The Indigo Spell Chapter Fourteen

SUNDAY ROLLED AROUND, and the day started off quietly. We were nearing the point when Veronica might strike again, and my stomach was in knots over what her next step would be . . . and how stuck we were on how to stop her. Then I received help from an unexpected source when my phone rang with an unknown number on the display. Normally, I wouldn't answer something like that, but my life was hardly normal these days. Besides, it was a Los Angeles area code. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hi! Is this Taylor?† It took me a moment to remember my secret identity. I did not, however, recall giving my actual number to any of the girls we'd warned about Veronica. â€Å"Yes,† I said warily. â€Å"This is Alicia, from Old World Bed-and-Breakfast.† â€Å"Hi,† I said, still puzzled as to why and how she'd be calling me. Her voice was as cheery and bright as when we'd met her. â€Å"I wanted to know if you'd thought any more about getting a room for your anniversary.† â€Å"Oh, well . . . that. We're still deciding. But, uh, probably we're going to go with something closer to the coast. You know, romantic beach walks and all that.† â€Å"I can totally understand,† she said, though she sounded disappointed at the loss of a sale. â€Å"If you change your mind, just let me know. We're running a special this month, so you could get the Bunny Suite at a really good price. I remember you saying it reminded you of your pet rabbit. What was his name?† â€Å"Hopper,† I said flatly. â€Å"Hopper! That's right. Such a sweet name.† â€Å"Yeah, awesome.† I tried to think of a polite way to phrase my next question but simply chose directness. â€Å"Look, Alicia, how did you get this number?† â€Å"Oh, Jet gave it to me.† â€Å"He did?† â€Å"Yup.† She'd apparently gotten over her disappointment and now sounded bright and chirpy again. â€Å"He filled out an info card while you guys were here and put down your number.† I nearly groaned. Typical. â€Å"Good to know,† I said. I wondered how often Adrian gave my number out. â€Å"Thanks for following up.† â€Å"Happy to. Oh!† She giggled. â€Å"I nearly forgot. Your friend is back.† I froze. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Veronica. She checked back in yesterday.† My first reaction was excitement. My second one was panic. â€Å"Did you tell her we were asking about her?† â€Å"Oh, no. I remembered you saying you wanted to surprise her.† I nearly sank in relief. â€Å"Thank you. We, uh, wouldn't to ruin that. We'll have to stop by and visit – but don't tell her.† â€Å"You can count on me!† We disconnected, and I stared at the phone. Veronica was back. Just when we thought we'd lost all leads on her. I immediately called Ms. Terwilliger but was sent to voice mail. I left a message and then followed up with a text, saying I had urgent news. My phone rang again, just as I was about to call Adrian. I almost hoped Alicia had more to tell me, but then I saw that it was Stanton's number. After first taking a deep breath, I tried to answer in as calm a way as possible. â€Å"Miss Sage,† she said. â€Å"I received your message yesterday.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for calling me back.† I'd called her yesterday, just before meeting up with Adrian. Ms. Terwilliger's magical training had taken priority at the time, but I hadn't forgotten my deal with Marcus. â€Å"I have a, um, favor to ask,† I continued. Stanton, who was rarely surprised, was clearly surprised now. â€Å"You're certainly entitled to ask . . . but you're just not usually the type who does.† â€Å"I know, and I feel bad. So, if you have to say no, I understand.† In truth, if she said no, I would have a number of problems on my hands, but it was best not to sound too eager. â€Å"Well, I've been thinking about how I have to spend Christmas here – with the Moroi. And I definitely understand that, ma'am. It's part of the mission, but . . . well, I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me. So, I was wondering if there's any way at all I'd be allowed to go to one of the big holiday services. It would make me feel . . . oh, I don't know. More connected. Purified, even. I'm just always surrounded by them here, by that taint, you know? I feel like I can't even breathe half the time. That probably sounds ridiculous.† I cut my rambling off. When Marcus had first suggested taking advantage of knowing someone in St. Louis, I'd immediately thought of Ian. Then I realized that wasn't enough. Alchemists on assignment couldn't just ask for casual time off to visit friends. Time off for something more spiritual and group-oriented – say, the Alchemists' annual holiday services – was a different matter. Lots of Alchemists were given clearance to travel and attend those services. They were tied to our faith and group unity. In fact, Ian had even brought it up at the wedding in the hopes of luring me to visit him. Little had he known his trick would pay off. Kind of. â€Å"It doesn't sound that ridiculous,† Stanton said. That was promising, and I tried to unclench my fist and relax. â€Å"I was thinking maybe I could go before we're out for winter break,† I added. â€Å"Jill can stay within the confines of the school, so there shouldn't be too much risk. And Eddie and Angeline are always with her. I could just hop over to St. Louis for a quick weekend trip.† â€Å"St. Louis?† I could almost see her frown through the phone. â€Å"There are services in Phoenix as well. That would be much closer.† â€Å"I know, ma'am. It's just. . . .† I hoped being genuinely nervous would help me sound convincing. â€Å"I, uh, was hoping I could also see Ian again.† â€Å"Ah. I see.† There was a long pause. â€Å"I find that more surprising than you wanting to attend services. From what I saw at the wedding, you didn't seem to be that charmed by Mr. Jansen.† So. I'd been right that Stanton had noticed his crush on me. However, she'd also noticed I didn't return his affection. She was observant, even to little details, which brought Marcus's warnings back to me, about how the Alchemists paid attention to everything we did. I started to understand his fears and why he pulled his recruits out of the Alchemists so quickly Was I already attracting attention? Were all the little things I did – even asking for this – slowly building a case against me? Again, I hoped my anxiety simply made me sound like a flustered, love-struck girl, one Stanton would feel sorry for and shake her head over. St. Louis wasn't that much farther away by plane, and the end result was the same. â€Å"Well, that was business, ma'am. I didn't want to get distracted from our goal.† â€Å"Of course.† Her next pause was only a few seconds long, but it felt like an hour. â€Å"Well, I see no reason why you can't go. You've done an admirable job in your work, and – from a personal point of view – I can understand why you'd want to be with familiar faces again. You've spent more time with the Moroi than many Alchemists ever will in their lives, and you didn't hesitate when that Ivashkov pushed himself onto you at the wedding.† I didn't really hesitate when he pushed himself onto me at the sorority, either. Or did I push myself on him? â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† She authorized me to go next weekend and said I could use Alchemist funds to book my travel arrangements. When we got off the phone, I contemplated calling Ian but then decided on a more impersonal approach. I jotted out a quick email telling him that I'd be in town and that I hoped we could meet up. After a few moments of thought, I then texted Marcus: Arrangements made. Lunchtime came around, and Eddie texted to ask if I could meet Jill and him in my dorm's cafeteria. I headed downstairs at the appropriate time and found a glum Eddie sitting by himself at a table. I wondered where Angeline was and noted he hadn't mentioned her in his text. Rather than bring that up, I focused on who he had mentioned. â€Å"Where's Jill?† He nodded toward the opposite side of the cafeteria. I followed his gaze and saw Jill standing near a table, laughing and talking. She held a tray and looked as though she'd been stopped on her way back from the food line. Micah and some other guys were at the table, and I was happy to see he did indeed seem comfortable with being her friend again. â€Å"That's nice,† I said, turning back to my own food. â€Å"I'm glad she's getting along with everyone.† Eddie stared at me in amazement. â€Å"Don't you see what's going on?† I'd been about to bite into an apple and stopped. I hated these kinds of loaded questions. They meant I'd missed out on some social subtlety – something that wasn't my strong suit. Glancing back at Jill, I tried to make my best guess. â€Å"Is Micah trying to get back together with her?† â€Å"Of course not,† said Eddie, like I should've known. â€Å"He's going out with Claire Cipriano now.† â€Å"Sorry. I can't keep track of everyone's dating lives. I'll add it to my to-do list after, you know, busting Alchemist conspiracies and finding out whether the Warriors are after Jill.† Eddie's gaze was locked on Jill, and he nodded, making me think he hadn't actually heard a word I'd said. â€Å"Travis and Juan want to ask her out.† â€Å"So? She learned her lesson about human and vampire dating.† I wished I had. â€Å"She'll tell them no.† â€Å"They still shouldn't be bothering her,† he growled. Jill didn't seem to be particularly bothered by their attention. In fact, I liked seeing her bright and smiling for a change. Confidence suited her and emphasized her royal status, and she clearly was enjoying whatever banter was going on. One thing I'd learned in my social education was that flirting wasn't the same thing as going out with someone. My friend Julia was an expert at the difference. If it made Jill happy, I certainly had no problems with it. Honestly, it looked like the person who was most bothered by Jill's suitors was Eddie. He theoretically had the excuse of wanting to protect her, but this seemed pretty personal. I decided to bring him back to his own romantic life, the one he should actually be concerned about. â€Å"Where's Angeline?† Jill began walking toward us. Looking relieved, Eddie turned back to me. â€Å"Well, that's what we wanted to talk to you about.† Whenever anyone wanted to talk to me, it meant something weird was about to happen. Actual emergency issues were never given an introduction. They were just delivered immediately. This premeditated stuff was a wild card. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked once Jill sat down. â€Å"With Angeline?† She exchanged a knowing glance with Eddie. â€Å"We think Angeline's up to something,† she said. A moment later, she clarified, â€Å"Something bad.† Not this again. I turned to Eddie. â€Å"Is she still being distant?† â€Å"Yeah. She had lunch with us yesterday.† He frowned. â€Å"But she was acting weird. She wouldn't explain why she's been so busy.† Jill concurred. â€Å"She actually got really upset the more we kept questioning her. It was strange. I think she's in some kind of trouble.† I leaned back in my chair. â€Å"The kind of trouble Angeline gets into is usually spontaneous and unexpected. You're talking like she's masterminding something in secret. That's not her style. At worst, she's harboring an illicit wardrobe.† Eddie looked like he wanted to smile but couldn't quite manage it. â€Å"True.† Jill apparently wasn't convinced. â€Å"You have to talk to her. Find out what's going on.† â€Å"Can't you talk to her?† I asked, looking between their faces. â€Å"You live with her.† â€Å"We tried,† protested Jill. â€Å"I told you. She just got mad the more we talked.† â€Å"Well, I can understand that,† I snapped. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry something weird is going on with her. And I don't want her in trouble, believe me. But there's only so much hand-holding I can do with her. I fixed her math problem. My job is to make sure she stays in school and doesn't blow your cover. Everything else is extraneous, and I just don't have time for that. And if she wouldn't talk to you, why on earth do you think she'd talk to me?† I'd spoken a bit more harshly than I intended. I really did care about them all. I also didn't want trouble in the group. Nonetheless, it was always a little frustrating when they came to me with dramas like this, as though I were their mother. They were some of the smartest, most competent people I knew. They didn't need me, and Angeline was no criminal genius. Figuring out her motives couldn't be that difficult. Neither one of them had an immediate response for me. â€Å"You just always seem to get through to people,† Jill said at last. â€Å"You're good at communication.† That certainly wasn't a compliment I heard very often. â€Å"I don't do anything special. I'm just persistent. Keep trying, and maybe you'll get through.† Seeing Jill start to protest, I added, â€Å"Please. Don't ask me to do this right now. You both know I've got a lot going on.† I gave each of them a meaningful look. Both knew about Marcus, and Jill also knew about Ms. Terwilliger's sister. After a few moments, that knowledge set in, and they both looked a little embarrassed. Eddie gave Jill a gentle nudge. â€Å"She's right. We should keep working on Angeline ourselves.† â€Å"Okay,† said Jill. My relief was short-lived. â€Å"We'll try a little more. Then, if it still doesn't work, Sydney can step in.† I groaned. When I parted ways from them later, I couldn't help but think again about Marcus's comments in San Bernardino about how Alchemists got caught up in menial tasks. I tried to reassure myself that Jill and Eddie would take care of this on their own, meaning I wouldn't actually have to intervene. Presuming, of course, Angeline really wasn't planning something catastrophic. Unfortunately, those doubts were soon shaken when I got on the shuttle that would take me to main campus. On weekends, there was only one bus that looped between all buildings, and this one had just picked up at the boys' dorm. I found Trey sitting in it, staring out the window with a happy expression. When he saw me, his smile vanished. â€Å"Hey,† I said, taking a seat beside him. He actually looked nervous. â€Å"Off to study?† â€Å"Meeting with Angeline, actually.† There was no escaping her today, but at least if she was working on math, it seemed unlikely she'd be staging a coup or committing arson. His troubled expression concerned me, though. â€Å"She . . . she didn't hit you again?† I didn't see any noticeable marks, but with her, you could never tell. â€Å"Huh? No, no. Not recently.† He hesitated before speaking again. â€Å"Melbourne, how long are you going to need me to do this?† â€Å"I don't know.† Mostly I'd been focusing on getting her through the present, not the future. One thing at a time. â€Å"She'll have her final coming up before break. If she passes, then I guess you're home free. Unless you want to keep up with it after break – I mean, provided she doesn't wear you out.† This startled him a lot more than I would have expected. â€Å"Okay. Good to know.† He looked so forlorn when he left to go to the library that I wondered if those chemistry answers had really been worth it. I liked Trey. I'd never thought inflicting Angeline on him would so radically alter his life. I guessed that was just the kind of effect she had on the world. I watched him walk away for a few more seconds and then turned toward the science building. One of the teachers, Ms. Whittaker, was an amateur botanist who was always happy to supply Ms. Terwilliger with various plants and herbs. She thought Ms. Terwilliger used them for home craft projects, like potpourri and candles, and I frequently had to pick up the latest supplies. When I walked into her classroom today, Ms. Whittaker was grading exams at her desk. â€Å"Hi, Sydney,† she said, barely looking up. â€Å"I set it all over there, on the far counter.† â€Å"Thanks, ma'am.† I walked over and was surprised to practically find a spice cabinet. Ms. Terwilliger had requested all sorts of leaves, stems, and clippings. It was the most I'd ever had to pick up for her. â€Å"She sure had a big order this time,† Ms. Whittaker remarked, as though sensing my thoughts. â€Å"Is she really using garlic in potpourri?† â€Å"Oh, that's for some, um, cooking she's doing. You know, holidays and all.† She nodded and returned to her work. One thing that often helped in Alchemist affairs (and witch ones) was that people rarely expected supernatural reasons for weird behaviors and phenomena. I almost considered visiting Trey and Angeline at the library, just to assess her behavior myself, but decided it'd be better to not get involved. Eddie and Jill would handle it. With nothing else to do, I dared to hope I might actually just be able to stay inside and read today. But, when I returned to my dorm, I was greeted with the astonishing sight of Marcus sitting outside on a bench, playing an acoustic guitar. A group of four girls stood around, listening in awe. I walked up to the circle, my arms crossed over my chest. â€Å"Really?† I asked. Marcus glanced up and shot me a grin. One of the girls actually cooed. â€Å"Hey, Sydney.† Four sets of eyes turned to me, displaying a mix of both disbelief and jealousy. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You're the last person I expected to see here.† â€Å"I never do what's predictable.† He tossed his hair back and started to put his guitar back in its case. â€Å"Sorry, girls. Sydney and I have to talk.† I got more of those stares, which kind of annoyed me. Was it really that unbelievable that a good-looking guy would want to talk to me? His followers dispersed reluctantly, and Marcus and I strolled around the grounds. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to be in hiding?† I asked. â€Å"Not panhandling with your guitar?† â€Å"I never asked them for money. Besides, I'm incognito today.† He tapped his cheek, and I noticed the tattoo was barely noticeable. â€Å"Are you wearing makeup?† I asked. â€Å"Don't judge,† he said. â€Å"It lets me move around more freely. Sabrina helped color match me.† We came to a halt in a relatively private copse of trees. â€Å"So why are you here? Why didn't you call or text?† â€Å"Because I have a delivery.† He reached into his shirt pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper that looked like it had traveled around the world before reaching me. When I opened it and managed to smooth it out, I saw several painstakingly drawn diagrams. I jerked my gaze back to him. â€Å"Wade's floor plans.† â€Å"As promised.† A little of that self-satisfaction faded, and he actually looked impressed. â€Å"You've really got a way to get to St. Louis?† â€Å"Sanctioned and everything,† I said. â€Å"I mean, aside from the part where I break into their servers. But I've got a few ideas on how to pull that off.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you do. I won't bother asking. Every girl's got her secrets. Maybe someday you'll share yours.† From the tone of his voice, he might have been talking about non-professional secrets. â€Å"Once this is all over.† â€Å"Is it ever over?† I asked. I meant it as a joke, but it came out sounding a bit more melancholy than I would've liked. He gave me a long, level look. â€Å"No, not really. But getting the tattoo sealed in Mexico is kind of fun. I hope you'll go with us. At the very least, we can take in some beaches and margaritas while undoing insidious magic. Do you own a bikini?† â€Å"No. And I don't drink.† â€Å"Well, maybe one of these days we could go out for coffee. I know you drink that.† â€Å"I'm pretty busy,† I said, thinking of everything weighing on me. â€Å"And you know, I also haven't decided if I'm going to do the first phase of tattoo breaking.† â€Å"You should, Sydney.† He was all business again and tapped my cheek. â€Å"If nothing else, do that. Don't let them have any more control over you than they have to. I know you think we're a little out there, but this is one thing we're absolutely serious about.† â€Å"Hi, Sydney.† I glanced over and saw my friend Julia Cavendish carrying a huge stack of books. A couple seconds later, Marcus looked up at her too. Her eyes went wide, and she stumbled and dropped everything she was carrying. She flushed. â€Å"Oh, God. I'm such an idiot.† I started to help her, but Marcus was by her side in a flash, his movie star grin firmly in place. â€Å"Happens to the best of us. I'm Dave.† â€Å"J-Julia,† she said. In all the time I'd known her, I'd never seen her flustered around a guy. She usually ate them for breakfast. â€Å"There we are.† He handed her the books, all neatly stacked. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't have to do that. I mean, it was my own fault. I'm not usually that clumsy. And I'm sure you're busy. You must have lots to do. Obviously.† I'd also never heard Julia ramble. Marcus patted her on the back, and I thought she might pass out. â€Å"Always happy to help a beautiful damsel in distress.† He nodded in my direction. â€Å"I've got to go. Sydney, I'll be in touch.† I nodded back. As soon as he walked away, Julia dropped the books again and hurried over to me. â€Å"Sydney, you have to tell me who that is.† â€Å"He already did. Dave.† â€Å"Yes, but who is he?† She gripped my arm and seemed on the verge of shaking answers out of me. â€Å"Just a guy I know.† I thought about it more. â€Å"A friend, I guess.† Her breath caught. â€Å"You guys aren't – I mean – â€Å" â€Å"What? No! Why would you think that?† â€Å"Well, he's gorgeous,† she said, as though that were enough to make us soul mates. â€Å"Don't you want to just rip his clothes off?† â€Å"Whoa, no way.† â€Å"Really?† She scrutinized me, like I might be joking. â€Å"Not even a little?† â€Å"Nope.† She stepped back and started picking up her books. â€Å"Jeez, Syd. I don't know what to think of you sometimes. I mean, I'm glad he's available – he is available, right? – but I'd be all over that if I were you.† Jill's words came back to me, about how he was human and had â€Å"that rebel Alchemist† thing going for him. Maybe I should start considering him or another ex-Alchemist as a romantic option. Having someone who wasn't a forbidden vampire in my life would make things a lot easier. I tried to dredge up the same reaction other girls had around Marcus, but nothing happened. No matter how hard I tried, I just didn't have that same attraction. His hair was too blond, I decided. And his eyes needed a little more green. â€Å"Sorry,† I told Julia. â€Å"Just not feeling it.† â€Å"If you say so. I still think you're crazy. That's the kind of guy you'd follow to hell and back.† All romantic musings disappeared, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as we slowly headed back toward the dorm. Hell was a good analogy for what I would be walking into. â€Å"You actually might be closer to the truth on that than you realize.† She brightened. â€Å"See? I knew you couldn't resist.†

How Information Literacy Influences Scholarship, Practice

Higher education is widely recognized for academic excellence; students come from all over to study in U. S. colleges and universities. At the same time colleges and universities are often criticized for their unmanageable administration, organizational incompetence, and a lack of service orientation Ruben, B (2005). To the extent that these circumstances are present within a particular institution, they contribute to the critique of higher education in general, but also more directly undermine the perceived value of faculty and staff work, weaken financial and political support, and create barriers to fulfilling the mission of the institution (Ruben, 2005) College administrations have unmanageable direction because of a generation gap. Different generations have a different way of learning. Teachers have a hard time teaching the Net Generation students how to properly to research information because the Net Gen students depend highly on the Internet and Google scholar to retrieve their information. Students lack an understanding of what constitutes good-quality scholarly information (Badke, 2009) Teachers presently let the students use their search engine for information the students in higher education are making libraries last on their list for resource information simply because they were not taught the old methods of researching in a brick and mortar library. Researchers found that current and future generations are lazy and would rather watch videos or tutorials instead of reading information found in text materials. Why did they become lazy? In the early 1990’s the World Wide Web was born and it made life and researching easier, not thinking that the information could be erroneous ( Badke, 2009). Anyone pursuing higher education will have to obtain to the thought of incorporating scholar practice of information literacy. Students lack an understanding of what constitutes good-quality scholarly information. Students have difficulty evaluating the glut of information available and depend on questionable sources. (Russell, 2009) Information competence is a basis for long-life learning competence. It is necessary in any way of learning, it makes learning needs-oriented, more self-directed. Information competence is a skill to determine the size of the necessary information; to use the necessary information effectively; to evaluate the information and its sources critically; to develop own knowledge base with the information chosen; to effectively use the information for goal achievement Ruben, B (2005). Not less important is the skill to understand, at what time some information is needed, as well as the skill to get, evaluate, and use the information effectively. Information is available at libraries, public resources, special organizations, media, the Internet, but the information received in a non-filtered way, which arouses a question about the material authenticity, validity, and quality. (Turusheva, 2009) Students will hopefully grow stronger in the use of information literacy, and then society can be exposed to higher educational opportunities such as universities, trade colleges, skill centers, or career enhancement programs. Today’s society is experiencing a need for individuals to take an interest to learn (Thrusheva, 2009). Citizens can take control of their own learning by exposing information literacy for the following reasons: students could become open to higher education and technology, students communicate in an educational setting, and students relate to the numerous students. To correct everything for the next generation must first let the Net Generation know that all the information received on the Internet is not accurate and familiarize them with how to research material other ways. Next we must show that the academic libraries will be very comfortable with the new environment. (Badke, 2009) Letting the new generation just use the Internet makes the brick and mortar libraries become more unfamiliar to them. The world is changing before our very eyes. Elementary teachers point to documents, standards, and programs for information literacy as far a few decades in the past. Students tend to trust the beginning of the Google results or lack the skills to evaluate what they have found (Badke, 2009). Secondary school students have hardly any understanding about the library systems. Google dominates the universities with Google Books and scholar. Now is the time to start to educate all students about the Internet and they need to understand it. Teachers should educate the future students about information, and to go beyond Google. Students can benefit from using more sophisticated researching techniques, so that they can go beyond the search engine (Badke, 2009). To understand Scholarship, Practitioner and Leadership Model is essential to guidance in the field of education. Recognizing and classifying strengths and weaknesses within the institutes is essential to survival. Specifically, organizational information literacy can press forward toward the next level. Expanded literacy will provide opportunities for collaboration and feedback, which will grow the organization. The SPL model works interdependently with information literacy, in that one cannot survive without the other.

The Empire of Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Empire of Ghana - Essay Example According to the archaeological evidence available, in the initial stages of the kingdom, the relatively low levels of economic and technological development coupled with a sense of communism among the citizens led to minimal differentiation among social classes. This trend changed when the empire discovered natural resources such as gold within its boundaries. In addition, its proximity to major sub Saharan trade routes also contributed to the rise of economic muscle of the kingdom (Irele & Jeyifo, 2010). The development of iron resources and ironworking skills among the people led to production of weapons, which made it easier for the empire to expand its territory by conquering the neighbouring tribes. The production of iron tools also led to better farm equipments, which brought about distribution of labour and increased stratification of social classes. The main territories of the kingdom lay in the middle of trade routes that were used by ivory and gold producers of the south a nd Arab and Berber tradesmen of the north who introduced camels in the empire. The empire ensured that it had an army of at least 200, 000 warriors mainly of Soninke origin who provided the trade caravans with security during their journeys. These warriors were also responsible for invasion of neighbouring tribes in a bid to expand their territory and to get slaves to provide labour in the farms and mines (Masonen & Senkomago, 2005). Initially, the government structure in the Ghana Empire was a communal system led by village elders; however, with increased military and trade activities, the empire expanded its authority and territories, which led to the formation of a hierarchical system of governance led by an emperor. The rule of the emperor was absolute as he had the final word regarding all activities within the empire. He was assisted to rule by the royal council that directed and vetted his decisions, in addition, the council was also responsible for the supervising all govern ment affairs. The monarchy had a matrilineal succession style where the son of the emperor’s sister would succeed the emperor on his death. With the growth in the kingdom, the government structure became sophisticated and the emperors had to entrust the responsibility of running the affairs of the government to viziers (prime ministers) who in turn were assisted by many officials in various areas of administration such as palace, foreign affairs, trade among others (Haywood, 2008). The introduction of Islam religion and its culture from the Middle East brought with it more elaborative leadership styles that were used in that region (Lange, 2005). The empire of Ghana was divided into provinces that were ruled by governors appointed by the king, in addition, there were tributary kingdoms that were allowed to retain their autonomy by the king but they had to pay tribute to the emperor and provide the empire with soldiers. Justice in the empire of Ghana was served by higher and l ower courts that became active after Arab traders set their base in the region. The empire had two main sources of revenue; one was tax that was levied per donkey and camel load of precious metals or merchandise that entered or left the empire, secondly, the empire got revenues from production tax that was levied on gold and iron ore, which were the most precious resources that the country had. The capital city of the empire is

Reflective Practice Professional Development Planning Essay

Reflective Practice Professional Development Planning - Essay Example 9) not only at a school-wide but district-wide levels, as well. The availability of materials online allows easy access to support schools and teacher in dealing with the students’ learning needs. Killion and Williams (2004) stresses the importance of embedding professional development in the regular school day. The role therefore, of instructional leaders in creating a culture of continuous learning among the teaching staff is important. Coaching, encouraging collaborative work and providing resources and support are among the essential responsibilities of those in the leadership or administrative position. Perhaps one of the major obstacles of an instructional leader is dealing with individuals who resist collaborative professional learning. De Lay (2009) in the article â€Å"Behold! The Power of Teacher Collaboration† however, clearly emphasizes the need to encourage and sustain education practitioners’ collaboration. De Lay (2009) outlines a number of ways to create connections and engage oneself in collaborative professional development. Engaging in reflection is the starting point where one can make a clear sense of one’s professional goals and needs. Finding other professionals with common needs and goals can enrich one’s insight in achieving these goals. Active participation in professional development meetings and in professional associations perpetuates the spirit of mutual learning where one can build on solutions and opportunities. Social networking resources, such as Facebook and Twitter, are good ways of building relationships beyond the confine s of the classroom or the school. The internet has opened limitless possibilities ready for constructive exploitation. The article highlights Google Docs as way for individuals to work together on the same document regardless of where they are.

Write a summary of each of the following texts and discuss how the Essay

Write a summary of each of the following texts and discuss how the authors address the subject of identity - Essay Example If economics and political figures do not fix the globalization structure, people will not have what they want, which will become a part of their identity. Therefore, each decision that man makes affects his true self and identity. In the twenty-first century, economic changes were threatening the third American middle class because U.S. corporations started to transfer production jobs and service jobs to low-wage workers. Along with that, in many Third World countries of export-oriented development strategies made the global market for both skilled and unskilled labor to grow bigger. Reducing the cost of such imports as toys from China and shoes from Indonesia, it destroyed the jobs. Unfortunately, every sector from foreign competition, an ever growing number of manufacturing and service jobs were eliminated by technological innovations, which is a trend that will probably prove even more important than globalization over time.. Due to technologically driven increases in productivity, advances in manufacturing and automation have slashed the prices of consumer appliances such as televisions and personal computers. However, productivity growth threatens the middle class and other social classes in three ways due to the poor structure of globalization, which could increase economic growth if reconstructed correctly. Within the book, it seems that a cow in a foreign country makes more money than anyone in the world, which most economists cannot realize as a problem. With that fact, the book suggest that globalization needs to be restructured in order to benefit everyone since their actions define their identity. In â€Å"Art of Darkness,† blacks are settled in Britain, however some do not receive the same education and treatment as white students due to the fact that they are viewed as a minority race Furthermore, because of their lack culture acknowledgement from teachers, sometimes British blacks

Terrorism and patriot act Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorism and patriot act - Coursework Example Over 3000 people lost their lives. While America was still recovering from the shock of this barbaric act on its home soil, President George W. Bush lost no time in pursuit of the culprits. He ordered airstrikes on likely hideouts of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. At the administrative level, he promulgated the Patriot Act 2001 and established the Department of Homeland Security to help deal with all further threats and protect the borders of the USA and its people. Some sweeping powers were given to these personnel to track, apprehend and arrest possible suspects who wanted to harm America and its interests. The extent of these powers is a matter of debate, as many opine that it violates the rights of privacy and freedom as guaranteed under the U.S Constitution (Worrall, 2011). The Patriot Act was signed into Law by President Bush on October 26, 2001, just over a month and a half after the events of September 11. The Act has 10 separate sections, one each relating to enhancing domestic security against terrorism, surveillance procedures, anti-money-laundering, removing obstacles to investigations, information sharing, criminal law, terrorism intelligence and border security. Many sections were due to sunset after four years, but they were extended by President Obama in the larger public interest (CLDC, 2012). Among the most contentious of the powers under Section 213 is that of arresting someone on mere suspicion of being a terrorist, and that of searching his or her house without a warrant. Section 218 allows for wiretapping of such suspect’s every means of communication. Under Section 805, anybody even suspected of giving advice or assistance to a terrorist would be liable for arrest and prosecution. Granted that we have to nip terrorism in the bud, but such measures are a close call to violating the privacy and integrity of American citizens and go against the widely held precept of ‘innocent till proven

Media and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media and Communication - Essay Example Such technologies are not created simply along with the general progress of humanity as Marx believed. Rather, dominating and oppressive technologies which enable media and communication are not produced automatically or instantaneously but produces as a result of specific discursive formations which not only fashions knowledge in terms of its own logic but also constitutes the way of thinking itself. It is through the process of 'rationalisation', the term commonly associated with German philosopher Max Weber, Western model of capitalism became dominant over the entire surface of earth. In terms of governance, art and science, modern capitalism is uniquely based on rationalisation and subsequent mechanisation. The process of rationalisation is merely an embodiment of instrumental reason to which, in the epoch of modernity, human beings are subsumed. Foucault (1970) is of the view that modern social institutions are not only rational structures but also mechanisms for reproducing instrument rationality. Questioning the totality of deterministic meta-narrative histories, Foucault presents an idea of fragmented histories of 'strata'. The negation of the idea of total or holistic histories by Foucault is extremely visible when he puts forward the (epistemologically different) questions that; "which strata should be isolated from others What types of series should be established What criteria of periodization should be adopted for each of them What system of relations (hierarchy, dominance, stratification, univocal determination, circular causality) may be established between them What series of series may be established And in what large-scale chronological table may distinct series of events be determined" (Foucault, 2002 , p.4). Answering these questions with relations to 'media and communication as a stratum of culture', it would be possible to demarcate the realm of media and communication and analyse it as an independent and autonomous discursive formation in itself.For Foucault, the state of media and the techniques of communication which is quintessential to western technology-driven and dominated culture are the product of a culturally specific construction and validation of knowledge. There are monopolies of knowledge which legitimise particular domination structures and patterns. The media itself is a monopoly of a particular type of knowledge and communication techniques are the channels of dissemination of monopolised knowledge. Media not only constitutes but also maintains forms of monopolised knowledge which are oppressive in both form and content. Speaking from a technological standpoint based on Foucault's delineation of discursive formations, media can be seen as vehicles or carriers of mass oppression and mass domination made possible through the realisation of technologies of domination and oppression. On the other hand, the discursive model of media and communication as a "field of discursive events" is nothing but a "grouping that is always finite and limited at any moment to the linguistic sequences that have been formulated; they may be innumerable, they may, in sheer size, exceed the capacities of recording, memory, or reading: nevertheless form a finite grouping" (