them, they fell in love and became a source of strength unto each other. Their marriage lasted some 60 years. In 1888 when Mohandas left for England to pursue a law degree, he left his widowed mother, his wife, and his son Harilal who was only a few months old at the time. Although leaving home was difficult, Mohandas was greatly determined to obtain his degree. Once in London he felt very uncomfortable. (Gold) This and his Indian ethnicity pushed him to the fringes of English society. The people he soon began associating with were the vanguard of social thought in England at the time and their influence on him was strong. It was at this time that he was introduced to the Christian Bible, delved deeper into vegetarianism, and got his first glimpse of what it was to be Indian through Western eyes. Through hard work and strength of mind, on June 12, 1891 passed his examinations and was called to the bar. On June 11 he was enrolled to the High Court and the next day saile... Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Who can be wise, amaz’d, temperate, and furious, loyal and neutral in a moment? ~William Shakespeare On October 2, 1869 in the town of Porbandar, in what is now the Gujarat province of India, a son was born to the local prime minister and his wife. That child was named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, later known to millions of Indians as the father of their nation. He lived an ordinary boyhood in the seaport town and attended school in nearby Rajkot. As a boy he attended temple near his home and readings were taken alternatively from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and the Moslem Koran.(Gold) Since his city of birth was a seaport, looking out into the world, it hosted nearly 2 dozen religions. This would help greatly in developing a tolerance and acceptance for all religions.(Erikson) As is custom in the Hindu religion he was married in an arranged ceremony at age 13, his wife was a mere 10 years of age. Despite the difficulties before them, they fell in love and became a source of strength unto each other. Their marriage lasted some 60 years. In 1888 when Mohandas left for England to pursue a law degree, he left his widowed mother, his wife, and his son Harilal who was only a few months old at the time. Although leaving home was difficult, Mohandas was greatly determined to obtain his degree. Once in London he felt very uncomfortable. (Gold) This and his Indian ethnicity pushed him to the fringes of English society. The people he soon began associating with were the vanguard of social thought in England at the time and their influence on him was strong. It was at this time that he was introduced to the Christian Bible, delved deeper into vegetarianism, and got his first glimpse of what it was to be Indian through Western eyes. Through hard work and strength of mind, on June 12, 1891 passed his examinations and was called to the bar. On June 11 he was enrolled to the High Court and the next day saile...

Sentence Imitation in English

Sentence Imitation in English In rhetoric and composition studies, sentence imitation is an exercise in which students study a sample sentence and then imitate its structures, supplying their own material. Also known as modeling.   Like sentence combining, sentence imitation offers an alternative to traditional grammar instruction and a way of fostering stylistic dexterity.   Examples and Observations Sentence imitation has a long history. Students imitate the structure of sample sentences with their own content. Usually, this helps extend students repertoire of grammatical structures. Depending on the sample sentences, students can learn how to use appositives, participial phrases, subordinate clauses, or parallel structure (among others) in their writing. They dont have to know the names of the structuresin fact, I started teaching imitation by naming the parts of the sentences (The sentence starts with an infinitive phrase . . .) and just about destroyed my students interest before I learned that they could imitate without naming anything. Once they understood the idea of imitation, they became avid imitators, bringing in sentences for me to use with the class and sharing their imitations generously.(Deborah Dean, Bringing Grammar to Life. International Reading Assoc., 2008) Sample Imitations MODEL SENTENCE: The gallows stood in a small yard, separate from the main grounds of the prison, and overgrown with tall prickly weeds.George Orwell, A Hanging(Write a sentence according to the pattern of the model sentence.)IMITATION: The dog shivered in the background, wet from nosing his way through the early-morning grasses and covered with damp cocklespurs.MODEL SENTENCE: He went through the narrow alley of Temple Bar quickly, muttering to himself that they could go to hell because he was going to have a good night of it.James Joyce, CounterpartsIMITATION: They stood outside on the wet pavement of the terrace, pretending that they had not heard us when we called to them from the library.MODEL SENTENCE: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.Henry David Thoreau, WaldenIMITATION: I greeted him politely, althoug h I planned to challenge him repeatedly, to assess his erudition, to test whether he could discriminate what was expedient in each situation, and, after I had probed him thoroughly, to announce that we had no place for him in our organization. (Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 1999) Finding Model Patterns One effective way of experimenting with various styles and of broadening your store of sentence patterns is to imitate (or mimic) the style of other good writers, writers you respect...The best place to find model patterns is in your reading. The process is simple and enjoyable: pick out sentence structures that you like from the work of professional writers and imitate their patterns, replacing their words and ideas with your own. To assure that you can pick out these patterns accurately, you have to be able to do three things:(Adrienne Robins, The Analytical Writer: A College Rhetoric. Collegiate Press, 1996) Identify the base clause.Identify the additions.Identify the connections between the descriptive parts of the sentence and what they describe. ​​Imitating a Sentence by John Updike Almost anyone can read with pleasure the sentence in which John Updike tells us what it was like to see Ted Williams . . . hit a home run in his last at bat on September 28, 1960: It was in the books while it was still in the sky. . . . How hard is it to write a sentence like Updikes? Well, lets try. What you need is a hinge word that ostensibly separates distinct temporal states, but actually brings them together to the point where there is no temporal distance between them. Here is my (relatively feeble) attempt: It was in my stomach before it was off the shelf. Now, Im not going to make any great claims for my sentence, but I will say that it is a game attempt to approach Updikes art by imitating it, by arranging clauses in somewhat the same way he does in order to achieve a somewhat similar, if decidedly minor, effect. And once you get the hang of itof zeroing in on a form that can then be filled with any number of contentsyou can do it forever. She was enrolled at Harvard before she was conceived. He had won the match before the first serve.(Stanley Fish, How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One. HarperCollins, 2011) R.L. Stevenson on The Sedulous Ape Whenever I read a book or a passage that particularly pleased me, in which a thing was said or an effect rendered with propriety, in which there was either some conspicuous force or some happy distinction in the style, I must sit down at once and set myself to ape that quality. I was unsuccessful, and I knew it; and tried again, and was again unsuccessful and always unsuccessful; but at least in these vain bouts, I got some practice in rhythm, in harmony, in construction and the co-ordination of parts. I have thus played the sedulous ape to Hazlitt, to Lamb, to Wordsworth, to Sir Thomas Browne, to Defoe, to Hawthorne, to Montaigne, to Baudelaire, and to Obermann. . . .Perhaps I hear some one cry out: But this is not the way to be original! It is not; nor is there any way but to be born so. Nor yet, if you are born original, is there anything in this training that shall clip the wings of your originality. There can be none more original than Montaigne, neither could any be more unlike Cicero; yet no craftsman can fail to see how much the one must have tried in his time to imitate the other. Burns is the very type of a prime force in letters: he was of all men the most imitative. Shakespeare himself, the imperial, proceeds directly from a school. It is only from a school that we can expect to have good writers; it is almost invariably from a school that great writers, these lawless exceptions, issue. Nor is there anything here that should astonish the considerate. Before he can tell what cadences he truly prefers, the student should have tried all that are possible; before he can choose and preserve a fitting key of words, he should long have practised the literary scales.(Robert Louis Stevenson, The Sedulous Ape, 1887) Teaching Imitation in Composition (1900) The value of imitation in teaching composition is too often overlooked. . . .The nature of intelligent imitation, its selective nature in choice models, the progressive nature of the model ever becoming more refined, more ideal, could not easily be made more apparent. That so many literary men of originality and genius have made so large use of imitation in the development of their style and method of thought, seems to lend much evidence in favor of a more liberal use of imitation and its methods in other lines of education. The claim has already been made in this paper, and I wish to emphasize it here again, that while imitation in itself is not originality, it is the rational method of developing originality in the individual.(Jasper Newton Deahl, Imitation in Education: Its Nature, Scope and Significance, 1900) Sentence-Imitation Exercises Sentence-Imitation Exercise: Complex SentencesSentence-Imitation Exercise: Compound SentencesSentence-Imitation Exercise: Creating Sentences With CommasSentence-Imitation Exercise: Creating Sentences With Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes