Common Core State Standards Essay Example for Free

Common Core State Standards Essay Is a girl in your neighborhood being taught the same things as a boy in another neighborhood? Is a graduating senior in Baton Rouge as prepared to get a job as a graduating senior in Minneapolis? The answer to these questions is â€Å"no,† and rightfully so. All children are unique. A student with autism or dyslexia should not be taught the same way as students who have no learning disabilities. Indiana, which adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), is now eliminating those standards because, the state asserts, Common Core â€Å"takes control of educational content and standards away from parents, taxpayers, local school districts, and states† (Volsky). The Indiana legislators want to write new standards, which are governed locally, not at the federal level. NEED A TRANSITION? Forty-five American states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity have adopted the CCSS (Common Core State Standards Initiative). These standards were designed by a group of teachers, school chiefs, administrators, and other experts. The CCSS are suggested targets in English Language Arts and Mathematics that set the skills a student should possess in order to proceed to the next level of education. There is no clear divide on the standards between Republicans and Democrats; both have expressed their concerns. But, the controversy reached its peak when the Obama administration slowly started to support the CCSS (Bidwell). Proponents of the CCSS argue that the standards ensure that all students will have the same set of skills, the standards will make sure all students are college ready, and that the standards are a new state-led effort instead of a federal effort. I believe that all states should abolish the CCSS because children with disabilities should not be expected to learn the same way as advanced students, the CCSS takes away from the tradition and individuality of independent/parochial schools, and the problem in education is not standards but poverty. The CCSS have not made success easy for students with learning disabilities. According to the CCSS, students with disabilities â€Å"must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum† (Herbert 10). In addition to students with disabilities, students without disabilities learn different things in different ways, mature at different rates, and have different talents and goals. There is no reason for states to have standards that require students to learn the same things at the same time, and learn them the same way (McClusky). The CCSS â€Å"moves all kids largely in lock-step, processing them like soulless widgets† (McClusky). In a recent discussion, Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania special education student teachers expressed their frustrations in trying to teach special-ed students within the confines of the CCSS (Beals 2). The CCSS are supposed to boost national achievement levels, but by restricting these students to subject matter beyond thei r cognitive abilities, the standards are ultimately lowering student achievements. The CCSS also take away from the tradition and individuality of independent/parochial schools. Parochial schools are private schools that are affiliated with some religious organization and whose curriculum includes religion along with all major subjects. As a graduate of Catholic schools, I believe it is important that the traditions and religion classes be kept alive in these schools. The standards were approved without consideration of how they would affect Catholic schools (Strauss 4). The Catholic education is geared at preparing students for a life of spirit, truth, and faith in God, all of which are never mentioned in the CCSS. Adopting the standards into Catholic schools will essentially diminish them of their tradition to help children not only obtain an education but to develop their faith. As an education major, I have observed many Catholic schools. On the walls, on the boards, and in the hallways, there are examples of prayer and religion everywhere. Taking this away wou ld be taking away the identity of these students. This will ultimately lead to the some students being ashamed of their religion. Another issue that arises is the involvement of the federal government. Independent and parochial schools are independent in their finances and governance and in most cases rely on tuition for funding. The CCSS are state-led efforts but, because these  schools are free from state and federal government financing and guidance, they will not be able to afford the implementation of the CCSS. One of the reasons people believe CCSS are needed is because of the idea that America’s school system has low national test scores. This is not because the current standards are not working; the real issue is poverty. The reason for low-test scores is that about 23% of American students live in poverty. Finland, which has the highest-ranking test scores, has only 5% of students living in poverty (Krashen 37). Poverty stricken children in Queens, NY that have a lack of health care, food insecurity, and lack of library access will not succeed as well as a student going to a school in the Upper East Side of New York City. For example, studies show that food-insecure children are more likely to have slow language development, and problems in social behavior and emotional control (Krashen 38). This results in missed schools days, causing students to repeat grades, which leads to low achievement scores. Instead of spending money on implementing the standards, schools need to spend t he funds on sufficient food programs, improved health care (including more school nurses), and more money going towards libraries in lower-income schools. Some in favor of the CCSS believe that the standards will ensure that all students, no matter what race, gender, or state they are in, will have the same set of skills when graduating to each new grade level (Gardner and Powell 50). Although this is a great notion in theory, the idea that every single student in America will know the exact same things is a major overgeneralization. Even with the CCSS, children with disabilities are physically and mentally incapable of learning the same things at the same rate as a student in advanced or gifted programs. The CCSS have also increased the rigor of the curriculum students are learning. Therefore, students who are already struggling to not fall behind will struggle even further causing the students, parents, and teachers to suffer. In addition to underachieving students, overachieving students will also be negatively affected by the standards. Children who learn faster than others, or who are naturally smarter than their peers will be for ced to learn at the same pace as students who are not as gifted. This will result in students being bored  and losing all interest in school. If every single child in America had the same cognitive abilities, the CCSS would be the answer; but they are not. Other proponents believe that the CCSS will make sure all students graduating from high school are college ready. The problem with this is, America has too many over educated students; the professional work force does not have enough jobs for American students when they graduate. If all students are college ready, no one will want to work at grocery stores, fast food restaurants, mechanic shops, etc. If every student gets a degree and starts work in the professional world, the economy will eventually fail. There will be no farmers to produce groceries; there will be no waitresses; there will be no janitors or cleaning services. In order for this country’s economy to produce money, there needs to be people who do not earn college degrees. One major reason people are supporting the CCSS is because they are state-led instead of being dictated by the federal government. The federal government is largely imposing the CCSS. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, both of which do not represent states, created the standards. The hasty adoption by most states was federal action. To compete for a part of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top (ADD DEFINITION) reward, a federal government led education effort, states had to adopt the CCSS (McCluskey). When the CCSS came about, the Obama administration only gave states two options: adopt the CCSS or make sure a state university certified a student as college ready. Also, the U.S. Department of Education funded two programs that created the national tests that coincide with the CCSS (McCluskey). With all of this federal involvement, the CCSS is no longer a state-led effort. It is a â€Å"one-size-fits-all† program that ignores the nee ds of the individual states. The reason to oppose the CCSS is not because of the content, some of which is great, the reason is that the CCSS lacks most qualities needed to be considered authoritative, or to even be considered standards. Sadly, the CCSS is generating in America’s education system severe and lasting damage that would take decades to reverse. The CCSS is bad for states, teachers,  students, parents, and anyone associated with the education process. Now, ask yourself these questions again. Is a girl in your neighborhood being taught the same things as a boy in another neighborhood? Is a graduating senior in Baton Rouge as prepared to get a job as a graduating senior in Minneapolis? Still, the answer is â€Å"no†. Do you believe me now that this is a good answer? Works Cited Bidwell, Allie. The History Of Common Core State Standards. U.S. News Digital Weekly 6.9 (2014): 7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Common Core State Standards Initiative., 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. Herbert, Marion. Common Cores Implications For Special Ed Students. District Administration 47.2 (2011): 10.Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Krashen, Stephen. THE COMMON CORE. (Cover Story). Knowledge Quest 42.3 (2014): 36-45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. McCluskey, Neal. No Child Is Standard. Reading Today 31.2 (2013): 30. Academic SearchComplete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Strauss, Valerie. â€Å"Catholic scholars blast Common Core in letter to U.S. bishops.† Washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Verbal Communication And Nonverbal Communication Essay Example for Free

Verbal Communication And Nonverbal Communication Essay Communication is the expression of thoughts, feelings and ideas to inform, to persuade or to entertain. In business, communication has a vital role in promoting ideas, products or services and in building partnerships. If words are uttered or spoken, basically, it is a verbal communication. But if signs, facial expressions, body language, gestures and writing compositions are used, it is called nonverbal communication. Communication depends on the cultural setting of one country, for it may have certain rules and expectations to follow. Others may underline on the verbal communication and less to written compositions, but the American audience appreciates the use of nonverbal communications and may also prefer to have simple dialogues. Indeed, even in the Bible, verbal and nonverbal communications are important. At Proverbs 10:31-32 in New King James Version (International, G. C. , 2007), King Solomon speaks, â€Å"The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. † In these verses, the power of uttered words is revealed as they have always consequences when done. On the other hand, in Nehemiah 2:2-3 in New King James Version (International, G. C. , 2007), it is said that â€Å"Therefore the king said to me, â€Å"Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire? ’† The nonverbal communication sometimes depicts the true emotions behind the deceiving words that have spoken. Basically, there are four main topics that influence the business communication of the American audience. According to Brown (2007), these are religion, etiquette, customs and politics. Issues about these topics are often argued, stressing their points and ideas, or even defend their beliefs. With verbal communication, they are sensitive to the said jargons and slang. There are still phrases which are distinctive to American language, although some words may easily translate to other language; they still have different meanings for them. Also, using acronyms for the first time must be avoided; otherwise full version should be applied. Another complexity in American language is the humor, as it has been described by non-Americans, their humors are course and heavy-handed. P. H. Brown (2007) said that â€Å"Face to face communication is rated as, nonverbal language 55%, the voice 38% and the use of words as 7%. Movement cues and face cues are invaluable aspects of your daily communication. † Nonverbal communications are effective in giving out information to Americans as it helps in creating person’s business reputation. Color, time, distance, voice, body movements and clothing are often misused and misinterpreted. Shades of colors depict different meanings from one culture to another. Time should also be considered, as the Americans respect the deadlines and set of appointments. Proximity is also sensitive but the common space for a conversation is about two feet. Usually, Americans speak too loudly and too much that they do not give enough time for the others to respond. On the other hand, their social gestures may be understood by other cultures. But eye contact is an effective tool to see the sincerity of the person. And in terms of clothing, Americans wear liberately but professionally in accordance with the occasion. Meanwhile, in writing business letters, straight to the point is important, as well as its simplicity. Usually, the Americans would like to see the point in the start of the letter, especially if it is a bad note. However, too aggressive approach are not advisable, but in a gentle and respectful tone. Verbal and nonverbal communications, according to Kotelnikoy (2007), are both important in business talks with the Americans.But, they more appreciate the nonverbal behaviors, as their culture molded them, to discern the true meaning of the messages. References: Brown, P. H. The Nassau Guardian Online Edition [Electronic Version]. Nonverbal Language is Effective. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. thenassauguardian. com/social_community/299978900121692. php. International, G. C. (2007). Bible Gateway [Electronic Version]. Passages. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. biblegateway. com/. Kotelnikoy, V. (2007). Effective Business Communication [Electronic Version]. Business Communication Defined. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/crosscuttings/biz_communication_main. html. Laflen, H. a. (2001). Online Writing Lab [Electronic Version]. Writing for a North American Business Audience. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://owl. english. purdue. edu/handouts/pw/p_ameraudience. html. Myers, R. J. , Penrose, J. M. Rasberry, R. W. (2004). Business Communication For Managers: An Advanced Approach. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.

Work of leadership

Work of leadership LEADERSHIP INTRODUCTION Leadership is defined as a process of influencing people to accomplish the mission, inspiring their commitment, and improving the organisation ( www.mindef.gov.sg 4/12/09 ). As defined leadership is a continuous process it is a chain of influencing and achieving. Moreover leadership is basically depends on the behavior of a leader, it means the way leader handles the group it can be charismatic leadership where followers are truly depend on the leader with high vision, participative leadership where followers are allowed to take part in group discussions and they participate in the final decision, directive leadership where leader is strict with his rules and give directions, supportive leadership where leader consider followers problems and grievances or reward and punishment leadership where reward or punishment is given on the basis of final task results. ( www.legacee.com 4/12/09 ) In this assignment the main objective is to come up with my own leadership style and to show how effective it is in terms of handling change. Also the important aspect of this assignment is to show the factors which help the change to get the tag of effective change. SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP The leadership style I use to follow is Supportive leadership because according to me the followers are as important as task. The goals can only be achieve with the help of followers if followers are facing any problem either in their personal life or under organization roof the affect of that problem can be clearly measured from their task results. Moreover I use self made theory in my leadership which is Get addict an achieve , according to this a person can achieve any thing but the conditions is that the person must be addicted to it. If followers are facing any grievances they can not be addicted towards achievement. Supportive leader in my way does not only mean handling grievances of followers but I call myself supportive leader because I plan my tactics towards achieving a goal according to the followers ability and skills moreover according to their willingness and motivation towards work. Supportive leadership is It leads people: It doesnt drive them. It involves them: It d oesnt coerce them. It never loses sight of the most important principle governing any project involving human beings: namely, that people are more important than things, ( Kriyananda, www.crystalclarity.com 4/12/09 ). Supportive leadership is working along with followers guiding them helping them instead of working ahead of them. Human beings are most important aspect of this type of leadership. According to me this leadership can be done effectively if leaders treat followers as one who work with him rather work for him. Being the basket ball captain for two consecutive years I applied my leadership style and maintained a team. My basket ball team called Descent Killerz was one of the most conflicted team. Being the youngest in the team I learned a lot about my team members , the team was on loosing streak and the main problem of the team was conflicts between team members. The coach of the team had tried all his best efforts to improve the team and reduce the conflicts but he was failed. I was youngest in the team and new member as well, my friendly nature helped me making friendship with all of the players of my team. My understanding ability made me the favourite in the team members, ignoring my problem of unable to make dunks, the team let me play for them. Sooner I was appointed as a captain of the team only because of my supportive nature and supportive leadership behavior. I was the one who solved the conflicts of the team as every player was frank with me and use to share his problem which helped me to understand the main problem of conflicts which was a poor formation. Players were playing in a poo r formation which was disturbing them, some of the times defenders were used in attack which was uncomfortable for the players. I had a talk about this with my coach and he changed the formation according to the abilities of the players which eliminated the conflicts between the team players and I achieved a team with decency and named it Descent Killerz. My style of leadership i.e. supportive leadership was proved efficient at that time. And according to me this type of leadership behavior always come up with efficiency in achieving the goals. TYPES OF SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Showing concern for followers need : A supportive leader should concern the needs of followers and then try to fulfil them for increasing the efficiency of the followers. Being considerate and understanding : Understanding the problems of followers and them try to eliminate them makes the supportive leadership in action. Showing trust and respect : As supportive leader works with followers so the main responsibility of such leader is to respect his followers and trust them. (Â   www.skagitwatershed.org 4/12/09 ) Being friendly informative, and encouraging : Supportive leader should be friendly with his followers and try to provide as information as he can to make the employees efficient and most importantly he should always encourage his followers towards achievement of goals. Being sympathetic to others problems : Supportive leaders should be sympathetic toward the problems of followers if they are not serious towards the problems of their followers they will not share their problems with the leader then. Helping followers develop abilities and careers : Supportive leaders are the one who help the followers to improve their abilities and advise them toward a good career. SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCES SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP FOLLOWERS CHARACTERISTICS : Ø Low self confidence Ø Low self esteem Ø Insecurity Ø Expectations that leader will be supportive Ø High growth need TASK CHARACTERISTICS Ø Dissatisfying Ø Stressful Ø Highly structured Ø Requires creativity Ø Requires learning ORGANIZATIONAL GROUP CHARACTERISTICS Ø External conflict Ø Newly formed group Ø Cohesive group with shared beliefs in leader Ø Formal plans, goals procedures Ø Mission emphasizing human services Ø Authoritarian superior SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT NEUTRALIZE SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP Ø Dogmatic Followers Ø Large Size of Group Ø High Level Job Ø Broad Task Scope FACTORS OF MANAGING CHANGE IN AN ORGANIZATION : The factors that contribute to effectiveness of leadership in relation to managing change in an organization are as follow : Followers support : if a change is supported by the followers it makes an easy task for a leader to manage that change. For example if change is less absenteeism and followers are supporting this change by reducing their number of leaves. Followers understanding : one of the most important thing is understanding . If followers are understanding the change it becomes easy for followers to follow the change. Moreover an understandable change becomes more easy for a leader to manage. Followers trust : followers who trust their leaders will always trust any change made by their leader. As an organization is made on trust between people it is one of the most important thing. As trust-able leaders are always welcome by followers so does their changes Situation : the situational factor can help a leader to manage a change easily as the change always depends on the situation it is arrived on. For example if employees were feeling a hectic schedule and them leader come up with change in timings and breaking the schedule with certain breaks, this type of change depends on the situation. Rules : if a change comes as a rule of company it becomes too easy for a leader to manage it as it is compulsory to follow it. For example if company comes as change in rules for not allowing smoking in premises it becomes compulsory to be follow by followers without an argue. Acceptance : If change is accepted by the followers it is easy to manage it. For example if the change is in timings of lunch and followers accept it then there is no need to worry about managing that change by a leader. Expectations : if the change is according to the expectations of the employees then there is no need to manage that change. For examples staff was demanding 15 days vacations in the time of Christmas and new year and company agrees on it then their will be no need to mange such a change. Superiors support : if the change created by a leader is supported by its superior then it become less hectic for leader to manage it. But if superiors are against the change then it is difficult for leader to mange it. For example if leader says that every body should be their in office by 8.30 in the morning and its superior comes at 10 am it becomes difficult for him to handle. Feedback : the most important aspect of managing is feedback as it comes as a report card to the manager for his performance and if the result is not good it indicates that there is need for better management. CONCLUSION In conclusion it can be said that how effective is the supportive leadership is. Supportive leadership not only help followers to work efficiently but it also provides bundles of knowledge to the leader as supportive leadership behavior helps leader to interact with each and every of his follower. Supportive leadership can be used mostly but it can be non-effective where the number of followers are many, as a leader can not create personal relations with huge number of followers. In the assignment I shared my own personal experience with this type of leadership and for me this leadership behavior was a huge success.

Treatment of Women in Jack Kerouac’s On The Road Essay -- On The Road

The Treatment of Women in On The Road  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The women in Jack Kerouac's On The Road were, it seems, not afforded the same depth in character which the author gave the men. The treatment of the women characters in both word and action by Sal and Dean seems to show that women could only be a virgin/mother figure or a whore. Throughout the novel there are many instances in which women and their feelings or actions are either referred to flippantly or blatantly degraded. It can be said, however, that Sal (Kerouac) did not necessarily agree with this narrow female identity, and there is evidence to support this claim. The novel also shows though that Sal did participate in this male forced female stereotyping whether he wanted to or not. This is not to say that Sal (Kerouac) is necessarily malicious in his treatment of women but more possibly he is merely acting in accordance with the way he was raised and the way in which society treated women at the time. In effect while Sal and the novel may try to make points against the poor treatment of women, on the whole the novel tends to reinforce the sexist male domination at the time. The novel, on a certain level endorses the narrow female identity and the virgin/whore dichotomy contained therein, while at the same time attempting unsuccessfully to rise above the limited female identity. Women play a key role in this novel in many ways. In the case of... ...el, it is there as a reflection of his belief system and the attitudes of the time. Works Cited Page Bartlett, Lee. The Beats: Essays in Criticism. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. 1981. Cassady, Carolyn. Heartbeat: My Life With Jack and Neal. Berkeley: Creative Arts Books Company. 1976. Cassady, Neal. "Letter to Jack Kerouac." March 7, 1947. Challis, Chris. Quest For Kerouac. London: Faber and Faber Limited. 1984. Dardess, George. "The Delicate Dynamics of Friendship: A Reconsideration of Kerouac's On The Road." American Literature. v46: 200-206. 1974. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road. New York: Penguin Books Limited. 1955. Watson, Steven. The Birth of The Beat Generation. New York:   

Dissolution of the theory of Spontaneous Generation :: essays research papers

Spontaneous generation is the belief that some life forms are created from non-living things. It was an accepted theory to explain the creation of living things since the times of the ancient Romans to the early nineteenth century, when people began to become more skeptical of this idea. By the 20th century, spontaneous generation was known to be an incorrect theory. The reason it was known to be incorrect, primarily, was because of four scientists: Francesco Redi, John Needham, Lazzaro Spallanzani, and Louis Pasteur. Francesco Redi, in 1668, started the chain of experiments that would all add up to dissolve the theory of spontaneous generation. Redi was able to do this by doing a famous experiment involving meat and flies. He covered a jar of meat so no flies could enter it and, after a few days, there were no flies. This experiment showed that flies were not created from meat. This, in turn, showed to other scientists that â€Å"larger† organisms were not created spontaneously. Redi’s experiment was monumental because it was the first time spontaneous generation had been disproved by concrete evidence. Along with that, the experiment’s result was a step for other scientists to build on in the future. Without Redi’s findings, the process of proving spontaneous generation was a false theory could have been delayed drastically. The next two scientists to make significant impacts on the theory of spontaneous generation were John Needham and Lazzaro Spallanzani. John Needham was a Scottish clergyman who, from 1745 to 1748, attempted to show that there was a life force in the molecules of all inorganic matter that caused spontaneous generation to occur. He went about doing by doing experiments which showed bacteria would form in soups. Seventeen years later, Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani tried to disprove Needham’s belief. Spallanzani went about this by doing three experiments. The first experiment was done by boiling soup for an hour, putting it in a flask, and then sealing off the flask. The second experiment involved boiling soup for a few minutes, putting it in a flask, and sealing it of. The third experiment was done by boiling soup for an hour, putting it in a flask, and sealing the flask with a cork that let air in. Out of the three experiments, the first experiment was the only one which led to no bacteria forming. From these experiments, Spallanzani figured that an hour of boiling could kill the bacteria and bacteria came to substances through the air.

Lifes Simple Pleasures in William Wordsworths I Wandered Lonely as a

Life's Simple Pleasures in William Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud Edna St. Vincent Millay once wrote, "And all the loveliest things there be come simply, so it seems to me." This aphorism clearly accents the meaning of William Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." In his work, the speaker reminisces about a past experience in which he saw a beautiful multitude of daffodils swaying in the breeze. As he recollects this scene, the speaker gradually realizes the true beauty he had found that day. Often, some of the simplest things in life go unnoticed and untouched, when, in reality, they are the most precious. Consequently, it is not until after these extraordinary things are gone forever that their significance is truly understood. Through careful choice of similes, personification, and diction, William Wordsworth clearly expresses that it is the simple things in life, such as Nature, that is so important. One element Wordsworth incorporates in his poem to signify the necessity of simplicity in one's life is the simile. The speaker begins his recollection with the emptiness he holds inside as he "wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills" (Wordsworth 1-2). This simile symbolizes the speaker's yearning for something more fulfilling as he wanders through life. Often, clouds become separated from the rest and are left to wander aimlessly through the sky until they find more clouds to fulfill their emptiness. Wordsworth chooses a cloud to echo the speaker's state because, like a cloud, the speaker perhaps feels separated from everything in life and is simply floating through the patches of daffodils without a destination or purpose in hopes that someday he will discover fulfil... ...t: Gale Research, 1986. 389. Perkins, David. Wordsworth and the Poetry of Sincerity. Cambridge: Belknap, 1964. Pottle, Frederick A. "They Eye and the Object in the Poetry of Wordsworth." Wordsworth: Centenary Studies Presented at Cornell and Princeton Universities by Douglas Bush and Others (1951): 23-42. Rpt. in <http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC>. Salvesen, Christopher. The Landscape of Memory: A Study of Wordsworth's Poetry. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1965. Wordsworth, William. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 1127. -. "Preface." Lyrical Ballads. By William Wordsworth. 1957. 111-133. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Criticism. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Cherie D. Abbey. Detroit: Gale Research, 1986. 388-389.

Pepsi Advertisement Analysis Essay

Advertising and powerful images have always gone hand in hand in producing effective advertising.   Without powerful visuals, advertisements in a newspaper would look very similar to the news and obituary.   Images are the language of advertising and without them, people would have to go through the rigorous task of reading about a product and not seeing it in full action color. This advertisement is highly effective in communicating its message to the viewer.  Ã‚   It is effective because it makes the consumer want to buy Pepsi, which is of course the objective of advertising.   By just taking a quick glance at the image, the viewer will get very thirsty and will start craving for a can of ice cold Pepsi.   In the initial stage an advertisement must attract attention.   Once an advertisement has one’s attention, the viewer must gain interest, or else he may not look long enough to absorb the message conveyed in the advertisement.   Lastly, the advertisement must motivate action from the viewer, which in concrete terms, is purchasing the product. First, the image is highly attractive and pleasing to eye because of the contrasting colors of blue and yellow-orange which will immediately stand out if placed beside other advertisements in a magazine or newspaper, or even among other billboards.   This is important because advertisements are not supposed to blend in with its surroundings, or else they will go unnoticed.   Standing-out among other advertisements or other forms of media is crucial.   This is because despite that fact that an advertisement may be funny, witty, or memorable, it important that it must first be initially attractive to target viewers. This Pepsi advertisement makes good use of color as a medium of showing the tone or mood of the message the advertisement is trying to convey.   Blue or teal is the most dominant color in this advertisement.   The can of Pepsi is blue and so is the table and the rest of the background, giving the advertisement a very cool and relaxing visual feel.   It is not only the color of the product’s packaging, the can of Pepsi, but it is also pleasing to the eye and relaxing to look at.   It is curious to note that its direct competitor, Coca-Cola, uses red. The yellow-orange of the bowl of cheese curls immediately stands out of the rest of the blue background as a happy, vibrant and exciting color.   It creates contrast in the image. This selection of colors go hand in hand with the punchline of the advertisement which shows humor, and which gives human qualities to inanimate objects such as a bowl of cheese curls. These colors of blue and yellow-orange give the advertisement a very vibrant and positive tone or mood.   The bowl of cheese curls, being in the color or yellow-orange and immediately standing out of the blue background, is the object immediately seen by the viewer. Upon looking at the bowl of cheese curls, one’s view is immediately directed towards the part of the cheese curls that is forming a hand.   Then only is the view directed to look at the can of ice cold Pepsi.   This is how the composition of objects within a frame can control the gaze of the viewer from one object to another until the entire message of the advertisement is conveyed. Aside from showing the product itself, the advertisement shows a bowl of cheese curls.   This is a snack which is commonly eaten by children, teenagers, and young adults alike.   The use of this snack in the advertisement together with the can of Pepsi shows us the target audience of this image: children, teenagers, and young adults.   It is most likely that the people who have eaten cheese curls or other similar products are the ones who will understand why the bowl of cheese curls is reaching out for the can of   ice cold Pepsi. The cheese curls, shown in a happy shade of yellow-orange, is arranged in such a way that brings humor to the image.   This is the punchline or the big idea of the advertisement.   The cheese curls are shown to have crawled out of the bowl and holding on to each other to form a human hand that is reaching out for the can of cold Pepsi. It is this ultimate message that triggers the viewer to think, â€Å"Aha!† and subsequently crave for cheese curls and a can of ice cold Pepsi.   It persuades the viewer to buy a can of Pepsi and a bag of chips.   If one looks more closely, the can of Pepsi is wet with dew around it, indicating that it is a very cold can of Pepsi.   This makes the can of Pepsi a lot more enticing to the viewer while he reads the newspaper, magazine, or while walking in a subway station, especially in the middle of a hot summer day. The angle of the entire image is also very direct and horizontal, not signifying any status symbol, or edgy look.   It is clear, plain, and simple, and straightforward.   It is just showing the viewer in a very plain and simple manner the humor of the punchline. This makes the image easily understandable when viewed from a distance or from a moving vehicle. It is interesting to note that nowhere in the image does it show or explain what exactly Pepsi is.   This is because Pepsi has long been a player in the soda industry and has been advertising long enough already.   They no more need to inform consumers what exactly their product is.   This is one of the advantages of being a known brand. It allows the brand to use humorous advertisements such as these. Clearly, there is no way that Pepsi could have effected this advertisement without the use of images.   Images in advertising are of paramount importance.