Problems of Reading and Literacy

Abstract The proceeding is a review of ten current articles on reading and literacy. The research paper contains an introduction, review of the articles and a conclusion which summarizes the articles. The paper contains a detailed definition of reading and literacy and how the two interrelate.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problems of Reading and Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ten summarized articles focus on how various factors affect literacy and reading across the society. Several corrective measures are proposed in some articles on how to cope up with the challenges of literacy. It is realized that deficiency in literacy is common to all age groups and segments of the community. Introduction The two terms, literacy and reading, have been used interchangeably in some settings. Literacy is described as one’s ability to read and consequently write. In depth, it refers to the abil ity to recognize, comprehend, infer, craft, commune, work out and use written and printed materials connected with changeable contexts. Reading is the art of decoding and cognition of symbols with an aim of constructing or deriving a meaning. It also refers to the technique of language acquisition for communication and for sharing ideas. Reading requires a continuous process for proper development and fine-tuning so as to gain proficiency in the act. Summary of Articles Beverly’s article outlines the use of phone text messaging among British children especially the abbreviations and language used. Texting has no negative effect on the literacy or language development as being speculated. Language development depends on the age at which the child receives mobile phones. Those who posses phones at an early age do many texting, thus developing literacy, as opposed to their fellows who do not have phones. Acquisition of texting knowledge is significant in the development of liter acy profile in a child (Beverly Clare, 2009). The ability to select and use various words and when to use them gives children metalinguistic and linguistic acquaintance. It was evident that text messaging does not have any negative impact on the reading and literacy. Texting instead increase the pace at which the two can be acquired and internalized. In as much as this mode increases of learning, the question remains on how text messaging among the preteens affects their grammar.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second article explores the long-term impacts of opting for early comprehension interventions. Children who do not know how to read in their year one in school will continue to fall behind their peers, thus requiring the need for recovery reading and phonological training are recommended. The survey explored how different models of interventions may be effective i n children with difficulties in reading. The two interventions include recovery reading and explicit phonological training. It is clear that the two interventions had significant improvement in a child’s reading in the medium and short term. Recovery reading had more impact than phonological training though the later had a strong impact in improving the spelling. Children who read not only learn letters and words but also learn how to use them in the text (Jane Kathy, 2007). Those who are able to pas this stage usually gain independence in reading and are able to recognize and correct mistakes on their own. The lessons of reading recovery enable children to become self-mentor. It should be realized that the two methods do not have long-term effects; therefore, other tactics like child enjoyment, home encouragement are critical in ensuring improvement in reading among children. Christine and others examined how social network sites (SNSs) affect the lives of teenagers in high school in terms of reading, literacy and the social life. The current technologies like wikis, blogs, online games; social networking and so on have changed literacy. The technology changes how people communicate information, compose, listen, view, write and read. Networking sites creates relationships, accomplish social education functions and discovers novel communiquà © and imaginative endeavors. In overall, the use of social sites among students exhibit new literacy and reading practices. SNSs provide opportunities for the young people to learn different things online, and from friends thus becoming excellent readers (Christine Beth, 2009). This fourth article entails the experiences students show when writing and reading visual essays, which make use of images as opposed to texts. It explores how non restriction to words may improve one’s ability to gain skills in literacy work. The use of other elements of design such as audio, gestures, texts, and video equally impr ove a person’s ability to become a competent reader.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problems of Reading and Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article covers the how, what and when of the visual essays, experiences and how to teach them to improve reading and literacy (Janette Sarah, 2010). The pictures, lyrics and words used in visual essay enable the viewer to draw a conclusion of what the producer or the author implies. People will be so wiling to pay attention to video than they do to essays. This means that the use of visual elements in communicating a point will have an enormous impact because people are lazy in reading, and will want to interpret what the visual element is about. The article concluded that students using visual essays are able to develop essay skills fast. The choice of appropriate visual essay for different groups is a challenge. Ruthanne and Tobin investigat ed what teachers can use to cope up with varying needs of the students to learn in Grade 2/3 classrooms. Teachers are aware of the discrepancy in literacy needs of the students, but many do not know how to offer different varieties to benefit all the students (Ruthanne Alison, 2008). Responsive literacy, literacy instructions and various organizational formats are the underpinning factors that bring the variations in literacy delivery. The overall goal of the paper was to help teachers develop a framework for combating instructional differentiations. It is also aimed at providing instructors and teachers with strategies of meeting literacy needs of diverse students. The study made use of a case study design using qualitative research to explore educational phenomenon in a genuine life circumstances. Some of the techniques found and proposed for increasing literacy in a diverse situation include differentiated instructions and appropriate response to the at-risk students during norm al classrooms. Differentiated instructions assist students in understanding and content application in literacy learning, and to choose the best option among different learning experiences. Other strategies include shared writing and reading, guided reading and setting up literacy centers with excellent texts. The sixth peer review article explores how teachers can improve their knowledge and experience. This is anticipated to help children develop enthusiasm and motivation towards reading among the less fortunate in literacy. Teachers should be readers for themselves thus developing and sharing experiences, acknowledging families, community, and considering reading like pleasure (Teresa et al,. 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The research revealed that personal engagements enable them to recognize the nature of reading and what is entailed of being a reader, hence acting as reading models for their students. The process permits teachers to widen the dexterity of teaching for pedagogic understanding and subject knowledge mutually sanction professional performance. When teachers gain such a vast experience in reading, they are able to understand the reading and literacy needs of children in class. Teachers should, therefore, be encouraged to do inclusive and objective reading both at primary and secondary level so as to cope up with the changing needs of the students. This article analyses how some controlled situations can improve reading and literacy among children and pupils. The program is called Head Start, a research-based development informed, which an enriched intervention is focusing on socio-emotional abilities, literacy skills and language development. It involves teachers using research-based i nstructional equipment and teaching modes whose aim was to improve child talent attainment. The program contains a detailed curriculum for the teachers equipped with exemplary teaching practices (Bierman, K. et al, 2008). Children in the intervention program had improvement in literacy and reading. Properly structured curriculum and improved teaching techniques can improve performance in children towards achieving literacy. The eighth article is about literacy patterns among the children who are excellent in mathematics but have learning difficulties. Lack of phonological abilities is common in children with reading difficulties. This article eases the information processing speed, auditory, visual and memory analysis. The ability of a person to tackle mathematics appropriately means that the person is creative, skilful and committed in completing the tasks. One of the difficulties children face is dyslexia which is a neurological complication and is constitutional in derivation (An ies, 2010) It presents with difficulties in spelling, written language and reading. Visual dyslexia pupils have visual problems while auditory dyslexia people have hearing problems. Children with difficulties experience difficulties in reading and writing, even though they are excellent in mathematics. Cathy Burnett explores the available understanding on the impacts of technology on literacy in the classroom. It employed the Green’s distinction on critical, cultural and operational scope of primary literacy. Print media is highly supported by its legacy and policies, but new technologies are preferred to supplement it. People should be able to understand what it entails like the usage, values, interactions and processes for successful applications in primary class literacy (Cathy, 2009). This last review focuses on adult literacy in a health care setting and its implications. Health literacy is a crucial factor that affects the communication in the process of cancer prognosi s, diagnosis and treatment among the adults. The study asserts that one out of five adults in America lack the obligatory literacy to communicate effectively in the society. It is observed that inadequate literacy complicate matters in the health facilities, hence leading to inappropriate decisions in cancer centers. Clients possessing poor health literacy present problems both in written and spoken communication. It is also cumbersome to identify people with literacy deficiency because some hide it to their family members and to the physicians (Terry, 2006). The problem manifests mostly when the consent is required from the patient since they cannot understand the meaning of the paper. It is, therefore, recommended that adults with a deficiency in literacy be open to the service providers in all sectors, and literacy improvement centers be set up so that adults can improve their standards of literacy. Conclusion It is with no doubt that problems of reading and literacy are prevalen t in the society. Researches have been conducted to find solutions to some of these crosscutting issues. Literacy reviews majorly touch on pre-teenage and teenagers because this is the age that experiences difficulties in literacy. It is evident that the learning environment and health status of a person affects the literacy level of a person. Overall literacy and reading, which are used interchangeably, are affected by sociocultural factors in the society. References Anies, A. (2010). Perceptual skills and Arabic literacy patterns for mathematically gifted children with specific learning difficulties, British Journal of Special Education  · Volume 37  · Number 1, pp 26-37. 3 Beverly, P. Clare, W. (2009). Exploring Relationships between Traditional and New Media Literacies: British Preteen Texters at School. Journal of Computer-  Mediated Communication 14, pp 1108–1129. Bierman, K. et al., (2008). Promoting Academic and Social-Emotional SchoolReadiness: The Head Start R EDI Program, Child Development, Vol. 79, No.6, pp 1802 – 1817. Cathy, B. (2009). Research into literacy and technology in primary classrooms: an exploration of understandings generated by recent studies, Journal of Research  In Reading, Vol. 32, Issue. 1, pp 22–37. Christine, G. Beth, R. (2009). Old Communication, New Literacies: Social Network Sites as Social Learning Resources. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 14, pp 1130–1161. Jane, H. Kathy, S. (2007). Long-term outcomes of early reading intervention. Journal  Of Research in Reading.Vol.30, Issue 3, pp 227–24. Janette, H. Sarah, T. (2010). Engaging students through new Literacies: the good, bad and curriculum of visual essays. Journal for English in Education, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp 5-23. Ruthanne, T. Alison, M. (2008). Accommodating differences: variations in Differentiated literacy instruction in Grade 2/3 classrooms. Literacy, Vol. 42, No. 1. Teresa, C. et al., (2009). Teachers as read ers: building communities of readers,  Literacy, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp 11-18. Terry, C. (2006). Health Literacy and Cancer Communication. Cancer Journal for  Clinicians Vol. 76, Issue 20. pp 134-149. This research paper on Problems of Reading and Literacy was written and submitted by user Kara Stanton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Early Childhood Observation

Early Childhood Observation In order to conduct the investigation based on the known Piaget experiments, one child is chosen. For the purpose of confidentiality, the name of this child is changed to Jenny. She is a five-year-old girl, the elder one among her two brothers. There are only two people in this room: the girl herself, and me, an observer and experimenter. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Early Childhood Observation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is the afternoon of Saturday, May 16, 2009. The experiment does not take much time, as the girl demonstrates her interest and desire to communicate with a new person. The very experiment takes about 30 40 minutes. Before the experiment, her parents told that she could easy talk with unknown people, but only being in her room; this is why the place for this observation was obvious – Jenny’s room. The first experiment is connected with conservation of volume. Piaget tells a lot about the abilities of children of five and six years and admits that their abilities to conserve are not perfectly developed. â€Å"Their thought processes are dominated by the appearances of things, and they do not realize that the volume of an object may not change just because the appearance changes.† (Hobart, 155) Piaget points out that children at this age use rather primitive reasoning to answer any question and are not able to follow and think about the actions other people do. This is why Jenny does not pay attention to the volume of water, compare the forms of the glasses, or concentrate on the level of water; all she does is make conclusion visually. Jenny sees two absolutely identical glasses of water. I ask her which glass has more water; she surely answers that none, as both of them has the same volume of water. I take another, thinner and taller glass and pour water of one glass to it. The girl smiles and admits that now, there is more water in the thinne r glass. I ask her to explain why she thinks so; her answer is rather clear, because the second glass is taller. The second experiment lies in conservation of mass. I present two equal balls of clay and ask her whether they are of the same shape. The girl touches both of them in order to play a bit and puts them on the table. In several seconds, she admits that they are of the same size. However, when I roll one of them and change its form into the shape of a sausage, the child looks at them attentively and tells that the sausage is bigger than a ball because it takes more place on the table. Jenny does not take into consideration that the sausage was made of the same material, get them up in order to find out which one is harder, or pay attention that nothing is added or deleted, and, finally, she does concentrate only on its general view. Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This experiment, as the previous one, proves the facts, offered by Piaget: a child at the age of 5 is disable to analyze the events, does react only on some visual changes, becomes very curious and tries to participate in everything, and cannot grasp how the objects with different forms may be equal in their weight . The third experiment helps to analyze child’s awareness of length. Piaget mentions that a child is able to notices certain changes, however, does not concentrates on details, and can easily make fast decisions. I show her two similar straws; they lie parallel to each other. After I ask whether these straws are similar, she looks at them and, in a second, gives a positive answer. Then, I put one of the straws a bit higher, and ask the same question. She tells that the end on one straw is far than the end of another straw, this is why the higher straw is longer. Her answer proves that a she concentrates on one end of the straw only and does not take any actions t o compare the sizes. It does not take much time to give the answer and follow the first impressions only. This experiment shows that Jenny is not able to conserve length and still trust her vision skills only. She may find enough reasons to prove that she is right and is ready to explain her choice. This is why it is necessary to remember one more fact regarding early childhood development: egocentric thinking, when a child is ready to tell why he/she make such choice or give such answer. The next experiment deals with number conservation. Many children, who may count, pass this test in different ways, and it is rather interesting to me how Jenny passes it. There are two rows of pennies; each of these rows contains five coins. I ask Jenny whether the number of coins is similar in both rows; Jenny counts them carefully. Her counting is certain and correct. She answers that there are 5 coins in each row, this is why she states that these rows are equal. Then, I change the space betw een each coin in own row, and it become longer. I pose the same question. According to Piaget, many children, who face some problems with conservation, give answers without counting and say that the row, where the coins are far from each other, have more coins. His experiments still prove that 50% of children may demonstrate their perfect ability to conserve. Jenny is one of those who like to count guests in her house, toys she like, etc. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Early Childhood Observation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is why in order to answer my question, she does not pay attention that one row in longer than another, but does start counting the coins, and gives the right answer. The facts by Piaget that children don’t use logical thinking and ground on their visual abilities to answer are proved again. Object grouping is one more experiment, Jenny is eager to participate in. We use severa l toys in her room. There are 2 dolls, 4 animals, 1 big car, and 5 flowers. I ask her to unite these toys into some groups, her division impressed me a bit. She unites 2 dolls and a big car, because she thinks that these dolls can be transferred on it. Flowers and animals create two more groups; she explains her division this way â€Å"Animals have legs, and flowers do not.† She explains everything, and her explanations sound properly. It proves one more time that fact that 5-year-old children are able to give some explanations to their answers. There is no concrete task to divide toys according their size or functions, so, she demonstrates interesting approach to this experiment. Classification may be done according to one of the following criteria: association, colour, or mobility. Piaget says that children classify objects by one single feature. To my mind, Jenny uses personal associations to each subject. For my next experiment, I choose a story and read it to Jenny. It is crucially important to pick out not too long and boring story. I create something on my own: about mother, daughter’s duties to put all her toys at their places, candies, and encouragement. While I am reading the story, I try to observe Jenny’s reaction to the events, described in the story. She listens carefully to each word and looks around, maybe, in order to check whether all her toys are on their places. After I finish reading, I ask how she finds the story. She says that she likes more the stories about adventures and sailors, she events wants to tell me another story of her own. I make an attempt to stop her and develop the conversation about my story. She says that the mother is too strict and mentions that her mother also gives her candies, when she cleans her room. Then, she starts talking about chocolate and other sweets. Of course, she does not get the very essence of the story. She remembers only some final words and the major characters, the mother and daughter. She comprehends each of my word (I try to use simple English), however, she concentrates only on those words, she is interested in. Candies turn out to be the major theme in the story. Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Her discussion about candies impresses me: of course, she does not use too complicated words and tenses, however, her mimicry is great. I even think she expects that I present you another candy. Vygotsky, Piaget, and Donaldson presented absolutely different approaches to language development in children, however, each of them are connected to children language development as a social phenomenon and their talks to themselves. Jenny is eager to communicate, and her language seems to be properly developed. Piaget’s facts regarding early childhood development are easy to track during this experiment: ability to count, awareness about tenses (today, tomorrow, yesterday), ability to pronounce long sentences, the use of more or less correct grammar, awareness of antonyms – big-small, high-tall, and comprehension of the question and proper answer. All these experiments show that Jenny’s development is good in some sphere, counting for example. However, as lots of child ren, Jenny demonstrates that her visual perception of information is more important than other abilities. Approaches, offered by Piaget, help to analyze and even predict some Jenny’s reactions and admit that she turns out to be a normal child with all skills, inherent to the children at the age of five. In general, my experiment was successful; and the necessary results were achieved. Conversation with Jenny on her ‘territory’ was not complicated; and each of us was satisfied. Hobart, Christine and Frankel. Jill. A Practical Guide to Child Observation and Assessment. Nelson Thrones, 2004.

What can critical theory tell us about international politics Essay

What can critical theory tell us about international politics - Essay Example This paper expounds on the various contributions of the critical theory to international politics. According to Thompson (1990), the philosophical and historical meaning of critical theory is ambiguous and it is both narrow and wide. In its narrow aspect, the critical theory is a development that runs down from several German philosophers and sociologists of â€Å"Western Europe Marxism†, which in other terms is referred as the Frankfurt school. Marxist or Frankfurt theorists argue that the major defining characteristic of the critical theory is that it seeks liberation or emancipation of the human being (Joseph, Andras and Stomp, 2010 p 63). This includes emancipating human beings from enslaving situations and conditions. From the narrow perspective of the critical theory that is concerned with liberation of people, various theories have been developed from the perspective that examines critical theory in a much broader sense. Various factors have contributed to the emergence of these broader critical theories, but the underlying fact is that they originate from diverse social movements that are concerned with â€Å"the authority or domination of people in the contemporary societies† (Chantal 1990 p29). ... Secondly, the critical theory should provide significant account of both the historical and cultural circumstances affecting the individual as well as the society from which the theorists own intellectual activity relies (Craig 1995). Thirdly, critical theory should be a continuous and critical reassessment of the constitutive classes that includes the historical construction of the examined framework. Finally, a critical theory should establish an important engagement with other works seeking social explanation with intention of elucidating the strong and weak points, but also showing the logic behind their misunderstandings in addition to demonstrating the capacity to include their contributions in order to establish a firm and logical theoretical foundation (Craig, 1995 pp87-96) According to Burchill et al (2005, p68) critical theory is â€Å"self-reflective and motivated by values†. The principal objective of critical theory is to change the contemporary society from an op pressive, unjust and inhumane form into a society that respects and demonstrates justice, rationality, humanity and reconciliation (Chantal, 1990, p53). Therefore, critical theory is charged with various responsibilities that are crucial in our contemporary historical circumstances at both local and international level. Some of the roles of the critical theory include promoting and diversifying education provided in the society so that people can develop different expertise and knowledge that protects the society from the dangers of overspecialisation in a particular discipline (Thompson, 1990). Intellectually diversified individuals are capable of thinking

How to be a good parent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to be a good parent - Essay Example The research paper consists of the children that are in between 2 to 16 years. In this age, considerable changes occur in children because this is the age in which developments is in ongoing position. Then parents have to be conscious while behaving wrongly in front of the children because they are in learning position (Fontenelle, 2011). Each and every behavior effects on their mental and physical development. Parents have to be conscious while talking with the neighbors, friends and any other person in front of the children because children learn most of the behaviors from the parents. Parents should maintain stable behavior with the children. Too much leniency and strictness spoil the child’s mental health, and he or she cannot be a strong person in the future life. Parents should be concerned in the activities of their children so that they know the behavioral changes and the reasons of these changes. In this way, parents can easily solve the problems of children (Steinber g, 2004). Parents should know the children’s liking and disliking such as what sport they like, what television show they want to watch, who are their friends and why do they like them. Through the strong connection, they can know mostly about the children. Parent should tell the children what is right and what is wrong, what is good and bad for them. Parents should tell them the limits so that in the future they will become responsible and self reliant (Hawkins, 1972). Mostly young and inexperienced parents do not know the behavioral changes of the children because they are inexperienced. According to the writers, young parents need assistance for knowing these changes so that their children will become confident and self reliant in their lives. Parents should observe the children’s behavior and attitude keenly so that they can know their children's behavioral changes. In this way, they can easily know the problems that children are facing in the life. Parents should have a friendly attitude with children so that they feel protective and comfortable in their parents company. In this way, whenever child faces some problem, he or she firstly will tell their problem to their parents. In this way, they will secure from crucial issues. The parents who created a comfortable environment between children and themselves, these children will become more confident and self reliant (Kerr, M., & Stattin, 2000). The children who have confidence take more accurate decisions in the future for themselves. Parents have to be conscious while selecting their name. In that way, the child will become more confident and self reliant. Name is the first and most valuable gift that parents give to their children. Name is the identity of the children. This identity he has to use in his or her whole life. That is why parents should be more conscious in the selection of name. Writer tells name should be in the way that the person can carry in the whole life. Names should no t be look like the name of child and any elderly person. The name of the child gives him or her confidence to become more socialized and confident in the future. Second and most important thing he told is that love is the most important thing for the children’s confidence and maturity. The more you provide love to your children, the more they will become more confident in making important decisions in life. Good name gives

Miner Resume Essay Example for Free

Miner Resume Essay Objective To gain employment and work along side industry professionals, to further my experience and knowledge within the mining industry. I am a willing candidate who has the ability to adapt and respond to new challenges, in a safe and professional manner. Employment Coal Mine Worker Mastermyne April 2013 – Current Installation of underground secondary support at Moranbah North Coal Mine. Daily duties include: Installation of roof and rib support, mega bolts and high tension flexi bolts in accordance with mine managers support plans. Underground roadworks, installation of VCD’s, underground water storage dams and longwall face bolt up. Trained and authorized in the use of QDS bolting rigs, Airtrack bolting rigs, handheld bolting equipment and underground loaders (eimco ED7 ED10, Juggernaut). Daily practices in housekeeping, creating a safe and productive work environment and risk assessing each task. Coal Mine Worker Minestar Alliance January 2013 – April 2013 Installation of underground conveyor systems at Carborough Downs Coal Mine. Installing drive heads, sacrificial bases, transfer stations and all associated work Underground Civils and roadworks Coal Mine Worker Vulcan MiningNovember 2012- January 2013 Longwall take off and install at Carborough Downs Coal Mine Trained and authorized in the operation FBL 10, FBL 15, 50t Chock Chariot, RapidFace Bolters Transportation of heavy equipment for installation underground Daily tasks included, pulling of chocks from longwall face, building of cob timbers, bolt up of huesker mesh, transportation of chocks out in and into pit using wheel assisted chock trailer, roadwork’s, assisting fitters and general housekeeping duties WDSApril 2012 – November 2012 Development projects and operations at North Goonyella Coal e. g. Operating iner mounted bolters in sequence with the production of coal with an ABM20, Roadwork’s and set up for my crews development panel, working closely with other team members to maintain a safe and positive outcome Trained and authorised for operation of Driftrunner, loaders: Eimco LS130 ED7 ED10, Juggernaut, HfX miner mounted bolters, Stone dusters, Bolting rigs, Cable Reelers and other plants and attachments Follow instructions from supervisors and other team m embers in a safe and efficient manner to Complete tasks at hand Completion and understanding of CHALLENGES, JSA and Zero Harm Training commenced on other mobile plants e. . Shuttle car Coal Mine Worker Diversified Mining ServiceJuly 2011 – April 2012 Installation of underground conveyor belts at Broadmeadow Mine Underground civil work and preparation of work areas including concreting of intersections, take off roads, loop take up sites Follow instructions from supervisors and other team members in a safe and efficient manner Completion and understanding of TAKE 5, JSA and Zero Harm Operation of mobile plants and installation of heavy mechanical systems e. g. oop take up, belt maintenance stations, belt drives and transfer stations Junior Sous Chef Baguette Bar Bistro BrisbaneAugust 2009 July 2011 Running of sections within a team of chefs Complete formation of menus, costing’s and maintain good upkeep on profit and loss Delegate other employees of the lower brigade i n daily tasks to achieve results Follow workplace health and safety guidelines to ensure a safe working environment Personal Attributes Ability to work under pressure and for long periods of time Fast learning at all tasks and objectives Professional and safety first attitude to work ethics Hard working and reliable Highly self motivated, with the ability to work as an individual or as a team member Training and Authorisations Vale Carborough Downs Inducted, NGC inducted, Broadmeadows inducted Current Cold board medical and Underground Generics Working at heights certified Underground mobile plants e. g. Driftrunner, Loaders, HFX Miner Mounted bolting rigs, Various Hydraulic QDS attachment

Phoenix Suns :: essays research papers

The History Of The Phoenix Suns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I chose to write about the Phoenix Suns basketball History mainly because they have gave me, â€Å"the fan† great memories. The Suns introduced me to a whole new world of sports. When I watch their Basketball games it’s probably different from any other fan’s viewpoint. I tend to analyze their games and try to think what their next move is going to be. Other fans just cheer which is alright. Throughout the Phoenix Suns existence, they have had many great years as well as many down years. When I was introduced to the sport of Basketball, the first team I watched was the Chicago Bulls; I was completely intrigued by this sport. Each member of the team on the court always seemed to be giving it their all. It was only for a year that I was a Chicago Bull fan; this was because I had not yet found out that Arizona had, and â€Å"The Team† of course, is the Phoenix Suns. I was quickly converted to a Suns fan (now I now what you’re thinking; you think I’m one of those people who just moves around cheering the team that wins†¦. well I’m not I was just a little kid who just found out that there was a professional basketball team in the state he lived in, and I just started cheering for them.) This team is great they are always playing their hearts out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Well before the beginning of the 1968 draft two Teams (the expansion teams) Milwaukee and Phoenix got select players from other teams this is known as the Expansion draft. The other teams were basically giving away low quality players . Before the team was even created there was a contest to see what the teams name was going to be. There were names like: The Moon Shooters, The Nitros, The Hoopsters, The Dudes, The Gransuns, Desert Rats, Desert Cats, The Sun Dials, And how about The Phoenix White Wing Doves?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The eventual winner was Selinda King she acquired $1,000 dollars plus season tickets to the suns first inaugural season. In the expansion draft the Suns selected Dick Van Arsdale, which turned out to be a great pick because he ended up averaging 17.6 points a game for Phoenix. Other players selected by Phoenix were: Gail Goodrich, Neil Johnson, David Latin, Stan McKenzie, McCoy McLemore, Dick Snyder, and George Wilson.

Semiotic Analysis of Teenage Magazine Front Covers

In this essay I will hope to analyse the semiotic codes of the front covers of teenage magazines to demonstrate how the media constructs the image and behavioural ideology of the teenage girl. I will analyse issue 359 of More! (December 27 th 2001 – January 8th 2002) and compare it with the January 2002 edition of 19. I have chosen these specific texts as they are popular mainstream magazines that are available in most newsagents, and therefore arguably represent to the reader what constitutes the modern teenage girl. These are also the most recent issues available for analysis and therefore demonstrate an up-to-date representation of constructed femininity in our media and society. Jonathan Bignell (1997) argues that the magazine is â€Å"just a collection a signs† (Bignell 1997: 78). These signs may include paradigmatic and syntagmatic elements such as the title of the magazine, the fonts used, the layout, the colours, the texture of the paper, the language adopted, the content of the articles and so on, and each of these signs have been chosen to generate a meaning. The magazine is therefore a complex collection of signs that can be extensively decoded and analysed by its reader – â€Å"women's magazines communicate their mythic meaning by means of signs, thus their representations of the imaginary are dependent on the symbolic, the signs which do the communicating† (Bignell 1997: 78). Signs however, consisting (according to Saussure) of two elements, a signifier and a signified, only gain meaning when â€Å"it has someone to mean to† (Williamson 1978: 40). The reader is therefore very important and will bring his/her own interpretations to the texts by drawing on their own cultural values and perceptual codes. As Daniel Chandler argues, â€Å"‘decoding' involves not simply basic recognition and comprehension of what a text ‘says' but also the interpretation and evaluation of its meaning with reference to relevant codes† (Chandler, web source: Semiotics for Beginners). As the relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary and meaning is rooted in cultural values, we can argue that the potential interpretations of any given magazine are therefore endless. As well as being a collection of signs, the magazine is a sign in itself, which â€Å"connects together the mythic meanings of femininity and pleasure† (Bignell 1997: 66). Through reading the pages a reader will gain an insight into the world of the woman and will be taught what are the expectations made of them as women (they learn what it is to be a woman). McRobbie (1996) argues that magazines seek to â€Å"further consolidate and fix an otherwise more unstable sense of both self and gender† (in Curran 1996: 193), and so magazines seem to be central to society as they create a culture, a culture of femininity where a common experience of girlhood is shared. Bignell argues that the function of magazines is â€Å"to provide readers with a sense of community, comfort, and pride in this mythic feminine identity† (Bignell 1997: 61). As the magazine promotes a â€Å"feminine culture† and â€Å"(defines) and (shapes) the woman's world† (McRobbie 2000: 69), we can see that it becomes a familiar friend for the female – it advises her, and provides entertainment, amusement and escapism for the reader and speaks to her in a language she understands – the lingo of teenagers is used in 19 and More! , for example â€Å"Top Totty†. Bignell sees that â€Å"magazines are glossy and colourful, connoting pleasure and relaxation rather than seriousness†¦ the smell and feel of the glossy paper connotes luxury†¦ femininity and its pleasures of self-adornment† (1997: 66). The magazine therefore symbolises a lifestyle, a life of luxury and pleasure. The magazine claims to be simultaneously a luxury item and a familiar friend to its reader. It attempts to convince us that it is not a fictive document, that it is a true reflection of reality, a window into the real world of the woman. It is argued that the average teenage reader will be a heterosexual girl seeking a boyfriend (or seeking a way to gratify the needs of her boyfriend), enjoying shopping, fashion, and popular culture and needing plenty of advice on sex and love. These assumptions pervade the contents of mainstream teenage magazines, with features such as â€Å"Position of the Fortnight† and â€Å"Celebrity Hair Special† frequently appearing within the pages. This is the reader to whom most teenage magazines cater – they broadcast to a stereotypical mass (which is arguably an artificial epresentation and does not reflect the identities and lives of all teenage girls). In order to analyse the image and behavioural ideology of the teenage girl offered within teenage magazines, I will attempt to investigate some semiotic codes within More! and 19. The front cover is an important aspect of the magazine as it initially attracts the reader and is a taster of what can be seen within the c ontents of the magazine. It is an â€Å"important advertisement† and â€Å"serves to label its possessor† (McLoughlin 2000: 5). This is certainly a factor that influences the purchasing behaviours of young teenage girls who attempt to appear more mature and more sexually knowledgeable by buying a magazine aimed at girls 4 or 5 years their senior. The front cover will also promise that â€Å"the contents of the magazine†¦ will fulfil the needs of the individual and her group† and sells a â€Å"future image† of the reader as â€Å"happier, more desirable† (Bignell 1997: 67). By merely looking at the front cover of a magazine therefore, a potential reader will be able to determine how far it will fulfil their needs. There are many similar defining paradigmatic and syntagmatic elements on the covers of More! and 19 that would attract a teenage girl to purchase the magazines. These demonstrate effectively the dominant ideology of teenage femininity in the media. Firstly, the titles anchor the texts to the genre of teenage magazines. 19 seems to be directed at a person who is 19, or at least who thinks she is as mature as a 19year old. As the title stands boldly in the top left-hand corner of the page, this is the image that the eye is initially drawn towards. If we are to adopt Kress and Leeuwen's theory of layout, this will also give the magazine a sense of idealism, suggesting that the reader should aspire to attain the life and image referred to within the pages (in Bell 1997: 193). The title More! also acquires this quality of idealism, but as the word stretches across the width of the page it could be suggested that the More! reader is more sassy and larger than life in comparison to the more mature or sophisticated reader of 19 (this is further substantiated by the exclamation mark -More! and by the girlish pink colour of the 19 logo). The taglines reinforce these ideas as they are placed directly underneath the titles in a contrasting black font. 19 states that the magazine is â€Å"Barefaced Cheek! † which implies that all is bared in the magazine, the reader is given extensive coverage of the issues of sex, love and fashion. However this tagline could also be interpreted (perhaps to a non-teenager reader) as implying that the reader of 19 is cheeky and impertinent. It is only the exclamation mark after the words and the positioning underneath the well-known and recognisable logo of 19 that anchor the preferred reading for the reader – as the reader will presumably be familiar with the content of the magazine, the polysemic nature of the tagline will not be apparent to them. This familiarity with content is also needed to fully appreciate the tagline on the cover of More! – â€Å"Smart girls Get More! â€Å". On the one hand, it is suggested that smart girls buy the magazine as they know it will provide pleasure and information for them, and on the other hand it is suggested that smart girls (the attractive More! reader) get more out of life, love, and, most importantly, sex. Reading More! will improve your life on many levels, if you listen to the advice offered within the magazine. The tagline adopted by More! is therefore effective as the modern British teenage girl will construe an appropriate interpretation that will give them the urge to buy the product. Both 19 and More! lso attempt to attract their readers by placing a female character in the centre of the cover. This is a particularly interesting characteristic if we are to consider that corresponding male magazines similarly adopt central female models, either posing seductively or like the typical ‘girl-next-door', on their covers. It could indeed be argued that one could successfully (and with minimal disruption) take th e models from the covers of More! and 19 and place them on a magazine such as FHM that adheres to its own set of generic codes and conventions and encourages very different interpretations from its reader. According to Bignell, the images of beautiful women on the covers of female magazines are â€Å"iconic signs which represent the better self which every woman desires to become† (Bignell 1997: 69). The figure thus represents the self for the reader, a future image that is attainable for her if she continues reading and learning from the magazine. On a male magazine however the same figure would represent a sexual image, an object to be attained by the male reader. It becomes evident therefore that â€Å"men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at †¦ Thus she turns herself into an object – and most particularly, and object of vision: a sight† (Berger in Vestergaard & Schroder 1992: 81). This is a somewhat negative interpretation of the centrality of women on the covers of magazines. However, Bignell sees that â€Å"while the cover image is for a woman to look at, it is constructed with reference to a wider social code in which being feminine means taking pleasure in looking at oneself, and taking pleasure in being looked at by men† (my italics, Bignell 1997: 71). Bignell therefore seems to empower the woman in his analysis of cover models, noting that women simultaneously enjoy looking and being looked at. The genre (or textual code) in which the image appears is therefore a fundamental contributor to the construed interpretations made by the reader. As stated above, the model on the cover of a female teenage magazine represents the self for the reader. The models seen on the given issues of 19 and More! therefore seem to illustrate the characteristics of their targeted readers. The model seen on the cover of 19 is the typicalblonde haired, tanned, tall and slim girl with perfect complexion and perfect features. But the reader is not led to feel envious of the model – on the contrary, she is encouraged to believe that this is an ordinary 19 reader (on the inside cover she is identified simply as â€Å"Emily†), and is the beautiful woman inside each of us, waiting to be unleashed (and reading 19 willunleash this beauty from within the reader). The diamante necklace connotes luxury and sophistication, and the sequined boob tube connotes a fun, bubbly nature and draws attention to her slim body (her sex appeal). With her long blond hair flowing gently away from her face to reveal dazzling green eyes (ironically in this context, green traditionally being associated with the colour of envy), she can be seen as iconic for the reader (in the non-semiotic sense), and as seductive for the male reader. She embodies the message that 19 habitually transcribe to the reader – look innocent and beautiful and yet be in control of your own sexuality and your relationships. On the cover of More! the character again embodies the self for the reader. She represents the more! ethos of youthful, cheeky impertinence† (in Curran 1996: 189) Her red, low-cut dress suggests that she is sassy; a vixen that has sexual needs and is not afraid to fulfil them. Again, the clear skin and perfect features encourage the reader to believe that there is an inner-beauty within everyone that will shine through. However, the More! model does not appear as innocent as the 19 model. Her hair is swept more vigorously from her face and therefore creates a more disrupted, chaotic image than the previous. The innocence depicted by the clear complexion of the 19 model is challenged here as the More! odel raises her eyebrow into an arch; she has a glint in her eye and pouts her lips proudly. As we notice the presence of a man in the left hand side of the front cover, we therefore interpret this facial expression as sexual prowess – this girl knows what she wants and she knows exactly how to get it. The male figure is not personalised; indeed we only see a leg, an arm and a crotch and yet we are fully aware of the masculinity of the character. This could suggest that, in subversion to the representation offered within male magazines, the man is the sexual object here. It is also significant that the male is wearing a kilt as it could suggest that the female is metaphorically wearing the trousers in the relationship. This interpretation would only become apparent if the reader was accustomed with the relevant social codes and textual codes of gendered magazines. If the reader is familiar with popular culture however, they could assume the man in the kilt to be the actor James Redmond who portrays Finn in Hollyoaks (a half-Scottish Lord) and therefore presume that there is an in-depth interview with him in the magazine – this is suggested by the text at the top of the magazine cover – â€Å"Finn-tastic! We Check out James Redmond's Morning Glory†. By analysing the title, tagline, and central images of the magazine cover, we have therefore deduced the readership and content of the magazines effectively. As McRobbie notes, sex now fills the space of the magazines' pages. It â€Å"provides the frame for women's magazines in the 1990's† and â€Å"marks a new moment in the construction of female sexual identities† (in Curran 1996: 177). It is worrying to think that the explicit sexual representations within the magazines (such as More! ‘s â€Å"Raunchy resolutions to spice up your sex life†) are being read by underage teenagers; sex has een packaged as a â€Å"commodity† (McLaughlin 200: 13) by these magazines in recent years and the young readers have eagerly jumped at the chance to buy such (what was previously) censored material. Indeed, fifty years ago the teenage magazine industry differed greatly to that of today. According to Vestergaard we have seen a shift from â€Å"motherhood and childcare to the maintenance of physical appearance† (Vestergaard & Schroder 1992: 81) (in the discussed examples, we see â€Å"Be your own stylist – steal insider know-how from the women who dress the stars† on the cover of 19, and on More! Happy New Gear – what every glam girl will be wearing this season†). Dr Nancy Signiorelli of the University of Delaware undertook a study on â€Å"A Focus on Appearance† in the media in November 1996, and she found that one in three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazines included a focus on appearance, one in three (35%) focused on dating and less than 2% discussed either school or careers (websources Kellner and ChildrenNow). This is certainly reflected on the front covers analysed above – every feature on the covers refer to beauty, fashion, dating, sex and celebrities. Kimberley Phillips argues that these magazines therefore â€Å"reinforce the cultural expectations that an adolescent woman should be more concerned with her appearance, her relations with other people, and her ability to win approval from men than with her own ideas or expectations for herself (websource Hermes). It can also be argued however that young women are encouraged to develop independence by these magazines. In recent years the magazine industry has therefore successfully extended the notion of what it is to be a woman. A teenage girl will see hunting boyfriends and beautifying as a norm; it is argued indeed that these are transcribed as their sole purposes in life. The magazines do not seem to cater for minority interests such as politics, environmental issues, or any kind of music that ventures beyond Westlife or Britney Spears. The teenage girl has therefore been heavily stereotyped by the teenage magazine industry, and her interpretation of the codes and conventions used in the magazine will depend on her personal knowledge of this culture and society. Indeed, some of the readers of these magazines are male (e. g. the brothers or boyfriends of the female readers – Bignell refers to these as â€Å"non-ideal readers† (Bignell 1997: 58)), and they will interpret the codes differently to their female counterparts as they arguably do not share their interests in beauty products and fashion. Their interpretations of the sex issues may also differ, as they will gaze at the images of women as sex objects as opposed to icons and role models. Chandler sees that â€Å"social semiotics alerts us to how the same text may generate different meanings for different readers† (web source, Semiotics for Beginners), and this is certainly true of the gendered readings of teenage magazines. Chandler further notes that the signs (or codes) within the text â€Å"do not just ‘convey' meanings, but constitute a medium in which meanings are constructed† (ibid). Through reading a magazine aimed at her demographic group, a teenage girl will therefore come to learn that society expects her to be interested in boys, sex, fashion, beauty and fame. The magazine is therefore a â€Å"powerful ideological force† in society (McRobbie 2000: 69); the image and behavioural ideologies presented within the magazine covers become the stereotypical norm for the teenage girl. Applying semiotic analysis to the magazine text therefore allows us to identify social ideologies of the teenage girl. One could analyse the front covers of magazine extensively, decoding the codes of colour, font, layout and spatial arrangements as well as the titles, taglines, language and central images to show the construction of the teenage girl in the media. Teenage magazines may not provide an altogether accurate representation of all teenage girls today, but it is certainly a medium that provides escapism and enjoyment for the reader whilst subliminally educating and informing at the same time.