What is the role of sonication during protein extraction Assignment

What is the role of sonication during protein extraction - Assignment Example Sonication plays a role in the process of protein extraction. A sonicator, which is an ultrasonic device, helps grind samples that contain the protein. This initiates the sonication process. Sound waves that contain high intensity produced in the process of sonication disrupt cells. This in turn facilitates the extraction of protein from the cells and tissues after breaking open (Emily, 2012, 5). A sonicator consists of two tips of different sizes. The variation in tips creates diversity in the grounding of samples regardless of their amount. Large samples are ground in tubes with wide mouths while smaller samples are ground in eppendorfs. According to the Journal of Theoretical Biology, the process of sonication produces different efficiency levels (Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2012, 76) There is more resistance to the process by cell walls as compared to cell membrane. To tackle this, the samples with cell walls become flash frozen. This facilitates sonication. In conclusion, the process of sonication becomes essential in protein extraction. It is a mechanical method. Complemented by other chemical procedure of protein extraction, sonication allows the cells to break open and protein extracted from them by use of high intensity

A Case Study In Chinese Independent Secondary Schools Education Essay

A Case Study In Chinese Independent Secondary Schools Education Essay This study is to examine the role of leadership in teacher professional development in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Klang Valley. The specific variables that will be investigated include teachers perceptions of teacher professional development; teachers expectations as well as the principals role in facilitating teacher professional development. Developments in leadership will lead to changes in the ways teachers work. These will subsequently increase the need to review teacher professional development. The purpose of this research is to establish how the dual of the principal and the teachers manifests itself in professional development. This research will be significant as it will examine the voices of teachers on how leadership contributes to teacher professional development. The research will be conducted using qualitative methodology. It will be based on a case study of two Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Klang Valley. Data will be collected using questionna ires and follow up interviews which will be administered to elicit responses from principals, deputy principals and teachers in both schools. The findings will reveal the need for teachers in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Klang Valley to engage more in teacher professional development programmes in order for them to have a better understanding of the concept. This study will also demonstrate if teacher professional development should be the core work of both the principals and teachers in order to create a learning environment in their schools so that both can develop professionally. Based on the results obtained in this study, we will determine if Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Klang Valley need more awareness in teacher professional development and how it will influence the leadership. Keywords: Leadership, Principals, Teachers, Teacher Professional Development, Teaching and Learning 1.0 INTRODUCTION Having been a teacher for ten years and now majoring in educational management, I am very much interested in finding out the effects of school leadership on the professional development of the teachers in the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Selangor. Chinese Secondary Independent Schools are solely governed by The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM) which coordinates the curriculum used in the schools and organizes the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) standardized test. Generally teachers are not employed through the professional teachers training colleges in Malaysia rather they are appointed through individual school administration which is governed by the directors (share holders) of the school as they are not governed by any central system therefore school management is based on the individual school superiors. As a teacher from a Chinese Independent Secondary School, I had been involved in various professional development programmes in school. These programmes were mostly conducted during school hours and often during the school holidays. Thus it is my interest to find out how the school leadership contributes in molding and producing teachers who are as competent as the trained teachers by the Teachers Training Colleges under the Malaysia Education System. This is because this will determine whether the Chinese Secondary Independent Schools are producing individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonic, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God, in line with the goals of the Malaysian National Philosophy of Education. Basically every organization needs routines to function in a good way. In organizations like higher secondary schools, the routines involve being continuously observant about the force of leadership and teaching on students involvement academically. To implement this observation, they also know how to judge students, and the efficiency of all professional activities. Therefore teachers and students solely rely on non-governmental organization to provide relevant professional training and development for further enhancement of teaching outcome. This proposed study will be able to shed some light on various strategies deployed by the school administration in enhancing professional development among teachers of Chinese Secondary Independent Schools in order to stimulate the pupils potentials holistically in accordance with the Education Philosophy. As a school administrator, I strongly believe it is the job and the responsibility of the head teacher to see that the pupils achieve success besides possessing the following qualities : knowledgeable, competent, possess high moral standards and are responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. (Malaysian National Philosophy of Education, 1996). This research takes the form of a qualitative study that employs three research instruments: document analysis, questionnaires that are filled in by all the teachers and five semi-structured interview sessions. Therefore, I would very much like to gain an insight into the ways in which the school leadership behaviour and practices affect the teachers overall achievement in professional development in line with the students overall achievement in schools. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY Teachers are a vital labor force according to the Malaysian educational aims in enhancing the education quality and developing manpower of the nation. The importance for professional development for teachers in Malaysia was realized since 1995 by a special committee established by the Education Ministry to look into teachers professionalization, professionalism and professional development. Teachers professional development was one of the most important factor to enhance the teaching profession. Below are a few suggestions highlighted by the MOE on how teacher professional development be conducted: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Teachers should be encouraged to attend in-service courses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Teachers should be encouraged to further their education à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Opportunities should be given to teachers for study visits overseas to study current developments in education à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Induction programmes be given to teachers appointed to new posts and with new responsibilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff rooms should be subject-based à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Teacher centres should facilitate the professional development of teachers; they should be built in strategic locations, equipped with modern technology, fully funded and adequately staffed (as cited in Mohd Sofi Ali, 2002, p. 45). Based on the above needs and requirements the government has made efforts to establish training centres for its teachers. The teacher education division which comes under the MOE and MOHE initiates both the pre-service and in-service training for the primary and secondary school teachers. Chinese independent secondary school is a type of private high school in Malaysia. They provide secondary education in the Chinese language as the continuation of the primary education in Chinese national-type primary schools. The medium of instruction in these schools is Mandarin with simplified Chinese characters writing. There are a total of 60 Chinese independent high schools in the country, including 23 from East Malaysia, and they represent a small number of the high schools in Malaysia. The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, the association of Chinese school teachers and trustees, also known as the Dong Jiao Zong, coordinates the curriculum used in the schools and organizes the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) standardized test. Despite this, the schools are independent of each other and are free to manage their own affairs. The teaching workforce for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools is generally made up of three categories: Diploma , Degree and Master Degree holders. There are also a category of teachers who completed seven years of secondary education and are employed as teachers after undergoing a non-residential short course. This was initially done in the initial stages as to produce as many teachers in the shortest time possible so as to cater for the demands of teachers in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools for a simple reason that they are not under the MOE and as an independent organization teachers are to be sourced out on their own. Being private schools, Chinese independent high schools do not receive funding from the Malaysian government, unlike their national-type cousins. However, in accordance with their aim of providing affordable education to all in the Chinese language, their school fees are substantially lower than those of most other private schools. The schools are kept alive almost exclusively by donations from the public. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Basically the proposed study is to look at the leadership focus in the circumstance of the case study of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Selangor. The following are the key aims of this research; What are the leadership styles practiced by school heads in the school vicinity, what is the professional development activities conducted in schools, how does school head and teachers perceived professional development? Professional development is believed to perk up the excellence of teaching and the quality performance of learners. Knapp (2003:109) believes that every initiative that is geared towards improving teaching and learning in schools should consolidate its efforts chiefly towards high quality teacher professional development and this is perceived as one of the roles attached to principalship. This provides a basis upon which teachers can improve their instructional competence and pedagogic skills. Another objective for this study is to examine how have the leadership styles affected the professional development in schools? 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT The role of the principal in supporting professional development activities of teachers appears to be crucial to the success of the professional growth of teachers (Berube, Gaston, Stepans, 2004 citing Stepans, 2001). Therefore it is strongly reckoned that a strong school leadership will enhance teacher professional development in a more effective manner. Berube et al (2004) state that, In addition to performing these organisational and managerial tasks, contemporary principals are expected to be leaders, setting directions for the teaching and learning of students. They also are expected to coach, teach, and develop teachers in their schools, and perform their tasks as instructional leaders. Generally it depends on the leadership of the school on the various method they would choose to enforce professionalism among teachers in their respective schools. At the moment the most popular forms of teacher professional development in most Chinese Independent Secondary Schools are workshops and seminars held both within the schools and at the Dong Zhong headquarters. This study hopes to intensify the understanding of the potential role of principals in teacher development. Currently there is insufficient support for teacher professional development which could affect the quality of education that students receive and ultimately impact on their likelihood to pass their final high school external examination and transition into higher education among students of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To investigate the leadership styles practiced by school heads. To explore the professional development activities being conducted in schools. To examine the factors that influence school head and teachers perception in professional development To determine the impact of leadership styles on professional development in schools. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION The proposed research questions for this study seek to answer these questions; 1. What are the leadership styles practiced by school heads? 2. What is the professional development activities conducted in schools? 3. How does school head and teachers perceived professional development? 4. How has the leadership styles affected the professional development in schools? 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Generally on the contrary not many studies have examined principals role and practices in relation to teacher professional development. However, there is a need to develop a better understanding of what principals do and how they facilitate teacher development in order to be able to shape a positive school climate that supports teacher learning (Drago- Severson, 2004). Drago-Severson put forth a learning oriented model of school leadership that includes teaming, engaging in collegial inquiry and mentoring targeted at attaining that relationship to foster educational growth more effectively. The teachers perceptions of the way the school leader functions appears to be an important parameter for the appreciation of the contribution of the school to the process of professional development (Clement et al., 2000, p.7). This study aims to investigate whether teacher professional development is perceived as central to student achievement by school leadership (principals) at Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Selangor. Basically there are four Chinese Independent School distinctively located in Selangor where each school consists of almost two thousand students along with 130 staff member. It also aims specifically to examine the role that principals play to encourage teacher professional development in their schools. Professional support. Activities within the professional training category include; short conferences, courses, workshops both in the schools and outside the schools, for which emphasis is put on enhancing the knowledge and skills of participants and formal certification is not provided. As Bolam further points out, professional education in contrast leads to formal qualifications and relevant certificates. Professional support according to Earley Bubb (2004) involves on-the-job s upport that is primarily intended to improve teachersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ experience and performance. Activities in this category may include coaching, mentoring, and induction. The results of this research will contribute to those studies, which have been carried out, in the quest for broadening and understanding the roles of school leaders with regard to professional development of teachers. The study could also assist the Board of United Chinese Secondary School Association policy makers to assess the contents of the courses necessary for prospective and incumbent school heads and teachers of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, to ensure that they are equipped with relevant skills required to run schools in a way that would enhance the achievement of Vision and Mission alongside with goals of Ministry of Education in Malaysia. CHAPTER 2 2.0 LITERATURE FRAMEWORK 2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter looks at the meaning of school leadership and teachers professional development and discusses its significance to the teaching profession and the notion of teacher professionalism. Several themes that emerged from the literature base reviewed such as the changing paradigm of leadership styles, professional development, the impact of professional development on teachers and school heads, core features of effective professional development, changing leadership practices and teachers professional development impact in school are also discussed. Figure 1 : Leadership Styles Hopkins (2001b) highlights the centrality of transformational and instructional leadership practices in achieving school improvement in schools facing challenging circumstances. Existing literature also indicates that the most popular theories are located in the transactional and transformational models identified more than 20 years ago (Burns, 1978; Hoy and Miskell, 2008) and lately reinvented through such terms as liberation (Tampoe, 1998), educative (Duignan and McPherson, 1992), invitational (Stoll and Fink, 1996) and moral leadership (Sergiovanni, 1992). Apparently a leader holds full responsibility in creating a conducive school community. He or she needs to diversify the leadership roles so that change can be accepted by subordinates. All teacher working under a leader should be anchored towards the same mission and vission in order to achieve success in the aims and goals of the organization(Farrell, 2003). According to Portin (2003) below are the seven key leadership functions that must exist in all schools regardless of type and size: 1. Instructional: assuring quality of instruction and supervising curriculum 2. Cultural: dealing with history and traditions 3. Managerial: focusing on school operations 4. Human Resource: recruiting, hiring, firing, and mentoring teachers and staff 5. Strategic: promoting the vision, mission, and goals of the school 6. External Development: representing the school in the community 7. Micropolitical: mediating and dealing with internal interests 2.1.1 Leadership Styles Fullan (2000, 2001) presages school leaders that there is no mystic solution to making schools effective. More exactly, leaders should make an attempt to learn moral leadership practices to help assure that whatever changes and change process they see to adopt are as successful as possible. Therefore leadership styles practiced by school heads are the foremost contributing factor to the running of the school organization which subsequently promotes the professional development of its staff. Basically leadership styles practiced are known as below: Figure 2 : Types of Leadership 2.2 TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2.2.1 Definitions Definitions on Teacher Professional Development vary according to educational backgrounds and situations. In education systems where teacher education programs are well recognized, Teacher Professional Development is defined as a process taking up all activities that increase professional career development (Rogan Grayson 2004; Tecle 2006) or as formal and informal experiences throughout the teachers career (Hargreaves Fullan 1992; Arends et al. 1998). Furthermore teachers will be able to go beyond their primary training as they fulfill a number of objectives as below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to update individuals knowledge of a subject in light of recent advances in the area; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to update individuals skills, attitudes and approaches in light of the development of new teaching techniques and objectives, new circumstances and new educational research à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to enable schools to develop and apply new strategies concerning the curriculum and other aspects of teaching practice; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to exchange information and expertise among teachers and others, e.g. academics, industrialists; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to help weaker teachers become more effective. 2.2.2 Importance of Teacher Professional Development In line with changes and challenges faced by the teaching profession various methods, techniques and information are updated regularly and to upkeep with this pace education alone is insufficient for teachers. Professional development is part of life-long learning and educating oneself. Professional development allows an educator to reflect and on decision making and trouble shoot challenging roles in being an educator. Hence due to the importance of teacher professional development the Ministry of Education in Malaysia has set up Teacher Education Division (TED), Aminuddin Baki Institute (IAB),The School Inspectorate and Quality Assurance Division and the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education to plan, manage and implement teacher professional development activities in all states in order to uphold to the mission and vision in providing quality education to all. The teacher is the heart of classroom instruction (Fullan 2000;Hargreaves 2001). The effectiveness of the teacher depends on her competence (academically and pedagogically) and efficiency, (ability, work load, and commitment), teaching and learning resources and methods; support from education managers and supervisors (Rogan 2004; Van den Akker Thijs 2002; Mosha 2004). Through Professional development an educator or teacher is able to practice effective management in the classroom , it allows a path where a teacher learns to cope with difficulty faced in the classroom. These experiences provide a learning platform for teacher where they are able to improve their personal skills in handling challenges in the classroom in particular and school generally. 2.2.3 Forms of Teacher Professional Development Teachers are the heart and soul of learning; they are in fact lifelong learners. Constant reinvention and revolutionary in the education field makes teachers to stay in par through whatever circumstances in professional development. To date there are various ways and strategies implemented to enhance teachers mode of learning and sharing on the whole whether its a private or government school. Guskey (2000a, p. 22-29) reviewed seven core professional development practices and identified advantages and shortcomings for each. An abbreviated version is provided below. Method Advantage Shortcoming Training presentation, workshop, demonstration, simulation, discussions, seminars, colloquia, etc. efficient for sharing info with large groups shared knowledge base and vocabulary little individualization or choice often need feedback and coaching to supplement Observation/Assessment observation and receiving feedback e.g. peer coaching and supervision positive impact on observer and observed through discussion and feedback lessens isolation takes time, trust, and must separate observation and evaluation need to be focused and well- planned Improvement Processes curriculum/program design development or review, to implement new instructional strategies or to solve problems enhances knowledge and also collaborative capacity generally are invested in it due to local context and/or authentic problems may only involve small group may tend toward tradition and not innovation need access to research to guide decisions/actions Study Groups study regarding common issue or concern may have several groups studying different aspects of issue lessens isolation and bring focus and coherence to learning also focuses on ongoing learning individual involvement may vary or be discouraged by dominant members may become opinion-focused instead of research focused Inquiry/Action Research 5 step AR process of selecting a problem and determining an action to take tends to build knowledge and increase skills of problem solving, empowers teachers in their practice and learning takes significant individual effort, initiative and time Individually Directed Activities identify individual needs create personal plan -assess success of plan flexible, choice, individualization, geared to personal reflection and analysis may be reinventing the wheel or repetitive work if no collegial sharing is built in less likely to be connected to SIP and other areas of PD Mentoring regular meetings of more and less experienced pairs about practice and improvement both individuals learn as mentors become more meta cognitive and also develop adult communication skills time and resources, also connecting to other learners or school plans and initiatives Table 1: Professional Development Practices 2.3 IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT According to Dr. Helen Timperley (aitsl,oct 2011) , there are a number of principles identified on how professional development inpacts teachers and principal on the whole. A few of the principles are as discussed below:- 2.3.1 Professional learning is core school business First-class learning, teaching and schooling need professionals who involve methodically in increasing their knowledge and skills as part of their everyday duties. This claim is strongly accepted by the analytical research done by Robinson et al. (2008) in which they found that the leadership activity greatly influence student outcomes was leaders promotion of, and participation in, teachers professional learning and development. Kaser and Halbert (2009) explains that these occasions shall not occur regularly but refer to this principle as developing a learning-oriented design in schools that reflects the complexity required to create appropriate conditions, structures and rhythms for professional learning. 2.3.2 Improving outcomes for students forms the reason to engage in professional learning opportunities and the basis for evaluating its effectiveness Engaging in professional development allows knowledge to be deepen and skills in teaching and learning dignifies. Scholars substantially give importance to the impact of their practice on students. Experts always improvise the routine practices for students in order to create active knowledge seeking. Improving these outcomes becomes the reason to engage in professional learning, the reason to deepen knowledge and refine skills, and the basis for deciding if it is effective. Adaptive experts are constantly focused on the impact of their practice on students, and when their routines of practice are not working for students, they seek new knowledge and skills. Similarly, those leading organisations with high adaptive capacity seek these opportunities at the level of the whole school as an organisation. 2.3.3 Professional learning opportunities build deep pedagogical content and assessment knowledge focused on what is needed to improve outcomes for students Leaders and teachers must restore information at all time throughout their school day. Having this knowledge organised into conceptual frameworks means that it is known both in a practical sense and theoretically. If understandings are introduced in theory only, then problems arise when teachers try to put them into practice in their own teaching and learning contexts (Kennedy, 2004). On the other hand, leaders and teachers need to know why the understandings and practices promoted through professional learning opportunities are more effective than what they did before so that they can tailor new practices to meet the demands of particular situations. Knowing something theoretically also counterbalances the situated nature of learning referred to in the first principle, in that conceptual or theoretical knowledge allows for transfer to other situations with other students or in other curriculum areas. 2.3.4 Professional learning environments are consistent with how people learn All stage of learners are adults or young people, transform new information through the lens of prior understandings (Bransford et al., 2000; Dumont et al., 2010). These prior understandings are, in turn, structured and interpreted through existing mental models. In professional learning situations, if prior knowledge and existing mental models are not engaged, those involved may fail to grasp new concepts because they believe that existing practice is more similar to new ideas than it really is. 2.4 EFFECTIVE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Leadership achievement always begins with vision.  A intensed vision has that power. It encourages, explains and centres the task of individualsand preferably entire organizationsfor a long period of time. Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2002) believes that emotionally intelligent leaders and emotionally intelligent organizations are vital in challenging times. They distinguis 18 aptitudes around four areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Leaders of such potential are clearly aware of their own emotional makeup, are sensitive and empowering to others, and are able to cope with day-to-day problems as they work on more essential changes in the culture of the organization. (From Fullan, 2001) Figure: 3 Framework for Leadership Concurrently effective leaders need to stay tunes to the big picture, and much more modernized at conceptual thinking, and transforming the organization through people and teams. It was my conclusion when I examined successful leadership for businesses and in school systems (Fullan, 2001). Besides this another element pertaining to successful change is that relationships improve. When relationships improve, things get better. If they remain the same or get worse, ground is lost. Therefore leaders must be consummate relationship builders with diverse people and groups especially with people different than themselves. This is why emotional intelligence is equal to or more important than having the best ideas. In complex times, emotional intelligence is a must. Hence , schools cannot be improved without improving the skills and abilities of the teachers and principals who work in them (Darling-Hammond, 2008, 2009a; Lieberman Darling-Hammond, 2011). Teachers are the ones who ultimately will implement change. Therefore, professional development processes must address their needs and concerns (Darling-Hammond, 2010a, 2010b) 2.5 THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The theoretical framework of this proposed study is mainly based on the work of eminent educational leadership scholars, specifically Fullan ( 2000,) Hargreaves (2001) Rogan Grayson (2004) and Bransford et al.(2000), Dumont et al.,( 2010), Darling-Hammond, 2011 and Dr. Helen Timperly (2010) relating to professional development and school leadership. The underlying theories state that professional development is important for the preparation and continuous development of teachers and school administrators. Darling-Hammond (2009a) suggested that professional development should provide opportunities for teachers to reflect critically on their practice and to fashion new knowledge and beliefs about content, pedagogy, and learners. Fullan and Hargreaves (2001) leaders of tomorrow should move steadfast in transforming themselves as well as the people around them to achieve stated results. 2.5.1 Theories of leadership Through ages, multiple theories and literature have been created by many scholars with different point of view. Generally all the theories can be categorized

Essay --

How Seizures affect Brain Activity A seizure is a short occurrence of symptoms that is caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Customarily, a seizure lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. There are different types of seizures not just one. Depending on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance will determine which type of seizure will occur. Experts divide seizures into five generalized seizures, these include: partial seizures, epileptic/non-epileptic seizures, status epilepticus, gelastic seizures and dacrystic seizures. Partial seizures occur when a strong surge of electrical activity affects only a specific area of one cerebral hemisphere. This kind of seizure is subdivided into two categories: Simple Partial Seizures and Complex Seizures. In a simple partial seizure, the effected person will still be conscious and his/her awareness will be retained. In a Complex Partial Seizure however, the subjects’ consciousness is impaired and in some cases maybe even lost. Even though Partial Seizures are mild, they may progress to a much more severe seizure. More people suffer from partial seizures than any other kind. Literally any kind of sensory, movement or emotional action can be altered, including intricate optical hallucinations. Typically in a Simple Partial Seizure, the episode of sudden jerking, sensory phenomena, and transient lethargy would only last half to a full minute. In a Complex Partial, the episode may last up to two full minutes and no less than one. Also in a Complex Partial, the affected may be unaware of setting (surrounding environment), amnesia and confusion may occur and may begin to wander about. Although Partial Seizures affect different emoti... ...y medication used to treat people with epilepsy. One of the studies I went over portrayed that over 10% of patients attending clinics for Epilepsy encounter themselves having suicidal thoughts within the first two weeks. Mild-to-threatening behavior, loss in cognitive skills, amnesia, loss of control, felling fatigued, depression, anxiety, and irrevocably suicidal thoughts are (but not limited to) the affects of Epilepsy on the brain. I personally do not know anyone that suffers from Epilepsy and I am truly grateful for that because after doing all this research I had a life changing epiphany. There is an abundance of people who do not deserve to suffer from epilepsy and there is not ever enough help going on for them. I will definitely be seeing how I can help our fellow brothers and sisters and be a true benefactor for the all, for is this not the ultimate goal?

Jay Gatsby Character Analysis Essay

The character Jay Gatsby, also known as James Gatz, is the key character in The Great Gatsby. He started out as a poor farmer’s son in North Dakota, and dropped out of college in Minnesota. He joined the military and during training meets Daisy, a beautiful rich woman living nearby, whom he falls in love with. Gatsby is soon shipped out for the war. Daisy then marries Tom Buchanan who is a rich aristocrat whose social standing is the same as Daisy’s, her ideal partner. Gatsby becomes rich from bootlegging after coming back from the war to impress and win back Daisy. Jay Gatsby carries a dark shroud around his past which makes him very mysterious to other characters in the book as well as to readers. Gatsby is an extremely generous man considering his roots as a poor farmer’s son. He claims to come from money but he was actually the son of a very poor farmer in North Dakota. Coming from no money he throws around his money frivolously like he always wished he could as a young boy. Gatsby throws parties every weekend, which anyone can attend and have a good time. At his parties there is always plenty of food and much to drink as well as music and dancing. At one of his parties, a woman named Lucille tore her dress on a chair, Gatsby heard of this and asked her for her name and address. Gatsby then bought her a new dress worth $265 and sent it to her within a week. â€Å"When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair†¦ I got a package from Croirier’s with a new evening gown in it† (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby buys the dress because loves to flaunt his money for people to see how rich he is, and for Daisy to see how rich he’s become. He also offers Nick, Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, a job in his business knowing he might need a little more money. Even though Nick didn’t take Gatsby up on his job offer it still shows that Gatsby trusts Nick and is a generous gesture. Gatsby is also generous in taking the blame for the death of Myrtle, Tom’s secret lover. It may not be of any monetary value but he loves Daisy enough to take the murder off her hands and take the blame himself. Gatsby’s generosity is a great attribute to his character, however most know him for the mystique and enigmatic presence. Jay Gatsby is quite the intriguing and mysterious character. Everyone attends his parties yet no one seems to really know anything about him. He makes grandiose claims of graduating from Oxford but can’t prove it, which adds a bit of mystique to his past, whether its false or real. Since many of the partygoers know little to nothing of Gatsby, many rumors are spread throughout the party. â€Å"He’s a bootlegger† and â€Å"One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil† (Fitzgerald 61) were some rumors spread about the second party Nick attended. The rumors differed from person to person but someone always seemed to have a different perspective of Jay Gatsby. When Nick is introducing Tom, Daisy’s husband, to Gatsby he disappears when Nick isn’t looking, and Nick doesn’t know why he left, or where he went. Gatsby left Nick alone with Tom because he didn’t want to meet with the man who stole Daisy from him. Nick, essentially being Gatsby’s only friend in the novel, is lied to by Gatsby about his past, but eventually after things don’t add up Gatsby lets the truth out. With years of telling lies Gatsby feels relieved to finally be able to tell someone the truth about himself. His roots of being a farmer’s son to being a rich man living in West Egg is suspicious to begin with. But saying that his money came from â€Å"some wealthy people in the middle west† (Fitzgerald 65) isn’t convincing. Gatsby uses his past to make a false social standing and to gain respect. However his facade has too many holes in it and soon his lies begin to catch up with him. His career in bootlegging has him running around with shady characters and disappearing from time to time. If his money wasn’t dirty, which he claims it isn’t then he’d have no reason to associate with gangsters such as Meyer Wolfsheim. The mystery surrounding Gatsby in the novel pales in comparison to the passion and devotion he carries for Daisy throughout the story. Jay Gatsby becomes devoted to winning the love of Daisy after hearing that she married Tom Buchanan. Even after the war and his shady business with Wolfsheim, Daisy is still the only woman in Gatsby’s heart. Gatsby becomes rich through bootlegging, which he could have gone to jail for just to get Daisy’s attention. Since Daisy is such a shallow woman Gatsby had to use riches and social standing to make her ‘love’ him. He buys a mansion in West Egg and flaunts his money and makes extravagant stories so he can be held at a high enough level to be with Daisy. Gatsby throws enormous parties every weekend in order to lure Daisy in by chance, however he never gets a reunion with his beloved until he meets Nick, Daisy’s cousin. Gatsby invited Nick to one of his parties to meet and befriend Nick, soon after he asked Nick to arrange the reunion. Nick is more like a stepping stone for Gatsby to get to Daisy than a friend, he takes Nick out as a friend but always seems distant. After Gatsby and Daisy meet for the first time in 5 years Gatsby shows her around his mansion to impress her, and it works. â€Å"That huge place there? † she cried pointing. (Fitzgerald 90). â€Å"I love it† (Fitzgerald 90). Later on after the affair Daisy and Gatsby are having gets a little more serious and Gatsby tries to make Daisy tell Tom that she never loved him. Gatsby’s only dream is for Daisy to leave Tom for him, but it is shattered because Daisy and Tom have a daughter and Daisy won’t leave Tom because he provides her with security. Tom comes from old money and he has a family with Daisy but Gatsby has new money from bootlegging, and still risks going to jail. His devotion doesn’t end there, when Daisy hits Tom’s lover Myrtle and leaves the scene without stopping, Gatsby takes the blame for the incident trying to protect Daisy. He even waits outside Daisy’s window to ensure that Tom doesn’t try to hurt her. His devotion for Daisy is so deep that he ends up dying for her, when Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, kills him thinking he ran over his wife. Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy eventually blossoms into an affair, but ultimately is the reason for his demise. Jay Gatsby, the main character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby holds a very large presence in the story. He is very shady in the beginning, always hiding and never being out in the open. He starts to show us a little about himself and becomes a bit understood, until his past doesn’t seem to add up. Once the truth comes out it leaves a bit of mystery around his movement in the story. The clouded past of James Gatz arouses curiosity of what he’s really up to and a mystery of what he’ll do next.

Graduation Speech

First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming to our graduation. What this ceremony is, is a celebration of a major accomplishment in our lives, the accomplishment of achieving an education. For many of us it has taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get here, so today is our reward for the long hours we devoted to reading, writing, and researching, for the stress of taking difficult tests, and for the difficulties we have had to overcome. Though this ceremony recognizes OUR efforts in this accomplishment, it also recognizes and pays homage to the dedication of our parents. Today is the return on the work they invested in us through patient teaching and parenting. We would not have been able to accomplish this much without their help. Their guidance has allowed us to grow into men and woman of character, capable of doing great things. This ceremony is also both an end, and a beginning. It is the end of childhood, of a period of growing and maturing. But, it is also the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, one that is full of the promise of what we may accomplish. While I have the time I want to address the accomplishments of the past as well as the promise and potential of the future. Graduating is our accomplishment, but we wouldn’t have made it here if it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of our parents. They are the ones who chose to add to their titles of parent, homemaker, and provider, the title of teacher, and with that the responsibility of educating us. They voluntarily took on this extra responsibility, because they felt that personally seeing to our education was best for us, so at the expense of their free time, and perhaps just a bit of their sanity, they decided to home school us. It was this dedication to giving us the best education possible that has brought us here. Whenever we struggled in school, whenever we didn’t understand, they did what it took to help us learn, usually, that meant spending even more of the precious little free time they had not already sacrificed to homeschooling, to teaching and relearning every subject that they hated to do when they were in school. When we were frustrated and on the verge of throwing our textbooks across the room, they where the ones who came and spoke the encouraging words that motivated us to overcome whatever trouble we encountered. As our teachers, they taught us much, but as our parents they taught us even more. Along with giving us lessons in math and science, they have constantly taught us lessons in values. By their example, we have learned to walk with integrity and faith, showing character in all that we do. They have shown us that there is no limit to what we can accomplish when we work diligently and patiently. These values will stay with us longer than anything else that we have learned. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, they will be there to help guide us. With graduation ends our journey through high school. For many of us, it’s been a long, rough road to get here. Difficulties have come in the form of poor health and injury. Some of us have struggled financially, and all of us have faced the pressure of difficult classes. These trials have not made us bitter, they have not crushed our spirit, but they have helped shape us. Often it turns out that difficulty, strife, and stress are ingredients of strength, for instance steel is one of the most reliable and durable materials known to man. To make steel, iron ore is heated to a temperature of over one-thousand degrees Celsius, but because of that incredible heat, it becomes strong. It can then be made into almost anything: bridges, skyscrapers, ships, airplanes, tools, machines, even works of art. From the incredible heat it is subjected to, it gains the strength that allows it to be used to anything. The challenges we have faced have strengthened us like the heat strengthens steel. From our adversity, we have learned to overcome, to meet hardship with hard work, hopelessness with faith, and to be unyielding in all of our values. Now we stand here, as adults preparing to walk out into the world, ready to shape our future, and no matter what path we take in life I know that we will never forget the life lessons that have been taught to us, they will enable us to be successful in all of our endeavors. We are ready to become students with an open mind and a hunger for knowledge, pursuing truth with the aid of the wisdom and discernment impressed upon us by our parent’s teachings, or to become workers ready to excel at our jobs because of the examples set before us in diligence and discipline by our parents and role models. Yes, for us the future looks bright! Graduation Speech First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming to our graduation. What this ceremony is, is a celebration of a major accomplishment in our lives, the accomplishment of achieving an education. For many of us it has taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get here, so today is our reward for the long hours we devoted to reading, writing, and researching, for the stress of taking difficult tests, and for the difficulties we have had to overcome. Though this ceremony recognizes OUR efforts in this accomplishment, it also recognizes and pays homage to the dedication of our parents. Today is the return on the work they invested in us through patient teaching and parenting. We would not have been able to accomplish this much without their help. Their guidance has allowed us to grow into men and woman of character, capable of doing great things. This ceremony is also both an end, and a beginning. It is the end of childhood, of a period of growing and maturing. But, it is also the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, one that is full of the promise of what we may accomplish. While I have the time I want to address the accomplishments of the past as well as the promise and potential of the future. Graduating is our accomplishment, but we wouldn’t have made it here if it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of our parents. They are the ones who chose to add to their titles of parent, homemaker, and provider, the title of teacher, and with that the responsibility of educating us. They voluntarily took on this extra responsibility, because they felt that personally seeing to our education was best for us, so at the expense of their free time, and perhaps just a bit of their sanity, they decided to home school us. It was this dedication to giving us the best education possible that has brought us here. Whenever we struggled in school, whenever we didn’t understand, they did what it took to help us learn, usually, that meant spending even more of the precious little free time they had not already sacrificed to homeschooling, to teaching and relearning every subject that they hated to do when they were in school. When we were frustrated and on the verge of throwing our textbooks across the room, they where the ones who came and spoke the encouraging words that motivated us to overcome whatever trouble we encountered. As our teachers, they taught us much, but as our parents they taught us even more. Along with giving us lessons in math and science, they have constantly taught us lessons in values. By their example, we have learned to walk with integrity and faith, showing character in all that we do. They have shown us that there is no limit to what we can accomplish when we work diligently and patiently. These values will stay with us longer than anything else that we have learned. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, they will be there to help guide us. With graduation ends our journey through high school. For many of us, it’s been a long, rough road to get here. Difficulties have come in the form of poor health and injury. Some of us have struggled financially, and all of us have faced the pressure of difficult classes. These trials have not made us bitter, they have not crushed our spirit, but they have helped shape us. Often it turns out that difficulty, strife, and stress are ingredients of strength, for instance steel is one of the most reliable and durable materials known to man. To make steel, iron ore is heated to a temperature of over one-thousand degrees Celsius, but because of that incredible heat, it becomes strong. It can then be made into almost anything: bridges, skyscrapers, ships, airplanes, tools, machines, even works of art. From the incredible heat it is subjected to, it gains the strength that allows it to be used to anything. The challenges we have faced have strengthened us like the heat strengthens steel. From our adversity, we have learned to overcome, to meet hardship with hard work, hopelessness with faith, and to be unyielding in all of our values. Now we stand here, as adults preparing to walk out into the world, ready to shape our future, and no matter what path we take in life I know that we will never forget the life lessons that have been taught to us, they will enable us to be successful in all of our endeavors. We are ready to become students with an open mind and a hunger for knowledge, pursuing truth with the aid of the wisdom and discernment impressed upon us by our parent’s teachings, or to become workers ready to excel at our jobs because of the examples set before us in diligence and discipline by our parents and role models. Yes, for us the future looks bright!