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Saturday Practice Roundtable
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With Saturday's spring practice in the books, it is time for an Inside the Gators Roundtable. Blake Alderman, Robert Lopez and Brian Richie talk about the day's events - including their most impressive and disappointing players and more.
What was the biggest moment out there during Saturday's two hour practice in your opinion:
Alderman: With this being the first day in pads, both the media and the Gator Nation got a chance to see just what this year's football team looks like going full contact. It is a little out of the ordinary, especially when the offense and defense usually take center stage, but during Saturday's practice the coaches put together a drill where the gunners on punt return coverage went full speed against the blockers. The drill was very loud and full of big hits that got not only the players and coaches hyped up, but also got the crowd energized as well. It was the most intense drill of the day.
Lopez: In what was a relatively quiet day, the biggest moment has to be the injury to freshman linebacker Alex Anzalone. The 6-foot-3, 238-pounder went up against sophomore tight end Kent Taylor in a one-on-one drill. Taylor got the best of him as he went in with his right shoulder trying to make the tackle. He was slow to get up and was grabbing the right shoulder as he did so. The trainers worked with him on the sideline for a couple of minutes before taking him back in to the facility. Obviously there is still a while before the season starts, so if the injury is not serious Anzalone has time to recover. However, if the shoulder does become a problem, the loss of Anzalone would be a blow to the defense as he is currently the back-up middle linebacker.
Richie: Not many noteworthy moments from the Gators' first practice in pads. Moments that may cause some concern were apparent injuries to two players on the defense, although neither looks too severe. Freshman early enrollee linebacker Alex Anzalone left the field mid-practice with an apparent shoulder injury, while sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard ended practice with a limp after a reported hamstring injury during a drill. The fieriest drill of the day once again came from special teams in which gunners had to fight off a block and make a tackle on the return man within a cone-designated running lane. Coaches awarded points to players who won against their man, and the players cheered on their teammates.
In your opinion, who was the most impressive player on offense?
Alderman: This is rough, because after a so-so 2012 season for the offense, you would love to have plenty of positives to choose from here, but that simply wasn't the case as there really weren't many offensive standouts on Saturday. The unit as a whole was very bland, which can happen early in the spring. If you had to pick out one standout, it would have to be freshman wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. Though he made some nice catches in traffic, he struggled for his second straight day returning punts. The Gators are going to need someone to step up at the wide receiver position and if he keeps up the good work and progress Robinson could be that guy.
Lopez: Matt Jones looked awesome Saturday afternoon. He got the majority of reps at running back and ran hard the whole day. During 11 vs. 11 at the end of practice he had two impressive 20-yard runs to the outside, along the left sideline. He ran another sweep to the right where he popped a defender and protected the ball very well as three different defenders tried to strip it. Jones also showed his ability to catch the ball as he reeled in several short screen passes from Jeff Driskel.
Richie: For the second day in a row, there are only a few bright spots on offense as the entire unit seems to be struggling to get better. However, I'd like to bring some light to junior Loucheiz Purifoy, who impressed me again today. His natural football instincts are obvious, and it is making his "tryout" at receiver very impressive. He has great agility and speed, making it easy for him to run good routes with little wasted motion, and has shown good hands in drills and 7-on-7 scrimmages. Today was the first time in pads, and he looked equally as impressive as yesterday. Purifoy is making a strong case to stay on the offensive side of the ball.
In your opinion, who was the most impressive player on defense?
Alderman: Unlike offense, this one is really easy; sophomore linebacker Antonio Morrison is one of the most energetic players on Florida's entire defense. He is always first in line for drills and is very vocal in talking up his fellow linebackers. During drills against the offense, Morrison was one of the more vocal players giving little jabs to the offense to make the drills more intense. With the loss of senior MIKE linebacker Jon Bostic, Florida will need Morrison to grow up quick.
Lopez: From both a physical and playing stand point, Dante Fowler Jr. has looked incredible these last two days. Fowler Jr. is in better shape and is better conditioned and it shows. He has clearly lost some weight and is in much better shape than he was last season. He has a good first step and is very quick off the line. The rising sophomore blew up Tyler Moore several times in o-line vs. d-line drills; granted, Moore did not look very good this weekend, but regardless Fowler was still very impressive. I almost considered naming him my most impressive defensive player on Friday as well. To put it mildly, he had a very good two days of practice.
Richie: Redshirt junior defensive back Cody Riggs caught my eye today again, and has put together two very nice practices in a row. He looked agile in coverage drills, blanketing his receiver several times, as well as displaying good awareness during 11v11. He was one of the more impressive players during the gunner gauntlet special teams drill, managing to beat his man for a tackle a few times. Riggs looks to be shaping up to be one of the more consistent defensive backs Florida will have this season.
In your opinion, who was the most disappointing player on offense?
Alderman: For the second straight practice junior quarterback Jeff Driskel wasn't very impressive. What stuck out most is that he is hesitant to take shots down the field, instead dumping the ball to the underneath options. On top of that, when he did try to find his receivers, many of his balls were off the mark. This season many in the Gator Nation are expecting Driskel to be the guy that takes control of the offense, but he made no real signs of doing that on Saturday.
Lopez: Really the whole offensive line, once again. Today I'll specify and say D.J. Humphries. The former five-star recruit, and number one rated offensive tackle in the 2012 class, obviously has talent and got a good amount of playing time last season, but he had several mental lapses on Saturday. During an o-line vs. d-line drill he let Dominique Easley blow right past him, which did not make offensive line coach Tim Davis too happy. He also got his helmet knocked off after getting blasted by freshman defensive lineman Joey Ivie during a drill. However, Humphries did have some bright spots. He displayed excellent footwork and did a very good job one-on-one against Easley on several reps, which earned him some praise from his coaches and teammates. Overall though, for his ranking and how much he is going to be counted on, he needs to show more consistency and until he does, it will be considered disappointing.
Richie: I think all who were out there would agree that Jeff Driskel looked less than spectacular today, to put it nicely. He rarely took any risks in throwing deeper than eight yards or so, settling for check-downs. With that said, I was once again disappointed with the offensive line, who rarely gave any of the quarterbacks time to throw deeper routes in 11-on-11 drills. But if I had to pick one player that just isn't showing me enough, it would be redshirt senior Andre Debose. Debose looks to be terrible at getting separation from Florida's very talented defensive backs except when running "go" or "fly" routes. He has the speed to separate, but never seems to give full effort doing what it takes to be a complete receiver. He also had one or two balls bounce off his helmet in punt return practice after failing to find the ball in the sun, although several other players struggled with this as well.
In your opinion, who was the most disappointing player on defense?
Alderman: Defensive tackle Leon Orr didn't have a very good day on Saturday. It is still early, but with what Florida lost along the line it should be his time to make his presence felt, but instead at times he looked as if he wasn't going 100% against the Florida offensive line and struggled shedding blocks. This coming season, if Orr is to be one of the building blocks along the Florida defensive line, he will need to step up his intensity going forward.
Lopez: This was tough because the defense is clearly the Gators' strongest unit, but since I have to pick I'll go with Ivie. I know I just said Ivie looked impressive against Humphries, but he had some of his own struggles throughout the day. He got, as might be expected, worked on by redshirt senior offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison several times in a one-on-one drill. Ivie's got strength and has clearly bulked up since arriving on campus this spring, but he still has to work on his quickness off the line. It is good for the freshman to enroll early to get a little more coaching, but he was clearly outmatched by the bigger, stronger, more experienced, linemen on Saturday.
Richie: It is hard to single out someone on defense who had a poor showing, because most of the defense looked solid once again. The player who struggled again today was once again freshman early enrollee linebacker Daniel McMillian. He received plenty of talking to from coaches after missing a few assignments during drills with the defense. He has plenty of time to catch up, but the game still seems too fast for him right now.
This & That
Alderman: Though there were times when you could tell that freshman defensive tackle Joey Ivie was just that, a freshman. There were times when he flashed great ability in shedding blocks, but is still inconsistent and was manhandled several times. ... After struggling mightily during Friday's practice, freshman linebacker Daniel McMillian made great strides and seemed to be grasping collegiate ball much better. Though there were still some 'lost' moments from him. ... Fellow 2013 signees Trenton Brown, Jarrad Davis, and Caleb Brantley were also in attendance for Saturday's practice, Brown has been to every one of the Gators' practices so far this spring.
Lopez: There were definitely more recruits out on the field Saturday, including two Rivals100 members, Ponte Vedra (Fla.) linebacker Dillon Bates and Cedartown (Ga.) running back Nick Chubb. A member of the UF staff introduced Bates and his father Bill to 2013 signee Jarrad Davis who was out at practice for the second day in row. Fayetteville (N.C.) Pine Forest defensive tackle Lamont Gaillard and New Orleans (L.A.) offensive lineman Joseph Paul were a couple of the other more notable 2014 recruits on hand for practice. ... One last quick observation about the offense: there was not a lot of vertical passing down the field from the Gators last season, and we have not seen much of it this spring either. Driskel threw almost all short and intermediate passes. When he did try to go down field he usually overthrew the receiver.
Richie: The jet sweep and wildcat package were practiced extensively on offense today, neither of which with much success. ... Antonio Morrison is a beast and looks like an early leader on this defense, despite being only a sophomore. He plays with great passion and made a highlight play on a special teams drill where he threw his blocker off him and stripped the ball from the return man.


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- Stocks To Watch
Nu Skin: Analysts Circle the Wagons
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As my colleague Shuli Ren notes, Nu Skin (NUS) got hammered today after the People's Daily ran a story comparing Nu Skin's sales techniques to brain washing.
The big drop got the attention of Nu Skin's management, who issued a press release refuting the charges:
The article that appeared in today's People's Daily contains inaccuracies and exaggerations that are not representative of Nu Skin's business in China. The reporters did not attempt to verify any information with Nu Skin. We do not believe that the article was the result of any particular government inquiry.
We are dedicated to operating in full compliance with applicable regulations as interpreted and enforced by the government of China. Nu Skin has an 11-year history of doing business in China under these regulations. Our business activities are regularly monitored by the government in this rapidly growing marketplace. As is our practice, we will communicate openly with regulators to address questions arising from this article.
I emailed D.A. Davidson analyst Tim Ramey to get his thoughts. He said that he didn't find the piece very surprising, as distributors often exaggerate claims. The company, however, does not, and has "sophisticated compliance oversight." He also thinks this latest episode will blow over.
Merrill Lynch's Olivia Tong agrees. In a note released today, she writes:
The article (in Chinese) includes what appears to be a letter to the editor from a relative of a failed distributor, questions the company's recruiting and selling practices and claims, and shows a video of a recent Nu Skin
meeting. In our view, the accusations in this article are not uncommon, but clearly, when originating in Nu Skin's fastest-growing market and after a 237% run in the stock last year, will cause concern...
There does not seem to be tangible evidence to validate negative claims targeted at the company thus far, and NUS received new government licenses in China as recently as July, but just as in the past, it may prove difficult for the company to defend itself, at least in the very near term.
Investors didn't wait around to find out, however. Shares of Nu Skin plunged 16% to $115.23 today and the selling also hit multi-level marketer Herbalife (HLF), which does big business in China as well. Its shares have dropped 1.8% to $79.38.
Deutsche Bank's Bill Schmitz and team call the Nu Skin selloff a buying opportunity. They write:
...many sources on the ground in Asia have suggested that this news source has a history of attacking various other companies, and we note that this is the third negative article on Nu Skin in a row (from various sources) that has been published the week of options expiry. We view today's pullback as a buying opportunity...
Anyone buying?

subset: commoncrawl


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Batman: Arkham City - GOTY
TM & © DC Comics (s12)
The Dark Knight descends
A year after the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp, the new mayor of Gotham, has turned its slums into Arkham City, a terrifying open-air prison where violent thugs and insane super-villains are incarcerated within heavily fortified walls.
When Batman is imprisoned alongside Gotham's most notorious, he must discover Arkham City's true purpose before it's too late. Batman: Arkham City for Mac plunges Batman deep into a gothic nightmare from which he will need all his wits, gadgetry and skill to escape.


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EDITORIAL: Idea to appoint an animal advocate in court cases goes too far
In custody fights, neglect and child abuse cases, Connecticut courts appoint an independent "advocate" to speak up for children's best interests.
There is a state victim's advocate office that can weigh in on criminal cases.
If state Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, has her way, animals could get their own representation in court. Urban has proposed legislation this year that would allow judges to appoint an "animal advocate" to speak on behalf of victims in crimes involving animals.
Her bill was sparked by the shooting of two cows in the town she represents.
Urban told the Hartford Courant that the FBI "has recognized that there is a link between animal cruelty and future violent behavior," and she cited serial killer Ted Bundy's early experiments in torturing animals.
Animal abuse should be taken more seriously in the eyes of police and the courts.
But Urban's solution is nutty.
The idea of appointing a veterinarian to intercede in court proceedings is aimed at speaking up for what happens to an abused animal. Courts have been pretty capable of deciding those questions without animals having an official legal representative.
If the purpose of the animal advocate is to warn the court that animal cruelty is a signal that someone is capable of progressive criminal behavior, it seems a psychiatrist, not a veterinarian, would be the more appropriate choice.
We want to believe that the General Assembly's Animal Welfare Caucus (which includes members of both parties) can come up with something that will accomplish more meaningful change.
Increase penalties for animal abuse, put rules in place not allowing abusers to own animals again, raise awareness among law enforcement and prosecutors, but don't stick taxpayers with the cost of giving a cow its own lawyer.


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Ben Weaver really likes camping. He has a beard. He knows how to make a fire, and he's even lived in a yurt. He may be, whether he likes it or not, what the beatniks often term "an urban woodsman." It just so happens that he also makes excellent records.
His latest, Mirepoix And Smoke, came out earlier this fall on Bloodshot Records, and details a year and a half period he spent working in the kitchens of sustainable food restaurants in the Twin Cities. And in true urban-woodsman style, he totally learned how to both butcher a pig and make his own charcuterie.
The A.V. Club caught up with Weaver as he struggled to park his van in Iowa City and talked about his show this Saturday at Schubas, as well as how many flannel shirts he owns, and whether or not he knows a lot about riflery.
The A.V. Club: New York Magazine did this story on the urban woodsman phenomenon, in which they said the stereotype "dresses like Bunyan, acts like Thoreau, and works in marketing." Do you think you're an urban woodsman?
Ben Weaver: I was talking to a friend about this, and I told her I didn't know what I was supposed to say. She said "Maybe Ben Weaver is cool right now, but you've always been Ben Weaver." I've always had my beard. I spent five years in the woods using only a wood stove, but now I'm in the city, so I can be by my kids.
AVC: Okay, let's test your urban woodsman cred. How many flannel shirts do you own?
BW: One, and it's with me on tour. I mostly own striped shirts.
AVC: Is there a reason for that?
BW: Three years ago, I had a dream about myself where I was wearing a Charlie Brown striped sweater, and I felt totally at piece with the world and myself. I woke up and just remembered the striped shirt, so now that's all I wear.
It's started to really follow me around, actually. People call me "the striped shirt guy." If I show up somewhere with my jacket on, people come up and unzip it to see if there's a striped shirt on underneath.
AVC: How many woodsy sweaters do you own? Like anything cable knit or with deer on it?
BW: None. I have the standard issue grey crew neck sweater I wear in the winter.
AVC: Why did you live in the woods for five years?
BW: My girlfriend at the time got a job up in Northern Minnesota, so we moved up there together.
I grew up spending tons of time in the woods in winter, because we'd go snowboarding out West, and then camping in the summer. Every year from when I was in ninth grade, I'd go on a really long wilderness trip with a group of guys I know.
AVC: Where did you go?
BW: We went to the Wind River Mountains, the Big Horns, the Rockies. I spent two months in Alaska the summer before my first year of college.
AVC: Where did you live in Northern Minnesota?
BW: I lived in a yurt. That were three and a half years when my only heat source was a wood stove.
AVC: So you know how to make a fire, then. Do you go camping still?
BW: I take my kids camping. My version of camping is just a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, stove, and fire. I'm not some purist where I need to go to a campground. I prefer to go somewhere that I know you can just drive your car into the woods, walk off and go to sleep.
AVC: How many pairs of boots do you own? Every good urban woodsman loves boots.
BW: I have one pair of cowboy boots I never wear, one pair of redwings, and these Dansko clogs that I use as my kitchen shoes.
AVC: Tell me about that restaurant experience. Where did you work?
BW: I worked for a year and a half in two different kitchens. They were places like The Girl And The Goat, Blackbird, whatever. Local foods, everything from scratch. We butchered our own pigs. The second place I worked for, they specialized in charcuterie, so we'd make salami and all sorts of cured meats.
AVC: So you're good at making charcuterie?
BW: People dedicate their whole lives to it. I know a little about it, but I'm by no means a professional.
AVC: So you said you've always had a beard?
BW: I don't like shaving. I've always had one. No, that's not right. I wasn't really able to grow a beard until I was done with college. It came later.
AVC: Do you know how to tie knots?
BW: I know how to tie some knots.
AVC: Any good urban woodsman has good solid literary and art inspirations. Who were yours on this new record?
BW: I was reading this collection of poems by this woman C.D. Wright. She is amazing. Her writing definitely had somewhat of an influence on what I was doing, but more than anything, this record wasn't about one specific thing. It was about my life, taking time off from touring, going back to work, getting a real job for the first time in a long time. It was just a different kind of percolation for me.
AVC: I sort of envision people listening to this record while they're doing dishes or laying in bed reading the paper on Sunday morning. Do you have visions of how you want people to hear it?
BW: I'm kinda, "Hey, do whatever you want, man." It is a record you have to actively listen to, so it's nice to think of people doing something they really love and that makes them feel good when they're listening, so they'll really hear it.


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The Parker House
"A Nineteenth Century Experience"
The Rooms
Rates and Reservations
Area Attractions
Contact Us
White Room
Gold Room
Master Room
Welcome to our Bed and Breakfast
Nestled in the green belt of Clifton Heights in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Parker House Bed and Breakfast is located just two blocks south of the University of Cincinnati and one mile north of downtown. This beautifully restored Victorian mansion was originally built in the 1800's and still maintains its old-world charm today.
From the astonishing decor and high vaulted ceilings, to the delightful breakfast each morning, we are confident your stay will be an unforgettable one. Whether you are here on business, visiting the area, or just passing through, we welcome you to take a step back in time at the Parker House Bed and Breakfast.
This 7,000 sq. ft., Victorian Bed & Breakfast features rare, 12 foot ceilings by the noted muralist Francis Pedretti (1828-91)
The Cincinnati/KY Airport offers shuttle service to and from the Parker House Bed and Breakfast. Guests also enjoy free off-street parking!
All of our spacious rooms include wireless internet, cable, air conditioning and heat!
The Parker House Bed and Breakfast
2323 Ohio Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45219
Phone: (513) 579-8236


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WELCOME TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RESOURCE PAGE FOR PSI. We are glad you found us. This page lists the PSI Support Coordinators and other area resources such as groups, telephone support, and reliable services that are available for no charge. We also list local events, trainings, and volunteer opportunities.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PSI COORDINATOR: PSI Coordinators are volunteers who offer caring and informed support and resources to moms and their families. They also provide information and resources for area providers who are caring for pregnant and postpartum families. Please don't hesitate to contact us; we want to hear from you.
PSI DOMINICAN REPUBLIC COORDINATOR: Charissa Pizarro
In an emergency: PSI is a volunteer organization devoted to providing social support and resources to women and their families. We will return your call or email as quickly as we can, but we can not provide an immediate response in an emergency. If you do need immediate assistance, please contact your local emergency services
Please contact the PSI Office if you would like to list a support group here.
UPDATES: If you are aware of a perinatal resource for families that is not listed here, if a current listing needs updating, or if you would like to apply to be listed here, please contact us.
If you are interested in international volunteering, please contact PSI Executive Director Wendy Davis with any questions.


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RICHMOND, Va. – The Food and Drug Administration is taking a small step to whittle away a backlog of 4,000 tobacco product applications, some of which have lingered for more than two years.
The federal agency said Tuesday it has authorized two non-menthol versions of Lorillard Inc.'s flagship Newport brand under a 2009 law that gave the FDA authority over tobacco.
It also said it has rejected four applications submitted to the agency for review, but did not disclose the products.
In addition to regulating a number of aspects of tobacco marketing and manufacturing, the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products also must review new cigarette or smokeless tobacco products.
An Associated Press review in December found that the agency hadn't ruled on thousands of those applications for more than a year despite the 90-day review process the industry expected.
While only two products have been authorized to be marketed, the vast majority of those awaiting review are for products already being sold in the U.S.
A grandfather clause in the law allows products introduced between February 2007 and March 2011 that are similar to those previously on the market to be sold while under review. They can be removed from store shelves if they don't pass muster with the agency. But about 500 products submitted for review since March 2011 are being kept off the market.
According to data obtained by the AP under a Freedom of Information Act request, about 90 per cent of the applications submitted to the FDA have been with the agency for more than a year.
The FDA had said the review process was taking so long because the applications from manufacturers lacked the information the agency deemed necessary to complete its analysis.
On Tuesday, Mitch Zeller, the centre's director, said the FDA recognizes the review process "has taken time, with a learning curve both for manufacturers and the agency."
"As all involved parties continue to gain more experience, FDA expects the process to move much more quickly," Zeller said in a conference call with reporters.
Zeller also said in a blog post on the agency's website that the review decisions do not reflect whether the FDA "considers a product to be safe."
Lorillard, the nation's third-biggest tobacco company, is pleased with the FDA's actions and believes the agency has "carried out is evaluation process in a deliberate manner reflecting sound science," CEO Murray Kessler said in a statement. Lorillard is based in Greensboro, N.C.
Kessler had previously criticized the agency's backlog, saying it wasn't "exercising common sense."
"These are cigarettes. They haven't changed in 50 years. They've had the most minor changes," Kessler had said in an interview with the AP. "I don't think the spirit of the law ever envisioned this type of cumbersome scrutiny."
Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.


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Eric Knudsen, the creator of fictional horror character Slender Man, has issued a public statement in response to the tragic stabbing in Wisconsin that left a 12 year-old girl fighting for her life.
Knudsen's spokeswoman Sue Procko issued the statement to the Associated Press, which begins "I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin and my heart goes out to the families of those affected by this terrible act."
Adding to a statement issued by the website earlier this week, Creepypasta admin David Morales also spoke with AP, saying "Overall, the community has deep condolences to the family of the victim and all those who were involved."
SLENDERMAN CREATOR 'SADDENED' BY STABBING [AP, via The Daily Dot]


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Subtitled, "The 3rd Century economic collapse. Are there lessons from the past that equal solutions for the future?" Martin takes us on a 3rd century history lesson and combines his knowledge of cycles, waterfall collapses, rule of law, history of money and how it influences the political arena to say, YES, it can and is happening to us now… BUT if we are smart we can learn from history to avoid repeating our mistakes.
While I'd like to think we are that smart, collectively I've concluded we are not. No, we are experiencing "economic mass-psychosis" and I have yet to see any mass awakening, that's for sure!
This is an excellent piece, a terrific read, and I hope you enjoy and learn from it!
By the way... 31 months from the October 2007 high equals May of 2010.
*To PRINT, click "more," then "print." You can also click "more" then "save document" to open in YOUR .pdf viewer where you can either save or print.
Construction Spending Increased 1.3% in October
3 hours ago


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Services include budgeting, building image enhancement, coordination of tenant relations and events, production of digital content, print marketing, multimedia campaigns and video tours. Our local office maintains relationships with local and regional press, providing PR services and guidance when appropriate.
Our job is to make an impression, to stand out from the crowd and most importantly, to make you and your properties look outstanding.


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(CNN) -- When origami enthusiast Uyen Nguyen discusses her art, you quickly understand that it is about a lot more than folding paper.
"In many ways it has been therapeutic," she says. "I find the process of folding paper to be almost meditative.
"Origami can be used to create incredibly realistic forms, not just to the likeness of say, an insect, but down to the exact species of that particular insect with proportions of its body segment true to real life. At the other end of the spectrum, you can mold paper to create the most abstract of forms beautiful because of their inherent structure instead of their likeness to real life forms. As someone interested in both science and art, I love that origami bridges the two."
Worldwide movement
Now Nguyen is bringing her passion to the people of New York City.
For the exhibition Surface to Structure: Folded Forms, which will take place at New York's Cooper Union from June 19 to July 4, Nguyen has gathered more than 130 works from 88 artists around the world.
The exhibition includes adorable rabbits folded by Malaysian origamist Ng Boon Choon, and a realistic rendering of a field mouse by American Bernie Peyton.
But it also includes "St. Michael -- The Archangel", a more ominous work by Vietnamese origamist Tran Trung Hieu. It shows a winged angel carrying a sword.
The exhibition marks the 55th anniversary of the 1959 exhibition Plane Geometry and Fancy Figures -- the first origami exhibition held in the United States, which also took place inside Cooper Union.
So far Nguyen has raised more than $24,000 of the $32,000 she needs to cover the cost of shipping the works, organizing security and building display cases.
Collectively the works demonstrate how origami artists are pushing the boundaries of technique and style.
Transcending language barriers
In the 1950s, Japanese organist Akira Yoshizawa helped popularize the art by creating a universal system of diagramming, which involved arrows and illustrations rather than words. His book allowed people across the world to learn the craft and to easily construct pre-existing designs.
But today artists have moved beyond that, with many using software that helps them dream up and then fold their elaborate works.
"Most origami involves folding one sheet of paper into some final form," Nguyen says.
"Modular origami uses multiple sheets of paper, folded into identical units, and takes these units and interlocks them, without cuts or adhesive, to obtain a final form that is usually very angular and representative of geometric solids. A couple of my designs add embellishments onto the surfaces of these polyhedra."
Regional variations in the art are becoming smaller and smaller as more people learn about origami via the Internet.
However, Nguyen says that she observed a few patterns among artists while curating her exhibition.
Vietnamese artists tend to be masters of wet folding, which creates soft, gentle bends rather than sharp creases.
"Their styles can be somewhat minimalist, and there is so much beauty in their simplicity," she says. "The Japanese tend to be more calculated and precise with their folding, which can allow for a huge amount of detail and complexity. I think the European style of origami lies somewhere between these two extremes."
Read more: Origami -- a perfect blend of math and art
Read more: Amazing technicolor coats of Sydney Opera House
Read more: Intricate gems from Malaysia's golden age of jewelry reveal cross road of cultures


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Floyd Mayweather will step into the ring on May 3 for his bout with Marcos Maidana just four wins away from matching Rocky Marciano's storied 49-0 career record. The world's highest paid athlete last fought in September, a majority decision victory over Saul Alvarez. Opposing Mayweather will be Argentine Marcos Maidana, the current WBA Welterwight Champion.
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South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.34 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2014
Teachers' perceptions of the integrated quality management system: lessons from Mpumalanga, South Africa
Thobela Nozidumo Queen-Mary; Oliver Mtapuri
Master of Development, University of Limpopo, South Africa firstname.lastname@example.com
This article examines the attitudes and perceptions of teachers regarding the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). In doing so, it aims to contribute to the global discourse of change management in education. The system is intended to develop educators by enhancing their capabilities to inculcate a culture of teaching and learning. Using a qualitative research design, in which open-ended interviews were conducted, the study canvassed the views ofstakeholders resultingfrom their personal experiences of IQMS. Having reflected on the current implementation model, the major contribution of the study is to posit an alternative model. The alternative implementation model proposes a bottom-up approach; continuous development; sustained (rather than once-off training conducted by credible teams of eminent persons and strong leadership. Furthermore, the model should be well-resourced and be anchored on partnerships; concurrency of thrust; staggered changes and based on the following principles adapted from development discourse: participation, empowerment, ownership, learning, adaptability, and simplicity. There is consensus among stakeholders that the IQMS was implemented too rapidly. They recommended a longer, continuous trainingperi-od that focuses on teacher development, thus delinking money issues from the IQMS, as well as engaging dedicated teams in order to ensure impartiality.
Keywords: education; educators; Integrated Quality Management System; learning; principals; teaching; teacher development
This article examines the attitudes and perceptions of teachers towards the implementation of IQMS in the Mgwenya Circuit in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa by looking inwards in order to understand the implementation process and to posit an alternative implementation model to inform practice. This study is important to inform practice and policy on implementing such systems in countries undergoing transformation as well as those with scarce resources and a high level need, as change should be managed judiciously for organisational effectiveness and efficiency.
The IQMS came about as a result of an agreement concluded in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC, Resolution 8 of 2003), the essence of which was to bring together three programmes, the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS), the Performance Measurement System and the Whole School Evaluation (WSE) (Republic of South Africa (RSA), 2004). In terms of the DAS, individual educators are evaluated to measure their capabilities, followed by the formulation of an individual development plan. The Performance Measurement System was designed to assess individual
Problem statement
Anecdotal evidence in the Mgwenya Circuit showed that teachers were uneasy about the IQMS and its implementation. Morale seemed to be low and some teachers felt that the IQMS did not meet their developmental expectations, as even those who were supposed to develop them, did not seem to have the right answers. Instead of focusing on development, teachers score themselves highly in order to increase their remuneration. Blatant cheating threatens the system, resulting in some teachers losing confidence in the IQMS; they consider it a waste of time, money and other resources. If this problem is not addressed the Department of Basic Education runs the risk of losing veteran, experienced staff. Indeed, the anecdotal evidence suggests that some teachers are considering early retirement due to frustration with IQMS. This may impair the quality of teaching and learning.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the perceptions and attitudes of teachers' towards the implementation of the IQMS for developmental purposes in the Mgwenya Circuit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The objectives of the study were:
- To unpack the perceptions and attitudes of teachers with regard to the IQMS;
- To identify the challenges the teachers are experiencing with the implementation of the IQMS; and
- To develop an alternative implementation model for the IQMS.
Change management
This article makes a contribution to the global discourse of change management in education. A number of change theories have been proposed in literature; these include Kurt Lewin's Three Step Change Theory, Lippitt's Phases of Change Theory, Prochaska and DiClemente's Change Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, The Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour, Bullock and Batten's Four-phased model of Planned Change and so forth (Kritsonis, 2005). This article reflects on a case in which implementation of change produced theoretical reverberations characterized by discordance, hence giving relevance to the theories of change in this discussion. According to Kritsonis (2005), Kurt Lewin postulated the Three-step Change theory comprised of unfreezing, movement, and re-freezing. In this theory Kurt Lewin recognises that there are driving as well as restraining forces; these need to be considered when implementing change (Kritsonis, 2005). There have been a number of critiques of these models. For example, Burnes (2004 cited in By, 2005) maintains that models of planned change are not capable of coping with rapid, transformational change and are not applicable to crisis situations, which may not allow widespread consultation. Furthermore, it is claimed that they ignore organisational conflict and politics. As a solution Burnes (2004 cited in By, 2005) argues that change must be open-ended, continuous and bottom-up to constitute what is termed the emergent approach as opposed to the planned approach. Dunphy and Stace (1993 cited in By, 2005:375) observed that there is a range of approaches to change beyond planned change and emergent approaches given the volatility of the environment. Hence, they suggest the situational / contingency approach which posits "one best way for each" rather than the "one best way for all". Nonetheless, Burnes (1996 cited in By, 2005:377) argues that organizations must have more "choice" and therefore should not necessarily submit to exigencies from the outside but should rather decide the route they want to follow in the change process.
According to By (2005), while some theorists focused on the change process, including Kurt Lewin, others, including Kanter (1983, 1989) with his Ten Commandments for Executing Change; Kotter (1996) with the Eight-Stage Process for Successful Organisational Transformation and Luecke (2003) with the Seven Steps, offered practical guidance to managers for implementation. As such, Kotter's (1996) Eight stage model incorporates the notions of creating urgency, forming a powerful coalition; creating a vision for change; communicating the vision; removing obstacles; creating short-term wins; building on the change; and anchoring the changes in the organisation's culture (By, 2005). According to Banathy (cited in Menchaca, Bishoff & Dara-Abrams, n.d.), from a systems theory perspective, change to any part of an educational system requires knowledge and a solid grasp of how the parts of the system are interrelated. To this end, Reigeluth and Garfinkel (1994 cited in Menchaca et al., n.d.) define two types of change: piecemeal change which is concerned with modifying a part of a system and systemic change which involves the modification or replacement of an entire system. Jenlink, Reigeluth, Carr and Nelson (as cited in Menchaca et al., n.d.) argue, for change to succeed, stakeholders must develop a vision of the new system and have a sense of ownership and empowerment. Menchaca et al. (n.d.) observe that change processes require constant monitoring to assess progress. Farias and Johnson (2000:378) argue that "change without a people focus does not have a great chance of success".
As change involves people, there is bound to be resistance to it. Zaltman and Duncan (1977 as cited in Waddell & Sohal, 1998:543) define resistance as "any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo". Terziovski (1997 cited in Waddell & Sohal, 1998) established that resistance on the part of both workers and some layers of management is an impediment to the utilization of quality management practices. While classical organizational theory views resistance as "adversarial", Waddell & Sohal (1998:544), argue that there is utility in resistance and that "it is a fallacy to consider change itself to be inherently good". They add that resistance may help flag those areas that may not have been well thought out and "perhaps plain wrong" (Waddell & Sohal, 1998:545). In their view, resistance to change is instead a "critical source of innovation in a change process" as it opens up new possibilities and alternatives (Waddell & Sohal, 1998:545). Kritsonis (2005:6) concludes that, "There is no right or wrong theory to change management. It is not an exact science."
The theories of change allow for a holistic approach to the change management process by providing change management techniques such as feedback and counseling. This could be linked with the performance management philosophy which embraces motivation theories espoused by theorists such as Abraham Maslow with his hierarchy of needs; Frederick Herzberg's two-factor hygiene and motivation theory and Victor Vroom's expectancy theory. Reflecting the complexity of the management function, current trends include systems thinking, emotional literacy, organizational citizenship and employee involvement.
Integrated Quality Management System
Mestry, Hendricks and Bisschoff (2009) argue that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers is essential to create effective schools. Furthermore, Chisholm (2004) notes the poor results achieved in the senior certificate examination as well as the dropout rate of children, especially in black schools, in South Africa reveal that teachers are not performing at an optimum level. Mestry et al. (2009:488) argue that professional development is an important strategy to improve educators' skills and knowledge in the interests of quality teaching and learning. For "professional development to be effective, motivation should be intrinsic rather than extrinsic". The implementation of the IQMS implies that professional development should be placed high on a school's agenda.
The professional development of teachers could be seriously jeopardised because IQMS has not yet been successfully implemented in some provinces, while in others, implementation is very slow. Some of the reasons cited by Mboyane (2002) are that the National Department of Education's advocacy programme on IQMS is not intensively driven: the approach is top-down, the training is often once-off and in some provinces training is outsourced to institutions of higher learning and private consultants who themselves have inadequate knowledge and practical experience to undertake such training, such that facilitators lack insight into IQMS. Mboyane (2002:1) highlights additional problems such as the poor leadership provided by principals and school management teams, insufficient resources in previously disadvantaged schools, the department and principals "forcing" the implementation of IQMS on teachers, the low morale of teachers due to their poor working conditions and remuneration packages, and the teachers' inability to deal with massive policy changes, such as not getting to grips with Outcomes-Based Education (OBE), the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) and the National Curriculum Statement (NCS); including resistance by different unions to the "unilateral decisions" taken by the Department on IQMS as factors militating against the implementation of IQMS.
This study used a qualitative research design in order to study human action from an insider's perspective (Babbie, 2013). According to Babbie (2013), before one can observe and analyse one needs a plan, one needs to determine what one is going to observe, and analyse why and how. The researchers used open-ended interviews to study the problem from the participants' perspective based on their personal experiences regarding the IQMS.
Study area
The study was conducted at schools in Mgwenya circuit in Mpumalanga, South Africa. There are 26 schools in the circuit, 16 primary and 10 secondary. This circuit was selected because of its accessibility and because the researchers believed it could provide the rich information necessary to address the research questions.
Population and sample
A population consists of objects which may be individuals, groups, organisations, human products and events, or the conditions to which they are exposed (Welman, Kruger & Mitchell, 2005). In order to obtain rich information, the researchers identified four schools in the area as sample size does not matter in a qualitative study, but the depth and quality of the information obtained. The four primary schools were selected because of their accessibility/proximity to the researchers. One of the researchers is an educator at a primary school. The researchers' familiarity with primary schools informed the decision to focus on these schools rather than secondary schools. Primary School A had a complement of 16 teachers; Primary School B 17 teachers; Primary School C 15 teachers, and Primary School D 34 teachers. In each school, five participants were interviewed drawn from the population, using purposive sampling which relies on a researcher's experience and/or ingenuity (Welman et al., 2005). The following participants were chosen from each school:
- the principal, as initiator of change, who does internal moderation of evaluation results and as the workshop organiser;
- the educator, as implementer of the instrument;
- the School Management Team as organiser of INSET (In-Service Training) and other programmes;
- the Staff Development Team (SDT), as liaison between the department with respect to priority needs such as INSET, short courses, skill programmes or learnerships; and
- the Development Support Group (DSG) which provides mentoring and support. The researchers recruited information-rich key participants in the research process until relevant data were obtained to draw meaningful conclusions. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, the research report was given to the participants to confirm the findings. One of the limitations of the sampling strategy employed is that only logical generalisations and not statistical generalisations can be made based on this study. It is also not the ambition of this study to make statistical generalisations associated with probability sampling in which generalisations are possible from a sample to a population. Thus, this study allows for comparison of similar experiences or is illustrative of such experiences.
Data collection
Permission was sought and granted from the relevant authorities to visit the schools. At the beginning of each interview the interviewer explained the purpose of the study to the educators and sought the participant's voluntary cooperation. All protocols appropriate for such research were observed, such as informed consent in which each participant signed a consent form; confidentiality and right to privacy, protection from any form of harm and that participants were not to be treated as objects or numbers (Welman et al., 2005). The study employed open-ended interviews which allowed for a freer flow of information than structured interviews would permit. Probing was used for detailed exploration. The participants were named using the letters of the alphabet MM1, MM2, MM3 and so forth to uphold the principle of anonymity.
Data analysis
Data analysis was undertaken using a thematic approach. This involved the systematic examination of the contents of the interviews in order to record the relative incidence of themes and the ways in which these themes were portrayed (Welman & Kruger, 2001). The contents within each theme were analysed to establish emerging patterns of information as well as differences and contrasting points. The researchers adopted the most critical data for analysis, including verbatim quotes for illustration.
Initiating change and introducing IQMS
The School Management Team is responsible for introducing the IQMS. The principals were supposed to sell the idea, but some were against it due to a lack of clarity. Nkonki and Mammen (2012) maintain that different perceptions of the purpose of the IQMS result in educators implementing it in different ways. They add that it is critical for IQMS programme facilitators to appreciate the cognitive processes associated with interpretations and perceptions which impact on implementation, as these could either bolster or undermine the IQMS. The responses that follow illustrate the way the principals advocated the IQMS:
MM1: They (the department) did not introduce it properly. The training period was short, all the steps were not clearly explained, and even the guiding material does not give the practical part to it.
Another principal had this to say:
MM9: From the beginning I did not know what the IQMS was about and did not understand that it had many challenges. I thought it was about money; and teacher development was not the core issue. It is only now that I am beginning to have a clue of what is happening.
During the interviews it became clear that the influence of the principal plays a vital role in the IQMS. The majority of the participants agree that when the IQMS was introduced, the facilitators rushed into it as though it was an awareness campaign. Teachers felt that not enough time was provided to allow them to digest and familiarize themselves with the concept. Implementation was haphazard, and the advocacy was poor, because those introducing the system were themselves not clear on its objectives. This created the impression that teachers were resisting change. Waddell and Sohal (1998:545) observe that such resistance points to the need to flag areas that may not have been well thought out or are "perhaps plain wrong". Educators' perceptions and concerns affect their buy-in, adoption and subsequent implementation of the IQMS (Nkonki & Mammen, 2012).
Training period
Teachers and principals were trained in just one day. While some participants felt that the training period was sufficient, many disagreed. The views expressed are encapsulated in the following excerpt:
MM6: It was not enough. They were rushing it saying time is not on their side [but] this thing [IQMS] needed to be implemented. That is why it is boring. We were packed in a hall, it was not conducive.
The participants felt that they needed more time to comprehend the material. Furthermore, the principals and the School Management Teams were supposed to go back to their schools and explain how the IQMS could be put into practice. Teachers believed that a week's training would have been sufficient for an understanding of the entire process. A lack of understanding on both sides hampered the process because teachers needed to go further and consult on how to implement the system.
Challenges faced in implementing the IQMS
According to the respondents, some of the challenges are due to the frustrations of not knowing whether one is doing the right thing or not. Some principals used the IQMS as a weapon to threaten teachers, and even to the extent of not recommending that they receive the 1% salary increase:
MM1: People are not honest; no one wants to score himself/herself low, all of us we are looking at the prospect that we must get the 1%. We are afraid to give people low marks even if they deserve them [low marks] because it will look as if you are disadvantaging them to get the money.
If an educator performs according to expectations, he/she gets the 1%. As the above excerpt illustrates, educators feel obliged to give high scores to those peers who are not performing well, so that they can receive the increase. An educator complained vehemently about class observation:
MM11: The problem is with the class visit. Teachers totally don't want IQMS especially the observation part in class. They should come up with another way of checking teachers work than observing us in class. I don't feel free if there are people watching me and I make lots of mistakes under such circumstances.
Teachers feel that observations cause disruptions, if two teachers are evaluating another teacher, who will be in their classes? They feel that it is not their duty to evaluate other teachers as this will not be a true reflection of what takes place in the classroom.
Some educators criticized the IQMS on the grounds of the criteria used to evaluate them.
MM6: Some of the criteria which are used to evaluate are not fair such as involvement in extramural activities. There are prescribed activities which teachers can engage in. I am in girl guides, but I cannot be credited because it is not on the list of activities.
Attitudes of teachers
Some teachers had positive attitudes towards the IQMS, while others did not. As with any change, most teachers were initially negative. With time, however, some have come to accept it as a tool that will help them to develop. The skeptics among the educators asked, "how can a blind person lead another" referring to the fact that teachers are supposed to develop one another. Those with high scores are supposed to help those with lower scores. However, the problem is that they score high marks because the scoring is directly linked to remuneration rates, rather than the fact that they are capable. A principal stated that:
MM1: I don't see any changes with regard to the attitudes of teachers towards
IQMS. There are no changes. Everybody focuses on the 1%. Even the time for
IQMS is not enough to implement. You may see the weaknesses of the teacher in as far as teaching is concerned. Development must happen within the school. If at the school there is no one who is an expert in that field, who is going to help you?
Teachers also noted that the workshop conducted at the school was not beneficial, since they were not sure whether or not they were on the right path. Mestry et al. (2009:488) note that, for the IQMS to be effective, educators must understand it well and it be should "flexible enough to take into account the different circumstances of South African schools; and support (internal and external) should be constructive to help schools improve".
Other educators identified positive elements of the IQMS as the following excerpts illustrate:
MM8: Yes I was enthusiastic about IQMS because it develops us and we also get the 1%.
A principal reflected on the evolution of attitudes:
MM9: The attitude of teachers now is positive, except when it comes to the scoring and the 1% - teachers need money. If we can change the attitude that IQMS is not about money, but about development, then we can make progress. Money is only a motivational factor. It is money which is destroying it.
Those teachers who were positive about the IQMS highlighted cooperation, development and progress in their career, despite the challenges. This is in line with Nkonki and Mammen's (2012) argument that policy makers and administrators should take educators' concerns seriously lest the programme be subverted.
Expectations of teachers
Teachers were asked to list their expectations of the IQMS. The results revealed that they feel that there are no guidelines to follow for the school workshops. They stated that they merely conducted the workshops for the record. Linked to this is the fact that those in charge of the IQMS at district office level do not visit the schools to establish whether the workshops are solving the problems; instead they come to see if the IQMS is being implemented. Another educator highlighted that in primary schools,
MM4: Your peer will be the person who is teaching the same grade as you are. That teacher must evaluate you. The new teachers benefit from you while most of the veterans think of it as a waste oftime. When they conduct the workshops at the district offices, they do not call all the educators. They just call the School Development Group and update them.
The School Development Group is supposed to report back to the schools. However, many do not do so due to time constraints. Most schools rush to submit the forms in order to receive the 1% increase. Some even complained that what they were doing is worth more than the 1% they are receiving.
MM6: What I disapprove is what the government is doing to us. After all the hard work, they give us 1%. We work very hard even during school holidays.
The issue of money is a problem, because some teachers are neglecting the developmental part of IQMS to focus on the money. Teachers score themselves high marks, if one scores 4 that means one is excellent and one must develop other teachers. However, the teachers with high scores are reluctant to help others, thus denying them the opportunity to learn within the school. Nkonki and Mammen (2012) argue that conceptual mastery of the IQMS by educators should be prioritized during the execution stage because this can make or break the programme.
Rating of IQMS
Participants were asked how they would rate the IQMS. None of the participants rated it as excellent. The rating ranged from poor to good, primarily because of the experience they gained while implementing the system. A principal commented:
MM1: It is 2 out of 5. It does not develop. I don't get it. We don 't cover all the steps, because of time. There is no time for this.
Another principal said that teachers need development, but it is not happening in an acceptable way because other components of the school routine suffer while conducting the IQMS.
Effectiveness of the Staff Development Team in the IQMS
The Staff Development Team is the driving force in the implementation of the IQMS. One educator, MM11, said,
"If they could have the answers it could have been better. But they do not have the answers. They need experts on IQMS to ascertain if those who develop are indeed doing the right thing".
Self evaluation
In terms of the ELRC (2003), an educator uses the same instrument for performance measurement, developmental appraisal and for evaluating her/himself. One educator commented as follows on self evaluation:
MM19: I did not evaluate myself. I scored myself high marks because I want the 1%.
The first step is for teachers to evaluate themselves. Teachers need to know the areas they need help with and those observing will assist and determine how to help. If a teacher pinpoints the areas that he/she wants to be developed in, this facilitates the second step, classroom observation. Those who do not evaluate themselves will do themselves a disservice as the initiative is designed to promote development rather than a salary increase. If teachers are not evaluated, it will be difficult to identify skills gaps.
Feedback after evaluation
It is the responsibility of the Development Support Group to discuss the evaluation with the educator and to give feedback. Issues are resolved and a report is sent to the Staff Development Team for appropriate action. Asked about the feedback, educators responded as follows:
MM13: Yes, it helps a lot, like now I am able to maintain discipline and do the correct seating arrangement.
MM14: Which one, which feedback? Where do we get the feedback? Who must give us that feedback? I don't remember getting any feedback since I have been with this school. It is just the principal shouting at us saying we cannot do this and that.
The study revealed that most of the educators agreed that they do receive feedback after evaluation, but they are not satisfied with the answers. However, some said they never received feedback.
The IQMS uses a rating scale from 1-4. Rating 1 = Unacceptable; Rating 2 = Satisfies minimum expectations; Rating 3 = Good; and Rating 4 = Outstanding. Asked how they were rated on their performance, the educators responded as follows:
MM5: Yes, I was. Sometimes they give you 4 which is the highest mark. They will say we won't write the 4 on your score sheet. They will give you a 3 because if they give you a 4, you have to go and develop other teachers from different schools. Another principal gave me a 3. I don't know if it is necessary to get below 4 even if you qualify for 4. There is a problem with the scoring.
MM11: No, I was notfairly scored. The comments were negative; I was evaluated on things that I cannot change - contextual factors. Overcrowding is not my problem. I am there to teach, so if they comment and say the situation is not conducive for learning and they give you low marks for that - that is not fair.
The study established that the scoring is problematic because if a teacher is awarded high marks, this implies that the school does not need development. If a teacher receives a 4 on a particular performance standard, he/she is an asset to the school and therefore he/she should develop other teachers. This teacher can be asked to go to other schools to help improve their performance standard.
Capability of evaluators
According to the IQMS guidelines a teacher must choose a peer to evaluate him / her. Some educators were positive about the capability of their evaluators, while others were not:
MM11: They are capable because at the end you discuss the findings.
MM13: No I don't think so. The teachers need training to do that. They are lacking and are not fully equipped. They don't have information.
It is clear that the value of the evaluation depends on the capabilities of the evaluator. Some educators felt they had benefitted from the comments of the evaluators. Others felt that the exercise was pointless as they felt there was no one within the school who could mentor them. The interviews revealed that qualified teachers with more than 30 years' experience felt that they did not gain anything from the evaluation process.
Overall, the study revealed that principals and teachers feel that the IQMS is a valuable instrument, however, it requires input from all stakeholders to manage it and ensure that it is a success.
Teachers felt the department was hasty in implementing the IQMS. For any change to be successful, Jenlink et al. (as cited in Menchaca et al., n.d.) argue that stakeholders must have a common vision of the new system and a sense of ownership and empowerment among the beneficiaries. Money should be dissociated from the system, as teachers neglected the developmental part of the IQMS and focused on money. The training period was too short and insufficient. Most of the participants said that the training did equip them with the knowledge required to implement the system. Teachers recommended that the training period should be at least a week, followed up by a quick follow up session. It is recommended that the officials who conduct the training should work side by side with teachers while implementing the IQMS. Liaw (2009 cited in Schoeman & Mabunda, 2012:250) argues that when there is support for teaching practice by key stakeholders, the educators "improve in their efficacy as teachers". This support, it appears, was lacking in the case understudy.
Challenges in implementing the IQMS
Teachers questioned the capability and credibility of those who evaluated them, as they are not experts in determining teachers' performance. They suggested that a team of teachers who are knowledgeable about what is going on in the classroom should conduct the evaluation, rather than officials from the department. Teachers feel that the issues of remuneration and teacher development should be separated and as such the IQMS should just focus purely on teacher development. The IQMS can be effective if the training is thorough. It is recommended that a team be established to investigate the effectiveness of the instrument and provide a new paradigm to guide implementation.
Kok, Rabe, Swarts, Van der Vyver and Van der Walt (2010) argue that regular educator surveys are important to ascertain how they have improved in line with IQMS criteria as well as to provide lessons critical to the adaptation of the programme and classroom approaches.
Effectiveness of the Staff Development Team
The SDT faces the problem of educators who allocate themselves high marks, but when they are asked to assist with the development of teachers, they refuse. In order to avoid cheating and the practice of teachers giving themselves high marks, it is recommended that there should be a dedicated IQMS team. This neutral team should do the work in its own time. It should be composed of persons who know what is happening in the classroom such as retired teachers with a credible record.
Towards a new implementation model of the IQMS
Based on the above findings, we po sit the following model for provinces still grappling with the implementation of the IQMS. For Continuous Development, the training should be sustained and not a once-off and be carried out by credible, eminent persons such as retired teachers and experts in their field. These individuals should comprise a neutral/independent team dedicated to the IQMS. This obviates the need to outsource training to institutions of higher learning and private consultants, saving costs in the long run. Principals and School Management Teams should show leadership and be empowered to manage the process. Adequate resources must be provided in previously disadvantaged schools. Partnerships should be forged between educators and the department so that educators can perceive the benefits of the IQMS - it should not be foisted upon them. The department should adopt a bottom-up approach that recognises the strengths and weakness of each individual educator and those of the school at which the educator is based; a one size fits all does not work.
As this article has established, the IQMS should run concurrently with addressing the low morale resulting from the generally perceived poor working conditions and remuneration packages. Change should be staggered or sequenced without disrupting current work. The IQMS should be implemented according to the following principles adapted from the discipline of Community Development:
- Participation - stakeholders, especially educators should be encouraged to make choices and decisions regarding the IQMS;
- Empowerment - Educators should be provided with the requisite information, knowledge and resources. Thus, training is critical in building people's self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Ownership - if genuine learning is to take place, all stakeholders should own the IQMS.
- Learning - learning is key to empowerment. This involves a process of unlearning and learning on the part of the principals and educators which accommodates mistakes.
- Adaptability - change and customize when the need arises.
- Simplicity - proceed step by step, chunk by chunk, that is, break down the larger parts into smaller parts and implement them.
In conclusion, the IQMS is a necessary tool to develop staff. However, it has been hampered by surmountable challenges during implementation. It is anticipated that the adoption of the above model, in whole or part, will ameliorate the impact of some of the challenges identified in this article. This is important for countries undergoing transformation, as well as those with scarce resources and a high level of need to benchmark against this experience so that resources are used wisely. It is appropriate to end this article with the insightful words by Scott (2003:69) that "Change is learning and learning is change."
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text:
New York
14 November 2012
Price realised
Estimate On Request
Jeff Koons (b. 1955)
mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating
80 x 180 x 205 in. (203.2 x 457.2 x 520.7 cm.)
Executed in 1995-2004. This work is one of five unique versions.
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2002
Contact Client Service
New York +1 212 636 2000
London +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Asia +852 2760 1766
Koji Inoue
Tel: +1 212 636 2100
Jeff Koons/Andy Warhol: Flowers, exh. cat., Gagosian Gallery, New York, 2002, p. 49 (another example illustrated in color, in progress).
T. Rosenstein, "Bad Boy der Kunstszene," Art Investor, no. 3, 2006, pp. 50-58 (another example illustrated in color).
S.C. Canarutto, Jeff Koons (Supercontemporanea series), Milan, 2006, pp. 68-69 (another example illustrated in color).
H. Rehm, Hinter Glas: Das Kunstengagement der NORD/LB VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2007, pp. 49 and 52 (another example illustrated in color and on the cover).
"From Bilbao: Blooming in Guggenheim" Casa Brutus, October 2007, p. 27.
C. Dietrich, "Eben hineinstolpern ins Glück," Vorarlberger Nachrichten, 17 February 2007, pp. A1 and D7 (another example illustrated in color).
H.-J. Müller, "Immer schon kuhl bleiben: Hirst, Merz, Koons: 'Re-Object' im Kunsthaus Bregenz," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 21 February 2007, p. 37, no. 44.
H.W. Holzwarth, ed., Jeff Koons, Cologne, 2008, pp. 414-415 (illustrated in color).
M. Simmons, "Art Star," Lifestyles Magazine, Winter 2008, p. 29 (another example illustrated in color).
Le Point, 4 September 2008, p. 9 (another example illustrated in color).
L.M. Cecchini, "Jeff Koons: La estetizacion del consumismo," textofilia, no. 17, Mexico 2008, pp. 60-61 (another example illustrated in color).
"Austria: Art + Architecture + Design [special advertising section]," ARTnews, October 2009, p. 73 (another example illustrated in color).
U.S. Department of State Magazine, issue 531, February 2009 (another example illustrated in color and on the back cover).
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection, Bilbao,
2009, p. 227 (another example illustrated in color).
Vogue Nippon, May 2010, p. 289 (illustrated in color).
Jeff Koons: Popeye Sculpture, exh. cat., Galerie
Jerome de Noirmont, Paris, 2010, p. 8 (another example illustrated in color).
S. Brown, "Kiehl's Goes Koons," Vogue, October 2010, p. 224 (illustrated in color).
"Looking and Learning," SchoolArts Magazine, November 2010, p. 29 (illustrated).
"The Energy of Color," Vogue Japan, July 2011, p. 105 (another example illustrated in color).
Hannover, Nord/LB Bank, 2004-2012 (on extended view).
Kunsthaus Bregenz, Re-Object: Marcel Duchamp, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Gerhard Merz, February-May 2007, pp. 6, 105-107, 108, 112-113, 124-125 and 128 (another example exhibited and illustrated in color).
U.S. Embassy Beijing, Art in Embassies Program Landscapes of the Mind: Art Collection of the United States Embassy, August 2008-present, p. 19 (another example on extended loan and illustrated in color).
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Transformation, February-April 2008 (another example exhibited).
Bilbao, Museo Guggenheim, 2008-present (another example on permanent view).
Berlin, Neue Nationalgalerie, Jeff Koons, Celebration, October 2008-February 2009, pp. 2-3, 4-5, 8, 50 and 81 (another example exhibited and illustrated in color).
Venice, Fondazione Prada, Ca' Corner Della Regina, June-October 2011, pp. 98 and 100-101 (another example exhibited and illustrated in color).
Basel, Fondation Beyeler, Jeff Koons, May-September 2012, pp. 148-150 (another example exhibited and illustrated in color).
Other examples are in the collections of the Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao; Victor Pinchuk Foundation, Kyiv; Fondazione Prada, Milan and The Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica.
Towering over the viewer in a blaze of multi-colored splendor, with each color dramatically reflecting and rebounding off the other to create an intense rainbow effect, Jeff Koons' monumental Tulips marks the technical crescendo of his Celebration series. A timeless sculptural masterpiece, Koons has taken the simple temporary nature of a small, light balloon sculpture created in a matter of seconds, and blown it up to a heroic scale. It is an enchanting sculpture that casts the illusion of joyous weightlessness but is paradoxically heavy, employing over three tons of meticulously sculpted stainless steel. This is a multivalent sculpture, operating on a number of different levels from the simple and directly arresting visual beauty of the object and its awe-inspiring scale, to the ground-breaking complexity of its fabrication and to the deep conceptual themes which lie beneath its apparently flawless surface. The Celebration series evolved from Koons' desire to recreate the ecstatic experiences of a child's enjoyment of the world with universal signifiers. Creating forms that recall Constantin Brancusi's sublime sculptures as well as children's toys, Koons has tapped into the canon of the history of art by taking flowers as his subject for this still life colossus, introducing ideas of the memento mori as well as romance and beauty. Flowers have run as a thematic thread throughout Koons' career, appearing already in his Inflatables of 1979, and came to the fore in his Made in Heaven series in 1991 where he emphasized their sexual nature. Tulips marked the sculptural culmination of the theme, and of Koons' now-legendary Celebration series. Tulips was created in an edition of five versions, each of which features a unique arrangement of the colors of the flowers. In recent years, these have become icons of Koons' work, featuring in a range of his exhibitions and in articles about the artist.The other examples are held by high-profile collections: one was shown at the unveiling of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2008, while others are at the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Prada Foundation and the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation; an exhibition copy was also created to be shown in China and is on a ten-year loan to the US Embassy in Beijing.
This transformation of the original latex balloons into a giant, metallic monument reveals Koons' role as a guide through the quagmires of class, taste, sexuality and life. Rendered in mirror-polished stainless steel, the balloons clearly give a false sense weightlessness. This ties into the dialogue of illusion and paradox that underpins so much of Koons' work. The concept of an object filled with air, a metaphor for the human lung filled with breath, is arguably the most constant in Koons' work, relating to the Inflatables, the vacuum cleaners in The New and the flotation devices and basket balls of Equilibrium. Where his 1979 Inflatable Flowers were light, his subsequent works often toyed with paradoxes, being transformed into absurdly heavy materials. His iconic masterpiece Rabbit was reincarnated in stainless steel, his Aqualung cast in weighty bronze in Equilibrium and his swimming pool toys depicting inflatable lobsters and dolphins rendered in aluminum in Popeye. In Tulips, Koons uses the inflatable nature of balloons, and their vulnerability, in order to play with the ephemeral and the eternal. While a latex balloon can easily be burst, the Tulips are virtually indestructible. Accordingly, Koons has subverted the notion of the floral still life in history, which so often served as a celebration of beauty, but also a reminder of the brevity of life, as a memento mori. This was all the more the case with tulips, which bloom for a short amount of time each year, creating a colorful yet brief explosion of beauty before wilting and collapsing. In his own Tulips, Koons defiantly tries to banish such notions of ephemerality. Instead, he is invoking durability and immortality, or at least the endurance of our species. After all, as he has said, "I believe the way to enter the eternal is through the biological" (J. Koons, quoted in Coles & Violette (ed.), op. cit., 1992, p. 35).
Tulips and the other stainless steel sculptures of Koons' Celebration series have become iconic, placed in high-profile locations throughout the world. Koons had already created monumental works such as Kiepenkerl, made for the decennial Munster Skulptur Projekte exhibition, and the flower-coated Puppy originally installed in Arolsen in 1992 and also in Bilbao's Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum since 1997. In Celebration, Koons dedicated himself with new vim to this monumental scale of creation, often employing a pared-back visual language that echoed the restrained eloquence of Brancusi's smaller sculptures such as those on display in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Tulips is one of the largest and most complex of the Celebration works, featuring a rare, emphatic spectrum of colors: the rest, with the exception of Coloring Book, comprises either one or two colors only, as opposed to the rainbow-like spread here. The combination of the vivid color-scheme of Tulips and its mirror finish means that it reflects the viewers, and also crucially reflects itself. This unleashes a kaleidoscopic cascade of color variations that derives from a deliberately limited palette of the seven constituent parts. The colors proliferate in the receding reflections like a Pantone color chart. In this way, the surface of Tulips embraces itself, resulting in a wondrous implosion of color ricocheting through the near-infinite succession of reflections. This is all the more appropriate in Tulips, as the titular plant has long been prized for its vivid colors.
The celebration of the flower's color is reflected by its origin in Persian lore: scarlet tulips had sprung from the blood-drops of the vanquished lover Ferhad, who according to legend had been falsely informed that Shirin, the object of his desire, had died. In the Sixteenth Century, they were imported from Turkey to Europe. There, their intense hues and the possibility of breeding cultivars with petals of different colors resulted in an explosion of floral still life paintings that are treasured to this day. The tulip remains associated with romance, and also with Oriental splendor and luxury. It decorates Iznik tiles and vessels and was praised in verse. Indeed, the cultural highpoint of the Ottoman Empire was named the 'Tulip Period.' The sheer colors of Tulips, the fantastic scale and the sensuous curves all combine to create a lyrical tribute to this romantic flower, while also revealing Koons' unique and playful contribution to the long-standing genre of the floral still life. Despite having its roots planted in tradition, Koons' Tulips are incredibly modern and introduce a range of concept pertinent to the contemporary world. The medium emphasizes the message: its smooth, sinuous, pristine forms are crisp, contemporary and mirror-like, presenting the viewer with an image that pretends to be simple and joyous. Under the surface, Koons explores upon themes such as life, death and sexuality. The flower motif had already appeared in his 1979 readymade Inflatables. In the Made in Heaven series in 1991, the raw sexuality of the plants, with their stamens and carpels on such overt display, became more central. In Tulips, that exploration of sexuality is continued in the curves and crevices of the flowers, which combine their smooth, phallic stems with the gaping holes at the end of the flower heads, making them intensely evocative and mysteriously hermaphroditic. Koons has long encouraged his viewers to embrace their sexuality, rather than be ashamed of it. After all, as he has pointed out, it is integral to the continuation of the species.
With reproduction comes a new generation, and the concept of childhood and child-like innocence is fundamental to the Celebration works. Koons was initially inspired by the birth of his son, and began to view the world with the wide-eyed wonder of his child's perspective. The Celebration works were created as a vehicle to regain faith in humanity during a trying time in the artist's personal life. Many of the Celebration works chart the landmarks of the passing year, for instance Easter, the coming of Spring and birthdays, shown using a visual language that amplifies the perspective of childhood experiences, allowing Koons to tap into archetypes that are in fact universal, not merely personal. The inception of Tulips and the Celebration works came about when Koons was working on ideas for a calendar for the legendary dealer Anthony d'Offay:
"I took my camera and prepared these set-ups; I shot some balloon tulips on a reflective background, and I made a balloon dog, again on a reflective background. I bought a hanging heart with some gold ribbon from a shop window I saw on Lexington Avenue, and I photographed a bread with an egg. I shot these different images and soon realized that this was too good, that I had more than a calendar here. I had a whole body of work" (J. Koons, quoted in T. Vischer, "Dialogues on Self-Acceptance: Jeff Koons about Himself and his Work From Conversations with the Artist, New York, Early February 2012, Part I," in S. Keller and Vischer (eds.), Jeff Koons, exh. cat., Riehen, 2012, p. 34).
Accordingly, Koons began to explore this new-found iconography, charting the cycle of the year and the wider cycle of life, creating a series of vast paintings and sculptures: "[I]t is about a calendar year and how we may perceive different things within the course of a year. You can look at the Tulips painting or the Tulips sculpture and maybe it will make you think of Spring. You can look at Hanging Heart and think of Valentine's Day, or Cracked Egg and you think of Easter. If you look at Party Hat, you might think of a birthday. There are different times of the year and different forms of celebration within a cycle of time. Some are quite direct but others could be anything" (J. Koons, quoted in ibid., p. 34). As an indicator of Spring, the season of fertility when leaves and blossoms appear after the barren months of Winter, Tulips is filled with overtures to reproduction and also with festive glee, all the more so because these flowers have been presented as immense, exaggerated toy-like balloons, reminiscent of parties.
This is in part due to the Crayola-like palette with which the Tulips have been colored, and in part because of the incredible perfection of that coloring, which is fantastically even. It appears as though the mirrored surface of the metal itself is colored, rather than painted. This effect has been achieved by taking the mirror-polished stainless steel flower and applying layer upon layer of lacquer in which the pigment is suspended employing new techniques finessed by the Koons' studio. This finish took years to perfect and the completed Celebration sculptures emerged at the turn of the new millennium. Looking at the surface of Tulips, Koons' perseverance resulted in an incredibly even, otherworldly monochrome on each flower. The surface is almost liquid, it is seductive, and it reflects the viewer, involving us and our world in Koons' work. That Koons has transformed stainless steel, the stuff of the pots and pans of our everyday domestic universes, to these new lyrical forms, gleaming so that they evoke precious metals, treasures and relics, extends his embrace of the viewer. Taking that democratic, practical material, Koons has here-as he had in his earlier Luxury and Degradation and Statuary series-granted the hardy metal, and the ephemeral balloon tulip too, an apotheosis.
Saleroom Notice
Please note the correct medium for this work is mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating.
Please note the other another version of this work is in the collection of the Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica and not the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Pre-Lot Text
Property from the Collection of Nord/LB, Hannover
Auction records set for Sanyu, Dana Schutz, Nguyen Phan Chanh and other great artists as Christie's continues to reimagine the auction concept
The senior curator of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum on Noguchi's work in relation to light, physics and Futurism
Jeff Koons' Tulips realized $33,682,500 achieving a world auction record for the artist in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale in New York on 14 November 2012.
Jeff Koons, along with commentary from Brett Gorvy, Chairman and International Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art, shares insight into his own work, Tulips, which is to be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale in New York on 14 November 2012.
According to specialist Stephen Jones, Natalie and Dr Marvin Gliedman collected 'for the sheer love of it' — including works by Noguchi, Calder and Diebenkorn
Our updated guide takes you through the shows that have been extended and postponed this year, from Christo in Paris to Artemisia Gentileschi in London
Specialist Sarah Reynolds highlights the sumptuous work of the Pre-Raphaelites' second and third generations
Specialist Camille de Foresta explains how these two large beasts were made some 1,000 years ago to accompany their Chinese owner into the afterlife