Understanding culturally responsive teaching and multicultural educ

Understanding culturally responsive teaching and multicultural educ Multicultural education is all about students learning in different modes and about teachers responding effectively to recognize and detect the differences in learning. Culturally responsive teaching always focuses on perceived strengths of students and liaising between mismatch between cultures followed at home and the school. Culturally responsive teaching is a systematic approach to modern day teaching by taking into consideration many aspects of culture and its values. In a classical study, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Gloria Ladson-Billings demonstrated the examples of a culturally relevant teaching module. The main goal of this study was to find out why some teachers were successful with teaching African American children what other teachers could not. The researcher also wanted to pinpoint those specific behaviors that made these teachers successful in teaching. For this study, she chose all parents and principals from four schools that exclusively taught African American children, to pick those teachers, who they considered excellent in terms of teaching. As one could guess, the choices made by principals and parents were entirely different. Principals They chose teachers, who possessed very low numbers of discipline referrals, who had very high attendance rates and top test scores. Parents Parents chose teachers who were helping, enthusiastic, interested in teaching students and those who actually understood that students want to mix with a community that had both white and colored students. The result In all, nine teachers, both white and black, were selected for the experiment. Out of them, eight agreed to participate in the study. The researcher conducted this study for several years; after many years of dedicated research, the researcher could observe many conflicting scenarios. Teachers who participated in the program were all different, each with their own teaching styles, strategies and personalities. The results that were pooled from the exercise were too confusing and the researcher just wanted to abandon the program because of these conflicting results. However, the researcher could suddenly find some remarkable, striking and subtle features that were associated with the experimental module. 1) All the eight teachers, who participated in the exercise voluntarily chose challenging schools, those were complex and difficult to teach. 2) All of them felt that they were responsible for the success of their students 3) Teachers were very sensitive and receptive towards race and class discrimination in society. 4) In fact, they wanted to fight bias and prejudice that were so common in schools 5) Lastly, teachers considered both students home and classroom as inter-related and connected. This perception helped them to learn from different neighborhoods. The methods used by the teacher were very interesting and refreshing. All of them respected other cultures, classes and religions. They also honored the crafts, customs and traditions followed in the community. Teachers also invited parents to share traditional experiences and customs of each community. Teachers cajoled students to learn and master both home and Standard English (home English is the one that students speak in their homes). One of the most striking and interesting aspect of the exercise was that even teachers were willing to learn from students and parents experiences and opinions. Eventually, the researcher, Gloria Ladson-Billings, could summarize the research findings and arrive at a package of principles for meaningful and community teaching. These culturally responsive principles are as follows: 1. Stronger self-esteem and self-image is possible, only when the students experience academic success and satisfaction. Students who do not believe in themselves or in their abilities may have very poor academic achievements. Students always like lessons that are in consonance with their learning styles. Students also like to learn the basic knowledge and skills those are necessary for achieving success in their classrooms. 2. To succeed in classrooms and elsewhere, students must develop and retain core competence. A home is where one can find opportunity for learning. Not many teachers teach about educational experiences that students could gain in a community setting. Many teachers teach just the classroom skills and techniques. The researcher made it a point to include community as a foundation for meaningful teaching. She believed that teaching should look beyond the traditional classroom. She wanted to avoid a perceived conflict or friction between the classroom and home. Teachers can create and set up and meaningful and positive academic environment by teaching beyond traditional classrooms and by integrating learning with the concepts, customs and traditions of local community. 3. It is possible to encounter and challenge social injustice by developing highly critical consciousness and awareness. An intelligent and culturally inclined teacher needs to connect and gel with the needs and of the students as well as the local community. He or he may also need to work hard to enhance and improve the quality of life experienced in the school and community. Stop and Think Just, ask this following simple questions to yourself Can you recall an incidence in your school when you felt a disconnection? Did you see an apparent difference between the life portrayed in the textbooks and the real world where you actually lived? Do you feel that the method used in the case study were effective? If effective, why do you think so? Can you relate students skills and experiences with the skills and experiences of the community from where they come from? Do you feel that culturally responsive principles work in your class? How do you enhance or develop your students core competencies? Schools are just like a sanitized bubble that is entirely insulated from the problems that are faced in the real world. As a culturally enabled teacher, you should try to break open this bubble, so that students can experience the problems of the exterior world. Culturally relevant classroom will try to confront and eliminate real social problems. You should know and learn what it means to be an effective and culturally responsive teacher, so that you can enhance and broaden your feeling of what it needs to become a successful teacher. Collate and accumulate the following viewpoints that help you to be a good teacher. To be a good teacher, you may need to consider Ladson- Billings three points and later imbibe certain skills, attitudes and knowledge. 1. The type of teaching methods and skills that you need to acquire to become a culturally responsive teacher. 2. An ability to diagnose and detect different needs of students and action plans for different learning styles. 3. Developing and harnessing critical thinking and cognitive skills to help students excel in their studies. 4. Acquire a skill known as wait time, where you will remain silent and listen to the answers given by all students. Note: Previous studies have demonstrated that teachers with the noblest intentions often fail to use effective teaching skills. Chapter 11 of this book, Becoming an Effective Teacher, will provide you additional equitable teaching skills that can help you fine-tune your teaching career. Developing Attitudes to become a culturally responsive teacher Attitudes are very important for every teacher. What type of attitudes do you want acquire, so that you can become a culturally responsive teacher? Do you have any meaningful methods that help you teach students, whose cultural background is entirely different from yours? Most of your students may come from similar race, ethnicity and classes. Most of us may share a common set of values and opinions, while the way in which we socialized in the past may also be quite similar. As you get ready to teach, you may work hard to go away from your familiar territory and search for different viewpoints. The more different you become, the more likely you will be capable to welcome diverse life experiences and attitudes that are meaningful and agreeable. To become a culturally responsive teacher of very high caliber, you may need to acquire skills and knowledge about various groups and their experiences. The amount of skills and knowledge sets that you possess may be insufficient enough to teach your students. The skills and methods that you use may be inaccurate as well. To become a successful teacher, you may need to educate about yourself, your students and their requirements. Try to know and understand the educational implications of your students cultural backgrounds. This chapter will assist you traverse this unique path. Just consider this example. A number of African American community members often prefer aural and participatory learning to writing. If you are adamant and bent on using writing activities only, then your students performance may come down. Research findings also suggest us that girls and women have the habit of personalizing knowledge, skills and prefer learning by the way of experiences and first hand observation. Make sure that you create personal connections and events that will definitely enhance the success rates of female students. The big challenge that all teachers face is the ability to acquire beneficial and accurate cultural insights that eventually assist them to connect their classroom with the underlying culture. This needs to be done while preventing the likelihood of falling into the trap of stereotypic thinking. Do you know that difference between a useful cultural insight and a destructive stereotype? If you do not know, the next section will assist you learn the essential difference between them. Knowing Stereotypes The second chapter demonstrated the essential differences between different stereotypes and generalizations. Here, we will attempt to evaluate and analyze them very closely. What are stereotypes? Stereotypes are the firm and absolute beliefs that all members of a particular group possess; stereotypes will have a fixed set of parameters and characteristics. The word stereotype took its birth in a print shop. It is almost like a type. It is also like a one-piece plate that repeats a particular pattern without any individualism. Today, stereotypic thinking relates to cultures that neglect individuality and is applied consistently to every member of a group. Stereotypic thinking is rigid and non-flexible. It is set on a particular form of thinking that is unfair and unjust. Stereotypic people always try to save their time bypassing their normal thinking process. Stereotypes are a set of special characteristics those are attached to a group of individuals, based on their allegiance to a certain group with no qualification of thinking process. People who are stereotypes always use highly simplistic words that border on a sense of rigidity. For example, they may use words like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. All Blacks are or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..All Hispanics are or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ All Asians are. In fact, these preconceived expressions are applied to certain groups without making any distinction; most of them are pre-conceived ideas and expressions. In fact, stereotypes are the way of thinking in a sloppy and unfair manner that undermines the basic values of a culturally different school. Consider the following examples: A typical stereotypic line of thinking may be: 1) All Hispanics are very poor in studies 2) All Asians are academically very smart and intelligent 3) Jews are very rich 4) African Americans are very good in sports Note: Stereotypes are impermeable to contradictory information. Examples: 1) Go and find a very poor Jew 2) Find me a Hispanic person with a doctorate degree 3) Give me an example of an Asian student who fails in math test 4) Find an African American, who is not an athletic. 5) Find a European American, who is not clean and hygienic Each of these strings of thought process is a perceived anomaly and every one of them is an exception to the set rule. As a result, the stereotypes always endure and persist. A typical stereotype is very dangerous and it can hurt and damage peoples egos. Stereotypic thinking in a school can even more be dangerous, as it can impede learning process. It also inhibits the ability to search for new information, not just ordinary and contradictory ones. Threat posed by Stereotypes Just consider the following example of stereotype and try to assess its damaging nature. Opinion polls published in the recent past inform us that about 50% of white Americans agree and endorse typical stereotypes relating to blacks and Hispanics, like most of them are not intelligent and skilled. Such stereotypic thinking acts like a double-edged sword; they can influence whites, blacks and Hispanics in equal measures. They can adversely influence the expectations, behaviors of whites, while blacks and Hispanics should live in a society that professes such beliefs. Consider the following case study published sometime back: In a study, the researchers asked both the whites and African American students to take somewhat difficult verbal examinations. Two groups took the verbal skill test a control group and an experimental group. In the control group, students took tests in a typically normal manner to measure the intelligence. On the other hand, the experimental groups consisted of students and they did not know that they were taking tests. Here, the psychology of their verbal problems was put to test. The researcher made sure that the two groups were matched to keep variable parameters like abilities of the students, time to test and the quality of tests almost similar. Results In the experimental groups, black test participants were successful in solving twice as many unique problems, as the ones those among the control group. On the other hand, the white test participants could solve almost the same number in both the groups. In another similar experiment, researchers found out that performance level of black test takers was very bad, when the examiners asked them to enter their race and ethnicity type on the test form. The outcome that you see here in this study is very simple. The outcome relates to the stereotypic threat. A number of factors like can influence academic performance: Self image Trust on others A Sense of belonging towards others When you learn that there is stereotype, you are more likely to act like a stereotype than when it does not exist. When you care most about your academic performance, you are more likely to be vulnerable to stereotypic threat. Many research studies demonstrate that why African American and other ethnic students tend to perform very well in college tests than their SAT scores predict. In many cases, the standardized test scores cannot be taken as an indicator and they are more often misleading. Likewise, many other people often fail as victims of stereotype threats especially Latinos in English tests, females in math tests and elderly people on short-term memory tests. Sometimes, even a bright student with very strong test scores may fall a victim to stereotype mentality. In fact, even a bright white student is not immune to stereotype; white students failed to perform to their expected levels, when they heard about their comparison with the Asian students. In fact, no one is immune from stereotype threat. Stereotype can limit a students ability to perform well in academics. Stereotype can convince a student that intellect is a fixed trait, that some ethnic groups are more intelligent than others are, and that his or her future is determined at the birth itself. Mind you, your intellect is just like your brain and it can change and transform over time. Your potential is truly amazing. If you believe that you can teach your brain to become smarter and intelligent, to grow like what you can do to your muscles through exercises, you can easily eradicate stereotypic thinking from your mind. Similarly, you can even enhance your test score, as well as the academic excellence. As a teacher, you are also dealing with ethics, values and characters of your students. When stereotypes exist among your students, they can damage your students and their learning potential beyond repair. When you give proper instruction, your students can overcome any type of stereotype. A good anti-stereotype course curriculum is the one that represents unique diversity across all races, ethnicity, genders, religions and socio-economic status. If you have the ability, you can even confront stereotype directly, head on with full conviction. You may just need to explain what stereotype is and how students can neutralize it. Never ever, ignore the perils of stereotype and its ability to damage your students mind and academic career. Dealing with generalization Generalizations recognize that there are special trends within a wide swath of people. Al members of religious, racial and ethnic groups have something that is common to them. They also share many things together. Generalization has many special characteristics: 1) They can give you some insights 2) They do not signify hard and fast conclusions like stereotypes 3) They do not consider that everyone in a group possess a fixed set of characters. You can never apply this axiom to everyone. You can modify it, as and when you collect fresh and new information. There will be many exceptions to generalizations. It is so common to see people using most common words like many, commonly, often or tend to, as different forms of generalizations. They also recognize that people may belong to different groups almost simultaneously. Example You can find Israeli Jews, Asian Jews, Arab Jews and even Polish Jews. Yet, they are all Jews altogether. Similarly, you can find African Indians, Caribbean Indians, Fiji Indians or even East African Indians. Yet, they are all Indians altogether. You can get a hunch or clue about a group through generalizations. These clues could form very important links, when you are planning to teach your class. When you do not know anything about your students or when you know very little about them, generalizations could be very useful tools to feel the pulse of the classroom. Generalizations provide you an educated guess to learn more about your students. As time passes and when you learn more about your class, you can then reject those generalizations that are vague and false. Using generalizations to create a culturally responsive teaching module Is it possible to develop a culturally responsive classroom by using generalizations in the teaching modules? Assume that you have a number of Native American students in your classroom. Now, let is also assume that you conduct some research on the learning preferences of these students. After conducting that research, you will discover that these students prefer to learn their lessons in a highly cooperative group that cherishes community and family values to individual competition. With available results, you will decide to modify your teaching methods that actually cater to the demands of students. Rather than using the same old model of teacher centric approach, you may start working on several academic topics at the same time. You will design a teaching module that specifically asks open-ended questions that demand answers related to student experiences of life. You may also wish to wait for some time for your students to answer your questions. Usually, Native Americans tend to wait for some time to give their answers. Native American students also tend to respect natural and supernatural forces very much. They also like to see native Indian expressions, words and syllables apart from legends and signs in their course curriculum. When you give them a chance to learn, by the way of sharing rather than competition, your students can learn well and perform better. Generalizations are always flexible. With experiences of teaching a diverse group of students, you can easily acquire better skills and techniques that help you in confronting any type of stereotypes. With valued experiences, you can also become the most productive teacher, who can be culturally responsive and sensitive as well. Let us kick start that process right now in the next section. Journal Activity Why generalizations and stereotypic thinking is dangerous for the society? List some important reasons and find solutions to overcome them. Is it possible to create culturally responsible teaching module by overcoming stereotypes and generalizations? Think of some teaching modules that you feel are good for you and study them in detail. Pause and Reflect Have you come across instances of stereotypes and generalizations, when you were studying in your school? If yes, write them down and analyze them. Do you feel that your present attitude towards a culturally diverse classroom is conducive enough to teach without any inhibitions or limitations? Give reasons why you are capable enough to teach a diverse classroom.

Wireless Networks :: Networks Telecommunications

Wireless services symbolizes a development of technology, and perhaps a new era of telecommunications, but these services have been used for over a century and remain identical with the "radio". The modest beginning of wireless services takes us back to the 19th century at time when Guglielmo Marconi, "the father of radio" made his mark in the world of wireless technology. When Marconi started experimenting with radio waves (Hertzian Waves) in 1894 his idea was to produce and detect radio waves over long distances. In 1896, Marconi was successful and obtained a patent and established the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company Limited, the first radio factory in the world. In 1901, signals were received across the Atlantic and in 1905 the first wireless distress signal was sent using Morse Code. Wireless technology ultimately progressed as an invaluable tool used by the U.S. Military. The Military configured wireless signals to transmit data over a medium that had complex encryption, which makes unauthorized access to network traffic almost impossible. This type of technology was first introduced during World War II when the Army began sending battle plans over enemy lines and when Navy ships instructed their fleets from shore to shore. Wireless proved so important as a secure communications medium many businesses and schools thought it could expand their computing arena by expanding their wired local area networks (LAN) using wireless LANs. The first wireless LAN came together in 1971 when networking technologies met radio communications at the University of Hawaii as a research project called ALOHNET. The bi-directional star topology of the system included seven computers deployed over four islands to communicate with the central computer on the Oahu Island without using phone lines. And so, wireless technology, as we know it, began its passage into every house, classroom, and business around the world. Wireless network technology has been implemented for a number of things including cell phones, PDA's, and personal and business computers. There are three types of wireless networks, wide area networks (WAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), and personal area networks (PAN). Wide area networks include the networks provided by the cell phone carriers. Wireless local area networks are networks set up to provide wireless connectivity within a certain coverage area. Personal area networks are networks that provide wireless connectivity over distances of up to 10m or so. Wireless networks have many advantages, but also has many disadvantages to.

Journal Topic :: essays research papers

Journal 1 Echternacht, Lonnie & Wedmaier, Cheryl. (2000) Business Professionals’ and Business Educators’ Perceptions of Database Competencies Needed for Entry-Level Employment. NABTE, 34-39. How much education does a student need to receive a good job? The business world changes so much that a person is not able to keep up with the education that goes along. In the article it gives you the idea that a person can graduate from college and then in five years, what they learned is not used any more. Business changes so much it is hard to tell what the future will do. Researches think that students need to learn different skills to help them out in the work place. The purpose of the study was to find out what database competencies are important for a job in the business field. Also, how do the experts rate the competencies that are giving to them? The researchers sent out questionnaires to teachers who use or teach database classes. The questionnaires were made up from different resources that had extensive study on the background. The researchers sent them out by e-mail to all chosen participants. The participants were asked if they would mind being part of the study and if so e-mail them back. The study would consist of three parts all three parts would consist of participants communicating with the researchers. The first part the participants had to rate the competencies of database material. The researchers sent out 64 competencies and the participants could delete and add any to the list. Part two consisted of revaluating their pervious work. The participants could make changes if they felt it was appropriate. The researchers sent out information again to have participants complete three rounds of study. The study showed the competencies that the participants thought were important. The researchers took the range from all of the participants. It scored them from one to six. Six is the highest and one is low and the participants did not spend much time teaching it or thought it needs to be taught. Save the database file, enter records into databases, and review, edit, and delete database files were some that scored a six. The conclusion showed that people with interest in the business field should be aware of data base software and database management systems.

Essay --

George Washington was the first President of the United States. He was elected on April 30, 1789 Washington had the respect of everyone. Washington had many intriguing qualities. An example would be his quality of concern for his men. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Washington lost many of the battles, but he chose to lose them, rather than to win and risk all of his men’s lives. He made tactical retreats to save his men. George Washington, our first President, won over the hearts and earned the respect of the people of the United States because of his strong character, and not because of his political genius. In fact he never even went to college, due to lack of money. George Washington had the respect of not only politicians, lawyers, wealthy plantation owners, but also the respect of people who were not considered to be people. Such peoples included slaves and women. A man named Phyllis Wheatley became the first black poet of America. He talks about Washington’s greatness at the Siege of Boston in one of his poems, claiming virtue to always be at his side. Another poem was wri...

The Power of the Latino Vote

With the Presidential Elections coming in less than a year, candidates have stepped up efforts to attract the various groups of voters all over the country. One of the groups that candidates have targeted significantly is the Latino or Hispanic voters. The attention and importance that has been given to the Latino Vote can be traced back to the fact that Hispanics are slowly becoming the largest minority population in the country. With the large segment of the Hispanic population becoming eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, candidates are viewing the Latino Vote as greatly influential in determining the results of the elections. In the past presidential elections, Hispanic voting has been considerably less than other racial or ethnic groups in the country. Since the presidential elections in 1980, the percentage of reported voting of Hispanic voter has been less than 30%. (Jamieson et al, 2002) This is significantly less than the reported voting percentage of African American voters. In every presidential election since 1980, African-American reported voting was between 50 to 56 percent. Meanwhile, voters of Asian origin had almost the same percentage as the Hispanic voters. (Jamieson et al, 2002) These data are only significant when one considers the population of each of the said races. Latinos greatly outnumber Asians in the country. Therefore, the low turnout of Hispanic voters is more significant than that of Asian voters. The importance of the Latino vote can be better understood from a demographic perspective. For the 2008 presidential elections, an estimated 12 million Latinos will be registered to vote. At the same time, there are 6.7 million unregistered voters. (LULAC, 2007) These votes can easily swing the results of the election. From this perspective alone, it is evident that the Latino vote is vital. Presidential candidates have acknowledged such fact. For this reason, there has been increased effort to court the Latino Vote. References Jamieson, A., Cheeseman Day, J. and Shin, H. (February 2002). â€Å"Table C. Reported Voting in Presidential Election Years by Region, Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Age: November 1964 to 2000.† Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2000. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC. League of United Latin American Citizens. (1 Oct. 2007). Maximizing Latino Voting Power, Defeating Anti-Immigrant Efforts. Retrieved 27 November 2007 from: .   

Love Is Sacrifice Essay

I left work today realizing just how fortunate I am to be on the track towards a successful career. And on top of that, the fact that I actually enjoy my job makes it even better! It’s definitely been a long road. I think about how I had to deal with rude and ignorant customers as a convenient store cashier during junior high, the strenuous labor working alongside my mother at the dry cleaners in high school, and then finally those dreaded double shifts waiting tables for three years during college. And yet I look at what I have today and realize that I haven’t obtained these things for myself. All of it has been provided by the hands of the good Lord, and the sacrifice of my parents. It’s truly amazing what a parent’s love for his/her child can accomplish. How much they are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their children. I must say without a doubt that is one of the most important lessons my parents have taught me. Love is sacrifice. My parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1979. My mother came to this country first in January of that year, along with her parents and her siblings. She left behind her husband and her two daughters in search of a better life for all of us. Being away from your child even for a minute is the hardest thing to do as a mother. Not a day went by during our separation that she didn’t think of us, did not long to hold us in her arms and to sing us to sleep with sweet lullabies. She fought back tears and endured heartache every day, but she knew that in the long run, this would all be worth it. My dad tells me that during this time while I was in Korea under his sole care, I would look up at all the airplanes that flew by and cry out, â€Å"Um-ma, Um-ma† (mother in Korean). My father would shake his head and tell me that it wasn’t my mother and I would burst into tears. My father and my aunts (his sisters) told me they had never seen an infant cry as much as I did during the time my mother was gone. Finally, almost a year later in December of 1979, we were reunited with my mother at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. My father likes to tell me how our reunion was delayed, because I had to use the bathroom and couldn’t hold it in. So the flight was delayed twenty minutes for its departure to the good old USA because of little moi and her weak bladder (oops!). When I finally saw my mother, I immediately ran into her arms. I must have been the happiest little girl in the world at that very moment. But my sister (who was not even one at the time my mother left) didn’t recognize her and clung to my father refusing to go into my mother’s arms. I can’t imagine the heartache my mother must have felt when her own child didn’t recognize her. Even as my mother retold the story to us, she choked with emotion recalling the alienation she sensed at that moment. What a sacrifice she made. But a child never forgets the womb from which she was conceived and in no time at all, my sister was Mom’s little baby girl again. My mother is my role model of strength and courage. My parents had heard such wonderful stories about life in America. But life wasn’t wonderful in the beginning. My grandparents, two uncles, my aunt, and my parents all lived together in a small apartment in Maryland. They could hardly speak the native language. They had no money to their name. They were starting off from scratch. They began as cashiers at local convenient stores, worked in dry cleaners, and basically took whatever job they could get. Here they were, educated and skilled, yet working these blue-collar jobs in the hopes that one day their children wouldn’t have to. My parents both worked long hours. We hardly saw them and soon found ourselves becoming â€Å"latch-key† kids. My sister, brother, and I basically grew up taking care of ourselves. My father was also attending seminary at the same time studying to be a pastor, which I think ended up being one of the greatest sacrifices he made. There’s no money in ministry. No glory. Very little benefits. But I learned quickly that the treasures on Earth fade away just as quickly as the sun rises and the sun sets. My father saw the eternal reward and was willing to sacrifice everything he had for it†¦ including a comfortable life for himself and his family. I find myself awestruck at how my father even raised a family of five on his salary. I make more than double what he ever made as a pastor. And I’m having a hard enough time managing my finances as a single person, much less raising a family. Yet my father knew this was his calling in life and he knew it would not be an easy road for any of us. My father is my role model of sacrifice and incredible faith. My sister and I had to work our way through college, studying diligently when we weren’t working odd jobs to pay off our tuition and rent. Though those years were hard and we found ourselves ready to give up at certain points of our college career, we made it through. But I remember the moments where I felt I just couldn’t go on living like this. I remember vividly one night during my sophomore year in college when I came home after a horrible night at the restaurant and found myself weeping quietly in the corner of my room (hoping my roommates wouldn’t hear). I stayed there the rest of the night, wishing with all my heart that my life were different. Yet it was the hope and dreams of something better down the road that got me through those hard days. Although my parents couldn’t give us much in terms of material things, they gave us so much more. My sister, brother, and I have a deep appreciation and understanding of hard work and sacrifice. Having experienced the hardships ourselves, we are only that much more grateful for what our parents did for us. The chance they took to go to a different country where everything was foreign to them so that they could give their children a better life than they had known for themselves. To sacrifice their own dreams and ambitions so that we could see ours come true. Now as college graduates with promising careers, my parents proudly see that their sacrifice was well worth it. Mere words cannot say thank you enough.

Liberty and Equality Essay

The principles of liberty and equality are what led America to be the great country it is today. Those terms would not be as meaningful if Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and many other founders of our country did not embrace those ideas and adopt them from the Europeans. The strong belief in liberty and equality led this nation to adhere to those standards set by the great leaders above. Without liberty, equality, and those who fought for the pursuit of these ideals, life in America would not be the same. The great leaders who helped bring liberty and equality to America did not create these concepts; they were adopted from the European countries that were also fighting for equality and liberty. William Russell claims that the idea was not formed in America. He states, â€Å"The climate of America did not breed liberty, nor did its geography foster equality† (Russell 55). Even though the idea might not have come from Thomas Jefferson himself, he was stil l instrumental in the formation of American values and the implementation of democratic ideals in America. Jefferson strongly believed that every citizen deserved to be equal. He did not like the fact that some people had more rights than others, because this implied that not everyone in America was the same. Jefferson had the perfect opportunity to express his feeling and he did; when he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wanted to make sure that no group’s rights were limited. Jefferson also highlighted the importance of everyone’s ability to pursue their own ambitions, by stating that we all possess â€Å"unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (The Declaration 7). This statement has become iconic because of its message—anyone can and should be able to follow their dreams. This step was crucial in the formation of America’s democracy. Similarly, George Washington upheld the values of liberty and equality by citing views comparable to Jefferson’s. Washington strengthened his argument when he included the notion of God’s involvement in the success and the happiness of  the people in America. In his First Inaugural Address, he expresses to the people that the Almighty Being has the power and the will to heal all defected humans and to bring happiness to every human being in this country. Washington asks that God’s â€Å"Benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people in the United States a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes† (First Inauguration 44). Washington believed in the importance of God in guiding citizens toward a thriving government and nation, which he believed would lead to the happiness of the American people. He states the significance of sticking to rules placed by the Almighty, because the nation that follows the rules of Heaven will receive smiles. Like Washington, Abraham Lincoln also felt that God was an influential Almighty Being, who could help America meet its longtime goals of Liberty and Equality. Lincoln wanted everyone—from the slaves to the slave owners—to be in an equal nation under God. He expressed these thoughts in the â€Å"The Gettysburg Address.† In this speech, he explains that the current Civil War was being fought to preserve the idea of total equality, and to abolish the institution of slavery. Lincoln states that the nation under God â€Å"Shall have a new birth of freedom† (Gettysburg 93). The war’s purpose, to settle a longstanding dispute between the North and the South, evolved from Lincoln’s desire to rid the nation of slavery. Both Washington and Lincoln believed everyone—including African Americans, women, and any other marginalized group—had the right to freedom. Likewise, Henry David Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† exp resses his thoughts and feelings about laws set by the government. Thoreau explains the role of liberty and equality in America differently than Washington and Lincoln. He decides against using God as a persuasive tool. Instead, he encourages people to stand up to the government and disobey the laws they feel are denying justice to certain people. Thoreau believed that to fight a law in a â€Å"civil† way, you must â€Å"Cast your whole vote, not a stripe of paper merely, but your whole influence† (Civil Disobedience 9). He suggests that if one person expresses his or her idea of justice, more people may speak up and fight back. He believed this would lead to the government’s forced compliance with more just acts of liberty and equality. Martin Luther King Jr. took Thoreau’s ideas to heart. He very famously stood up to laws he believed were unjust during the Civil Rights movement. He fought a very long  time to bring a greater level of equality to Ameri ca, especially for African American people. King felt that liberty and equality had been denied too long for African Americans. He expresses that thought in a letter from his jail cell in Birmingham. King writes, â€Å"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights† (King Web). King’s frustration led him to believe that his best option was what Thoreau describes: civil disobedience. Ultimately, King’s pursuit of liberty and equality proved incredibly worthwhile; his acts of civil disobedience changed the landscape of American culture. Throughout history, America has had great leaders of all backgrounds and religions. This diversity has strengthened our desire and pursuit of equality and liberty for all. Each great leader, writer, and thinker has contributed to the molding of America as a democratic land. Each person encouraged others to contribute to their cause, resulting in a country where liberty and equality have truly become a group effort. Works Cited Jefferson, Thomas. â€Å"Declaration Of Independence.† The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History, 1775-1865. Ed. John Grafton. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000. 5-9. Print. King, Martin L., Jr. â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.].† Letter. 16 Apr. 1963.Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]. University of Pennsylvania, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. . Lincoln, Abraham. â€Å"The Gettysburg Address.† 1863. The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History, 1775-1865. Ed. John Grafton. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000. 92-93. Print. Thoreau, H. D. â€Å"Civil disobedience.† Civil disobedience, and other essays (pp. 1-18). New York: Dover Publications. Print. (Original work published 1849) Russell, William Fletcher. Liberty vs. Equality. New York: Macmillan, 1936. 54-55. Print. Washington, George. â€Å"George Washington: First Inauguration Address.† The Declaration of In dependence and Other Great Documents of American History, 1775-1865. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000. 43-46. Print.