James Bond Modern Myth Essay Example

James Bond Modern Myth Essay Most of what we consider to be today’s modern myths are timeless superheroes that have been preserved and elevated to this status by comic books, television shows, and movies. One modern character who has achieved this title, partly due to this same timelessness and seeming immortality, is Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Fleming created the character of Bond in 1953, when he released his first novel entitled Casino Royale. Critical acclaim for the novels led Fleming to partner with EON productions to film a James Bond movie – the first being Dr. No. While Fleming penned his final Bond story in 1964, other novelists and directors have continued to produce material that adds to the never-ending story of this British superspy. The image of James Bond has become an important part of pop culture, spawning a line of video games and musical arrangements made specifically for the series. It has also influenced many other novels and films; including the Austin Powers spoof series and the Jason Bourne books and movies. The name James Bond has become synonymous with violence, sex and sophistication, and it is a prime example of a modern myth due to people’s familiarity with the character and his personality. James Bond is a modern myth not just because of the mythic qualities that the character and his codename, 007, possess, but also because of the status to which it has been elevated and the number of ways in which it has been recreated. Ian Fleming released the first novel featuring Commander Sir James Bond of the British Secret Intelligence Service in 1953, which was entitled Casino Royale. We will write a custom essay sample on James Bond Modern Myth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on James Bond Modern Myth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on James Bond Modern Myth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The novel introduced Bond as a cold and virtually emotionless MI6 (SIS) agent sent to defeat a Soviet terrorist who is funding a weapons trade in an intense game of Baccarat. As Fleming said of his creation: I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, James Bond was much better than something more interesting, like Peregrine Carruthers. Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department. (Chancellor 47) Most of the Bond novels would make reference to Bond’s coldness and nonchalant attitude towards murdering others, and it would become a staple of the series – a mythic quality that intrigued readers and, later, viewers. Also, Fleming notes that while Bond remains unmoved, wild occurrences take place around him – a duality that offers attractive action scenes and exotic locales as well as a character that garners interest with his mysterious nature. In fact, a glimpse into Bond’s history and previous life is not provided until the novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the 11th novel in the series. This mystique is also another quality that has helped James Bond achieve mythic status. The Bond novels ended abruptly when Fleming died in 1964, but another novel and a collection of short stories were published posthumously two years later as they had already been written by Fleming. The saga continued, however, through the growing popularity of the film series. Fleming worked directly with EON productions in 1962 to release the first James Bond movie, which featured Sean Connery as Bond. Despite Fleming originally disliking Connery playing his character, along with the first film, Dr. No, receiving bad reviews from the box office, the production company continued to release Bond films and later achieved success and critical acclaim (Barnes and Hearn 8). The film series also gained a following that has continued to expand up to today, and it has reached a point where it appears that the saga will never end. In fact, history has proven that regardless of how poorly made a new Bond film seems to be, aficionados of the series will still embrace it because it features Bond, as proven by box offices failures such as Die Another Day and A View to a Kill. Although James Bond is not considered a traditional â€Å"superhero,† his never-ending story, ability to escape any danger, mind-blowing gadgets, and mysterious personality made him the first superhero of his time. â€Å"Before Superman, Batman or Indiana Jones, there was Bond, the bespoke superhero, blowing up stuff and nonchalantly risking his life and limb for God and country† (Hinson). James Bond faces his imminent death in every novel and film, often at the hands of some criminal mastermind or his arch nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (a character who has become a myth himself by inspiring characters such as Dr. Evil and The Claw). Despite the array of weapons, deadly plots and dangerous women used against him, Bond always escapes danger and lives to fight another day. The fact that his adventures have been replayed and expanded upon for forty years, that his likeness has been portrayed by six different actors, and that multiple authors have been licensed to pen new Bond novels solidifies his status as a modern myth. Also, like most myths, James Bond has become more famous than his original creator, a factor that separates the Bond series from any other book-turned-movie in the modern age. Despite all of the qualities of the James Bond series that prove its integration into our culture, it is necessary to connect it to other elements of myths in order to substantiate its role as a modern myth. First of all, myths are associated with the cultures that create them, and they become a tradition of that civilization. Such is the case with the Bond series, as it is ingrained in our society so that new films and video games are released every few years and the name James Bond is often the first image to come to a person’s mind when the word â€Å"spy† is mentioned. Likewise, the series itself integrates elements of the culture that created it. James Bond exudes the sophistication usually associated with Great Britain, and each novel and film includes aspects of the world’s happenings according to the era that it is produced during. For example, the film version of From Russia with Love reflects elements of the Cold War, and it especially resonated with the audience due to its release a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Likewise, the novel version of The Spy Who Loved Me, released in 1962, is the most sexually explicit of the series, which relates to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Most of the films were adapted from novels, but they were all generally modified to deal with modern issues and problems, thus keeping Bond current and endowing the series with more mythic qualities. A common element of myths is that they deal with transcendence and man’s futile attempt to transcend his natural boundaries. In the myth of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus desires to outdo the gods and fate by escaping his doomed future of incestuous marriage and familial murder. Despite his precautions, he is unable to escape his fated downfall. James Bond deals with transcendence in a different way. While he considers himself, and is considered by others to be, a blunt instrument utilized by the British government, he attempts to transcend his own boundaries by becoming more of a superhero than simply a spy. In most of the Bond novels, he goes to great lengths to defeat the evil which he faces at that time, and this is played out even more in the films where his feats are dramatized and he is presented as a larger than life character. He performs stunts that are truly unrealistic and takes on a criminal organization, its leader, and a slew of henchmen single-handedly. Bond succeeds in transcending his boundaries because he always defeats the â€Å"bad guy† and escapes unscathed. Yet, his efforts can also be seen as futile because he never eliminates the source of the world’s evil – which ultimately is his goal. Of course, Bond fails in this goal because he takes on a challenge that is truly impossible, since evil can never be erased from the world. In this sense, James Bond can be seen as mythic because it features man’s inability to transcend to the level which he wishes to obtain. Like many mythic heroes, Bond must attempt to complete his missions while compensating for his weaknesses. As Joseph Campbell points out, imperfection is what makes people empathize with and cheer for a mythic hero – imperfection makes him human and perfection would be impossible to identify with (J. Campbell 4). While many critics argue that the James Bond series is bland because the protagonist has no flaws, their argument is invalid. Bond features multiple weaknesses in the novels and films: â€Å"He turned back to the front page and began to rattle off the points that struck him†¦Vices: Smokes heavily, drink, but not to excess, and women† (Fleming, â€Å"From Russia with Love† 41). In this segment from From Russia with Love, a Russian agent reads off the information file that they have kept on James Bond. His first vice (which, his vices should be viewed as weaknesses since they are imperfections) is smoking, which is heavily played up in the novels but was not featured in most of the films after the 70s. In fact, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in the early 90s makes the remark that smoking is â€Å"†¦an awful habit† after seeing a Russian guard lighting up (M. Campbell). However, smoking is considered one of the literary Bond’s vices because, even though smoking was condoned in the 50s and visible in many films during the era, Bond is presented as smoking excessively and unhealthily. His drinking habits are considered a vice, but it is a less important factor because he does not drink to excess and does not allow it to impede his objectives. In fact, Bond’s drinking has become a mythic element of his character, but more specifically, his choice of alcoholic drink. â€Å"A dry martini, he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet. Oui, monsieur. Just a moment. Three measures of Gordons, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until its ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it? † (Fleming, â€Å"Casino Royale† 72). This quotation first appeared in the novel Casino Royale and has since been featured in many other Bond novels and films, more commonly condensed into the phrase, â€Å"Shaken, not stirred. † Bond’s drink preference has been quoted and misquoted in many other mediums, thus proving its mythic qualities. His only other vice, and arguably the most notable of all, is his excessive amount of women. In every Bond adventure, he seduces at least one woman, although more often than not he has multiple women. In Casino Royale, both the novel and the 2006 feature film, he meets Vesper Lynd, a partner in his mission, whom he falls madly in love with. After becoming severely wounded, Bond contemplates retiring from the service in order to marry Vesper and lead â€Å"an honest life,† although this does not happen after he discovers that she is a double agent working for SMERSH/QUANTUM (the organization’s title differs in the novels and movies). Her death leaves him empty, leading him to tell his boss â€Å"The job is done†¦the bitch is dead now,† foreshadowing his distrust of women in every later novel and film (Fleming, â€Å"Casino Royale† 180). Bond is commonly referred to as a womanizer for his treatment of women after this event, using women simply for sex and the completion of his goals. These women whom he seduces are referred to as â€Å"Bond girls,† a term that has become another staple of the series. Usually, the â€Å"Bond girl† is the main woman in the novel or film, and she can range from being Bond’s coworker to his opponent. Bond girls† have also taken on a mythic element due to their names, which are usually comical as well as overtly sexual (i. e. Honey Ryder, Xenia Onnatop, and Pussy Galore). James Bond’s smorgasbord of women is considered a weakness because it often places him in dangerous situations. He is sometimes lured into a trap by his nemeses, su ch as in From Russia with Love, where SMERSH utilizes the beautiful Tatiana Romanova to assassinate Bond unsuccessfully, of course. Most myths, even some of the more modern ones, tend to feature some supernatural or preternatural components. Earlier myths often featured the gods as important players in the plot, and these supernatural beings sometimes intervene with the action of the myth. In the James Bond series, there is no mention of God or gods and the supernatural generally does not come into play, with the exception of the novel and movie Live and Let Die, which features a Bond girl with the ability to foresee the future and a nemesis that defeats his foes by utilizing voodoo and black magic. Otherwise, the supernatural does not come into play in the Bond series (this is due to the fact that the plots usually deal with realistic and modern-day elements). However, one connection that can be made to the supernatural is Bond’s agelessness and his superhero-like abilities. As previously noted, the Bond series has been operating for 40 years, yet the character never ages. While the ages of the actors who play him may vary, they have all been around the same ages (with the exception of Roger Moore, who was notably older than the other actors when he first began his tenure). His agelessness has helped to endow that mythical quality upon the series. Bond also possesses what some may view as a supernatural ability to always escape death; however, this is not a typical superhero power. Instead, Bond is attributed with a particular set of skills, including but not limited to the knowledge of boating, skiing and karate, which allows him to swiftly deal with his enemies, even in the stickiest situations. While this is not the traditional supernatural intervention that one may expect, it nevertheless aids in establishing his status as a myth. Just as Antigone presents a moral issue that its characters must face, many other myths do the same. They often attempt to provide some ethical justification for an action, therefore being pedagogical and teaching its audience something about life. The James Bond series is pedagogical as well, adding another aspect to the list of items that make it mythic. One feature of Bond that is insightful about life is his unhappiness. Throughout the novels more so than the films, Bond sometimes appears unhappy about the path he has chosen for himself as well as his constant romances with women but nability to ever settle down with someone (the novels hint at a possible marriage before Vesper Lynd was in the picture, but it is unclear as to if it fell through or if the woman died). In many ways, Fleming was reflecting his own personal life and his experiences during WWII. He wrote in his creed â€Å"I have always smoked and drunk and loved too much. In fact I have lived not too long but too mu ch. One day the Iron Crab will get me. Then I shall have died of living too much† (Fleming, â€Å"Fleming Creed†). While Fleming appears optimistic about his experiences in life, he nevertheless desires a source of calmness and relaxation. It can be said that Fleming, while beautifying the art and lifestyle of espionage, was also instructing readers that this way of life can leave a person empty and, while it can be exciting and exotic, human beings long for some stability. Bond novels and films also take a myth-like ethical justification approach to violence as well as the sometimes brutal tactics that Bond employs in his missions. James Bond constantly needs to shoot someone or blow up a building, but it is justified because it is all part of the grand scheme and allows Bond to complete his objectives. As described in the short story and film License to Kill, MI6 has given James Bond the authority to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. In light of his victory, any sins that he has committed immediately become irrelevant, and he is viewed as a hero in the same way that a soldier is viewed when returning home for a successful war. The Bond series serves as a modern myth because it explores ethical justifications and asserts that murders can be justified if they are executed in the pursuit of justice. The Bond series offers a myriad of items that have become ingrained in our society through their appearance in James Bond books and films specifically, Bond quips and catchphrases, the number 007, â€Å"Bond girls,† unrealistic gadgets, tuxedo-clad spies, and criminal masterminds who prove to be inefficient in eliminating their primary assailant. The Bond character is also a timeless and ageless figure that has been portrayed by multiple actors and presented in numerous adventures. The series also contains common elements of myths which substantiate claims that James Bond is a modern myth. The novels and films are pedagogical in nature and explore the issue of ethical justification for violence, and Bond is presented as having a preternatural ability to evade all danger and destroy all the evils that he faces. These adventures also deal with transcendence, and Bond’s attempt to transcend the boundaries of human nature and his occupation as well as his inevitable never-ending battle against the evils of the world. James Bond, like most myths, has garnered much more fame than its original creator, and the release of more films and novels featuring the protagonist is always expected since Bond has become a part of our society’s traditions.

Native Literature Written By Natives Essays - English Words

Native Literature Written By Natives Essays - English Words Native Literature Written By Natives It is unfairly noted that Native Literature written by Natives offends many readers with its discussion of the first-hand social ills affecting fellow Natives. However, the typical stories of Euro-Canadian relations constructed outside the Aboriginal thought imprisons all Aboriginals into stereotypes which obscure and distort their very real experiences. The obligation of the Native artist is to remain grounded in cultural soil and ideals, which is determined by Euro-Canadian standards, while at the same time establishing a foundation of justice and truth within the context of their work. Ian Ross has addressed many of these social ills in his play fareWel. Using humor, characterization and personal experience Ross depicts reserve life from outside the Euro-Canadian perspective, as being hopeful despite the blatant despair and antagonism reserve life contains. The Partridge Crop Reserve in Manitoba is a fictional place where the fictional characters Melvin MacKay, Sheldon Traverse, R achel Traverse, Phyllis Bruce, Teddy Sinclair, and Robert Traverse, become muses through which Ross uses to convey poignant information about the need for social reform for social ills. The representation of the treatment of Native women throughout history has been from a one-sided view. Either they were seen as unequal or as royalty, resulting in being branded as squaws or Indian Princess by the people who adhere to the Christian point of view. Ross seems to understand this falsehood and attempts to rectify it with the creation of the characters Phyllis Bruce and Rachel Traverse. They are both reserved based Native Women, who lived a hard and fast life, but respect the church, however they are neither squaws nor Indian Princesses. Phyllis is a single-parent who was beaten by her husband but attempts to use this experience to strengthen Rachel by saying, You can hide in the roof here OK? That's where I used to hide so I didn't get beat up (pg.66). There are few options for Native, u neducated, and single-parent women and Phyllis chooses to use her mind to fight the struggle which emphasizes the significant role woman as mothers and providers are forced to play. Also throughout the play Phyllis is constantly looking for a way to feed her kids while in the same thought explores how to feed a church full of people with sardines and moldy bread (pg.66). This highly illustrates that despite the obvious misfortune that Phyllis is entwined in she stills feels compelled to do her duty to her church, her friends, and herself. Phyllis is the symbol of strength for her enduring and overcoming. Rachel was created to emphasize the insurmountable difficulties that Native women face, first as being the Native woman, and second, for being unable to achieve economic or social value. She relays this message to the reader when she states, and when I left here I realized what I wasA woman. A Native woman. With no education. No money. No future. (pg. 68) In order to gain economic v alue she had to prostitute herself due to the lack of adequate means to legitimate opportunities. It is a horror that is greatly misinterpreted by her fellow Natives for instance, Teddy constantly refers to her as a hooker (pg. 58) or a slut (pg.59), which only proves that the spirit of a native woman can never be broken. In her desperate attempts to gain economic freedom she was unfairly judged and subsequently lost social status. Although Rachel yearns to leave the reserve it is her deep sense of hope that the reserve will overcome the turmoil that keeps her there. Her welfare check also keeps her in a constant reality check because without it she is forced to resort to being the whore(pg.59) It is Rachel and Phyllis that truly define the meaning of hope with their conquests for self betterment. The essence of this play is captured by its ability to add comic relief in its context through each characters unique disposition. But, it is Nigger with his abnormal actions, thoughts and appearance, which brings humor to the play the most efficiently. Our first experience with Nigger is when Animush (pg.22) attacks him leaving him with an open scar and torn jeans. The humor lies in the image of Nigger who

Reading responce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading responce - Assignment Example Tan further proves that her mother’s English is â€Å"imperfect† by citing several circumstances experienced by her mother (78). She also points out that her mother has noticed her own limitations as she was asked to pretend to be Mrs. Tan on a phone call one time, and talked to doctors when her mother needed to get more information about findings (78). This article shows the power of language, English specifically, in society. Similar to what is shown, people who are relatively â€Å"good† in English tend to ignore those comparatively â€Å"poor† in communicating their ideas. In communities today individuals likely equate the inability of â€Å"perfect† verbalization to lack of comprehension, which is unlikely in most cases. The complexity of language contributes to how one may find it difficult to speak flawlessly, but does not necessarily imply one’s being â€Å"limited.† This essay, showing the author’s vivid understanding of her mother’s imperfect English as a daughter rather than a writer, gives readers an eye-opener of how they should pattern their language depending on who they are talking to, without

Third Cinema- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Third Cinema- - Essay Example The aspects of Third Cinema which are expressed by Sembene make the films controversial as well as a way to show the culture of Senegal and the controversies surrounding politics and society. Through the movies, there is a creation of boundaries of what it means to belong in a third world country and the social and political divisions which have arisen in response to this. Theory of Third Cinema The concept of third cinema is based on the social and political problems that are apparent in third world countries. These issues are defined as being separate from first world countries and hold several layers of what it means to belong to a third world country. The language that is developed to represent this shows a development and understanding of the practices and political and ideological overtones that are present in the countries. This is furthered by showing the pressing issues which need to be changed and how these have affected the nations without the understanding of those in pre sent day society. From the ideas of political and social overtones are three main strategies used to create the Third Cinema. This includes styles and narratives that are relative to the country represented, defamiliriazation from Hollywood style plots and national and local variations that are representative of the main issues of a given culture. While Third Cinema is able to provide the outlook of politics and society in the third world, there are other influences that create a different portrayal of the films. The main contrast that is seen with the films is based on the combination of Western ideologies and techniques, such as seen through Hollywood influences, as well as creating unique outlooks with both the techniques and content of the film. To change this, the third cinema focuses on representation that is specific to localities and nations. This includes an exotic look as well as content that is specific to each of the regions. By doing this, there is the ability to create a sense of identity and belonging as a part of the film, as opposed to fitting in with the Western concepts. To the Western viewer, this leads to an understanding that the third world problems are a part of the other and have a feel of belonging to the outside as a specific problem to that culture. By using this image, there is the ability to gain interest from the Western viewers while representing the context of a specific third world culture (Ukadike, 1994). Xala I the Cure â€Å"Xala I The Cure† is the first film that is displayed by Sembene as appealing to the specific politics and society that are a part of Senegal. The beginning of this is the setting that is chosen, specifically which represents the ideal of Senegal before colonialism. The setting and the representation of the exotic through costumes and other elements are seen as related directly to the Mande Empire. This is common for the area of shooting of the film. This contrasts with the setting after coloniali sm, which is represented by the French costumes that are a part of the story line. At first, this is seen specifically by the French invasions. However, as the story continues, there is conformity to the French styles in costume, ways of living and the ideals which are carried. The setting and the approach that is taken shows how there is a division between these two era which has created a different sense of belonging to t

ARISTOTLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ARISTOTLE - Essay Example Wealth itself is a neutral entity, if used properly can be a boon, if mishandled can turn into a bane. Its usage depends on the kind of people who possess it and their intention and actions how they utilize them. In such circumspect it is the mark of a noble man to spend than desire to save and possess that makes him a gentleman. This in return earns them praise, accolades and soft corners in different sections. Virtue is a painless act, rather a peace earning act which blesses the soul. Righteous individual would leave less to him and give more to others. The degree to which an individual gives away with respect to self earnings and self possession hold more ground than one who may possess more yet donate and give away less. Without regard for self accumulation if the donation is given away, it holds more ground than any other case of noble intention. Richness in true sense in one when one gives away rather than possession of material goods. The consideration of giving away to the r ight kind and right type is also a very important factor. It must be ensured that the recipients are fully worthy of it and deserve to be granted in the name of charity and virtue. The timings of donation and give away are also vital, since small donations in time of need are more valuable than large donations at time when they are least needed. This noble realization establishes a sense of self scrutiny in an individual and restricts him to the righteous path only. Source of donation and earning is also a factor determinant of noble cause. Spend thrift and miserliness is a double evil element, and imbalances of either extreme poles, one serving for deprived livings and lifestyle, while the other stands as extra lavish spending which in other words is wastage of resources and elements. While spend thrift is termed as outer bound, miserliness is a least bound below the nominal line on which the activities should be undertaken. These two factors are not mutually inclusive and may occu r as a contrasting element with one occurring at a time only (Kass ,151). However, spend thrift is at times given the edge and goes pass the radar unnoticed for at least he contributes in a certain way, while the miser individual in no measure contributes what so ever. Certain factors are highlighted which may bring the spend thrift individual to a desired and ordered border line zone. These factors can be that of loss of pecuniary element or the souring of digits in the life span column. The miser is deemed as sheer ignoble and despicable only because he does not contribute in any way, does not yearn to solve the troubles of people, nor does he take any concrete action to help the downtrodden, underprivileged section of society who through may be faced with the turbulent circumstances. Yet the spend thrift cannot be exempted and they do stand nearly guilty as the misers for their sources may not be genuine and may have come from a source that are not preached by the book, ethics an d laws. The diminishing of their own armory possessions lead them to adopting means which are against the rules and against the grain of noble man. These two serve as deviances and detraction from the desired path line. This can be mended through guidance, counseling, and right path determination and instruction along with the sense of benevolence and mankind welfare

The Revised Blooms Taxonomy Tool

The Revised Blooms Taxonomy Tool For the twenty first century the requirements of kinds of learning is different than previous century. There is a need for all students, not just a select few, to develop their abilities to think, solve problems and become independent learners (Bruer, 1993; CTGV, 1997; Resnick Resnick, 1991). Course objectives or Curriculum consists of the knowledge and skills in subject matter areas that teachers teach and students are supposed to learn (Pallegrino, 2002). Course objectives describe what learners will be able to do after a particular learning experience. Articulated course objectives make students and educators aware of the learning expectations and teaching goals, respectively. For any course, learning objectives should not only list the topics that students will learn, but also the expected cognitive levels for each of the topics. Through instruction teachers apply different methods of teaching and the learning activities to help students master the content and objectives specified by curriculum. By applying summative and formative assessments teachers and learners both able to measure the outcomes of education and the achievement with regard to important competencies. The course objectives, the learning activities and the assessments used to measure the achievement of the intended learning outcomes are intricately related and connected to each other (Cohen, 1987; Wiggins, 1993). An assessment should measure what students are actually being taught and the cognitive level that is being intended to teach in course objectives. If any of the functions is not well synchronized, it will be misleading, or instruction will be ineffective (Pallegrino, 2002). Lack of alignment between course objectives and assessments is a major reason that students adopt a surface approach to learning rather than developing higher order cognitive skills. In an aligned system of instruction teachers needed to identify the appropriate verbs in the objectives and to embed those in the assessment tasks so that judgments can be made about how well a given students level of performance meets the objectives. As the teaching methods and the assessment tasks are accessed the same verbs as are in the objectives, the chances are increased that most students will engage with the appropriate learning activities (Biggs, 1999). There are several methods used to align course objectives and assessments based on the cognitive level. Benjamin S. Bloom was one of the first educators to realize the universality of a finite number of verbs across a variety of subject matters. He has built a framework for categorizing educational objectives in 1956 with the expectation to help to all teachers, administrators, professional specialists, and research worker to deal curricular and evaluation problems, which is widely known as Blooms taxonomy. The cognitive domain (Bloom, 1956) involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills. There are six major categories (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation) starting from the simplest to the most complex cognition (Bloom, 1956). The categories can be thought of as degrees of difficulties. That is, the first one must be mastered before the next one can take place. Some course objectives might address some verbs (identify, enumerate, describe, list, combine etc.) to develop lower levels of cognition that learners will learn a major ideas or procedure of a subject matter but ignores those verbs (justify, theorize, hy pothesize, reflect etc.) that helps learner to achieve the skills so that they can apply these to solve different problems in relevant domains. Course objectives would refer to at least relational levels of understanding, where learners are not only expected to know facts and information, but also to structure them in forms that by the end of professional training they should be able apply into unseen problems and domains. Blooms Taxonomy Tool has been successfully used in multiple studies to evaluate the cognitive levels of course objectives and of assessments. However, these studies are focused on courses for general stream students and no such evaluation is currently available for students with learning disabilities. The purpose of the current paper is to use the Revised Blooms Taxonomy (Anderson Krathwohl, 2001) Tool to study the alignment between the objective and assessment for courses attended by the students with learning disabilities in High School settings. Students with learning disabilities do not have a hearing or visual impairment, a physical disability, or below average intelligence. However, they demonstrate difficulties in the receptive language (listening, reading), language processing (thinking, conceptualizing, integrating), and expressive language (talking, spelling, writing), mathematical computations, self-esteem and social skills, sequencing, time management etc. By applying Revised Blooms Taxonomy (RBT) on course objectives and assessment the level of cognition can be determined by identifying the verbs and level of knowledge can be determined by identifying nouns used in their objectives and assessments. Verb defines the category and sub-category of the cognitive domain th at students have reached and the noun describes the category of knowledge (factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge) they are being assessed. The overall goal of the project is to better understand the effects of the alignment between the cognitive levels of the course (English, math, and science) objectives designed for the students with learning disabilities at high school level and the assessment questions used to evaluate their performance. The objective of this study is firstly, to apply the Revised Blooms Taxonomy Tools to evaluate the alignment between the stated course objectives and the questions asked for assessment for different competencies of each course, that is the level of each course objectives that have being taught; and the level of cognitive complexity of assessment task that have being used, and secondly, to analyze students grade to investigate the association of Blooms level of an assessment question on their performance, that is the possible positive or negative correlation between level of assessment task to the level of performance will be analyzed and thirdly, to analyze students grade to investigate the impact of variation in assessment objective with course objective at a different Blooms level on students performance. This study may generate data indicative of perfect alignments or possible misalignments between the learning objectives and the assessment procedure in a course designed for the students with learning disabilities. This information will either confirm the existing strength in the design of a course to the teachers or the curriculum coordinators and provide support for sound strategies or on the contrary this information will aware about the possible alignment weaknesses in the design of a course to the teachers or the curriculum coordinators and facilitate the implementation of corrective measures towards the improvement and enrichment the course. Findings from this study will be useful to inform the teacher education programs to make teachers aware of the importance of maintaining curriculum coherence for efficient teaching and effective learning. As Lorin W. Anderson (2002) mentioned that proper curriculum alignment enables teachers to understand the differences in the effects of s chooling on student achievement and poorly aligned curriculum results underestimating the effect of instruction on learning. Furthermore, findings from this study might create an urge to producing an instructors guide to the course objectives with specific examples and active learning activities that can be used in class and aligned exam question banks that could be used for effective assessment purpose. Furthermore, researchers could generate suggestions if any modification is needed in relation to better reflect key principles of learning for students with learning disabilities.

The Distributive Justice Of The Market :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites (1) Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive total system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberty for all. (2) Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both: (a) to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged, consistent with the just savings principle, and (b) attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity. " (John Rawls, "A Theory of Justice", 1971, p.302) Resources are scarce. This is the basic, dismal truth of the dismal science. The second truth is that people consume resources. A basic existential anxiety makes them want more resources than they can consume (the "just in case" principle). This raises the question of fairness, a.k.a. "distributive justice". How should resources be allocated in a manner which will conform to one or more just principles ? This apparently simple question raises a host of more complex ones : what constitutes a resource ? what is meant by allocation ? Who should allocate these resources or should this better be left to some Adam Smithean "invisible hand" ? Such an invisible hand (working through the price mechanism) - should its mode of operation be guided by differences in power, in intelligence, in knowledge, in heritage ? In other words : what should be the entitlement principle, how can it be determined who is entitled to what ? Everything constitutes a resource : income, opportunities, knowledge, brute power, wealth. Everything, therefore, is subject to distribution to individuals (natural persons), groups of people, certain classes. There are many bases for distribution, but the issue is HOW JUST these bases are and how can we ensure that we are distributing resources using a just distribution base. We all face opportunities to acquire resources. In a just society, everyone is granted the same access to these opportunities. Access does not translate into ability to make use of it. Idiosyncrasies and differences between accessees will determine the latter, i.e. the outcome of such access. The ability to use is the bridge between the access and the accumulated resources. Given access and the capacity to utilize it - resources (material goods, knowledge, etc.) will accrue to the user. There is a hidden assumption in all this : that all men are born equal and deserve equal respect and, therefore equal treatment.