The American Nation - Christianized or Enlightened Term Paper

The American Nation - Christianized or Enlightened - Term Paper Example In 1776 the colonies that became the United States of America were peopled by groups of individuals possessed with religious fervour who traversed the Atlantic to search for a place where they can practice their faith unadulterated. The migration would be assumed to lessen the religious zeal of the original inhabitants of the colonies and yet the reverse occurred. The religious conviction in America intensified because of the religious resurgence stimulated by the people from across the Atlantic in the midway of the eighteenth century. These religious people were the courageous individuals who will stand against Great Britain in 1776 and oppose the colonial rule. The constituents of the revolutionary generation made significant individual decisions about their deep-seated religious beliefs and fidelity and this pressure mounted within them the ability to make political choices. Even the Founding Fathers of the American Nation commenced on building strong governments carrying the cred ence that religion is a requisite component of a republican institution for its preservation. John W. Thornton summarized that the relationship of politics and religion in America lies on the sermons of the founding fathers. They summoned God in their civil congregations, appealed to the teachers of religion for counsel from the Bible, and identified its principles as the decree of their civic demeanour. The Fathers abhorred the separation of politics and religion. In combats and warfare, they did not push on luck but instead relied on the Word of God etched in their hearts and mind. This moral articulation of the Fathers was the clandestine element that upheld the Republic against its material backdrop, against the enemies’ impenetrable numbers, and against the dominance of England. Nevertheless, despite the religious background of the American nation, developments in England such as the new scientific methods and the initiation of the Parliamentary government were likewise absorbed into the nation’s milieu.  Ã‚  

Maryland sexual predators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Maryland sexual predators - Essay Example In terms of the overall law, Maryland requires that sexual offenders that are going to live and work in the state register with the state and local government. Every year then, Maryland classifies the sexual predators along four classification lines: sexually violent predators, sexually violent offenders, child sexual offenders; and offenders. The most serious offenders, which are the majority of offenders in the first three categories, must register for life, and the rest must do so for ten years. In considering these regulations on registry, I personally support the institution of these statutes as they provide significant warning to parents and children of the threats that might be surrounding them. While it does open the offenders to social ostracism, it’s clear that these regulations are necessary to reduce and prevent these sexual offenses from occurring again. While the Maryland laws require adult sexual offenders to face these registry issues, the penalties for juvenile sexual offenders alters these laws. Kahn & Lafond (2006) detail Maryland’s complex punitive and treatment mechanisms for the adolescent sexual offenders. In these regards, the state indicates that generally juvenile sexual offenders are given more leniency than adult offenders in terms of punishment. In addition, juvenile offenders are required to undergo stringent rehabilitation mechanisms that target the individual’s dysfunctions and work to prepare them for entrance back into society. Within Maryland there are a great degree of sexual laws that vary in stringency, as a direct relation to the extent of the crime. For instance, statute 464B an individual is convicted in the third degree if a number of elements are committed (Maryland 464b’). The most notable of these elements includes the occurrence of sexual contact within another person against the ir will. The offender implements a weapon in the

History of Catherine II of Russia

History of Catherine II of Russia Catherine II of Russia Catherine II of Russia who is commonly referred as Catherine the Great was the Russian Empress from 1762 until her death in 1796. Catherine’s real names were â€Å"Yekaterina II Velikaya†. She was in the category of the â€Å"Enlightened despots† who were rulers influenced by the enlightened principles that embraced religious tolerance, freedom of speech, press and property. Catherine was born as Sophie Augusta Fredirica to her father Christian August., the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and her mother Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein Gottorp. She thus was from a noble family. She received her education from a French governess and included other tutors. Catherine’s parents were devout Lutherans. In 1745 she was to married to Tsar Peter of Holstein Gottorp becoming the Princess. Because of her ambition to get married and become a princess, she abandoned her father’s religion and instead converted to Orthodox Church. The eminent marriage also forced her to learn French, which she did with so much effort to an extent that she got a severe pneumonia attack, because of walking barefoot in her bedroom repeating the Russian lessons. Her and her husband Peter settled in the Palace of Oranienbaum. Unfortunately her husband was immature and impotent and became unfaithful to her. This eventually led to the breakup of their marriage. Catherine read widely on and befriended many powerful political groups that opposed her husband. Empress Elizabeth died on 1762 and Peter succeeded her to become Peter III of Russia. This made them move to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Automatically Catherine became the Empress. By then they had a son named Paul who was the heir-apparent in case of the father’s death. In July of that year, there was a bloodless coup where Peter was dethroned by the Leib Guard who were the military personal guards of the Emperor of Russia. The throne was bequeathed to Catherine; she reigned till she died in 1796. After six months as a Prince and three days after disposition, Peter III died at Ropsha. Catherine the great was very intelligent, hardworking and had a very strong will. Her ambition to become the Empress of Russia saw her strike sharply at those who seemed to try and replace her with the rightful heir of the throne, Paul her eldest son. In her reign Catherine broadened Russian Empires’ boarders both to the south and the north absorbing new Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and Courland. Catherine was eventually able to expand the Russian territory to 518,000 kilometer squared. This was not an easy task bearing in mind that the expansion was at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. She was able to achieve all this through a very shrewd statesman named Nikita Panin. In her initial years of her reign, Catherine directed most of her efforts towards making her position in the throne more stable. This was to enable her have an extended period of peace in order for her to be effective in other domestic affairs and foreign affairs. She understood the essence of a cautious foreign policy, which Panin did on her behalf. Panin fell out with her after his plans to counter the power of the Bourbon and Habsburg who had formed a league failed. It was not until 1764 that she felt secure and stable enough to start working on reformation towards improving social conditions in Russia. For such expansive reformation Catherine utilized the ideas of the enlightenment. It was through such ideas that she undertook to change Russia’s old legal system that was inefficient because it was based on the code of laws that dated from 1649. Towards this end she came up with a proposal she called â€Å"The instructions† which was circulated through out Europe and turned out to be a sensation. This is because it provided for a very advanced level of legal system. The legal system was to be enshrined on the principles of equal protection and prevention of criminal acts. This was as opposed to the previous method of meting out harsh punishment. In 1767 Catherine formed a legislative commission to revise the old laws using â€Å"The instruction† as the basis. The commission failed the set purpose leading to the suspension of the review. After Panin fell out with Catherine in 1781, she replaced him with Alexander Bezborodko who was a Ukrainian born councilor. Because of her ideas from the Enlightment, Catherine commissioned the Court betskoy whose sole purpose was to draw up plans to ensure the provision of education for all boys and girls through out Russia. The type of education she advocated for was the European style. As a result of her efforts schools and universities were established throughout Russia. This led to the foundation, for the first time of special girls’ schools in Russia. This also led to the establishment of a medical college whose sole purpose was to provide adequate health care for all the citizens. One good example is the Smolny Institute for girls, which was founded in St. Petersburg. Catherine rarely used violence to consolidate power and strengthen her grip on Russia. However, she resorted to other methods that usually proved very effective. For example during her time the church had become quite powerful, to weaken it she seized the church’s wealth and then employed the clergy as state employees. Foreign affairs demanded much of her attention between 1768 and1774. Catherine made Russia as the most powerful empire during this time. This came about after the first Russo-Turkish war against the Ottoman Empire. This war included the Battle of Chesma (1770) and the battle of Kagul (1770). This war began after Catherine sent Russian troops to support her former lover Stanislaw Poniatowski, who she wanted to suppress a revolt that had come about because of Russia’s influence in Poland. The revolution got support from Turkey and Austria. However, after two years lengthy negotiations with Turkey led to ceasefire. Catherine was very persuasive which came in handy at this time. This enabled Russia gain a foothold on the Black Sea. Acquisition of the right to the Black Sea was an important milestone. This was because Russian merchant ships acquired the right of sea whereby they could sail and passing through the Dardanelles which was an important European waterway. Also from the negotiations the vast steppes of modern South Ukraine were incorporated in the Russia Empire. In 1783 Catherine, in her quest for expansion annexed the Crimea, this led to the second Russo- Turkish war (1787-1792) where the Ottoman Empire sort to regain the lands it had lost to Russia during the first Russo Turkish war (1768-1774). The Ottoman troops lost miserably which led to the signing of the Treaty of Jassy. The treaty led to the end of the Second war and led to the confirmation of Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea. This was because from this treaty Russia’s claim to the Crimea was legitimatized. In 1773 in the Volga River Basin a peasant revolt led by Cossack started but was crushed by the Imperial forces when Cossack was captured in 1774, this was the only time that peace was realized for some time which enabled Catherine concentrate on domestic affairs, especially affairs that concerned the functioning of the government. It was during this time that the education standards were raised. Catherine played a very important role in shaping the role of Russia in the field of diplomacy. In the European foreign issues, Russia under Catherine played a very instrumental role in mediating on disputes that sometimes led to war. She mediated in the War of the Bavarian succession (1778-1779), between Prussia and Austria. It was through Catherine also that Russia witnessed the partitioning of Poland, where all the commonwealth territory with Prussia and Austria were divided. After all these expansion Russia turned into a vast empire that was in position to compete with other European neighbors. On the art and sciences scene, Catherine played a critical role. She viewed art and science as a means through which Russia could be recognized as a civilization centre. St Petersburg was turned into a great and dazzling capital. Through her patronage, theatre, music, painting and other form of art improved tremendously. She developed a manual for the education of children which she borrowed from the ideas of John Locke a famous English Philosopher. She established the famous Smolny Institute. It was established for the purpose of educating ladies from noble families and rich merchants. This institute became one of the best institutes not only in Russia, but the whole of Europe as well. Catherine was a prolific writer and exchanged ideas and correspondence leading philosophers and writers like Voltaire and Diderot. She wrote plays, fables Satires and memoirs. The Russian age of ‘age of Imitation’ happened during her reign where the Russians imported and studied the classical works from Europe. She spent millions of Rubles to build the Hermitage art collection. Today, Hermitage Museums that occupies the whole of the Winter Palace is one of the largest Museums in the world with one of the largest art collections totaling to over three million. Despite her great support of art, during her reign there was censorship of the press and publications and sometimes writers were exiled. For example Radishcev after publishing The Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow which addressed the poor leaving standards of the peasant serfs, he was exiled to Siberia. After converting from Lutheran to Orthodoxy, Catherine became indifferent to religion. Thus she never hesitated to suppress any religious dissent and never allowed dissenters to build chapels. However she exploited the Christian faith by promoting the protection of Christians under the Turkish rule. This was to ensure the weakening of the Ottoman Empire. After the partitioning of Poland she sort to control the Roman Catholics. On the other hand, Russia became a safe haven for The Society of Jesus whose members were running away from the persecution of Jesuits across Europe. Catherine the Great personal life was characterized by multiple lovers. She had a total of around 13 lovers in her reign that included Alexander Potemkin. Potemkin was a former lover who she had fallen off with but he continued to select future lovers for her. Catherine was kind to her lovers even after breaking up with them. She had a reputation of rewarding them handsomely. Works Cited Alexander, John.T â€Å"Catherine II, Bubonic Plague, and the Problem of Industry in Moscow† The American Historical Review, Vol. 79, No.3. (Jun, 1974), pp.637-671. Cruse, Mark. The memoirs of Catherine the Great. New York: Modern Library, 2005. Dukes, Paul. Catherine the Great and the Russian Nobility: A Study Based of the Legislative Commission of 1767.Cambridge at the University Press, 1967 Haslip, Joan. Catherine the Great: A Biography .New York: G.P Putnam’s, 1977 Rasmussen, Karen â€Å"Catherine II and the Image of Peter I† Slavic Review, Vol. 37, No. 1. (Mar., 1978), pp.51-69. Thomas, Gladys Scott. Catherine the Great and the Expansion of Russia. London: The English Universities Press, 1947 Waters, Brenda Meehan-â€Å"Catherine the Great and the Problem of Female Rule† Russian Review, Vol. 34, No. 3. (Jul., 1975), pp.293-307.

Pro-Choice Argument Essay -- Abortion, Argumentative, Pro-Choice 2014

Thou shalt not kill; one-tenth of what may arguably be the most famous guidelines of morality in the western culture, and also the main driving force for pro-life advocates. The argument supporting their beliefs typically starts with the premises that a fetus is a person, and to destroy or to kill a person is unethical. Therefore abortion, the premeditated destruction of a human being, is murder, and consequently unethical. I deny the fact that the fetus, what I will refer to as an embryo up to 22 weeks old, has the right to live. The opposing argument is invalid because a fetus, although perhaps a part of human species, is not formally a person. This leaves it simply to be a part of the woman?s body, whose fate lies solely in the hands of the pregnant woman alone, no different from a tumor she might have. By proving this, the abortion debate then becomes an issue of women?s rights, something that is most controversial indeed. Furthermore, it is fair to question the credibility of many people against abortion because of obvious contradictions in the logic of their belief systems. The fact that this debate is relevant in modern society is ludicrous since there is a simple and plausible solution to this problem that could potentially end the debate for good, leaving both sides satisfied. In order for the pro-life argument to be valid, it must have both a true premise and true conclusion. It falls short of validity by assuming that a fetus up to 22 weeks old is a person, and has its own rights independent of its host, or what we often refer to as its mother. First we must recognize the subtle, yet extremely important distinction between a human being and a person. It is obvious that a fetus is a member of the human ... ...erty and Human Rights? Ethics & International Affairs, Volume 19, No. 1 Spring 2013. Web 14 April 2014 . ?Total Midyear Population for the World: 1950-2050? U.S. Census Bureau 26 April 2012. Web 8 April 2014 . ?Teen Pregnancy ? So What teenpregnancy.org Feb 2014. Web 8 April 2014 . Connolly, Ceci ?As Teen Pregnancy Dropped, So Did Child Poverty? Washington Post 9 Jan 2014. Web 14 April 2014 ?113th Congress Scorecard? WAND Web 14 April 2014 . ?His and Her Demographics: Women and Men 2010? U.S. Census Bureau Web 14 April 2014.

Assessment for Learning †the Case for Formative Assessment Essay

This paper provides findings on assessment for learning, It begins with analysis of the formative approach in exemplary practice carried out in secondary schools in eight education systems. The second half of the paper comprises key analyses on formative assessment in adult language, literacy, and numeracy provision, and a framework for strengthening policy and practice across the sector as well as for building the evidence base. Assessment is vital to the education process. In schools, the most visible assessments are summative. Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learnt at the end of a unit, to promote students, to ensure they have met required standards on the way to earning certification for school completion or to enter certain occupations, or as a method for selecting students for entry into further education. Ministries or departments of education may use summative assessments and evaluations as a way to hold publicly funded schools accountable for providing quality education. Increasingly, international summative assessments – such as OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – have been important for comparing national education systems to developments in other countries. But assessment may also serve a formative function. In classrooms, formative assessment refers to frequent, interactive assessments of student progress and understanding to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately. Teachers using formative assessment approaches and techniques are better prepared to meet diverse students’ needs – through differentiation and adaptation of teaching to raise levels of student achievement and to achieve a greater equity of student outcomes. But there are major barriers to wider practice, including perceived tensions between classroom-based formative assessments, and high visibility summative tests to hold schools accountable for student achievement, and a lack of connection between systemic, school and classroom approaches to assessment and evaluation. The principles of formative assessment may be applied at the school and policy levels, to identify areas for improvement and to promote effective and constructive cultures of evaluation throughout education systems. More consistent use of formative assessment throughout education systems may help stakeholders address the very barriers to its wider practice in classrooms. This overview shows how formative assessment promotes the goals of lifelong learning, including higher levels of student achievement, greater equity of student outcomes, and improved learning to learn skills. The chapter then discusses barriers to wider practice of formative assessment and ways in which those barriers can be addressed, and outlines the study scope and methodology. Meeting goals for lifelong learning Each of the national and regional governments participating in this study promotes formative.

Commitment to Students and Student Learning

1. Committedness to Students and Student Learning: The OCT members are dedicated to showing attention, demoing empathy and passion to pupils They are committed to pupils by endeavoring to understand each pupil and his demands and his abilities which inform the instruction planning. They besides promote diverseness inside and outside the schoolroom to reenforce positive acquisition Members show respect and equitably to pupils to heighten acquisition by provide enabling environment where pupils feel valued, free to portion thoughts and parts. Members encourage pupils to do pick and have entree in the schoolroom which is critical to patterning equity and equity They facilitate pupils ‘ growing by endeavoring to better acquisition installations and schoolroom environment. Members identify pupil ‘s involvement and their strengths in order to assist them develop their acquisition Members are sensitive to the demands of pupils by cognizing what to advance in pupils, accomplishments they need to utilize and how to actuate pupils ‘ larning utilizing differentiated instructions. Students are able to utilize their accomplishments to lend to the development of the communities. 2. Professional Knowledge Forms: Endeavoring and to be current: It is really of import for OCT member to update their professional cognition and remain current in their pattern. There are so many on preparation plans through the Board or the Ontario College which are eligible to members for them to upgrade their cognition. When instructors are current cognition, it improves their pattern and they can easy supply first manus information to their pupil. Understanding and reflecting pupil ‘s development, larning theory, teaching method, course of study, moralss, educational research and related policies and statute law: This involve that the instructor must a better apprehension of his topic, larning theory, teaching method, course of study, professional moralss, educational research and related policies and statute law. The instructor must besides understand the pupil as a whole individual with abilities, failings, strengths, positions and specific demands. It is indispensable for a instructor to reflect on a pupil ‘s acquisition development and place how to better development. 3. Professional Practice Forms: Application of professional cognition and experience: Teachers are expected to use their professional cognition to learning pattern by get the hanging the course of study and teaching method to advance pupil ‘s acquisition, professional cognition is really critical and it is the back bone of instruction. Besides an proverb says â€Å" experience is the best instructor † the more experienced a instructor is the better he is able to use a professional experience to different state of affairss that promote positive acquisition. Appropriate planning and method: It necessary for every instructor in a professional pattern to heighten pupil acquisition by utilizing the appropriate teaching method, carry out appraisal and rating, use assorted resources and engineering to run into the larning demands of every kid. Response to single demands: In professional pattern instructors need to understand each pupil and their single acquisition demands, this will help the instructor to react to the demands of the pupil by utilizing assorted professional instruction method and planning to run into that demands. . Refine professional pattern: All instructors should be brooding practicians. It is compulsory for all members to better on their professional pattern through on traveling enquiry, duologue and contemplation. This will help instructors to detect new ways of making things better. 4. Leadership in Learning Communities Forms: Creation of collaborative and supportive acquisition communities: Teachers should jointly work together as a squad to set about activities that will back up pupils ‘ larning. They should besides work together with parents to supply support for larning community. They should reflect on their activities in order to better pupils ‘ public presentation. Shared duty and leading function: Members should understand the vision of the school and their duties into doing it effectual, nevertheless, they should non merely be involved in the procedure of developing shared vision but brand is a duty to utilize the vision as a usher station in doing determination about learning and larning in the school. Maintain and uphold ethical criterion: Teachers should go on to demo unity, trust in larning communities. They should keep the moral rules of professional moralss by which they set themselves as function theoretical account to pupils, parents and the community in general 5. Ongoing Professional Learning Forms: Committedness to professional acquisition: Ongoing professional preparation is an effectual tool in dispatching instruction pattern and bettering pupils ‘ acquisition. Teacher should go on to develop their professional cognition by reading, transporting out research and reflect on experience. Identify interesting/controversial phrases in each of sphere. 1. Committedness to pupil and pupil acquisition Dedicated in their attention and committedness to pupil larning – interesting 2. Professional Knowledge. Strive to be current and acknowledge its relationship to pattern 3. Professional Practice Polish their professional pattern Apply professional cognition and experience 4. Leadership in Learning Communities Promote and take part in the creative activity of corporate, safe and supportive acquisition communities – controversial 5. Ongoing Professional Learning Acknowledge that a committedness to ongoing professional acquisition is built-in to effectual pattern and to student larning – interesting

Moon Conspiracy essays

Moon Conspiracy essays Early in everyones childhood, you become amazed when you hear we went to the Moon. It gives you that magical feeling inside that you love so much. Landing on the Moon is one of Americas greatest accomplishments. It gives us as a country great pride to say the we are the only ones that went to the moon. Do you think our country would be like it is today, if we could not say that we were first to go to the moon? What if I told you that we never went to the moon? The statement, we have not been to the moon, is not only a controversy it is a conspiracy. You will see how the evidence that says we have been to the moon is easily discredited. Could the whole thing have been staged in some remote location in the desert? I truthfully believe that we did not go to the moon. On July 20, 1969, the United States made a breakthrough, they were the first country to land on the moon. In doing so, they set the standard for space exploration. Landing on the moon showed that the United States space program NASA was more advanced than the Russians. The craft that actually landed on the moon was called the Lunar Module. It had one main engine at the bottom of the craft, and little thrusters on the sides to control the direction (Space Travel). While the evidence that NASA shows is very believable, there are many flaws. One flaw has to do with the audio that was recorded. While listening to the astronauts talking during the decent to the surface of the moon, you never hear any noise from the engine. The loudness of the engine would be anywhere from 140 to 150 decibels which is really loud (Conspiracy Theory). How come you do not hear the engine in the background? This makes you want to question genuineness of the landing. One of the astronauts said the surface was covered in a very fine powder. You can see this through the foot prints that were left there. If the foot prints made such a...