Tom Appleby Convict Boy Review Essay Example

Tom Appleby Convict Boy Review Paper Have you ever pictured the life of a convict? Tom Appleby, The Convict Boy, written by Jackie French and published by Hairlessness Publishers in 2004, is an intriguing novel, that would appeal to most young Australians. The story brings you back 200 years ago on a historical journey, as Tom revisits the sorrowful yet heart-warming memories of his childhood. The time setting of the story travels back and forth between Toms past and present as you follow the struggles and fears throughout his life. The novel begins in the year 1868, Murderous, Australia. Within the mansion of a wealthy landowner, Thomas Appleby. On the morning of his ninetieth birthday, he looks out his bedroom window to find a white transparent figure standing in his yard, he calls out to it, earning no response. What is it? Is it a ghost? Whose? Tom recalls his past longing for an answer 8 year old, chimney sweep and orphan Tom is convicted of theft and sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay for seven years. Still mourning his fathers recent death, Tom keeps his warm, red cloak of courage wrapped around him, enduring the continuing events f his life. We will write a custom essay sample on Tom Appleby Convict Boy Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tom Appleby Convict Boy Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tom Appleby Convict Boy Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During his time as a chimney sweep, Tom loses his friend Jam, whom he always looked up to. Gems death was caused by a sudden chimney collapse, he never had a chance to fulfill his dream with Tom. Through his journey to New Holland, Tom suffers from the loss and separation of many friends and family. Tom only pulls his courage cloak around himself tighter, concealing his pain and loneliness, as he bravely pushes forward. The Scarborough, one of the eleven ships in the first fleet, was due to take 1450 passengers to Botany Bay. Those including officers, surgeons, sailors marines and their families, as well as convicts. Aboard the ship, Tom was youngest of all the male convicts, wearing ragged clothes and weighed down by the heavy chains cuffed to their arms and legs. They were held in the dark confined space blow deck and sent the required food and water. During the times convicts were permitted above deck, Tom spotted a well dressed boy roughly his age, with his father. Later observed that the boys name was Rob and that his father was a sergeant. After undergoing harsh and dreadful weather notations the first fleet finally reached New Holland, just in time to claim the land, before two French exploration ships arrived after them. Another five hours later the ships had sailed to Port Jackson, where the ships unloaded and the passengers began to settle. After Tom worked in various places with differentials, he was eventually assigned to the custody of Sergeant Stanley, which Tom recognizes was Robs father. Tom grew very close to Rob and his father, as he helped with the growing of their crops and animals. Spending such time with Rob, Tom discovered that Robs dream was to be an architect. TO design and build his own constructions. In the boys spare time from tending their crops in the afternoon, they wander the land to find an Indian women. A sorrowful expression masking her face. The woman kept gesturing for the boys to come as she led them inland, sharing all the food she could gather She needs to give, thought Tom. He could see the pain in her eyes, the pain that was so familiar to himself. The many twists within the novel, constantly keeps the reader interested and encourages them to read on rather. The characters in this story are also very well portrayed. Tom is depicted as a very kind hearted and trustworthy friend. He has a brave, strong willed personality that supported him in the most difficult times. The main moral message conveyed in this novel is, that if you always remain positive and stay strong, youll be able to make it through any arduous situation. Tom Appleby, Convict Boy won the 2005 Childrens Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers. I would strongly recommend this novel for all ages to read. This moving life story will keep you captivated till the very end.

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points Invention of Homework: Who Is to Blame and Did He Hate Students That Much? Probably every student sitting over fill-in test sheets, verb lists or math problems has wondered at least once who designed the after-school learning process a.k.a. homework and why he did it. Obviously not for the love of science and learning, since such loads of homework just overburden students and make them sleepy and tired all the time. But why, then? Because students were too loud and nasty and so it was a kind of punishment to make them learn even at home? Or because a teacher was lazy, busy or absent and so students had to catch up with the curricula on their own? Well, the history of homework is not that dramatic or mysterious, but it does contain some useful insights that can benefit both students and teachers. A Bit of History Although no source provides clear mentioning of homework through the long history of education up to the 19th century, it is most probable that it existed in this or that form all along the way. Doing observations, composing verses and speeches in rhetoric in the antiquity, memorizing prayers and Biblical texts in the middle ages, acquiring knowledge about the natural world from books and from nature in times of the Industrial revolution – it all required work beyond classroom walls. Besides, methods of teaching and available supplies before the invention of the printing press meant that most things had to be learned by heart. So information was either copied from valuable books or from teacher’s voice and learned after classes, or learned in class through chanting and mnemonic tools, thus being homework done in class. Some cite Marcus Quintilian, a famous Roman orator and teacher, as a first person to explicitly assign homework, but there is no clear written evidence for it. However, Quintilian was a first humanist teacher who focused on the needs of child and benefits of early education, so his influence is recognized today even without reference to homeworking. The appearance of the printing press meant that books were made available to a much wider audience, and so opportunities to make kids study after classes efficiently became wider. Fiction and non-fiction literature of early modernity sometimes mention children learning their lessons after classes to be able to recite them in class on the next day. Thus homework was in full bloom long before the thorough overhaul of education in the 19th century and the establishment of a truly comprehensive and standardized educational system. Homework Timeline In the 19th century and closer to the 20th century needs of developing economy and advances in child psychology and physiology meant that educational approaches and beliefs had to be reconsidered if they were to prepare kids for the life in new conditions. Class time was limited and standardized, a content of study aligned all across the country and made more practical, teachers were certified and the outcome of education was also outlined in measurable terms. Learning was to be intense, but class time could not host all information and activities anymore. Thus homework became an important part of education, but it also became regulated and quantified, relying not only on memorization but on independent work and creativity as well. The name of Roberto Nevilis is sometimes connected to the history of homework but he cannot be credited with inventing something that actually existed long before. It is possible that he was the first to put forward a scientific foundation for how to assign homework, but we will never know it for sure. Nevertheless, the real value and proper rationing of homework were being tested and adjusted well into the 1930s, when an explosion in psychological studies helped understand educational needs of children and how they can be nurtured and supported, not destroyed, by homework. Namely, there are benchmarks that differentiate useful homework from a homework dispensed as a punishment: Educationally useful homework is feasible (i.e. practically sound and accomplishable) It is not excessively large and difficult (part of feasibility) It is dispensed when students are independent enough to study without a teacher. These are basic requirements that apply to any kind of homework. Thus when students claim that they cannot cope with homework load because it consumes all their time it means that the first two commandments of good homework are breached and its benefits rapidly decline. But how does homework work? It is not a pun, there are scientific explanations of the process of knowledge acquisition that do point to the necessity of homework. Read them through, and you will never doubt the necessity of homework as such. Today no one doubts that proper homework helps to consolidate the freshly acquired knowledge and provides an opportunity to work independently and to find out what pace and methods of learning work out for every particular student. Thus good homework targets at achieving these goals and at enabling students to get the maximum of benefits from every topic studied. in class, the material is newly acquired and comprehended. Everything happens in time-pressed manner, where after learning new topic students are to take tests, do exercises or engage in some other unrelated kind of activities because the curriculum is wide and time is scarce; to get a better understanding of material repetitive reading and analysis are required, and they can happen out of class only. So reading and analyzing at home improves understanding and internalizing of knowledge; scholarly concepts can be tricky to grasp in class on the go, so at home, where nothing distracts and time permits, their assimilation and memorization happen more easily and naturally; memorization cannot happen immediately, every student has their own memory capacities, and what one remembers immediately, the other can memorize only after reading it a dozen times; what is repeated at time intervals and rehearsed at home is learned much better than something learned in the classroom only; homework gives time and space to be creative, to come up with new ideas, play with them, research, and so on. So indeed it is a tool of boosting creativity and independence. But we will remind again, all these good things happen only when homework is feasible and limited in time. If all free time of students is consumed by learning only, the benefits of homework turn into downsides. Besides, when assigning homework teachers and instructors need to take into consideration that acquisition and internalization of material happen through various kinds of activities, not only through reading and writing. The learning process includes several stages: initial perception understanding of perceived concepts consolidation formation of skills application of skills in practice. Every mentioned stage needs its own methods of work, and teachers are to select combinations of these methods to include into homework so that every aspect of the learning process was involved and activated. It is a complex task indeed, but if performed properly, homework turns from a nightmare into a cool journey full of discoveries and wonders. Genuine Goals of Homework Believe it or not, but homework was not created out of spite towards naughty students. It was born out of necessity and proved its value across continents and times. Different countries apply different standards in regard to the amount of homework. There were times when this load was on the rise, then the tide receded and kids had more freedom, now the high tide of a home task is back again. But no matter where properly measured and diversified homework enables students to do more than in class and to do so in comfort: students can plan their work as they want they can study without someone assessing them they do not have to haste or put a stop in the middle of a sentence to turn the test in they choose the pace and rhythm they use all the sources they need. Thus home task supports the academic activities performed in the class and provides space for more activities that help students know more and study better. Indeed, they memorize the stuff learned in class, revise and refresh in memory previously learned things and consolidate and apply newly acquired skills. That’s the goal of a good education, and homework is an integral part of the path towards it. But in addition to these purely academic benefits, homework develops in students more general life-saving skills: responsibility, self-planning and will basics of self-education research and information evaluation skills, use of various sources information processing capacities (analysis, synthesis, hypothesizing, analogy, etc.). These primary and secondary goals and benefits can all be achieved – and are achieved – under a proper application of homework and its types. Combination of different varieties of assignments is a key to helping students learn and not killing their curiosity. But what are these types? Optimal Types and Scopes of Homework Types of homework are the same as types of work in class, and so a combination of several of them makes home learning not so boring and more effective: Initial acquisition of information from textbooks/lectures Written exercises Oral exercises Memorization exercises Creative tasks Large written projects Craft projects Lab work, experiments, field work. Each kind of work is valuable in itself, but when put together in moderate amounts and diversified, they work wonders when assigned for home performance. If you need any kind of the above-mentioned tasks, just let us know and you will get the A-grade assignment completed as fast as you need it. Homework and Improved Education: Mission Possible? So what’s the conclusion? It looks obvious now that canceling homework is implausible and senseless since it will hurt the educational process. After receiving information in class students need to consolidate it, refresh in memory and apply in practice. It all can be done successfully at home only when time permits and a student is relaxed. If all conditions of good homework are met, it will work wonders for students’ skills and grades. And of course, it is wrong to believe, as some teachers do, that homework is a way to discipline kids and teach them time management. It is not. It is neither a punishment nor a mechanical tool of oppression. It is a valuable addition to the class time that helps students learn better and learn more. But teachers should understand this role of homework and organize it properly and reasonably, in the first place. In other words, they should learn their lesson.

Higher Education and a Knowledge Based Economy Essay

Higher Education and a Knowledge Based Economy - Essay Example Of course all this would have implications for the area of higher education and this area has been discussed in depth by many academics like Nonaka, 1991 and Wiig, 1993.Knowledge is "power" and a key business asset and this will no doubt lead to an increased demand for education and training of the modern individuals .For the purposes of this paper I would present knowledge to be not only a member of the "steadily increasing" corporate assets (which amongst others are patients ,goodwill and brand identity etc) but also as "meaningful information; or the understanding, awareness, familiarity acquired through study, investigation, observation or experience over the course of time (citing Zelner , 2000)".(Psarras 2006).Basically then in the context of higher education it becomes an " individual's interpretation of information based on personal experiences, skills and competencies" (Psarras 2006). The impact on higher education of the knowledge based economy thus requires the need for instilling the culture of effective Knowledge management into the learning and education as a whole. ... The Educational criteria thus has to match the firm's knowledge needs and this has led to a growing appreciation for occupationally acquired knowledge to mere academic qualifications devoid of any practical experience. Thus Higher education will have to be focused upon developing this specific knowledge as required by the modern corporate firms competing for survival in the economy. Thus the aim is no longer knowledge delivery and there is a heightened focus upon strategic information and knowledge management by the labour force to achieve business goals efficiently through proper utilisation of the knowledge.This trend has been prevalent since the decade of the eighties where as according to Cooke and Cooke (1998) there has been growth of what is called "learner centred knowledge and action learning, a growing significance of work-related learning and the recognition of work and work experience as a key source of learning" (Psarras 2006 citing Cooke and Cooke 1998).Finally the adven t of information technology has made the need to revolutionise teaching and learning methodologies more than ever. In conclusion the future belongs to those who can understand the need to make continuous learning and modern education and training for the modern work force. Thus it is a challenging time for universities to be aware of the transitions in their roles as knowledge providers and provide flexible, innovative and research intensive learning. Further more there is a need for Curricula that reflects the reestablishment of the link of learning with experience with a more environmentally responsive curriculum which addresses the real issues that happen in a real world.

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature review - Essay Example Impediments such as the lack of child-care facilities and stores remaining open only during the usual working hours also exist. Child care can be very expensive, and even for those who can afford it, it is hard to find it. Consequently, it is hard for many mothers to return to work after bearing a child as also for working women to shop. To compound matters, part-time jobs are almost non-existent. Gender and work in Germany: Pre and Post Unification The division of Germany had major repercussions in gender equality, specifically in the matter of division of labor in both paid and unpaid work. In the case of East Germany, it needed and expected men as well as women to be paid workers, while in West Germany, the conservative welfare state typically consigned women to unpaid housewifery and men to breadwinning. Consequently, women of East Germany gained better equality in the labor market than women in West Germany. However, in spite of the East German government’s professed comm itment to eliminate gender inequality altogether, employed women failed to attain full gender equality, particularly with regard to occupational integration, earnings, as well as division of labor at home (Rosenfeld et al, 2001). Institutional change and family formation Institutional control over the course of life and the formation of the family remained high under the highly regulative, pro-natalist and communist government in East Germany. The strong regulative nation was abruptly replaced by the establishment of the democratic West German model after a separation that lasted 28 years. After the downfall of the communist regime in East Germany, there was an intensification of economic pressures all over Germany, and more so in the tumult of changeover in East Germany, rather than in the pre-FRG. East German women reacted to the economic confusion as well as insecurities of the process of transition with de-standardized family formation as also a high incidence of alternative fam ily modes, which was in fact according to their secular familial values. A significant part of the East German story is the strong pattern under the extreme institutional control wielded by the communist system, compared to which the de-standardization after reunification remains in stark contrast (Fasang, 2011). On the contrary West Germany underwent a process of re-standardization of family formation. This comprises of either traditional marriage as also motherhood pattern or an interruption of family formation. This schism is motivated by structural difficulties to merge a career as well as a family, tax concessions for the breadwinner of the family and the never-changing conventional family values in West Germany. In the later stages of re-standardization there is a high incidence of cohabitation, the resultant motherhood out of wedlock, as also divorce. Women’s fertility and employment decisions In either part of Germany, the probability of women bearing a first child is correlated negatively, with employment as well as educational achievement. However, with second and third birth risks, the negative correlation flags. In East Germany, virtually every mother goes back to work 18 months after a birth. However, in West Germany, this ratio is a lot smaller and when the child begins nursery school/school, women enter the labour market yet again in higher ratios. These factors indicate a powerful and strong influence of

These two places differ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

These two places differ - Essay Example In contrast, 24 hours gym caters to the lower end of the market and caters to the mass market. Due to the huge disparity of the economic requirements of these two gyms, the people who frequents there can easily be categorized according to their income status. The people who goes to Equinox are typically professionals, business people, some entertainers and their dependents. They are typically well-off and rich and sports with designer clothes during work out. The people in Equinox gym have more choices where to train other than the present gym because of the choices that their economic capacity commands. The type of people who frequents at the 24 hours gym are typically those who belong in the low bracket income and sometimes the unemployed who take fitness to occupy their time. Their choice where to train is limited because budget is a major consideration to them. Their choices are often limited to those similarly priced gym and will have difficulty in moving up to gyms like Equinox because the resource requirements of gyms like Equinox will take toll on their resources. Due to their different economic standing, the interaction of people vary significantly. In equinox, it is observed that people there talks more about their work and business. Sometimes, the gym itself is made as a place to establish business connection. Conversations outside work typically revolves about the latest fad and hobbies like opinions on the latest model of cars, new places to visit, what’s in and what’s out. With regard to their dependents, it is observed that their conversations revolves around fun and how to enjoy life. They usually talk about gadgets and what’s â€Å"cool† today. It is also noticed that people in Equinox are more protocol consicous and more polite compared to those who are in 24 hours fitness gym. In contrast, people at Equinox talks more about issues. Especially on when will this economic crisis will end

Kantian and existentialist conceptions of freedom

Kantian and existentialist conceptions of freedom Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), best known for his work Critique of Pure Reason, was an instrumental philosopher in his contributions to moral philosophy. A devout Catholic, he firmly believed in the existence of God. Existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), however, countered Kantian philosophy in their stance on the meaninglessness of existence. For existentialists, life had no greater purpose as humans lived in an infinite universe unconcerned with human existence. Despite this fundamental difference, however, the Kantian and existentialist concepts of freedom had more in common than the rest of their philosophic components. Though rooted in opposing bases, both Kantian and existentialist freedom had more similarities than differences. Kantian free will and the existentialist liberation from responsibility both stipulated that man was only constricted in his choice by his own conscience. Both philosophies concepts of freedom are rooted in human consequence, but where Kantian freedom differs is the calculus of Christian morals and sin. Though his philosophy was deeply rooted in religion, Kant did not try to reduce human freedom, emphasizing the Christian concept of free will (Guyer 1992, p. 2). Though free will theoretically empowers man to any action he so desires, Kant believed in inextricably linking human freedom to the moral law indoctrinated by the specter of an all-knowing, all-seeing God (Guyer 1992, p. 4). Unlike Sartre, Kant believed in a fundamental problem posed by human freedom. Because of the unlimited possibilities and anarchy posed by the free will of millions, Kant endorsed a priori, moral-based philosophy limiting the boundaries of human will to ensure preservation of the greater good. Kants ultimate view of freedom was one that emphasized the importance of limitation as the use of freedom led to the dangers of materialism and determinism, from which the principle of freedom had to be saved at all costs (Guyer 1992, p. 52). Perhaps most concrete about Kantian philosophy is its argument that man ca nnot exist without God; mans actions exist because God allowed him free will, and for no other reason. Existentialist philosophy revolves around the precept that there is no God on whose behalf mans actions ought to be relegated. God did not create man. Instead, man created God. With no God upon whom humankind relies, there can be no limit to the potentiality of freedom. Existentialism dictates that there is no predetermined end to mans actions, that, unlike in Kantian philosophy, existence is meaningless. Man is a creature like any other creature in the universe, and though endowed with certain mental capacities, exists only to perish leaving no great imprint on the infinite universe. Furthermore, every person is unique from the existentialist standpoint, and no two people can be subject to the exact same moral conduct. As a result, the existentialist conception of man developed, portraying the individualessentially still free even when in chains[as] master of his own fate (Howells 1992, p. 68). The limits on human freedom are those of a conscious, self-implemented nature. Mans actio ns are limited only by the conscious decision of man, wherein he/she is obliged to practice good will (Howells 1992, p. 33). In his The Transcendence of the Ego, Sartre examines his moral objectivist predecessor Kant, focusing on individuality as a pivotal point in existence. Sartre asserts that Kant says nothing concerning the actual existence of the [statement] I think, purporting that in Kants notion of free will and limitation, Kant does not take into serious account the possibility of man to dismiss the a priori system altogether (Sartre 1988, p. 32). Sartre argues that Kantian philosophy relies on man as being compelled to follow a series of moral laws, which in essence limits human freedom. Sartre argues that true freedom comes without fear of consequence. Only in the existential acceptance of the futility of action and existence can true freedom to act exist. A priori laws are a binding code, and though they exist for the greater good, they still limit the boundaries of the Christian concept of free will. Essentially, acting on compulsion through an intermediary such as religion still fetters mans range of action, thought, and ultimately inhibits freedom. Despite Sartres contentions of the greater freedom of existentialist philosophy, both the Kantian and existentialist philosophies have much in common. Kant believed in free will as granted by God to man; man, in turn, has the complete freedom to do as he pleases. Though the consequences levied by religion are made clear, man has the choice to accept the consequences of his actions and can decide whether or not to endeavor to exercise free will as he sees fit. Existentialist freedom, through the acceptance of existence as meaningless, endows man with a free will as well, though of a different nature. In existentialist freedom, mans actions are meaningless in the grand scheme of the universe, and he is totally free to do as he pleases. However, man is bound by the consequence of moral transgression, implicating that he ought not to act in certain ways on behalf of his fellow man. The only differentiating aspect is the utilization of a priori laws in Kantian philosophy, as opposed to th e consideration of others in existentialist philosophy. Both philosophies perceive man as bound by knowledge of his consequences, which inhibits freedom in the same manner. Whether aware of an afterlife or the effect of actions on others, both philosophies feature the same countermeasures to free will. The similarities between existentialism and Kantian philosophy are evident only when examined in a broader sense. The more intimately examined, the fewer similarities hold. Under scrutiny, the two philosophies are complete opposites, yet the direction of the two essentially remains the same. Both philosophies dictate the limitations necessary on mans freedoms in order to peacefully co-exist with his surroundings. Where they differ is the source of limitations. For Kant, the limitation comes from the a priori moral objectivist laws attributed to God. Existentialists, on the other hand, find the same freedoms, but from a different approach as they embrace the concept of the universes indifference toward man and the inconsequential existence of humankind.

The Strength of a Single Parent Shown in The Scarlet Letter Essay

What is a single parent? Is it one who destroys their child’s life? Is it one who ultimately cannot raise a minor on their own? Or is it one who dedicates their lives to the well being of their kid? Imagine a parent, and for whatever reason they were left alone to raise a child. That parent you imagined has to work long hours just to put a meal on the table. That parent has to play the role of the mother and father. That parent has no financial support. Unfortunately, in our society, this image of a single parent is looked down upon. There are people that don’t realize how much a single parent goes through to give their child a better life. When it comes to the controversial issue of parenting, I believe that a single parent has the ability to raise a child just as effectively as two parents can. The reasons why are because the minor can learn life lessons that can only be acquired with a single parent, the single guardian can be the best choice for the young one, and a single parent has the ability to put all their attention and care to the son or daughter. Although some readers may object that it is impossible for a single parent to take care of a child than two parents, I would answer that it is not impossible. In The Scarlet Letter, a woman named Hester and her baby daughter Pearl were ostracized from society; and the young mother was left alone to take care of her daughter. Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that a child with a single parent can be raised properly by using the example of Hester and Pearl. By being with Hester, Pearl got to experience a different manner in life which enabled her to see an outside perspective of Puritan life and learn moral lessons from it. Pearl was not born into the typica... ...† (271). Hester had effectively raised a youngster to become something that was not expected. Despite being shunned upon on, Hester found a way to positively show Pearl moral lessons with the scarlet letter. Even when the townspeople wanted to take Pearl away from her mother, they were not triumphant to do so. The mother’s life was solely about Pearl; to keep her protected, warm, fed, clothed and loved. My conclusion, which is that based on the success of Pearl’s life, is that a single mother can raise a child. A single parent has the capability to nurture and love a son or daughter just as two parents can. A single parent sometimes is the best choice of who the minor can be with. A single parent may have challenges, but they can overcome them just to keep the child they love alive and well. Is it time now to realize what a single parent can truly accomplish?