Societys Influence on Education Essay Example

Societys Influence on Education Paper The piece is very appealing and convincing to the readers because the words used were simple and clear, the construction of thoughts and Ideas were organized which made It easy to understand, relate and connect to real life situation. It clearly defined what a society Is and how It greatly affects education. Ideas were mostly based on factual, experiences, and observations. Somehow, It overlooked some examples that would expound and elaborate further pollens and Ideas. Citing examples Is an effective way to help readers apprehend its intention and realize how great and influential are personal experiences in a study. Even without extensive research, the author could still make up this article because conceptions of ideas derived directly from our prior knowledge and experiences. For these reasons, it made the readers to react and interact from the article they read. The author shows neutrality about the topic and presents a balanced view about society and education though it overemphasized on how society influences education which is the focus of this piece. This is how complicate to criticize this kind of piece sometimes because both entities are equally Important, Influences and Is dependent to the existence of each other. We will write a custom essay sample on Societys Influence on Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Societys Influence on Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Societys Influence on Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ill REACTION Basically, Interaction between the article and the reader or (Interaction between the author and the reader) is evident enough that the piece itself was quite interesting. Interesting in the sense that it touches our lives may it directly or indirectly like how we socialize within a group and how we learn from it. After reading, I realized that we play a vital role in society and education. There can be no found society without the interaction of people within it. Meaning, we are the foundation of society and the beginning of educational institution. If society and education are inseparable entities, we are therefore the center of learning process and can never be departed from both. I agree that learning doesnt exist merely inside the four corners of the lassoer but more on the external forces, our environment. What we do, we see and we hear, we learn from It. We are the drive force of our own lives and create values. In creating and upholding our values, there always come societal factors such as customs, traditions and laws which affect of what we are becoming. Like for Instance, In leaning Witt a group you need to consoler Uninominal Territories In order to understand and adjust to the environment. This is because we need to belong in a group, able to interact and learn afterwards. Belongingness and acceptance in a rope or society is as important as society to education. We need to feel that we belonged and accepted in order to continue learning and imparting knowledge to others. Obviously, the people are the institution where learning and education began. In my own point of view, the author intended to confuse the readers whether his piece is one-sided or balanced for us to evaluate critically and comprehensively until we would come up to a conclusion that would support and strengthen our analysis regarding the issue. For me, it is well-balanced because the author never eaves out the concept of education only that he overemphasized how society influences on education. This has not been biased in a reason that the author focused on the subject matter itself to make realization and Justification of the topic. The author even stressed out that Society and education are tightly bound entities and hence cannot be separated from each other. From this statement we can say that there is fairness and equity as to role, importance and impacts of society and education to each other. The difference only is that society has been overemphasized since it is the focus of the issue.

Figure of a Mother Holding a Child Essay Example

Figure of a Mother Holding a Child Essay Example Figure of a Mother Holding a Child Essay Figure of a Mother Holding a Child Essay Created in the 19th century by an unknown Lulua creative person. the Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child is a really interesting sculpture because there are multiple ways of understanding its import. On one manus. the sculpture is a perfect word picture of the hurting of famishment that the African people have been sing for a long clip. and that cipher outside of Africa has done anything eventful about – despite the fact that the full universe discusses it. On the other manus. it represents a ritual that the Lulua folk of the Democratic Republic of Congo had practiced for its ain endurance ( Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child ) . The sculpture is that of a skinny. African female with an baby in her weaponries. The woman’s caput is larger than her organic structure. The bone lines on her cervix are peculiarly stating. Even so. the bone lines on her cervix and the furrows on her face had really been created by the creative person to demo that the Lulua peoples had used scarification to decorate their organic structures ( Lulua Tribe: Democratic Republic of Congo ; Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child ) . Indeed. it is scarification that adorns the adult female transporting the baby. Merely the same the spectator is made to experience sorry for the adult female and her kid because they appear highly hapless. Made with wood and Cu metal. the adult female in the sculpture has pouching eyes and a pointed base ( Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child ) . Harmonizing to the Brooklyn Museum. the base was most likely thrust into a pot incorporating Earth and assorted bishimba. or stuffs of mineral. works. animate being. or human beginning endowed with protective powers ( Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child ) . : In actuality. the sculpture had been created for a Lulua adult female who had experienced troubles in childbearing. The Lulua people believed that it was the evil spirit which interrupted the procedure of childbearing for many adult females. So that the adult female would pull the hereditary spirit of the Lulua folk to acquire rid of the evil spirit. the creative person gave her the sculpture to care for until bringing. The pouching eyes of the sculpture reveal that the adult female is cognizant of the influence of the evil spirit that is halting her from going a female parent ( Lulua Tribe ) . The Lulua peoples had migrated from western Africa to the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 18th century. These people lived in small regional chiefdoms. and hence formed closely knit communities ( Lulua Tribe ) . Because they were immigrants. they were instead concerned about their continuity. Furthermore. the Lulua people believed that their sculptures had to be made for spiritual grounds ( Lulua Tribe ) . The Lulua creative persons who created sculptures such as the Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child must hold had faith that they were transporting out their moral responsibility toward their ain people. Indeed. the spiritual values of the Lulua people were guarded by their art. Sculptures of female were rather popular among them. as these figures exemplified the brotherhood of physical and moral beautify ( Figurative Sculpture ) . The Lulua people believed in comparing proper behaviour with physical beauty ( Figurative Sculpture ) . It can be inferred that the Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child and all other sculptures created for the same ground were reminders for the Lulua people that the human organic structure can non be separated from morality. This rule is clearly exemplified by the bond between female parent and kid. Figurative Sculpture. Cardinal African Art. 4 Dec 2007. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //africa. Si. edu/exhibits/journey/figurative. hypertext markup language gt ; . Figure of a Mother Keeping a Child. Brooklyn Museum Collections: African Art. 4 Dec 2007. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. brooklynmuseum. org/collections/african_art/50. 124. php gt ; . Lulua Tribe: Democratic Republic of Congo. For African Art. 2006. 4 Dec 2007. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. forafricanart. com/Lulua_ep_56-1. hypertext markup language gt ; .

Understanding and Evaluating the Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding and Evaluating the Arts - Essay Example fer to the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, decorative arts, crafts, and other visual works that combine materials or forms. We also use the word art in a more general sense to encompass other forms of creative activity, such as dance, drama, and music, or even to describe skill in almost any activity, such as â€Å"the art of bread making† or â€Å"the art of travel.† In this article art refers to the visual arts.† Thus, relying on this definition, an investigation of the various art forms and mediums as made available via the internet ensues in an effort to apply the definition accordingly. To define â€Å"painting,† and randomly selecting from the many endless URLs available, it is the personal site of artist Jennifer Hauri, found at URL location http://www.jenniferhauri.com/?src=overture where the definition given above is used in an effort to describe the work of Hauri. First, Hauri’s site is different in that it begins with preparing the viewer’s mood by offering a soothing music and sound effects that only a trained ear might identify as being either the rainforest or the African jungle. Upon entering, it is a surprise to find that in the selection of Hauri’s work – belying her biographical information – is the category title â€Å"Afghani.† Right away statements appearing on the first page let the viewer know that Hauri’s work, mixed media of oil, acrylic, oil pastels and charcoal; are going to be an expression of the artist’s emotions. â€Å"Art is contemplation and an enjoyment of the mind that see ks to search nature and recreate it with a vision,† is but one of several thoughts that artist wants the viewer to be aware before entering the galleries. The first gallery, again, titled â€Å"Afghani,† is a compilation of works in various media depicting the artist’s interpretation of Afghanistan, the people, the Muslim. It stems from an emotional depth, expressing the artist’s perceptions in works

Behavioural Economics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Behavioural Economics - Coursework Example Economics by definition involves a study in which the structures, manners, standards, and trends through which resources are allocated. Organization in economics is debatable, as there is no limitation to the strategies that may be employed by stakeholders to gain an edge over the competition. Economics is perceived as being a practice and academic undertaking. Economics has varied interpretations and in some instances, perceived as a theory. The most popular definition of economics is a discipline that studies â€Å"the organisation of economic activities in society†. There are several queries that arise from the definition of economics concerning the elements and aspects of the discipline, such as the production quantities limits, pricing of products, and generally how one may make money from engaging in such activities. Considering the definition provided, the ‘economics’ of regions vary depending on the values, virtues, and preferences of the society in questi on. This draws interest to the concepts of capitalism and socialism, among others. The mode and trends of decision-making is a determinant of the economic system in the society. The ‘economic problem’ is sourced from this approach instilled in society. The concept of the economic problem involves â€Å"how to satisfy desires, and/wants with scares means. Be it as stated above, institutions operating under a similar economic model may not share the economic problem, as each institution has a different perception. The meaning of this argument is that economics is a rationalized concept that is predetermined by the subject. The definition of the economic problem is parallel to the definition of an economic good. An economic good is defined as anything that is both scares and desirable, which further complicates the concept of economics, since even straightforward

Market analysis and management of Liberty Cinema

Market analysis and management of Liberty Cinema At the liberty cinema, the customer comes to the location in order to get the move entertainment, since the customer has to be physically present to experience the movie on the theater screen. The geographical cinema is conveniently located at No 35, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo-3. This location is very convenient since it is in the heart of Colombo making it easily accessible for all the customers from Colombo as well as out of Colombo. (Service schedules) Speak about time, only geographical location is mentioned People According to Lovelock and Wright (2002) people mean customer and employees who are involved in service production and provision, and many services depend on direct personal interaction between customers, firms and employees. The nature of these interactions strongly influences the customer perception of service quality. Customers often judge the quality of the service they receive largely on their assessment of the people proving services. From a cinema customer expect standard service, value for money and so on. On the other hand the employees need to enhance their profitability by satisfying customers fully. The targeted groups of customers for liberty cinema are mainly teenagers between 16-24 years of age, children under the age of 16 and families and therefore they screen cartoons, fictions and actions movies (English and Hindi only) in order to cater to their target market well. They screen these movies along with the worldwide release dates in order to cater the desperate customers well in advance. As you can see from the diagram, Liberty Cinema employees 17 staff that are recruited by the firm and 2 security officers from an outsourced company. Special training has been provided to the technicians to overcome any interruption .All employees are highly motivated and their efficiency can be easily seen on highly crowded days. Speak about front stage and Back stage employees in the organization try to divide employees The success of marketing a service is tied closely to the selection, training, motivation and management of people (Payne, 2001) Physical evidence According to Lovelock and Wright (2002) and marketing terminology glossary Physical Evidence refers to visual or other tangible parts or clues that provide evidence of service quality and performance which customers can actually see or experience when they use a service. (http://www.mshmgi.com/glossary,P,Physical+Evidence.html) (Lovelock and Wright, 2002 (Offline), Principles of Service marketing and management, Second edition) Or This is the service firms physical environment where the service is created and where the service provider and customer interact, plus any tangible elements that are used to communicate or support the role of the service. (the essence of service marketing, series editor: adrian buckley, author: adrian payne,2001) In this service which is the film entertainment the visual or the other tangible clues that provide evidence of service quality and performance comes in a number of various ways. The Paper works such as invoices which are given when advance booking is made by visiting as well as the e-mail when booked over the internet and tickets provided before entering the cinema hall, furnishings of the interior cinema and seats, Internet WebPages (www.eapmovies.com), uniforms of employees (the employees wear black color trousers and orange t-shirts with the name EAP movies printed on left pocket), the building, the advertisement provided in newspapers and websites and so on. Speak about Create and maintain physical appearances Buildings/landscaping Interior design/furnishings Vehicles/equipment Staff grooming/clothing Sounds and smells Other tangibles Manage physical cues carefully- can have profound impact on customer impressions Product All the components of core and supplementary products that create value for customer Core product and supplementary products of Liberty Cinema Core product In service marketing, product refers as a service. product must be unique from competitors because when customers approach to service organization customers must feel no other service providers offer such features, Libertys core service is entertaining customers so their core product Is movies, especially shows latest Hollywood and Bollywood movies, particularly U rated movies, Liberty targets only Family movie. Supplementary product Supplementary product is additional service, that is delivered during the core production process in order to enhance the core product value and make customers to feel more convenience, Liberty is a one of the best cinema hall in Colombo that provides supplementary services that are Car park (outsource) Snack shop Comfortable seats Air condition Reservation State of the Art Surround Sound System It is apparent is a cinema hall cannot have many other supplementary services however, Liberty provides necessary additional requirements. Other types of products Expected product Expected product (service) is directly links to Core product, Expected product, is customers expectation on the core product. Customers expectation entertainment movies, if customer is not satisfied shown movie. Lets say Two movies are released X and Y and liberty shows Y movie but customers expectation is X movie definitely that will ruin Libertys reputation and profit. Therefore, not only Liberty but also other Service organizations must consider customer expected product. Productivity and Quality Efficient and effectiveness in Service Productivity Better Service productivity is the degree to which organizations reduce input and increase output that is the existing trend in service sector this will help to increase profitability so as Liberty Follows this concept. Productivity can be easily seen when present at the cinema. The staff is highly efficient and productive, helping keep the environment clean and having the viewers enjoy the movie with maximum clarity and quality. Due to this success, Liberty Cinema enjoy houseful shows every time a box office movie is released, which earns an average revenue of Rs 600,000.00. In terms of productivity, Liberty Cinema employees 14 staffs and manages motivate them to gain their potential output. The premises is kept clean after every show so that everyone is able to enjoy. Customer driven approach productivity used in Liberty cinema Changing the timing of customer demand Liberty Cinema, tries their best to cater to the growing demand. They only provide the latest movie and they try their maximum to shows movies on simultaneous release all over the worlds. Example : Raavan was released simultaneously with the world wide release. Robin Hood is delayed due to the growing demand for the movie Eclipse. Involving customer more in production Customers involvement is huge during service production because they have to do all the task to get the service, technologies introduced to reduce the involvement of employees For E.g. Customers can get information such as show time ,place and can reserve tickets from Libertys website, Eticketing or can reserve ticket within a minute using Dialog SMS. Customers willing to server by themselves than others so as liberty follows this concept. For e.g. self-service pumps have increased gas station productivity (book) These factors shows Liberty currently involving improve productivity in order to unique among competitors. Service Quality Liberty Cinema enjoys to be the best state of the art modern theatre, its only competitor is also managed by their parent company that Savoy Cinema. Customers always compare the service with other competitors, when quality is below than competitors that shows poor service quality. Analyzing Libertys service quality dimension Reliability At the liberty cinema there 17 staffs including a manger, they works as a team to provide service accurately without any delay that is what customers always expect. In addition, it is a cinema hall so complete operation is depends on back stage staff, for e.g. they have three operating staffs, an accountant to keep organization finance record. Tangibles Liberty Cinema has been recently undergone refurbishment to give a modern touch. The exterior is more of a classic theater and interior is cozy making the viewer to enjoy the movie. The seats of highest quality and is placed and arranged to provide a clear view of the giant screen. Responsiveness and Empathy Liberty shows movies on time, but customers mostly need to wait to get tickets but they can book in advance by Email/Dialog SMS and can obtain the ticket in less than 2 minutes. Assurance To have good relationship with customers Libertys front stage people are ability to speak fluently in three languages and they are very polite with customers, and backstage staffs well trained to perform services for E.g. To be a Libertys main operator needs minimum two year experience as a co operator. Liberty should improve and maintain quality in order to acquire benefits in long run. Price http://www.eapmovies.com/internal/rates-and-show-times/ Management team tries their best not to vary the price of the ticket depending on what movie you watch. Since, there is less crowd attendant the cinema on weekdays; the management has reduced the ticket prices by Rs 20.00. They believe that this is successful to some extent. Marketers must recognize that customer outlays involve more than price paid to seller Traditional pricing tasks: Selling price, discounts, premiums Margins for intermediaries (if any) Credit terms Identify and minimize other costs incurred by users: Additional monetary costs associated with service usage (e.g., travel to service location, parking, phone, babysitting, etc.) Time expenditures, especially waiting Unwanted mental and physical effort Negative sensory experiences Promotion and Educational Liberty Cinema collaborates with other firms for its promotional campaign. Liberty Cinema uses the following Media for their promotional activities. Radio they collaborate with leading radio station and give away movie tickets to lucky winners. Paper Every weekends in all leading newspapers, Liberty Cinema gives away tickets to winner for question that are based on the current movie that is showed at the cinema. TV- With the help of the sister company Liberty Cinema promotes their movies on Swarnawahini providing review of the movie also promoting their service. Facebook Fan Page Depending on the movie that is screened, the promotion depends. Kids Movie- advertisement and posters at schools and also ticket is slashed by 40 % if a group visits. Teens and Adults Promotions at institutes and firms a Since they are located in a metropolitan area, any traveler or passer can easily notice the latest movie. They also have a large Screen providing movie trailers to passer, allowing them to see a glimpse of the movie. Instructional Material This is where the user or consumer is being helped with services that are provided. Liberty Cinema, does provide sign boards for the supplementary services that they provide additionally in case of emergency they will also project it on to the screen. Ex Vehicle Block. Liberty Website, Facebook and newspapers do provide full details the services that a movie fanatic can expect. Process

Improving Writing Needs Essay

Similarly, there had been many studies that seek to show on how to improve the overall capabilities of individual writing particularly among international students. One example is the contribution of Petersen wherein she addressed the needs of international students as far as writing is concerned. She made emphasis on the idea of reaching out and helping international students cope with the challenges of writing. â€Å"If all of us give common messages to international students, making our expectations explicit, we may be able to help them reach higher levels of proficiency in American academic English sooner. † (Petersen, 2008) One of the challenges presented by Petersen as far as student writing is concerned involves international students’ difficulty in coping with timed writing assignments and essays. â€Å"As the complexity of the thinking involved in the task increases and the processing time decreases, grammatical and syntactical forms the student can normally control tend to break down. † (Petersen, 2008) Due to this, the teacher must create effective strategies to enhance writing but at the same time maintaining the challenge of time constraints in the activity. This is just one of the problems elaborated by Petersen in her article. By being constantly aware of these challenges and anticipating the occurrence of the problem, teachers and educators can have an active and firm stand in increasing the competency of international students in the realm of writing. Enhancing Reading Skills Another important facet in the facilitation of education is reading. For students to fully acquire and develop the skills that are given to them in the classroom, effective reading must be made. However, this may seem to be a problem of international students as the pace and degree of learning is halted or slowed due to several constraints. Due to this, teachers must create active scenarios that will enhance student reading capabilities particularly among international students. The study of Brassell and Furtado examines the way vocabulary can serve as a hindrance in the development of better reading for non-English students. These barriers can serve as an impediment for learning and enhancement of information. â€Å"Many barriers prevent English as Second Language learner from grasping new vocabulary, but one of the biggest challenge is the minimal time teachers devote to vocabulary instruction. † (Brassell and Furtado, 2008, p. 110) Several facets of the English language remain to be difficult for international students to understand. By actually helping international students become aware of these and minimizing such occurrence inside the classroom, they can be able to adopt, enhance and develop their reading skills which are necessary in their education. â€Å"Beyond providing students with lots of interesting books, teachers should facilitate a variety of vocabulary activities for their students. † (Brassell and Furtado, 2008, p. 115) Conclusion With these, personal involvement may be a good approach in further enhancing the realm of developing reading and writing skills. International students deserve extra care and attention for they are still adjusting to the current trends of the educational environment. â€Å"Student perceived issues do not always match educator-perceived issues; nevertheless, eliciting information from the students allows them to become part of the solution. † (Lee, 1997, p. 100) It is therefore necessary for every teacher and educational institution to create efficient and effective scenarios that will cater to the needs of international students. By doing these things, the welfare of international students are taken into consideration. Different methods and schemes may have been in place, the action now goes back to educational institutions and teachers to actively take part in the process of developing skills needed by students to actively combat the challenges brought about by society. References Arkoudis, S.(2006) Teaching International Students: Strategies to Enhance Learning in Centre for the Study of Higher Education. [online] Retrieved May 12, 2008 from http://www. cshe. unimelb. edu. au/pdfs/international. pdf Brassell, D. and Furtado, L. (2008) Enhancing English as a Second Language Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge in The Reading Matrix. 8 no. 1 [online] Retrieved May 12, 2008 from http://www. readingmatrix. com/articles/brassell_furtado/article. pdf Koffolt, K. and Holt, S. L. (1997) Using the â€Å"Writing Process† with Non-Native Users of English in New Directions for Teaching and Learning. no. 70 Retrieved May 12, 2008. pp. 53-61 Lee, D. S. (1997) What Teachers Can Do to Relieve Problems Identified by International Students in New Directions for Teaching and Learning. no. 70. Retrieved May 12, 2008. pp. 93-102. Nelson, G. L. (1997) How Cultural Differences Affect Written and Oral Communication: The Case of Peer Response Groups in New Directions for Teaching and Learning. no. 70. Retrieved May 12, 2008. pp. 77-85 Petersen, L. (2008) Writing Needs of International Students. Retrieved May 12, 2008 from http://www. cgu. edu/pages/949. asp

School Art Education in America

Two years ago, students from my middle school†s gifted program had the opportunity to visit Wexner Center for the Arts exhibition on contemporary architecture concentrating on human habitats. Students, after viewing the various exhibits and learning about the architects in docent-led discussions, participated in an activity in which they assumed roles as architects and general contractors in order to create their own habitats. Reluctant at first, they completed their tasks and then answered a list of questions prepared by museum personnel. After reading through the student responses, I discovered that although the students had learned a little about architecture that day, they were deficient in their knowledge of architecture as being more than buildings we live in and use. Students could name several classical architectural styles but were limited in their responses to other areas of the study. In his book Architecture is Elementary, Nathan B. Winters states â€Å"Years of research indicate that the lay public has not grown much beyond the fourth grade level in visual literacy,† (Winters, 1997). It is my intent to search for the best instructional practices to teach architecture to middle school students using an action plan involving my middle school art students, the community of Plain City, selected professional architects, contractors and city planners in order to increase students† knowledge of architecture. I hope to expand student†s knowledge of architectural styles, help develop an appreciation for architecture, study problems of historic structure preservation, and planning. The booklet, Imagine! Introducing Your Child to the Arts, provides parents with methods to introduce children to the arts while encouraging children to imagine. In chapter seven entitled â€Å"Architecture and Children†, it is stated â€Å"Architecture unites culture with perception and technology. † The chapter defines the study of the â€Å"built environment† as architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation and planning. Describing children as natural builders, the author implores parents to enjoy, admire, and enable children to build forts and other items of play (Donohue, 1997). The booklet provides parents with ideas to use with children starting with their own home, such as, showing them how the plumbing and heating systems work. This booklet is geared for use by parents of children up to third grade. In a final statement the importance of teaching architecture is stressed. The author says â€Å"Many children, in fact, have strengths in the kind of visual, spatial and tactile thinking that are invoked in architectural design and analysis, that they may not be called upon to use in other school subjects. Donohue stresses that being able to think three-dimensionally can be applied to other subjects and life experiences (Donohue, 1997). While this booklet did not specifically pertain to middle school aged students, it supports the need for education in the architectural field. The paper entitled â€Å"Bulgaria and Romania: Lessons† discusses ideas that are intended to increase the cultural awareness of middle school students concerning life in Bulgaria and Romania. Part eight of the paper is a lesson entitled â€Å"Comparison of Architecture. The objective is to â€Å"Enable students to see that the people in Romania and Bulgaria live in a variety of different architectural styles of homes. † (Binger, 1996) The author uses the inquiry method by having American students analyze photographs of homes and towns in Bulgaria and Romania and write a description of the life of a person living in one of the houses. The students were shown pictures of famous buildings in the area and had to be able to name and describe them. This paper includes architecture as one of the areas of study, and in my opinion, the method used was appropriate for middle school students. Architectural Treasures, cover story for â€Å"Arts and Activities,† describes an art lesson for eighth grade students involving slides of famous buildings from the beginning of time to the present concentrating on four cities; Toronto, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, and the author†s hometown, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. After viewing and discussing thirty thousand years of homes, the students created their own architectural structures from clay. Discipline-based instruction was used because the students were not regular art students. This lesson could be, in my opinion, used as part of an action-plan for middle school students. In exploring action research methods, the article by Mary Hafeli describes lessons in which decisions made by the student and teacher involve power struggles and questioning of values by the teacher. Ms. Hafeli asked the question, â€Å"How are judgments about student artworks formed? † (Hafeli, 2000, p 130). She divided her article into the following segments: research framework, setting and participants, and data collection and analysis. All of these areas were supported with relevant citings by well-known authors. Michael Parsons† review of Ms. Hafeli†s article suggests that issues of power in the classroom make a â€Å"Desirable direction for research† (Parsons, 2000). The article discusses action research, which is an area I needed to explore while working on my topic. In her article, Design for Inquiry, Delacruz discusses the importance of students solving problems and states, â€Å"The best teaching methods and strategies are those contributing to a climate that fosters self-confidence and encourages self-inquiry and self-reliance. † She further states, â€Å"When students form their own questions and learn complex thinking processes, that instruction is inquiry-centered. She believes that the inquiry method should be useful for art educators at all levels particularly school-based art teachers. (Delacruz, 1999) A new model of critical inquiry is disclosed by George Geahigan. He states that inquiry means to â€Å"Investigate, to search for knowledge and information. Critical inquiry starts with a personal experience that students have with a work of art. It can be promoted by students exchanging opinions and observations about a work of art, by students comparing and contrasting works of art, and by confronting students with provocative and controversial works of art. (Geahigan, 1999) This method could be applied very well to the teaching of architecture in an action plan using examples of architecture in the community. The authors of Architectural Images Through the Dual Lens of Picture Books and Creative Dramatics, state that, â€Å"The idea of architecture as a meaningful and vitally important part of the student environment was not present in art curricula prior to 1993 and that introducing architectural concepts to children is a relatively new area of the curriculum† (Cleaver, Scheurer, and Shorey, 1993). The authors recognize the integration of architecture education through a comprehensive listing and review of books published about architecture for children. Ways to integrate the ideas were presented in many subject areas. They state that other countries are also interested in incorporating architecture into learning, citing the British project â€Å"Learning to See. † The authors discuss a variety of books that introduce types of houses in various regions of the United States. A suggestion is made that this book could be used to produce a photographic record of children†s homes in their communities to make a classroom book. As this was to be part of my action plan, I was interested to know that this idea had already been implemented. The authors support educating children about architecture stating â€Å"By being sensitized to style and form and function of structure, children may more easily see who we are as a culture as mirrored in our surroundings† (Cleaver, Scheurer, and Shorey, 1993). After the literature review it is my belief that it would be an opportune time to go ahead with my action plan for several reasons, the most important being the enhancement of art education of children in our school district. Plain City is the fastest growing community in the area and is situated next to Dublin and Hilliard in Franklin County. The Big Darby watershed runs through the area and a state of the art suspension bridge is being built literally in my back yard. Housing developments are forming everyday and our students† parents are involved in making decisions about this growth. To teach middle school aged children to be aware of the value of architecture as functional, and hopefully beautiful, will involve a process that I hope to achieve in my action plan. The ideas presented in my research can be incorporated, expanded upon, and evaluated in the proposed plan. It is submitted that the plan will require more definition, research, and fine-tuning in order to implement it. We are all watching a community growing from rural agricultural based, Amish influenced society to becoming participants in the building of a modern extended community. Economics plays a definite role here, but much can be done through art education of middle school students to achieve a social balance.