21st Century Education Essays

21st Century Education Essays 21st Century Education Essay 21st Century Education Essay We want stronger relationships with their instructors. with each other and with their communities locally. provincially. nationally and globally We want instructors to cognize how we learn. to take into history what we understand and what we misunderstand and use this cognition as a get downing topographic point to steer our continued acquisition. We want to be able to work with others in the schoolroom. online and in our community. We want to be able to pick up our information anyplace. anytime We want indepth acquisition. We need feedback in clip to assist us larn and in clip do something about it. This literary chef-doeuvre has the best description of the students/learners of the twenty-first century. They have so many conditions and aspirations with respects to their learning procedure. This will besides assist the instructors of the twenty-first century to be ready and bear with these conditions of the leaners. TREATING MY Student I treat each of my pupils every bit. giving them a opportunity to take duty for their ain acquisition. express themselves. and larn at their ain gait. I besides encourage them to make collaboratively that can advance non merely teamwork. but besides healthy competition. I believe my biggest invention is giving pupils a opportunity to demo their abilities and to work in coaction in a technology-integrated and cultural acquisition environment. I will besides see their single acquisition manners. The followers are some tips that should be see in handling our pupils in a nice and good manner. Let pupils take their wagess. Make a list of acceptable wagess for first-class public presentation. either for single pupils or the category as a whole. and allow your pupils communally make up ones mind how they want to be rewarded. This will assist do certain that the wages is an existent inducement. instead than merely something you’ve pushed on them that doesn’t actuate them to work harder. Don’t see failure. see chance. When a pupil has made a error. don’t portray it that manner. Don’t see it as a failure and don’t allow them see it as a failure. Show them that it is a learning experience. a manner for them to see how wrong consequences are achieved. Let them seek once more and gently demo them how to make it right. Remember. don’t say wrong . Say close or good try . Remember that a accomplishment learned through test and mistake will be much stronger than one which a pupil may merely acquire right on accident or through agencies they don’t to the full understand. Make them experience alone and needed. Acknowledge and appreciate each pupil separately. for the qualities which make them alone and fantastic human existences. Promote those qualities. You should besides do each pupil feel like they have something to offer and lend. This will raise their assurance and assist them to happen their proper way in life. Acknowledge their attempts. Even if pupils make lone occasional. little attempts. those attempts need to be acknowledged and appreciated. State them when they’ve done a good occupation. separately. and intend it. Don’t be sponsoring. be appreciative. If they’ve worked peculiarly difficult. honor them. Give regard. It is highly of import to esteem your pupils. It doesn’t affair if they’re alumnus pupils working on a doctorial thesis or preschoolers: handle them like intelligent. capable human existences. Respect that they have thoughts. emotions. and lives that extend beyond your schoolroom. Treat them with self-respect and they will widen the same to you. Teaching MY Student One can’t believe impossible things. I daresay you haven’t had much pattern. said the Queen. When I was your age I ever did it for half-an-hour a twenty-four hours. Why. sometimes I’ve believed every bit many as six impossible things before breakfast. Lewis Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Your Assignment. Should You Choose to Accept It. . . Like Alice. many pedagogues. policy shapers and even the general public respond resoundingly with That’s impossible! when challenged to follow a new paradigm of instruction for the twenty-first century. Most people today adhere to a paradigm of instruction that is purely nineteenth century. But. like the Queen. a turning figure of pedagogues are believing in and carry throughing the impossible . Scott McLeod. in his web log. Dangerously Irrelevant. late reminded us of a line from Mission Impossible. and we must use that challenge to all of society. Your assignment. should you take to accept it is to take instruction genuinely into the twenty-first century. It is non adequate to state that we are already populating at that place. Technically it is the twenty-first century. but our schools are non at that place. and our challenge now is to reinvent schools for the twenty-first century – for the interest of our kids. our pupils and the public assistance of our universe. Making such a paradigm displacement is non easy. After all. when any of us thinks of instruction. we normally think of what we knew as school – the manner it has ever been. That is how parents. policy shapers. politicians and many pupils think of school. But we have to do the paradigm displacement to twenty-first century instruction. So what is twenty-first century instruction? It is bold. It breaks the cast. It is flexible. originative. disputing. and complex. It addresses a quickly changing universe filled with antic new jobs every bit good as exciting new possibilities. Fortunately. there is a turning organic structure of research back uping an increasing figure of twenty-first century schools. We have populating cogent evidence. animating illustrations to follow. in schools across the United States. These schools vary. but are united in the basicss of twenty-first century instruction – see Critical Attributes of twenty-first Century Education and Multiple Literacies for the twenty-first Century. Scott McLeod has issued the challenge of making a program to acquire us from here to there . I feel that its about clip that person address’s the issues that face many pupils in the twenty-first century. The twenty-first century is a great topographic point ; a dynamic topographic point that is germinating to the point where no 1 can foretell what the universe will be like in the old ages to come. Technology drives our planet and everyday we are acquiring closer and closer to happening the solutions to many of life’s jobs. Society itself is altering in the sense that there is no longer one route to success. The chances that are out at that place do it possible for the mundane single to do a difference in his community with nil more than the laptop in his book back and the diligence to do his dreams possible. The success of these persons is mostly due to the connectivity and will of the mundane adult male. The Internet is an unfastened web where people portion information that they feel would do life easier. information that would interrupt down the walls that s tand in our manner. The issue being with all this information and pupils in the twenty-first century is that we are still populating in the good old yearss. Our schools train us to go through but non to stand out. Thingss like funding prevent schools from researching Fieldss that are revolutionising our universe. Our pupils are the 1s who pay the monetary value for life in a universe that believes we can populate in a universe that ignores the alterations being made. That in good clip our pupils will larn to accommodate to the alterations and manage it all on their ain. But that isn’t the instance. We are contending two conflicts that are invariably rushing to the top: 1 that promotes the simple life and the other that promotes alteration. Both sides have their pros and both sides have their cons. But something demands to be done. We have to happen a manner to learn our pupils the basicss while fixing them for a universe that is driven by engineering. Purpose and coaction is all it will take to s upply our pupils with the way needed to be successful in the twenty-first century. It’s difficult to believe but experiences is cardinal to learning pupils in the 21st century. As adults we can understand what these pupils are traveling through. We know what it feels like to be a pupil at that age and the hardships they face. Therefore wouldn’t it do more sense to learn these pupils non to do the same error we made as pupils. To learn them how to face the challenges we one time faced and what to make otherwise when that clip comes. But in a universe where money restricts what we are able to carry through. it seems about impossible to make this. Support prevents the mundane school from advancing categories in Fieldss that are revolutionising our universe. Funding stops our schools from holding up to day of the month stuffs. And support is what will stultify the universe we live in. An efficient solution must be found that eliminate the dollar mark that stands in the manner of these schools. in the manner of these pupils. Technology is one solution to t his job. The chief intent of engineering is to contrive something that provides a new or better manner of making something ; something that is cost efficient and provides room for enlargement. These are the tools we should be fiting our pupils with. It would supply them with the same instruction they are acquiring from the text editions they are so used to. The books will go on to be but will no longer be the lone resource our pupils are exposed to. The logic behind learning pupils with engineering in the twenty-first century is that engineering entreaties more to pupils in a universe driven by engineering. The mean pupil knows what a computing machine is. is portion of a societal web of some kind. and has used engineering to assist them make something in their mundane lives. It would therefore do perfect sense to utilize what they use so much as a instruction tool. Technology isn’t merely entertaining ; it’s besides educational. Hundreds of tutorials are out at that place and mundane new and better plans are being created. The people themselves who make these plans made them with the exclusive intent of provide an easier. better manner of making something. They are discoverers. applied scientists. and they’re besides instructors. They’re people who saw a job and found a solution. These are the type of people we should be actuating our pupils to be like. We should be learning our pupil non to accept t hings the manner they are but the manner they should be. Purpose is another important component when it comes to learning pupils in the twenty-first century. The tools being used will hold no consequence if there is no purpose behind their usage. Teaching in the twenty-first century is therefore a dynamic procedure. There isn’t a simple reply in footings of how to learn in the twenty-first century. It requires creativeness and resourcefulness non found in the simple life style we are learning our pupils to populate in. The intent behind learning in the twenty-first century would be to happen easier. more dynamic ways of learning pupils with higher ends and outlooks. Motivating pupils to be the best they can be and demoing them how to work towards that end. That things such as money. fright. and uncertainties shouldn’t be the ground to make the lower limit but should alternatively remind us that as a pupil in the twenty-first century you should be good rounded and resourceful ; ready to take whatever life throws at you. As a pupil in the twenty-first century you have to retrieve that you do non stand entirely ; that coaction is a cardinal and really powerful component in this thought of learning pupils in the twenty-first century with engineering. As a drive force the possibilities are endless. The community facet and project-based acquisition that comes with learning in the twenty-first century is what will supply the immense turnout in pupils who excel non merely in the schoolroom. but besides in life. Collaboration is what makes this window of chance possible. It teaches pupils how to work together and provides them with existent universe experience. Collaboration helps a pupil see that the life isn’t all about endurance of the fittest but set uping connexions and utilizing the connectivity available to bring forth consequences and motivate alteration. This is what makes learning in the twenty-first century with engineering different from through the simple life and the belief that go thro ughing is more of import than stand outing. Neither thought is perfect. At the terminal of the twenty-four hours it all comes down to the pupils. The information we provide and the influence we are able to do is what will finally make up ones mind what our pupils are able to carry through. The usage of engineering and the deduction of twenty-first century accomplishments in a universe driven by engineering is what unfastened Windowss of chances to pupils all across the Earth. Students in the twenty-first century are good cognizant of the hardships they face ; so cognizant that they would fear taking a opportunity and pursing Fieldss where they might non mensurate up. Our schools push this thought frontward alternatively of carrying pupils to prosecute these celebrated callings. What pupils in the twenty-first century demand is way and alteration. We need existent universe experience that proves to that there is a manner and that accepting things the manner they are is accepting licking. If you want to see the hereafter of instruction. don’t watch kids in the mean schoolroom. Watch kids play a picture game. You’ll see them engaged. excited. interacting. and learning- even if it’s merely about how to acquire to the following degree of the game. Because of their submergence in this computerized universe. kids absorb information otherwise from their parents. Alternatively of following information passively from get downing to end- as people tend to make with telecasting shows. newspapers. and books- children interact with the new engineerings. Schools now have an chance to use the information engineerings that are so effectual outside the schoolroom for educational intents. Taking advantage of these new engineerings will necessitate profound alterations in the functions of instructors. pupils. and schools. Alternatively of being the depository of cognition. instructors will be ushers who help pupils to voyage through electronically accessible information. They will utilize the new engineerings to construct webs with each other. with parents and pupils. with academic and industrial experts. and with other professionals. Turning chance into world requires four of import alterations: Industry must develop educational devices from relatively low-price game hardware and package. thereby dramatically take downing the costs of educational engineering. Communities and authorities should include technological alteration when puting the docket for systemic alteration in instruction. Software-makers must bind the content of their merchandises to quality information and to the national instruction criterions as they are implemented. Teachers must have extended preparation in how to utilize emerging information engineerings. Computers will non work out all the jobs of instruction ; many hard issues will stay. But the new information engineerings provide an unprecedented chance to review how we educate our kids.

Free Essays on History Of The Kimono

A History of the Kimono The kimono is a traditional piece of clothing worn by the Japanese for centuries. What many may not realize is that the Kimono is more than a functional or even decorative type of garment. It goes beyond the obvious to an art form, as well as Japan’s national costume. According to Takayoshi Mizushima, the chairman of the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan and the president of Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Schools, "Japanese people in their everyday life developed the art of kimono, which has a rich history that evolved through many centuries.† Kimono, the word literally translates to â€Å"things to wear† and historically it was used when generally describing clothing. The term has since evolved into meaning the traditional garb of the Japanese people. There are many different types of kimono, all of them designed for specific purposes. Some of the determining factors in the type of kimono that should be worn on a particular day are: the person’s age, the season, or the type of event that one will be attending. The Heian Period (794-1185) of Japan is when the kimono first became popular. The elaborate layers of kimono robe first attracted the attention of women during that time. It has been said that persons of the royal court wore up to 16 layers of robes. During the Kamakura period, soon after the Heian period, people soon lost patience with the elaborateness of the layered long sleeve of the kimono and saw no need for it anymore. Out of this developed the small sleeved kimono, or the kosode kimono. During the Edo period in 1615, people began to define their status with the kimono. During this time the greatest artistic accomplishments were made. In the mid 1800’s the U.S. Navy sailed to Japan, introducing western thought, dress, and culture. With their arrival they also opened up Japan to western commercial industry. While the Japanese continued to wear the kimo... Free Essays on History Of The Kimono Free Essays on History Of The Kimono A History of the Kimono The kimono is a traditional piece of clothing worn by the Japanese for centuries. What many may not realize is that the Kimono is more than a functional or even decorative type of garment. It goes beyond the obvious to an art form, as well as Japan’s national costume. According to Takayoshi Mizushima, the chairman of the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan and the president of Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Schools, "Japanese people in their everyday life developed the art of kimono, which has a rich history that evolved through many centuries.† Kimono, the word literally translates to â€Å"things to wear† and historically it was used when generally describing clothing. The term has since evolved into meaning the traditional garb of the Japanese people. There are many different types of kimono, all of them designed for specific purposes. Some of the determining factors in the type of kimono that should be worn on a particular day are: the person’s age, the season, or the type of event that one will be attending. The Heian Period (794-1185) of Japan is when the kimono first became popular. The elaborate layers of kimono robe first attracted the attention of women during that time. It has been said that persons of the royal court wore up to 16 layers of robes. During the Kamakura period, soon after the Heian period, people soon lost patience with the elaborateness of the layered long sleeve of the kimono and saw no need for it anymore. Out of this developed the small sleeved kimono, or the kosode kimono. During the Edo period in 1615, people began to define their status with the kimono. During this time the greatest artistic accomplishments were made. In the mid 1800’s the U.S. Navy sailed to Japan, introducing western thought, dress, and culture. With their arrival they also opened up Japan to western commercial industry. While the Japanese continued to wear the kimo...

What will be the effect on stakeholders of the proposed change in fees Dissertation

What will be the effect on stakeholders of the proposed change in fees and funding for UK undergraduate degrees - Dissertation Example Since the second half of 2010, dramatic changes have occurred in higher education (HE) policies in the United Kingdom (UK). Although recent policy reforms in higher education have not been totally unexpected, their impact has far-reaching consequences to various stakeholders. With the expansion of HE happening in most OECD countries, there has been increasing shift towards relying on fees from students and the increase in contingency student loans (Greenaway and Haynes, 2003). Government has realised the budgetary implications, and looked for solutions in countries like the United States (US) where HE is considered an individual investment. Thus, when Lord Browne pushed forward his ‘recommendations for sustainable funding for higher education’, the coalition government accepted almost all proposals (Secured Loans, UK 2010). Central to these is that the government must cease making HE part of the state’s welfare (Secured Loans UK, 2010). Trade unions lament that fu nding cuts in HE will have serious impact on the education of the students (BBC, 2010). They predict that as many as 200,000 students will miss out on higher education. Administrators also fear that quality of education will suffer, especially for taught courses in comparison with research-based universities (BBC, 2011). Question one is therefore, with all these points highlighted, why is government pushing for such policy reforms?

Titian and Renaissance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titian and Renaissance - Research Paper Example Venetian reflection of color and a special atmosphere of Venetian style are combined with traditional Renaissance traditions. Titian works are full of emotions; even in his portraits we can see an intense emotional charge. Further on we will focus our attention on his two famous paintings: Portrait of Isabella d’Este and Christ and the Adulteress. These works signify common and different features of Titian paintings and those ones of Leonardo daVinci. We will try to underline common and different features between them, but of course, the main part of our attention concerns Titian paintings and the relevance of his style to the epoch of Renaissance. First of all, we should look for the features of aesthetic in his paintings. Moreover, there is a need to claim that the painter reflected ideally both humans and nature. He was looking for an ideal balance between the nature and the human world. An air of harmony is evident in the paintings of Titian. Christ and Adulteress This pai nting belongs to the High Renaissance period. The theme of adulteress is depicted in a dynamic nature by Titian. It is evident that this painting reflects a changeable and a controversial nature of this situation. We can see gorgeous clothes of the accused woman. This tendency we can also see in other paintings of the painter, because social status of the citizens of the Venetian society. It is very important to underline the contrast of the gorgeous clothes of Jesus Christ, the Adulteress and people around them. His background reflects nature from the remote perspective. We are enchanted by the green landscapes and there are blurred limits of the horizon and it is very interesting to consider the smallest details of the painting. Thus, Titian shows that he is much more concerned about the foreground of the painting (Christ and the Adulteress). The sea and green landscapes, which can be seen at the background of the painting, are of minimal concern for the painter. On the example of the vanishing line of green grass, we can see that the painter does not exactly draw a visible path between individuals, depicted on the painting. There is an evident opposition between the light and darkness of the painting. The building has dark edges and it is especially evident on the background a bright green color. The image of a woman is leaning her head and we can claim that this woman confessed all her mistakes and she seems to be blessed. We can compare this painting with the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Emotions are reflected on the faces of people around the table. The same actions are depicted on the painting by Titian. People on the painting are fixed in their certain conditions and emotional states. Therefore, the painting by Titian is an emotionally-charged and rich in color creative work. Portrait of Isabella d’Este We can see an ideal woman. The image of this noble and wealthy woman has been depicted by numerous painters. Therefore, she wa s considered to be an ideal image of a woman during the period of Renaissance. We can claim that the background for this image and her depiction we can see in the works by Petrarch: she has blonde hair, fair skin, beautiful lips and cheeks, and almond-shaped blue-green eyes. Therefore, there was a well-accpeted tendency to depict noble women in the way they liked. They wanted to be ideals and idols of beauty for the painters. There are letters of Isabella d’Este, where she asks for making her portrait and appeals for Master Leonardo da Vinci.

Family Traditions Essay Example for Free

Family Traditions Essay How does The Keeping Quilt help you understand traditions and what they mean to families? The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco shows how immigrants came to a new country and passed down traditions to their family overtime. It also shows how traditions are integrated with other cultures to create a new culture. The Keeping Quilt demonstrates how historical and cultural traditions, teaching children social themes through children literature in the classroom can effectively increase cultural values in children’s social skills in reality. In reading the story The Keeping Quilt the author Patricia Polacco reflects on when her great grandma Anna came to America from Russia were grandma came to with only her old dress a babushka and old coat. Grandma later decides to use the old coat and pieces of other family members clothing to make a quilt. â€Å" We will make a quilt to help us always remember home† Anna’s mother said. † It will be like having the family in back home Russia dance around us at night. †(4). Here, the quilt was a significant symbol to the family to always remember their native land. It was used for the birth of family members to the family and used as huppa in weddings. Later the quilt was even used as a tablecloth and covering for caskets at funerals. The quilt became a symbol of the love and family values. The story The Keeping Quilt demonstrates to readers how some traditions and customs from our ancestors are embedded within individuals. These traditions help shape and influence our ideas values and beliefs. However in reading the story The Keeping Quilt it emphasizes some characterics of the historical values in the black African American cultures as to the movie or novel Roots by Alex Haley whereas the family kept their traditional heritage alive with jumping the broom as a symbolic union in marriage during their struggles through slavery. Another example is Escaping slavery: Sweet Clara and the freedom quilt by Sue Ann Miller, were a slave girl, Clara goes on her journey to freedom using the quilt as her symbolic inspiration from slavery. These stories and The Keeping Quilt shows readers how tradition customs individuals inherit from their ancestors used to remind them of their heritage such as the quilt was significant because it served as a piece of history passed down through generation to generation. Although Grandma Anna migrated from Russia she did not abandon her homeland once arriving in America, instead she tried to capture the memories by creating a quilt from different family members clothing each scrap of a family member clothing told a story. In creating the quilt grandma Anna kept her family history alive because it represented every significant moment in the family’s life. The Keeping Quilt also shows how cultures when migrating to a new country bring their own traditions and values. â€Å"Carle was given a gift gold, flower, salt, and bread to welcome her into the world each having a symbolic meaning. Whereas the gold represented she will never know poverty, a flower so she would always know love, salt so life would give her flavor, and bread so that she would never know hunger. However the story also shows how cultures bring their own traditions from their homeland they also create new traditions. Patricia Polacco stated† at my wedding men and women danced together, whereas in the pass they were not allowed to dance together (10). Although some traditions had changed in The Keeping Quilt overtime, the quilt remained an important tool used to connect the families past to the present. It also served as something used to preserve traditions the author Patricia Polacco states â€Å" I too will be a grandmother, and tell the story of The Keeping Quilt to my grandbabies†. 32) In addition, The Keeping Quilt is great example to express it is important to pass the torch of family traditions, this imparts a sense of continuity, bonding and more importantly love. It is incumbent on each generation of parents to keep the family tradition up and running. Family traditions are valuable instruments for child rearing because they install social values and contribute to creating close family ties. Whereas quality family time can help to build and maintain strong family ties sharing is the key ingredient for creating quality moments. On the other hand traditions make sharing easy for offering a common ground of knowledge and experiences. Teaching the new generation to honor the old family traditions through the years can help preserve encouraged interaction through shared activities. Many of most meaningful traditional activities revolve around food, with families gatherings eat and celebrate different events or holidays. In telling her story Patricia Polacco says that she come from past of storytellers, quoting† My fondest memories are sitting around a stove or open fire, eating apples and popping corn, while listening to the old ones tell glorious stories about their homeland and past. † In celebrating, traditions are highly important to welfare of many diverse families were Jews celebrate Passover and Hanukah, African Americans enjoy Kwanzaa, christens honor the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, but all giving thanks on Thanksgivings and etc. Traditions help people feel a sense of identity and belonging from a generational perspective, family traditions are practices or belief, they also pave the way for the good times and good memories. They create a connectedness with the past and hope for the future. This book is well integrated into History and Social Studies the study of families ethic religious, occupational and so forth. In reading this book illustration The Keeping Quilt emphasizes the family value and encourages children that valuable tools of family traditions ensure them with warmth and closeness family bondage now.

The White Man’s Burden :: Literary Analysis, Kipling

In the â€Å"White Man’s Burden†, Rudyard Kipling claims that it is the duty or burden of the white men to civilize the non-whites, to educate them and to religiously lift them (lecture notes, 2/8). Kipling is specifically talking about the colonized non-whites (lecture notes, 2/8). The idea that the newly colonized non-whites were lacking and needing help from a greater society was common among American whites at this time (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyard uses the whites’ public feelings towards the issue and writes â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† in an attempt to move the whites to help the non-whites because he thinks it is a very beneficial movement for the U.S. Rudyard meant this poem to be a shocking and informative form of encouragement for the whites to take up the burden of saving the non-white civilizations that they have now signed up for responsibility over. In â€Å"The White Man’s Burden†, Rudyard claims that the whites are bound to help the non-whites out of religious duty and for the whites’ own good (Rudyard). In the last stanza, Rudyard also explains that the non-whites have been through a lot do to the whites’ imperialism (Rudyard). Although he explains the non-whites’ grievances, Rudyard does not really seem to be that sympathetic for the non-whites but instead, he seems to think very little of them and pretty much says they are incapable of taking care of themselves. At the time that Rudyard published â€Å"The White Man’s Burden†, whites were already conflicted on what to do about the non-whites (US, 437). Some whites claimed that there should be little to no intervention of the whites on the non-white societies because Charles Darwin’s theory of â€Å"survival of the fittest† is the way that things should be (US, 437). The whites who were for intervention argued that it was the humane and religious duty of whites to become involved (US, 437). They also exclaimed that it was better to help the non-white develop because of the need for trade (US, 437). Because there had already been such a debate between the whites over this issue, Rudyard’s poem gained attention quick (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyard’s work gained attention of American leaders and became an inspiration for future actions of imperialism (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyard’s poem seemed to have gained a lot of popularity because of his tone of nationalism. In the poem, he basically says that in order to be respected as one of the greater nations, America has to do some charity work and help some of the less fortunate (Rudyard).

1984 George Orwell Dramatic performance analysis Essay

â€Å"No one is free, even the birds are chained in the sky.† – Bob Dylan A spotlight moves through the audience, searching, staring deep into the minds of the victims as they sit unknowing of their fate. Democracy has fallen and there is no hope. The lights fade and there is silence. The stage is empty. Big Brother is watching. George Orwell’s novel 1984 springs to life with this stage adaptation presented by the highly entertaining theatre company Shake and Stir. In the totalitarian society of 1984, lies, myths and false information dictate the population and this is portrayed beautifully in the theatrical presentation of the novel. 1984 tells the story of Winston, a man with no hope, the party controls his life, his not his mind. He believes that the party is spreading false truths to retain power over the people, and to rebel, he commits ‘thought crime’ by thinking and writing about taking down the party and destroying the power that they possess. Little does he know, the party is onto him. Orwell uses this as a comparison to the real world. It is his view that the If communist governments take over the world there will be no escape from their supreme rule. He instead believes in democratic socialism where there are still free elections. Socialism stops privatization by establishing collective ownership of major factors of production. And if there is no privatization the theory is there will be no corruption. Well executed dramatic elements of role, mood and symbol, as well as the set and costumes of 1984 are what make it an outstanding piece of theatre and one that is effectively designed, not only through live presentation but with the aid of audio and visual pre-recordings. Like Shake and Stir’s previous Orwell reboot, Animal Farm, 1984 is presented through elements of realism as well as minimalism through the miming of objects and the use of imaginary sets. The roles in the performance are uniquely developed and different for each performer. Winston is not just the lead character, but also a twisted representation of humanity, the real life population, and what we would do in that situation. His convincing portrayal surpassed any expectation. The  audience watches Winston throughout the play develop as a person as his hate for The Party develops. In the beginning of the play Winston is going through his everyday routine, which involves falsely proclaiming love for the party, which helps him survive. As the play continues Winston loses all hope and his he begins to not care about getting caught. This character development is captivating for the audience who identify Winston as the person they should emotionally connect with. The minor roles of Tom Parsons and Syme create an interesting feel to the play. Once they are killed off or ‘evaporated’, they appear in a number of different roles such as guards in the Ministry of Love or policemen arresting Winston and Julia. This double use of cast members creates a simplistic feel that stops the play from becoming overcrowded and complicated. Julia’s role in the performance plays a significant part, as she is the only female present throughout the play. Her personality screams hope for a better life in contrast to the other actors’ characteristics of doom, dismay or love for The Party. Julia’s development through the play is subtle but well executed. She begins as just another resident in Oceania but transforms into the only symbol of confidence and hope presented in the show. This helps to further develop Winston’s character by Julia’s influence rubbing off on him. O’Brien’s character is the final observable role in 1984. O’Brien is an inner party member and the only one the audience physically witnesses. For all we know, he could run the whole operation, as he seems to be very powerful when Winston is in the Ministry of Love by even showing mind reading powers. O’Brien is different to the other characters not only in his physical stature and age (being distinguishably older) but also in his appearance. He wears a suit but in the same uniformed ‘overall’ fashion as the rest of the cast. This part of the role represents his power (the suit) while still being controlled by ‘Big Brother’ (the work overalls). The significance of the hierarchy is fundamental to Orwell’s idea that Winston has no power and even inner party members are not fully in control. The mood in 1984 explodes in the audiences face from the first second. Despair, heartbreak, torture and tyranny were feelings that the audience was expected to feel during the performance. The dark set aided the mood in its  endeavor to achieve these feelings. The tension was evident as soon as Julia and Winston started their romance with hovered movements and purposefully dropped lines playing a pivotal role. Not only was there sexual tension between the couple but tension created by the held suspense for the pair to inevitably get caught. The audience was mesmerized by the fact that the pair could have their secret love affair and not be found out. Every time they practiced â€Å"thought crime,† the audience would think; this is it, they are going to be captured. But only when audience members feel as if maybe they will get away with it do they violently get captured. This suspense is what gives the play its spine tingling mood. Not only was the mood set to entice and intrigue audience members, 1984 also made people think with its deep and meaningful symbolism. The sash that Julia wore was meant to be for the ‘Anti Sex League’, but it had so much more meaning than this. It was a distinguishing factor between her and the men that surrounded her. It was also a reason for Winston to look at her and therefore fall in love with her. But the major symbolism behind the sash was her defiance against Big Brother. When she wore it she seemed different and interesting, she stood out from the bland background from which she dwelled and that was why it was significant. From the very start of the show, symbolism was flowing through each individual’s mind subconsciously. The spot light at the start of the show, symbolized Big Brother’s watch over the people and in this case, the audience. It may not have seemed significant, but it was making an impression in the audience’s heads before the y even knew what the play was about. Props were also used symbolically. The notebook that Winston wrote in was a symbolic way to spew his thoughts onto paper and for the audience to audibly hear what Winston was thinking. This was imperative for the narrative to add extra meaning and depth. The last section of symbolism in 1984 was the room that Winston rented out. It was an oasis, an escape from the torture that was life. The room was lit brighter than the rest of the set and felt warm and comforting; it was a last look at a previous life, one without Big Brother. The authenticity of the room gave it contrast from the rest of the set made it stand out that little bit more, but it was inevitably the  downfall of Winston and Julia’s relationship. This irony was well mastered and presented by the cast. Not all creative prowess was based on the characters in 1984. The set was outstanding in creating an environment that really did feel post apocalyptic. Not only did it have the rotating part to open up into a different room but also it proved multi-purposeful. It served as a jail, a lonely street, the comforting home and a torture cell as well as the woods, all without changing the background. This was possible because of the creative genius that was the television screens. They completely revolutionized the feel of the play and created a strong atmospheric impression upon the audience. Not only did they serve as a look into Winston’s mind but they also painted a beautiful picture of his dreams. As well as being a depiction of Winston, they portrayed security cameras and television screens to enhance the story even further. This technological addition to the performance made the already insightful story even more profound. Shake and Stir have done an inestimable justice to Orwell’s 1984. With the role of characters structurally thought-out down to the finest points, the mood was set and designed to divide the minds of audiences and make them question reality at the present. They created symbolism that was insightful and thought provoking while still being detectable. Stunningly raw sets merged with large screens that created a post apocalyptic world in front of the eyes of viewers. Audience members leave the theatre wondering†¦ â€Å"Is Big Brother watching?†