My English skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My English skills - Essay Example In these lessons and portfolios, I was taught on how to effectively present my ideas and communicate messages in a clear manner. It had been a difficult task for me as I was an international student. It was not my joy to watch my colleagues advancing their education by being facilitated by their ability to communicate effectively in English. I put all necessary efforts by practicing what we were taught in class and making narrative notes. The verbal cues of communication and English learning were always at my reach. We gave a response of about 2 million minutes assignments. This was aimed at increasing our capacity to respond to emerging issues in English. I was a good team player in all assignments that required group participation. My enthusiasm and determination fueled my capability to soar to great heights of communicating in English. I periodically consulted our teachers to seal my loopholes that emanate in every new tactic taught in English. It was not a short journey as I had to overcome many challenges in shaping our capabilities of communicating in English (Onyx, 2010). Some professors, who are fully cognizant of the onus ahead of us, have not been considering that English is not our first language. They have been talking too fast and using deep vocabularies that serve to scare us instead of increasing our morale in leaning the new language. The assistant teacher has been helping us to understand the difficult situation that we face in learning English language (Onyx, 2010).

Geomorphological processes in Kuwait Essay Example for Free

Geomorphological processes in Kuwait Essay The basic question of geomorphology is â€Å"why do landscapes look the way they do? † As a study of landforms, geomorphology seeks to understand the history and dynamics of landforms development. The landforms change constantly due to physical and chemic interaction between the Earth’s surface and the environment, including influences by geological processes, climate, vegetation, atmospheric processes, erosion by sea waves. In recent years the activities of man took a place of one of the basic factors influencing geomorphology. In this paper some of the geomorphological processes shall be studied using an example of Kuwait. The final purpose of the paper is to gain general understanding of geomorphological processes taking place in Kuwait and thusly obtain knowledge about the nature of geomorphological processes as they are. First and foremost it is necessary to give a definition of geomorphological process and provide their classification in order to understand what should be considered to be a geomorphological process, and what should not. Rhodes Fabridge in his â€Å"Encyclopedia of Geomorphology† speaks of it as of a science of a scenery and describes geomorphological process as processes contributing to geomorphological changes. They are classified into: 1. Erosional processes, causing erosion of earth materials, including deflation, karst, piping and washing; 2. Fluvial processes caused by behavior of rivers, including braiding and channel processes; 3. Mass movement processes – a movement of surface materials due to gravity, including snow avalanches, slow mass movement and rapid mass movement ; Periglacial and deglacial processes are also part of natural geomorphological processes, but they shall not be described, because neither of them takes place in Kuwait. However, there is another important group of processes affecting geomorphology – processes caused by human activity. They can result from willful desire to change the landscape, such as drifting or dismantling hills, building dams and artificial islands and they can be accessory result of some other activity, which is often undesirable and harmful. After a brief overview of geomorphologhical processes, we shall now apply this knowledge to Kuwait. In terms of geomorphology the territory of Kuwait is a flat sandy desert gradually slopping to the sea, with the lowest point of zero above the sea level and the highest point of 306 above the sea level (the location is unnamed) . This landscape is broken by the ridge at Jal Al-Zor – a series of low hills and shallow depressions. The highest point of the ridge is 145 meters above the sea level. The ridge is cut into two by Umm Al-Ramam Wadi. The southern part of Kuwait is flat with exception of Ahmadi hill (137 m) . Eolian processes in Kuwait Eolian processes are those geomorphological processes, which are caused by wind, including some types of erosional processes. For a desert country the eolian processes are most natural. They can be observed throughout the desert, especially on the south of Kuwait, where winds and sandstorms form the so-called sabkhas – irregular closed lowland areas. Two different types of Sabkhas are recognized: costal sabkhas and inland sabkhas. The costal ones are situated mostly in the Al-Jailaiaha and Al-Khiran areas, being extended along a costal depression. Inland sabkhas are situated in the desert areas of Al-Maqwa, Urafjan, and Al-Gurain. On the Kuwait’s west both types of sabkhas are subjected to erosional changes after sandstorms when they may be entirely filled with sand and disappear, and new sabkhas may appear. Often sabkhas are movable and change their location after storms . Sabkhas in Kuwait are often surrounded by dunes – another geomorphological form created by eolian processes. Dunes appear when wind transports sand to a particular spot of the landscape, carving out sand from the sabkhas. By their nature dunes are depositional landforms up to 25 meters high. There exist two types of dunes in Kuwait – desert dunes and costal dunes. Desert dunes are in turn classified into: 1. Barchans crescent-shaped dunes enlonged in the wind-direction with points (wings) curved downwind creating a slip-face; 2. Barchanoid Ridges – several barchans tied together similarly to a mountain ridge; 3. Transverses – long irregular dunes that form right angles to wind direction and have long slip-face; 4. Parabolic dunes crescent-shaped dunes with long axis repeating a dominant wind direction 5. Star Dunes – a large mount of sand with several sinuously radiating ridges from a central peak of sand; 6. Dome – round or elliptic dune with no slip-faces. Coastal dunes are similar to desert ones, but they are formed by strong winds blowing from the sea, often covered with vegetation. The rocky ridges in the deserts of Kuwait are also subjected to another type of eolian processes, namely wind erosion. Winds blowing over the rocks create areas of desert pavements around them – places covered with fragments of rock left after the wind has blown away the fine particles. On the top those areas are covered with desert varnish exposing to the surface. By blowing away soft rock fragment wind forms deflation basins, or minor depressions on the rocky surface. Where the rocks consisted of soft formations with dikes composed of hard rocks the wind blows the soft rocks away leaving freakish sculptured landforms called yardangs . Yardangs are not numerous in Kuwait and exist mostly in a form of low irregular pillars or peaked low crests . Additionally, rocks are affected by temperature extremes, which can be pretty high – a temperature can change for up to 30o C in one day and up to 50o C within a year. Combined with rains such extremes gradually ruin even the firmest grounds. Coastal processes in Kuwait Kuwait is washed by waters of Persian Gulf. In the centre of the country it’s coast bends forming the Gulf of Kuwait, where the capital of the country lays. The The coast of Kuwait is divided into nine geomorphological potions, out of which four are lie along the northern muddy shoreline and five in the southern sandy area. The northern part includes large portions of bays, which are filled with water during high tides and for most of the time they are areas of muddy ground. They are limited by costal sabkhas or sandy drifts. Intertidal channels form sandbars near the waterlines . At the coast the geomorphologic processes are represented by a combination of wind and waves influences. Washing processes result lead to formation of low sandy barriers along coasts, which mark the breaker line. Those barriers are made of sand partials brought by waves and are additionally affected by wind. In the northern portion of Kuwait’s shores piping processes lead to washing away soft rocks and formation of intertidal channels, tying together the sea and large portions of bays, which are filled with water during high tides and being muddy ground of the timed . In contrast to this, due to a different character of grounds, the southern portion of Kuwait’s coat is known with steep sandy beaches, narrowed by wide rocky intertidal platforms, covered with sand and other sediments, washed ashore by waves. In many places those rocky surfaces are dissected by intertidal channels and shallow gulleys. The low water line is marked by numerous sandbars. Sometimes they are formed in berms by waves . Costal dunes are often covered with vegetation binding sand together and preventing dunes from distruction. Karst processes in Kuwait Depths of Kuwait are characterized by intensive karst processes. Limestone geological formations, especially in the places where they lay close to surface, collect water from rains and other sediments like dew and this water erodes limestone forming cavities and pore spaces filled with water. Such processes are vital for Kuwait’s economy, because the country depends on them for water. In 1960 a large aquifer has been discovered in the western portion of Ar Rawdatayn geological formation, which is now used for distilled water production, covering most of the country’s needs. On the south from the city of Kuwait another water field has been discovered in the top of the limestone of the Ash Shuaybah. The water here is salty, so it is used mostly for agricultural and commercial needs. . Unfortunately, the Gulf war caused notable harm to Kuwaiti water supplies in the limestone depths. Exploding almost 700 oil wells caused oil to spill over the desert and in the rocks creating lakes of oil, which were estimated to contain 15 times more oil, than it has been spilled to the Gulf. Large amounts of oil particles are still detected in the sandy and rocky soils of Kuwait . Another effect of the war was partial destruction of the shoreline by oily spots and burning oil. The vegetation in the coastal areas suffered greatly, and this resulted in ruination of costal dunes and sabkhas. Some of the intertidal channels, especially in the northern part of the country, were littered with oil partials and do not let water pass any longer, causing drying up of minor costal bays and lakes . Works cited: 1. Rhodes Whitmore Fairbridge. Encyclopedia of Geomorphology, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1968 2. A. Al-Hurban , and I.Gharib, â€Å"Geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics of coastal and inland sabkhas, Southern Kuwait†, Journal of Arid Environments Volume 58, Issue 1, July 2004, Pages 59-85 3. Selby, M. J. Earths Changing Surface. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995 4. Mohamed I. El-Sayed and Dhia Al-Bakri, â€Å"Geomorphology and sedimentary/biosedimentary structures of the intertidal environment along the coast of Kuwait, north-western Arabian Gulf†. International Journal of Earth Sciences. Volume 83, Number 2 / July, 1994 5. Francesca Davis Dipiazza. Kuwait in Pictures, Twenty-First Century Books, 2006 6. J. Al-Sulaimi , M. N. Viswanathan and F. Szekely. â€Å"Effect of oil pollution on fresh groundwater in Kuwait†. Environmental Geology, Volume 22, Number 3 / November, 1993, p. -246-256 7. 2007 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK. Kuwait (CD-ROM), Progressive Management, 2006 8. Geomorphological processes. Published by Ministry of Environment of British Columbia. Available at: http://ilmbwww. gov. bc. ca/risc/pubs/teecolo/terclass/geo. htm#anchor800962 (October 19, 2007) 9. The Environment and the 1991 Persian Gulf War available at: http://countrystudies. us/saudi-arabia/17. htm (October 19, 2007)

Comparing A Lost Lady and Like Water for Chocolate :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing A Lost Lady and Like Water for Chocolate      Ã‚   The worlds about which Willa Cather and Laura Esquivel write hardly seen congruous. Written in different eras, in different styles, and in different cultures, Cather's A Lost Lady and Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate appear, at first glance, to have little in common. Cather's Victorian realism seems totally incompatible with Esquivel's surrealistic imagery, and yet, if we look closely, we can find common threads woven between the two works. Although differences are obvious, subtle similarities exist in setting, conflict, and central characters. The above excerpt is provided to give the student an idea of the focus of this essy.   The complete essay begins below. Imagine, for a moment, Marian Forrester in her kitchen preparing a tray for tea. As she works, her mind wanders to the letter she received in the post today from Frank Ellinger. "It's been too long since Frank has been out from Denver," she thinks as she glances out the window across the meadow, half expecting to see his form approaching. Instead, she sees in the distance an exotic form, a Spanish maiden, and in a cloud of dust a soldier approaches her. Without slowing his gallop, so as not to waste a moment, he leaned over, put his arm around her waist, and lifted her onto the horse in front of him, face to face, and carried her away. The horse, which seemed to be obeying higher orders too, kept galloping as if it already knew their ultimate destination, even though Juan had thrown the reins aside and was passionately kissing and embracing Gertrudis. The movement of the horse combined with the movement of their bodies as they made love for the first time, at a gallop and with a great deal of difficulty. (Esquivel 55-56) An unlikely scene in Mrs. Forrester's Victorian world? The worlds about which Willa Cather and Laura Esquivel write hardly seen congruous. Written in different eras, in different styles, and in different cultures, Cather's A Lost Lady and Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate appear, at first glance, to have little in common. Cather's Victorian realism seems totally incompatible with Esquivel's surrealistic imagery, and yet, if we look closely, we can find common threads woven between the two works. Although differences are obvious, subtle similarities exist in setting, conflict, and central characters. Writing during the Victorian era, Cather chooses as the setting for her novel the prairie states of the United States at the turn of the century.

John B. Watson

The term behaviorism refers to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson based on the belief that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. (http://psychology. about. om/od/behavioralpsychology/f/ behaviorism. tm) With Kinesthetic and Visual my next top two, Behaviorist Theory fits well as far as looking at others or to the environment to learn. Again, I take it back to my kids and how they watch what I do and learn from either what I teach them or from their own mistakes and me teaching them what are right. Being in the military also works well, due to the amount of training we received and how we are rated for our performance as a soldier. Rewards are awarded for doing well which is positive reinforcement and drives a soldier to continue to learn and earn the next rank or position.Aural, Visual and Kinesthetic will affect my education pursuit as an adult learner. According to Clark Hull's Drive Reduction Theory â€Å"behavior occurs in response to â€Å"drivesâ₠¬  such as hunger, thirst, sexual interest, feeling cold, etc. When the goal of the drive is attained (food, water, mating, warmth) the drive is reduced, at least temporarily. † (http://www. lifecircles-inc. com/Learningtheories/behaviorism/ clarkhull. html) As an adult learner in the military and needing education to be able to be selected for the next rank, my learning style will have to be at its best.Clark Hull's heory fits my learning ability pretty well, in the manner that I need to finish school and get my degree to move up in rank. Prior to getting my Associates degree, I had to motivation to attend school. When I found out I needed certain classes to become a Warrant Officer it gave me a drive to work to get those classes done and then some. Now I find myself thinking that I will not need any more schooling, but to be separate from my peers I have to complete a Bachelors degree. Not only will this help in the now, as far as rank, but when I retire I will have a degre e to assist in a good paying ob.In closing, I am not too shocked at the results that I got trom the V questionnaire and agree entirely to have Aural my top pick. I need that visual aid or picture to help me become a better learner and understand whatever is being taught. Doing the research on my VARK results and what type of learning theories can relate, I have learned there are different ways to learning and each learning theory has a theory that some Psychology major created. i. e. Clark Hull and his Drive Reduction Theory. I have related my VARK to the Behaviorist Theory and Social Learning Theory. John B. Watson The term behaviorism refers to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson based on the belief that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. (http://psychology. about. om/od/behavioralpsychology/f/ behaviorism. tm) With Kinesthetic and Visual my next top two, Behaviorist Theory fits well as far as looking at others or to the environment to learn. Again, I take it back to my kids and how they watch what I do and learn from either what I teach them or from their own mistakes and me teaching them what are right. Being in the military also works well, due to the amount of training we received and how we are rated for our performance as a soldier. Rewards are awarded for doing well which is positive reinforcement and drives a soldier to continue to learn and earn the next rank or position.Aural, Visual and Kinesthetic will affect my education pursuit as an adult learner. According to Clark Hull's Drive Reduction Theory â€Å"behavior occurs in response to â€Å"drivesâ₠¬  such as hunger, thirst, sexual interest, feeling cold, etc. When the goal of the drive is attained (food, water, mating, warmth) the drive is reduced, at least temporarily. † (http://www. lifecircles-inc. com/Learningtheories/behaviorism/ clarkhull. html) As an adult learner in the military and needing education to be able to be selected for the next rank, my learning style will have to be at its best.Clark Hull's heory fits my learning ability pretty well, in the manner that I need to finish school and get my degree to move up in rank. Prior to getting my Associates degree, I had to motivation to attend school. When I found out I needed certain classes to become a Warrant Officer it gave me a drive to work to get those classes done and then some. Now I find myself thinking that I will not need any more schooling, but to be separate from my peers I have to complete a Bachelors degree. Not only will this help in the now, as far as rank, but when I retire I will have a degre e to assist in a good paying ob.In closing, I am not too shocked at the results that I got trom the V questionnaire and agree entirely to have Aural my top pick. I need that visual aid or picture to help me become a better learner and understand whatever is being taught. Doing the research on my VARK results and what type of learning theories can relate, I have learned there are different ways to learning and each learning theory has a theory that some Psychology major created. i. e. Clark Hull and his Drive Reduction Theory. I have related my VARK to the Behaviorist Theory and Social Learning Theory.

Feminist Perspective of the Role of Lady Madeline Essay

â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher (1939)†, arguably Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short story, is a tale centered around the mysterious House of Usher and its equally indiscernible inhabitants. These subjects are plagued with physical and mental degradation – the Usher siblings suffer from various abnormal ailments and unexplained fears, while the house itself seems to be tethering on the edge of collapse. The gothic elements in the story are distributed generously, and the plot is increasingly ridden with the supernatural as it progresses. Lady Madeline, Roderick Usher’s twin sister, is a key element in the story. She suffers from a disease much like catalepsy, a disease that subjects her to seizures and insensitivity to various stimuli. Roderick himself, on the other hand, suffers from an â€Å"acuteness of the senses† and a strong belief that the house is somehow alive and conscious of its surroundings. Roderick has not parted from the house in years, and has instead elected to keep himself inside to pore over literature and art, rather than threaten his sanity by overwhelming his senses. The siblings are very similar, not only in their appearance, as they are twins, but in their problems as well. They are both suffering from similarly mysterious diseases, and are both aware of the underlying sexual tension in their relationship. Early in the story, the readers are made aware of the age-old Usher tradition that has kept the Usher family ‘pure’. In other words, incestuous relationships were the norm for them. However, by no means was Madeline and Roderick’s relationship condoned by the rest of society. This essay will examine the story from a feminist perspective, focusing on understanding the narrating styles of the male author, and the actions of the characters in the book. It will also look specifically at the ways that women have suffered from social conventions throughout the years, and compare it to Madeline’s struggles in the story. Women & Poe Males are the dominant gender in the text, both in terms of dialogue and in description. The complete absence of a female voice in the text, save for several moans and groans from Madeline scattered throughout the story, is  pointedly apparent. Throughout the story, Madeline never utters a single word – what the readers know of her is severely limited by the vague descriptions given of her and the way she is treated. Not only do males dominate the text in terms of their presence, but there is also a greater sense of regard among the male characters themselves than there is between Madeline the the male characters. They seem to regard her ailments less seriously than they do of Roderick’s, giving Roderick’s much more detail and explanation than that of Madeline. Roderick’s description, on the other hand, seems to go on an on, reaching into Poe’s treatment of Madeline after her apparent death is a representation of the author’s strangely violent attitude towards women. Like in a number of his other works, women are subject to strange and horrific treatment after their deaths. Berenice was buried alive, and had all her teeth pulled. Ligeia sees the death of two women, and a perverse return of one of them. One could conclude that Poe had misogynistic tendencies, though the fact that Madeline did rise up in power could be seen as support for an opposing perspective. Women in Victorian Society Understanding the circumstances behind the treatment and portrayal of Madeline also demands an understanding of how women were expected to act, especially as reflected in nineteenth century literature. At that time, women were expected to adhere to certain well-defined virtues, centered around the virtures of submissiveness and domesticity. To some extent, a woman’s value depended quite largely on her physical attributes. This refers not only her physique, but also to her abilities in carrying out household tasks. Women were traditionally seen as homemakers – people in charge of matters in the household, not outside. Men, of course, were seen as the mind and intellect of the household, and the one qualified to receive an education and work in the outside world. A woman’s mental ability was regarded as essentially limited to superficial sensing, while a man would have been seen as the one responsible for complex thought and reflection in a household. In a way, Madeline’s suppression by her twin brother and the way she generally presents herself reflects this. Madeline does not speak, and simply obeys the orders of everyone else in the house. Roderick, on the other hand, always has the final word. This is exemplified once again the  Roderick’s live burial of Madeline, in which Madeline could not do anything to change her fate. In the nineteenth century, the female daughter is seen as a critical supporting element of the family. She was expected to keep her aspirations and motivations rooted in maintaining and upholding the family and its name, from within the household. The way Madeline was buried, â€Å"half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere†, reflects the way she was smothered in Victorian society. The nature of their illnesses also reflect the gender roles of the era. While Roderick’s illness amplifies his senses, Madeline’s disease, described as â€Å"a settle apathy, a gradual wasting away of the person†, dampens hers, reducing her into an ‘barely-there’, almost ghostly, individual. Roderick is able to isolate himself from the outside world to spare him from the torture of his oversensitivty, however, Madeline is helpless towards hers. Madeline’s illness subjects her to physical degradation. On a mental level, she is suppressed by the gender roles and expectations of the time. Relationship between Madeline and the Other Characters Madeline’s burial represents the suppression she is subject to under Usher tradition, and under the ideals of her brother. She cannot truly be herself or express herself fully, because of the expectations she has to fulfill. Even from the start, she is trapped in the house, trapped under the shadow of her ancestor’s expectations, and trapped under the realization of what she and her twin brother would have to do to continue their family line in the traditional Usher fashion. Madeline has no freedom, both in life and in â€Å"death†. It is a feminist victory, then, to see Madeline emerge from the depths of her suppression to exact her revenge and exert her power over those who have suppressed her all her life. He then says that his sickness can be â€Å"traced to a more natural and far more palpable origin†Ã¢â‚¬â€namely, to his â€Å"tenderly beloved sister—his sole companion for long years—his last relative on earth.† Madeline’s display of power and ability to induce fear is an abrupt change in the dynamic among the characters. Instead of the silent, unregarded character she has always been portrayed as thus far, Madeline is finally clearly seen as a powerful figure, capable of breaking out of her constraints, both physical and mental, and exacting justice on her own. It is interesting to see that Madeline only manages to struggle out  of these constraints after her apparent death. Perhaps in only allowing Madeline to break free after her death signifies that for women, stepping out of the very well-defined social conventions of the day is as difficult as death itself. Furthermore, Madeline’s new appearance as a strong character over her brother’s meekness represents how women actually have the capability to rise up and over society’s expectations for them, when given the chance. In that final scene, while Roderick is â€Å"a victim to the terrors he had anticipated†, Madeline is fearful and intimidating, with her â€Å"lofty† appearance and the blood on her clothes displaying the kind of struggles she has experienced and conquered. Perhaps this point offers insight into why this invoked fear in the readers of the era – to see a woman assume such a powerful role would have seemed abnormally threatening. Another notable fact is that Roderick’s condition visibly deteriorates after the departure of Madeline from his daily life. It signifies that despite Madeline’s apparent weakness and low value, she does play a fundamental role in the Usher family. It suggests that she may have been a strong character from the start – but the readers just cannot immediately see it as it is shrouded by the lack of attention on her and descriptions of her. In essense, a feminist criticism of â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† reveals much about the nature of the characters and their relationships, as well as the reasons behind the circumstances and the characters’ subsequent actions. A prominent theme stems from the context of the story, the Victorian era. By knowing how women were expected to act, we see the reasons why she was treated a certain way, and why her response was far from active. Madeline’s final actions, however, reflect a different side of the female role, adding a very interesting twist to the story. Bibliography: â€Å"Early Nineteenth Century Attitudes Toward Women and Their Roles as Represented By Literature Popular in Worcester, Massachusetts.† Teach US History |. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"‘Sympathies of a Scarcely Intelligible Nature’: The Brother-Sister Bond in

Celebrity ACT Scores (Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe)

Celebrity ACT Scores (Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you taking the ACT? You're in good company! Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, and Steve Jobs all took the ACT, too, along with several other celebrities. We've compiled their scores so you can see how these successful people performed back when they were in high school. We've also converted the SAT scores of famous people to the ACT scale so you get a sense of how their scores compare. Now if you ever run into Barack Obama, you'll have at least one conversation starter to fall back on...

An Analysis of Hughes and Gullos Article on Joyful Learning and Assessment in Kindergarten

An Analysis of Hughes and Gullo's Article on Joyful Learning and Assessment in Kindergarten Joyful Learning and Assessment in Kindergarten, Hughes and Gullo Hughes and Gullo begin their article by painting a picture for us of the increase in prekindergarten enrollment numbers. More and more three and four year olds are being enrolled in kindergarten preparedness programs, such as pre-k or More at Four. They also point out the sharp increase in state mandated age cut-offs for kindergarten enrollment. These changes are both illustrative of how kindergarten academic standards have jumped up significantly in the past few years. Hughes and Gullo tell us that kindergarteners are now primarily taught through academically oriented teacher-directed instruction rather than developmentally appropriate methods of learning. They explain that these dramatic changes in the way kindergartners are taught are believed to be because of the inappropriate assessment tools used to gauge kindergartner’s academic progress. These developmentally inappropriate tools of assessment such as standardized testing and worksheets can be traded in for more appro priate means of assessment for kindergartners. Hughes and Gullo use the rest of their article to explain different characteristics of assessment and how we can adjust our means of assessment to promote individual development amongst kindergarteners. Hughes and Gullo define assessment to further expand our understanding of the issue- â€Å"the progress of a child’s learning over time.† Testing children at the end of a unit undermines this definition of assessment. The authors tell us that learning is a continuum and that assessment be used to help teachers identify where children are individually on that learning continuum. This can be done by learning and recognizing children’s learning sequences and using frequent â€Å"embedded† assessments to gauge their mastery of classroom concepts. The authors of the article go on to explain to us that assessment is a comprehensive process- one simple test or type of assessment will not measure the many areas of learning that need to be measured to determine comprehension. In the final section of the article, Hughes and Gullo tell us that assessment should be integrated into the process of the activities being assessed. By doing this, teachers can use assessme nt to change lessons to suit the individual needs of children, and teachers can see firsthand how effective or ineffective their curriculum is. Hughes and Gullo give an example of a teacher that uses assessment to plan activities based on her student’s interests, experiences, and skills. Hughes and Gullo end their article with a powerful statement: appropriate assessment can lead to joyful learning and joyful teaching.