Pixar Animation Studios Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Pixar Animation Studios - Research Paper Example Pixar Studio’s goal is to merge trademark technology with the most original artistic skills to create computer-animated films that cast unforgettable characters and heartening tales that can be embraced by all ages across the world. To meet this objective, the company has established a unique working culture that has contributed to much of their success. Growing to about 730 employees in the present, the company maintains its closeness as most have been working together since 1970, continuously expanding to accept new creative geniuses. The work environment is described to be laid-back and ‘anti-corporate’, resulting in increased productivity and great fun for all their employees (Icmrindia.org 2006). The organizational culture at Pixar Animation Studios is a unique tool that has attributed greatly to their unparalleled works. Employees are known for their informal and eccentric work style, coming in anytime and working into the night, walking around barefoot, and even taking their pets along to work. Most did not expect to earn much from the job but remained in it for the unconventional environment and the possibility of creating something never done before. Offices are distinctively designed to excite positive creative energy for its entire staff. Its California-based offices are known for its relaxed conditions, which give way to an open stream of thoughts and dialogue. The ‘habitat’ as the studio is called, is a wide space full of toys and life-size Pixar characters.

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Example for Free

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Who can work while listening to the incessant ringing of a cell phone? This does not creat an inviting classroom environment for students. Although cell phones would be useful in the event of an emergency, they should not be allowed in schools because of the increased amount of disruptive and social problems. Despite the interruptions, cell phones do provide on advantage. They allow quick communications during times of an emergency; they also enable students to contact their parents at any time for any reason. One example might be: if a student forgot that they have an after school affair to attend for that day, such as a sports practice or tutoring, they could easily notify their parents of the newly needed pick-up time. However, this convenience does not outwiegh the problems cell phones can cause. Disturbances during the school daycan cause students a great distraction. They could ring during class, and students attention would divert from the lesson to the phone. Students could want to chat in between classes, causing many tardies. They would also cause a riot if lost or stolen. Besides these factors, allowing cell phones in school could cause an influx of social problems. Kids are already picked on over a number of issues, such as appearances, financial status, etc. If a student is not fortunate enough to afford a cell phone, this would give cause for the other students to tease them. Overall, cell phone use in school might be slightly advantageous in an emergency sitituation, but they should not be allowed because the problems outweigh the benefits by far.

Anna Pavlova And The Dying Swan Drama Essay

Anna Pavlova And The Dying Swan Drama Essay A couple years ago I used to think that ballet was boring. I did not understand ballet as an art and did not recognize its classical and modern types. Dances like hip-hop, samba, rumba, cha-cha, tango, and disco appealed to me more. Once I tried ballet myself in the U.S., I realized that most of the great dancers learned ballet for a lengthy amount of time. I decided to take ballet classes and after a year I realized that ballet brings me indescribable joy and appeasement. I became interested in learning more about ballet itself and its famous dancers. One of such a dancer was Anna Pavlova, whose life story I am determined to tell. It is important to note Anna Pavlovas childhood and early ballet career in Russia, her debut in The Dying Swan, emigration to Europe, performances around the world, marriage, and death. Childhood and early career: Anna Pavlova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on a cold winter day of February 12, 1881. According to a New York Times article, when Anna was eight years old, her mother took her to a performance of The Sleeping Beauty. There, Anna experienced an epiphany, a baptism by ballet. From that day she knew, ballet was her future. At the age of ten, Anna Pavlova was admitted to the Imperial School of Ballet. Shortly after her acceptance to the Imperial School of Ballet, the exceptional gift of dancing was noticed in Anna Pavlova (Kent, 1996). At that time ballet was considered a court luxury and was one of the favorite entertainments of the late Czar. He would often visit the school to admire the little dancers, talking to them and sometimes telling jokes (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). In 1902 after her graduation from the Imperial School of Ballet, Anna Pavlova joined the Maryinsky Theater as a second soloist, and in the following year was promoted to a first soloist (The Legendary, n.d.). Alexander Pleshcheyev, an author of the book Our Ballet where he studied Petersburg Imperial Ballet Company, wrote about Anna Pavlova: I recall the frail, slender, tall and lithe figure of a young, shy girl, with confused, deep eyes, in a dress of cornflower blue with a white pelerine and black pinafore -on holidays a white pinafore but always with a quite starched skirt for magnificence . .. This was the student of the Imperial Theater School in Petersburg Anya . . . Annushka (as her friends called her) Pavlova, whose appearance was awaited on the stage of the Maryinsky Theater, where she was known on affiches as Pavlova II Timid, trembling, lovely, like a wildflower, Pavlova II as a dancer just beginning subdued the public with her grace and tenderness. One sensed no physical exertion in her, and in those days, after the triumph on the Russian stage of Italian technical subtleties, every artist who appeared on stage was evaluated above all on technical abilities. Anna Pavlova had a favorite teacher and a mentor that was Enrico Cecchetti, an Italian dancer and a teacher who immigrated to St. Petersburg in his early age. Cecchetti taught at the Imperial School of Ballet from 1887 to 1902. In 1905 he established a school in St. Petersburg where he coached Anna Pavlova exclusively from 1907 to 1909 (Cecchetti, the teacher, n.d.). With Cecchettis help, Anna Pavlova was promoted to ballerina in 1905, and prima ballerina in 1906 (The Legendary, n.d.). The Dying Swan: In 1905 Anna Pavlova, already a prominent ballerina, received an offer from a choreographer Michael Fokine to take the leading part in the ballet The Dying Swan to music by Saint-Saens. Later The Dying Swan became her signature solo performance and a swan symbolized with her as a personal emblem (Kent, 1996). The author, Allegra Kent, in her article argued that a woman imitating a swan is an absurd idea since the body parts do not match and the bird can be graceful only when it swims. The black and webbed swans feet, with its shaky movements do not resemble the graceful and aesthetic motions of Anna Pavlova during The Dying Swan. Kent wrote that The Dying Swan was not about a woman impersonating a swan, instead it was about the fragility of life and the passion humans possess to hold on to it. Emigration to Europe and travels: In 1907 Anna Pavlovas performances were seen abroad and in 1909 she danced in Diaghilevs famous first Russian season in Paris, France where Pavlova danced with Vaslav Nijinsky (Kent, 1996). Since then, Anna was honored to dance before Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, King Alfonso of Spain, Emperor Wilhelm of Germany, and the Queen of the Belgium (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1996). In 1910 upon Anna Pavlovas return to Russia from her first American tour she was summoned to the royal box by the late Czar Nicholas to congratulate her. In one of the chronicles Anna Pavlova quoted the Czar telling her: I so much regret that despite all I hear about your wonderful swan dance I have never seen it. Yet I am called one of the absolute monarchs(Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, 1996). Anna performed throughout North and South America during the days of World War I. Her passion to dance and travel eventually brought Anna to Japan and India. In 1927 Anna went on another tour to the Scandinavian capitals, where King Christian presented her with a gold medal after seeing her performance in Copenhagen (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). Circling around the world with her company, Anna Pavlova covered 350 000 miles and hence was named the most traveled of all artists at that time (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, 1996). As time passed from her first debut Anna Pavlovas repertoire grew and was influenced by foreign cultures and new styles of dance. Such influences were new choreographies and changes in classical ballet technique; for example the changes brought by Isadora Duncan, a rebel-dancer who initiated the creation of modern dance. However, Anna remained a more conservative classical dancer: in her companys repertoire she kept ballet classics as Giselle and Sleeping Beauty. Anna had two popular signature pieces in her career; they were Bacchanale and The Swan (The Legendaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,n.d.). Her Private Life and Marriage: In 1912 Anna Pavlova bought an expensive house in London, which bore the name Ivy House, where there was a pond and a garden. Since the dancer was fascinated by feathers and was fond of watching birds, Anna decided to have pet swans in her pool. Watching them, she believed, helped her to improve the mastery of her swan dance (Kent, 1996). During her last American tour in 1924-1925, Anna Pavlova announced her marriage with Victore dAndre, her accompanist. She commented on her marriage the following way: For an artist there is no husband. Pavlova the artist and Pavlova the wife, they are two very different persons, so I keep them separate. My dancing belongs to the world, but my husband to myself (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). Soviet Russia: During the Soviet time, Anna Pavlova was helping dancers in Soviet Russia by sending them financial aid. For 10 years Anna had been supporting dancers in London and Marianski Theater of Ballet in Leningrad by sending them an annual financial aid of $500. In 1929 this information became known to the Bolsheviks. The small unofficial committee of three that managed the funds from Anna Pavlova was reprimanded for accepting aid from the emigrant dancer, a darling of wicked capitalist audiences in Europe and America (Anna Pavlova Dies, 1996). Death: Anna Pavlovas death came suddenly. It was January 1931 when Anna took a three week vacation at Christmas to spend time with her family. At the end of her vacation Anna took a train to return to her work at the Hague. There was an accident that happened on the way, so Annas train had to stop. Curious of what happened, Anna Pavlova wearing a light coat on top of silk pajamas stepped off the train into the snow. Shortly thereafter, Anna came down with double pneumonia (Kent, 1996). Two Dutch physicians and her own Russian doctor, Professor Valerski, fought to save the life of a great ballet dancer. The doctors performed an emergency operation to remove excess fluid from Anna Pavlovas lungs. After the operation, the dancer was treated with Pasteur vaccine; however it was too late to cure Anna. Anna Pavlova died at 12:30 in the morning on January 23rd, 1931 (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). As Anna Pavlova was dying her last wish was to prepare her swan costume. The following eveni ng when her company performed The Dying Swan, when it was Annas part, the curtain opened to an empty stage. Conclusion: In conclusion, Anna Pavlova the Russian ballet legend, from a very young age was almost destined to be a great dancer. When she was a very small girl she took an interest to ballet. At a very young age Anna was accepted to the prestigious imperial school of ballet. After being accepted to the imperial school of ballet, Anna quickly showed uncanny skill at the art of dance. Anna quickly reached the rank of ballerina and one year later to prima ballerina. As a ballerina, Anna was offered the chance to perform The Dying Swan with the choreographer Michael Fokine. In 1909, Anna Pavlova began performing abroad and travelled to many parts of the world performing in front of emperors, kings, queens, and Czars. Everywhere Pavlova went she was complemented by the noble elite she met. During the First World War, Anna performed her renowned plays in North and South America. Anna Pavlova was a highly classical dancer and stuck to the ideals of classical ballet even after the advent of modern dan ce. Later in 1912, Anna decided to buy an expensive house in London named Ivy House. Anna was so absorbed by swans that she had a few pet swans at her home. However, Anna Pavlova was not only a great dancer, she was a philanthropist, she donated money to the Marianski school of theater in Leningrad. She sent financial aid to students of dance like herself back in Russia. At the time of Anna Pavlovas death, she was known from America to Asia and not merely famous, but infamous. She was a great dancer with a tragic end of life story. She was best known for her dance The Dying Swan, where she imitated the swans movements more gracefully than any other dancer of her time. Although Anna Pavlova was honored to meet many famous people, all the people she met greeted her as a legendary dancer.

Gabriel Prosser :: essays research papers

â€Å" The sky flushed as they put him in the cart, and suddenly Gabriel thought of others, the ones who were to follow him, the ones who waited in their cells because of his leadership, these and others, others, and still others, a world of others who were to follow†( Gabriel’s Rebellion). Gabriel Prosser was a slave leader who in 1800 proposed a plan to liberate slaves. Gabriel drew up a plan to free his fellow slaves in Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding countryside. Gabriel was a blacksmith, working in Brookfield and in Richmond, who had learned to read and write. He was inspired by the declarations of freedom during the Revolutionary War. During the late spring and early summer of 1800 he made a plan of revolt and had hundreds of followers to back him up, including his two brothers, Martin and Solomon. His plan called for a band of armed slaves, mainly black and white laborers and artisans, to enter Richmond, Virginia and burn down the business district, take the governor as hostage and seize whatever arms they could. Then the black slaves would win there freedom. However, on August 13, 1800, the day planned for the revolt, an unusually violent storm broke out, washing out bridges and roads and stopping all travel. They could not reach Richmond. Also, slaves Tom and Pharoah informed there master. He brought the news to the governor, James Monroe, who had a guard placed at every marked spot for attack, called out state militia, and ordered a series of arrests. By September fifteenth, ten people included in the open revolt were hanged. Gabriel was captured on September twenty fourth and hanged on October seventh, his execution having been delayed twice in hopes that he would make a confession. In all thirty six people were caught and hanged. Many other uprisings followed this one. Although, the carefully planned uprising never took place it left fear in the hearts of whites and pride in the hearts of blacks. As a result of Gabriel’s uprising whites who had previously spoken on behalf of the slaves found themselves silenced in the Upper South. White Southerners who favored the colonization of blacks, sending them to Africa, received more widespread support. The plot revealed the risks that blacks were prepared to take to have their

Curriculum Guides for Academic Interventions

Running head: CURRICULUMCurriculum Guides for Academic Interventions Meghan Powell Grand Canyon University March 27, 2013 Strategies used: Student Engagement & Peer-Assisted Learning (Center for Innovations in Education, 2006) Educational Purpose: Student Engagement: To keep the student actively engaged will keep them away from having time to behave inappropriately (CISE, 2006). . It will also keep them from wanting to veer away from the educational activity. The key word here is actively. The goal or objective here is to engage the student actively, meaning we aren’t just keeping him/her busy, we are talking to them, asking questions, getting them to participate in the educational activity, as well as getting them to want to participate in the activity. Keeping the student with EBD actively engaged throughout an entire activity can be done. It’s not easy, but can be done. Peer-Assisted Learning: With peer-assisted Learning, the student with EBD proves to be showing high levels of engagement. The goal or objective here is to use peer-assisted learning strategies (PALS) to put together a reader and a coach to practice skills needed to complete the tasks. In many cases, positive effects were shown when using PALS but in some cases, the results were mixed (CISE, 2006). Mixed results were found when PALS was used with reading and students with EBD demonstrated that there were only moderate gains in reading achievement, slight improvements for some in time spent attending, and no improvement in inappropriate behavior during instruction CISE, 2006). Task Analysis: Survival sign matching with flashcards: The students will come into class and see their orange folders out on the main tables. They know their orange folders have their indoor, outdoor, and workplace survival signs in them. We will start with the outdoor signs. The game we usually play is where the students first lay out all of their cards on the table; keeping them separate from other student’s cards. The next thing we do is the teacher holds up one card at a time. The students have to say which sign it is and then find the corresponding sign in their pile of flashcards. Whoever is the first one to find the card gets to put a tally mark up by their name on the board. Whoever has the most tally marks gets to pick out of the treasure box after the game is over. We will do this with the indoor and workplace signs too. The tally marks start over with each change in signs; indoor-outdoor-workplace. This task is great because you get the students interacting with their movements, their words, and it keeps them from thinking about inappropriate behaviors. This is also great for when a student can’t find the sign, another student helps them locate it. Sign language with flashcards: We will do this with all of the students sitting around the large table. The teacher has a big pile of laminated pictures with a picture of someone signing the picture. The teacher will hold one up at a time while the students sign what it is. Some students are taking a little bit longer to learn them than other students are so there is a lot of peer-assistance going on in this activity. The teacher will go through the whole pile and keep the ones where most students showed difficulty, to the side so those will be the focus for next time. This engaging activity again, gets the students moving, and checking with each other to make sure they are doing the right sign. The kinesthetic learning keeps students with EBD too occupied to think about inappropriate behavior. With the teacher responding correctly to the students actions is key (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner pg. 325, 2009). Possible Interventions: We try to stay away from a reactive management style but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Rules need to be set right away in order for students to follow them and stay actively engaged. If there are ground rules set in place in the beginning and students are held to high expectations of following those rules, there should be no problem. But sometimes, there still is. If you have to change or stop the behavior after it has already started, make sure you and the other students stay safe. Get the other students out of the room or in nother area where they cannot be harmed if this is the case. Talk calmly with the student who is acting inappropriately and ask them what they are feeling and how we can make it better. Once the student has calmed down and the environment is safe again, the other students may come back in. Giving them space and time to cool down is a great idea. Student Assessment Procedures: To assess the students with the two flashcard t asks, keep a little notepad with you and mark down who seems to be getting all of the survival signs and sign language movements and which ones are struggling with what. This would be a great thing for a paraprofessional to do. Data collection is key information on what to teach the students next and who can move on or not. For the students who are having a harder time, with the survival signs especially, they may need to have a little bit of one on one time either with the teacher or with a paraprofessional to get a more focused work session in. sometimes the struggling student does better in a one on one setting and sometimes students prosper in a group setting. Without trying both, we will never know how they like to learn. References Center for Innovations in Education (CISE) (2006). Teaching Reading to Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Students with Reading and Behavioral Needs. Retrieved on March 26, 2013 from http://www. studentprogress. org/doc/ReadingandEmotionalBehavioralDisorders. pdf Yell, Mitchell L. , Meadows, Nancy B. , Drasgow, Erik, Shriner, James G. (2009). Evidenced-Based Practices for Educating Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Chapters 14 & 16. Pearson Education, Inc.

Obesity Debate Essay

In the five section article, â€Å"Rethinking Weight† by Amanda Spake, the author outlines the conflict surrounding whether obesity classifies as a disease. Spake discusses the prevalence of obesity in America and sheds light on the idea that obesity may contain genetic roots. The article continues with the author’s insights into whether weight or fitness retains the most importance. Spake concludes the article with thoughts on the growing concern of insurance coverage and obesity treatment. The author claims that â€Å"At the heart of this obesity epidemic is a debate over whether obesity is a biological ‘disease’ and should be treated like any other life-threatening illness – cancer, heart disease – or whether it is simply a risk factor for these killers† (282). Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the idea of obesity qualifying as a disease when she describes the role insurance companies play when paying for obesity treatment. The article begins with a narrative account of Maria Pfisterer. Spake uses Maria Pfisterer’s story to reveal the struggles obesity and dieting inflict upon a person. According to the author, Pfisterer’s many attempted diets, in terms of weight â€Å"All resulted in a little lost and more regained,† which supports the idea of weight and dieting inflicting a constant burden in the lives of many Americans (282). Spake also included in the story of Pfisterer’s weight battle the idea that no matter how hard Pfisterer tried to lose weight or what method Pfisterer thought to try, the weight never permanently disappeared, which in turn supports the concept of obesity being more than just a physical ailment. The author also discusses the possible treatment of gastric bypass surgery for Pfisterer, which remains unavailable to Pfisterer due to the high cost and specific criteria an individual must possess in order to receive the surgery. The narrative story provides an appeal to emotions by showing one woman’s struggle with weight and the effect that struggle embodies in Pfisterer’s life. The story also provides a persuasive element, influencing a want for Pfisterer to achieve her personal weight goals. The author pinpoints a person’s biology and psychological state as possible factors in the development of obesity. Xavier Pi-Sunyer from the Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital suggests â€Å"†¦obesity is a biologically determined process† (282). Many weight researchers also believe that â€Å"obesity is controlled by a powerful biological system of hormones, proteins, neurotransmitters, and genes that regulate fat storage and body weight and tell the brain when, what, and how much to eat† (284). Rudolph Leibel, a Columbia University geneticist, also states, â€Å"I believe there are strong genetic factors that determine susceptibility to obesity† (285). The given beliefs demonstrate how obesity qualifies as more than a personal decision. A person’s biology resists changes; therefore, the idea of obesity as a biological condition contains validity for Spake’s claim. The author also includes Brian Wansink’s perspective, â€Å"†¦obesity is not just biology; it’s psychology† (286). The brain plays a key role in how obesity operates differently in individuals. The author continues to explain how, psychologically, obese individuals hold no control over the eating habits the overweight display. Spake’s inclusion of biological and psychological ideas presented by reliable professionals persuades critical audiences to agree with the author’s claim. Scientific research also plays a part in the obesity debate. Spake uses a variety of logos and ethos information to support the claim of the ongoing debate over the classification of obesity. The article incorporates the use of statistics from various studies on weight and obesity to solidify the author’s beliefs. The author gives a shocking statistic that â€Å"A majority of Americans—now 64   percent—are overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (282). A study done of twins showed that 20 to 70 percent of weight issues developed through inheritance. Another study conducted by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions stated, â€Å"the nation is spending about $75 billion a year on weight-related disease† (283). Spake even includes the statistic saying that, â€Å"Simply eating with one other person increases the average amount eaten at meals by 44 percent,† which refers to the psychological aspect of obesity (286). The author’s use of statistical information provides a strong backing for Spake’s claim about the obesity debate. Although not officially categorized as a disease, some organizations in society already list obesity as a disease. Spake chooses to include examples of situations in society where obesity may already encompass similar characteristics to a disease. The diseases that result from excessive amounts of weight embody a prominent situation described by the author. â€Å"Almost 80 percent of obese adults have one of these conditions, and nearly 40 percent have two or more,† Spake suggests when referring to diseases, such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, and high cholesterol that relate to the presence of obesity. Another example the author mentions confirms that, â€Å"The WHO has listed obesity as a disease in its International Classification of Disease since 1979.† Spake raises concern as to why obesity still remains uncategorized as an official disease when large quantities of overweight individuals contract other diseases due to the affliction of obesity and when a substantial organization already includes obesity in a database of diseases. Another statistic included in the discussion reads â€Å"About 325,000 deaths a year are attributed to obesity† (283). This shocking statistic sparks the question of why obesity lacks the definition of a disease even further. However, the author strays from her claim when insurance problems come into the article. Bringing the topic of insurance into the discussion provides no backing for any of the author’s claim. Spake chose to incorporate that â€Å"The health insurance industry argues that obesity treatments  can’t be covered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (287). The claim refers to whether obesity classifies as a disease, not the effect of insurance coverage on those affected by obesity. Also, the author included that â€Å"the cost†¦of treatment and health insurance will escalate† (288). The price tag of treatment and rising insurance costs gives no support to the debate of obesity classifying as a disease that Spake claims as the purpose of the article. The inclusion of the insurance debacle distracts from the key issues the article puts forth, leaving readers to question the main idea of the article. In summation, Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the claim when she describes the role of insurance companies in paying for obesity treatment. Works Cited Spake, Amanda. â€Å"Rethinking Weight.† Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Comp. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 285-88. Print.