How God Can Help to Understand the Presence of Natural Evil

How God Can Help to Understand the Presence of Natural Evil Thousands have died in the last 12 months as a result of adverse weather conditions, hundreds of thousands as a result of earthquake and volcanic activity, and millions through cell mutation leading to diseases such as cancer. Explore how models of God can help or hinder an understanding of the presence of such natural evil in the world. Generally when you think of the word evil, your first reaction will be to think of moral evil evil committed by human beings. Three examples of such evils are murder, rape, and terrorism. In Christian tradition, evil consists of breaking the rules given by God to man, and suffering is Gods punishment for breaking those rules. Theologian Henri Blocher depicts evil, when looked upon as a theological concept, as an unjustifiable reality. In common parlance, evil is something that occurs in experience that ought not to be.[1] The focus of this essay however, is natural evil. This is evil in the world that arises from what we call natural events. This would include earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, disease, birth defects, and other aspects of our world that cause suffering and death, e.g. cancer. These create a problem for us in how we think about God, because such events inflict evil on victims, but with no human perpetrator to blame for it. Now that the actual issue of evil has been addressed, we can begin to look at how models of God can help or hinder an understanding of the presence of such evil. Evil poses a big problem to Christianity, because they propose the existence of a deity who is omnibenevolent (all loving), while simultaneously also being omnipotent (all powerful), and omniscient (all knowing)[2]. This is arguably the most obvious problem caused by models of God with regard to natural evil, yet also the biggest, and it still has not been solved. If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil. If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists. And finally, if God is omnibenevolent, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil. If God is all powerful, then he must have the power to stop such events. If he has the power to stop them, but chooses not to, then he isnt omnibenevolent. If he doesnt stop such events even though he wants to, then he is not omnipotent. This would then insinu ate that God, or at least the Christian image of God, does not exist. This is obviously a model of God causing great hindrance to getting anywhere near to understanding natural evil. In God and Evil, McCloskey examines five popular solutions to the problem of understanding natural evil. In this article natural evil is referred to as physical evil. The five solutions proposed are; physical good (pleasure) requires physical evil (pain) to exist at all; Physical evil is Gods punishment of sinners; Physical evil is Gods warning and reminder to man; Physical evil is the result of the natural laws, the operations of which are on the whole good; and finally, Physical evil increases the total good.[3] With regard the first solution offered, McCloskey is quick to shoot it down. It doesnt cover all natural goods and evils. He says that Disease and insanity are evils, but health and sanity are possible in the total absence of disease and insanity.[4] He goes on to describe how the argument is unsound in respect of its main contention, and hence seriously limits Gods power. This solution would maintain that God cannot create pleasure without pain, and as McCloskey shows, the y are not correlatives. Next, McCloskey considers the solution that natural evil is Gods way of punishing sin. This was the idea used to explain the terrible Lisbon earthquake in the 18th Century, when tens of thousands of Portuguese citizens were killed. Voltaire replied to the argument that it was a punishment by asking if God chose the people he felt were least virtuous in society, which clearly is not the case. For this argument to help us understand natural evil, it would require every single human being to have sinned so badly that we all deserve severe punishment from God; such is the uneven distribution of the punishment if it is so. McCloskey argues that even if it were the case that we all deserve punishment, why is there the issue of birth defects such as blindness or mental disabilities what have the children then done to deserve punishment? In fairness he does concede that this argument has dropped out of the theological sphere, but it is one that is still used at the popular level.[5] Thirdly, the issue of natural evil as a warning to men is considered. Again this explanation comes no closer to helping us understand natural evil. Joyce, cited in God and Evil puts forward that natural evils inspire a reverential awe of the Creator who made them.[6] McCloskey goes onto describe evil as the main reason why people turn away from religion and so if God is using it to try and inspire veneration, then he is a bungler'[7]. Also the use of evil for this reason wouldnt be something youd expect from a benevolent deity. Penultimately, evil as the result of the natural laws is considered. McCloskey summarises the argument by saying This fourth argument seeks to exonerate God by explaining that He created a universe sound on the whole, but such that he had no control over the laws governing His creations, and had control only in His selection of His creations.'[8] This would then indicate three of the main arguments used by theists contradict each other and in turn make it more difficult for us to understand natural evil. It also asks questions of Gods omnipotence. The previous two arguments attribute the detailed results of the operation of these laws directly to Gods will. Therefore it is not without significance that they betray such uncertainty as to whether God is to be commended or exonerated.[9] The solution considered lastly is that the Universe is better with evil in it. This type of argument portrays evil as a means to a greater good. McCloskey again discredits it by saying even if the general principle of the argument is not questioned, it is still seen to be a defective argument. On the one hand, it proves too little it justifies only some evil, and not necessarily all of the evil in the universe; on the other hand it proves too much because it creates doubts about the goodness of apparent goods.[10] While we must take into account that McCloskey is a firm atheist, it is difficult to prove any of his arguments against these explanations as wrong. Only the last argument does not conflict with the theist model of God, and even then it only shows that natural evils that occur may have a justification. This is hardly an argument that helps understand the presence of natural evil in the world. Perhaps a model of God that can help us to understand why natural evil is existent in the world is the theodicy of Augustine. A theodicy is an answer to the problem of evil. The biblical story of The Fall in the book of Genesis is fundamental to Augustines theodicy. According to Genesis, Adam was created perfect in a flawless world but then sinned consciously by eating from the forbidden tree. Mans original wholesomeness was lost and all his descendants inherited original sin and original guilt. Augustine puts forward that our punishment for Adams moral evil, which we have inherited, is natural evil.[11] Augustine argued that God is entirely good and cannot be held responsible for creating evil. He would say that Man deserves to be punished and therefore it is right that God should not intervene and put a stop to suffering because we created evil by misusing our freedom. Evil, therefore, is not a thing in itself but rather a privatio boni, that is a lack of goodness or a falling short of the perfection which God intended for us, since God only creates good and it makes no sense to talk about creating a deprivation. Evil only happens where good goes wrong and it is always man who causes this to happen.[12] If evil is a lack of goodness or perfection (privatio boni) rather than a substance in itself, how do we know what perfection is? In order, for example, to distinguish between what is good in man and what is bad we would need to understand what perfect human nature is. There is a logical contradiction in maintaining that a perfectly created world has gone wrong, because this would mean that evil must have created itself out of nothing, which is not possible. In other words, whether evil is considered to be a substance or a lack of goodness responsibility for it must lie with God. Either the world was not perfect in the first place or God allowed it to go wrong (by allowing Satan to tempt Adam to eat the apple). If, in the Garden of Eden, before the Fall (i.e. in the perfect world) there was no knowledge of good and evil, how could there have been the freedom to obey or disobey God? Adams initial capacity to choose evil must still be attributed to God. For scientifically minded critic s the main weakness of Augustines theodicy is, again, that it is derived from Genesis and the story of the Fall. It does not take account of evolutionary theory. The idea that a perfectly created world was damaged by humans (and that this is how evil and suffering came into the world) is not borne out by evolutionary theory. According to this view of the world, evil and suffering must have existed long before homo sapiens appeared on earth. According to Darwinian theory, for example, evil and suffering are the inevitable consequence of the struggle for survival in which all creatures have been engaged. So, again, if Gods world contained flaws (in the form of evil and suffering) before man existed, God must bear responsibility for them. Augustines theodicy begs the question of whether God could have created free beings who always choose what is morally right. All the most recent scientific evidence suggests that the human race is not descended from one ancestor (Adam) as Augustine cl aims, but grew up across the globe from a number of different forebears and before that from apes. Therefore we cannot be thought to have inherited Adams original sin. Nor, therefore, is God just in punishing us for someone elses sin. Hell appears to be built into the design of the universe in Augustines theodicy. It would seem, therefore, that God was expecting things to go wrong, and chose to do nothing about it. How can we believe in Gods justice when some have been granted His grace and others not , on an apparently arbitrary basis? And why would a benevolent God have wished any of his creatures to suffer eternal torment in hell? Blocher, H. 1994. Evil and the Cross. p.10 Tooley, M. 2002. The Problem of Evil. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. [Online] Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/ [Accessed on 26/04/2010] McCloskey, H. J. 1960. God and Evil. The Philosophical Quarterly (10)39. pp.97-114. Ibid. Ibid. Joyce cited in McCloskey, H. J. 1960. God and Evil. The Philosophical Quarterly (10)39. pp.97-114. McCloskey, H. J. 1960. God and Evil. The Philosophical Quarterly (10)39. pp.97-114. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Birnbaum, D. 1988. God and evil: a unified theodicy/theology/philosophy Birnbaum, D. 1988. God and evil: a unified theodicy/theology/philosophy

A Second Adolescence

He is healthy, has no known diseases or a family history that would suggest him particularly prone to illness. He awakening into a life and body he no longer recognizes. He has physically let himself deteriorate In a dark cubicle showing no Importance to his physical self (Lachrymal, 2004). Concern for ones physicality Is important in accepting the changes of middle age and being comfortable in one's own body (Sharon, 1998). He begins to recognize his own body s importance because off crush he develops on his daughter's friend.Starting to work out and place Importance on how he looks Is symbolic of his acceptance of his new body (Ben-Earl, Leave, & Shave, 2008). His office job has made him somewhat sedimentary yet it appears to have little effect on his physical wellbeing except in athletic terms he begins to address. His body and physical image becomes important to him. He wants to feel attractive and begins working out vigorously. He once again sees himself as a sexual being and wa nts to feel good about himself physically. Ben-Earl, Leave, & Shave, 2008) Changes at his Job serve as a catalyst for Lester to begin a transformation in his life in order to unify his self image with the actuality of his everyday Life(Lachrymal, 2004). Family dynamics: Luster's relationship with his wife Is In shambles. They no longer support each other or have a sexual relationship. His relationship with his daughter is almost nonexistent and it is unclear if there is any extended family. No close familiar relationships exist in Lester life. It Is clear though that there was a time that he and his wife and daughter were happy.He often reminisces of a time when he had less to no responsibility and his whole life ahead of him. He feels stifled by his family and his Job and has no outlet to address this problem. Throughout the period of observation Lester makes a complete circle to self acceptance. He takes some drastic tepees but they are In the end successful. He develops a sexual obsession with his daughter's friend which functions to snap him out of his state of complacency and begin to mix things up in every area of his life.He effectively begins to identify himself as an adolescent would testing boundaries and forming a new personality(anger, 2004). Caroline Is the dominant member of the family. She Is louder and more demanding than her child or partner. Image Is everything to her. 1 OF 7 important to her than her actual ability to successfully fill these roles(Barnett, 2004). Her whole persona is a set of illusions that are not based on reality. She is materialistic and lives in a world of half truths and delusion. As a mother her actions are hollow and self serving.They are for show as opposed to being truly supportive or helpful. She is overcritical, berating Jane on her appearance repeatedly. Adolescence is a time which is difficult for both the child and the parent(Anger, 2004). On the one hand a parent must be supportive an seen as in a position of authority while still giving their child room and space to mature and grow into the adult they are attempting too. Respecting an adolescent's budding maturity while arming an adult relationship with them is extremely hard on a parent, who still sees their child as being a child.It does not count to pretend to be friends with the adolescent, and being ‘cool When what they want is a level of actual respect and consideration, which is the case between Jane and Caroline. It is so important for Caroline to appear to be listening to and understanding her daughter that she loses sight of the person Jane is. As a father he is unable to connect with his daughter. Lester begins to try to talk to her but at this point she is uninterested in meeting him half way and it's unclear she ever will. The obvious attraction he has to Angela alienates Jane and separates them emotionally further.Father and daughter could potentially be allies against Carolynn ‘s conformist nature, but Luster' s adolescent fantasy puts them permanently at odds. By paying more attention to the object of his desire, Angela, he proves to Jane that her feelings are of no consequence to him. He genuinely seems to want a more honest relationship with Jane, but fails to see the connection between his feelings for Angela and his parental role. Lester is able to play a parental role for Angela that he cannot for his own daughter. He manages to e comforting and accessible. As a wife Caroline is the first to step out on their relationship and partnership.In order to feel like a woman and sexually attractive she begins a sexual relationship with an icon of her chosen profession(Barnett, 2004). She is able to validate her decisions through this sexual relationship. His perceived success emboldens her in her primary relationship(Ben-Air, Leave, & Shave, 2008). Psychological Influences: Lester becomes aware all off sudden that he is unhappy with his life. He makes a conscious decision to change his surr oundings and instead of losing his Job which as the probable outcome of restructuring at the office, he takes a stand and refuses to be overlooked.Revealing an abuse of power he is able to manipulate his bosses to give him a year's salary with benefits. This freedom allows him to begin a path to self discovery that codifies his self image with how he is perceived by the world. Over the course of the few months we have access to Lester he goes through distinctive stages of development akin to that of an adolescent. Risky serves as an attachment relationship for Lester. He is able to form a close secure attachment to Risky and egging to stretch the boundaries of his previously rigid position in family as well as community(Sable, 2008).This is in line with the convoy theory (Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004) which stipulates that attachment relationships change and continue to form over time. Risky serves to both father and daughter as a stable reliable relationship that the can cou nt on(Sable, 2008). This allows Jane to express openly comfortable and confident with her changing body. It allows Lester to once again believe in himself as having worth and no longer defining himself solely as a husband and father. He begins to explore what he really wants and what he needs to do to get there. He finally begins to start doing for himself.Although in the most classic terms possible he is living out a midlife crisis, it appears that for him this is a process of maturation and acceptance he previously did not have a chance to experience(Lachrymal, 2004). He is mirroring the psychological experience his daughter should be going through(Morris, Silk, Steinberg, & al. , 2007). He buys the car he wants, starts working out, starts smoking pot and standing up to his wife. Lester brazenly demands respect and independence both in his family and Job. He exclaims that things are changing and no longer allows his wife to bully him or talk over him.He makes a loud and overt dema nd for respect. He wants the same amount of freedom as his wife and daughter and symbolically breaks the bonds of restraint by disrupting dinner, breaking a plate against the wall and demanding a change of music, atmosphere and pecking order. It is the first clear step towards Lester being able to redefine himself both internally and externally(Lachrymal, 2004). Theoretical perspectives: The majority of middle aged people report having more satisfaction and less anxiety bout their abilities and describe a sense of perfecting skills(Lachrymal, 2004).Stereotypically the midlife crisis hits a huge percentage of people yet only a small percentage actually seem to. It is a period in which people have a chance to review their decisions and life choices, and come to terms with what they have achieved or not achieved. They may be exactly where they want to be or some may have to adjust their self image to incorporate the way their life actually looks potentially leading to crisis. This is t he case of Lester Barman. He describes waking up from a 20 year mom and finally becoming aware of, and wanting to participate in his surroundings.Luster's internal world is pretty much dead before meeting him. He describes an awakening one day with the feeling that his life is n. Tot his and he no longer recognizes the different systems he is involved in. Using his work difficulties as a catalyst, he becomes able to change his entire life into something he can accept(Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004). Lester seems to have not formed a functional attachment style with anyone in his life until he ‘wakes up' (film) after feeling like he had ‘been in a coma for 20 years. He starts to develop an attachment relationship with Risky in a sense.He eventually becomes comfortable with what he feels is his true self, and secure with Risky. Psychological Progress: Insinuators and Bowls idea that attachment forms and changes over the life span supports the idea that Lester gains a sense of security through his relationship with Risky(Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004). Rick's attachment to his father is nonexistent. He feels protective of his mother but neither of his parents has provided safety or comfort for him in moments of distress, one of the most salient bobs of a caregiver(Sable, 2008).He instead has to take on the role of care-giver and protect and defend his mother who is otherwise helpless and alone. Risky easily slips into a similar role with Lester, being the familiar role he is used to. Lester gains wisdom and self awareness by mirroring an adolescent sexual attraction. He exploration and discovery an adolescent typically engages in (Aren't, 2000). Instead of his parents Lester rebels and redefines himself within in the family structure he has created as an adult. He pushes emotional limits and attempts to make connections in ewe and more passionate ways.Coming full circle Lester finally is able to accept the man he is and the life he lives. H e goes through a growing process a kin to that an adolescent would when creating an adult identity. Lester tests his new self out in all of the major areas of personality and finds himself in a body he accepts with a persona he is comfortable with(Anger, 2004). Luster's restraint in not having a sexual relationship with Angela demonstrates a level of maturity he did not previously possess indicating successful personality growth towards adulthood.When Lester anally sees Angela as the child she is and is able to comfort her expressing fatherly instinct his competence as a father is proven to him. He is able to reassure her without being patronizing and respecting her growing maturity, an important role parents play for adolescent children(Anger, 2004). In a sense Lester uses Angela as a proxy for his daughter as soon as he identifies her as something more than a sexual object. The fact that Lester recognizes the extent to which a sexual relationship with one of Cane's friends would b e inappropriate, the love he has for his daughter and ole as a father is reestablished.Lester gains solace by looking at a picture of the glory days of his family where they are all smiles. His ability to renew his life and find beauty in the ups, downs and seemingly mundane moments is testament to his development as a mature, well adjusted adult(Lachrymal, 2004). SOCIAL FACTORS: Gender Roles / Gender Conformity: Lester and Carolina's marriage does not follow strict gender roles in the classic sense of man as bread winner woman as home maker (Lore, 1994). Carolyn views herself as the bread winner of the family. She has proclaimed herself the captain of her emails social standing.She believes that one's social position can be directly related to economic gains. For her, money and material gains are the most important marker of one's overall success socially. Making money is the most important thing for her. It is unclear how much money she actually contributes to the family, but â₠¬Ëœsole bread winner' is a role she takes on readily if loudly (Mikhail, 2004). It is a typically make role, yet she somehow thinks that by both worrying about economic status and appearance she deserves more credit and admiration (Barnett, 2004). She is the first o fully disregard her marital relationship.Her sense of entitlement increases as their relationship moves forward. Masculinity and Homophobia: Considering masculinity to be socially constructed provides men with agency in forming the prevalent view of masculinity. Masculinity being malleable allows us to step back and identify exactly what we require of men to be ‘manly' in our society (Kismet, 2004). The pressure is insurmountable for some people. Risky dad is unable to accept himself for who he is and his internalized homophobia is so devastating that he feels he is forced to act to defend his manhood.Luster's truthful acceptance of the realities of his life in the end is what ends his life. Not accepting popular c ultures definition of masculinity and the freedom that allows is Lester is terrifying to a man who has based his life around not admitting or accepting the truth of his situation. Military Perspectives on Homosexuality: homosexuality. Don't ask don't tell (DADA) being the official position thought of by some as a progressive policy for the military was not repealed until 2011(Bird,2014).Showing how ingrained homophobia is in a military psyche. The staunch difference teen other nations policy on civil equality, even in the military is astounding. Take for example the United Kingdom and Australia's response to transgender soldiers serving verses the United States. Julia Bard's 2014 New York Times article ‘The Courage of Transgender Soldiers' elucidates Just how polarize these nation's policies actually are (Bird, 2014). ‘Department of Defense regulations don't allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. Military, based upon medical standards for military service. â €  (Bird, 2014) The official position of the United States military is hat being transgender is a mental disorder as defined by the ADSM Ill of 1980(American Psychiatric Association, 1980), instead of adopting the current medical standard for considering gender nonconformity (gender dysphasia) not as a psychological disorder in and of itself (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Solidarity and respect are shown to transgender members of the military in both the U.K and Australia while the United States military continues to use an antiquated theory of gender, allowing official intolerance (Kernighan, 2012). Homophobia in the Military: In 1999 DADA was the official Clinton era policy adopted by the United States in 1993 (Burlier, 2010) to address civil equality in the military. Homosexuality remained a disagreeable ‘offence' when openly expressed changing very little for LIGHT military personnel. Same-sex orientation after DADA was enacted was still a disagreeable offenc e.The law did not prevent service members from being asked about their sexuality rather it removed questions sexual orientation from recruitment questionnaires. Military members and prospective recruits were not allowed to discuss their same-sex orientation risking discharge or denial of entry if they did Burlier, 2010). The argument for not allowing homosexual service members to disclose was the concept that ‘an open statement by a service member that he or she is a homosexual will create a rebuttal presumption that he or she intends to engage in prohibited conduct,' (Burlier, 2010 p. ). Regulations are not put on heterosexual service members discussing their personal exploits, fantasies or desires. Several sexual practices are considered ‘prohibited' both under military code and civil courts, yet the assumption is not made that these acts have or ever will take place. DADA did very little for improving the actual situation and daily lives of LIGHT service members. The actual number of discharges due t same sex relationships was not significantly different before and during DADA policy years (Burlier, 2010).Rampant homophobia was a social requirement isolating and associating closeted LIGHT service members (Kier, 1998). The fear at being discovered was a daily reality. Anyone could tern a soldier in for same sex activity, actions as innocuous as holding hand. This leaves individuals suspected of homosexual ‘conduct' (Burbler & 1995) alienable physical and verbal attacks as well as official action being taken. Hetero- normative principles were the sole cultural atmosphere. Colonel Frank Fits served in the military even before DADA was the official policy.The much more restrictive, abrasively homophobic policy adopted during the time of his service shaped his attitude was a requirement of service. Any closeted member of the military would have to internalize feelings of self hatred due to the constant anti gay rhetoric. Internalized homophobia and it Repercussions: Frank Fits identifies himself purely based on his military experience. He has no identity other than colonel. He does not take on or identify with the role of husband or father. He coldly treats his family as cadets below his rank.His own sun refers to him as Colonel or Sir as one would a superior officer. The fact that Frank Fits cannot be anyone but the coroner he once was makes it impossible for him to explore, let alone accept feeling and attitudes that the military looked down on. Introspection does not exist for him. Orders, fear and denial run this man's life. His sexual curiosity and feeling of lust towards men are so unacceptable to Frank that he builds is life around his explicit homophobia. Cool. Frank Fits' residual self hatred, fear and shame pushed him to most the extremes of discrimination and racist principles.His internalized homophobia shaped his relationship with those closest to him, his wife and son who he alienates (Frost, Meyer, 2009). H iding this part of his internal self in the end defines his entire life. Offensively attacking any chance he got to not have his internal self exposed to the public or himself. Lashing out offensively is a defense strategy so that he will never be exposed to others or himself. The anguish and embarrassment Cool. Fits experiences by being what he thought to be rejected by Lester provoked emotions so strong that he had to kill Lester to be able to live with himself.Luster's comfort and ease while discussing his own marital relationship mixed with misunderstanding previous events convinces Cool. Fits that Lester is a closeted homosexual. The fact that Lester is neither actually gay, nor homophobic shattered Cool. Fits' world. The Cool had to play the role of the macho heterosexual for so long made that he became overly Jealous, controlling and abusive to his wife. Being less aggressive would have made him appear weak in his military unconsciousness. This fact made it inconceivable that Lester could be unapologetic, calm and without anger or Jealousy at the fact that his wife was with another man.A freedom Frank Fits could never allow himself. He ends Luster's life right at the moment that Lester is able to achieve something that the Cool. Cannot, self acceptance. Conclusion: Luster's acceptance and renewed love of life ends up being what kills him. Lester is able to accept in other people facts that they cannot accept about themselves. Cool Frank Fits does not possess the skills to regulate his emotions or cope internally hen faced with a threatening situation, choosing instead to lash out in violent anger (Morris, Silk, Steinberg, & al. , 2007).For Frank Lester becomes the embodiment of all the sexual feelings he cannot except within himself. Killing Lester is a desperate attempt to kill the feelings Frank most fears. Lester reaffirms his identity as a well adjusted adult when rejecting his foolish adolescent urges. He accepts what he has accomplished and is at peace with who he is, uniting the image he has of himself with the actuality of his life. Typically this type of review is done later in life(Lachrymal, 2004). Lester is afforded the luxury of being at peace before he dies even though it is sudden.

Individual and environmental factors Essay

1.1Explain the individual and environmental factors that impact positively or negatively on learning. The study of adult learning – ANDRAGOGY – originated in Europe in the 1950s and was then pioneered as a theory and model of adult learning from the 1970s by Malcolm knowles, an American practitioner and theorist of adult education. He defined androgogy as: „the art and science of helping adults learnâ€Å" Knowles identified six principles of adult learning, which are: 1.Adults are internally motivated and self-directed. 2. Adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences. 3. Adults are goal oriented. 4. Adults are relevancy oriented. 5. Adults are practical. 6. Adults learners like to be respected. With individualised learning the trainer needs to consider and cater for the needs of individual participants. Some of the key factors to consider are: -Rates of learning and learning style -Attitude -Maturity -Interest which effect the level of learning -Motivation -Learners can work at their own pace at the time most convenient to them -Different learning styles can be accommodated -Etc. All this above mentioned factors can have positive or negative impact on learning. I have identified that people have different learning styles and it is very important to utilise this to gaing the most from each individual learner and to help make their learning as effective as possible. There is no one right combination of elements that will magically result in a positive climate for learning for every participant. There is also four kinds of learning styles: -Visual learning style has a preference for seen or observed things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, displays, handouts, films,  flip-chart, etc. These people will use phrases such as „show meâ€Å", „lets have a look at thatâ€Å" and will be bes table to perform a new task after reading the instrucitons or watching someone else do it first. These are people who will work from lists and written derections and instructions. -Auditory learning style has a preference for the transfer of information through listening: to spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises. These people will use phrases such as „tell meâ€Å", lets talk it overâ€Å" and will be best able to perform a new task after listening to instructions from an expert. -Kinaesthetic learning styles has a preference for physical experience touching, feeling, holding, doing,, practical hands-on experience. These people will use phrases such as „let met tryâ€Å", how do you feel? And will be best table to perform a new task by going ahead and trying it out, learning as they go. These are the people who like to experiment, hands-on, and never look at the instructions first. -Auditory digital learning style has a preference for working outside of the senses. People will tend to: have a need to make sense of the word, to figure things out, to understand. Talk to themselves and carrz on conversations with you in their mind.Learn by working things out in their mind.Not to be spontaneous, as they like to think things through. Have logic play a key role in the decision process as do facts and figures. Memorize by steps, procedures, sequences. The learners have a wide range of learning needs and styles, and this diversity must be take into account by employing a variety of training methods. In additions, the size of the venue, the arrangement of the furniture, the functioning of equipment and other physical aspects of the training room all contribute to, or detract from, the learning evironment. When these factors can be manipulated to be positive influences, an environment more conductive to learning will be created. Organisational and process decisions: Venue, Facilities,Environment, Meals and refreshments, Accessibility, Cost and Physical layout. Environment – the environment around the training centre should be conductive to training taking place. There are various ways in which we can adapt the learning environment so that it caters for the physical needs of the participants: The temperature and environment within a training room should facilitate learning, it should be warm but not excessively hot or too cold because participants should be comfortable to pay enought attention to presentation. The layout of the room should be inviting suggesting the prospect of interesting activity and with adequate „break outâ€Å" areas. Make sure that you are comfortable with the layout of the room to deliver the best of your ability and the training will not be as effective as it otherwise could have been. A positive learning environment nurtures these feelings by allowing sudents to explore and expand their knowledge without undue risk or fear. Bring all types of learning could be positive for the individual as we are all different people and also confidentatiality is important too. Negative impact can be that participants do not switch off mobile phones what may lead to disturbing other participants and also trainer. Another negative factor could be lighting which should be appropriate for activities such as note taking, viewing of audio-visual aids and hands-on computer training otherwise it will have impact on individuals or group. Resource availability is based on available resources. The venue will have available a laptop, with internet access and an overhead projector. A flip chart will be available together with marker pens and pens and paper. Formative Assessment the goal of formative assessment is to gather feedback that can be used by the instructor and the students to guide improvements in the ongoing teaching and learning context. These are low stakes assessments for students and instructors. Examples: †¢Asking students to submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture †¢Have students submit an outline for a paper. †¢Early course evaluations Summative Assessment the goal of summative assessment is to measure the level of success or proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an instructional unit, by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Examples: †¢Assigning a grade to a final exam †¢Critique of a Senior recital †¢University Faculty Course Evaluations The outcome of a summative assessment can be used formatively, however, when students or faculty take the results and use them to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses. ACTIVITY 2 Undertaken at the workshop. ACTIVITY 3 How you created a positive learning environment: To create a positive learning environment i made sure the temperature and enviromnent within a training room was fine, e.g. warm but not excessively hot or cold, clean, welcoming, bright and colorful.Lighting was appropriate for activities such as note taking, viewing of audio – visual aids that the layout of the room was inviting, suggesting the prospect of interesing acitivity and with adequate „break outâ€Å" arears and also that the participants had free access to water and toilets. The feedback on your activity from learner participants: To get the feedback on my presentation from learner participants i used a feedback questionnaire with the following questions. On a scale of 1 – 5 (1being the worst and 5 being the best) please circle the one that applies 1.Was the learning informative? 2.Was the information delivered in a concise and structured manner? 3.Did you find the learning topic interesting? 4.Do you feel you were supported through questioning and feedback? 5.Did you find the activity clear and simple to follow And i aslo left space for any other comments or development needs. Comments and development needs recommended by participants: my topis was Junk food vs Healthy food would be good to explain more healthy options, could do meal plans – suggest exercise reqires the slides were sometimes unclear – blue words – blue background. Enjoyed though. No – good presentation Good reminder of what we know and why i tis important to eat healthily. I will try to eat less sugar!! No, very clear and enthusiastidly given. No. Was a very good presentation, good use of powerpoint slides. Observation record from assessor Les Curzon: OBSERVATION RECORD: F211A Candidate name:LUKAS DEMJANJUNK FOOD/HEALTHY FOOD Demjan898@gmail.com Unit 3DLA Delivering Learning and Development Activities Observation Criteria Assessor feedback – to be completed by the assessor with notes to support the decision Creates an environment that is positive & conducive to learning – e.g. – health & safety – room layout – welcome – accommodates needs – puts participant at ease – builds rapport H&S not covered Ice breaker, write favourite food. The audience was some distance away and some had their back to you to start with. Structures & sequences effectively for learning e.g. – introduction – main body – conclusion Good introduction and you got the attention of the learners. Main body informative Provides clear aims / learning outcomes No clear aims and objectives. Manages learning activity effectively – uses a range of appropriate training skills Tended to be mostly lecture style with a few questions. – uses learning resources appropriately and effectively Good use of PowerPoints with appropriate images and addresses VAK. – supports learners via questioning and feedback Asked lots of questions but tended to be closed â€Å"does anybody† – uses appropriate formative & summative assessment methods Formative through Q&A, summative Q&A – could have had a quiz. Could have designed a meal. – summarises and concludes the learning and development activity Summarised throughout and reinforced – assists learners to reflect on their learning and identify further needs Via Evaluation form – collects feedback from participants Evaluation form General Comments / Feedback Lukas, An informative session on healthy food. The identified need being to improve the health of employees? The audience were physically distant and you could have brought them closer to you. This could have been achieved after your ice breaker I am aware that you did the presentation in your second language. You tended to read which slowed the pace and it lacked energy. You need to plan and prepare in good time. You have the basics of a good session and need to develop it by having SMART objectives and lots of activities. A good effort and you need to consider the Systematic Training Cycle when you reflect in your TMA. Well done. Smart objectives should be: Specific means making a clear statement about the knowledge or skill that the trainee should be able to do and actually demostrate at the end of the course. This includes the level of operation, such as „after the training, te trainee should be able to use the machine safely and efficiently to produce the product at the specified qualityâ€Å". Measurable means that the standard of the trainees performance after the training can be measured in terms of, for example, quality and number of tiems in a specified period of time. Achievable means that it should be possible for the trainee to achieve the objectives in the light of the situation, the practicability, and the intelligence and motivation of the trainee. Realistic means that the objectives should be obviously useful and clearly related to the type of work that the trainee carries out. Time – related means that the trainee should be able to develop understanding, attain concepts and demonstrate skills withing a pre – specified period of time. For example, uou mighy be able to type a leeter perfectly if you took an hour to do it, but not if you only had five minutes.A skilled typist would be able to achive the objective in the shorter time. EVALUTATION AGAINST SYSTEMATIC LEARNING CYCLE 1. Identify training needs There are several ways in which training needs may be identified but unfortunately i did not have a choice to find out the training needs as i met the participants for the very first time. 2. Set training objectives In general, the objective of training is to develop in people the knowledge and understanding, skills and competence that they need to meet required performance standards. I did not concentrate that much on the Smart objectives but for the futher development needs i will need to plan and prepare in good time. 3. Plan the training Bearing in mind the nature of the subject matter in which employee needs to be trained, decisions have to be made about how and where it is to be carried out. There are several choices. Most training, however, falls into one of two categories: On-the-job trainin, which as the term implies, takes place while the trainee is actually working or it could be Of-job-training, which may be external training, when, for example, an individual or a small group is sent to a local college or training centre or to a higher education institution to undertake a professional qualification.I could not decide where was i doing presentation. 4. implement the training There is six training methods such as Lecture, Seminar, Case study, Role-play, Syndicate work, Exercises i decided for seminar which is ideal to discuss a topic or concept. I think it was effective because i introduced the subject and run a group discussion where trainess presented their views on which i could comment. I also used training media PowerPoint and visual aids such as overhead projector and flipchart which i used for the answers to my questions and for laying main points of a talk. It was effective way of learning because people pay enought attention to the powerpoint presentation.Preperation involved working on the detail of the training session and also draft my notes of what i was going to say. I went through each element of the course carefully, drafted a separate set of notes for each element but did not place them in a file which was making me confused and lost. I did not cover Ice breaker but aafter i had a good introduction and attention of the learners. Main sect ions were informative. No clear aims and objectives And tended to read which slowed the pace and it lacked energy. 5. Evaluate the course It is a socially interactive process after which the participants should feel  confident that htey have all learned from the experience. Additionally, it should also be effecitve i terms of achieving the trianing objectives which i need to develop by having Smart objectives and a lot of activities. 6. Analysis and review It is rare for a training session that is being run for the first time to achieve every single aspect of every objective. Analysis and review is the final stage of the systematic trianing cycle which helped me to reveal areas that need to be improved and showed me what do i need to work on. 2 RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE MY FUTURE PERFORMANCE: 1. IceBreaker It is very important to get the participants talking to each other and to relax because people can be quite intimidated at courses, especially in front of a big group so more i get them to relax and enjoy it, the more easily they will learn. 2. Running a trainning session In advance of actually running a session, i will need to go through my notes and learn them so well that i will not need to refer to them because it lack energy

Andrew Jackson and the Removal of Native Americans - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 755 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/08/06 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Andrew Jackson Essay Did you like this example? Many events have shaped the United States. They carved our society, laws, and beliefs. For starters, before Europeans and other peoples set foot on American soil, it was inhabited only by Native Americans, or Indians. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Andrew Jackson and the Removal of Native Americans" essay for you Create order These indigenous people built towns, hunted, and some even farmed. However, when the Spanish, Europeans, and others broadened their horizons into America, the Native Americans were forced to conform to the ways of others, or die. Andrew Jacksons decision to remove these humble peoples, via the Indian Removal Act, exemplifies that statement. At the age of 13, Andrew Jackson quit school and became a soldier. During the war, he was captured. Jackson went on to become the first president to be a prisoner of war. He was known to have a temper from the time he entered the military and throughout his presidency. During one account it is stated he engaged in brawls, and in a duel killed a man who cast an unjustified slur on his wife. Although his ambitious nature was a good contributing factor in his time of leadership, it caused him to make quick and biased decisions. As stated before, Jacksons decision to remove the Native Americans of North America was ignorant and immature in some ways. The Native Americans were humble people. They submitted to other people for years. Very few times did they get involved with war, and when they did it was only to protect themselves and their tribe. Andrew Jackson created the Indian Removal Act during the 1800s and pushed it through several government systems for ratification. One of these systems was Congress. Jackson met with many of the Native American tribes before making his decision. In one document he even referred to the Native Americans as friends and his red children. However, even though Congress voted against the removal of the humble natives Jackson still signed the document to have them removed. In Jacksons eyes, removing natives was the key to success. He belived them to be infirior to whites. He stated,under the protection of the Government, and through the influence of good councels, [will cause them] to cast off their savage habits, and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community. In the letter from the secretary of war it is even mentioned that they would erect new building as soon as possible where the Native Americans homes once were. In enacting the the Indian Removal Act, Andrew Jackson consequently created the Trail of Tears. This historical event was the march of thousands of Native Americans out of their territory and into a new, government appointed, territory. The Trail of Tears included approxamately 4,000 indian men, women, children, and elders. These people were forced to march several miles with barely any rest. In addition to this, when they did rest, their brief breaks were in shabby makeshift tents. Other indians were put onto boats with similiar, horrid conditions. This tragic historic event has forever marred the United States of America as a very ignorant, gruesome, and harsh occurence. It shall forever provide an example of why differences should be respected and embraced. The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears has contributed to the lesons taught to Americans about equality for all. Bibliography Primary Sources United States War Department, 1770?-1843 Sequoyah, Thomas Loraine McKenney, and United States Bureau Of Indian Affairs. Report of the Secretary of War.On Indian affairs. [Washington, 1826] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/08036496/. Alfred Balch to Andrew Jackson, January 8, 1830. Alfred Balch to Andrew Jackson. January 8, 1830. In Image 4 of Alfred Balch to Andrew Jackson, January 8, 1830. Accessed November 13, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/resource/maj.01074_0281_0284/?sp=4. Andrew Jackson to John Pitchlynn, August 5, 1830. Andrew Jackson to John Pitchlynn. August 5, 1830. In Andrew Jackson to John Pitchlynn, August 5, 1830. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/item/maj012027/. Secondary Sources Primary Documents in American History. Planning D-Day (April 2003) Library of Congress Information Bulletin. March 27, 2018. Accessed November 10, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/indian.html. Indian Removal Timeline. Digital History. 2018. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/indian_removal/removal_timeline.cfm. President Andrew Jacksons Message to Congress On Indian Removal (1830). Our Documents Interstate Commerce Act (1887). Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=falsedoc=25. Andrew Jackson. The First March From Selma. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/jackson/aa_jackson_subj.html. Andrew Jackson. The White House. Accessed November 8, 2018. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/andrew-jackson/. Cherokee Trail of Tears. About North Georgia. 1994-2018. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Cherokee_Trail_of_Tears.