Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a Essay - 1

Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a muliticultural classroom - Essay Example an that empowers students to achieve their highest potential, which in turn demands an equal, fair, and a culture sensitive teaching-learning process. This process involves specific teaching methods and practices that address the different needs of a multicultural environment. To successfully decide on teaching methods that facilitates students’ learning, a teacher must initially be familiar with the students, both as an individual and as a group (Burnette, 1999).These students will originate from varied backgrounds and may have different learning needs. A classroom may have students with different ethnic, cultural and religious beliefs, or may consist of immigrants who speak only their own native language. Some students may have a different sexual orientation; others may come from lower economic status, or have been raised by a single parent. Instances are also rampant when students have specific learning and physical disabilities that require special teaching provisions. At the beginning of the school year, it may prove beneficial for teachers to complete a student profile. Profile includes anecdotal records, questions that elicit helpful information regarding their individual backgrounds. Informal interviews may also help gain further informatio n and build teacher-student rapport. Promoting Human Relations with Emphasis on Respect and Dignity Because the classroom environment influences effective learning, a teacher must ensure that all students feel welcomed and accepted. In an open and friendly environment, rules must be firmly set against oppressive remarks and verbal abuse that are highly discriminatory. While teaching general values such as human respect and justice may be vague, setting positive examples and providing reinforcement to positive behaviors may be effective. The way teachers relate with the students impacts the students’ confidence, outlook and their capacity to learn. However, some students may be misinterpreted by their teachers. A

The Peasant’s Changing Face in Chinese Literature Essay Example for Free

The Peasant’s Changing Face in Chinese Literature Essay The peasant has figured in modern Chinese fiction as a central character, through which point of view the political and social atmosphere in China can be seen. The peasant has been used a vehicle to communicate the concerns of modern China: the lack of food and supplies, the inaccessibility of education, the poverty, the uncertainty of the future. The peasant in China was regarded as the means towards progression; yet they were mere workers, insignificant compared to the grand dream. In the selection of Chinese fiction however, the peasant figures prominently as the heart and soul of its society. Even though the peasant has become the subject of Chinese fiction, it is important to understand that the peasant is a general term, and it is composed of great number of people characterized by their station in life; thus, peasants all over have similar qualities: they are uneducated, poverty-stricken, and largely overworked-underpaid. Further, it is equally important to see that the peasant is not singular and all-encompassing; there are different depictions of the peasant, to capture their different facets. In this paper I will discuss the changes in the image of the peasant in modern Chinese fiction. In Lu Xun’s â€Å"My Old Home†, the peasant was presented as a person who first saw the world as a human being just like his master; in Gao Xiaosheng’s â€Å"Li Shunda Builds a House†, we see a persevering and ambitious albeit a naà ¯ve peasant; in Qiao Dianyun’s â€Å"A Wordless Monument† the peasants were shown as self-interested, lazy and short-sighted individuals; in Mo Yan’s â€Å"The Cure† the peasants were too superstitious for their own good; and in Li Rui’s â€Å"Electing a Thief† we saw that peasants were dependent and passive. In this paper, I would like to show that although the peasant in modern Chinese fiction remains largely as an uneducated and subservient class, these manifest in more ways than one. In Lu Xun’s â€Å"My Old Home†, the peasant was introduced through the eye of Master Xu going home. The master saw the peasant, Jun Tu, from memory. They were young, and although Jun Tu was the son of their servant that automatically makes him his servant, they became friends. From the text it was clear that the young Master Xu looked up at Jun Tu because he knew how to catch birds, have seen many different colored seashells, and knew so many stories outside the young master’s experience. For the brief time that they were together, the boundaries of master-servant collapsed and they were simply children who knew friendship. It is through this that we see an image of the peasant as equally human as any – first and foremost, before he is a servant he is an individual, he has dreams and aspirations, he was once a child. Jun Tu the child saw the world as brightly as his young master, if not more so. He had seen more of the world and loved it. However, as Master Xu realized when he saw the grown up Jun Tu, the child was no longer there. The harsh realities of life have forced the wonder out of his eyes, and in its place set eyes who have known suffering intimately. In â€Å"Li Shunda Builds a House†, we see a different kind of peasant – Li Shunda was naà ¯ve and almost childlike in his simplicity, but he is persevering and ambitious, and although he believes in being a follower, he learns to think for himself in small ways. The family willingly sacrificed to build their dream of a house, starving themselves to save money to but the materials only to be duped into contributing the fruits of their sacrifice to the commune. In this story we see a cast of peasants – Li Shunda, his sister, his wife, his son. The wife showed more sense than Li Shunda, despite her being a beggar before, when she saved and hid a number of belongings from being donated to the commune by her husband. Even with her sensibilities, she kept silent because of the political atmosphere during that time which was hostile to objections, and because in Chinese culture women are submissive to their husbands. His sister Shunzen stayed with him despite wealthy suitors so she can help him pursue his cause; after all, Li Shundan had taken care of her since she was small. She grew old and ended up with an utterly destitute man, which did not bother her since she was used to hard work. In Li Shunda’s sister we see a peasant who values paying back the family more than seeking better opportunities. Clearly, this behavior is borne out of culture and lack of education – in her case, she did not realize that by marrying into a wealthy family she would be in a better position to help her brother. All she knew how to do was manual labor, and that what was she was going to pay him back with. Li Shunda was a loyal follower – he believed the leaders and he followed what was said even though he did not quite understand it. He worked hard and never lost sight of his dreams (although from the two-storey house he eventually conceded to building just a one-storey), despite having lost his money and investments one way or another through a cunning official or a failed revolution. Still, not losing faith in the power of an honest work, he kept on despite his disappointment in the leaders he loyally followed. In Li Shundan we see an image of a hard-working peasant who does not get the appropriate compensation for all his work. In the end of the story he manages to build his house, but the questions begs whether it was all worth it. If he was in a different place and time, if he knew what the ideology of socialism and communism meant, if he understood what was happening in his country at that time, maybe he could have built his house sooner, all the sacrifices and failures he had to endure were unnecessary. Perhaps what separates Li Shundan from the other peasants in the collection is that he has a dream he was willing to give up anything just to reach it. In this story, the image of the peasant is one who never gives up irrespective of the hardships he has to endure. On the other hand, in Qiao Dianyun’s â€Å"A Wordless Monument†, we saw the events unfold through the eyes and voice of a peasant. The peasants lived blissfully in their village going about their and followed what was handed down to them even if they did not understand what it was about. They worked to survive and feed themselves, and although they have an idea of what will be a more efficient system for them, they did not do it because their old ways are working just fine for them. In this attitude we the peasant as having no ambition or desire towards progress – they are content and comfortable with their lives. They dislike hard work – they knew that no matter how hard they worked the fruits of their labor will not be for them anyway, so they find excuses not to toil. Also, they dislike those who do not conform, who they do not understand. As a peasant village generally unsatisfied with their lives and yet unwilling to work hard because it offers them no incentives, they are naturally miserable. They passed their days not thinking and analyzing their actions, not knowing why they do the things they do. To vent out their misery they picked on the things they do not understand, like the monument which they turned into a bridge, and later on picked on the old school master Xu Shuge. They were particularly angered with Xu Shuge who will not bend according to their ways, who will not walk on the bridge, who will not even speak despite torture. They cannot understand why Xu Shuge chooses to suffer when he can easily opt out and join their protests. It reflects their behavior – they dislike suffering. They want money and better lives without working hard for it. They get easily jealous of somebody else’s good fortune, and gossips and fights ensue. In a nutshell, the peasants were depicted as self-interested, lazy individuals who cannot comprehend the value of working together as a group to build their community, and they have no desire to learn; for them, what they need is food and money, not education or learning about the past or future. Mo Yan depicted a more sympathetic peasant in his â€Å"The Cure†. Although it is tempting to credit the peasant’s overly superstitious nature as rooted also in the lack of education, it could be that the violent and vicious atmosphere at that time has forced people to search for and turn to anything that could offer them hope. In this story, we see a peasant and his son driven by desperation and out of love for the grandmother to take out the gall bladder of his masters. He reasoned that the master is not bound to live because of the gunshots, but nevertheless he asks for forgiveness even before he takes out the gall bladder, sending his master to his already certain death. The feudal system of servants and masters, and of children and parents have trapped the peasant to do what is only available for him to perform his duties, if not as a servant then at least as a son, no matter how absurd these are, since no other alternative is possible. The fallacy of superstition then becomes the only way for the peasants, the only truth they can grasp. Lastly, in Li Rui’s â€Å"Electing a Thief†, we are faced with a dependent and passive image of the peasant. First, we saw the peasant as getting even with the team leader by electing him as the most possible thief, and it seemed like a victory for them to finally take over their lives and their production of grain. And yet, when the team leader resigns in disgust, the peasants find themselves lost and unable to lead themselves. The peasant have been used to being subservient that they cannot imagine being responsible for themselves; even if being a peasant meant hard work and measly pay, it is better than being burdened with responsibility such as securing grain. After all, they have grown accustomed and comfortable with that kind of feudal system, that they can no longer imagine how they could survive outside of it. We see here that even though the peasants were given the opportunity to be free, they would probably seek the old limitations that hindered their growth and industry because they have been trained to look down at themselves as incapable of handling such a huge task of leadership, and they see themselves as workers of the community not as producers or providers for themselves. From the selections, we have gleaned that although the recurring problem of the peasants stem from their lack of education and their subservient mentality, there are varying depictions of the peasant’s life. Also, we saw how the peasant tries to cope with the challenges of his time. The image of the peasant might be the poverty-stricken and desperate peasant, but let us remember that the peasant wears different faces, has different images. That for every lazy peasant who disliked work there is also the peasant who persevered and gained the respect of men despite his simple-mindedness, that the peasant was once a child and owned the world, and that there is always the peasant who was handed freedom and refused to drink from it.

Mobile Maintenance Overview

Mobile Maintenance Overview MOBILE MAINTENANCE OVERVIEW THE PROJECT Over the last decade, we have seen the pace of technology development increase hugely. From mobile phones to tablet devices to smart televisions, right up to connected vehicles and homes. This technology shift is inevitably moving into aviation travel sector. Both the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 require connectivity, and digital tools, to maintain them. Engineering needs to have integrated systems and hardware within the business to keep pace. Achieving such integration will provide us with the latest tools in support of our drive for greater efficiency and improved productivity. Our goal is to use technology to help us become market competitive. The Mobile Maintenance project is one of Engineerings primary Tier 1 programmes and forms part of the Our Plan business objective to use digital technology to transform our business. It aligns with the work we are doing under the banner of the Capella change programme. With investment being made in mobile hardware, a new content management solution and significant enhancements to the SAP, the project will roll out over the next 18 months. Beginning in the ramp arena, online/mobile working will cascade on into hangar maintenance, and then component workshops. The new content management solution will come on stream one aircraft type at a time, with component maintenance manuals shortly thereafter. INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE In the current financial climate, the decision by BAs Capital Investment Committee to approve this capital investment should be seen as a fantastic endorsement of everything Engineering intends to achieve via the project. Once the cost of the original mobile working trial is added in, the total capex underpinning Mobile Maintenance comes to some  £8million. The graphic below provides an indication of how the funds have been invested. 33% 22% 45% INVESTMENT BREAKDOWN Hardware SAP Enhancements INVESTMENT EXPLAINED BENEFITS Of course, the investment decision was driven by the compelling benefits case Engineering were able to make. As well as the obvious productivity and efficiency opportunities, successful implementation opens up the possibility of achieving a wide variety of non-financial gains across Engineering. PEOPLE AND PROCESSES Drive up the quality of information underpinning resource and load planning activities. Reduce the frustration caused by having to leave the aircraft side mid-job. SAFETY AND QUALITY Improve access, and adherence, to maintenance manuals, procedures and processes. Reduce the risk of unrecorded work. OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE Reduce ADDs and delays through easier, quicker and more accurate access to technical information. Vastly improved situational awareness both in the satellite control and for the production teams. SAP Enhancements Just over 1/5 of the investment has gone into the largest single group of changes to SAP since it was introduced in 2004. Resulting in new transactions and improvements to exisiting ones, in addition to the new eTask app. Hardware 1/3 of the investment has been on hardware. From the devices to servers and WIFi infranstructure. This portion of the investment was vital in ensuring the implementation becomes a success. ICMS The largest portion of the investiment is in the new integrated content management system. A replacement for the TI Portal and Knowledge warehouse, ICMS will provide remote, direct, accurate technical documentation to all engineers. For additions or queries regarding the MMHandbook contact [emailprotected] Ensure colleagues carry out their role with the most up-to-date information at their fingertips. Increase the productivity and efficiency of the delivery and support teams in the organisation. Provide the opportunity for greater visibility of task work steps. Remove SAP data entry lag, and risk of data transcription errors, to improve compliance data timeliness and quality. Better quality data will provide greater richness of information to improve the quality, and delivery, of the daily production plan. DELIVERABLES DELIVERABLES OVERVIEW Mobile maintenance often attracts the immediate thought of iPads and the eTask app, mobile maintenance is a huge amount more than just an app on a device. The SAP enhancements upstream all interlink with one another, from enhancing the notifications we rely on for compliance, to creating a balanced plan and managing our operation. The information produced upstream of the app allows the engineer to work with accurate, well planned information on his device, while the app offers him/her immediate benefits with the functionality offered by eTask. DEFECT WORKBENCH The defect workbench is a new SAP transaction available for use by both production and the EOCC. It allows a user to search, review and fully define a D3 or D7. The transaction is data rich and allows accurate definition of notifications ensuring the user has all the information available to make informed decisions on what action should be taken. Notifications can be directed to relevant departments using the new milestone function while communication lines between planning, production and the engineer at the aircraft side are opened up with the remarks function. SLOT PLAN The slot plan is an engineering version of the airops software we use today to monitor the operation, it is a graphical display of our aircrafts flying schedule allowing a planner to select and analyse maintenance opportunities to plan revisions. The slot plan is the point of entry to the planning workbench and is the first step in the process to creating a new revision or editing an existing one. PLANNING WORKBENCH A data rich transaction allowing a planner to analyse the outstanding notifications of an aircraft. A compliance pane, defect pane and modification pane organise the notifications in a logical manner while quick review columns offer immediate information about a notification including; material status, life rule and number of re-assess alongside many others. The main function of the planning workbench is to create accurate plans for work in the production environment. LOAD AND CAPACITY Once the notification definition process we will have going forward with mobile maintenance improves and the data is more accurate the load and capacity tool will be a very important tool for engineering. The load and capacity tool will offer a graphical representation of the capacity (resource available) vs the Load (the planned work). This will allow a planner to balance revisions and ensure the plan is achievable. The tool depends on engineering working together to define notifications properly, most importantly defining man hours on ADDs. RESOURCE PLANNING DASHBOARD (RPD) The resource planning dashboard is a digital T card board and interlinks with both the load and capacity tool and the TACD. The RPD (resource planning dashboard) allows a shift manager to organise a shifts colleagues in to teams based on who is available. The transaction offers information of the colleagues skills, cover and availability and so the teams can be planned accurately and efficiently. There will also be a crew room view which will show everyone which teams they are allocated to. The RPD relies on data fed from the HR system and time manager, with this in mind, it is vital that any time manager data is entered in advance of the event, this includes overtime, leave, sickness and any other absence. Failure to do so will result in the colleagues absent or on overtime failing to show correctly in the RPD. This is important as the RPD feeds the allocation system in the TACD which allocates work to the engineers devices. TASK ALLOCATION AND CONTROL DASHBOARD (TACD) TACD is the new version of the electronic whiteboard we use today to manage our operation in the satellites. It allows the FSDE to view and analyse the progress of the work being carried out by the engineers on the aircraft, while having the ability to create tasks from VHF calls and allocating them directly to an engineers device instantly. The TACD interlinks directly with the eTask app and the functionality provided allows the progress of tasks and revisions to be monitored in real time offering a substantial operational awareness improvement. ETASK APP (IPAD BASED) The eTask app is the next generation Ramp app. Following on from the trial version, the eTask app has an abundance of functionalities available that allow an engineer to work more efficiently and effectively. Greater task detail, allocation flexibility, stores integration and reporting functions offer huge improvements to the initial ramp app. The major benefit being increased engagement time at the aircraft side, integration to the content management system and access to up to date technical documentation supports the information already on offer within each task pushed to the device. INTEGRATED CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ICMS) The new content management system is engineerings single solution for technical documentation and procedures. ICMS replaces the TI Portal and knowledge warehouse bringing considerable aesthetic, control and accessibility improvements. Desktop and device access provides aircraft manuals in the same format, hyperlinked and integrated with the eTask app whilst offering smart search functionality. Offline content also allows manuals to be saved to a device for review with automated updates adding in any TRs directly to the manual ensuring adherence to the most recent version. TRAINING TRAINING SOLUTION With engineering investing in one of the biggest change projects since the introduction of SAP it is vital that the training solution provided gives all colleagues the most support in the movement towards mobile working. This section will explain the training solution offered as well as where supplementary information and support can be found. TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Mobile maintenance training was developed in house by a team of hard working experienced engineering colleagues. They are volunteers who devoted their time to the project to ensure that the content developed was in the best interests of their own colleagues and engineering as a whole. The training concepts were developed alongside the GLA and their own experts to ensure it adhered to training guidelines. In respect of the practical training the colleagues whom deliver the courses are also engineering production colleagues who volunteered to support the work areas in the road towards mobile working. ASCEND British Airways corporate learning tool is Ascend, it allows courses to be built and stored online for completion at a time that suits without being off lined from the work areas. Ascend also allows learning to be tracked and audited by quality. SAP ENHANCEMENTS ASCEND COURSES The mobile maintenance ascend courses were designed to give a how to demonstration of the new SAP enhancements. Software is a difficult product to train and the team toyed with different methods. One being the use of screenshots and annotations, however, when analysed, it was found that around 2000 screenshots would need to be produced which was both unmanageable and counterproductive as a training tool. The chosen method was to use videos of the transaction actually in a realistic scenario. Many software products use this method for training and a professional software was sourced to produce the content over a period of 2 months. The videos can be stopped, paused and scrolled through if further time is required on a certain point or notes need to be taken. ETASK ASCEND COURSE BALEARNING APP The eTask ascend course is a little different to that of the SAP Enhancements, the ascend course serves as a placeholder for the competency assessment but the content itself is based on a BA corporate app named BALearning on the iPad device itself. The BALearning app allows an identical mimic of the real eTask app to be created. The content can then be manipulated to direct a user to choose the correct process and function resulting in the user becoming familiar and aware of how the eTask app works. If a user makes an error it is not a problem as the learning app offers a safe environment to practice in. The eTask training app that is released is available at any time allowing a user to refresh on functionality when required. BALEARNING APP FIX Some users have reported the BALearning app is malfunctioning and the screen blanks on opening. This is due to a problem Mobile Enabled Operations encountered in March with corporate apps across the BA network having issues. The fix: Delete BALogin App and Device Doctor App and then reinstall, following that enter the BA App store and ensure all apps are up to date including the BALearning app. This should remedy the fault. ASCEND COMPETENCY ASSESSEMENTS The ascend competency assessments are a quality requirement. PRACTICAL TRAINING The training team were very keen to have a practical element of training included in the solution, one that allows candidates to practice using the new tools in a safe environment with instructors who are experts in the developments. The solutions were again developed by the SME team alongside the GLA. EOCC PRACTICAL TRAINING The EOCC have developed a comprehensive practical training and readiness programme. This includes a full 1 day training course using the new tools in a safe environment while learning new processes and procedures attached to those tools. They also assess individuals on a 1 on 1 basis prior to going live ensuring the candidates are capable and ready to use the tools, assessing competency in addition to setting up layouts and variants applicable to their role. MVS MAINTENANCE VISIT SIMULATION Production colleagues, once they have completed the mandatory ascend modules will be allocated to an MVS course. A Maintenance Visit Simulation course is a 1 day offline course where a candidate will experience and use all of the tools produced from mobile maintenance in a simulated aircraft visit. The simulation begins prior to the aircraft visit highlighting the process of data enrichment and timely entering of HR data, from there the simulation moves through the satellite to the aircraft arrival and through to the aircraft departure. At each point of the aircraft visit the instructors demonstrate functionality and highlight any key points while the candidates actually work the aircraft on the devices like they would in a real life scenario. The candidates are assessed by monitoring their engagement throughout the session as well as a written exam at the end of the session. POST TRAINING SUPPORT For additions or queries regarding the MMHandbook contact [emailprotected] As with any training programme there are often further questions and clarity required by a candidate. For that reason a post training support structure has been implemented. KEY USERS Key users in each area are the first port of call for any clarifications or questions regarding mobile maintenance and they will be on hand to every shift to aid in the process of implementation and beyond. Again key users are engineering colleagues and have candidates best interests in mind. YAMMER Yammer is BAs business social media option. There is a mobile maintenance group which is monitored daily by the project team. Any questions or queries will be answered in a timely and accurate manner so dont hesitate to ask for any clarity or report any issues found. Yammer is available via a desktop or via the app store on the iPad. KEY FUNCTIONS QRH This mobile maintenance handbook offers an overview of the project, deliverables, training as well as offering a comprehensive quick reference handbook (QRH) for functionality of the new deliverables. It is a working document so if there is anything that is missing please report it to the owner or mobile maintenance yammer page. ENGINEERING PROCEDURES BA ENGINEERING TECHNICAL PROCEDURES AND WORK INSTRUCTIONS Mobile Maintenance is now part of British Airways Engineering Technical Procedures/Work Instructions. Alongside this there will be local procedures which will be briefed and cascaded by your business area representatives. Follow the instructions below to access the engineering procedures and work instructions related to Mobile Maintenance

Wal-Mart International Success and Failure :: Business, Culture, Language

Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton (1). Wal-Mart grew to two hundred seventy-six stores in their first decade of service (1). Wal-Mart’s plan was to sale products at low cost while delivering on outstanding service and customer relations (1). Wal-Mart also felt that they could target more customers if they offered convenient hours of business (1). Wal-Mart currently operates in fifteen countries around the world, supplying different needs, preferences and services depending on local retail habits (2). By servicing each geographic location in its own way and supplying the needs of a particular area they seem to do very well (2). Wal-Mart adjusts and adapts to local culture and serves the community in a way that the customers are accustomed to being served (2). Wal-Mart usually enters a foreign country by purchasing an existing chain and simply changing the name to Wal-Mart while retaining key personnel such as management who already know the culture (2). Wal-Mart spends lots of time researching and planning before entering a new market. It sometimes takes years to open in a new market overseas (Class notes). First they try to learn the culture, language, and habits of the citizens of a certain culture. Then they study the products which seem to do well in each different are and try to target these products for these cultures at low prices worldwide (Class notes). In the past two decades Wal-Mart has taken advantage of the internet technological advances to change the way many companies do business worldwide (3). The sheer size of Wal-Mart enables the company to buy in bulk at lower prices allowing the discount retail prices given to customers (3). Wal-Mart is able to by all products in great volumes and in return their supplier cuts some of the cost due the amount of product sold. Wal-Mart has great marketing and management plans before entering a market which allows the company to do very well in many different countries and cultures (3). Wal-Mar t has also had a hand in helping manufactures realize the advantages of customer satisfaction through quality (3). Despite all of Wal-Mart’s international success they have also learned some valuable lessons, mainly in South Korea and probably the biggest debacle of all, Germany (Class notes). When Wal-Mart originally decided to move into Germany in 1997 the potential for success seemed quite promising (4). The company made their entrance into the German market by purchasing "Wertzkauf" which included twenty-one locations (4).

Coriolanus is a man of action who is finally defeated by words Essay

‘Coriolanus is a man of action who is finally defeated by words.’ To what extent do you agree? There is no question that Coriolanus has, like any other tragic hero, a large flaw in his soldier personality, a weakness that could inevitably lead to his downfall. His inability with words against his ability as a warrior is a fatal combination, and this begs the question as to whether it was this one weakness or his military strengths that were ultimately the cause of his defeat. Coriolanus demonstrates right from the beginning of the play that his tactless way with words leads him to become his own worst enemy. In Act 1, Scene 1, Menenius cleverly uses the Parable of the Belly to highlight to the plebeians how fundamental Coriolanus is to their society, that he is ‘the storehouse and the shop of the whole body’ and they couldn’t get by without him. Yet immediately after the citizens have calmed down and accepted Menenius’ speech as ‘an answer’, Coriolanus enters and undoes all that Menenius has said by saying that the ‘dissentious rogues’ are ‘curs†¦hares†¦geese’ who ‘like nor peace nor war’, belittling them first through his use of animal imagery and again by implying their weak and fickle nature. His pride gives him the ability to completely disregard the impact his words will have on others and, eventually, himself, which indeed gives the impression that words, partic ularly his own, will be the destroyers of his position. However, this tendency that Coriolanus has to speak his mind without hesitation reflects his nature as a soldier and the way that it is essential to act instantly on the battlefield, as even the slightest hesitation could be disastrous. As Menenius says, ‘his heart’s his mouth’ and that his mother has ‘bred [him] i’th’wars / Since ‘a could draw a sword, and is ill-schooled / In bolted language’, which clearly shows that the reason he lacks the skill to speak like a true politician is because he has been brought up as a soldier, and soldiers need only to think of their actions and how swiftly they execute them. Communication is unimportant; what proves a fighter’s worth is his wounds not his word, whereas a statesman is the complete opposite. It is therefore apparent that whilst Coriolanus speaks irrationally and with haste in a way that is damaging towards his reputation, it is only because he is adopting his combatant natur e, the only attitude he knows. It is not only his own words, but also the words of others that exacerbate his downfall. The Tribunes in Act 3, Scene 3 manage to persuade the mob that Coriolanus is ‘a traitor to the people’ and that they should withdraw their votes and ‘banish him [their] city’. Shakespeare uses Sicinius provoking Coriolanus into a fuming rage twice to show how strongly and negatively words affect him, as Brutus and Sicinius deliberately ‘suggest the people in what hatred he still hath held them’. In Act 3, Scene 1 the Tribune uses the word ‘shall’, a very forceful word implying necessity, which angers Coriolanus and causes him to make an insulting and vicious speech in an attempt to indicate his power over them. In Act 3, Scene 3, a similar event takes place, where again Sicinius provokes Coriolanus into a furious rage by calling him a ‘traitor’. All Coriolanus’ rant manages to do is make the citizens turn against him even more and convince them to indeed ‘banish him’. This banishment does eventually lead to his death, so in this particular instance the use of words is a key factor in his defeat. Although throughout the majority of the play the tragic hero is seen as a poor public speaker, there are a few examples of words turning from being his enemy to being his friend. Act 1, Scene 4 sees Coriolanus giving a speech to ready his army for battle. Shakespeare cleverly changes his speech into verse for the first time, to highlight the change in the quality of his words and also to emphasise his persuasiveness. He also describes his soldiers as having ‘hearts more proof than shields’, a powerful metaphor designed to inspire them to fight. He treats the men as his ‘fellows’ rather than animals, as well as threatening to kill them if they don’t fight. This authoritative and influential speech made by Coriolanus emphasises the fact that he is able to use words effectively when he needs to. Act 1, Scene 6 also includes a powerful use of rhetoric by Coriolanus when he asks ‘make you a sword of me?’ which incorporates the extended metaphor of the body politic and of all the men working together, a very significant element as it is the first time this play sees the men working as one with the protagonist. These words certainly do not lead to Coriolanus’ downfall, but rather allow him to gain a prestigious title after winning a spectacular battle, demonstrating the true warrior that he is. The reason that things do start to go wrong for Coriolanus, however, is because he is not well suited to be a statesman, as well as the fact that he has to ‘stand for his place’ as consul and is forced to ask the plebeians for their votes, which in the end he does not succeed in getting. Politics are about words and battles are about actions, and Coriolanus is definitely more suited for one than he is for the other. His mother’s aspirations for him to become consul are highly ambitious, yet she ‘doubt[s] not but our Rome will cast upon thee’, whereas he ‘had rather be their servant in [his] way / Than sway with them in theirs’. This makes it apparent that Coriolanus would rather fight than speak as he does not want to be a politician, and it is the first sign of conflict between him and his mother, as well as the first sign of where things begin to take a turn for the worse. Words are evidently not only his enemy but also something that he himself is scared of, reflected in his modest behaviour, and he also says that ‘when blows have made [him] stay [he] fled from words’. He knows that he is not a good speaker and would therefore rather stay a soldier. It is strongly ironic that his greatest enemy isn’t on the battlefield but in fact much closer to home. This certainly shows that Coriolanus is a man of action, and that he is trying to avoid being defeated by words, although he does not succeed. Volumnia did not just have high ambitions for her son after winning his battle; she had been forming him through her words since he was a child to become the person that she could not be, due to the restrictions of Roman society. She ‘rejoiced in [his] absence’ when he was fighting and was ‘pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame’. Honour was what mattered most to her, and her guidance had managed to lead Coriolanus astray, as she steered herself and her son through her delusional plans to make him a great leader. She counts his wounds and ‘thank[s] the gods for’t’, which is a very unaffectionate thing to do. This lack of a true maternal presence in his life is what some believe to be the leading factor that made him abandon Rome to fight alongside Aufidius after he was accused of being a traitor and ultimately what led to his death. This is then another possible example of the use of words against him as his own mother shaped him into the man he became through her words. Although Coriolanus is capable of speaking effectively and using words to his advantage when under pressure, he has essentially been brought up to be a soldier and is therefore not only a victim of the harmful words of others but also incapable of defending himself through his own speeches, which is the fatal flaw in his character that leads him to be defeated. Shakespeare clearly shows that, apart from a few exceptions, Coriolanus is certainly a man of action defeated by words. Bibliography Shakespeare, W. Coriolanus. (L. Bliss, Ed.) The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Coriolanus: Godalming College Study Guide, 2011. Godalming College.

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars Cedar (Cedrus), also called true cedar, is a coniferous genus and species of trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs (Abies), sharing a very similar cone structure. Most true, old-world cedars seen in North America are ornamentals. These conifers are not native and for the most part have not naturalized to North America. The most common of these you will see are Cedar of Lebanon, deodar cedar, and Atlas cedar. Their native habitats are on the other side of the planet -   in Mediterranean and Himalayan regions. The Common North American "Cedars" This group of conifers, for the sake of taxonomy and easier identification,  are considered cedars. The genus  Thuja, Chamaecyparis, and Juniperus  are included because of their confusing common names and botanical similarity. Still, they are not taxonomically true cedars. The Common North American "Cedars" Atlantic white cedarNorthern white cedar  (eastern arborvitae)Port-Orford cedarAlaska cedarEastern redcedarIncense cedarWestern red cedar Major Characteristics of the Cedars Cedars have very typical scale-like leaves that can grow on flattened sprays or all around the twig. These small leaves are persistent, decussate, less than 1/2 inch and can be prickly on some species. Cedar bark is often reddish, peeling and vertically furrowed. When considering both our native cedars and old world cedar, bark identification  should be confirmed by using other botanical characteristics. Cedars have cones that can be variable in size, some are woody while others are more fleshy and berry-like. The cones can be oblong to bell-shaped to rounded but typically are less than one inch in size.