Toby Keith: Unleashed :: Music Essays

Toby Keith: Unleashed At this point in time, music is among the hardest businesses to achieve success in. The music industry and fans are looking for more than just talent and energy. They want someone who they can respect. Toby Keith fulfilled these expectations when he entered the music world. His huge success depended not only on his talent, but his boldness to speak his mind. Toby was born on July 8th, 1961 in Clinton, Oklahoma. Although most of his childhood and high school years were spent playing football, he was involved in the Easy Money Band with several of his friends. After singing with the group for awhile, Toby decided to become a solo performer, and went to Nashville where he landed his first contract with Mercury Records. He produced and wrote many hit singles, including â€Å"We Were in Love† and â€Å"Wish I Didn’t Know Now,† but sappy love songs did not satisfy his full artistic vision, nor the visions of his listeners. Mercury Records had turned down a number of songs he had written because they feared the songs were too controversial. Finally, he moved his contract to Dream Works Records, who released his single â€Å"How Do You Like Me Now,† released in 1999. The song was a smash hit, catapulting him into popularity. Toby wrote another song that not only boosted his career, but lowered some Americans’ respect for him. â€Å"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue† is a passionate ballad concerning the attacks on the World Trade Center, that some United States residents feel is too prideful. Despite the controversy caused by the new hit single, Toby Keith won the hearts of many Americans. He expressed their feelings about the attack of September 11th, 2001, in ways that they could not. However, the following lyrics created an uproar: â€Å"You’ll be sorry that you messed with the U S of A†¦ ‘Cuz we’ll put a boot in your ass, It’s the American way!† Peter Jennings refused for a long time to allow Toby to perform on his television show for the Fourth of July because of these lyrics.

Lack of Connection between Educational Research and Practice Essay

Educational research is conducted on the premise that an expansion of knowledge in the area of classroom teaching should automatically lead to improvements in the classroom, not only with respect to teaching styles but also the academic progress of students. All the same, this enhancement of knowledge is not always welcomed by teachers (Kennedy, The Connection). According to Mary M.  Kennedy, the author of â€Å"The Connection between Research and Practice,† teachers may fail to apply new knowledge based on research for the following reasons: (1) The research is not authoritative or convincing enough to move teachers to alter their practices; (2) The teachers find it difficult to directly apply the new knowledge because they consider it irrelevant to their particular concerns or questions on the subject of teaching; (3) The research findings may not have been communicated in an understandable way; and (4) It is impossible for the educational system to accept the changes entailed by new research-based knowledge (Kennedy, The Connection). G.  Reid Lyon, the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, expresses dismay at the lack of connection between educational research and practice: Scientific research can inform beginning reading instruction. We know from research that reading is a language-based activity. Reading does not develop naturally, and for many children, specific decoding, word recognition, and reading comprehension skills must be taught directly and systematically. We have also learned that preschool children benefit significantly from being read to. The evidence suggests strongly that educators can foster reading development by providing kindergarten children with instruction that develops print concepts, familiarity with the purposes of reading and writing, age-appropriate vocabulary and language comprehension skills, and familiarity with the language structure. †¦One hopes that scientific research informs beginning reading instruction, but it is not always so. Unfortunately, many teachers and administrators who could benefit from research to guide reading instructional practices do not yet trust the idea that research can inform their teaching (Lyon). The lack of connection between educational research and practice astounds many researchers. Even so, this lack of connection is sometimes approved by researchers. In the case of reading, for example, there are researchers who perceive that theories are â€Å"neither practical nor profitable† given that reading is â€Å"a complex phenomenon (Calfee and Drum 183). † These researchers even assume that â€Å"theoretical analysis is unnecessary, if not impossible† in this area (Calfee and Drum 183). Thus, there appears confusion with regards to applying educational research in the classroom. Seeing that the educational researchers do not always agree amongst themselves, it is unsurprising that teachers find it hard to understand new research-based knowledge before they can apply it. Teachers may not only disagree with educational researchers, but they also disagree with education reformers that base their ideals on current educational research after sifting through the disagreements among researchers (Kennedy, Reform Ideals). Research suggests that the teaching practice is strongly influenced by the values of the teachers themselves (Aguirre and Speer; Brickhouse). In other words, teachers may simply disagree with educational research that blatantly conflicts with their beliefs about their practice. According to Argyris and Schon, such is the difference between â€Å"espoused theories† and â€Å"theories in use. † Despite the advice of researchers as well as reformers, teachers may simply find it impossible to apply educational research in the classroom when their own beliefs conflict with the ideals of others. Kennedy has experienced the conflict between teacher practice and expectations while teaching in a different culture. Working in Thailand, without immediately appreciating the practice of teaching expected in the new culture, she was rather confused about the method of teaching that she was expected to adopt. She believed that she was right in her teaching style; however, the expectations of the Thai school administrators and students differed. â€Å"It took me a long time to adjust my practice to accommodate their expectations,† she wrote later (Kennedy, Learning to Teach). Of course, if she had failed to adjust, she would have found it difficult to succeed in the new culture as a teacher. Educational research is meant to influence teacher practice (Kennedy, Means and Ends). Nevertheless, resistance to change is a reality that must be confronted by all organizations, whether they are academic in nature or purely for profit. Teachers may believe that a certain educational finding is irrelevant to their concerns or questions about teaching. Still, the real reason why teachers do not always apply current educational research in the classroom is that they believe that their own practices are correct at any given time. In spite of Kennedy’s focus on the connection between educational research and practice, it took her a â€Å"long time to adjust† to a new culture of schooling. Given that educational research is growing by leaps and bounds nowadays, it is but natural for other teachers also to take a long time to adjust to new knowledge in the classroom. Change may sometimes be imposed upon the teachers, as in the case of new technologies that must be adopted in our times in a large number of schools around the globe (Bell, Codde and Bell). When change is not imposed upon the teachers, it is difficult for them to decide on the kinds of changes to adopt and disregard. According to a website on education: Educational research is potentially a great resource for supporting learner-centered practices, but there is a disjuncture between the worlds of the educational researcher and the practitioner (whether faculty member, instructional technologist, or learning designer). A few ears ago at the International Conference on Learning Sciences held in Ann Arbor, keynote speaker Linda Roberts commented on a 500+ page proceeding, saying â€Å"This is fabulous, relevant, and meaningful work†¦ the only problem is: no one who needs it is going to read it. † That is, there is not much of a bridge between research and practice (â€Å"Bridging Teaching and Learning Research and Practice†). Educational research has consistently focused on student-centered practices. Nonetheless, the constantly growing amount of research is expected to bewilder teachers about the appropriate teaching styles to adopt at any given time. The adoption of new technologies was considered necessary change. In cases where change is not considered urgent, however, there is bound to remain a wide gap between educational research and teacher practice. As mentioned previously, even educational researchers disagree about the kinds of changes that must be considered relevant or irrelevant. Hence, teachers are left with no choice but to take â€Å"a long time to adjust. † Teachers may additionally choose not to adjust to new knowledge. This is because the teacher’s values are imperative in the classroom. His or her belief system may not concede to a certain change in teaching style. Besides, change is often very difficult to adjust to. Hence, the lack of connection between educational research and practice is unavoidable in reality.

The enigma of infinity (preview)

To understand certain qualities of infinite one has to fathom the notion of what intrinsic values we consider numbers. â€Å"A number isn't a number† as stated by George Cantor, nineteenth century mathematician. Cantor developed what is known as Cantors Theory of Sets, which states as follows, â€Å"For comparing the magnitude of two different sets, the basic notion is that of equivalence. In other words elements A and B may be paired with one another in such a fashion that A only corresponds to B and vice versa.This applies to what we call numbers, which in fact only represent the value it holds, in other words number B isn't itself abstract as it's the representation of element A. Outside the realm of mathematics numbers represent something, and mathematics was created to short cut the way we describe element A. Because of this we can consider what follows: unless, To the average mind this will seem to be nothing but obvious, nevertheless It's a difficult concept to underst and.When furthering the Prima Facie, or face value that Is present we find that this indeed is a possible impossibility. Because numbers are Just representation of values and they themselves are not abstract, they can be manipulated to equal the indicated equation above, A=2 A=B, therefore 2=3 Because the elements are equivalent before the values holder are nonequivalent because elements come before their representation.However the contradictions begin to follow as to say I have A equals the number of Bananas I have in my right hand, B also equals the number of Bananas I have In my left hand. Therefore I have 3 Bananas in my left hand and 2 Bananas In my right hand, and according to premise en they are equal, however the potassium Is greater In my left hand evidently. My point Is numbers are what they seemed to be, for example In a sequence such as 2, 4, 10 The corresponding representation of each value above, In other words.Not because 1 equals 2 but because 1 represents the first value In the sequence. Now alluding to rational numbers and Infinity It Is rather Interesting that when established that numbers are representations of abstract objects, and themselves aren't abstract then they cannot be Infinite, because nothing In universe Is Infinite. According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, the universe Itself Isn't Infinite.Many mathematicians Like to solve part or the paradox wealth Infinity by establishing It as to be an extra- ordinary number, however the problem Lies that despite It not being ordinary, Itself Is an extra-ordinary number consisting of pure ordinary subsets, It would be different If Infinity were a value consisting of other extraordinary values. The enigma of infinity (preview) By Richard&Zamarripa To the average mind this will seem to be nothing but obvious, nevertheless it's a official concept to understand.When furthering the Prima Facie, or face value that is hand, B also equals the number of Bananas I have in my left hand. Therefore I have 3 Bananas in my left hand and 2 Bananas in my right hand, and according to premise one they are equal, however the potassium is greater in my left hand evidently. My point is numbers are what they seemed to be, for example in a sequence such as 2, The corresponding representation of each value above, in other words. Not because 1 equals 2 but because 1 represents the first value in the sequence.Now alluding to rational numbers and infinity it is rather interesting that themselves aren't abstract then they cannot be infinite, because nothing in universe is infinite. According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, the universe itself isn't infinite. Many mathematicians like to solve part or the paradox within infinity by establishing it as to be an extra- ordinary number, however the problem lies that despite it not being ordinary, itself is an extra-ordinary number consisting of pure ordinary subsets, it would be different if infinity were a value consisting of other

First impressions Essay

In my opinion it is your first impression of something that ultimately gives you the perfect vantage point in which to accurately assume the true nature of something. Your notion of this something is then unaffected or swayed by any outside sources or by second guessing yourself. Upon first experiencing this first time offered course, I immediately felt right at home concerning the direction in which the course was headed and also with the enthusiasm and involvement of the professor. The first class began as any other, anxiously awaiting an unknown professor and the educational information he bears. With a proverbial collective sigh of relief, the class was greeted with a pleasant professor offering a most interesting lesson plan on the writing in the discipline of psychology. After welcomed introductions class was underway and a new appreciation for my major was attained. Our first homework assignment required us to read and analyze an article entitled â€Å"Making Science Understandable to a Broad Audience† by Richard Reis. The article portrays the notion that we as those in search of educational advancement must accommodate the manner in which we write for individuals many whom are otherwise unaware. This piece I believe sets the tone for this course in its entirety and my perceptions as to what is seeks to achieve, in that to truly know and understand an idea or concept one must have the ability to correctly perceive and present information of the utmost importance to the vast majority. Throughout my college career I have strived to put forth my best effort and achieve a great standing in all my courses. I plan on not doing any different here, so upon perusing the course syllabus I noticed many assignments wherein groups were involved. In my past experience, sadly I have had many instances in which fellow group members became ‘clingers’ to my dedicated work whilst I labored on it. Assignments listed as anything prefaced by the dreaded utterance â€Å"Group,† made me question my position here. Despite my reservations I believe that those fellow students in my class are just as dedicated as I and wish to succeed just as much. Without further explanation of the group work involved, much of it looks fairly familiar to projects that I have done in past classes both in college and high school concerning poster presentations and literature reviews. My worries, other than those aforementioned, lie in the â€Å"Individual Components† of the course description and what they might entail. At least for me, when work pertaining to that of doling out constructive criticism is required I simply feel inadequate in telling others how to go about their work. Other than that one hiccup, the rest of the work to be done individually seems common or at least manageable. In the past I have kept a record or journal of daily events of significance, in that I can see doing well in keeping a research journal. Being accustomed to modern times and technology use should help serve me in using the â€Å"Learning E-Portfolios,† and submitting assignments online. My major is in psychology and therefore have read extensively on the subject as well as taken previous writing courses, all of which will hopefully aid me in doing well this semester. I feel as though this course will play towards my strengths and will be successful overall. Although, I do not expect to go without surprises, I trust this course to challenge my writing ability as well as my grasp on psychology ASSIGNMENT REFLECTION FORM 1. How would you describe your experience in working on this assignment (Was it difficult to begin? Did the ideas come easily or with difficulty? What obstacles did you face in the process of writing? How long did it take you?)? A: As with any paper, I found it slightly difficult to begin because I enjoy taking the time to organize my thoughts into a cohesive and coherent piece. In the writing process I found it difficult to completely fulfill the requirements in that the book contained in the courses required reading section had been backordered and in an attempt to continue, I had purchased a copy on Amazon.com and am sadly still awaiting its arrival. From beginning to end this essay took me around two hours to complete in its entirety. 2. What do you see as the strengths of this paper? A: I believe the strengths of this paper to be my honesty involving the course. It may or may not help with improvements and or changes in future assignments and course direction. 3. What do you see as areas for improvement in the paper? A: Not to sound clichà © but I believe that all papers still require improvement. No matter how many edits or drafts it takes there will always be one idea or point that may have been over expressed or a central one that had been simply left out completely. I may need to improve upon my ordering or overall flow of my paper to achieve a better read. 4. What did you learn (about yourself, the subject, writing, or reading) from doing this assignment? A: While writing this piece I learned that I truly enjoy expressing myself through writing. Although I consider myself to have a limited vocabulary I find nothing more exciting than to surprise someone with my work.

Media Ethic personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Ethic personal statement - Essay Example ay I decide to report events can either create peace or chaos in a certain situation and therefore, I must constantly adhere to the highest principles of media ethics as I go about completing my tasks on the job. I was amazed to learn that as a media practitioner, I would oftentimes find myself at the crossroads of having to deal with news manipulation versus reporting the truth, or having to choose between public interest and the right of a person to privacy, and most specially, I found myself highly concerned by the fact that the interests of the media when it comes to reporting and informing the public may oftentimes find roadblocks in terms of our national laws. As a journalist, I would definitely have my work cut out for me in the future. But, if I had chosen to take the path of entertainment media instead, I would find myself having to deal with the ethics of censorship and the right of people to choose. There is also the problem posed by conflict of interest regarding product placement in shows that I might become involved with. Not to mention having to deal with the constant stereotyping in Hollywood that often leads to the presentation of taboo topics that most audience members and censors may deem unethical. However, since i trained for the job, I will know exactly how to strike a very delicate balance among all the factors involved. It wont be easy but, thanks to my ethics classes, I will know exactly how to handle the situation should it arise. Having been educated by our classes in the various types of ethics involved in media relations, I have come to realize that ethics as a moral philosophy is something that I shall have to deal with on a daily basis in my line of work because I will be constantly defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong to various people whom I work with very closely. That is because I now understand that every action I choose to take will result in certain positive or negative consequences for other people.

Advertisments to Compare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertisments to Compare - Essay Example ADMITTEDLY, WE’RE BAD AT SUMMATION. This is further complimented by another phrase at the lower part of the ad that reads "There arent enough adjectives to describe the straight from the orange taste of Tropicana Pure Premium†. The simplified advert is further graced by an image of the drink’s packaging box positioned at the bottom right corner. The box has a replica image of an orange and straw similar to one described in the main advertisement (Belch & Belch, 2011). This advertisement is comprised of three key parts. On the top part of the ad is an image of Paula Creamer, a golf professional athlete who was at the time the sport’s holding champion. In her hands, the athlete is seen holding what looks like a golf club. Right below her image on the right side, a few words are inscribed: "UNSTOPPABLE. PAULA CREAMER IS. So is her Citizen Eco-Drive. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery. Its UNSTOPPABLE. Just like the people who wear it." On the left side just below Paula’s image, a large image of a white ceramic Citizen Eco-Drive watch is imprinted. On its right side, are the wordings â€Å"ECO-DRIVE Watch with 32 Diamonds.† On the bottom right part of the advertisement is the Citizen ECO-DRIVE trademark image (logo) accompanied by the company’s website link (citizenwatch.com) (Belch & Belch, 2011). In order to enhance the probability of succeeding in any marketing or advertisement campaign, it is important to begin by aligning the advertisements with what grabs the attention of the product’s target customers (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). By this, the marketers try to maximize on adding attractive features to the products’ advertisements which the target customers can relate to and perhaps get attracted to purchase the product. For the two advertisements described earlier in the paper, there are various features outlined in each, which help to establish the likely target

UKs Policy on Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UKs Policy on Training and Development - Essay Example This is a very important feature of the UK government policy on training on development. UK â€Å"will progressively introduce a new loan facility , which will remove grant funding from the 2013/14 academic year, providing the capacity to sustain learner participation with government-backed fee loans for individuals aged 24 or over studying at qualifications at level 3 and above† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). BIS (2010a, p. 4) elaborated â€Å"there will be no up-front costs and the repayments made on an income-contingent basis.† In addition, â€Å"the government has made available  £129m in 2013-14 and  £398m in 2014-15 for these fee loans† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). The BIS claims, however, that while public investment will be reduced, the UK government will â€Å"free the sector from top-down targets and direction to enable a truly demand-led system to develop† (2010a, p. 4). Government will seek â€Å"greater contributions from individuals and employers who benefit most and can afford to pay† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). For 2011-12, â€Å"the total Teaching and Learning budget will be  £3.1bn, of which  £605m will be earmarked for adult apprenticeships† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). However, spending on adult apprenticeships and, relative to the previous government, â€Å"will increase by up to  £250m by the end of the SR period† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). Informal adult and community learning will be retained although they will be â€Å"reformed† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). There will also be â€Å"progression routes for those looking for a way into formal learning† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). Importantly, â€Å"there will also be help for those who are unemployed on active benefits† (BIS 2010a, p. 5). ... 4). There will also be â€Å"progression routes for those looking for a way into formal learning† (BIS 2010a, p. 4). Importantly, â€Å"there will also be help for those who are unemployed on active benefits† (BIS 2010a, p. 5). The UK government policy on training and development comes with â€Å"fundamental policy changes† (BIS 2010a, p. 5). The â€Å"Train to Gain† will be abolished (BIS 2010a, p. 5). â€Å"Funding for workplace training on SMEs will be prioritized† (BIS 2010a, p. 5). Government will more conduct consultations for other changes (BIS 2010a, p. 5). BIS (2010a, p. 5) pointed out that government will reduce bureaucracy by training providers and simplify the further education and skills landscape by abolishing central targets. For example, the BIS (2010b) document localized targets and programs for England based on BIS (2010a). The BIS (2010a, p. 5) said â€Å"colleges and training organisations will be more publicly accountable to le arners, employers, and their communities.† This portion of the UK government program â€Å"will be supported by the introduction of lifelong learning accounts and by the new All Age Careers Service.† As per the claim of the BIS, the UK government training and development policy is founded on three principles (BIS 2010a, p. 1): fairness, shared responsibility, and greater freedom. According to BIS (2010, p. 1), the first principle justifies the â€Å"special attention to young people and those with basic literacy and numeracy skills.† In the second principle, citizens will be called upon to â€Å"take greater responsibility for ensuring their own skills are met† (BIS 2010a, p. 1). Lastly, the principle of â€Å"greater freedom† means â€Å"trusting people to do their job† and the â€Å"primary