American Dream Essays (804 words) - Harlem Renaissance,

American Dream What is the AMERICAN DREAM? I concluded the matter of dreaming about life's basics wants that are exclusive to North America. The American Dream is the following: Go to college, get a good job, and finally get your own family. If we think about it, the American Dream is indeed a UNIVERSAL DREAM. The concept of the American Dream is created by this value system. The American Dream is intended to be a way of life attainable to all Americans. Whatever maybe the case, the act of trying to escape reality and the result such an act brings, is evident throughout the three novels Jews without money, by Michael Gold, Street Corner Society by William Whyte, and Passing, by Nella Larsen. All three of these books confront the myth of the American Dream. The American Dream can either be a reality or a nightmare depending upon the cultural prejudices and availability of freedom. Individuals who are united through some common bond, which may be religion social status of color, create a group or class of people. While individuals are subject to racial prejudices, which often makes up upward mobility not possible. Without equal opportunities to move upwards within society, the American Dream is not attainable. But it is possible in cases where people are willing to sacrifice their heritage culture etc. Nella Larsen, show us through this novel, that if people want, they can achieve the American Dream, but they would have to ?pay a price for it.' This is especially true of Clare Kendry. Her passing is motivated by her desire to improve the conditions of her socioeconomic life. She is successful in achieving her American Dream, but in the end she does face the consequences of her actions. She manages to rise from being a poor girl to settling down in a well household. Using her white skin color and blond hair as commodities, she escapes the reality of her true character. She gained wealth and respect in the community through marrying an affluent successful white man. But the truth is that she paid the price of ?passing' because she couldn't express who she was and her true identity in the fear of being ?caught' and then left aside abandoned from the ?whites' and the ?black' communities. In her case, her decision to ?pass' was self-initiated. Clare was afraid to face everyone, especial ly her husband, with her blackness. When one cannot stand in front of a mirror and except him or herself, that person is bound to be doomed. In Clare's case it resulted in her death. So it can be said, that in this case Clare achieved the dream of being accepted into society and a well off rich husband, but in the end she did pay the price for that sacrifice she made. Jews Without Money is a novel of life of Jewish immigrants in the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side in the early part of this century. It's a day-in-the-life tale of thieves, gangsters and honest folks just trying to get by in a new country. The novel ?Jews without money? by Michael Gold explores the fundamental discrepancy between the ?American Dream' v/s the ?American Reality' due to the warping of poverty. The immigrant Jews step from steerage in search of the American dream and instead find themselves crowded in filthy, roach-ridden tenements, at the mercy of factory owners, and gangsters (the American Reality). Social depression arising due to extreme poverty led to the establishments of ghettos a completely new lifestyle. Thus the fundamental discrepancy between the American Dream v/s the American Reality exists due to the existence of poverty. Poverty seems to be the underlying cause of every misfortune in life, and thus even in their make believe world, everything they vainly want is due to poverty and nothing else. The novel displays different forms of struggles that immigrants go through in order to escape the reality. Michael Gold wishes to be rich, but he is not able to fulfill his dream's and he believes that the American Dream is a lie. His family is unable to lift itself from the bottom of the ?ladder' and prosper. One of their main struggle, is

Alaskan Oil Spill essays

Alaskan Oil Spill essays Oil Spill Brings Environmental Problems to Alaska December of 2004 brought a devastating oil spill to the Bering Sea of Alaska and has presented many problems with the environment of this area. The Malaysian Selendang Ayu was in route to its destination when it was grounded in the Bering Sea. This caused the cargo ship to split dumping massive amounts of fuel into the sea. It has been estimated that 321,047 gallons of intermediate-grade fuel and 18,000 gallons of diesel fuel were lost in this tragedy. The numbers are far less than the eleven million gallons that were lost in the oil spill of the Exxon Valdese in 1989, but the aftermath of this spill is bringing devastation to the area. The grounding site for the ship is an asylum for many sea birds and marine mammals. It is located in part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. This habitat is frequented by Stellar Sea Lions, Stellar Elders, and Aleutian Sea Otters. These species are considered endangered, and this is producing a wildlife problem in that respect. More than 1,600 birds have been confirmed dead from the accident already. Oil has been found on bald eagles and on the fur of red foxes. Difficulty has arrived for scientists who are trying to examine the environmental affects of the oil spill. The problems are coming from the fierce weather, treacherous terrain, remoteness of location, and lack of daylight due to the winter daylight time in Alaska. Additional studies are needed to determine the numbers of birds killed and the species that are involved. Some of the Alaskan beaches have up to four feet of soybeans stacked along their shoreline. The Selendang Ayu was transporting 60,198 metric tons of soybeans to China. The crew members were mostly evacuated. However, six people were killed during rescue efforts when a large wave caused the Coast Guard rescue helicopter to crash. ...

Legal Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Studies - Essay Example When the appellee (Katko) trespassed on the uninhabited house to steal old bottles and fruit jars, which cost less than $20, gives the implication that the owner of the said house has the right to impose self defense for their property against him (appellee) and his companion. Adhering to the principle of self defense, then the defendants are right to say that they have the right to defend their property. What would be erroneous so speak is the means employed to protect their belongings. One of the requisites of self-defense is the â€Å"reasonable necessity of the means employed.† Using shotgun that could inflict serious physical injuries or even death defies this requisite in self defense knowing the fact that it could not even put the lives of the owners at risk because, as mentioned, it has been uninhabited for several years. As one of the justice who concurs, Moore, said â€Å"the primary issue presented here is whether an owner may protect personal property in an unoccu pied boarded-up farm house against trespassers and thieves by a spring gun capable of inflicting death or serious injury.† Thus, the means employed (the shotgun) is too ruthless to use in defending an unoccupied old farm house from trespassers.

THEORY OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY Assignment

THEORY OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY - Assignment Example Means by which managers can accomplish their malign interest is through compensation plan, perks, bonuses, travelling on corporate expenditure and scamming against the corporation. Introduction to Balance Sheet Approach: In order to check the quality of earnings two approaches are predominantly used, one of these approaches in balance-sheet approach. The aim of this approach is to assess the true magnitude of accruals because it is these accruals which lead to manipulative earnings (Aghion, Bacchetta, and Banerjee, 2004). Thus it is of utmost importance to locate them and rectify the manipulative action to see the true picture of the organization. As a general rule the higher the total accruals are as compared to percentage of assets, the greater the likelihood that earnings quality is low. Remember that accruals can be either a reflection of earnings manipulation or just normal accounting estimations based on future business expectations. It is difficult to determine which one is dr iving the accruals, but there is evidence that the size of accruals can be used as a rough measure for earnings manipulation (Mulder, Perrelli, and Rocha, 2012). Following are the series of formulas that are used to find the real values of accruals (Pasiouras, 2008): 1. Total Net Accruals = Accrual Earnings - Cash Earnings But the balance sheet doesn't directly tell us what accrual earnings were in the period, so further calculations are required to retrieve this information.   2. End Equity = Start Equity + Accrual Earnings - Cash Dividends - Stock Repurchases + Equity Issuances 3. Accrual Earnings =  ? Owners' Equity + Cash Dividends + Stock Repurchases - Equity Issuance = ? Owners' Equity + Net Cash Distributions to Equity 4. Accrual Earnings = ? Assets – ? Liabilities + Net Cash Distributions to Equity 5. Cash Earnings = ? Cash + Cash Dividends + Stock Repurchases - Equity Issuance = ? Cash + Net Cash Distributions to Equity 6. Total Net Accruals = Accrual Earnings - Cash Earnings = [? Assets – ? Liabilities + Net Cash Dist. to Equity] - [? Cash + Net Cash Dist. to Equity] 7. Total Net Accruals = ? Assets- ? Liabilities – ? Cash Reasons for the World Recession: Suppressing Demand of the World Market, leading to declining industrial growth and output, which further results in a negative mood spreading amongst the investors and a negative posture taken up by the overall economy (Torna and DeYoung, 2012). In the United States a housing bubble was being propelled by speculative behaviour. This speculative behaviour was fuelling the U.S economy. Federal Reserve’s irresponsible action to lower the interest rates encouraged a large inflow of foreign funds. This availability led to the creation of easy credit for borrowers, who started taking hefty home loans. As the demand for home loans soared this created an artificial demand in the housing market and an artificial price hike in the housing market. Since there was ample amount of money available in the economy the mortgage lenders started lending at an exponential rate and simultaneously lowered their lending standards. Such conditions helped individuals with poor credit history and those who made the NINJA category (No Income, No Job, No Assets), receive hefty amount of loan from the loan agencies for whatever purpose they see fit (Broeck and Guscina, 2011). Since the property market was on a role and was flushed with money, leading to

Management of international business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management of international business - Essay Example The company is also committed to meeting deadlines following a well organized work schedules. Most of our clients are referred to the company by previous clients indicating that we offer quality services that are customer satisfactory. In addition, it demonstrates that the company is committed to its work and very reliable besides the good customer relations that the company has established. This is the main reason why the company has continued to be relevant over the past fifty years. The company has incorporated sustainability principle in its principles. It utilizes construction materials efficiently and effectively to ensure that there are no adverse impacts on humans and detrimental effects on the environment following the company’s activities. The company has a deep understanding on the need for development that is sustainable. Our construction activities meet the international standards of construction with a long term vision of conserving ecological systems. Holder Con struction Company advocates for environmental impact assessment in order to weigh the costs and benefits that are likely to accrue from the development projects. In addition, the company has employed accredited environmental health officers who are experts in the area of environmental impact assessment as well as environmental audit that can be offered to assess if the environmental mitigation measures that were recommended are being achieved. The company is committed to its social responsibility. It is responsive and follows requirements that have been recommended by intergovernmental regulations. For instance, The Rio declaration on Environment and Development, Participatory Principles, Sustainability Principle, and The Precautionary Principle among other environmental principles and policies. Holder Construction Company has a department that drives its goals and mission of implementing sustainability development and Corporate Responsibility through its Sustainability Development Department. The department has a sole responsibility of giving the necessary advice required prior to the actual construction and during construction. This indicates how much we attach a lot of value in efforts towards Corporate Responsibility. The company holds sustainable practices at heart. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as Corporate Citizenship, is a framework that is used to evaluate a company’s performance against parameters including social and environmental parameters including economic parameters. The main aim of Corporate Social

Role of The Early Years Practitioner in Learning

Role of The Early Years Practitioner in Learning Background: General Introduction to Topic: This study is two fold; firstly it relates to a personal interest as an early years practitioner and secondly a professional resolution to understand the role of the practitioner and the influence the individual can have on children’s learning. For effective learning within early years settings, identification of how the practitioner affects children’s learning needs to be recognised (Rodd, 2000:7). How the practitioner can influence the behaviour of others, particularly staff and children, to contribute to a creative early childhood programme. It is paramount the practitioners work collaboratively together within the same organisational goals to create a community enriching children’s personal growth and progress, which enhances the practitioners’ expectations and individual standards (Rodd, 2000:8). I feel passionate concerning the recognition of the practitioner’s role influencing on children’s learning and the factors that may contribute to this. Within the educational institution, the power of success of the student relies on the strength of the curriculum. The content of the curriculum has to entice and engage the learner, who will respond with motivation and focus. A poor, unsuccessful curriculum, is one that is unchanged over years, and will suffer unless new educationalist are pro-active in bringing current trends into play, which is normally the case. New fresh ideas and approaches to old problems bring new life into any task, for a synthesis of theory and practice is necessary because theory without practice is dead, whilst practice without theory has no direction (Bruce, 1987). The complexity involved in learning is discussed and covered by many, and the direction of improvement is always under investigation. In 2005, the Government announced plans to merge the Birth To Three Matters Framework and the Foundation Stage, to form a single Early Years Foundation Stage covering care, learning and development in all early years settings from birth to age five. (Literacy Trust, 2006) Can this produce the desired effect on learning. There are several different styles of learning which are examined here and aspects are highlighted, including the term Learning Power (Deakin Crick et al, 2002) which sets out to explain with extensive research, observation and experimentation that a series of unique dimensions exist. These dimensions are Changing and learning Creativity Critical curiosity Fragility of dependence Learning relationships Meaning and making Strategic awareness From these dimensions and their descriptions resulted a useful language, one for the ‘naming of something’ that fills a gap within education to provide an excellent dialog of the quality between teachers and their pupils. By successful inclusion this language could enhance the learning power of the pupil by the development of self-awareness; to encourage and produce responsibility for one’s own learning; and to ultimately improve and support all the relationships of learning and assessment. Research for this whole study involved investigating current policy and identifying up-to-date literature. Conducting this research I discovered a gap in literature concerning the specifics in my study. Examining books, journals, articles and Internet websites for archive information relating to the practitioner’s role I discovered limited data that discusses this issue. I decided to analyse the factors that can contribute to the practitioner’s role and how it has shaped the modern early years practitioner. I was interested in how the role has developed and what shaped the 21st century practitioner, this lead to the factors that attribute to this evolvement. Factors that may influence a Practitioners Role: How the practitioner’s role has developed Type of Setting; impact on practitioner’s role effecting children’s learning Age and Experience of Practitioner; whether this has any bearing Government Policy; the changes effecting a practitioner’s role As my study became broader I explored factors such as the shaping of early years practitioner’s and what contributed to this, became as important as the original research question. As I researched my aims became defined, breaking down the elements to reach clear objectives for each aim. Aims: The principle aims of this research are: To analyse the role of the early years practitioner in relation to children’s learning. Explore a range of early years practitioners. Investigate what they do and determine whether their role is the same or diverse in the context of various settings. Examine how the profession has developed. Analyse Government Policy to determine whether this affects the practitioners’ role. The aims are intended to provide a broad indication of the purpose of the research, (Fitzpatrick, 1998:153). To clarify the criteria I aim to determine precise statements of intent by sub-dividing the aims into objectives, as follows. Objectives: To conduct in depth, semi-structured interviews with a sample of 12 practitioners who have worked for at least 2 years (this is due to practitioner’s requiring the experience in order to respond to questions relating to their role). To conduct this research using practitioners of varying age and experience to determine whether these variables have any bearing on practitioners influence on children’s learning. To investigate a range of settings; High Scope, Montessori and The Foundation Stage to determine whether the settings curriculum model influences learning and changes the practitioner’s role. Investigate the changing role of the Early Years practitioner. Reflecting on historical and contemporary issues. Reflect on Early Years policy and practitioners role. Research Design: Method and Methodology: To indicate the practical ways in which my research project will be organised, including an impartial appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses that may arise. Within my study I aim to put strategies into place that will minimize the disadvantages for the methodology used and to enhance the advantages (Oliver, 2004:135). I plan to carry out a study involving 12 participants, who work within varied early years provisions; these participants must have at least two years post qualification experience. I have chosen this length of service to establish realistic expectations and feelings of individual’s. The provisions must be varied therefore I have chosen three separate settings; High/Scope, Montessori and The Foundation Stage (learning through play), within these provisions I aim to use in-depth, face-to-face interviewing of four practitioner’s conducted at their settings. This method is appropriate as it allows for flexibility (Robson, 2002:278) and freedom with responses. Using semi-structured questions including some structured questions, such as, standard factual material. An additional reason for using a qualitative method is that individual’s insight of a particular workplace can be analysed[1]. The disadvantages are numerous; one example is the reliability of the participant ’s responses and the lack of standardisation that will inevitability arise with a semi-structured interview technique. I plan to contact the selected settings asking for permission to conduct in-depth interviews explaining the reasons for the study. To explain the reasons for the research within the setting, acknowledging the interviewee’s sense of comfort in a familiar environment. It may relevant to send a sample of the questions to allow the participants to prepare. After the interviews and data collected and transcribed, the analysis begins. The use of content analysis may be a worthwhile method for its effectiveness when examining text materials[2]. However, there are advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include; the data is fixed and allows for re-analysis and reliability checks. Disadvantages include; limited data may be difficult to assess as the participants are casual acquaintances and therefore responses may only be reflections of an individual (Robson, 2004:358). Another method is using a quantitative strategy after gathering the data, placing gathered information into charts, graphs etc to determine the percentage of same responses. This makes research data manageable and easy to read, in essence using methodological triangulation; combining qualitative and quantitative approaches[3]. I am aware of various epistemological positions that I could adopt reflecting a different approach to the research question (Cuba et al, 1994:99), however, these methods appear appropriate and suitable to the research question. Literature Review: Although the study being conducted is fairly localised, this strengthens the research for the widening debate for exploration of the significance of the study (Oliver, 2004:98); for example, investigating Government policy and its impact on practitioner’s role. The literature is relevant to the project to make it easier to read I have sub-divided it into categories: The Role of The Practitioner Curriculum / Learning and Education Theorists The Role of the Practitioner I found limited literature that dealt with the issue of the practitioner’s role in children’s education as a result I expanded my research[4]. Examining the books available (Rodd, 2000:9) suggests there is limited literature on the practical application of a practitioner’s role. This lack of information is important in relation to understanding the early childhood context and the practitioner’s role within it. The limitations in current literature need to be explored rather than omitted[5]. By this statement Rodd (2000:9) implies the role is an important one in shaping children’s learning. In agreement, Riley (2004:24) suggests, practitioner’s interaction levels are of the prime importance in children’s learning[6]. This literature signifies the importance of the practitioner’s role when involved in children’s learning. Both books detail the positive aspects of practitioner’s involvement, such as developing curricu lum practice to allow spontaneous learning and free choice. Riley (2004:24) compares her findings to another study (Tizard and Hughes, 1984 as cited in Riley, 2004:24) where supporting open-ended questions provide a framework for conversation with the child. The importance of the practitioner’s role is also emphasised in (Manning-Morton et al, 2003:155) who suggest, the practitioner has a crucial role in children’s learning[7]. This application of the practitioner is quite varied including taking on the role of psychologist, for many of the assessments made with regard to entry into the present Foundation Stage is by observation. Curriculum / Learning and Education The second category focuses on the curriculum and the part the practitioner plays in successful implementation[8] without this a stimulating environment is not fostered and therefore hinders children’s learning. In summary the literature details the responsibility the practitioner has in shaping children’s learning in meaningful contexts that are appropriate and suitable. The authors discuss the importance of multi-professional collaboration[9]. This signifies the importance of practitioner’s working together to create an environment that enriches children’s lives. With practitioner’s that are motivational in delivering an effective learning environment supporting children to reach their full potential now that will carry on through the years, or in other words to start the pathway for Lifelong Learning. The responsibility of implementing a successful learning programme depends not just on the practitioner, nurturing minds, having a positive effect[ 10]. The literature supports the practitioner’s intervention for effective learning, where situations and surrounding play an important part. The differences in our situations and surroundings that we live in are factors that influence our quality and quantity of our learning process, and this process encompasses social, moral and academic learning. (Child, 1997) This effective learning process of Lifelong Learning, was brought into the open through employment and employers throughout the last decade of the 20th Century where changes of technology and cultural issues came about in the workplace (Crompton, Gallio, Purcell, 1996). To begin with, in 1996, the European Year of Lifelong Learning, the British government published a Policy Framework for Lifetime Learning (DfEE, 1996). Enhanced by the Fryer Report (National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (NAGCELL) in 1997), and which surprisingly was omitted from the Dearing Report (NCIHE 1997) as sanctioned by the government with National Higher Education. Although well criticised, the report contained recommendations and targets for education and training that set out to motivate and enable learners to develop and benefit in society. Overall it outlined the aims to be sustainable, and to finally shape a democratic path. In parallel to all this was a negative that was highlighted by Elliott (1999) who stated that educationalists and the policy makers had on occasions ‘hijacked’ the phrase Lifelong Learning for other reasons. Reasons which came out from their own agendas, producing a system of their self-interest which resulted in being an obstacle and destructive to learning. The learning process of development has been under investigation for many years. The British Cohort Study (BCS70) as far back as 1970 confirmed that a pre-school program generally increased cognitive attainment for children of 5 years of age. Yet did not prove a great difference within disadvantaged children (Osborne Millbank, 1987). Research also found that the social adjustment and language was poor at the age of 5, and also showed that inferior reading skills were present at the age of 11. Feinstein et al (1998) showed that in education during the years of 1962-1973 the pre-school contribution made no improvement to children entering secondary school. Now some thirty years on pre-school is taken as an important part of amongst others learning the social skills to prepare for formal education. Comparing types of provision, such as Montessori and High/Scope was by way of literature and via Internet websites[11]. Analysing these became a framework for an alternative curriculum implementation, detailing the practitioner’s role and the methods used for a successful ethos. The High/Scope regime is an â€Å"active learning† educational approach[12], the child’s interests and choices are at the heart of the programme, where the central model of learning is the ‘plan, do and review’ cycle. The High/Scope educational approach for infant-toddler, preschool, elementary, and youth programs is a set of guiding principles and practices that adults follow as they work with and care for children and youth. These principles are intended as an open framework that teams of adults are free to adapt to the special needs and conditions of their group, their setting, and their community. Active learning — the belief that children learn best through active experiences with people, materials, events and ideas, rather than through direct teaching or sequenced exercises — is a central tenet of the High/Scope approach for all age levels. (High/Scope, 2005) They construct their own knowledge through interactions, planning their activities for the day in a small group with a teacher or ‘educator’. Each small group will have a ‘keyworker’ a member of staff assigned full time to them, so although they work with different adults, the children in the group have the security of a central relationship. Later in the day the whole group will review their progress, and as language is central to learning, so children describing both plans and activities to each other becomes very beneficial. So with the whole group being involved in undertaking the first steps in the learning process, out of high-quality early years environment come the development of feelings for high self-esteem, with high-aspirations and secure feelings of self-efficiency. Believing in their own capability to start solving problems, to understand new ideas, and develop new skills. The result being, that the children feel in control of their environment and grow in confidence with their abilities. This pattern continues in focused adult/child and child/child conversations, placing the responsibility very much on the individual child for their own learning, whilst the practitioner’s offer physical, emotional, and intellectual support. So taking on Vygotsky’s notion of ‘effective instruction within the zone of proximal development’ (1993, p.36). Summarising the Montessori method this includes education of the senses; the aim is two-fold, biological and social[13]. The Montessori environment is solely linked with natural objects for children to explore and investigate in their first seven years. The practitioner’s role is to support children within their access of objects and environment. The DfES Foundation Stage ethos focuses on learning through play and learning intentions to support children through stages of achievements. The practitioner’s role is to support children’s progress through each stage by implementing activities and opportunities to extend their learning through a play environment. Each curriculum requires the practitioner to be motivational, enthusiastic and knowledgeable in their field. In 1998 the introduction of a National Literacy Strategy (NLS) for school years 1-6 was undertaken, and with it came considerable pressure being placed on schools to implement this program, following which most primary schools have continued to adopt it. The National Literacy Strategy (NLS) has a central core, which is the framework for teaching that covers the statutory requirements in reading and writing within the National Curriculum. The school curriculum comprises of all learning and other experiences that each school will plan for its pupils, and the National Curriculum is an important element of that school curriculum. The NLS provides a framework of pre-specified objectives that revolve around: text, sentence and word level work which are delivered via a daily structured hour long session, which is termed ‘Literacy Hour’. Following this introduction Primary teachers are now urged to support and conform with this prescribed teaching pattern, in fact practitionerâ €™s are now being told not only what to teach, but also how to teach it. ‘Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be. It is important therefore, to recognize a broad set of common values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum and the work in schools. If schools are to respond effectively to those values and purposes, they need to work in collaboration with families and the local community, including church and voluntary groups, local agencies and business, in seeking to achieve two broad aims through the curriculum. These aims provide an essential context within which schools develop their own curriculum, and are outlined as follows: Firstly the school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve. Secondly the school curriculum should aim to promote pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.’ The National Curriculum, Key Stages 1 2. 1999 DfEE Despite all this, a report undertaken by the Association of Head Teachers [2003] claims there is a mounting concern amongst teachers about the effects of this Literacy strategy. Arguing that formal teaching as prescribed through the Literacy Hour, is developmentally inappropriate for many 6 year olds, and therefore recommends that the principles of the Foundation Stage be extended to cover all children aged 3-7 years. In enhancing this thinking, going back to 1996 where the Department for Educational Studies (DfES) funded the undertaking of Effective Provision of Pre-School Education a longitudinal study that was for children of 3 to 7 years of age. Where it majored on pre-school through into primary assessing from a cross-section of social backgrounds. This complimented another undertaking in Findings from the Early Primary Years (EPPE Summary 2004) that collected data from children, their parents, their home environment and the pre-school they attended. All of which went on to prove that cognitive and social effects were positive for the children going into primary school. It was found that parent’s education and social class remained as predictors of intellectual and social development, and that very long periods of pre-school were connected with anti-social behavioural problems entering primary school and through to the end of Key Stage 1. This fact was attributed to the presence of non-parental childcare before three years of age. The education level of the child’s mother was seen to be a factor in the child’s performance. Overall, it reported that the attainment reached in reading and math’s from an effective, high quality pre-school attendance, proved a positive impact which was not depleted by the end of Key Stage 1, and that attendance before the age of 3 was very positive towards the child’s attainment. By continual research key findings within the EPPE Summary of 2004 over the pre-school period included that disadvantaged children may benefit appreciably from good quality pre-school experience, especially when they are with a mixture of children from different backgrounds. It also went on to show that overall, disadvantaged children have a tendency to only attend pre-school for short periods of time compared to those from more advantaged groups. From this result recommendations were made: i) To develop and encourage more episodes of ‘sustained shared thinking’ with the children. Use of freely chosen play activities provides the best opportunities to extend children’s thinking. ii) Continually work towards an equal balance of child and adult initiated activity. iii) Develop staff to have both the knowledge and understanding of child development and the curriculum. By way of a pilot scheme, in 1998 parts of England by the National Literacy Strategy (NLS), which was a direct result of nationwide poverty implications in 1966, all infant and primary schools were expected to teach English within what was termed the Literacy Hour. The hour was divided into segments to allow teaching as a whole class, as groups or individuals, with the focus for each segment also prescribed in detail: children being taught reading and writing at whole text, sentence or word level. Teaching objectives had to be included in this daily Literacy Hour with the class. The format is dictated to being the same for Year 1 through to Year 6. Reaction from teachers, many unprepared to teach this due to lack of time, were concerned and uneasy over several issues, and some reported that time spent in other curriculum areas were affected. A perceived lack of flexibility about the Literacy Hour was commented on unfavourably, with fears voiced of the possible negative effect resulting from six years of children being taught in the same way (Anderson Urquhart, 2000) The feedback on this, Hourwatch, was undertaken from the autumn of 1998 through to the summer of 1999, from a cross-section in Year 1 and Year 2 at Infant School, and reception class and year 6 in Primary School. The feedback from teachers was not favourable. Planning of group activities took a considerable extra time to prepare. Overall the framework objectives for the hour resulted in a lack of coherence, making implementation time consuming, out of all proportion to its share of the curriculum, and generally uninspiring. One such response from an experienced teacher, remarked that although Learning Hour had some good points, â€Å"it was too rigid a structure, takes too much time to plan, too analytical, not matched to children’s current level of experience and skill. It gets boring following the same format day in day out, it does not provide enough opportunities for creative and extended writing, and it results in too much unfinished work† (Anderson Urquhart, 2000 ) Overall the organizational and bureaucratic demands were overwhelming the educational value. In 2000 the Government in the UK introduced a revised National Curriculum (Curriculum 2000) and the Foundation Stage that was for the 3 to 5 year olds, giving this period in the child’s education a distinct identity and attention. Curriculum 2000 emphasized inclusion, aiming to secure learners participation and ensure appropriate opportunities for them to achieve, and offered flexibility within for schools to develop their own normal curriculum. It offered a less prescriptive approach, in which flexible allocating of time for required subjects allowed them not to taught each week, term or year, therefore allowing choice of method and the maximising of teaching and learning. A study of the transition from infant to Primary in England: from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 was carried out in 2005 (Sanders et al, 2005), where it was discovered the biggest challenge to children being the move from play-based approach in the Foundation Stage to a more structured curriculum in Key Stage 1. It also noted that the Literacy Hour had proved challenging as it was difficult for young children to sit still and listen to their teacher. The ensuring of stability, has been promised and undertaken by the Government for this transition period, in understanding and support for staff training, the child’s learning and guidance for parents (DfES, 2003). Researching journals on the subject was also limited with only one journal; Early Childhood Research Quarterly. This research[14] discusses the aspect of practitioner behaviours in the environment and the practitioners’ application, detailing the importance of collaboration and an understanding of curriculum and learning. Reading the journal article shows a support for my research in as much that the role of the practitioner is vital in providing an effective learning environment for children to progress and grow. In respect to how children progress and grow, a large portion learn, construct knowledge and develop skills, in today’s world of computers and computer games. The act of play for a young child is seen as being far more important, and in the past there have been successful arguments in the fore and against the time allocated for play in the early important years of a child’s education. Parents and school administrators always demand results, and yet question the value of a child playing. Educators and child development specialists endorse play as being the best way for young children to learn the ultimate curriculum for the social, physical and cognitive advancement needed to set a solid foundation for later school and life success in our increasingly complex and technological world. The importance of play in a child’s development is shown to have various kinds of concepts (Wardle, 2000), each having their own strengths: Motor/physical play – critical for the development of physical strength, and to establish a fitness regime against heath problems through being overweight in latter years. Social play – interacting with others builds skills and underlines important social rules, including give and take, co-operation and sharing. All go towards moral reasoning and developing a mature sense of values. Constructive play – the manipulation of the environment to experiment, build and create, resulting in accomplishment that empowers them with control of their environment. Fantasy play experimentation of language and emotions in an abstract world, where young children can stretch imaginations in a risk-free environment. This area of abstract time is believed to be so important in our growing technological society. Games with rules – vitally important in a child’s development, to learn and understand that situations cannot exist without everyone adhering to the same set of rules. This concept teaches children a critically important concept, in that the game of life has rules (laws) that we all must follow to function productively (Wardle, 1987). Government policy reflects the importance of the practitioner’s role with learning and education in early years settings. The proposed Childcare Bill introduced to Parliament on 8th November 2005 supported a link between Foundation Stage (3-5 years), Every Child Matters, Birth to Three Framework and OFSTED National Childcare Standards for nurseries; combining these four documents[15]. By placing early childhood provision on a statutory footing will assure practitioners’ of the Government’s commitment to improving early years provision. The Government recognise for the youngest children the distinction between childcare and education is indistinguishable. This supports my research by the Government recognising the important role the practitioner has in the welfare of children, in education and care. In the UK this problem is being addressed by the Government taking on a ten-year strategy for childcare, published in 2004, which is now subject to Parliamentary Approval in 2006 (Education Skills, 2006). It is the Government’s response to a fundamental challenge facing Britain in the need to ensure available, affordable, and high quality childcare in the 21st Century. More women are going to work than ever before, they choose to work for increased family income that can improve lifestyle (out of poverty) and improve their children’s life chances. With the emergence of this new Childcare Bill the practitioner has to ensure their role positively shapes children’s learning in meaningful contexts. Now in 2006 discussion and assessment is well underway for the Early Years Foundation Stage that will start in 2008. In 2005, the Government announced plans to merge the Birth To Three Matters Framework and the Foundation Stage, to form a single Early Years Foundation Stage covering care, learning and development in all early years settings from birth to age five. Are the lessons that have been learnt by the government ministers over the years now going to lay correct foundations for the practitioners to deal with? As childhood is not merely a pe

Is Translations about Language or Politics? Essay -- English Literatur

Is Translations about Language or politics? Friel famously said of Translations, â€Å"it is about language and only language.† However, the political statement which Friel denies need not be active, but passive, as seeking an understanding of the situation must consider politics, however Friel actively avoids political comment perhaps due to the volatile situation in the 1980s when the play was first put on. D.H. Lawrence famously said, â€Å" Never trust the teller, trust the tale† and with that in mind, I wish to explore the reasons why audiences and readers may perceive translations as a political play. The action of the play over three acts shows the profoundly disturbing influence of the English domination over the Baile Beag community and its life. Lenin once said, â€Å"politics is who whom† considering who acts and who is acted upon. Exploring politics from this point of view, one is easily able to perceive the numerous political aspects of the play. One such clearly political aspect of the play is the colonial force arriving from England. A movement of armies from one country to another, is a clearly political act, â€Å"a gesture†, â€Å"to indicate a presence† as was Doalty’s movement of the Theodolyte. On the other hand, if the play is about language (as Friel says) then perhaps it is about language on two levels. On the one hand it considers language on an international level (for example, the Irish and English languages) whilst on the other it considers language on an interpersonal level, the way perhaps we â€Å"interpret between privacies† or our choice of individual words in our speech. There are numerous ways in which one may consider the play to be about national language. Many would consider language as ... ...haracters acting as a mouthpiece for Friel’s political points of view, and because of this, I believe Friel’s play must concern politics to some degree. In conclusion I believe Friel is telling a half-truth, when he says the play is about â€Å"language and only language.† This is true insofar as the only issue the play is directly and aggressively considering is the importance of language. However, I believe Friel knew all to well that anyone watching of reading the play would have to consider politics, at least on a social level, in order to fully understand the importance of the social and national issues in the play. Therefore, Friel’s play is neither a play solely about language (as he asserts) or solely about politics; the two are inextricably linked leaving us with a socio-political play which emphasizes the importance of language as a political tool.

A Health and Fitness Company Essay

You are a top executive in your corporation. After careful consideration, you were selected to work on a project to use MIS to change the way business is run. In a group of 5, you will be responsible for researching the practices in your industry, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the industry, and make an innovative plan to use MIS to improve on current practices. Finally, you will be required to submit a typed report and deliver an oral presentation to the board of directors following these guidelines: Your report MUST include the following side headings: 1. History and Background (provide detailed information about the industry, past and present business model/practices, the industry’s strengths and weaknesses) 2. Target Customer (identify the target customer in terms of age, gender, income, location, needs†¦etc. Have your customers’ needs changed over the years? Are all their needs fulfilled? Is there a gap between customers’ needs and market offerings?) 3. Competition (who is your competition? What are your plans to ensure that you are steps ahead of your competition and how will you respond to changes in the competitive environment?) 4. Survey and Results (you are required to design a survey to help you with your project. Be sure to include a copy of your survey questions, sample size, summary of results, and recommendations) 5. Proposed Use of MIS (explain how MIS will benefit your industry/corporation. Provide details of the benefits and challenges of using MIS in your industry/corporation) 6. Implications (what are the implications of the suggested use of MIS on the industry?) 7. Financial Benefits (what are the costs and financial benefits of using your proposed plan? Explain the impact on revenue, fixed costs, variable costs, initial investment, training, implementation, customer acquisition, customer retention, and customer satisfaction) 8. The Future (what changes do you foresee in the future of your industry/corporation? How will you respond to changes in technology, processes, competitive environment, customers’ taste/needs, economic environment†¦etc.?) The purpose of your research is to a) provide you with an opportunity to learn more about a specific industry and the current processes used b) Identify opportunities to use MIS to change how business is run and improve on current business practices. All group members must participate in the preparation of the written report and delivery of the oral presentation. Do not read directly from your report (you may use index cards to remind yourself of important points), face the audience when presenting. Allow time for questions from the audience and be prepared to answer them. Audience members must be prepared to ask questions also. Your report must be TYPED, double-spaced, use Times New Roman size 12 font for body of report. Include a cover page (with all group members’ names, title (Industry/corporation), date, presented to: Prof. Eshra) and a correctly formatted references page (APA) for all sources used (minimum of 5 different sources). Prepare a minimum of 10 PowerPoint slides to use when presenting your report. Before your due date, you are required to submit a printed copy as well as an electronic copy of: 1. Your report (10 pages minimum excluding cover page/table of contents/references) April 6, 2013 2. PowerPoint presentation (minimum 10 slides)-Submit on the day you present Be as creative as you can to capture the attention of your audience (use of multimedia, original digital pictures, short videos is encouraged).

Countable and Uncountable Nouns - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Countable and Uncountable Nouns Countable and Uncountable Nouns You might not have heard of countable and uncountable nouns before. However, it is useful to know the difference, as they work slightly differently with certain words. In this post, we explain how to use them correctly. Countable Nouns Quite simply, countable nouns are things that can be easily separated or counted. For example, we can refer to three apples, five people, or six guitars. These are also referred to as count nouns. When a noun can be counted, we can use words like number (e.g., a large number of eggs) and fewer (e.g., I have fewer eggs than you) with it. We can also say an egg or some eggs, depending on the number described. Uncountable Nouns Certain things, such as butter or water, cannot be counted as they are typically an undifferentiated mass. Other examples include sand, milk, and coffee. Many abstract concepts are uncountable nouns, too, including music, love, happiness and sadness. Uncountable nouns are also known as mass nouns. As with countable nouns, we have specific words we use with uncountable nouns. For example, amount (e.g., a large amount of sand) instead of number and less (e.g., there is less sand here than I thought) instead of fewer. We can also say some butter, refer to a certain weight, such as 100g of butter, or say the butter, but we never say a butter. Countable or Uncountable If in doubt about a particular word, ask whether it easily be counted or separated into distinct units. If it can be, it is probably a countable noun. Professional Proofreading To get your paper professionally proofread, upload it today at Proofed!

Lord of the Flies compared to Famous Philosophers essays

Lord of the Flies compared to Famous Philosophers essays Lord of the Flies compared to Famous Philosophers A plane full of military boys crashes into the ocean. The boys struggle for safety and are soon stranded on a deserted island. They elect a leader and all is well until controversy arises. The group splits and two types of governments are formed. Many things about Lord of the Flies can be compared to several different philosophers throughout history. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher born in 384 BC, believed that slavery is a piece of life property and it is a natural institution. In Lord of the Flies, Jack treated the people on his side like they were slaves. Jack even whipped one little boy for doing something wrong. Ralph said to the twins, who had joined Jacks side, Youve got to stand up to him, or youll just be another one of his slaves. Nicolo Machiavelli, a 15th century Italian philosopher, focused on a monarch government and believed in a dictatorship. When Jack separated from Ralph, he went on to create a dictatorship. He was the leader and people had to follow him. Before too long, he didnt hardly have to do any work, because of all the people that he had corrupted into doing all the work for him. Thomas Hobbs was a 16th century man from England. In his book, Leviathan, he wrote that man is selfish and will battle for power. In one scene Jack had the twins say, The chief has spoken to convey that he has the pow er and he is the boss. John Locke, a 17th century British Philosopher, believed in protecting the rights of people, just like Ralph wanted to do with Piggys glasses and the safety knife that were both eventually taken. Also, he felt that everyone had the right to speak their mind. Ralph and the other boys came from a military school, where they probably couldnt speak there mind like they would have liked, so giving the boys the right to speak whenever they held the conch shell, gav...

Modern fiction for children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Modern fiction for children - Essay Example The author gives the text to the publisher who, in turn, oversees its production and its shipment to the sellers. When the bookseller makes the book available to the public, this completes the life cycle or circuit since the reader can influence the author before and after the composition. This cycle, in the case of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is complicated because before the publisher, the literary agent affects the narrative produced. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’s two English language publishers in the UK and the US took the book’s text and made very different books, although the story remained as it was (Whited, 2009). The text’s presentation, therefore, is able to alter the public’s perception of her narrative, although this may be very subtle. This essay seeks to discuss the way in which the book’s production, enhanced its contents and led to the universal success of Harry Potter and the Philosopherâ₠¬â„¢s Stone. In the creation of all books, the beginning is the transformation of the book’s manuscript into a product that can be marketed. While J.K. Rowling claimed that the book was written for her consumption and not for children, she did eventually decide to have it published and sent her work to her agents (Whited, 2009). The agency she used was renowned for choosing writers with good commercial value, such as writers like Anna Pasternak, Alistair MacLean, and A.J. Quenelle. The agent, Christopher Little, did not normally deal with children’s books as he did not believe in their commercial value. However, his contract with J.K. Rowling is probably his most profitable and accumulated at least 15% of gross earnings for the British home market and 20% in the US, film, and translational deals (Whited, 2009). What the emphasis of Little’s agency on profitable business practice indicates is how the agent influences the manuscripts. Two of his assistants thought that the presented chapters were unusual to a sufficient degree to warrant his interest. However, they insisted that there should be two changes in enhancement of the narrative. One of them was that Neville Longbottom’s character needed extra development and that Quidditch, the wizard sport, needed to play a bigger role since it could appeal more to boys as a game with the rules included in the book (Rana, 2009). This alteration was significant as it indicates the manner in which the book’s agency saw the narrative. In the majority of novels aimed at schoolchildren, sport plays a major part, and the focus of the sport and its necessity, for detail, suggests that the agency saw the book as a sure bet for the school-story model (Rana, 2009). There were also doubts as to how popular the book would be; whether it would generate high sales. This was not because of the book’s contents, but because while girls were accustomed to reading books authored by men, boys wer e less likely to read books written by a woman (Mullen, 2010). As girls are avid readers compared to boys, there was a need to increase the popularity of the book for boys. This led to Rowling agreeing to publish Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and her other subsequent books as J.K. Rowling, rather than Joanne Rowling. These alterations show the agent’s concern for popularity among a diverse audience. This also indicates how the original text had to be altered with the aim of increasing its

Human Biology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Biology - Coursework Example These two are components of the autonomic nervous system. These two systems work in a reverse manner to the body so as to enhance its adaptability to the environment (Mader, 2006). In this regard, the parasympathetic nervous system assists in the conservation of the body’s physical resources and the maintenance of normal body functions. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the regulation of ‘flight or fight’ responses such as increasing the heart rate and enabling an individual to escape a potential dangerous situation. The motor neuron performs the role of impulse transmissions from the Central Nervous System to other glands and muscles spread within the body (Mader, 2006).. It is composed of dendrites, cell body, myelin sheath, node of ranvier, and synaptic knobs. The dendrites facilitate the transportation of nerve impulses from neighbouring neurons into the cell body. The myelin sheath assists in the nerve fiber protection, insulation as well as a faster transmission rate of the nerve impulses. The nodes of Ranvier assist in nutrient uptake and expulsion of waste products. It is composed of a cell body and synaptic knobs. It is responsible of the transmission of electrical impulses created by stimuli reaction from other nerves. In this regard, it assists the brain in the processing of information. Nerve impulse initiation from one end to the other along a neuron is made possible due to the electrical differences across the neuron’s membrane (Mader, 2006). In this regard, an un-stimulated neuron is normally polarized. In this regard, there is an electrical charge difference between the inner parts and outer region of the membrane. The polarization of the membrane is achieved by the maintenance of surplus potassium ions on the inner region and surplus sodium ions on the exterior region of the membrane (Mader, 2006). Leakage channels allow the leaking of specific amounts of potassium and sodium ions across the membrane. At