The Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing - 1085 Words

A standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions in the same way, and scored in a consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of students. A critical addition to education, standardized testing was a major step towards regulating a student’s achievements, ensuring the accountability of teachers, and guiding a school’s curriculum. Despite this noble aspiration, since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act and afterward the Every Student Succeeds Act, which made standardized testing mandatory, American education has depreciated due to its unfair judgment of students’ learning, the narrowness of school curriculum, and the flawed hindrance to the†¦show more content†¦Therefore, most students with disabilities unrealistically attempt to pass testings designed for students without disabilities and receive hardly any of the accommodations usually provided through their I ndividualized Education Plans. Standardized testing is an unfair and discriminatory assessment of their academic abilities. Not only is standardized testing undermining students’ learning difficulties, but school curriculum as well. Subjects not included in the mandatory testing often experience cuts in time and funding, while test materials receive priority. Over time, test materials have taken over and drastically narrowed school curriculum. In 2007, About 62% of districts reported that they have increased time for English language arts (ELA) and/or math in elementary schools since school year 2001-02 (the year NCLB was enacted)... the average increase in minutes per week... was substantial, amounting to a 47% increase in ELA, a 37% increase in math, and a 43% increase across the two subjects combined...To accommodate this increased time in ELA and math, 44% of districts reported cutting time from one or more other subjects or activities (social studies, science, art and music, physical education, lunch and/or recess) at the elementary level... a total of 145 minutes per week across all of these subjects, on average, or nearly 30 minutes perShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Standardized Testing801 Words   |  4 Pagescontroversial topic Since Middle School, I was not opposed to standardized testing. I thought of it as a way of testing us of what we have learned. Although, after reading some articles about standardized testing I am re-thinking the pros and cons. From personal experience, I thought of it as a challenge to pass them. But now that reminisce about it, I noticed some of the cons of standardized testing. I remember having a week or two dedicated for testing, and in case of students failing they had to take timeRead MorePros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1400 Words   |  6 PagesEven though there are many downsides to standardized testing there are still viable reasons why they are still being used today. One of the main reasons includes the easy and quick access of testing students. Standardized testing allows schools to quickly access a large amount of students at one time. This is also one of the cheapest ways to tests such a large crowd due to machinery that grades which results in low tests costs f or students. These tests also help by setting a national curriculum forRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing1050 Words   |  5 Pageseducational world is standardized tests. All fifty states have their own standards following the common core curriculum. There are many positives and negatives that go with the standardized tests. A standardized test is any type of â€Å"examination thats administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner† (Popham, 1999). These standardized tests are either aptitude tests or achievement tests. Schools use achievement tests to compare students. There are pros to standardized examinations as toolsRead MorePros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1025 Words   |  5 PagesWhat are standardized tests? Standardized tests are exams that are administered, scored, and interpreted in the same way for all students. Now there are many pros and cons of standardized testing however, I believe that public and private schools should just abolish standardized testing all together. These tests determine a student’s academic performance and each student is given the same test with the same questions and answers. These tests are designed to measure the students learning capabilitiesRead MorePros and Cons of Standardized Testing583 Words   |  2 PagesStandardized testing has its pros and cons I do not believe in it but I will give you proof for and against the testing. We will cover some the history and where the testing came from and why we do it. I will talk a little bit of how I feel about testing and how much we should focus on ho w the students do on the test. I have interviewed a few teachers that I had when I went to school and some personal friends that are teachers now and how it effects how they teach. Most historians trace the beginningRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesStandardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay. What exactly is standardized testing you may ask, it is a test which measures the knowledge among differentRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1491 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized testing was introduced by French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1905. The test originated because Binet was commissioned by the French government to create a tool to identify which students needed remedial studies. Over time, the standardized tests evolved into multiple different tests in multiple subjects for varying age groups of students. The tests were initially seen as a way to test a large sum of people with the same general questions to see an individual’s knowledge. Some peopleRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1511 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years the educational system has faced various controversial issues, but the most recent one making a negative impact on students, is standardized testing. Standardized testing is a type of testing used to evaluate stud ents academic abilities . It is a way to measure if standards are being met but does not provide a variation in the type of administration based on the students needs (Sacks, 2000). In other words, all children are provided these test to track their learning progress basedRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1100 Words   |  5 Pagesscience, history, and science. Then, every year, students typically take one big standardized test, or even more. These tests are claimed to give educators an objective that’s unbiased. Standardized testing supposedly helps identify the natural tendency of individual students, identifying skill development and progress. However, are these things what standardized testing really do for students? Standardized testing only measures a small portion of what makes education substantial. This means thatRead MorePros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1201 Words   |  5 Pages Standardized testing is all based on your performance as a student on a specific day, time and place. What it doesn’t show is how you perform on a day to day basis. These types of test can be given in any type of form that requires test takers to answer the same questions, and is then scored in a â€Å"standard† or consistent manner. Students should not have to take standardized test because of many reasons. As a human I have days where I’m tired and didn’t get enough sleep the night before or it is

Leadership Styles Transformational Leadership - 1370 Words

QUESTION 2 Transformational Leadership To improve motivation of employees it is necessary for the Simbian’s top-management to change their leadership style. Balazs (2002) claimed that for industries, which based on individual’s creativity and team work, such as professional architectural firms, transformational leadership style is crucial for organizations well-being. In 1978 Burns first introduced the theory of transformational leadership and differentiate it with transactional in his research of political leaders (Givens, 2008). In 1985 Bass developed his theory of transformational leadership based on Burns’s works with some additional changes (Bass, 1995). He defined transformational leadership â€Å"as superior leadership performance – occur when leaders broaden and elevate the interest of their employees, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purpose and mission of the group, and when they stir their employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the good of group† (Bass, 1990). Bass (1995) gave following characteristics to transformational leaders (Figure 1): 1. Charisma: provides vision and sense of mission, instills pride, gains respect and trust; 2. Inspiration: communicates high expectations, uses symbols to focus efforts, expresses important purposes in simple ways; 3. Intellectual Stimulation: promotes intelligence, rationality, and careful problem solving; 4. Individualized Consideration: gives personal attention, treats each employeeShow MoreRelatedLeadership Styles : Transformational Leadership1426 Words   |  6 Pagesprove that transformational leadership styles have a major influence on the employee motivation and organisational culture, hence influence the long term success of the business. A number of key leadership styles, together with the transformational leadership will be discussed and linked to real business-world examples. According to the research, there are three main leadership styles, specifically transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire. It has been found that a transformational leadershipRead MoreLeadership Styles : Transformational Leadership1913 Words   |  8 Pagesleader; this is a leadership style called transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that an individual is admired by many co-workers, changes how things are done, improves the vision for the future and motivate to the entire work environment to be better as a whole. Fact is that leaders who develop the style of a transformational leader leads to a better organisation performance, and a better job/employee satisfaction. Transformational leadership is based on fourRead MoreLeadership Styles : Transformational Leadership1457 Words   |  6 PagesOne leadership style stands out for its potential to advance organizational goals and achievement: Transformational Leadership. Understandin g how leadership affects operations and the role it plays in organizations is crucial to success. This manuscript will examine Transformational leadership. It will also give examples of people that have embraced this leadership style. Finally, to help better understand the stance taken the text will explore several views on Transformational Leadership and whyRead MoreLeadership Styles : Transformational Leadership1927 Words   |  8 PagesLeadership comes in many different styles. Depending on the type of mission or goal one has each style of leadership can be helpful or harmful. One leadership style that has been found to work well in a career setting is transformational leadership (Doody and Doody, 2012). Transformational leaders are described as having a deep set of internal values that they encourage those under them to take part in, in the end the ultimate goal for transformational leader is to help the greater good (Doody andRead MoreLeadership Styles : Transformational Leade rship1112 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership Style Leadership is a process by which a person influences the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of others (Agard, 2011, p. 330). Leadership models can enable or hinder an organizations success. Additionally, leadership styles impact how effectively organizations reach their goals. When leaders understand their dominate leadership style, they can identify their strengths and weaknesses and gain insights on their abilities, values, and beliefs. In addition, understanding a leadersRead MoreTransformational Leadership Style9215 Words   |  37 PagesInternational Journal of Hospitality Management 28 (2009) 254–262 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Hospitality Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhosman Transformational leadership style, market competition and departmental performance: Evidence from luxury hotels in Australia Anoop Patiar a,*, Lokman Mia b a b Department of Tourism, Leisure, Hotel and Sport Management, Grifï ¬ th University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Brisbane, QldRead MoreLeadership Styles : Transformational Leadership Style2413 Words   |  10 Pagesthere is a direct correlation between effective leadership and a higher level of emotional intelligence. Management theory tends to differentiate between two distinct leadership styles – transformational and transactional. It is the former that theorists link to a higher levels of emotional intelligence in the managers, as well as higher levels of performance in their subordinates. A transformational leadership style differs from a transactional style in that the latter tends to focus on the use ofRead MoreA Unique Leadership Style And Transformational Leadership1286 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership is the process of motivating others toward completion of a common goal and/or task. Luthans Avolio (2003) also introduced the concept of authentic leadership development, which is one of the many psychological perspectives of leadership. Authentic leadership is often defined as a pattern of transparent and ethical leadership behaviors’ that encourage openness in sharing information needed to make decisions while accepting followers’ input (Bass, 1999). I truly believe deep in my heartRead MoreTransformational And Authoritarian Leadership Style1691 Words   |  7 Pages Transformational or Authoritarian Leadership Style Pamela Walsh Leadership Dr. Maureen Nixon March 9, 2015 Transformational or Authoritarian Leadership Style Over the course of several decades, the depiction of leadership has changed. What was thought to be innovative and participative or transformational tactic to leadership has replaced the classical and autocratic or authoritarian approach. The step forward that not everything old is bad and not everything new is good wasRead MoreLeadership Styles, Leadership, Transformational Leadership And Laissez Faire Leadership1167 Words   |  5 Pagesinspired you to develop your own leadership traits? â€Å"A leader is someone who demonstrates what’s possible† (Mark Yarnell, 2015). There are numerous leadership styles. Each of the numerous leadership styles can be beneficial if utilized in an appropriate means. I have chosen three leaders and their unique leadership styles to discuss in this paper. The unique styles that will be discussed are situational leadership, transformational leadership, and laissez-faire leadership. I will also discuss each

The Renaissance the Invention of the Printing Press Free Essays

At the height of the Hussite crisis in the early 1400’s, when the authorities ordered 200 manuscripts of heretical writings burned, people on both sides realized quite well the significance of that act. Two hundred handwritten manuscripts would be hard to replace. Not only would it be a time consuming job, but also trained scribes would be hard to find. We will write a custom essay sample on The Renaissance: the Invention of the Printing Press or any similar topic only for you Order Now After all, most of them worked for the Church, and it seemed unlikely that the Church would loan out its scribes to copy the works of heretics. Although the Hussites more than held their own against the Church, their movement remained confined mainly to the borders of their homeland of Bohemia. One main reason for this was that there was no mass media, such as the printing press to spread the word. A century later, all that had changed. Like any other invention, the printing press came along and had an impact when the right conditions existed at the right time and place. In this case, that was Europe in the mid 1400’s. Like many or most inventions, the printing press was not the result of just one man’s ingenious insight into all the problems involved in creating the printing press. Rather, printing was a combination of several different inventions and innovations: block printing, rag paper, oil based ink, interchangeable metal type, and the squeeze press. If one process started the chain reaction of events that led to the invention of the printing press, it was the rise of towns in Western Europe that sparked trade with the outside world all the way to China. That trade exposed Europeans to three things important for the invention of the printing press: rag paper, block printing, and, oddly enough, the Black Death. For centuries the Chinese had been making rag paper, which was made from a pulp of water and discarded rags that was then pressed into sheets of paper. When the Arabs met the Chinese at the battle of the Talas River in 751 A. D. , they carried off several prisoners skilled in making such paper. The technology spread gradually across the Muslim world, up through Spain and into Western Europe by the late 1200’s. The squeeze press used in pressing the pulp into sheets of paper would also lend itself to pressing print evenly onto paper. The Black Death, which itself spread to Western Europe thanks to expanded trade routes, also greatly catalyzed the invention of the printing press in three ways, two of which combined with the invention of rag paper to provide Europe with plentiful paper. First of all, the survivors of the Black Death inherited the property of those who did not survive, so that even peasants found themselves a good deal richer. Since the textile industry was the most developed industry in Western Europe at that time, it should come as no surprise that people spent their money largely on new clothes. However, clothes wear out, leaving rags. As a result, fourteenth century Europe had plenty of rags to make into rag paper, which was much cheaper than the parchment (sheepskin) and vellum (calfskin) used to make books until then. Even by 1300, paper was only one-sixth the cost of parchment, and its relative cost continued to fall. Considering it took 170 calfskins or 300 sheepskins to make one copy of the Bible, we can see what a bargain paper was. But the Black Death had also killed off many of the monks who copied the books, since the crowded conditions in the monasteries had contributed to an unusually high mortality rate. One result of this was that the cost of copying books rose drastically while the cost of paper was dropping. Many people considered this unacceptable and looked for a better way to copy books. Thus the Black Death rag paper combined to create both lots of cheap paper plus an incentive for the invention of the printing press. The Black Death also helped lead to the decline of the Church, the rise of a money economy, and subsequently the Italian Renaissance with its secular ideas and emphasis on painting. It was the Renaissance artists who, in their search for a more durable paint, came up with oil-based paints. Adapting these to an oil-based ink that would adhere to metal type was fairly simple. Block printing, carved on porcelain, had existed for centuries before making its way to Europe. Some experiments with interchangeable copper type had been carried on in Korea. However, Chinese printing did not advance beyond that, possibly because the Chinese writing system used thousands of characters and was too unmanageable. For centuries after its introduction into Europe, block printing still found little use, since wooden printing blocks wore out quickly when compared to the time it took to carve them. As a result of the time and expense involved in making block prints, a few playing cards and pages of books were printed this way, but little else. What people needed was a movable type made of metal. And here again, the revival of towns and trade played a major role, since it stimulated a mining boom, especially in Germany, along with better techniques for working metals, including soft metals such as gold and copper. It was a goldsmith from Mainz, Germany, Johannes Gutenberg, who created a durable and interchangeable metal type that allowed him to print many different pages, using the same letters over and over again in different combinations. It was also Gutenberg who combined all these disparate elements of movable type, rag paper, the squeeze press, and oil based inks to invent the first printing press in 1451. The first printed books were religious in nature, as were most medieval books. They also imitated (handwritten) manuscript form so that people would accept this new revolutionary way of copying books. The printing press soon changed the forms and uses of books quite radically. Books stopped imitating manuscript forms such as lined paper to help the copiers and abbreviations to save time in copying. They also covered an increasingly wider variety of non-religious topics (such as grammars, etiquette, and geology books) that appealed especially to the professional members of the middle class. By 1482, there were about 100 printing presses in Western Europe: 50 in Italy, 30 in Germany, 9 in France, 8 each in Spain and Holland, and 4 in England. A Venetian printer, Aldus Manutius, realized that the real market was not for big heavy volumes of the Bible, but for smaller, cheaper, and easier to handle â€Å"pocket books†. Manutius further revolutionized book copying by his focusing on these smaller editions that more people could afford. He printed translations of the Greek classics and thus helped spread knowledge in general, and the Renaissance in particular, across Europe. By 1500, there were some 40,000 different editions with over 6,000,000 copies in print. The printing press had dramatic effects on European civilization. Its immediate effect was that it spread information quickly and accurately. This helped create a wider literate reading public. However, its importance lay not just in how it spread information and opinions, but also in what sorts of information and opinions it was spreading. There were two main directions printing took, both of which were probably totally unforeseen by its creators. First of all, more and more books of a secular nature were printed, with especially profound results in science. Scientists working on the same problem in different parts of Europe especially benefited, since they could print the results of their work and share it accurately with a large number of other scientists. They in turn could take that accurate, not miscopied, information, work with it and advance knowledge and understanding further. Of course, they could accurately share their information with many others and the process would continue. By the 1600’s, this process would lead to the Scientific Revolution of the Enlightenment, which would radically alter how Europeans viewed the world and universe. The printing press also created its share of trouble as far as some people were concerned. It took book copying out of the hands of the Church and made it much harder for the Church to control or censor what was being written. It was hard enough to control what Wycliffe and Hus wrote with just a few hundred copies of their works in circulation. Imagine the problems the Church had when literally thousands of such works could be produced at a fraction of the cost. Each new printing press was just another hole in the dyke to be plugged up, and the Church had only so many fingers with which to do the job. It is no accident that the breakup of Europe’s religious unity during the Protestant Reformation corresponded with the spread of printing. The difference between Martin Luther’s successful Reformation and the Hussites’ much more limited success was that Luther was armed with the printing press and knew how to use it with devastating effect. Some people go as far as to say that the printing press is the most important invention between the invention of writing itself and the computer. Although it is impossible to justify that statement to everyone’s satisfaction, one can safely say that the printing press has been one of the most powerful inventions of the modern era. It has advanced and spread knowledge and molded public opinion in a way that nothing before the advent of television and radio in the twentieth century could rival. If it were not able to, then freedom of the press would not be such a jealously guarded liberty as it is today. How to cite The Renaissance: the Invention of the Printing Press, Essay examples

Chicano Arts Movement free essay sample

As artists began to actively participate in the efforts to redress the plight of Mexicans in the United States, there emerged a new iconography and symbolic language which not only articulated the movement, but became the core of a Chicano cultural renaissance. (Venegas) Chicano Art developed in the 1960s during the political eruption of the civil rights movements in the United States. This renaissance in the arts was in fact the birth and flowering of a Chicano world view or Chicano aesthetic and because of its close alliance with and commitment to social change and political activism it is known today as the Chicano Art Movement. From the ranks of this movement came artists, poets and actors who collectively generated a cultural renaissance and whose work played a key role in creating the ideology of the Chicano movement. (Venegas) JUST ANOTHER POSTER? Chicano Graphic Arts in California, is the first exhibition and book that explores the poster art created by dozens of Chicano artists in California from the late 1960s to the present. We will write a custom essay sample on Chicano Arts Movement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I am honored to be among the artists included in this historic collection. Graphic art has played a key role in  El Movimiento(the Chicano civil rights movement), and the poster has been used to educate, agitate, and organize Americans of Mexican descent. One could even say that political awareness and social activism grew out of the Chicano arts movement. Chicano art has had many influences. Certainly Mexican artists like Jose Guadalupe Posada, Frida Kahlo, and David Siqueiros have had their effect, but so have American comic books, Cuban political posters, and spray-painted barrio calligraphy. (Vallen) Chicano poster art became a means to help preserve and promote a culture largely ignored by the dominant Eurocentric society of the United States. Artists glorified Aztec Gods, Mexican revolutionaries, the Virgin de Guadalupe, immigrant farm workers, and the experiences of everyday raza (people. ) Mexican culture has always informed Chicano art, but it is the American experience that truly gave birth to this distinct genre.

Foolish Love Essays - Frankie Laine Discography, Startup Cult

Foolish Love Foolish Love Throughout my life I have behaved in many of foolish ways due to the emotion called love. Love is something I used to dream about as a child and have grown to fear as an adult. Every person feels differently about love, but because of David I hurt my parents, my self-esteem and ability to trust people. At the age of fourteen, I was not concerned with my parents feelings. I did exactly the opposite of what they told me to do and did not think about the consequences. When they found out I was dating a guy five years older than me they tried to prohibit me from seeing him again. I was in love so I made it possible to see David every time he wanted to see me. I would get my parents to drop me off somewhere like the movies or putt-putt and he would pick me up after they had left. I would sneak out of my bedroom window and meet David down the road. I did not care if my parents found out, all that mattered to me was seeing David. I blamed everything that went wrong in my life on them. If David did not call me one night, I would accuse them of taking the phone off the hook. If David was rude to me, I would claim it was because he knew they did not like him. I would do anything to ignore the fact that David did not love me. It took a while for my parents to forgive me. I can only imagine what I put them through. I just wanted to be loved by David so deeply, I hurt the people who actually loved me the most. Not only did I hurt my parents, I hurt my self-esteem to. I would constantly criticize myself by thinking the reason David left me was because I was not pretty enough for him. In my mind David was perfect and I was nothing without him. I blamed myself for being so young and immature when all along it was David who was the immature one. He would often make jokes about my age as if it was my fault that I was younger than him. I would lock myself in my bedroom and not see or talk to anybody for days at a time. Eventually, I realized David was not worth all this pain and moved on with my life but the scars will always be with me. For me to learn to trust again has been the hardest issue of all. I had all the trust in the world in David and he let me down. Everything he said to me was a lie. When he said he loved me, I believed him. When he said he would never leave me, I thought he really meant it. I find it difficult to be in other relationships because I am constantly wondering if they are being truthful. I broke up with my last boyfriend because he claimed he loved me and I felt like I barely knew him. I have come to the conclusion that I am scared to trust because I am scared of love. I do not want to get hurt again, so I keep my distance from anything that could cause me pain or disappointment. Love has caused me to hurt my parents, and my self-esteem and ability to trust people. I have heard people say love is the best feeling in the world. I think I will just take their word and not chance it right now. I still have a lot of healing to do before I am fully ready to commit myself to anyone else. Jenny Hobby English 101 12:00-12:50 Foolish Love February 4, 1999

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria The famed Lighthouse of Alexandria, called Pharos, was built around 250 B.C.  to help mariners navigate the harbor of Alexandria in Egypt. It was truly a marvel of engineering, standing at least 400 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was also solidly built, standing tall for over 1,500 years, until it was finally toppled by earthquakes around 1375 A.D.  The Lighthouse of Alexandria was exceptional and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Purpose The city of Alexandria was founded in 332 B.C.  by Alexander the Great. Located in Egypt, just 20 miles west of the Nile River, Alexandria was perfectly situated to become a major Mediterranean port, helping the city to flourish. Soon, Alexandria became one of the most important cities of the ancient world, known far and wide for its famous library. The only stumbling block was that mariners found it difficult to avoid the rocks and shoals when approaching Alexandria’s harbor. To help with that, as well as to make a very grand statement, Ptolemy Soter (Alexander the Great’s successor) ordered a lighthouse to be built. This was to be the first building ever built solely to be a lighthouse. It was to take approximately 40 years for the Lighthouse at Alexandria to be built, finally being finished around 250 B.C. Architecture There’s a lot we don’t know about the Lighthouse of Alexandria, but we do know what it looked like. Since the Lighthouse was an icon of Alexandria, its image appeared in many places, including on ancient coins. Designed by Sostrates of Knidos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was a strikingly tall structure. Located on the eastern end of the island of Pharos near the entrance of Alexandria’s harbor, the Lighthouse was soon itself called â€Å"Pharos.† The Lighthouse was at least 450 feet high and made of three sections. The bottommost section was square and held government offices and stables. The middle section was an octagon and held a balcony where tourists could sit, enjoy the view, and be served refreshments. The top section was cylindrical and held the fire that was continually lit to keep mariners safe. At the very top was a large statue of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Amazingly, inside this giant lighthouse was a spiraling ramp that led up to the top of the bottommost section. This allowed horses and wagons to carry supplies to the top sections. It is unknown what exactly was used to make the fire at the top of the Lighthouse. Wood was unlikely because it was scarce in the region. Whatever was used, the light was effective – mariners could easily see the light from miles away and could thus find their way safely to port. Destruction The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood for 1,500 years - an astounding number considering it was a hollowed out structure the height of a 40-story building. Interestingly, most lighthouses today resemble the shape and structure of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Ultimately, the Lighthouse outlived the Greek and Roman empires. It was then absorbed into the Arab empire, but its importance waned when Egypt’s capital was moved from Alexandria to Cairo. Having kept mariners safe for centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was finally destroyed by an earthquake sometime around 1375 A.D. Some of its blocks were taken and used to build a castle for the sultan of Egypt; others fell into the ocean. In 1994, French archeologist Jean Yves Empereur, of the French National Research Center,  investigated the harbor of Alexandria and found at least a few of these blocks still in the water. Sources Curlee, Lynn. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. New York: Atheneum Books, 2002.Silverberg, Robert. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. New York: Macmillan Company, 1970.

The matrix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The matrix - Essay Example The directors of the movie ‘The Matrix’ are the two Wachowski siblings; they are Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. The two brothers were very enthusiastic about the movie even before the making of it. It was a very ambitious project for them. They have portrayed the religious belief and the conception that they possess in well documented manner in the movie. The religious inclination of the siblings came from their mother. Their mother was originally a catholic, so the directors have got some sort of inclination towards the religious beliefs and conceptions. Moreover, their mother was also a Shamanist, i.e. she believed in reaching to an alternate state of mind. She also used to develop an energy that helped her to communicate with the various spirits. Furthermore, she also used to have the power to enter into the benevolent and malevolent spirits of the universe and can highly influence them. These environments of religion and spiritual beliefs have highly influenced s iblings to have a strong inclination towards it. Hence, they were influenced to make the movie. The movie, ‘The Matrix’, has also shown a suffice presence of the religious and spiritual concepts. Moreover, the two siblings had immensely struggled in their early life of childhood. They also believe that they were able to survive in those struggling days only because of the blessings of the God and the holy spirits (Gerrold 1-257). Literally speaking, ‘The Matrix’ is the development of an object that is influenced by the political, cultural and social environment. There are various religions practiced in this world that believe the concept portrayed in the movie, ‘The Matrix’. Moreover, the religious beliefs conveyed in Christianity and Buddhism shows strong similarity in their doctrines to the message that is being portrayed in the movie. Many people in this world believe that the