Teaching Experiences And Observations From School Placements Education Essay

Teaching Experiences And Observations From School Placements Education Essay Part 1 As described by Learning Teaching Scotland (LTS), the Assessment is for Learning programme is made up of three forms of assessment; Assessment as Learning, which involves learning about how to learn Assessment for Learning which involves continuously using assessment to support classroom learning and teaching in order for pupils to progress effectively and is a formative approach, and Assessment of Learning (AoL) which involves assessing pupils at the end of a topic or course to find out what learning has or has not taken place. It is a summative approach which ultimately uses grading to provide data and make judgements about the learner and the school. LTS represent these forms of assessment as a triangle which also shows the relationship between the curriculum, learning and teaching and assessment. AfL represents a change in the traditional model of school assessment, which previously has been the idea that the only desirable outcome form education was the achievement of top grades (summative assessment). Modern approaches such as AfL aims to encourage pupils to learn in a deep, constructivist manner (Cohen et al., 2004, p300) and not merely surface learning which occurs when teaching to the test (Bryce, 2009 Lecture ). The Assessment is for Learning programme is essentially trying to get teachers to do less AoL and more AfL (Bryce, 2011 Lecture). LTS have based this idea upon the work of Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam. They documented their research on formative assessment in Inside the Black Box (London: Kings College, 1998). In this paper, the authors describe formative assessment as: activities undertaken by teachers and by their students in assessing themselves, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged (Pe 8) From this it can be understood that formative assessment involves the teacher and the pupil interpreting their teaching and learning and providing feedback to one another. This feedback is then used as an indication as to how to proceed with the lesson or how to improve on previous work and learning. Therefore, assessment is not just about how well the pupils DID, it is about how they ARE doing and how to improve further. I will now discuss examples from my own teaching experiences and observations from my placement school where AfL and successful teaching approaches were very much embedded into the lessons of all year groups. During both placements, I observed several teachers sharing the learning objectives with the class using the We Are Learning To method. I observed that this method was commonly used with S1 and S2 classes and less frequently S3 upwards. I implemented this method into all my classes, from 1st to 4th year, and although this method does not appear to be an effective assessment tool as the outcomes are being introduced before any teaching has taken place, by referring to the outcomes during and at the end of the lesson ensures that both teacher and pupil are clear that the learning journey is on the right track (Simpson, 2006, p64). Therefore, teachers are challenged to constantly assess whether the pupils have learnt the intended objectives. By referring to the objectives at the end and asking pupils to what they felt they had achieved or learnt helped me to assess whether the objectives I had written up were in fact achievable, whether the lesson activities helped to meet the objective s or were too numerous, as I had been over optimistic in what I aimed to achieve in a lesson. Reflection and evaluating my teaching is vital to ensure that appropriate and effective learning is taking place at all times. Kerry (2004) supports this idea: Master teachers share learning outcomes to assess whether the learning journey is on the right track and whether it is on target to reach its destination (p100) By referring to the objectives at the end of the lesson, also helped me to gauge the learning of my pupils and check for areas of difficulty because in my experience pupils who understood the lesson could relate this to the learning objective and likewise, pupils who did not understand key areas could relate this to the outcome they could not meet. Asking for pupil feedback not only allowed me to assess their learning but helped me with planning for the next lesson and its starter, because in some cases I had to go over certain key points again. An example of this was where pupils fed back to me that they did not understand what the term niche meant. This was a learning objective, thus next lesson, I went over the term again, and provided further examples but also asked them to carry out a matching exercise requiring to match the niche with the organism. When I got feedback from the class again they were all able to successfully state the definition of niche. I would revisit the LOs at the end of the lesson, followed by a question and answer session involving all pupils, however, I didnt always have as much time as I needed for the QA, so I used a method I observed other teachers use, which was request feedback from the class by asking them to write down anything they were unsure about or did not understand as well as what they had learnt, on a post-it-note and stick it on the board before leaving. Other forms of effective feedback I observed included the thumbs method in which thumbs were raised if pupils were happy with the work; thumbs were halfway showing slight concern and thumbs were fully down if the pupil was struggling. By asking the entire class to do this the teacher was able to evaluate the progress of the whole class and if there were problems they were dealt with then, during that lesson. I also observed the use of and used myself mini whiteboards as a method of whole class evaluation. I found it invaluable, not just for a change in pupil activity but as a useful assessment tool and also an effective method of getting the whole class to answer as opposed to a dominate few. During this placement, I carried out formative marking of homework with all my classes, using comments only. Ian smith (2003) states: Marks with comments do not enable students to improve, yet comments on their own do This suggests that when pupils are presented with both marks and comments pupils will focus solely on the marks regardless of whether the mark was good or poor, thus ignoring the information that will help them improve. Black and Harrison (2004) suggest that the type of feedback provided must be beneficial to pupils and enable them to move forward thus the 2 stars and a wish method was used to highlight areas that where the pupils had done (positive reinforcement) and any area that could be improved upon and how this could be improved upon (next steps and targets). Although I told the classes to read their feedback or answer any questions I had left, when I took the jotters in to mark the next piece of homework, not all the pupils had completed the previous works questions or found the answers to questions they had missed out. I think one of the reasons for this is that when I handed back the jotters, most pupils put them away, I should have given the pupils time in class to read the comments and if they had any questions they had the opportunity to ask. Part 2 In this section, I will first discuss the conflict between formative assessment (AfL) and summative assessment (AoL). I will then discuss how grades can be used constructively within schools based upon observations and school experience. Summative assessment and the giving of grades have always had a dominant role in the education system, particularly in the upper school. In fact, such assessment has been derogatively termed Assessment is for Grades (Bryce, 2008, pg 581) indicating as mentioned in section one, that there is a common view that the only worthwhile outcome of school is good grades. This contrasts greatly with the view of Black and Wiliam who wish to move away from grades and use the formative approach of comments only feedback. The authors state in Inside the Black Box (London: Kings College, 1998) that the giving of marks and the grading functions are over emphasised, while the giving of useful advice and the learning function are under-emphasised. The educational research and literature have shown the benefits of formative assessment, such as promoting deeper learning for all pupils through good quality interactions and feedback on how best to improve. This is not the case however, when grades and summative assessment is used. Wiliam (2008) argues that when pupils do a piece of work, the teacher marks it and if that piece of work gets an A, the pupil gets to keep that grade A even if they subsequently forget everything they ever knew about that topic. The effect of this attitude and teachers only teaching to the test encourages a very shallow approach to the curriculum where teachers and students skate across the surface and everyone feels good because of the grade achieved, however, the pupil does not accumulate any knowledge. This type of pupil attitude was seen frequently on placement from 1st years having sat their end of topic to tests, to 3rd years having sat their Unit 1 NAB. There were some pupils in each of these classes and the first thing they did was look at their mark and sighed with relief because they had passed. This was particularly evident in the 2 3rd year classes who had just sat their NABs. I found some pupils were happy with the pass and did not care about where they went wrong because they passed. It is this mentality of the grade is what is important that must be changed. Using a formative approach gets pupils to take responsibility for their learning and to want to better their knowledge as opposed to just scrape by. Wiliam (1998) has defended the use of comments marking and interestingly though, pupils who just sat a test, NAB or their 4th year prelim, because only grades were given back to pupils, most enquired as to why certain marks were not given, or what exactly was wrong with the answer they wrote down. This highlighted to me, the importance of comments, because there will be some pupils who rely on the feedback to improve, but the challenge is to get all pupils to want to learn how to improve. Additionally, I also observed grades and final marks de-motivate pupils. Once pupils got their results, they immediately compared marks with each other. For those pupils who had failed their NAB or test, instant disappointment and this is another problem with summative assessment. Low ability pupils and pupils who frequently receive low marks expect and face constant disappointment when they get their results back. Pupils, who have often experienced failure, will not expose themselves to any further failure. Therefore, they do not possess the will to succeed and do well, consequently affecting their progress in school (Kyriacou, 2001). Furthermore, summative assessments are not wholly reliable as I believe them to be a snapshot of how students performed on the day in an exam or test and does not fully reflect overall student progress and performance. The grades achieved are over-interpreted by parents too who, from observations made whilst sitting in on parents evening, solely focus on the grade as opposed to pupil development. Parents of S2 pupils were consistently asking what level their child would be sitting in 3rd and 4th year and in some cases argued that Intermediate 1 was not appropriate and they wanted their child to sit intermediate 2, even though the pupils in question were happy to be sitting Int 1 because they struggled with science. Schools are constantly being compared with each other in league tables, and the media and the government can easily make their comparisons and produce literature based on summative assessment forms. This is more difficult to do with other forms of assessment. Summative assessments can produce data which is relied upon by employers and other educational institutes to see what skills pupils have developed; thus showing that grades and results will be an integral part of the school system. Although I think that there are problems with grading, mainly the effect on pupil attitude and motivation, I do not believe summative assessments should be abolished. AfL promotes the development of learning I think after the hard work in classes where pupils have recognised their strengths and weaknesses and tried to improve, they should have the right to gain a recognised qualification. Despite the negative views on grading and summative assessment I believe it can be used constructively and in a formative role to promote wider and deeper learning. Whilst on placement I observed an innovative approach to going through prelims with senior classes. The teacher I observed used an approach which I imitated with one of my own classes. The teacher asked the pupils to work in pairs and on the mini whiteboards create a marking scheme for section A (multiple choice). Effectively, the pupils were re-doing the prelim, but they had the opportunity to discuss and learn from one another before marking their efforts using the marking scheme. The next lesson the teacher split the class into groups. Each table had a set of questions from section B of the prelim and they had to work together to create another marking scheme for the specific questions, before rotating round to the next table and working through those questions. Once pupils had completed all the questions, the teacher went through the answers, and groups marked their efforts. When I questioned the class, they all told me they knew where they had gone wrong in the prelim and they knew what mistakes not to make again. The peer support helped them feel more confident as they discussed how they interpreted the questions as well as compared methods and answers. Typically with a test or prelim, the teacher would go through each question and give the answers, but this simply bores and de-motivates the pupils. However, this class teacher had turned a summative assessment into a real active learning opportunity for the pupils. There is clearly some overlap between the 2 forms of assessment as it is AfL which will, in effect, help pupils to achieve better grades when AoL takes place. Thus, finding a balance between the approaches, mainly using summative assessment formatively, can be an effective tool for developing successful learners. Part 3a Within section 3a I shall identify some of the positive features of the Standard Grade and Intermediate courses, as well as indicate the differences in assessment structure between the 2 courses. Standard Grades (SG) replaced Ordinary Grades in the 1980s after the school leaving age was raised to 16. It was felt that Ordinary grades were only suitable for 30% of the school population, thus SGs were proposed to help meet the needs of those pupils now required to stay in school (Bryce, 2008). Simpson (2006) states: The introduction of Standard Grades led to a much bigger proportion of the cohort than previously, gaining qualifications and in a wider range of subjects. This shows that SGs fulfilled their intended purpose, providing a course that was achievable for all. One reason for this is the advantage of having three SG levels, thus accommodating all levels of ability. More able pupils can be pushed, whilst less able pupils have material they can cope with but also have an opportunity to achieve the higher of the two levels, since SG candidates are represented at two levels, Credit/General or General/Foundation, thus providing a good motivator. This aspect contrasts greatly with Intermediate courses, since pupils doing Intermediate 1/2 are all the same level, and this can lead to classes with a wide range of abilities. This was evident in my placement school, where S3 and S4 pupils sat Intermediate courses. The mixed level of ability was diverse and also caused concern since any pupil who was not coping could not simply be placed down a level because the Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 courses were very different in Biology. Thus, teachers had to determine what was best for the pupil whether it was a case of maturity, or risk pupils being put in Intermediate 1, and them having to catch up a years worth of work. Furthermore, SGs are always taught over 2 years. Thus providing both teachers and pupils enough time to fully comprehend the topic and focus more on learning rather than assessment. Schools which run SG courses mean that the Intermediate courses are taught over one year and as seen in my first placement school, there is added pressure for the teacher to get through the required material, thus learning and teaching opportunities may missed due to time constraints. Additionally, there is more chance of teachers teaching to the test. In my second placement however, as the Intermediate 2 courses ran the same length as SG courses, I observed that the extra time was highly beneficial and likewise, allowed for more creative and active lessons, as well as AfL approaches. The assessment of the 2 courses is very different also. SGs are externally assessed, although some subjects like English require a portfolio which contributes to the grade. Intermediate courses however, are both internally and externally assessed, and are very similar in structure to Higher Still, thus enabling continuity when pupils move on. Pupils are required to sit National Assessment Banks (NAB) at the end of every section in the course. This can be stressful for pupils as they are sitting several Intermediates, so will have to sit several NABs and can have the feeling of being NABd to death (Bryce, 2011). Teachers also have an increased workload and paperwork with quality marking of the NABs. The increase in assessment in Intermediates can also de-motivate pupils should they fail, but also because NABs are pitched at level C so depending on their mark they may feel apprehensive about the exams. However, there is an opportunity to re-assess pupils, since NABs can be re-sat. In additional to differences in internal assessment, the external assessment of both courses are very different and distinct advantages. As mentioned, the SG candidates have the opportunity to sit two levels, thus aim for the higher of the two, however, this means that SG pupils will be sitting at least 16 exams. This can cause a lot of pressure for pupils. Whereas, for Intermediate courses there is only 1 exam per subject, thus this can encourage pupils to do the best that they can as it is one opportunity. With SG, pupils have a safety net with the lower level; however, Intermediate pupils dont have that. Instead if pupils do fail, they will have their NABs recognised by the SQA. The last difference in terms of assessment is the grading of each course. Intermediate grading system of A-C has no limit for pupils, where as SG grading system is 1-7 and pupils sitting General/Foundation are limited in their possible grade, as the highest they can achieve is a 3. Part 3b At the moment pupils taking 8 SGs currently sit more than 20 hours of examinations, which exceed most universities Honours diet of examinations (Souter, 2008, pg 445). Thus, the argument that current school pupils are being over-assessed is well understood. A CfE aims to address this issue with the proposed National 4 and National 5 qualifications. The focus on these assessments is to promote greater breadth and depth of learning, including a greater focus on the secure development of skills and knowledge (LTS, 2011) Although CfE has been implemented officially in schools this year, with the current S1; these new qualifications will not be sat until session 2013/14. National 4 is based at SCQF level 4 and will replace Intermediate 1 and general level SG, whilst National 5 is based at SCQF level 5 and will replace Intermediate 2 and credit level SG. However, the main development of these new qualifications is that national 4 will be internally assessed by schools Teachers will continually assess pupils through coursework and at the end of the course, pupils will be awarded either a pass or a fail. National 5 on the other hand will be both internally assessed by the school, but also externally assessed by the SQA at the end of the course. For pupils, the National 4 strategy will ease the pressure and stress which accumulates with exams. However, for teachers and schools alike, there will be a definite increase in the workload for both all qualifications, not only in marking but by creating assessments. All internal assessments must be valid in that the tests must assess what is supposed to be tested and is a fair representation of pupils knowledge, skills and abilities. Assessments must also be reliable in that they must be consistent in marking and of standards. (Cohen et al., 2004, pg 331335). Currently, 13,500 of the 58,500 (23%) total school population leave school with qualifications at the time pupils will have sat their National 4 level assessment. Therefore, although by no means a majority, this number of pupils will leave school at this time without ever having sat an externally assessed exam. As well as this, the government will have to provide sufficient and adequate information on the new qualifications for both employers and parents. With just a pass or fail, employers may not rely on the National 4 and will need further evidence to show how well pupils actually did. School reports or portfolios of coursework and assessments for pupils may need to be provided; again this will add to the ever-increasing workload of teachers. Furthermore, parents will need to be both fully onboard with the new qualifications and understand their purpose. Intermediates have been in place in school for several years, yet during parents evening I observed many parents still seeking clarification as to what these qualifications actually are and asking for comparisons compared to O Grades and GCSEs. Thus information for parents is vital, not only so that they are aware of the changes that their children will face but also so that they too can support them at home. Regular feedback and reports of pupil progress will have to be given to parents, throughout National 4 and 5 courses. Although the new proposals will reduce the assessment burdens for pupils considerably and provide opportunities for deeper more meaningful learning, I believe that teachers will need to be properly supported throughout the introduction of these qualifications. Thus, they can then focus on creating effective learning and teaching experiences which will develop the skills and abilities of all their pupils, so that they can leave school as effective contributors, successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. Word Count: 3,873

Impressionism vs. Mexican Muralism

Impressionism vs.. Mexican Muralist As we all know, cultures and events shaped the world were being mirrored in the world of art. From Impressionism to Mexican Muralist, art has experienced lots of movements and it is easy to get confused regarding the similarities and difference between Impressionism and Mexican Muralist. In this essay, I will clear those things from two paintings: Camille Pissarro Boulevard Montmartre (Afternoon, Sunshine) and Diego River's A Dream off Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.The two images above are excellent examples of different styles of the Impressionism and Mexican Muralist. While the content is relatively similar, such as natural background, bright color, and even both of them depicted a scene happened in the afternoon, the feeling of the two paintings is remarkably diverse. The painting Boulevard Montmartre has a much softer edges and low-tone feel too it, compared to the stark contrast of A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park with its clea r boundaries and striking use of color.Actually, besides the optical effect, Mexican muralist also aimed at conveying social and political messages to the public. Impressionism which can be noninsured as the first obviously modern movement in the art occurred from 1860 to 1890 in France, and its effects have spread well beyond Europe and eventually the United States. Its sponsors who against Academic des Beaux-Arts, which predominated the French art scene at that time, were accordingly rejected to exhibit their art works in Salon des Paris, such as works from Meant, Monet and so forth(Lana Barras Hill 119).Instead of portray likenesses that mirrored a subject in as much as detail as possible, Impressionism artists focus on natural light and intend to capture the fleeting movement in an instant time. In order to perform this effect vividly, they moved from the studio to outdoors. One of the representative works which can reflected this style is Boulevard Montmartre, a series painting s drawn by Camille Pissarro in early 1897. â€Å"Pissarro was looked upon as the father of the impressionism group, and he was the only painter to exhibit at every one of the eight Impressionist exhibitions† (Ian Barras Hill 135).Pissarro was inspired to paint outdoors. As a freer handling of brighter colors, he always applied colors softly and his talent clearly lay in the reality of nature in landscapes with figures. After spending six years painting for rural setting, he returned to Paris and rented a room at the Grand Hotel De Russia in Paris in order to have a perfect view and unusual angle of the intersection of the Montmartre Boulevard† (Anne Gray 16).Boulevard Montmartre, afternoon, sunshine is an extraordinarily energetic painting of the fourteen painting series, which displays a fasting moving and dynamic urban life in Paris during the working hours of the day. Since he is looking out the left of his bedroom window, his eyesight was falling and the vanishing p oint is higher. As a exult, the strong central shape of the receding boulevard, flanked by rows of trees, street-level shops and impressive apartments, dictates the open, powerful composition and high perspective.Rapid, thick brush strokes used on the sky and road draw the eye down this thoroughfare, which has crowds and heavy traffic. Like the blurred photos, figures, commissaries and omnibuses in this painting hold no discernible details. Pissarro captures a bustling movement in an instant time and just rough sketches of them. Of course, a broad pointillism is also used in many places, such on a road surface. In addition, the scene is presented with a palette of great subtlety and colors are applied side-by-side with mixing creating a vibrant atmosphere: grey, browns and whites accented with red and tiny amounts of green.Certainly, softly edges between pedestrians and background produced by Pissarro makes the color much more natural. Abbreviation depicted the subject matter imply that the Impressionism artist emphasizes on capturing the essence of the subject. Besides, Pissarro still focus on the changing natural light and weather effects, and the figures under the sunlight which contrasts the shadow, dark Cambridge and looting convey the rich atmosphere effect. Nevertheless, Mexican Muralist which prevails specifically during the ass's and ass's is extremely different from Impressionism.The three main and most important artists during this movement were Jose Clement Rocco, Diego Riviera, and David Alfalfa Queries, and the muralists in Mexico were interested in Aztec and Amman cultures, depicted some Mexican people and their heroes' live and work. During the early years of the twentieth century, those three representative muralists who were influenced by the European modernist art returned to Mexico and began to paint and teach. Dorothy Chaplin 26).In contrast to Impressionism, Mexican Muralist movement is not only an artistic movement but also a social and political movement. In fact, the mural styles by Mexican Muralist artists were regarded as a teaching method, aimed at convey social and political messages to the public regardless of race and social class. Among the three Mexican muralists, Diego Riviera who were good at large wall works in fresco is the most prominent and controversial artist in Mexico. Riviera developed his own native painting style that was also social realism. Under the influence formAztec, he was skilled in applying bold and vivid colors to paint Mexican peasant or large simplified figures. (Ivory Davies 38). River's mural A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park which is a fifty foot fresco takes the viewer on a Sunday walk through Alameda Park. It was painted on a wall of the Hotel Paradox in 1947. Minion, an earthquake destroyed hotel, but the mural, perhaps the best known of River's works was relocated to a new museum across the street (Renee Pamela 8). † The painter presents people and events i n Mexican history from cotes, the emperorMacmillan, the revolutionaries Million Capita and Francisco Madder, to his own day' (R Hagen 101). Portrayed in the mural are numerous historical figures, more or less from left to right, but not in chronological order. Specifically, Diego Riviera in this mural depicted as a child holding the hand of a fashionably dressed skeleton figure, the omnipresence of death in the everyday life of Mexico. The figure standing maternally beside him is his wife, who is a self- portrait artist and feminist icon in Mexico and parade around them is impervious rich and unrequited poor.Unlike the repose for capturing the transient quality of life in impressionism, River's painting intends to present a universal political dream in Mexico and covey some social and political message to the public. As in the Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park, this is no class martyrdom and colonial tragedy. The message of Dream of Sunday is accusation of the tension of t he violent matter. Besides, he also combined historical and allegorical imagery. Actually, balloons on the background represent the strife for Mexican Liberty.As previous stated, there are more than a hundred satirical figures in this mural. Unlike pedestrians with rough sketches in the Boulevard Montmartre, Riviera cataloged social types from ruler to the bottom of the society, costumes, adornments artifacts, animals, and plant. This mural is a descriptive and documentary painting, which carried to utmost limits of crowded detail and illustrative functionalism (Gilbert Chase 11). In turning away from softly edges and rough sketches which impressionism artists of their day aspired, Riviera chose a realism to convey that subject matter through this fresco. What's more,Riviera was mastery of sense of composition, space and striking use of color. Instead of dark clothes and commissaries in Boulevard Montmartre, people from different classes wear brightly colorful costumes. Furthermore, the bright yellow and purple applied in the tree or sky stands in sharp contrast to the grey and brown sky in Boulevard Montmartre. In conclusion, River's artistic masterpieces were a collection of many European styles. Although Mexico Muralist inspired by the painting technique of impressionism, artists during Mexican Muralist began to realize all this innovation ad little to do with real life.As a result, in order to convey political and social messages to the vast number of uneducated people, Riviera chose a traditional art form and style to present the new subject matter (Gilbert Chase 12). Got away from focusing solely on optical painting in Impressionism, Mexican Muralist artists who began to carry a clearly discernible social and political comment in their artworks creates a new era in the human art treasure. Works Cited Anne Gray. Incubi: last impressions 1907-17: National Gallery of Australia. Seep. 2009. Print. Dorothy Chaplin.

Treatment Of Transgendes - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1698 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Transgender Essay Did you like this example? The identity that an individual holds has many layers, one very important layer is gender. One can define their own gender identity in a way that is cohesive with the sex that they were assigned at birth or they can be Transgender (Trans*). A person who is Trans* identifies as a gender that does not correspond to what they were assigned at birth. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Treatment Of Transgendes" essay for you Create order What does this mean? It means that humans can identify with a gender that matches the sex that they are, but they can also identify as the opposite sex, as both, or as neither. Gender can be considered fluid in the sense that it can take the form of whatever the person identifies. Trans* individuals usually, but not always, undergo a process of transitioning from one gender to the other either naturally or medically. A medical transition requires psychiatric evaluations, hormone therapy, and surgeries to change the persons outside appearance to match their inner identity. One can chose to complete all of the steps, some of the steps, or none of them. If a Trans* person decides that they do not want to medically transition, they typically go through a natural transition. This would mean for a female-to-male Trans* person, they would allow their body hair to grow and they might cut their hair. For a male-to-female Trans* person, they might grow their hair out and remove all of their body hair. The purpose of a natural transition is to take on as many physical characteristics of the identified gender as possible, without the help of hormones or surgery. What should matter most to Trans* people is their own happiness with themselves, but what the society and culture in which they live is highly significant as well. It is the culture and society that creates the rules, norms, and regulations that control how Trans* people are seen, treated, what rights they have, what rights are protected, and so much more (Tishelman, 2015). From America, to India, Austral ia, and Nepal, this essay will dive into these different cultures, examining how Trans* people live and are treated all over the world. In the United States, there has been an increase in the amount of people who openly identify as Transgender. With the help of various media outlets, including social media sites, Trans* people can and have become more visible to the U.S. society as a whole. Thanks to social media, these people have also been given a safe place to connect to other Trans* people and create a supportive social foundation. The growth in awareness of these individuals has also brought with it support from educators, mental health professionals, and more. The increase in support has also encouraged more people to come out as Trans*, adding to more awareness, creating an upward spiral. Having a lack of support in a Transgender individuals life can have a negative influence on whether or not they express their gender identity in the first place (Dentato, 2014, p.497). The increased awareness of the Transgender community has not only brought on positive support, it has also increased the amount of hate that is expressed towards Trans* individuals, also known as Transphobia. This has unfortunately not only gotten larger in the public population, but the U.S. Government has more recently had a negative effect on the lives of Transgender people. The Trans* community had thought that they had made great strides towards equality, especially when President Obama mentioned Transgender people in his State of the Union address in 2015; something no other president has ever done. The progress that Trans* individuals have made has come to a sudden halt, and one could even say has taken some steps backwards, as the Trump administration has created laws that prevent openly Trans* people from serving in the United States military. Along with that, there has a bill proposed that has expanded to twelve different states known as the bathroom bill. This bill would b ar transgender individuals from being able to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity by requiring that all persons must use the bathroom that matches their assigned birth sex listed on their birth certificate (Parent, 2018, p. 403). This would apply to bathrooms, locker rooms, fitting rooms, and others. The passing of this bill, and others like it is not only devisistating for those in the Transgender community, it is also incredibly unsafe for them both in their health and in their public lives. In the states where these bills are under review, it has been found that the Trans* people who live there eat and drink less and have more urinary tract infections due to not using the restroom because they are too scared or anxious. When Trans* people are forced into using the restroom that matches their biological sex, it puts them at an increased risk for sexual, verbal, and physical assault. Not only that, but the growth in anxiety over the issue can also be linked to an increase in Trans* suicide rates (Parent, 2018). Anti-transgender laws also send a message to the public saying that being Transgender is taboo and wrong, also increasing the amount of hate and violence towards the Trans* community. Overall, the Un ited States has come a long way with Transgender rights, but it is far from equality. In Western societies, like the United States, legal gender is typically binary, male and female. In the East, some countries such as India, are far less black and white when it comes to gender identity and expression. Indian culture differs markedly from the United States in terms of fundamental conceptualizations of gender [] and [Indian] law recognize a third gender, which finds it most visible representation in its hijras (Elischberger, 2017, p. 143). Although India has legally accepted a third gender, there is still a negative stigma that is socially attached to it. Because of this, Indian people who identify with this third gender experience much of the same kinds of hate that American Trans* people do. Transgender Indians, or hijras, are believed to account for five to six million people (Sharma, 2012) and are often linked to lower class sex workers, which is not always the case. This association creates a poor image for the hijras and leads to greater instances of violence and discrimination towards them, leading them to live in small communities or large homes together (Elischberger, 2017). India may differ from the United States in the fact that their government legally recognizes a third gender, but the societal oppression is consistent between the two countries. Another Eastern country, close to India both geographically and legislatively when it comes to gender, is Nepal. The Nepali government is truly similar to the government of India with their ideas about gender because in 2007, the Nepali government passed laws protecting their LGBT community and creating a legal third gender (Bista, 2012). Many Transgender people in Nepal are actually more marginalized than what their government might suggest. Much like in India, these legal protections have not made much of a difference when it comes to discrimination in the public (Boyce, 2013). In Nepali society, gender is closely bound to sexuallity. If someone is non-conforming with their gender identity, then they are given the charge of sexual immorality (Johnson, 2000, p. 370) and are highly discriminated against and often disowned from their family. This, of course, leads to an increase in violence towards people who identify with this third gender. There may be laws in place that recognize a nd protect Transgender people in Nepal, but actions are not taken to ensure that these laws are followed and that these people are kept safe. It is not only in the Eastern countries where there has been an incredible progression for the Transgender community. The Western country Australia has made great strides towards recognizing and protecting Trans* rights. It is now easier for Trans* individuals to obtain passports with any gender that they identify with; male, female, or neither male nor female (Sharma, 2012). The Sex Discrimination Amendment Act 2013 ensured protection for any and every gender, regardless of what sex was listed on their birth certificate and without any medical intervention. Further to this, in March, 2014 the Australian Capital Territory Government passed an amendment to the Birth Certificates Law allowing individuals to change the sex listed on their birth certificate, as well as adding a third category ?x (Smith, 2014, p. 16). There has also been a push to change Medicare policies to assist in decreasing the amount of discrimination that occurs in healthcare (Jones, 2016). Australia is much li ke India, America, and Nepal in the way that the government has set laws to protect Transgender people, but they are not always followed by their society. Violence and discrimination are still abundantly common. Trans* allies and advocates in Australia are working against the negative stigmas that have been placed on the Transgender community by creating campaigns that shed positive light on gender diversity. The idea is to show the public that Trans* people are more like them than they think, and there is no reason to be afraid of or angry at people who are different (Smith, 2014). Overall, there are not as many differences between the Eastern and Western treatment of Transgender individuals that one might expect. There is a definite commonality between the cultures of the United States, India, Nepal, and Australia. The common theme that can be gathered from each country is that their governments have made great progress in Trans* rights, but the societies have fallen behind in their treatment of Trans* individuals. The one exception, and more surprising of it all, is the regression that is being experienced in America. Yes, great strides have been made there like there as been in the other countries, but due to more recent changes in legislation, Transgender rights are actually being threatened. It is not only societal discrimination that is hurting Trans* people in America, it is also their government. Transgender people in the United States could benefit from the government following in the footsteps of the governments of India, Nepal, and Australia. Transge nder people of the world would benefit even more, if the societies surrounding them could stop the violence and discrimination and see that it is alright for these people to be different.

Hamlet The Real Villain - 1406 Words

The Real Villain The king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father, has died, leaving Hamlet distraught and grieving. His mother triggers these emotions in him to an even further extent by marrying Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, soon after the funeral. When the ghost of Hamlet’s father comes to Hamlet while roaming the castle grounds, telling him he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet vows to use madness as a weapon to exact revenge upon Claudius and his mother. However, the idea that Hamlet descends into madness throughout the play is extremely debatable, as some of his actions have no logically beneficial explanation. In Hamlet Shakespeare describes a fictional world filled with spies, murder, and revenge. Through Hamlet’s thoughts and actions Shakespeare communicates the idea that Hamlet’s tragically flawed motives derive not from revenge and hatred, but from a severe mental disorder. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet around the end of the 16th century, and during that time, mental illnesses were not usually addressed. Just because it wasn’t defined then, doesn’t mean that mental illnesses didn’t exist. To the authorities of this time, people with mental illnesses did not have the mental ability to understand reason. Very few people got actual institutional care during that time; many people who needed mental therapy were thought of as burdens to their friends and family, causing them to become beggars (Historic England Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th centuries). This reflects onto Hamlet as heShow MoreRelatedPerformance vs. Reality in Shakespeares Hamlet884 Words   |  3 PagesPerformance versus reality in Shakespeares Hamlet William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet has often been described as a play about a man who cannot make up his mind. Yet it could just as easily be described as play about a man putting on a play. 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