Biography of Pol Pot, Cambodian Dictator

Biography of Pol Pot, Cambodian Dictator Pol Pot (born Saloth Sar; May 19, 1925–April 15, 1998) was a Cambodian dictator. As the head of the Khmer Rouge, he oversaw an unprecedented and extremely brutal attempt to remove Cambodia from the modern world and establish an agrarian utopia. While attempting to create this utopia, Pol Pot initiated the Cambodian genocide, which lasted from 1975 to 1979 and caused the deaths of at least 1.5 million Cambodians. Fast Facts: Pol Pot Known For: As the leader of the revolutionary Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot oversaw the Cambodian genocide.Also Known As: Saloth SarBorn: May 19, 1925 in Prek Sbauv, CambodiaParents: Loth Sar and Sok NemDied: April 15, 1998 in Anlong Veng, CambodiaSpouse(s): Khieu Ponnary (m. 1956–1979), Mea Son (m. 1986–1998)Children: Sar Patchata Early Life Pol Pot was born Saloth Sar on May 19, 1928, in the fishing village of Prek Sbauk, Kampong Thom province, in what was then French Indochina (now Cambodia). His family, of Chinese-Khmer descent, was moderately well-to-do. They had connections to the royal family: a sister was a concubine of the king, Sisovath Monivong, and a brother was a court official. In 1934, Pol Pot went to live with the brother in Phnom Penh, where he spent a year in a royal Buddhist monastery and then attended a Catholic school. At age 14, he began high school in Kompong Cham. Pol Pot was, however, not a very successful student, and he eventually switched to a technical school to study carpentry. In 1949, Pol Pot obtained a scholarship to study radio electronics in Paris. He enjoyed himself in Paris, gaining a reputation as something of a bon vivant, fond of dancing and drinking red wine. However, by his second year in Paris, Pol Pot had become friends with other students who were impassioned by politics. From these friends, Pol Pot encountered Marxism, joining the Cercle Marxiste (Marxist Circle of Khmer Students in Paris) and the French Communist Party. (Many of the other students whom he befriended during this period later became central figures in the Khmer Rouge.) After Pol Pot failed his examinations for the third year in a row, however, he had to return in January 1953 to what would shortly become Cambodia. Joining the Viet Minh As the first of the Cercle Marxiste to return to Cambodia, Pol Pot helped assess the different groups rebelling against the Cambodian government and recommended that returning members of the Cercle join the Khmer Viet Minh (or Moutakeaha). Although Pol Pot and other members of the Cercle disliked that the Khmer Viet Minh had heavy ties with Vietnam, the group felt this Communist revolutionary organization was the one most likely to take action. In August 1953, Pol Pot left his home secretly and, without even telling his friends, headed to the Viet Minh’s Eastern Zone Headquarters, located near the village of Krabao. The camp was located in the forest and consisted of canvas tents that could be easily moved in case of an attack. Pol Pot (and eventually more of his Cercle friends) were dismayed to find the camp completely segregated, with Vietnamese as the high-ranking members and Cambodians (Khmers) given only menial tasks. Pol Pot himself was assigned tasks such as farming and working in the mess hall. Still, he watched and learned how the Viet Minh used propaganda and force to take control of peasant villages in the region. The Khmer Viet Minh was forced to disband after the 1954 Geneva Accords; Pol Pot and several of his friends headed back to Phnom Penh. 1955 Election The 1954 Geneva Accords had temporarily quashed much of the revolutionary fervor within Cambodia and proclaimed a mandatory election in 1955. Pol Pot, who was now back in Phnom Penh, was determined to do what he could to influence the election. He infiltrated the Democratic Party with the hope of being able to reshape its policies. When it turned out that Prince Norodom Sihanouk had rigged the election, Pol Pot and others became convinced that the only way to change Cambodia was through revolution. Khmer Rouge In the years following the 1955 elections, Pol Pot led a dual life. By day, Pol Pot worked as a teacher and surprisingly was well-liked by his students. By night, Pol Pot was heavily involved in a Communist revolutionary organization, the Kampuchean Peoples Revolutionary Party (KPRP). (â€Å"Kampuchean† is another term for â€Å"Cambodian.†) During this time, Pol Pot also married Khieu Ponnary, the sister of one of his Paris student friends. The couple never had children together. By 1959, Prince Sihanouk had begun to seriously repress leftist political movements, especially by targeting the older generation of experienced dissidents. With many of the older leaders in exile or on the run, Pol Pot and other young members of the KPRP emerged as leaders in party affairs. After a power struggle within the KPRP in the early 1960s, Pol Pot took control of the party. This party, which was officially renamed the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) in 1966, became more commonly known as the Khmer Rouge (meaning â€Å"Red Khmer† in French). The term â€Å"Khmer Rouge† was used by Prince Sihanouk to describe the CPK, since many in the CPK were both Communists (often called â€Å"reds†) and of Khmer descent. The Battle to Topple Prince Sihanouk In March 1962 when his name appeared on a list of people wanted for questioning, Pol Pot went into hiding. He took to the jungle and began preparing a guerrilla-based revolutionary movement that intended to topple Prince Sihanouk’s government. In 1964 with help from North Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge established a base camp in the border region and issued a declaration calling for armed struggle against the Cambodian monarchy, which they viewed as corrupt and repressive. The ideology of the Khmer Rouge gradually developed in this period. It featured a Maoist orientation with an emphasis on the peasant farmer as the foundation for a revolution. This contrasted with the orthodox Marxist idea that the proletariat (working class) was the basis for revolution. Courting Vietnam and China In 1965, Pol Pot was hoping to get support from either Vietnam or China for his revolution. Since the Communist North Vietnamese regime was the most likely source of support for the Khmer Rouge at the time, Pol Pot went to Hanoi to ask for aid. In response to his request, the North Vietnamese criticized Pol Pot for having a nationalist agenda. Since, at this time, Prince Sihanouk was letting the North Vietnamese use Cambodian territory in their struggle against South Vietnam and the United States, the Vietnamese believed the time was not right for an armed struggle in Cambodia. It did not matter to the Vietnamese that the time might have felt right for the Cambodian people. Pol Pot next visited the Communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) and fell under the influence of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which emphasized revolutionary enthusiasm and sacrifice. It accomplished this in part by encouraging people to destroy any vestiges of traditional Chinese civilization. China would not openly support the Khmer Rouge, but it gave Pol Pot some ideas for his own revolution. In 1967, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, though isolated and lacking widespread support, made the decision to start a revolt against the Cambodian government. The initial action began on January 18, 1968. By that summer, Pol Pot had moved away from collective leadership to become the sole decision maker. He even set up a separate compound and lived apart from the other leaders. Cambodia and the Vietnam War The Khmer Rouge’s revolution progressed very slowly until two major events occurred in 1970. The first was a successful coup led by General Lon Nol, which deposed the increasingly unpopular Prince Sihanouk and aligned Cambodia with the United States. The second involved a massive bombardment campaign and invasion of Cambodia by the United States. During the Vietnam War, Cambodia had officially remained neutral; however, the Viet Cong (Vietnamese communist guerrilla fighters) used that position to their advantage by creating bases within Cambodian territory in order to regroup and store supplies. American strategists believed that a massive bombing campaign within Cambodia would deprive the Viet Cong of this sanctuary and thus bring the Vietnam War to a quicker end. The result for Cambodia was political destabilization. These political changes set the stage for the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. With an incursion by Americans within Cambodia, Pol Pot was able to claim that the Khmer Rouge was fighting for Cambodian independence and against imperialism. Although he might have been refused aid from North Vietnam and China before, Cambodian involvement in the Vietnam War led to their support of the Khmer Rouge. With this new backing, Pol Pot was able to concentrate on recruiting and training while the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong did most of the initial fighting. Disturbing trends emerged early. Students and so-called â€Å"middle† or better-off peasants were no longer allowed to join the Khmer Rouge. Former government workers and officials, teachers, and people with an education were also purged from the party. Chams- an important ethnic group in Cambodia- and other minorities were forced to adopt Cambodian styles of dress and appearance. Decrees were issued establishing cooperative agricultural enterprises. The practice of emptying urban areas began. By 1973, the Khmer Rouge controlled two-thirds of the country and half the population. Genocide in Democratic Kampuchea After five years of civil war, the Khmer Rouge was finally able to capture Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975. This ended Lon Nol’s rule and began the five-year reign of the Khmer Rouge. It was at this time that Saloth Sar began calling himself â€Å"brother number one† and took Pol Pot as his nom de guerre. (According to one source, â€Å"Pol Pot† comes from the French words â€Å"politique potentielle.†) After taking control of Cambodia, Pol Pot declared the Year Zero. This meant much more than restarting the calendar; it was a means of emphasizing that all that was familiar in the lives of Cambodians were to be destroyed. This was a far more comprehensive cultural revolution than the one Pol Pot had observed in Communist China. Religion was abolished, ethnic groups were  forbidden to speak their language or follow their customs, and political dissent was ruthlessly suppressed. As dictator of Cambodia, which the Khmer Rouge renamed Democratic Kampuchea, Pol Pot began a ruthless, bloody campaign against a variety of groups: members of the former government, Buddhist monks, Muslims, Western-educated intellectuals, university students and teachers, people in contact with Westerners or Vietnamese, people who were crippled or lame, and ethnic Chinese, Laotians, and Vietnamese. These massive changes within Cambodia and the specific targeting of large sections of the population led to the Cambodian genocide. By its end in 1979, at least 1.5 million people had been murdered in the â€Å"Killing Fields.† Many were beaten to death with iron bars or hoes after digging their own graves. Some were buried alive. One directive read: â€Å"Bullets not to be wasted.† Most died from starvation and disease, but probably 200,000 were executed, often after interrogation and brutal torture. The most infamous interrogation center was Tuol Sleng, S-21 (Security Prison 21), a former high school. It was there that prisoners were photographed, interrogated, and tortured. It was known as â€Å"the place where people go in but never come out.† Vietnam Defeats the Khmer Rouge As the years passed, Pol Pot became increasingly paranoid about the possibility of an invasion by Vietnam. To preempt an attack, Pol Pot’s regime began carrying out raids and massacres in Vietnamese territory. Rather than dissuade the Vietnamese from attacking, these raids ultimately provided Vietnam with an excuse to invade Cambodia in 1978. By the following year, the Vietnamese had routed the Khmer Rouge, ending both the Khmer Rouge’s rule in Cambodia and the genocidal policies of Pol Pot. Ousted from power, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreated to a remote area of Cambodia along the border with Thailand. For several years, the North Vietnamese tolerated the existence of the Khmer Rouge in this border area. However, in 1984, the North Vietnamese made a concerted effort to deal with them. After that, the Khmer Rouge survived only with the support of Communist China and the toleration of the Thai government. In 1985, Pol Pot resigned as head of the Khmer Rouge and handed over day-to-day administrative tasks to his longtime associate, Son Sen. Pol Pot nonetheless continued as the de facto leader of the party. Aftermath In 1995, Pol Pot, still living in isolation on the Thai border, suffered a stroke that left the left side of his body paralyzed. Two years later, he had Son Sen and members of Sen’s family executed because he believed that Sen had attempted to negotiate with the Cambodian government. The deaths of Son Sen and his family shocked many of the remaining Khmer leadership. Feeling that Pol Pot’s paranoia was out of control and worried about their own lives, Khmer Rouge leaders arrested Pol Pot and put him on trial for the murder of Sen and other Khmer Rouge members. Pol Pot was sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his life. He was not punished more severely because he had been so prominent in Khmer Rouge affairs. Some of the remaining members of the party, however, questioned this lenient treatment. Death On April 15, 1998, Pol Pot heard a broadcast on Voice of America (of which he was a faithful listener) announce that the Khmer Rouge had agreed to turn him over to an international tribunal. He died that same night. Rumors persist that he either committed suicide or was murdered. His body was cremated without an autopsy to establish the cause of death. Legacy Pol Pot is remembered for his long, oppressive reign and for his attempt to exterminate all religious and ethnic minorities in Cambodia. The Cambodian genocide- responsible for the deaths of at least 1.5 million people- resulted in several Khmer Rouge leaders being convicted of crimes against humanity. Sources Bergin, Sean.  The Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian Genocide. Rosen Pub. Group, 2009.Short, Philip.  Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare. Henry Holt, 2005.

Kraft Foods Corporation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kraft Foods Corporation - Assignment Example Kraft Foods Corporation, launched in 1903, is the leading drinks and cuisines firm in N. America and the subsequent most prominent corporation globally. Therefore, nothing speaks to the Kraft Foods corporate values more than the company’s relentless concern on safety of food. The company ensures that it consumers use its brands with confidence and without fear of contracting some health problems. Â  In connection to this, environmental, anti-biotech team tests have concluded that taco shells brand contained a certain protein (Cry9C), a pesticide is unproven for consumption by human, ((Kraft Foods Co., 1995).. The corn now only approved for utilization in animal feed since the issue concerning whether the product could cause unhealthy reactions to human beings is unclear. Test provided by an environmental, anti-biotech team confirmed harmful corn traces in a taco shell brand, which had been bought in the suburb of Washington, and laboratory tests by Kraft Company confirmed sim ilar results, (Kraft Foods Co., 1998). Â  Therefore, in response to this claim, Kraft Foods Company, a Phillip Morris Company division, announce an intentional recall of the whole Taco Bell line of production such as Taco shells home original 12 and 18 and taco kits and seasoning 12, until the company will be confident that genetically modified corns are no more in the company meals. Irrespective of the claims, Kraft Company affirms that there are no human health threats from the corn (Kraft Foods Co., 1998).

MHE507 - Bio-Terrorism Module 4 - Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MHE507 - Bio-Terrorism Module 4 - Case - Essay Example edness has increased comparatively from the pre-9/11 period, the present state of preparedness of the public health system is such that it would not be able to cope with a catastrophe, like a bio-terrorist attack, were it to happen today (Barclay 2009). This gap in bioterrorism preparedness is underpinned by less than adequate political and economic support to the public health system. The 9/11 incident gave birth to frantic legislative activities that mainly broached, unsurprisingly, on terrorism prevention and preparedness. The Bush administration saw the enactment of the following: updated Title 18 of the US Code; the Department of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States Act in January 2002 which allotted $2.9 B to HHS for bioterrorism preparedness; the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act) which increased the country’s capability to prevent, prepare for and meet bioterrorism (Center for Biosecurity of UPMC 2009), and; the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act in 2006 which strengthened public health infrastructure. In 2001, the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MSHEPA), a modern public health emergency preparedness prototype that can serve as template for state bioterrorism and other contingencies la ws, was drafted. It authorizes, among others, state and local public health agencies during catastrophic events with emergency powers. Under this model, adopted by more than 35 states, emergency powers may suspend temporarily rules and regulations that interfere with swift and effective interjurisdictional coordination or legal requirements in State business that hamper or delay rapid responses to emergencies (Roberts et al 2007). As can be gleaned, the 9/11 incident has spawned more than adequate legislative authority to combat and prevent bioterrorism. On the other hand, economic funding for

The Wife of Bath’s Faithfulness Essay Example for Free

The Wife of Bath’s Faithfulness Essay In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer reveals the characteristics of the Wife of Bath through her tale and background. Chaucer portrays the Wife of Bath as a woman of faith through her religious actions and beliefs despite her human faults. Chaucer states in the General Prologue that â€Å"not a dame dared stir/ [t]owards the altar steps in front of her,† meaning that no one stepped in front of her to receive communion (GP ll. 459-460). If one did go ahead of her, â€Å"so wrath was she/ [a]s to be quite put out of charity† (GP ll. 461-462). Chaucer depicts the Wife of Bath as eager to receive the Sunday communion. By displaying her eagerness to receive communion, Chaucer explains that she has compassion for the Church. Furthermore, the Wife of Bath displays her respect for the church by dressing in her best outfits such as â€Å"hose [that] were of the finest scarlet red† (GP l. 466). Also, Chaucer states that the Wife of Bath â€Å"had five husbands, [but she had them] all at the church door† (GP l. 470). In the eyes of the church getting married at the church door is a sign of her faith. In her tale, the Wife of Bath expresses a dislike for the â€Å"holy friars,† whom she describes as having â€Å"seem[ed] to have purged the air† (W l. 10). Purging the air in this case refers to the friars raping the fairies. The Wife of Bath conveys loyalty to the church by expressing concern that the â€Å"holy friars† would commit the terrible sin of rape, considering their position in the church. Also in her story, she tells of a knight who raped a maiden (W l. 34). The king was to â€Å"condemn [] the knight to lose his head/ [b]y course of law,† but the queen begged the king to let her impose the sentence (W ll. 37-38). As a result, the king gave her the authority to decide the fate of the knight. The queen summoned the knight to ask him the question, â€Å"what is the thing that women most desire?† (W l. 51). If he answered the question correctly within a year and a day, then he could keep his life (W l. 50). With the help of the Wife of Bath, the knight returned with the right answer and his life was saved (W l. 191), and then kept his pledge to marry her (W 1. 201). She makes the pledge to the knight to be a faithful and fair wife (W 1. 387). The Wife of Bath reveals her own faithfulness through the knight’s integrity to return to the queen with an answer. Through her tale and her own actions, the Wife of Bath presents herself as a woman of faith.

Immortal Life vs. Immortal Name: Gilgamesh and Beowulf Essay -- Englis

Immortal Life vs. Immortal Name: Gilgamesh and Beowulf Death. Fate. Immortality. Destiny. All are subjects that we tend to avoid. While most of us hope for life after death, we tend not to dwell on this subject because we are uncomfortable with the unknown. On those rare occasions when we allow ourselves to think about the fact that our days are numbered, we wonder if death can be cheated and immortality gained. Some have suggested that being remembered is just as enduring as living forever. Thoughts of destiny and the here after are not new. They have engaged the hearts and minds of men for ages. Two ancient stories that deal with this subject matter are The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf. In these texts, the main characters, Gilgamesh and Beowulf, are obsessed with their fate. To the degree that these epics accurately reflect the society and culture of their own eras, one can see that men of these ancient times were as concerned about their ultimate destiny as we are. The epic stories of Gilgamesh and Beowulf illustrate that men and wom en throughout the ages have been keenly aware of their own mortality and that they long to live on eternally, if only in the memory of others. In the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh, the ruler of ancient Uruk, is blessed with the gift of foresight. He has numerous dreams about his destiny and is very accepting of the fate that the gods have given him. The gods give Gilgamesh a dream and Enkidu interprets Gilgamesh’s vision concerning his fate. Enkidu says that Enlil, father of the gods â€Å"has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny† (Sandars 70). With this revelation Gilgamesh knows his destiny very early in his journey. Rather than becoming angry at the gods, Gilgamesh accepts the gods’ choice to not give him eternal life. Instead, Gilgamesh wants to â€Å"set up his name in the place where the names of famous men are written, and where no man’s name is written yet he will raise a monument to the gods† (70-1). Gilgamesh succeeds in his plan for making himself famous by first defeating the guardian of the forest, Humbaba, and shortly after, the bull of heaven. During these battles Gilgamesh declares that there is â€Å"nothing to fear! †¦ if I fall I leave behind me a name that endures† (71). Having reconciled himself to the fact that fate has indeed determined when he will die, h... ...O, Gilgamesh†¦great is thy praise† (119). The narrator is saying that the admiration of others is and will be great. This clearly shows that the people of Uruk will keep Gilgamesh alive in their minds. Beowulf will at some level attain everlasting life through the memory of his people as well. In Beowulf and Gilgamesh, both heroes desire to gain everlasting life. At one point, Gilgamesh believes that he can actually gain eternal life and change his destiny. Beowulf, and eventually Gilgamesh, end up gaining everlasting life through their monuments and the good deeds that their people will remember them by. The ancient societies depicted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf are no doubt representative of the actual societies that existed during those time periods. These ancient people were greatly concerned with issues such as death, fate, and destiny. People of ancient times and modern realize that even though one cannot escape death, one can to some degree achieve immortality, if only in the memories of those left behind. Works Cited Liuzza, Roy M., trans. Beowulf. Peterborough, ON: Broadview, 1999. Sandars, N. K., trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin, 1972.

Bal-A-Vis-X

Trying to minimize which program is the most effective lies in the opinion and experience of the teacher under the policies of each school district. Currently, my professional peers use Brain Gym, Go Noodle, Move It or some form of a self-designed kinesthetic curriculum in their classroom as a management technique to reduce or minimize undesirable behaviors and create healthy environments. Another reason to incorporate movement is to engage multiple areas of the brain and to use both sides of the brain. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain resulting in improve academic performance. There is a plethora of programs designed to accomplish this concept with integrating kinesthetic lessons into education.It has been proven and evidence supports that movement using multi-sensory techniques increases cognitive functions of the brain. Ultimately, this is the desired outcome or goal for the educator and student.Hubert, Bill.  Cues for Learning and Teaching in Flow. Wichita, KS: Bal-A-Vis-X, 2014. Print.   Bal-A-Vis-X was developed by a teacher in Wichita, Kansas named Bill Hubert. Bill Hubert uses cognitive exercises which encompass the integration of balance, auditory, and vision exercises using racquetballs, balance boards, hand-sized sandbags and various complexity of rhythmic exercises. The exercises focus on rhythm, patterning, balance and visual teaming. The combination of 300 various exercises increase in complexity as the student masters the fundamental skills. The exercises can be reduced to accommodate the student with varying disabilities. The program is designed to help individuals who struggle with academics, post-traumatic stress, physical and social impairments. (Hubert, 2007)Bill Hubert suggest the lack of flow within a person can trigger the stressful occurrences which may cause the cognitive debilitation of an individual. (Hubert, 2007). He further explains what he believes are the series of physical and developmental movement which occur and how this movement contributes to the cognitive aspects of the individual to perform a required task.In Bill Hubert's book Bal-A-Vis-X Rhythmic Balance/Auditory/Vision/eXercises for Brain and Brain-Body Integration, he mentions neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford. She wrote an excerpt about how the brain and body worked which inspired him: A most fundamental and mysterious aspect of the mind, thought, creativity and intelligence are not processes of the brain alone, but the whole body. Sensations, moments, emotions, and brain integrative functions are grounded in the body. The human qualities we associate with the mind can never exists separate from the body, it is our movements that express knowledge and facilitate greater cognitive function as they increase in complexity. (Hubert 2014) The principals of the program are to introduce midline crossings in three dimensions which are designed to follow steady rhythm using the whole mind-body system creating the flow with in the student aligning the mind with the body. The idea is to listen to the rhythm of the sound of the balls bouncing or the sandbags being passed while simultaneously integrating patterned movement involving the whole body.†Making an Intervention Report.†Ã‚  WWC | Find What Works!  US Department of Education, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2018. One reliable intervention resource for Special Education teachers is the website, What Works Clearinghouse created by the Department of Education. The information presented on this website shares interventions which are research based with data which has been proven to be effective and reliable across multiple categories. Another resource is the National Intervention Institute in Florida. They have collected and presented a multitude of research supporting the Response to Intervention tiered System academically and behaviorally. I did not find any data on either of these websites for Bal-A-Vis-X. Searching for data and information seemed to come from the founder himself, testimonials of educators and parents, and other graduate students conducting their own research. I felt the information could be bias and not authentic or reliable. I questioned if Bal-A-Vis-X was possibly just another product to entice the movement program generation to incorporate it in their interventions in schools, nursing homes, care facilities and physical therapy centers. Several of the testimonials were extremely emotional and supportive that Bal-A-Vis-X is remarkable in its entirety. Web. 14 Mar. 2018.  Norsworthy, Francis, and Bill Hubert. The Illustrated Bal-A-Vis-X: Rhythmic Balance/auditory/vision Exercises for Brain and Brain-body Integration. Wichita, Kan.: Bal-A-Vis-X, 2009. Print.  The founder, Bill Hubert claims it takes approximately three years to master all the skills of the program. (Hubert, 2007) I started my project first with viewing the first disc in the series of three. Each disc is a video recording of the founder Bill Hubert and his students demonstrating the first foundational exercises. He demonstrates the target skill precisely. He then demonstrates variations of the skill with modifications to accommodate students who struggle with the skill. Bill Hubert strives for three main goals with the program First, it is important to test a student for visual tracking. This is very important for a student to be able to visually track. Starting from the beginning basic skills visual tracking is essential for the student to be able to follow with their eyes the direction of the bean bags or balls while engaging their body in various other movements simultaneously in multiple directions and abilities. The next goal is to have discipline parameters. Classroom management is necessary. Students must be paying attention to the instructor and responding to exactly what is being demonstrated exactly the way it is intended. The student must be able to hear the rhythm of the bean bags slapping, the balls bouncing, and feel the flow from all of the components of the program working together with the student similar to pendulum swinging. When mind and body are working together harmony will occur in the body and mind to create a sense overall balance. In conclusion of training elementary students in the basic skill activities of Bal-A-Vis-X, I have discovered intensive individualized instruction is needed for optimal results. My fidelity of the training was challenged in the setting I provided for the instruction to the participating students. The parameters of what was needed was comprised by instructing in a group setting for the initial training. In addition, I was unaware at first that I would be losing one training a week per grade level due to Keyboarding class at the same time. I had originally planned on the group training two days a week, for sixteen weeks, for fifteen minutes prior to their physical education class. In the beginning I randomly drew from a jar which had each student's name printed on it from the targeted grade level fourth, fifth and sixth grades. One group would participate and one group would not participate in Bal-A-Vis-X skills. I administered all students an assessment an oral reading fluency probe and a silent reading comprehension probe. There were no significant positive results from the reading data which validated that Bal-A-Vis-X improved the students reading skills comparing from the beginning to end reading skills assessments. There were no significant differences comparing the Bal-A-Vis-X group to the non-Bal-A-Vis-X group either. Even though I did not get the intended results I was hoping for with this intervention program for reading, I did observe other positive outcomes. These observations were my personal observations from watching the students perform the skills. One observation example was a sixth grade girl with Autism. She is high functioning but just rebuts physical activity. She continually argued how all the skills were stupid or hard. I put her on the end to practice by herself or where I could be her partner. She repetitively could not perform the tasks asked without restarting several times, dropping of the beanbags or balls. She couldn't balance herself on the board and refused to even try. Each time I worked with her I broke the task down in smaller increments of movements. Eventually, the complaining decreased and she willing participated. One day at recess, which she stands and typically watches her peers play a popular competitive speed basketball game of shooting hoops, she stepped forward and joined. Remarkably, she hit the hoop every time she attempted to hit the hoop. This was a very first for her. She was so excited and her peers even noticed and were awed by her success. This was the first time I saw her happy and excited to engage with her peers in a physical activity. There were a few other coordination observations I made during the sixteen weeks. In knowledge I have obtained from the results first hand from this program, I have decided to peruse professional development of this program so I can teach it more reliably next year. I would like to teach it one on one to my special needs students. Many of the skills taught on the CD disc I personally struggled with performing them myself. I received as much satisfaction from inter personal learning as I did from learning from the students as they were performing the skills. Over all, I cannot say at this time in my personal opinion, observation, and results from reading assessments that Bal-A-Vis-X will improve a student's reading performance. However, I have not determined that it is not effective either. I will need more time and specific measurable obtainable data implementing the program in a individualized specialized setting for the best results.

CCNY, The City College of New York Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

The City College of New York, CCNY, is a  public university  with an acceptance rate of 48%. Established in 1847, The City College of New York is a senior college in the City University of New York (CUNY) network. The colleges strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. High achieving students might consider the Macaulay Honors College which offers free tuition and other perks to admitted students. In athletics, the CCNY Beavers compete in the NCAA, within the Division III City University of New York Athletic Conference. Considering applying to The City College of New York? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, The City College of New York had an acceptance rate of 48%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 48 students were admitted, making CCNYs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 21,982 Percent Admitted 48% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 17% SAT and ACT Scores and Requirements The City College of New York requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. Most students submit SAT scores, and CCNY does not provide statistics for applicants ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 87% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 510 620 Math 530 650 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of City College of New Yorks admitted students fall within the  top 35% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to CCNY scored between 510 and 620, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 530 and 650, while 25% scored below 530 and 25% scored above 650. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1270 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at City College of New York. Requirements City College of New York does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that CCNY requires applicants to submit all SAT scores, but will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. GPA In 2019, the average high school GPA of City College of New Yorks incoming freshmen class was 89.4. This data suggests that most successful applicants to City College of New York have primarily high B grades. Self-Reported  GPA/SAT/ACT Graph CUNY City College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to The City College of New York. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances The City College of New York, which accepts fewer than half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. Applicants must apply using the CUNY application. CUNY City College wants to see high grades in  rigorous courses  and strong test scores. However, CCNY has a  holistic admissions  process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. You can improve your chances of acceptance by submitting an optional  letters of recommendation and a resume of  extracurricular activities. Note that some majors and programs at CCNY have additional admission requirements. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent students accepted to City College of New York. Most admitted students had a high school average of B or better, a combined SAT score of 1000 or higher (ERWM), and an ACT composite score of 20 or higher. Grades and test scores above these lower ranges will increase your chance of acceptance. If You Like The City College of New York, You May Also Like These Schools Binghamton UniversityUniversity at AlbanyHofstra UniversityBaruch CollegeCUNY Brooklyn CollegeStony Brook UniversitySt. Johns UniversityFordham UniversityPace University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and City College of New York Undergraduate Admissions Office. CCNY, The City College of New York Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA The City College of New York, CCNY, is a  public university  with an acceptance rate of 48%. Established in 1847, The City College of New York is a senior college in the City University of New York (CUNY) network. The colleges strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. High achieving students might consider the Macaulay Honors College which offers free tuition and other perks to admitted students. In athletics, the CCNY Beavers compete in the NCAA, within the Division III City University of New York Athletic Conference. Considering applying to The City College of New York? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, The City College of New York had an acceptance rate of 48%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 48 students were admitted, making CCNYs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 21,982 Percent Admitted 48% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 17% SAT and ACT Scores and Requirements The City College of New York requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. Most students submit SAT scores, and CCNY does not provide statistics for applicants ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 87% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 510 620 Math 530 650 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of City College of New Yorks admitted students fall within the  top 35% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to CCNY scored between 510 and 620, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 530 and 650, while 25% scored below 530 and 25% scored above 650. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1270 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at City College of New York. Requirements City College of New York does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that CCNY requires applicants to submit all SAT scores, but will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. GPA In 2019, the average high school GPA of City College of New Yorks incoming freshmen class was 89.4. This data suggests that most successful applicants to City College of New York have primarily high B grades. Self-Reported  GPA/SAT/ACT Graph CUNY City College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to The City College of New York. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances The City College of New York, which accepts fewer than half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. Applicants must apply using the CUNY application. CUNY City College wants to see high grades in  rigorous courses  and strong test scores. However, CCNY has a  holistic admissions  process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. You can improve your chances of acceptance by submitting an optional  letters of recommendation and a resume of  extracurricular activities. Note that some majors and programs at CCNY have additional admission requirements. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent students accepted to City College of New York. Most admitted students had a high school average of B or better, a combined SAT score of 1000 or higher (ERWM), and an ACT composite score of 20 or higher. Grades and test scores above these lower ranges will increase your chance of acceptance. If You Like The City College of New York, You May Also Like These Schools Binghamton UniversityUniversity at AlbanyHofstra UniversityBaruch CollegeCUNY Brooklyn CollegeStony Brook UniversitySt. Johns UniversityFordham UniversityPace University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and City College of New York Undergraduate Admissions Office.