Critical Analysis of the US Electoral College Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of the US Electoral College Essay Electoral College is a term that refers to a selected group of representatives who perform the task of electing candidates for particular powerful offices such as presidents or church leaders. The selection process of electing candidates usually involves participants from different and competing political or religious entities. In the recent past, the Electoral College has been conspicuously practiced in electing the President of the United Stats and the Pope of the Catholic Church. It is the US Electoral College that has particularly drawn much concern as to its effectiveness and reliability in electing the president of the federal republic. This essay identifies some of the problems associated with the Electoral College and analyses the implications of the suggested modifications and alternatives. Analysis of the US Electoral College In the United States, the Electoral College system is used to elect the President from competing candidates from either the Republican Party, the Democratic Party of independent candidates. See more: how to write an analysis Rather than elect a president and a vice-president directly through national elections, the US conducts separate elections in all its 51 states during which the winner in each state is allocated the number of electoral votes proportional to the total representation of the state in Congress which has a total of 538 electoral voters. The winner of the presidential contests is expected to win a total of 270 votes of the Electoral College. Although the design of the Electoral College was clever and well intentioned, the system is susceptible to inherent flaws, some of which were resolved by constitutional amendments while others remain unresolved to date (Miller, 2008). Indeed, as Miller (2008) noted, the selection system established by the Electoral College has at its core the objective to foster fairness in the election of candidates in non-partisan environment, the motive was rendered irrelevant with the formation of competing political parties to compete in the selection process for the presidency. There is no doubt that the Electoral College system presents many challenges and problems to the fairness of the Presidential election in the US which include the problem of election reversal, problems with the voting power, partisan biasness, excessive focus on battleground states and the likelihood of pledge violations. One obvious problem that emerges from the Electoral College system is that the results of adding up the total electoral votes in the states may end up being different from adding up the total popular votes in all those states. Miller (2008) identifies the situation of the 2000 elections where the eventual winner, George W. had more electoral votes but less popular vote than the loser, Albert Gore. Moreover, in the event that there emerges a serious third party contestant, then it would be impossible for any candidate to garner the mandatory 270 electoral votes. According to the US constitution, the emergence of such an eventuality would require that the election process be taken to the Congress where voting should be conducted repeatedly until a victor emerges. Whereas there are concerns if the Electoral College represents adequate allocation of voting powers to all the states, there are also concerns as two whether the bipartisanship of the two-party system in the US is likely to represent non-partisan election of the president. Moreover, the focus of the Electoral College on the battleground states attracts disproportionate attention from parties and their candidates, effectively raising questions on the voting powers of the other states. Conclusion Some of the suggested proposals suggested include: (1) amending the constitution to empower the American with the constitutional rights to directly elect the president through a popular vote; (2) apportionment of the electoral votes fractionally according to the population of states so as to eliminate the problem of election reversal; and (3) equal apportionment of the electoral votes to all states to eliminate the problem of state voting powers. The proposal to amend the constitution so as to give American the constitutional rights to directly elect the president stands out as the most superior suggestion because it will eliminate all the problems and challenges associated with the Electoral College. References Miller, N. R. (2008). The US electoral college: Origins, transformation, problems and prospects. UMBC, retrieved on 22 May 2009 from: http://userpages. umbc. edu/~nmiller/RESEARCH/ELECTCOL. CONSTDAY. ppt.

Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution Essay -- ADR

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is and how it came about, what different types of ADR there is to choose from and how ADR benefits both parties compared to litigation. ADR can quickly resolve almost any minor issue regarding most civil cases family, neighbors, employers, contractors, etc. ADR includes mediation (also known as conciliation), arbitration and settlement conferences. Some of the benefits of ADR include cost, speed, confidentiality, control, cooperative resolution and industry experts. Brief History of ADR ADR has been around for many years but has really taken off over the past few decades specifically after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. In the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed â€Å"discrimination in employment or public accommodations on the basis of race, sex or national origin.† These laws opened up the â€Å"gateway† for employee's to fight employer's for fair treatment. Also, during this time the women's movement and the environmental movements where growing quickly leading to more and more court cases. The court system where becoming overwhelmed and cases were being delayed for long period of times. As the courts were trying to resolve cases quickly there were more and more procedural errors being made. ADR's like mediation and arbitration became a popular way of to deal with these types of cases and others and it was helping relieve pressure on the already overloaded court system. The judicial system is still considered a fair way of disputing resolutions. However, it's time consuming and expensive. Some pro's of litigation, according to Citizen's Guide.ca: Pro's and Con's of litigation, are they can create a precedent that will prevent future ... ... 2011 Henton, Lesley. What is a Settlement Conference? 2009-2011. July 18, 2011 Woods, Robert E. What are the Benefits to Alternative Dispute Resolution? 1995. July 6, 2011 Judicial Council of California. Alternative Dispute Resolution: Options for Resolving Your Dispute. 2011. July 12, 2011 Bakke-Norman Law Offices. Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Client's Guide to the Language and Procedure. 2010. July 15, 2011 Beyond Factory Farming Coalition. Citizen's Guide to Confronting a Factory Farm. April 2007. July 9, 2011

Literature Justification for Blended/Reverse Instruction

The concept of a reversed classroom is a logical next step from discovering the benefits of more time on task, direct instruction, reduced lecture time, and modifying homework tasks. If teachers are to find time to increase time on task and direct instruction; and greater comprehension is shown from shorter lectures over longer ones; and if homework is more beneficial when it is reduced into manageable portions; then the best division of labor is to assign the short lecture as homework to give teachers that time in class actively engaged in the application of the lesson(s. Rigorous literature on the reversed classroom is still in its infancy, but literature on its various beneficial parts is offered here along with it. Key terms: Blended instruction – teaching pedagogy that uses both virtual and face-to- face instruction. Reverse instruction – a classroom method that appoints the time for lecture material to an at home assignment, while completing practice material duri ng classroom time. Time on task – the amount of time actively engaged in assigned learning. Homework – coursework that is assigned to be completed outside classroom attendance, usually at home. Direct instruction – a teacher centered model of instruction that includes high levels of teacher support/scaffolding, ongoing evaluative monitoring with feedback, and strong student-teacher engagement of the material. (Stein 1998) Podcast/vodcast – audio or video/audio files that can be downloaded from the internet for personal use. Literature Justification for Blended/Reverse Instruction Introduction Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams began a movement. They didn’t intend to; they simply responded to the needs of their own classrooms and collaborated on an idea that was initially intended for their absent students. Then it grew into a method that freed them up to be more actively involved with students during their class periods. It involved video recording their lectures for at home use, and practicing the material and assignments with direct instruction and guidance during class time, thus â€Å"flipping†, or reversing, their use of instruction time (Bergmann 2009. The results were so positive that many others are replicating the method across the nation and tech companies are filling the need with products, (see appendix), that go far beyond PowerPoint ® for formatting the lectures they deliver to their students. This concept has been called by a few names: reverse classroom, reverse instruction, flipped classroom, and/or blended instruction, however, the opportunity created by the â€Å"flip† to increase t eacher-student interaction during class time is what characterizes its success (Bergmann 2009). As the use of this concept increases parents, teachers, and administrators are asking for research testing its efficacy. Those who are trying flipped classrooms state that increased learning does not occur just by reversing homework and lecture time alone, but by seizing the opportunity to guide and interact with students more. The technology of vodcasting by itself is not a silver bullet for our educational woes; educators must teach with sound methodology and quality regardless of what medium, or time, they choose to lecture in (Roblyer 2009. ) With that in mind I propose the following research questions about a reverse classroom study: 1. Will more direct instruction increase measurable comprehension of subject matter as reflected in test scores? Studies so far have had promising results, (Stein, Carnine, & Dixon 1998), and include mastery of material through formative evaluation before moving on in coursework, (Overmyer 2010), extra use of worked examples, (Carroll 1992), and more use of discussion, (Matthews 2008. ) 2. Will students have greater compliance in homework because is consists of lectures instead of practice? Benefits from homework are directly proportional to how much compliance demonstrated in completing it, (Keith 1982. Homework compliance at Clintondale High in Macomb County, MI increased because a short lecture is easier; applied practice has been less frustrating with support later in class, (Buffenbarger 2011). This model of education changes the character of homework from usually studying alone trying to remember and apply lecture material, to doing the work alongside other students with guidance. At home the student can be prepared to learn through the lecture without the pressure of application until un derstanding of the material is confirmed and supported. This echoes Ecclesiastes 4:9 â€Å"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down his friend can pick him up. But pity the man who has no one to help him up! † (New International Version) 3. Will more time on task, due to less lecture time, reduce behavior management issues in reversed classrooms? Clintondale High, again, has shown dramatic reduction in referrals to the office for discipline, (Higgins 2011), in the first year of reversed classrooms and school-wide emphasis on this use of time; â€Å"Students are less frustrated and disruptive in class because there is someone on hand to help one-on-one. (Buffenbarger 2011) Discussion of key terms Blended instruction is really a broad category under which the focus of my proposed study falls. It is not just any use of technology by the school for record keeping or parent communication, although those things support education. This â€Å"blend† is referring to how content is be ing delivered to the student for instruction. When a teacher has students read and respond to material online, they have blended their face to face instruction with computer instruction. When they have delivered an asynchronous lecture or lesson outside of class time, or assigned pre-recorded information by someone else for them to find and view or listen to it is also blended instruction. In extensive meta-analysis it has been found that a combination of both virtual and face to face instruction is likely to be more effective than either one alone, (US Dept. 2008. ) Reverse instruction is a category of blended instruction named according to when virtual content delivery occurs as opposed to when application and practice of the material happens. Rather than using classroom time for content delivery, the instructor uses that time for guiding application and practice, while assigning the lecture/lesson as homework, (Bergmann, 2009). Time on task, not to be confused with mere seatwork, (Siefert 1984), is a term used in this study to refer to active engagement with the content. This can be during collaborative work with fellow students, involvement in discussion, (Matthews 2008), with the instructor as a class, or individually. It can include time used for assessment, lab work, practice, or use of interactive software or textbooks, (Higgins 1992); but it is always referring to the students’ efficacious work with the class content. Homework is any assigned coursework meant to be completed outside of the classroom, usually at home. It is often a topic of study in education because of its impact on grades and tests. (Keith 1982) In recognition of the value of family life, time for friends and the pursuit of personal interests, studies are often focused on how much is needful vs. reating a balance of these things. To keep it minimal and balanced with personal life, other studies attempt to measure which types of homework are the most effective for the amount of time invested in them. (Murphy 1989) Direct instruction is a teacher centered model of instruction â€Å"that integrates effective teaching practices with sophisticated curriculum design, classroom organization and management. † (Stein 1998 ) This includes high levels of teacher support/scaffolding, ongoing evaluative monitoring with feedback, and strong student-teacher engagement of the material. It is the intention of this study to increase this type of instruction as replacement of the reversed lecture time, and in support of more time on task, (above. ) Podcast and vodcast are audio, and video with audio, files that can be downloaded from the internet. They are the most common form of lesson, or lecture time, assigned as homework in the reverse classroom model. (Schaffhauser 2009) These are available in many subjects through YouTube ®, supportive websites like Khan Academy, (see appendix), or can be custom made by each instructor for his or her class. Overmyer 2010) They are made readily available for students via CD, DVD, flash drives, or internet. (Bergmann 2008) Other forms of reverse classroom homework are interactive sites or software made available through the students’ school. Reduced lecture time and increased time on task The educational standard of a lecture-based classroom has received much criticism as our use of technology increases. Prior to the late 1800’s the lecture consisted of reading verbatim text with students taking notes to reproduce the same. As it evolved into personal interpretation of text and uthorship of original ideas, student requirements of recitation in classical education shifted to explaining a synthesis of ideas presented in lectures and textbooks (Freisen 2011). Modern students now grapple with an explosion of sources of information, and so the lecture from their teacher fades into the perspective of one person when there are so many ways to gain the required information of each class. In the information age, lecturing has been proven more effective in brevity (McFeeley & Milner 2009) Matthews & Farmer 2008). So, what then should the lecture become? Norm Friesen described it eloquently as a much needed bridge to merge information and â€Å"oral communication with writing and newer media technologies. † (2011. ) McFeeley & Milner call for it to become kernels of information, â€Å"5 minutes or less,† with time in between to allow students to understand and apply the necessary tools of their subjects (2009. ) The times of understanding and application are what I have already described as time on task, which has been attributed with higher levels of learning and test scores, (Matthews & Farmer 2008) (Stein et. al. 1998. ) Homework studies. The short lecture is an ideal assignment for homework. Easily accessed and portable, its length makes it an attainable goal to accomplish as homework. Practice and written assignments, however, vary in time commitment according to each student’s understanding of the material and their ability to complete it. Short lectures are certainly able to increase learning while still respecting the personal time of students and their families, both stated goals in assigning homework. Whether it is given in class or at home, decreasing time for lecture frees up more time for direct instruction from the teacher. Blended learning and the reverse classroom Whether or not to use technology no is longer the question. Technology is such a pervasive part of modern life that it has integrated itself into education. So, in that sense, all classrooms are more or less utilizing blended learning; it is only named â€Å"blended† when it has become intentional as a method for delivering or manipulating the constructs of the lessons. For instructors to fail to include and capitalize on this vast store of information and resources could result in failure to reach this generation of learners. The purpose of the type of reverse classroom that I am proposing is to gain more time for teachers to assist and coordinate learning from a variety of sources; to be more actively involved in each student’s comprehension and feedback. Just replacing ourselves as lecturers by podcast(s) gravely misses the point. Conclusion/Summary The reversed classroom is already happening in schools at increasing rates in both K – 12 and higher education classes. It is proving itself as a viable option for increasing direct instruction time and learning. Only when the at home lectures are too long, or when they are an attempted replacement for teaching without the beneficial increased engagement during class, is student dissatisfaction expressed, or test scores and learning level off or drop. Research would be well invested if it began to decipher which technologies are the most effective for students, and user friendly for instructors in material delivery. While surveys show that many teachers hesitate to utilize technology in their classes, starting out with it outside the classroom is a gentle step towards its use without fearing fumbling around with it in front of a student audience. In fact, teachers of distance education classes have stated that tech-based teaching has improved their overall ability and methods as instructors: â€Å"Findings from a study of teacher perceptions indicate that three quarters of teachers who teach in both virtual and traditional environments felt that virtual experiences improved their practice in face-to-face classrooms. † (Roblyer, et. al. 2009) New studies could help refine which kinds of teacher training will be the most valuable, determine best infrastructure and IT support for schools, and improve parent-teacher communication about tech-based homework. Education has always grown and shifted as culture and technology change. While lectures used to be about preserving the knowledge gains of mankind as â€Å"the task of educational institutions to preserve this vulnerable heritage from one generation to the next,† (Friesen 2011), it grew into a synthesis of information and instruction, and in twenty first century learning it is changing towards teaching skills for students to navigate and utilize the enormous body of information available in our age. The effective use of a reverse classroom model is a natural fit.

Othello And Society - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 604 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/09/17 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Othello Essay William Shakespeare Essay Did you like this example?   The play Othello by William Shakespeare was recorder on   Elizabeth era. The play introduced Othello as a strong and firm man. His stature, tall, dark, African Moor, combined with his personal charisma. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Othello And Society" essay for you Create order A brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian Army. In times when Africans and other minorities settled in Europe raise their protest over the constant attacks they suffer in a supposedly tolerant and liberal society, it indicates that perhaps in the depths of the common European fear of foreigners continues to subsist. Racism and xenophobia is also present in the figure of Othello who, despite his great blood and royal blood, is never fully admitted into white society. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is considered as much by Brabantio as by Iago against natura and monstrous. Desdemona is a beautiful white woman and a Venetian debutante; It is the pride and joy of his father. But he refuses to marry the wealthy and handsome Venetian with whom everyone expects him to marry. Instead, she escapes with Othello, a black man, older than her and a stranger from Venetian society. In any case, it turns out to be a brave move, Desdemona not only defies the hopes of his father, but also challenges a society that is against interracial marriages. Ay, theres the point. As, to be bold with you, Not to affect many proposed matches Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, Whereto we see in all things nature tends. Foh! One may smell in such a will most rank, Foul disproportion thoughts unnatural  Ã‚   But pardon me. I do not in position Distinctly speak of her, though I may fear Her will, recoiling to her better judgment, May fall to match you with he r country forms And happily repent. (3.3.268-278). Iago suggest that there something unnatural about Desdemona of she would decide to marry a black man instead of a man who is her own complexion. Also, unfortunately Othello confronts racism he is deny to possess white privilege because of the color of his skin. This topic is interesting to mention because for many critics it is crucial in the development of the tragedy since in it they find the key to the actions of Othello. At the beginning we are presented as honest, brave, honest man and then another completely opposite facet will appear that questions us and provokes a cognitive dissonance. This new facet is of a malignant, uncontrolled, vengeful, murderous being. In him a deep change of personality appears. Iago feels betrayed and despised by Othello who gave him the position of lieutenant ascending him to Casio and not to him. As a result of this, Iago will be devising different ways to take revenge on both. In it are represented the ambition, the desire for revenge, the capacity for manipulation, evil, cold and insensitive machination. Iago wishes to take revenge on Othello and tries to try to get Othello to take revenge on Desdemona. To achieve this, several characters fall into their clutches and are handled at will, constantly manipulating Othello and we are witnessing the transformation that they are suffering through. It is fascinating the way in which Yago is setting the plot, as the spider with its fabric waiting for its prey to fall: Othello, Casio, Rodrigo, Emilia, Desdemona, all are at the mercy of the puppeteer Iago. Iago, like water, adapts to the place where it is and enters through the interstices of the others mind to copy it. There is a special Yago for Othello, anothe r for Casio, another for Rodrigo and a different one for Emilia or Desdemona.