Sunday, May 24, 2020

Gilgamesh Character Analysis - 759 Words

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would quite literally go to the end of the world to retrieve it? This is an attribute that perfectly describes the character of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is the main character of the ancient Uruk epic that is known as the epic of Gilgamesh. He experiences a lot of hardship and tribulations throughout the story. Some of the things are the loss of his â€Å"brother† Enkidu, which makes him want to become Immortal, the death of Humbaba This changes him in many different ways, like how he changes the way he acts from acting like a god to a noble and fair king. My goal in this paper is to show you how the events of the death of Humbaba, the death of Enkidu and his quest for his immortality†¦show more content†¦So, they put him through pain for so many days until he finally dies. His death changes Gilgamesh so much that he realizes he not the immortal god he thinks he is. This is show in this quote from the story â€Å"Hear me, g reat ones of Uruk, I weep for Enkidu, my friend, Bitterly moaning like a woman mourning I weep for my brother O Enkidu, my brother, You were the axe at my side, My hands strength, the sword in my belt, The shield before me, He realizes that he is just like us a mortal mostly human being. Which lead to him searching for the one thing he now wants most in his life, Immortality. He goes on a quest to find him leads to him finding Utnapishtim. He tells Gilgamesh about the plant at the bottom of the river that will give him what he seeks, the key to immortality. When Gilgamesh retrieves it though, a snake comes up and eats the plant becoming immortal in the process. This means that he can no longer become immortal. He then comes home and becomes the good king and lives out the rest of his life until his death. This is shown in this quote from the story† The king has laid himself down and will not rise again, The Lord of Kullab will not rise again; He overcame evil, he will not com e again; Though he was strong of arm he will not rise again† The events of the death of Humbaba, the death of Enkidu and his failed search for immortality are just a couple of the events in the story that change him and turn him into the king he was meant to be. That’sShow MoreRelatedGilgamesh Character Analysis1328 Words   |  6 PagesIn many literature as we can read in the book that the heroes is always the main character in the story. Similarity, the Epic of Gilgamesh with will tell us about a heroes named Gilgamesh. In the poem we can see from aggressive, tyrannical king who doesn’t have specific purposes and goals who just only like to control and abuse people. But at the end of the story that we can see clearly the character of Gilgamesh recognizes the purpose of meaning in life, how to treat people in a better way. ThroughRead MoreEnkidu And Gilgamesh Character Analysis906 Words   |  4 Pagesother. The Epic of Gilgamesh,   Gilgamesh and Enkidu were destined to balance each other out. Gilgamesh dreamed of Opposites attract is the science way for love. Enkidu and Gilgamesh friendship fulfills each other desires and needs. While being two different personalities it deepens and enriches the relationship. Can fill the holes in their personality what the two was yearning for themselves. The bond/love the friends have for each other improves Gilgamesh as a man. Gilgamesh is two-thirds god andRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh, Thousand And One Nights, And Candide930 Words   |  4 Pages In this paper, I am going to analyze the female characters that caught my attention the most in the three stories The Epic of Gilgamesh, Thousand and One Nights, and Candide. They all are important characters in each of the stories and their influence in the story is to help. These stories also depict how women were being treated during these times such as being used for their bodies or their wisdom. The characters that I will be analyzing in the paper are Shamhat, Shiduri, Sharazad, the Old WomanRead MoreAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh1740 Words   |  7 PagesAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh â€Å"Will you too die as Enkidu did? Will grief become your food? Will we both fear the lonely hills, so vacant? I now race from place to place, dissatisfied with whereever I am and turn my step toward Utnapishtim, godchild of Ubaratutu† (Jackson â€Å"Gilgamesh Tablet IX† 4-9) Gilgamesh so much feared death that he threw away his honor as a warrior in order to obtain immortality. For centuries there have existed individualsRead MoreAnalyzing the Epic of Gilgamesh by F. Lorey through a Creationists Viewpoint818 Words   |  4 PagesEpic of Gilgamesh Annotated Bibliography Lorey, F. 1997. The Flood of Noah and the Flood of Gilgamesh. Acts Facts. 26 (3) Web. 4 Feb. 2014. When reading the story, someone can take many different viewpoints. In the article above, the author is analyzing the Epic of Gilgamesh through a creationists view point. It contains useful comparisons and historical data to help support his analysis. The author considers the story to hold very value for Christians. It concerns the typical myths that wereRead MoreExamples Of Character Development In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1541 Words   |  7 PagesCharacters that are in stories or poems, usually the protagonist or even the antagonist, show some kind of change and characteristics throughout a story. This can include the rising or the falling of a character. You can see these changes during series of events going on in the poem; such as battles or Mofits. Character analysis shows us a timeline on where and how the character has evolved. An example of this is the ancient Mesopotamia epic poem â€Å" The Epic of Gilgamesh†. There is no known authorRead More Textual Analysis of Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible1056 Words   |  5 PagesA Textual Analysis of Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh The stories of the floods found in both Gilgamesh and Genesis contain many striking similarities that are inevitably beyond mere coincidence. One could surmise that both of these stories might have a basis in common historical occurrence. However, despite the fact that both of these works discuss a common topic, the portrayal of this event is quite different. Like identical twins raised in different cultures, the expressions ofRead MoreTheme Of Sexuality In Gilgamesh1484 Words   |  6 PagesSexuality in Gilgamesh: Through history, independent cultures have developed stories, legends and myths that share common roots. From Shakespeares dramas to modern soap operas, the expression of the collective subconscious creates similarities in theme and purpose that transcend differences of time, genre, or race. Among these universal themes, one in particular echoes more than the rest: sexuality, and its importance. In the worlds oldest text, Gilgamesh, sexuality’s role is depicted prominentlyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1361 Words   |  6 PagesINSERT TITLE HERE As readers delve into the depths of The Epic of Gilgamesh, they perceive the allure to dreams which has captivated humanity for centuries. The epic poem uses dreams as a symbolic representation of the human mind and its ceaseless bounds. Given the Mesopotamian culture’s importance in regards to their religion, dreams provide the only means of one connecting with their future and deities. Furthermore, each mental fantasy referenced within the epic delineates the rationale of allRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1647 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a story of heroes fighting a war not in a battlefield but within their own selves and amongst each other, struggling with their own emotions and attributions to attain the best version of themselves and to fulfill the utmost quest of life. With the use of two very different yet so similar characters: Enkidu and Gilgamesh, the epic explains two aspects of same psyche, and different imageries, one of which is d oor, have been used in the text to explain interactions between

Monday, May 18, 2020

Profile of Husband Killer Kelly Gissendaner

Kelly Gissendaner received the death penalty after being convicted of being the mastermind behind the murder of her husband, Doug Gissendaner. Prosecutors said Gissendaner  convinced her then-lover, Greg Owens, to commit the murder. Doug Gissendaner Doug Gissendaner was born in December 1966 at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the oldest of three children and the only boy. His parents, Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaner were devoted to their children and raised them to be respectful and responsible. The children grew up in a  happy,  close-knit family. However, unlike his siblings, Doug struggled in school, and it was discovered that he was dyslexic. When he finished high school in 1985, he had grown tired of constantly fighting to pass his grades and decided against his fathers wishes to go to college. Instead, he got a job working with his hands, which is where he always felt most comfortable. Greg Owen Greg Owen was born on March 17, 1971, in Clinton, Georgia. He was the second child of four born to parents Bruce and Myrtis Owen. Their third child, David, died from sudden infant death syndrome a few weeks after his birth in 1976. Greg grew up in a volatile  home filled with alcohol and violence. His parents were constantly moving from one town to another, putting the children in the position of always being newcomers. Friendless throughout much of their childhood, the Owen kids stuck closely together. Greg was a small child and easily intimidated. Belinda was a tough cookie that often stood up against those who  decided to bully  her younger and somewhat frail brother, including Bruce, their father, who violently lashed out at the children when he was drunk. For Greg, going to school was just another place to go to get picked on. He was a loner who struggled to keep his grades up. After managing to complete the eighth grade at age 14, he dropped out and went to work. Kelly Brookshire Kelly Brookshire was born in 1968 in rural Georgia. Her brother, Shane, was born a year later. Unlike the Gissendaners idyllic family, Kellys mother and father, Maxine and Larry Brookshire, liked to drink, do speed and fight. Their marriage ended after four years, partially due to Maxines infidelity. After the divorce, it took Maxine just eight days to marry her lover, Billy Wade. Maxines second marriage played out much the same as her first marriage. There was a lot of alcohol and a lot of fighting. Wade proved to be more  abusive  than Larry and would often lock the kids in their rooms while he beat on Maxine. He also released his ferocious temper onto the children. Throughout the years that Wade was around, he choked Kelly, and both he and Maxine would hit her with belts, flyswatters, their hand and whatever was within reach. But, for Kelly, it was the  mental abuse  that caused the deepest damage. Maxine was so busy dealing with her problems that she offered no support to Kelly when Wade constantly called her stupid and ugly and told her she was unwanted and unloved. As a result, Kelly had no self-esteem and often turned to the one place she could find pleasure; deep into her mind where fantasies of a better life gave her some joy. Abused children often find a feeling of safety at being at school, but for Kelly school was just another problem she could not solve. She was often tired and unable to concentrate and had a difficult time getting through grammar school. Unharmonious Reunion When Kelly was 10 she reunited with her birth father, Larry Brookshire, but the  reunion was a disappointment  to Kelly.  She hoped to establish a father-daughter relationship with Larry, but that did not happen. After his divorce to Maxine, he remarried and had a daughter. There was no attempt on his part to fit Kelly into his new world. New Kid on the Block At about the time that Kelly was entering high school, Maxine decided to divorce Wade and start fresh in a new town. She packed up the kids and moved to Winder, Georgia, a small town located 20 minutes from Athens and an hour from Atlanta. Being a new student in a small town where most of the children grew up knowing each other made it difficult for the six-foot tall Kelly to establish friendships. When other kids were cheering on their team at the high school football games, Kelly would be working the take-out window at the local McDonalds. Maxine had strict rules concerning Kellys social life. She was not allowed to bring friends home, especially boys, and she could not date. Tagged as a loner, Kellys  classmates had little to do with her  and often referred to her as trailer trash. Any friendships that did happen did not last long. That was until her senior year when she met Mitzi Smith. Seeing that Kelly appeared lonely, Mitzi reached out to her, and their friendship flourished. Pregnancy It was also during Kellys senior year that she became pregnant. She was able to hide it for several months, but into her sixth month, Mitzi along with the rest of the school could see that she was an expectant mother. She was subjected to more ridicule by her classmates, but Mitzi stood by her and helped her get through it. Throughout the  pregnancy, Kelly refused to give the name of the babys father. She told Mitzi it could have been either a student or another guy that she knew. Either way, she was not willing to tell the name. When Larry Brookshire found out about Kellys pregnancy he reconnected with her and the two decided that the child should have his last name. In June 1986, just two weeks after Kelly graduated  high school, her son Brandon Brookshire was born. Jeff Banks A few months after Brandon was born, Kelly began dating a boy she knew in high school, Jeff Banks. A few months later they were married. The marriage lasted just six months. It ended abruptly after Larry Brookshire went after Banks with a gun because he failed to pass Larry bread during a family dinner. Now a single mother, 19-year-old Kelly moved herself and her baby back into her mothers mobile home. For the next several  months, life for Kelly continued to be one dramatic episode after another. She was  arrested for shoplifting, physically abused by Larry, was unable to remain employed, and turned to alcohol as a way to  self-medicate. Doug and Kelly Doug Gissendaner and Kelly met in March 1989 through a mutual friend. Doug was instantly attracted to Kelly and the two began dating regularly. He also took an instant liking to Kellys son Brandon. That following September they married. Any reservations Dougs parents had about the marriage was quickly put to rest when they discovered that Kelly was four months pregnant on her wedding day. After the  wedding, Doug and Kelly both lost their jobs and moved in with Kellys mother. It was not long before the bickering and fighting that had plagued Kellys life started up again, only this time it included Doug. But his upbringing did not include knowing how to out scream another family member. He just tried hard not to engage. The Army Wanting a steady income and benefits for his expectant wife, Doug decided to enlist in the Army. There he made a lot of friends and was well respected by his superiors. Being in the Army also allowed Doug enough money to send to Kelly to cover the bills, but Kelly spent the money on other things. When Dougs parents found out that the couples car was about to be  repossessed, they bailed Kelly out and paid the car notes. In August 1990, a month after their first child, Kayla, was born, Doug was shipped to Wiesbaden, Germany and Kelly and the children followed him the following month. Trouble between the two began almost immediately. When Doug was away on Army assignments for days and weeks at a time, Kelly would throw parties, and it was rumored that she was seeing other men. After several confrontations,  Kelly and the children returned to Georgia. When Doug returned home permanently in October 1991, life with Kelly was miserable. A month later Kelly decided to it was her turn to join the Army and Doug decided the marriage was over. They immediately filed for a separation and were finally divorced in May 1993. Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaner breathed a sigh of relief. Kelly was nothing but trouble. They were glad she was out of their sons life for good. Jonathan Dakota Brookshire (Cody) Kelly and the Army did not get along. She figured her only way out was to get pregnant. By September she got her wish and was back home living with her mother. In November she gave birth to a boy she named Jonathan Dakota but called Cody. The boys father was an Army friend who had cancer and died months before the child was born. Once home Kelly began her usual job hopping and dating multiple men. One job that she landed was at the International Readers League of Atlanta. Her boss was Belinda Owens, and soon the two began socializing together and eventually became best friends. Belinda invited Kelly to her home one weekend, and she introduced her to her brother Owen. There was an immediate attraction between Kelly and Owen, and they became inseparable. A Bad Match Belinda kept a sharp eye over her brother as his relationship with Kelly grew. Things seemed to be great between them at first, but before long Kelly began throwing tantrums and fighting with Greg when he did not do what she wanted. Ultimately Belinda decided that Kelly was not a good match for her brother. She particularly did not like how  she bossed him around. When all of their  fighting  led to a breakup, Belinda felt relief. December 1994 In December 1994, Doug and Kelly rekindled their relationship. They began attending church and working on their poor financial situation. Dougs parents were upset about the reunion and when Doug asked them for money to buy a house they refused. They had already spent thousands of dollars bailing him out of the financial disaster that Kelly had created when they were married. But their opinion failed to sway Doug, and in May 1995 the two were remarried. Doug had his family back together. But by September they were once again separated and Kelly was back seeing Greg Owen. One More Time Whether it was Dougs strong desire to have a  family or his deep love for Kelly, no one can say for sure, but by the beginning of 1996,  Kelly had convinced him  once again to get back together. Doug made a full commitment to the marriage, and to give Kelly the one thing she had always dreamed of having, he got a high-interest loan and bought a small three-bedroom ranch house on Meadow Trace Drive, in a subdivision in Auburn, Georgia. There he did what subdivisions Dads do- he worked on the house, did the yard work, and played with the kids. Kelly, however, filled her spare time focused on something that had nothing to do with her family or her husband. She was back in the arms of Greg Owen. February 8, 1997 Doug and Kelly Gissendaner had been in their new house for three months. On Friday, February 7, Kelly decided to take the children to her mothers house because she was going out for the night with friends from work. Doug spent the evening working on a car over at a friends house. At around 10 p.m. he decided to call it a night and headed home. Saturday he was going to be busy doing some work for the church, and he wanted a good nights sleep. After dinner and an hour spent at a dance club, Kelly told her three friends that she wanted to go home. She said she felt like something bad was going to happen and headed home around midnight. The following morning when Kelly awoke, Doug was not there. She made some calls, including one to his parents, but he was nowhere to be found. By  mid-morning, a missing persons  report  had been filed at the police station. Initial Investigation The initial investigation into Doug Gissendaners whereabouts began on the same day that he was reported as missing. A search group was sent out along the route that he was most likely to have traveled the previous night and statements were taken from family and friends. Kelly Owens was one of the first to talk with the investigators. During that  meeting, she described her marriage to Doug as problem free. But interviews with family members and friends told a different story and one  name, in particular, kept surfacing — Greg Owen. Odd Behavior By Sunday, Dougs car had been located abandoned on a dirt road in Gwinnett County. It had been partially burned from the inside out. On the same day that the burned-out car was found, friends and family gathered in support at Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaners house. Kelly had also been  there but decided to take the children to the circus. Dougs parents found her behavior as odd for a wife whose husband had just gone missing. The news about the car was not good, but there was still hope that Doug would be found, possibly hurt, but  hopefully not dead. But as more days went by the optimism began to fade. Kelly did a few television interviews and then went back to work the following Tuesday, just four days into the search for her husband. Twelve Days Later It took 12 days to find Doug Gissendaner. His body was discovered a mile from where his car had been found. What looked like a pile of trash ended up to be Doug, dead, on his knees, bent at the waist with his head and shoulders leaning forward and his forehead lying in the dirt. Wild animals had already had an opportunity to  do their damage to his face which was unrecognizable. An  autopsy and dental records  were  necessary to confirm that it was indeed Doug Gissendaner. According to the autopsy, Doug was stabbed four times in the scalp,  neck, and shoulder. Murder Investigation Now with a  murder investigation  to conduct, the list of people to be interviewed grew considerably, with more names added to the list daily. In the meantime, Kelly Gissendaner asked to meet with investigators again to clarify some of what she said  in  her initial statement. She admitted that the marriage had been rocky and during one of their splits, she had been involved with Greg Owen. She said that Greg Owen had threatened to kill Doug when he learned that they were back together and working on their marriage. When asked if she was still in contact with Owen, she said only once in awhile because he called her repeatedly. But all of her candor did little to persuade investigators that she was not somehow  involved in her husbands murder. In the meantime, during Dougs funeral, Kelly showed more bizarre behavior when she had family and friends wait for her arrival for over an hour from the funeral home where the memorial was  given to the cemetery where Doug was to be buried. They found out later that she had stopped for a bite to eat and to do some shopping at the Cracker Barrel. The Alibi As for Greg Owen, he gave detectives a solid alibi. His roommate confirmed what Gret told them, that he had been home the entire night that Doug went missing and had been picked up by a friend at 9 a.m. the following morning for work. The roommate later recanted his story and said Greg had left the apartment the night of the murder and he did not see him again until 8 a.m. the following morning. This was exactly what the detectives needed to get Greg Owen back in for questioning. Greg Owen Cracks With Owens alibi now busted into pieces, he was brought back in for more questioning. Investigator Doug Davis conducted a second interview with Greg on February 24, 1997. Detectives already strongly suspected that Kelly had first-hand knowledge about her husbands murder. Phone records showed that she and Greg Owens talked to each other 47 times during the days before Doug was murdered and, unlike what Kelly had told detectives about Owen constantly calling her, Kelly had initiated the calls 18 times. At  first, Owen refused to answer any questions, but when a  plea deal  was brought to the table stating that he would get life with parole after 25 years, rather than a possible death sentence if he testified against Kelly Gissendaner, he quickly agreed and began confessing to murdering Doug. He told detectives that Kelly planned it all. First, she wanted to make sure that Doug bought the house and that they had moved into for a while before he was killed. She also wanted to secure an alibi on the night of the murder. When Owen asked her why not just divorce Doug, Kelly said he would never leave her alone. He went on to explain that on the night of the murder Kelly picked him up at his apartment, drove to her house, let him inside and provided a nightstick and a knife for Owen to use to attack Doug. She instructed him to make it look like a robbery, then left and went out with her friends while Owen waited in the house for Doug to come home. He said that Doug entered the house around 11 p.m. and Owen  held the knife to his neck, and then made him drive to Luke Edwards Road which is where Kelly told him to go. He then made Doug walk up an embankment and into the woods where he told him to get down on his knees. He struck him over the head with the nightstick and stabbed him, took his wedding ring and a watch, then left him to bleed to death. Next, he drove around in Dougs car until he received a page from Kelly with a code that would indicate that the murder had taken place. She then met Owen at Luke Edwards Road and wanted to see for herself that Doug was dead so she climbed the embankment and viewed his body. Then, with kerosene which Kelly provided, they burned Dougs car. Afterward, they made calls from phone booths at around the same time; then she dropped him off at his home. At that  point, they agreed that they should not be seen together for a while. Kelly Gissendaner Is Arrested Detectives wasted no time in arresting Kelly for the murder of her husband. They went to her home on February 25, well after  midnight made the arrest and then searched the house. This time Kelly had a  new story to tell  to the police. She admitted that she saw Greg Owen the night that Doug was murdered. She went and picked him up after he called her and asked her to meet him and he told her what he did to Doug, and then threatened to do the same to her and her children if she went to the police. The detectives and prosecutor did not believe her story. Kelly Gissendaner was charged with murder, felony murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. She continued to insist that she was  innocent and even turned down a  plea bargain  similar to what Greg Owen received. The Trial With no women on Georgias death row, seeking a death sentence if Gissendaner was found guilty was a risk for prosecutors, but one they decided to take. Kellys trial began on November 2, 1998. She faced a sequestered jury made up of ten women and two men. Television cameras were allowed in the courtroom. She would also be facing Doug Gissendaners father who was permitted to be in the courtroom after he gave his testimony, along with two key witnesses whose testimonies could send her straight to death row. The Witnesses Greg Owens was the states number one witness. Most of his testimony matched his confession although there were some changes. One significant difference referenced the time that Kelly showed up at the murder scene. During court  testimony, he said she was there right as he murdered Doug. He also testified that instead of them  burning Dougs car  together, she tossed a soda bottle of kerosene out of the window and he retrieved and burned the car alone. Next was Laura McDuffie, an inmate that Kelly confided in and who she asked for help in finding a witness who would take the fall for $10,000 and say that she was with Owen, not Kelly, on the night of the murder. She provided McDuffie with a map of her house and a handwritten script of what the witness should say. An expert witness testified that the script was written by Gissendaner. Other witnesses for the prosecution testified about Kellys coldness upon hearing that Doug had been found murdered and about her affair with Greg Owen. One of her closest friends, Pam, testified that after Kelly was arrested, she called Pam and told her that she killed Doug. She called her again and said that Greg Owen forced her to do it by threatening to kill herself and her children. Closing Arguments The prosecutor, George Hutchinson, and Gissendaners defense lawyer, Edwin Wilson, presented strong  closing arguments. The Defense Wilsons argument was that the state had failed to prove Kellys guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. He referred to parts of Greg Owens testimony as unbelievable, pointing out that it did not seem possible that Doug Gissendaner would not fight Owen who was considerably smaller in height and weight. Doug had combat training and had served in a combat theater in Desert Storm. He was trained in escape and evasion, yet he followed Owens instructions to go out the door of his house, and not only get in the car but unlock the passengers side of the car so that Owen could get in. He also found it hard to believe that he would willingly drive to a deserted road, get out of the car and wait while Owen got out on his side, then come around to him, leading him up a hill, into the woods, without once trying to make a run for it or fight for his life. He also pointed out that Greg received a life sentence with the possibility of parole only if he agreed to testify against Gissendaner. He attempted to discredit the testimony of Laura McDuffie, describing her as a hardcore criminal that would do anything to scratch off some of her prison time. And as for Kellys friend, Pam, who testified that the day that Kelly was arrested that she called Pam and told her, I did it, he said she simply did not hear Kelly properly. The Prosecution During Hutchinsons closing argument, he  quickly  pointed out that no one can say what was going through Doug Gissendaner mind when he encountered Owen with a knife inside his home. But the point was that Doug was dead, regardless of the exact chain of events that led to it. As to the attempt to discredit Pams testimony, Hutchinson said Wilson was reinventing and mischaracterizing evidence. And about the credibility of Laura McDuffie, Hutchinson pointed out that what she testified about did not really matter. The evidence was all that the jury needed. The script that handwriting experts testified was written by Kelly and the detailed drawing of the interior of her house backed up the testimony. He referenced the 47 phone calls between Kelly and Greg that took place days before the murder and how that exchange suddenly stopped  afterward, asking the question as to why would that pattern of activity suddenly stop? The Verdict and Sentence In the end, it took the jury two short hours to return a verdict of guilty. During the penalty phase of the trial both sides fought hard, but again, after two hours the jury had made their decision: The state of Georgia versus Kelly Renee Gissendaner, verdict as to sentencing, we the jury find beyond a reasonable doubt that statutory aggravating circumstances do exist in this case. We the jury  fix the sentence of death... Since her conviction, Gissendaner has been incarcerated at Arrendale State Prison, where she is isolated since she is the only woman out of 84 death row inmates. Execution Scheduled Kelly Gissendaner was scheduled to die by lethal injection on February 25, 2015. However, the execution was postponed to March 2, 2015, due to bad weather conditions. Gissendaner exhausted all her appeals which included a 53-page application for clemency with testimonials from a former prison warden, members of the clergy and friends and family. The victims father, Doug Gissendaner, has fought equally hard to make certain that his  ex- daughter-in-laws  sentence is carried out. A statement released by the Gissendaner family after the appeal for clemency was rejected read: â€Å"This has been a long, hard, heartbreaking road for us. Now that this chapter in this nightmare is over, Doug would want us and all of the people who loved him to find peace, to remember all the happy times and cherish memories we have of him. We should all strive every day to be the kind of person he was. Never forget him. Gissendaner Executed September 29, 2015 After multiple eleventh-hour appeals and delays, Kelly Renee Gissendaner, Georgias only woman on death row, was executed by lethal injection, prison officials said. Scheduled to die at 7 p.m. Tuesday, she died by injection of  pentobarbital  at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court denied stays of execution three times Tuesday, Georgias state Supreme Court denied a stay and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to grant her clemency following a hearing at which Gissendaners supporters offered new testimony. Even Pope Francis became involved in the case, requesting mercy for the woman who conspired with her adulterous lover to stab her husband to death in February 1997. Gissendaner was the first woman executed in Georgia in 70 years. Footnotes: The murder occurred on February 7, 1997. Gissendaner was indicted on April 30, 1997, by the Gwinnett County Grand Jury for malice murder and felony murder. The State filed written  notice  of its intent to seek the death penalty on May 6, 1997. Gissendaners trial began on November 2, 1998, and the jury found her guilty of malice murder and felony murder on November 18, 1998. The felony murder conviction was vacated by operation of law. Malcolm v. State, 263 Ga. 369(4), 434 S.E.2d 479 (1993); ?OCGA  § 16-1-7. On November 19, 1998, the jury fixed Gissendaners sentence at death. Gissendaner filed a motion for a new trial on December 16, 1998, which she amended on August 18, 1999, and which was denied on August 27, 1999. Gissendaner filed a notice of appeal on September 24, 1999. This appeal was docketed on November 9, 1999, and orally argued on February 29, 2000. The Supreme Court turned down her appeal on July 5, 2000. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected Gissendaners appeal for clemency on February 25, 2015.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Essay on The Influence of Television on Society - 1089 Words

The Influence of Television on Society In the year of 1926 a man called John Lougie Baird had invented something that has become part of the day-to-day lifestyle of nearly everyone. He had successfully tested it in a laboratory in late 1925 and unveiled with much fanfare in London in early 1926, and later mechanical television was quickly usurped by electronical television. Over the years television has developed greatly, going from black and white to coloured and ranging greatly in size. From portable and hand held televisions to widescreen and flat widescreen televisions, there is a choice to suit everyone. The most recent additions to this can vary from VCRs to DVDs to play stations and other†¦show more content†¦Kaiser Family Foundation, showed that only three percent of sitcoms discussed any of the risks and responsibilities associated with sex drugs and violence. Do they also know that foul language has increased on these shows and words absent on television ten years ago are now cropping up in more comm only in the scripts of characters on soaps and on every network? Would you want your children to grow up using bad language as part of their everyday speech? No definitely not I would ponder, If you ask my opinion, I would say that yes, television does teach children to be creative, but not in a good sense. With television progressing at this rate and filling up with more violence, sex and strong language which is easily accessed, these circumstances can be avoided by ensuring that children take part in more sports such as football, swimming, running, cycling and lots of others and watch less television. Also do you think that a, elderly person would watch a film happily that consists of a lot of violence and strong language? Television could that very strong impact on the elderly if maybe they watch too much of it. It could deprive them of their social life and watching too much television could lead an old woman or manShow MoreRelatedThe Influence of Television and Technology in S ociety Essay834 Words   |  4 Pagesbetter but to what effect to human society? There appears to be a concern of moral and spiritual affect of what, and how we as society got to this point! Television has conveyed numerous adjustments to the way many people squander their leisure time. Some changes are beneficial; while others may be more poisonous to the mind. Television is so much more powerful because it is able to reach more people at one time. Society also reflects what is publicized on television in various areas, as well as waysRead MoreThe Influence of Television on American Society and Politics1709 Words   |  7 Pagesnewspapers, televisions and the internet, has any media had enough of an impact to alter the conclusion of a war. 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This may seem like a negative view but a society’s strength is based on the relationships between people and when so much time is spent away from others and together with the media, the actions that take place are often timesRead MoreThe Effects Of Television On Children s Influence On Society1439 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the statistics gathered by Nielson’s 20ll â€Å"State of the Trends in TV Viewing,† over 99% of Americans own at least one television and average a total of 34 hours 39 minutes of TV viewing per week (Citation). Outlets such as television shows and movies have the power to influence viewers both directly and indirectly in positive manners; being able to see someone like yourself has the ability to shape how you view yourself and the world. However, the problem lies in the fact that the majorityRead MoreMy Pop Culture Research Topic1250 Words   |  5 PagesMy Pop Culture Research Topic The research topic that I chose to work on is television. I chose this specific topic for various reasons. One reason why I decided to discuss the television subject because for one, it truly has a massive effect on the masses of people, especially when it comes to certain cultures. For instance, the black communities. Reality TV shows such as Love and Hip Hop and Basketball Wives, for example, has a huge affect on black guys and girls alike, especially black femalesRead MoreMedia and Its Affects1514 Words   |  7 Pagesthe nations that there is a greater influence of entertainment on the younger generation. The effects of entertainment on the younger generation in America can be said to be both positive and negative. The influence is mostly on entertainment media such as television, radio, and the Internet. The influence on the upcoming generation has affected their expression and views on the culture of America. The influence is on how they talk, dress, and act on the society. Th e social media pressure that isRead More Television and Society Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesTelevision and Society In Marie Winn’s Essay â€Å"Television: The Plug In Drug,† she states, â€Å"Television’s contribution to family life has been an equivocal one.† Winn focuses on the issue of televisions influence in the lives of American families. Her emphasis is on the mediums influence on children. Although she makes a strong case for the negative influence of television, she fails to consider all of the benefits television has brought to American families. On its own, the television is neitherRead MoreThe Impact of Reality Tv on the Teenagers1732 Words   |  7 PagesKamat : Prof. Jenny Benoy Abstract Reality-based television programming has become a dominant force in television over the past seven years and a staple of most networks’ primetime lineups. This relatively quick change in the television landscape and the sudden increase in viewers’ consumption of reality television necessitate an investigation into the impact these shows are having on their viewers. This proposal attempts to exploreRead MoreViolence And Sex On Television898 Words   |  4 Pages Violence and Sex on Television: Effects on the Younger Audience In today’s society, the media is used greatly for communication, advertisement, information, and for numerous other reasons. The world has evolved by technological advances as well as by the type of content that is put out on the internet, radio, and especially on television. In particular, violence and sex are two of the most controversial content types that have been recently used loosely in the present as compared to theRead More Media and Society Essay519 Words   |  3 Pages Media and Society Does society influence media or does media influence society? In a modern world, dependent on continuous communication this is a very important question. If the world were not dependent on communication over large distances, schooling on a mass basis would not be possible or necessary. Most knowledge in traditional cultures was local knowledge, (Geertz 1983) traditions that were passed on through a local community, a very slow and long drawn out

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Mexican Political System Of Mexico - 1407 Words

Corruption has long been considered a characteristic feature of the Mexican political system that can be explained as the misuse of public power primarily by elected politicians for their private gains. Mexico suffers from high levels of poverty, inequality, and low economic growth that lead to corruption. Mexico ranks 79th out of 99 in the World Justice Project’s international rule of law index, and is still behind Chile, Colombia, and Brazil. â€Å"On paper, Mexico has well-established track record of dedication to the rule of law and law and order. In practice, though, many observers say that political power into a nominally democratic system that preserves space for serious conflicts of interest†. (Flannery. 2015) Although Mexico suffers from corruption and rule of law, new foreign investment interest is growing and is ranked third within Latin America in the World’s Bank’s 2014 Doing Business index. Mexico’s corruption can be characterized by explaining; (a) what causes corruption in Mexico, (b) the effects of the drug war in Mexico, and (c) what the government is doing to improve corruption. In describing the factors that leads Mexico into corruption, I argue that by identifying what causes corruption in Mexico, how the drug war is affecting corruption and exactly what the government is doing to try to improve this issue Mexico’s biggest issue of corruption can be resolved. Mexico has had a long history of political corruption. â€Å"From theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Political Culture of Mexico1154 Words   |  5 PagesMexican Political Culture As once put by Mexican Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, Mexico is a land of â€Å"super-imposed pasts† (McCormick, p.326). It continues to be and is seen as a melding pot of its European and Native American ideas about society, law and government. Its history has had a major influence on the political culture of Mexico, seen through years of revolution, violence and corruption. Mexico is a considered a new democracy, but there is a tension still seen between democracy and authoritarianismRead MoreMexican Independence During The Mexican Revolution Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesMexican Independence After the people of Mexico freed themselves from Spanish control, they faced difficulties trying to officially establish themselves as a country. Despite their independence, Mexico had to also live with the aftermath of Spanish colonialism. Part of the aftermath included socio-political issues amongst the Mexican people. In an effort to establish themselves as a nation, they first had to free themselves from a Spanish ideology, for Mexico truly was not free after their independenceRead MoreAnalyzing Mexico And United States:. History, Political1432 Words   |  6 Pages Analyzing Mexico and United States: History, Political Culture and Corruption Jeniffer Quintero Political Science 2 My 16, 2017 Abstract: Analyzing Mexico and United States: History, Political Culture and Corruption In 1917, the government of the United Mexican States became a Presidential Federal republic through its Mexican Constitution(Mexican Constitution, 2010). Like all other countries’ constitutions there has been changes that have been made over time. SomewhereRead MoreMexico : A Unique Country1750 Words   |  7 PagesMexico is a very unique country that has a broad history. With it being an election year many have come to notice Mexico’s presence and what problems it may bring, however it is vital to take into account what brought Mexico in the state that it is in now. Mexico has much work to do in order for it to become a successful country, but with understanding the history, economic and social position it holds, it will bring possible solutions that it can take to become the successful state that it aimsRead MoreMexico s Current Political System1256 Words   |  6 PagesMexico’s official name is the United Mexican states. Mexico’s current political sy stem derives from the Constitution of 1917, which arose from the Mexican Revolution. The Constitution captures the ideals of the Revolution and reflects three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. The Constitution protects the rights of workers, peasants, and organizations. It guarantees the right to have an eight-hour workday, rights for women and children workers, and rights for minimum wage being sufficient enoughRead MorePorfirio Diaz s Impact On The Country s Material Prosperity And Pulled Mexico Out Of It s Declining State1733 Words   |  7 Pagescontributions towards his country’s material prosperity and pulled Mexico out of it’s declining state. Porfirio Dà ­az is often remembered as a period of social degradation and oppression of freedoms in Mexico. His 35-year dictatorship brought about an immense amount of hardship for the lower classes and an unfair system of wealth distribution. The image of Porfirio Dà ­az as a ruthless tyrant is one almost everyone ha s of him post-revolutionary Mexico. However, with that being said, what are often overlookedRead MoreAnalyzing Political Corruption And Its Effects On The Mexican Economy1623 Words   |  7 Pages Analyzing Political Corruption and its Effects on the Mexican Economy Gyadisha Sulvaran Palm Beach State College Macroeconomics Warren Smith 4th of April 2014 â€Æ' Abstract For macroeconomics, we were given an assignment to examine and analyze the causes of the business cycle in foreign economies. We were divided into groups of 6 and were given the instructions to randomly select a continent. Our continent was North America. We had to choose between Canada and Mexico. The reason why we decidedRead MoreReligion And Political Power On A Great Nation1185 Words   |  5 Pages Religion and Political Power Giving Rise to a Great Nation Religions played one of the most important factors in the Mexican history, ever since the Spanish conquest, colonialization, independence, revolution, la reforma, and it is still present now a days. Most of the Mexican population is considered catholic as a result of hundreds of years of the Catholic influence. Religious and the church led to many confrontations in Mexican history, such as the Mexican revolution where the main flag wasRead MoreMexican Revolution: Diaz ´s Administration and Beyond Essay1613 Words   |  7 PagesMexico had a long way to be stabilized from Diaz’s administration to the constitution of the 1917. The Porfiriato era was able to stabilize Mexico had problems despite of the growing economy led a major uprising. After factions argued what’s best for Mexico led a list of compromise constitution that is the constitution of 1917 which they have debated each other. Porfirio Diaz led a coup against President Manuel Gonzalez whom was to pick up and leave in 1876. The Diaz system allows him using theRead MorePositive And Negative Impact Of Mexico1299 Words   |  6 PagesWhen people think of Mexico, they may think of south-of-the-border resorts, margaritas from local restaurants, or mariachi bands. Drug cartels, human trafficking, or stereotypical comments made by influential Americans may also come to mind. A country which has fought and earned its rights to economy, religion, and democracy may not even be considered when the United Mexican States is thought of. Although much work remains to be done, todays Mexico is home to a government democracy, strong religious

Differences Between Troy Movie and Iliad Free Essays

The differences between the movie â€Å"Troy† and the poem â€Å"Iliad† and the explanation of why they occurred? The film Troy which is directed by Wolfgang Peterson has been deeply influenced by the epic poem, the Iliad. This work is generally credited to the Ancient Greek poet named Homer. Both the film and the poem have the same ending plots, such as the blockade of Troy by the Greeks, the disagreement between the warrior Achilles and the king Agamemnon and these actions started when the prince of Troy Paris who took the wife king Menelaus of Sparta with him. We will write a custom essay sample on Differences Between Troy Movie and Iliad or any similar topic only for you Order Now However there are many main differences related to these plots. These differences include some very major characters dying in the Iliad and surviving in the film troy, the time of the death of characters, and the relationships between the characters. Some of the major differences between the film and the poem are:   1. In the Iliad the war took 10 years in the film Troy it only took 17 days. 2. In the Iliad, Patroclus was not the cousin of Achilles, only a friend. 3. There is no mention of the horse in the Iliad. 4. In the poem, Paris is killed, Hector’s baby is killed, and Hector’s wife is the slave of Greek however in the film Troy they escape safely. 5. Agamemnon was killed by his wife, â€Å"Clytemnestra† in the Greece after the war, not by Briseis who kills him in the film. 6. Hector was too scared of Achilles to fight him and he ran away around the walls of troy 3 times. 7. In the movie Agamemnon brought the kings together for this war, which is not true in the Iliad. . In the movie, Briseis is a member of Priam’s family but in the poem, she was simply a slave girl. 9. The movie tells that Achilles is so arrogant that he does not respect Apollo and the Iliad tells that Achilles respects the gods and goddesses. 10. The movie hasn’t shown any close relationships between the Greeks and Trojans and their gods and goddesses. The Iliad demonstrates the close interactions between the gods and goddesses and their followers. The reason of these differences in the film Troy and the Iliad are to convenience of the director and for entertainment. If the film remained same as the poem â€Å"Iliad† then the movie would have received more limited ratings and decrease the amount of the audience. They would earn less money for the publishing company. Director attempted to make the film more likable by making the film a more feel good by letting Paris, Hector’s wife, Hector’s baby, Helen and Briseis escape with citizens of Troy which created an environment of hopes. The film would have appeal to lower amount of people, if Paris, Hector’s wife and baby had been killed. Many people would have feel frustrated by watching everyone dying that’s why the director did not remain true to the Iliad but in the Iliad there is really no hope left for Troy. There is no other reason for these differences except from money and as all the major and small differences are observed, it becomes very obvious that the film was moulded to a modern day audience with modern day expectations of the film. How to cite Differences Between Troy Movie and Iliad, Essay examples

Correlation of Using Computer-Aided Instruction in C# Programming Language free essay sample

Introduction The environment in which students learn, the ways in which people work and live are constantly being transformed by existing and emerging technologies. Educational expansion and constraint over the last decade form the backdrop of any examination of the role of technology. One of these educational expansions is the computer-aided instrument or sometimes abbreviated as CAI which refers to a computer or computer system. It is also known as â€Å"computer assisted instruction† which pertains to a diverse and rapidly expanding spectrum of computer technologies that assist the teaching and learning process. (http://encartamsn. com/) Computer aided instruction can be used effectively to address academic and communication/language skills. It can dramatically increase student’s access to information. The program can adapt to the abilities and preferences of the individual student and increase the amount of personalized instruction a student receives. Many students benefit from the immediate responsiveness of computer interactions and appreciate the self-paced and private learning environment. Moreover, computer-learning experience often engages the interest of students, motivating them to learn and increasing independence and personal responsibility for education. (http://www. ima. umn. edu/~arnold/papers/cai. pdf) Being well-informed and active participant in our society, the students need to be self-directed learners, able to identify issues, pose questions, synthesize ideas, determine solutions to problems and develop capabilities and confidence within a range of technologies. (www. curriculum. educ. nsw. au) Computer-aided instrument is case which either instruction is presented through a computer program to a passive student or the computer is the platform for an interactive and personalized learning environment. One topic which can be discussed through CAI is the C# Programming language, which is very essential to the first, second and third year Computer Education student in the College of Industrial Education. Statement of the Problem This study aims to determine the correlation of the computer-aided instruction in teaching C# programming language to the first, second and third year students of Computer Education students of the College of Industrial Education. More especially, this research seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of: a. Course, Year and Section b. Age c. Sex d. Grades on Computer Laboratory course of the previous semester 2. How effective is the relationship of using CAI in teaching C# in terms of: a. teachers’ attitude a. 1Teaching Style b. respondents’ attitude b. 1Interest towards CAI 3. How do the Computer Education students perceive in the following school-related factors: 3. 1Facilities; 3. 2availability of equipment 3. 2. 1 Laptops/Computer set 3. 2. 2 Digital Laser Projector (DLP) 3. 2. 3 Smart TV 4. Do the students, teachers and school factors significantly affect the correlation of using CAI in C# programming language? Significance of the Study Primarily, this research aims to benefit the following: Students C# in computer-aided instruction provides one to one indication with them, as well as instantaneous response to their answers elicited. It also allows students to proceed at their own pace. Educators/Teachers It is critical in assisting the teachers to see more fruitful ways in teaching. It also allows the teachers to measure progress in an environment that is often more structured that the typical classroom, limiting stress and allowing the focus of non-technical elements of pedagogy. Parents It allows the parents to facilitate on their child’s learning development and monitor them. Faculty/School Administration It will permit the school administration to acquire the fastest way of preparing interactional materials for the delivery of student services if it is computerized and facilitated accurately. It will also enhance the institution’s quality education and teaching. CHAPTER 2 Review on Related Literature This chapter presents the review of related literature, both foreign and local studies, which are found to have bearing on the present study. Computer-Aided Instruction Computer-aided instruction (CAI), commonly known as â€Å"computer-assisted instruction† is one of the instructional media we could use in discussing different lessons. CAI brings with it several potential benefits as a teaching/learning medium. These include self-paced learning, self-directed learning, the exercising of various senses and the ability to represent content in a variety of media. As these topics will be explored in greater detail throughout this document, only a brief overview will be given here. Although CAI has not been studied in the EL community situation, many of the benefits in the general CAI context should also be available in the EL one. With self-paced learning, learners can move as slowly or as quickly as they like through a program. If they want to repeat some task or review some material again, they can do so as many times as they choose. The program will not tire or complain about repetitions. Learners can skip over a topic if information is already known, making the learning process more efficient. With self-directed learning, learners can decide what they want to learn and in what order. A key question is why CAI may be more effective than traditional classroom teaching, on average. Some classroom research suggests computers can offer highly individualized instruction and allow students to learn at their own pace (e. g. Lepper and Gurtner 1989, Means Other forms of self-paced instruction may offer a similar educational advantage. However, a very small, older, literature suggests that computerized self-paced instruction is more effective than other self-paced instruction. See, e. g. , Enochs, Handley, and Wollenberg (1986) and Surber et al (1977) for randomized studies involving college-age students and Olson 1995, Sandholz et al 1997, Heath and Ravits 2001). While we do not have a direct test, we hypothesize that if CAI allows for more individualized instruction, then it may be more beneficial for struggling students who cannot keep up with the pace of the lectures in traditional classrooms or for more advanced students who could progress faster at their own pace. Further, we might expect CAI to be more effective for students with poorer rates of attendance. In a traditional classroom, students missing class will miss all of the material covered in class that day. In contrast, the computer always picks up where the student left off the last time she was in class regardless of whether it was the day before or 5 days before. Similarly, in classes in which many students have poor attendance records or in larger classes, we might expect a bigger effect of CAI as teachers would struggle to find the appropriate level at which to pitch lectures. Finally, one might think that individualized instruction provided by CAI avoids some of the disruption effects of having peers with poor attendance rates or being in larger classes as modeled by Lazear (2001). Recent increases in computing power of affordable personal computers have resulted in an increase in the development and use of various forms of computer-delivered instruction. Understanding the effects of this instruction on learning is important to any future implementations of computers for instruction. This review of the literature on the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is an attempt to show that CAI can be an effective mode of instruction in the education environment. It is also intended to address three major issues within the body of research on the efficacy of CAI: (a) an aging body of literature; (b) the greater effectiveness of using CAI as a supplement to conventional instruction; and (c) the alleged superiority of CAI over conventional instruction. The authors conclude that, due to potential shortcomings in some past research comparing CAI to conventional instruction, CAI should be considered to be at least as effective as conventional instruction. Next, they conclude that new studies are needed to clarify the effects of CAI in contemporary student/computer environments. Finally, they conclude that how CAI is delivered can impact its effectiveness. The teaching of fundamental programming skills is a field that extensively uses different kinds of tools to enhance learning experience. Within the realms of tools that are aimed for realistic, or â€Å"industrial† programming experience, these tools usually focus on either helping with the source code development process, like debuggers or editors, or ease the learning of different concepts and structures with visualization and supporting content. Students often lose interest on programming because complex models and structures have to be learned before anything visually impressive can be created. The students can memorize the constructs, but the motivation for doing this may be wrong: technologically oriented programming – data manipulation – is not interesting and does not promote learning because simple command line outputs are not exiting (Guzdial and Soloway 2002). Just like many other courses (Rich et al. 2006, Reges 2006, and Hermann et al. 2003), our introductory course on programming suffered from high drop-out rates and falling student grades (Kasurinen and Nikula, 2007a). In our case, dropping the course was a problem because it had a negative effect on the studies as a whole: if the course was failed, it prevented participation in the advanced courses the second year, and delayed the studies in general. Student- Related Factors Age Bean and Metzner, A Conceptual Model. In their review of the literature, age was one of the most common independent variables in studies of attrition. Whisnant (1990) the literature and current research concerning student age provides educational institutions with information about achievement differences among traditional and nontraditional groups. This information provides higher education an underused educational tool to assist with the development of its traditional students. As education increases the dimensions of its mission, the nontraditional student is an overlooked, often untapped, resource. Boshier (1975) define nontraditional students are as those adult college students over 25 years of age. Traditional college students are those college students between the ages of 18 and 22. Grade point average (GPA), on a 4. 00 point scale, is used as the measure of academic performance. There is no typical mature student. Defined as any student aged 21 or over at the start of their studies, around two fifths are aged between 21 and 24, a fifth between 25 and 29, and a further two fifths are over 30 when they commence their courses. They study for many different reasons – for example: for career or personal development, to pursue an interest to find a new direction. http://www. ucas. com/ Amid the flurry of Freshers Fairs, goody bags and loyalty cards aimed at 18- and 19-year-old first year students, its sometimes easy to overlook the fact that the student body is considerably more age-diverse than you might think. This is the official journal of the American Aging Association; they stated that age is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles describing research in the biology of aging and research on biomedical applications that impact aging. The range of coverage includes evolutionary biology, biophysics, genetics, genomics, proteomics, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, endocrinology, immunology, physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, and psychology. In addition, the journal presents commentaries, debates, and meeting reports. http://www. americanaging. org/ Attitude Gagne (1985) defined attitude as what influences the learner’s response to situation and choice of action. According to him, it is a mental state that affects performance rather than a specific performance unlike the other learned capabilities. Psychologists define attitudes as a learned tendency to evaluate things in a certain way. This can include evaluations of people, issues, objects or events. Such evaluations are often positive or negative, but they can also be uncertain at times. For example, you might have mixed feelings about a particular person or issue. http://psychology. about. com/ P. M. Symonds, in the paper referred to, mentions seven ways in which the term attitude is used, great organic drives (motives), muscular set, generalized conduct, neural set or readiness to adjust, emotional concomitant of action, feeling concomitant of action, accepting or rejecting verbal responses. He ends by deploring the use of the term, saying that we should use habits or skills. But in at least one article he joins the group who use accepting and rejecting verbal responses as evidence of attitudes. An attitude describes a set of beliefs or views held about something and are defined in consumer psychology as an enduring inclination or tendency to respond to a brand or product in a specific way. http://www. aqr. org. uk/ Chan states that students express very high levels of interest in their courses; few are bored. Responses to items designed to measure intellectual orientation and satisfaction are high, but a high number also agree that they would prefer to study ‘only’ topics which they believe to be relevant to their future careers, suggesting preference for ‘just in time’ rather than ‘just in case’ learning. Around 45% agree that their usual working pattern involves doing ‘the minimum amount of work which is required of me’, but almost 40% reject this ‘strategic’ position. Sex Even though research shows that females and males differ in the ways they view technology, some scholars (e. g. AAUW Educational Foundation, 2000; Starr, 2000) question the assumption that females are less likely than males to be interested in technology. In the mid-1980? s, there was a movement that began doubting the notion that females were less likely to be drawn to computer careers than males (Christie, 1996). Even though statistics show that there are fewer females in computer laboratories and computer-related professions, Turkle (as cited in Starr) asserted that girls are not fearful of technology; they are simply uninspired and alienated by the way the K-12 education system presents computing to them. The AAUW Educational Foundation interprets the females, behavior not as a phobia, but rather as a choice. Andersen explores the potentially damaging effects of gender bias in student evaluations of teaching, specifically with regard to student expectations. Reviews a number of laboratory and real life studies and summarizes their conclusions. Notes the different and conflicting expectations of students and recommends a broader approach to teacher evaluations. Bachen 1999 finds that female students rated female faculty especially high across five teaching dimensions and male faculty comparatively lower, whereas male students did not evaluate male and female professors as significantly different. Finds that assessments of faculty were further influenced by the strength of students gender schema and that gender schema may also lead to differential preference for particular teaching styles. Basow 1995 argues that using quantitative approach, the overall effect of gender on student evaluations is small, accounting for about 3% of variance. However, there may be significant interaction effects between gender and other context variables that may cumulatively disadvantage female faculty. Bennette 1982 surveys of 253 students in nonscience introductory courses at a liberal arts college. Bennett finds that students do not have different standards of reference for male and female instructors, but women are perceived to be less authoritarian and more charismatic. Female instructors in departments with fewer than 20% ft women were rated even higher on these standards. She finds that ratings that are consequential for performance ratings of men have an equal impact on women except for the following, which have more effect for women: (1) professionalism (seen by students as a highly structured instructional approach), instructional presentation (specifically, being compelling and self-assured and presenting a balanced interpretation of viewpoints), and (3) accessibility. Brooks 1982 Male graduate students exhibited significantly more aggressiveness (interruptive behavior) than female students in both male and female professors classes, although more male aggressiveness occurred in female professors classes. Male students were more verbally assertive in female professors classes only. Among students, aggressiveness was predominantly cross-sex, rather than same-sex. Computer Background Issues of equity in the use of teaching resources are a critical issue in school policymaking. Equity, though, involves more than simply access; it involves using resources appropriately to improve student outcomes. Using resources appropriately, in turn, depends on how defensible a teachers philosophy of teaching and learning is. Philosophical disagreements about equity and teaching practice usually revolve around the issue of whether students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and students who present relatively unsuccessful school histories can be given the same kinds of demanding tasks and depended upon to act as responsibly as more advantaged and more academically successful students. In the absence of beliefs that poorer and less successful students can be given challenging tasks and a high degree of independence, teachers are apt to use computers with lower performing classes as a means of practicing lower-level skills and as a means of social control. http://www. crito. uci. edu/ The advantages of providing children with access to computers have been heavily debated. In August last year, business body IBEC called for the Government to provide second level school children with laptops, saying that they could be an important education enabler. However, this thinking clashes with a 2004 report from the IFO, an economic research unit at the University of Munich, which claimed that students education levels have little to do with computers in schools and more to do with effective school management. http://www. theregister. co. uk/ Gunawardena 1997 although the course was pertinent to computers and technologies, this study found that students who had low technology backgrounds achieved higher quality of online discussions than students who had high technology backgrounds. Students who had low technology backgrounds appeared to be much more active in online discussions and have more interests in this course. They tended to post more and longer postings in both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups. They were also willing to share their concerns or questions with each other and tried to help answer questions posted by other students. Although students who had high technology background did not achieve higher LKC, they had better performances when they discussed in heterogeneous group with students who had low technology backgrounds. They might be motivated by high quality of postings and active discussion attitudes presented by other group members. These findings show that students’ interests and motivation are very important for quality of learning. In the meanwhile, interaction plays a vital role to help students who have low learning interests and motivation improve their learning performances in online discussions. Another interesting finding of this study is that there were no significant differences of discussion satisfaction among different types of interactions, although students who had low technology backgrounds had better performances in online discussions. Since there were 15 items with five-level Likert scale in this survey, the total survey score was 75. The lowest mean score of discussion satisfaction was 46. 10 for type two interaction. Therefore, students in all types of interactions showed high evaluation of their experiences of online discussions. It seems that students’ perceptions of online discussions cannot be predicted by their performances in online discussions. Most students, no matter what levels of technology backgrounds and types of discussion interactions they have, thought that they benefited from active participation in online discussion and put a lot of thoughts into their messages. Teachers Related Factors Sex A double-blind experiment to evaluate the effect of facial attractiveness on teacher judgments was performed. Given identical information, teachers systematically rated attractive children more favorably than unattractive children. In the case of unattractive children, teachers were more willing to recommend special-class placement and held lower expectations for future academic and social development. http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ Based on sociolinguistic research (Labov 1991:206-7) we may accept the hypotheses that considers female students better at learning than male students and more open to new linguistic forms (Ellis 1994:202). Several studies have given evidence of this fact. In Burstalls longitudinal research (1975) female students did better than male students (she based her conclusions on 6000 children beginning French at 8 in English primary schools). She reports that girls scored significantly higher than boys on all tests. Other studies have obtained similar conclusions (Boyle 1987, Nyikos 1990). There are also studies that have not found substantial differences. So it would be interesting that each teacher explores what happens in his/her class. Age Adult learners are at an advantage compared with that of younger learners in formal learning of grammar in instructional settings (Long, 1979). However, in the case of pronunciation, younger learners outperform adult learners. The superiority of adult learners was reiterated by the results of a research study, which concluded that adult learners have an initial advantage where rate of learning is concerned, particularly grammar and morphology (Ellis, 1994) According to Weiner M. (First five year plan 1955-60) teaching is not recognized as a profession as it is in other parts of the world. Teachers do not fully understand the distastes of their profession and have a low opinion of it. Teacher’s work falls into three broad categories intellectual work, emotional work and work organization when we keep all these areas in mind the teacher should be responsive in classroom and school environment which is not possible if the teacher is poorly paid, socially distressed, psychologically distributed, under the pressure of society, parents family and high authorities. Studies (i. e. , Cohen, 2001) have indicated that the use of technology has an effect on all aspects of teaching and learning. When educators integrated technology into the lesson, it required new learning approaches to the curriculum because of the ability to look at and explore information in new ways. Moreover, some studies have emphasized that technology can help by allowing learners to take a more active role in their learning through different instructional modes or methods (Kussmaul and Dunn, 1996). Dewar and Whittington (2000) commented that the new technologies provide opportunities for creating learning environments that enhance learner learning and achievement. However, inappropriate uses of technology can become ineffective learning. Thus it is important to understand what technology is and how to use it and, most importantly, is comfortable using it (Smolin and Lawless, 2003). Teachers Attitude Odubunmi and Balogun, (1985) have identified teachers’ personality and attitude towards their teaching subjects as factors contributing to poor performance in science subjects. Simpsom and Troost (1982) found out that attitude is another factor that determines achievement and enrolment of students in science subjects. Attitudes as defined by smith (1998) as a relatively enduring predisposition to respond in a relatively consistent manner towards a person, object situation or idea. Adesoji (2002) defined attitude as cognitive, emotional, and action tendency to a particular behavioural intent. He ascertained that that attitude is an important factor that determined achievement of students in sciences. Teaching Style The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), introduced by Davis (1989), is an adaptation of social psychology theory of reasoned action, specifically tailored for modelling user acceptance of information systems. The TAM, as shown in Figure 1, considers perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as major determinants of intention to use a technology. The former refers to the extent to which a person believes that using the system will enhance task performance, while the latter refers to the degree to which the user expects the target system to be free of effort. The TAM explains user behaviour across a broad range of end-user computing technologies (e. g. , text editor, spreadsheet, e-mail) and user population (e. g. , students, software professionals, physicians). The predictive power of TAM varies according to the cultural context. Its power of prediction is higher in the West (45–70%) than the East (10–35%). Perceived usefulness emerges as important across all the cultures studied, whereas subjective norm is more important for the East than the West (Rose Straub 1998; Straub 1994). Subjective norm has been of particular interest in Asian and African research, and cultural factors are highlighted to explain its relevance in determining behavioral intention to use computers (Dinev et. al. 2004; Mao Palvia 2001). So far there has been no research on the influence of teaching style on acceptance of e-learning by faculty. Grasha (1996) identified five teaching styles that represented typical orientations and strategies college faculty use expert (displays detailed knowledge), formal authority (establishes learning goals, and rules of conduct), personal model (shows how to do things), facilitator (encourages students to make informed choices) and delegator (makes students work independently on projects or as teams). Recent investigations [(Kwok Jones 1985), (Carver et al. , 1999), (Gilbert Han 1999), (Grigoriadou, Papanikolaou Kornilakis 2001), (Stash De Bra 2004), (Hong Kinshuk 2004)], try to integrate the learning styles and e-media in the design of their applications. This is not an easy process, however. One of the main difficulties on the designing of hypermedia systems, is linking the learning styles with the hypermedia applications. Most of the teaching systems adaptation that integrates learning styles is based on the premise that adapting the teaching strategies with the students’ learning styles will give better results (Dagger, Wade Conlan 2003), (Paredes Rodriguez 2002), (Stern Woolf 2000), (Triantafillou, Pomportsis Georgia 2002). Table 1 shows some of the systems found, their learning styles and the type of adaptation. School Related Factors Facilities The absence of adequate help or technical support to facilitate teachers’ technology mediated teaching is another factor which may hinder teachers’ teaching. Granger et al. (2002), based on the findings of their study about factors contributing to teachers’ success in implementing the technology mediated teaching, revealed that many teachers, when having some difficulties with the technology equipment being used, had to give up using it(obsession)because there was no one available to help deal with the problems. According to the teachers, the institution did not have adequate numbers of technical staff who were prepared to support teachers in technology mediated teaching. Pelgrum (2001), in his study investigating teachers’ obstacles in using technology, also identified that the lack of technical staff was considered by teachers as one of the main obstacles in their successful use of technology based pedagogy. Becker (1999) identified some factors like lack of knowledge, manpower skills, technical support and incentives. Lack of knowledge and Manpower skills, despite their active use of technology into pedagogy, most teachers still feel that they lack adequate knowledge and skills for optimally integrating the facility into teaching. Lack of technical support, the shortage of technical staff in any college is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with quickly by the institution’s authority, ‘technical staff should be available before, during and after the class sessions’. Any unsolved technical matters ‘can be disasters for technology integration program in any institution’. Lack of incentives, if there is no additional incentive provided by the institution for the innovations, it will create a barrier in the willingness of the teachers to integrate Technology into teaching . Several factors affect teachers use of technology in the classrooms including access to technologies, time, training, and administrative support (Laffey Musser, 1998;Myrhe, 1998; Niedhauser Stoddart, 1994; U. S. Congress, Office of Technology. Assessment, 1995) According to McKenzie (1999), only 20% of teachers report feeling verywell (enthusiasm) prepared to integrate educational technology into classroom instruction. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The research framework was conceptualized from the reviewed literature and students, both foreign and local. The researchers used these reviews for the comprehensive understanding and knowledge about this study as well as reinforcing the rationale of the research. The general approach to the problem and some of the concepts and treatment presented in this study were influenced by the earlier studies and literature reviewed. More significantly, the correlation of C# programming by the aid of CAI was the concept of integrating technology. Research Paradigm z Figure 1 The research paradigm shows the relationships of the independent and dependent variables to C# programming language using CAI Research Hypothesis This study attempted to test the following hypothesis. 1. The effectiveness of the correlation using CAI in C# programming Language. 2. There is significance in using CAI to C# programming language. Definition of Terms Age- This refers to the number of years from the time the respondent was born up to the time this study was conducted. Computer-aided instruction – CAI is machine augmented instruction that differs from programmed instruction or simple page turning Correlation – A statistical relation between two or more variables such that systematic changes in the value of one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in the other Programming – Creating a sequence of instructions to enable the computer to do something Sex – It is defined by the physical characteristics that differentiate one sex from the other and basis of his/her reproductive roles. In this study it refers to male or female. (QUESTIONNAIRE) Technological University of the Philippines College of Industrial Education Professional Industrial Education Department DIRECTION: Completion of the survey is voluntary, and all responses will be kept confidential. Please answer each item as honestly as possible. Return this questionnaire to the researchers when you are finished. PART I. Demographic Profile A. Course, Year and Section: __________________________________ B. Age: ______C. Sex: ____ Female _____ Male D. Grades on previous Computer Laboratory course: _____________ PART II. Student-Related Factors Direction: Kindly provide the necessary information by supplying the appropriate answer by checking the number that corresponds to your answer. Be guided by the following code: 5 – Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 – Either agree or disagree 2 – Disagree 1 – Strongly disagree Interest towards Computer-aided design on C# programming Item Indicators 5 4 3 2 1 1. I attend classes and participate actively. 2. I follow safety precautions in setting up the equipment to be used in CAI. 3. I employ creativity in making presentations using CAI. 4. I felt confident interacting with my classmates in reporting through CAI. 5 . I use available resources to comply with all the subject requirements. Direction: Kindly provide the necessary information by supplying the appropriate answer by checking the number that corresponds to your

Monday, May 4, 2020

Contingency Theory of Leadership

Question: Discuss about the Contingency Theory of Leadership. Answer: Introduction: Management is crucial factor in attaining organizational success. Over the years, a number of theories have been enveloped for identifying the best possible approaches of management. However, all of them were successful in addressing certain aspects of management and leadership. A conclusive approach to deal with all kind of managerial threats is yet to be developed. Hence, identifying the best possible strategy of management is a matter of discussion of the scholars since a long time. Where the traditional approaches supported certain structured ways of managing people in an organization, the relatively modern approaches advocates flexibility and change in the management procedure according to the situational demands. Here, in this essay, the author has presented an argument by focusing on both the supporting and opposing opinions for the claim that there is only one best way to manage. He/she has concluded the essay with the summery of both the arguments and with his/her idea shape d from the discussion. Discussion in favour of the comment: As discussed by Mondy and Martocchio (2016) the practice of management includes leading people for optimum utilization of the resources. Hence, a number of strategies have been developed for obtaining the best possible solution in this regard. Over the years, a number of theories have been emerged to identify the best way of managing the people and organizations. As mentioned by Bratton and Gold (2012) one of the most popular theory of management is the Bureaucratic management. The complexity of the modern organizations demands a hierarchy of authority, task specification and formal structure. The Bureaucratic management provides all these facilities to the organizations and helps in managing it in an efficient way (Mondy and Martocchio 2016). Most of the modern organizations like Walmart follow this particular management and they are becoming significantly successful in the operational and organizational processes. Hence, Ozmen (2013) supports and argues in favour of this management process as the best management means. On the other hand, as mentioned by Gavetti et al. (2012) the Behavioural theory of management states that the way of managing people and utilizing their best potential is to providing them psychological stimulus of being singled out, involved and made to feel important. The modern companies like Google or the Virgin group has included this management style by opting for an employee-oriented policy that has made them one of the best service providers in their related field. Hence, Westphal and Zajac (2013) have supported this particular management style as the best way to managing people. Thus, various scholars have supported the idea that opting for a certain specific strategy can be the best potential solution for the management challenges. Discussion opposing the comment: However, as argued by Fiedler (2015) in the modern world of uncertainty, no particular management model can be identified as the best management way. They have stated that an organization which is not flexible enough to introduce changes in the management according to the situation and the behavioural aspects of the employees. As per the situational leadership or the situational management theory suggested by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey, the manager of an organization needs to adjust his style of managing people according to the development pattern and organizational objectives (Bates 2014). Thus, they have advocated the claim that no management procedure can be identified as the best management style. On the other hand, as argued by Fiedler (2015) the contingency model of management, talks about upholding an approach of flexibility and adaptation of variety of ideas and principals, according to the businesss requirements. This theory of management itself supports no fixed method of leading or managing the people. As supported by Mondy and Martocchio (2016) in the modern aspect of management, a manager has to address a cross-cultural context with a number of socio-political and technological changes. Hence, opting for a fixed method of leading only limits the potential of utilizing the resources. Hence, they argue that no one way can be the best way of management. In the practical context, the management style of Steve Jobs in Apple can be identified as the flexible management procedure that changed as per the environmental requirements (Isaacson 2012). Moreover, as discussed previously, the complexity of the modern organizations calls for the bureaucratic management. However, Mondy and Martocchio (2016) argues that this management procedure creates a rule-based environment, which hampers the motivation and productivity of the employees. Hence, with a formal management procedure the modern organizations need to introduce policies suggested by the behavioural theory of management (Bell et al. 2015). As opined by Bratton and Gold (2012) amalgamating two or more strategic management procedure provides a great level of competency to the organization in the context of addressing various internal and external threats. On the other hand, as mentioned by Gavetti et al. (2012) the utilization of the behavioural approach of management can create some organizational issues. As this theory puts concentration over the need satisfaction of the employees, clashes in different needs may occur. Moreover, the idea that need satisfaction is the main m otivation of work can create threat to the health of the employees (Ozmen 2013). Hence, it is important to lay down formal policies, specified job roles and task structure for better management of the employees. Thus, Bratton and Gold (2012) have supported the idea that no management process can be .utilized singularly for making optimum utilization of the resources and the lead people to achieve the organizational goals. Conclusion: Hence, from this above argument it can be identified that there are several supporters of the idea that there are only one best way of management. However, a non-flexible attitude towards management can create a threat to the modern organizations as they are operating in the cross-cultural and a significantly volatile business environment. On the other hand, flexibility in the management pattern and opting for the style best suited to the given situation is more likely to assist the top-executives in successfully address the ever changing threats in the business world. Hence, in this uncertain world, no management procedure can be identified as the best possible model of managing people. References: Bates, C., 2014. A study of situational leadership theory. Journal of Radix International Educational and Research Consortium, 3(11), pp.1-7. Bell, R.L., Kennebrew, D. and Blyden, L., 2015. An Increasing Utility for the Early Management Theories: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Management and Human Resources, 3(1). Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2012. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Fiedler, F., 2015. Contingency theory of leadership. Organizational Behavior 1: Essential Theories of Motivation and Leadership, p.232. Gavetti, G., Greve, H.R., Levinthal, D.A. and Ocasio, W., 2012. The behavioral theory of the firm: Assessment and prospects. The academy of management annals, 6(1), pp.1-40. Isaacson, W., 2012. The real leadership lessons of Steve Jobs. Harvard business review, 90(4), pp.92-102. Mondy, R. and Martocchio, J.J., 2016. Human resource management. Human Resource Management, Global Edition. Ozmen, D., 2013. Post-Bureaucracy and Post-Bureaucratic Culture in Public Administration. International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research, 2(3). Westphal, J.D. and Zajac, E.J., 2013. A behavioral theory of corporate governance: Explicating the mechanisms of socially situated and socially constituted agency. The Academy of Management Annals, 7(1), pp.607-661.