The Wiz essays

The Wiz essays In this very updated version of the well beloved childrens classic The Wizard of Oz, movie watchers are transported to a world of music, neat special effects, eye-popping costumes, and a fantastic retelling of the tale of the wonderful wizard of Oz. The Wiz is one of the best African American musicals ever made because it has a great cast of actors and actresses, it has hidden symbolism that relates to African American life, and the choice of music adds power to its message. This musical depicts the struggle of black life through song and rhythm, two aspects of African American culture. It is a remake of The Wizard of Oz with the same story, same characters, and an added twist of soul. The cast of The Wiz is composed of many talented people. Legendary soul mega star Diana Ross plays the 34-year old kindergarten teacher better known as Dorothy. Diana Ross is known for her many songs as well as her career as the lead singer of the trio The Supremes. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson plays the part of the brain needy Scarecrow. His dancing skills and smooth voice bring this character to life. Lena Horne, jazz songstress extraordinare, plays Glinda the Good. Horne is one of the greatest jazz singers of this era. Nipsey Russell, one of the 70s blaxploitation actors, plays the part of the Tinman. Comedian Richard Pryor plays the Wiz. His comical actions give life to this character. Quincy Jones, one of the well-known songwriters of his time, co-wrote the movies soundtrack, along with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, husband and wife soul duo. This collaboration of acting and musical talent makes The Wiz a magical experience of story and song. African American culture is defined within the underlying themes of this musical. For example, the name of the Lion is Fleetwood Coupe de Ville, whi...

Sample College Admissions Essay on Teaching Summer Camp

Sample College Admissions Essay on Teaching Summer Camp Many college applicants have had summer camp experiences. In this Common Application essay, Max discusses his challenging relationship with a difficult student who ends up having a lot to contribute.   The Essay Prompt Maxs essay was originally written for the pre-2013 Common Application essay prompt that states,  Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.  The influential person option no longer exists, but there are many ways to write about an important person with the current seven essay options on the 2018-19 Common Application. Maxs essay has recently been revised to fit the new 650-word length limit of the current Common Application, and it would work nicely with the 2018-19 prompt #2:  The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? The essay would also work well with Common Application essay option #5,  Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. Max's Common Application Essay Student Teacher Anthony was neither a leader nor a role model. In fact, his teachers and his parents were constantly chastising him because he was disruptive, ate too much, and had a hard time staying focused. I met Anthony when I was a counselor at a local summer camp. The counselors had the usual duties of keeping kids from smoking, drowning, and killing each other. We made God’s eyes, friendship bracelets, collages, and other clichà ©s. We rode horses, sailed boats, and hunted snipe. Each counselor also had to teach a three-week course that was supposed to be a little more â€Å"academic† than the usual camp fare. I created a class called â€Å"Things that Fly.† I met with fifteen students for an hour a day as we designed, built, and flew kites, model rockets, and balsawood airplanes. Anthony signed up for my class. He was not a strong student. He had been kept back a year at his school, and he was larger and louder than the other middle school kids. He talked out of turn and lost interest when others were talking. In my class, Anthony got some good laughs when he smashed his kite and threw the pieces into the wind. His rocket never made it to the launch pad because he crumpled it in a fit of frustration when a fin fell off. In the final week, when we were making airplanes, Anthony surprised me when he drew a sketch of a sweep-wing jet and told me he wanted to make a â€Å"really cool plane.† Like many of Anthony’s teachers, and perhaps even his parents, I had largely given up on him. Now he suddenly showed a spark of interest. I didn’t think the interest would last, but I helped Anthony get started on a scale blueprint for his plane. I worked one-on-one with Anthony and had him use his project to demonstrate to his classmates how to cut, glue and mount the balsawood framework. When the frames were complete, we covered them with tissue paper. We mounted propellers and rubber bands. Anthony, with all his thumbs, created something that looked a bit like his original drawing despite some wrinkles and extra glue. Our first test flight saw Anthony’s plane nose-dive straight into the ground. His plane had a lot of wing area in the back and too much weight in the front. I expected Anthony to grind his plane into the earth with his boot. He didn’t. He wanted to make his creation work. The class returned to the classroom to make adjustments, and Anthony added some big flaps to the wings. Our second test flight surprised the whole class. As many of the planes stalled, twisted, and nose-dived, Anthony’s flew straight out from the hillside and landed gently a good 50 yards away. I’m not writing about Anthony to suggest that I was a good teacher. I wasn’t. In fact, I had quickly dismissed Anthony like many of his teachers before me. At best, I had viewed him as a distraction in my class, and I felt my job was to keep him from sabotaging the experience for the other students. Anthony’s ultimate success was a result of his own motivation, not my instruction. Anthony’s success wasn’t just his plane. He had succeeded in making me aware of my own failures. Here was a student who was never taken seriously and had developed a bunch of behavioral issues as a result. I never stopped to look for his potential, discover his interests, or get to know the kid beneath the facade. I had grossly underestimated Anthony, and I am grateful that he was able to disillusion me. I like to think that I’m an open-minded, liberal, and non-judgmental person. Anthony taught me that I’m not there yet. Critique of Max's Common Application Essay In general, Max has written a strong essay for the Common Application, but it does take a few risks. Below youll find a discussion of the essays strengths and weaknesses. The Topic Essays on important or influential people can quickly become predictable and clichà © when they focus on  the typical heroes of high school students: a parent, a brother or sister, a coach, a teacher. From the first sentence, we know that Maxs essay is going to be different: Anthony was neither a leader nor a role model. Maxs strategy is a good one, and the admissions folks who read the essay will most likely be pleased to read an essay that isnt about how Dad is the greatest role model or Coach is the greatest mentor. Also, essays on influential people often conclude with the writers explaining how theyve become a better people or owe all of their success to the mentor. Max takes the idea in a different direction - Anthony has made Max realize that he isnt as good of a person as he had thought, that he still has much to learn. The humility and self-critique is refreshing. The Title Theres no one rule for writing a winning essay title, but Maxs title is perhaps a little too clever. Student Teacher immediately suggests a student who is teaching (something that Max is doing in his narrative), but the true meaning is that Maxs student taught him an important lesson. Thus, both Anthony and Max are student teachers. However, that double meaning is not apparent until after one has read the essay. The title by itself does not immediately grab our attention, nor does it clearly tell use what the essay will be about. The Tone For the most part, Max maintains a pretty serious tone throughout the essay. The first paragraph does have a nice touch in the way that it pokes fun at all the clichà © activities that are typical of summer camp. The real strength of the essay, however, is that Max manages the tone to avoid sounding like he is bragging about his accomplishments. The self-criticism of the essays conclusion may seem like a risk, but it arguably works to Maxs advantage. The admissions counselors know that no student is perfect, so Maxs awareness of his own short-comings will probably be interpreted as a sign of maturity, not as red flag highlighting a defect in character. The Essay Length At 631 words, Maxs essay is at the upper end of the Common Application length requirement  of 250 to 650 words. This is not a bad thing. If a college is requesting an essay, it is because the admissions folks want to get to know the applicant better. They can learn more from you with a 600-word essay than with a 300-word essay. You may encounter counselors who argue that admissions officers are extremely busy, so shorter is always better. This little evidence to support such a claim, and youll find very few applicants to top-tier colleges (such as the Ivy League schools) being admitted with essays that dont take advantage of the space allowed. The ideal essay length is certainly subjective and depends in part on the applicant and the story being narrated, but Maxs essay length is absolutely fine.  This is particularly true because the prose is never wordy, flowery, or excessive. The sentences tend to be short and clear, so the overall reading experience isnt labored. The Writing The opening sentence grabs our attention because it isnt what we expect from an essay. The conclusion is also pleasingly surprising. Many students would be tempted to make themselves the hero of the essay and state what a profound impact they had on Anthony. Max turns it around, highlights his own failures, and gives the credit to Anthony. The balance of the essay isnt perfect. Maxs essay spends far more time describing Anthony than it does describing Anthonys influence. Ideally, Max could cut a couple sentences from the middle of the essay and then develop a little further the two short concluding paragraphs. Final Thoughts Maxs essay, like  Felicitys essay, takes some risks. Its possible an admissions officer would judge Max negatively for exposing his biases. But this is unlikely. In the end, Max presents himself as someone who is a leader (he is designing and teaching a class, after all) and as someone who is aware that he still has much to learn. These are qualities that should be attractive to most college admissions folks. After all, colleges want to admit students who are eager to learn and who have the self-awareness to recognize that they have room for a lot more personal growth.

Virtual and Social Media of Wikis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virtual and Social Media of Wikis - Essay Example Wikis are hosted by a third party, and is largely popular for people who like to browse, input comments on certain topics and share information through simple means. The creation of wikis mainly caters to an audience who want to have a chance to interact with particular web contents. People practice virtual and social media communication by accessing wikis. Wikis are made to help people come to know about things he has the least knowledge about. It also empowers viewers to remove from the site they are viewing topics which they consider off. People interact with each other by sharing information, comments, and suggestions through this software. People then get the chance to add on to their knowledge, but also develop their interactive skills when accessing Wikis. On a personal level, wikis enhance communication and interaction among web fanatics. On a business level, wikis enable companies to develop networks which consequently simplify work and increase productivity. Businesses gain inputs from viewers while getting important messages across the targeted group, giving them a chance to successfully market their products, services or even ideas. Bigger companies use Wikis to collaborate with clients and manage production on major projects. Wikis, as in any other technology, has its strengths and downsides. One of its strengths lies in the fact that it serves its purpose very well, it is very engaging and it never fails to trigger participation from the target audience. Information written on the web may be altered or modified by anyone. It is useful as well as easy to use; it is not structured or prohibiting. It enhances interaction and gives the audience the enjoyment of participating in information sharing. Wikis are also very flexible. It bends according to the needs of the user.

A critical response to the Marketing Myopia article Assignment - 1

A critical response to the Marketing Myopia article - Assignment Example Therefore, fulfilling the needs of customers translate to intense buying and selling products. Additionally, customers often feel comfortable to buying or engage in business with institutions that fulfill their business needs. Therefore, Theodore Levitt’s article â€Å"Marketing Myopia† is a platform that provides the management of businesses with understanding why and how to improve the productivity of businesses and the real needs of customers towards this growth. Levitt is advising the marketers to focus further on the market that shall modify products and companies instead of focusing on their own companies. Modifying products ensures that these products increase value thereby catering for the changing demands of customers and the business community. According to Levitt, first priority should be directed to the market, which is the customer. To emphasize on his new marketing myopia, Levitt uses numerous business institution (Levitt, 2004). For example, Levitt  focuses on the business productivity on Hollywood and in the same concern he possess a question â€Å"if Hollywood was into television rather than movies, wouldn’t it have profited more?† The ideals presented or posted by this question are actually true. Most of the Hollywood crowd usually concentrated in making movies than in money. In the real sense, there is much money in the television than in movie making. Through this question, Levitt is challenging business to c heck and if possible to change their strategies. Notably, if Hollywood could have thought of the television market, it would have made more money that what they currently make (Levitt, 2004). With Hollywood and Sony among other television channels, Levitt introduces new marketing idea termed as the marketing myopia theory. The myopia marketing theory concentrates on marketing strategies where companies are not only needed to be product oriented and technically sound, but the theory also needs

Is Achilles right when, in the Iliad XVIII and subsequently, he Essay

Is Achilles right when, in the Iliad XVIII and subsequently, he bitterly blames himself for the death of Patroklos? The main theme of the poem, which is declared at the very beginning is the ‘wrath’ of Achilles. From this we are taken on a journey of human and divine responses. This central theme empowers a magnificently ‘articulated composition out of confusion of battle’.[1] Events that take place during this journey allow Homer to display and develop, within the social framework of heroic honour, the ideas of conflict, isolation, and reconciliation. Within this essay I will try to address one such consequence, the death of Patroklos, and see who, what or why this death occurred. Several factors need to be addressed in doing this, divine and human intervention and re-evaluations of positions. The question of influence from the ‘divine machinery’ is a very interesting one, it could be argued that they are there to dramatise a view of the human condition in which man is a prey to conflicting amoral forces. The ‘will of Zeus’ was not the catalyst that brought about the downfall of Patroklos, the request from Achilles came prior to this. The poem from that request unfolds to provide a balanced, symmetrical prose, one that provides necessary casualties along the way. It is with certainty though that their ‘influence’ is felt and witnessed throughout this journey, one that Albin Lesky raises with much success. He suggests that that divine and human causation is felt throughout, ‘a warrior feeling an irresistible courage’, this courage is explained away with the gods. What Lesky then goes onto say is that the human and divine work along side each other, one strengthens the other and that ‘the whole world is full of their influence’. A great warrior could attribute his ‘gift’ to the gods, and when his greatness escapes him ‘they’ are to blame. But this does not clear man of his responsibility, what he does with these divine gifts are solely down to him. This brings me back to the question of who was to blame? It could be suggested that Apollo had a hand in this down fall, he is responsible in setting actions in motion (1.43-52) and then again (24.33-54). But again it can be said that this too was a reaction to earlier requests. What it does show however is the balance which Homer provides throughout the poem. Apollo’s ... ...eresting one, not until book twenty four does Achilles finally eat and when he does, with Priam it symbolises his outwardly change, ‘he is urging a mutual activity, a token of common humanity’[4] The conversation between Achilles and Priam is one of understanding and remorse. In Achilles’ treatment of Priam there is real magnanimity, his anger cools and he looks beyond it to a serene and steady acknowledgment that man can do no more than bear the random fusion of good and bad, and with food, eating means living, and even grief must yield to necessity. Amid the human hope and in the knowledge of imminent death, Achilles for the first time sees life steadily and sees it whole. Together the divine and human influence reveal in the poem a linear impetus that supplement the equilibrium and the symmetry. The result is a twofold construction that is together cruel and cordial, but work beautifully in taking us to a roller-coaster conclusion. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Lesky, Divine and Human Causation in Homeric Epic [2] Taplin, Homeric Soundings [3] Rutherford, Homer (1996) [4] Taplin, Homeric Soundings (1992)

Blooms Research and Response Essay

A psychologist in the early 1950’s by the name of Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. This was developed as a tool for educators to classify learning objectives and skills for students (Larkin & Burton, 2008). This taxonomy has been used extensively by the health field, including nursing, to structure teaching plans and outcome testing. Blooms Taxonomy, consists of a hierarchy within 3 different domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor (Larkin & Burton, 2008). According to the taxonomy there are several subcategories within the cognitive domain. The lowest aspect in the hierarchy for the cognitive domain is knowledge. One is expected to retrieve information from long-term memory. Using this in nursing would be the patient being able to recognize medication side effects associated with their medication regimen. Advancing up the pyramid is comprehension. This is when one is expected to construct meaning from oral, written, or graphic information. Using this in nursing the patient would be able to explain the importance of having clean hands while doing central line flushing. Application is next. The patient should be able to apply concepts to real-life situations. For example, the patient should be able to calculate a resting heart rate. The highest level in the cognitive domain is the evaluation. A nurse would be able to modify concepts to create an individual teaching plan to fit the particular patient situation. The nurse would be able to modify daily exercise regime to meet health goals. The second domain of learning is the affective domain. This domain centers around how people deal emotionally: including values, motivations, and attitudes. Receiving is at the bottom of the hierarchy. The nurse must be attentive to and aware of the opportunity for learning. A prime example of using this skill in nursing, the nurse will help the patient realized need for change in their lifestyle decision making. Near the top of the pyramid is organizing and conceptualizing, being able to organize values thru prioritization and through contrasting differing values. Examples for using this in nursing are being able to teach the patient to prioritize daily responsibilities to allow for time and stress management. The top of the pyramid in this domain is value concept; a value system that explains their behavior. When applying this to nursing the patient will be able to sustain healthy choices over time. The third domain in Blooms Taxonomy of Education is the psychomotor domain; how people use motor skills to complete or engage in a task. Imitation is the ability to imitate motor activity. Applying imitation to nursing the patient would be able to detect the proper site for blood glucose testing. Manipulation is next; where the patient follows instructions. A patient can assemble equipment for glucose testing. Naturalization is at the top of the psychomotor domain. The patient will have the necessary skills to complete the task without thinking about it. Using this in nursing the patient will be able to progress to unassisted mobility following orthopedic surgery through the use of exercise and physical therapy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is easy to understand and makes a logical progression from fundamental learning to complex. Using this taxonomy in the nursing teaching process can have long-lasting effects on improving the nursing practice (Larkin & Burton, 2008). References Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R., Airasian, P.W., et al. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Addison Wessly Longman. Bloom, B., ed. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Longman Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., & Masia, B.B.,(1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the classification of educational goals. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay CO., Inc. Larkin, B. G., & Burton, K. J. (2008). Evaluating a case study using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. AORN Journal , 88(3), 390. Simpson E.J., (1972). The classification of educational objectives in psychomotor domain. Washington D.C., Gyphon House.

What I Have A Good And Bad Side - 1265 Words

Would I want to live to be 100? That’s an interesting question that’s very hard for me to answer each time I think about how to answer it. So, with most things in life, there’s a good and a bad side to most situations. But for me, with this certain topic, I’m not going to lie, I’m torn between which side to take. Over the years I’ve experienced some details to support these two sides of this topic ranging from music all the way to videos I’ve seen on YouTube. With each thing that I’ve experienced I took everything I was exposed into perspective and it just never really left my mind. I even thought about these involvements throughout my everyday life, making questions about what if. What I have to share with you, the reader, are my†¦show more content†¦A band instructor who got me thinking about the answer to this topic is Mrs. Rollins. I’ve been taking lessons from her for so many years, I meet her at an old age and when I graduated she was getting older slowly becoming deaf. What have I taken from taking lessons from her for so long? I’ve taken from Mrs. Rollins is that she always tied in Christianity to music in some shape or form. Whether it was a type of rest marked on the page to playing a piece of music that was way too challenging. Apart from music, she was full of life never worried about if her time was coming to an end. All she seemed to be worried about was playing music for the Lord and being faithful with the little. I think the moment that really just stood out to me is when I was listening to her play at a concert that she hosted. Her primary instrument is the trumpet and when she played at this concert it was the best Jazz music I have ever heard played on the trumpet. I didn’t know a person at her age could play an instrument this prodigious. It further makes my choice of which answer I agree with in my chosen topic much harder. The name of the band that I was so thankful for being a part of is the Christian Big Band. This Band was directed by my band instructor mentioned in the above paragraph, and we traveled all throughout South Carolina. Now this particular band played at churches that hired us, nurseries, and retirement homes. Through this experience of playing at all these