“A Visit of Charity†by Eudora Welty Essay Is Eudora Welty successful in showing how human beings can be more interested in their own personal gains than the needs of others? Marian didn’t really want to visit the home for the elderly but she is a Campfire Girl and by taking out the time to go, she will gain points for offering her time to charity work. A gift of flowers was something that Marian brought to the home in order to make her visit look more genuine, but the apple that she brought; she hid outside so that none would think it was also a gift. There was no special person that she wanted to visit, she only wanted to do the job that she came for, earn her point and leave. She wears her Campfire Girls cap to show who she is and she is very afraid to be around a bunch of older people that she has never met, before, but the added point means so much to her that she is willing to visit this strange home. She is more interested in what she can gain from this visit than what she can offer to others. Addie wasn’t thrilled by Marian’s visit. She was a cranky old lady who didn’t even like her roommate and couldn’t stand to hear her talk about a bunch of nothing, all the time. Marian had pretty, yellow hair which she wore a white cap over and she dressed in her red coat as she observed the two women in the nursing home. She had a job to perform and so much to do in her life as she watched the two ladies who had nothing but each other. (Welty, 1980) In “A Visit of Charityâ€, Eudora Welty uses Marian as a character who acts in ways that many of us do at certain times in our lives, in performing deeds that are solely for ourselves, and sometimes we forget about the feelings of others. Welty demonstrates in this story that we need to not only try to work toward our own goals but at the same time, we need to consider the thoughts and emotions of others who are less fortunate. Marian is the girl who Welty chose to show that people, especially young individuals, sometimes forget about more important things as we search for awards and points that make us look and feel better about ourselves. To truly feel better about ourselves, we must consider the feelings of others and then we gain the biggest reward of all; knowing that we made someone else’s day a little brighter and more fulfilling. Marian still had many lessons to learn, in life about human kindness, and as she takes a big bite out of the apple, she shows that she had been more interested in her own personal gain in this visit. The author made you think about others in her writing. Eudora Welty clearly showed the selfishness that one can see in Marian’s visit to the nursing home and how she had so much to learn about the true meaning of sharing and giving of yourself in helping others who are less fortunate. I believe that Eudora Welty clearly showed that human beings are sometimes very capable of seeking out their own personal gain in life and are highly capable of not considering the feelings of others, as we do. Reference Page Welty, Marian. (1980) “A Visit of Charityâ€. Library of America.
0 Comments
12/30/2019 0 Comments December 30th, 2019“Assessment practises have a powerful impact on learning and teaching†(Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 2004, p. 37). For teachers the focus is on the use of assessment results; how they use those results to inform instructional decision making and whether they provide results that verify students have indeed met the learning targets originally set. Thus, judgements are made about the quality of assessments after the students’ performance. ‘High-quality’ assessments encompass a number of criteria’s and involve a great deal more than simply measuring knowledge (McMillan, 2011) and are outlined below in seven key areas. 1. Clear Purpose – The first decision is clarify the purpose for the assessment. Why is the assessment taking place? What is to be gained from it? Will the teacher be using formative techniques to monitor student progress or will the teacher use summative techniques to establish grades (Chappuis, Chappuis, & Stiggins, 2009)? “Knowing the reason for the assessment is crucial because this will determine what the assessment should look like, how it is administered and scored, and how the results will be used (McMillan, 2011, p.10)â€. 2. Defined Learning Targets –Are they reasonable and do they ‘align’ with the state standards, student characteristics and overall goals (McMillan, 2011)? Learning targets need to be clear and understandable to everyone (Chappuis, Chappuis, & Stiggins, 2009). Learning targets are important as they define expectations. 3. Assessment Methods – The assessment methods, using either selected or constructed responses, need to align with the chosen learning targets (McMillan, 2011). “Selecting an assessment method that is incapable of reflecting the intended learning will compromise the accuracy of the results†(Chappuis, Chappuis, & Stiggins, 2009). These also need to practical and efficient so as not to be too time consuming on lessons. 4. Fairness – Fair assessments are unbiased without the influence of discrimination or subjective factors (McMillan, 2011). “All students should have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievement†(Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 2004, p. 38). 5.Validity & Reliability – Judgements should be based on all information and multiple measures that authenticate the conclusion (Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 2004). The assessment is useless unless the inference is appropriate, useful, reasonable and consistent (McMillan, 2011). 6. Criteria – Outlining criteria contributes to students’ learning by making clear the outcomes or goals they are striving for (Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 2004). “The issue of how student responses will be evaluated lies at the heart of any type of assessment†(McMillan, 2011, p.35). 7. Feedback – Feedback should be clear and constructive. Feedback by both by the teacher and self-assessment allows students to take responsibility for their learning and helps students “identify how they can improve their learning†(Killen, 2005, p. 98) and ensure motivation is high through positive consequences. By ensuring the lessons have a clear purpose, are well planned and allow all students’ to demonstrate their achievements through a fair, valid and reliable process, learning and teaching is improved and achievement is enhanced. “High quality assessments have consequences that will be positive for both students and yourself†(McMillan, 2011, p. 86). References Chappuis, S. , Chappuis, J. , & Stiggins, R. (2009). The Quest for Quality. Multiple Measures , 67 (3), 14-19. Curriculum Council of Western Australia. (2004). Curriculum Framework. Osborne Park: W. A. Killen, R. (2005). Programming and assessment for quality teaching and learning. South Thompson: Cengage. McMillan, J. H. (2011). Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective Standards – Based Instruction (Fifth ed. ). Boston: Pearson.
|