Video Game Violence and Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Video Game Violence and Children - Essay Example This paper stresses that  as children grow up, they look to the authoritative role models in their life to determine what behavior is or is not appropriate. Their young minds are impressionable and they constantly absorb new knowledge from their surroundings. When children are subjected to certain actions or behaviors, and if they are not properly coached in the differences between right and wrong, they are likely to repeat the actions or behaviors. The more that they witness certain behaviors, the increased chances they have at mimicking them. Impressionability is similar to the teaching methods found in classrooms in the sense that teachers display concepts that children repeat until they can do them on their own; however, unlike classroom learning, impressionability involves children adapting behaviors of their own accord without being prompted by someone else.  As the discussion declares  the more time that children spend playing violent video games, the more they become fa miliar with the concepts being depicted. Furthermore, there are video games that allow the player to play as a first person and they can experience the game as if they were in it, committing the violent actions themselves instead of witnessing them as a bystander. Adults and teachers feel that these games are â€Å"training programs for children to commit crimes

National Economy over the Next Decade Essay Example for Free

National Economy over the Next Decade Essay Beyond 2007, the pace of economic growth will probably slow somewhat. The main reason is that the labor force is projected to grow less quickly as members of the baby-boom generation begin to retire and as the scheduled expiration of various tax provisions in 2011 discourages work by raising marginal tax rates. Real GDP is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3. 1 percent between 2008 and 2011 and at 2. 6 percent between 2012 and 2016. The rate of inflation is assumed to average 2. 2 percent after 2007; and the unemployment rate, 5. 2 percent. Interest rates on three-month and 10-year Treasury securities are projected to average 4. 4 percent and 5. 2 percent, respectively (Marron 6). Over the longer term, the aging of the U. S. population combined with rapidly rising health care costs will put significant strains on the federal budget, which begin to be evident within the projection period. When the first members of the baby-boom generation reach age 62 in 2008, they will become eligible for Social Security benefits. As a result, the annual rate of growth of Social Security spending is expected to increase from about 4. 8 percent in 2008 to 6. 5 percent in 2016. In addition, because the cost of health care is likely to continue rising rapidly, the annual rate of growth of Medicare spending is projected to increase from 7. 4 percent in 2008 to about 8. 9 percent in 2016. (Medicare spending is anticipated to rise by 17 percent this year and 14 percent in 2007 as the new prescription drug program gets under way. ) Rapid growth is also projected for Medicaid spending—an average of 8. 3 percent annually from 2008 to 2016. According to Congressional Budget Office, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid together will account for 56 percent of all federal spending by the end of the projection period (up from 43 percent in 2006). Measured as a share of the economy, spending for the three programs will equal 10. 8 percent of GDP in 2016, up from 8. 7 percent this year. In addition, no evidence suggests that the growth of health care costs, which have risen faster than GDP over the past four decades, is likely to slow significantly in the future. As a result, spending for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will exert pressures on the budget that economic growth alone is unlikely to alleviate. A substantial reduction in the growth of spending and perhaps a sizable increase in taxes as a share of the economy will be necessary for fiscal stability to be at all likely in the coming decades. References: Baker, Gerard. U. S. economy may be headed for a big crash. The Times of London. August 23, 2006. 23 Aug 2006. http://thechronicleherald. ca/Business/522414. html Barrell, Ray et al. World Economy Forecast. National Institute Economic Review. 28th July, 2006. No. 197. Baumohl, Bernard. Mid-Year U. S. Economic Forecasts For 2006 and 2007. Wharton School Publishing. June 15, 2006. 23 Aug 2006. http://www. whartonsp. com/articles/article. asp? p=420081rl=1

Free Definition Essay - The Meaning of Courage :: Expository Definition Essays

The Meaning of Courage In life there are many terms that are relative to individual cultures. That means that the definition is different depending on the culture's location and its persons believe. The definition for one such term, courage, as defined by both Daniel Webster and Funk & Wagnalls is "That quality of mind or spirit enabling one to meet danger or difficulties/ opposition with firmness/fearlessness." The words that make courage a relative term are danger and opposition. The definitions of those words are what determine if a person or an act is considered to be foolhardy, courageous, or cowardice. Those labels change from society to society because people possess varying ideas as to what is danger and opposition means. For example, there are many types of people who encounter danger regularly like police, firefighters, cultural tribes, religious groups, teachers, advocates, doctors and nurses, criminals, and everyday people. Contrasting the difference in the type of danger encountered by each group shows what makes courage different. The difference between the danger for the police and the danger for the criminals is that one is done without a valid reason. The danger for the criminals is created by themselves and therefore even though they encounter danger it is not courageous. It on the other hand is either foolhardy or cowardice. Actions like killing sprees or random slashing are considered foolhardy because the persons responsible are taking unnecessary risk. These actions can also be considered to be cowardice because the people responsible are generally either unwilling to face the consequences for their actions or unwilling to face the underlying reasons for their bursts of violence. In my mind and most other westernized cultured people minds, I am correct because criminal acts are not generally accepted nor rewarded in our society. However, in the eyes of a criminal his/her acts are courageous and are accepted and rewarded with some exceptions such as rape. When we look at actions of some cultural tribes we generally judge their actions towards certain opposition as foolhardy. Actions like hunting styles or tribal initiations are judged to foolhardy because they are things that we as western civilized people do not do. We judge others ways of doing things and we completely ignore the fact that they are customs that have existed for many years and they are necessary for each cultures' survival. Free Definition Essay - The Meaning of Courage :: Expository Definition Essays The Meaning of Courage In life there are many terms that are relative to individual cultures. That means that the definition is different depending on the culture's location and its persons believe. The definition for one such term, courage, as defined by both Daniel Webster and Funk & Wagnalls is "That quality of mind or spirit enabling one to meet danger or difficulties/ opposition with firmness/fearlessness." The words that make courage a relative term are danger and opposition. The definitions of those words are what determine if a person or an act is considered to be foolhardy, courageous, or cowardice. Those labels change from society to society because people possess varying ideas as to what is danger and opposition means. For example, there are many types of people who encounter danger regularly like police, firefighters, cultural tribes, religious groups, teachers, advocates, doctors and nurses, criminals, and everyday people. Contrasting the difference in the type of danger encountered by each group shows what makes courage different. The difference between the danger for the police and the danger for the criminals is that one is done without a valid reason. The danger for the criminals is created by themselves and therefore even though they encounter danger it is not courageous. It on the other hand is either foolhardy or cowardice. Actions like killing sprees or random slashing are considered foolhardy because the persons responsible are taking unnecessary risk. These actions can also be considered to be cowardice because the people responsible are generally either unwilling to face the consequences for their actions or unwilling to face the underlying reasons for their bursts of violence. In my mind and most other westernized cultured people minds, I am correct because criminal acts are not generally accepted nor rewarded in our society. However, in the eyes of a criminal his/her acts are courageous and are accepted and rewarded with some exceptions such as rape. When we look at actions of some cultural tribes we generally judge their actions towards certain opposition as foolhardy. Actions like hunting styles or tribal initiations are judged to foolhardy because they are things that we as western civilized people do not do. We judge others ways of doing things and we completely ignore the fact that they are customs that have existed for many years and they are necessary for each cultures' survival.

Important Blacks in the 1980s :: essays research papers

Ronald Ervin McNair, was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina to Carl and Pearl McNair. He attended North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, where, in 1971, he graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in physics. In 1976 he earned his Ph.D. degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. McNair's many distinctions include: Presidential Scholar (1967-71), Ford Foundation Fellow (1971-74), and National Fellowship Fund Fellow (1974-75). He was also named Omega Psi Phi Scholar of theYear (1975), was honored as the Distinguished National Scientist by the National Society of Black Professional Engineers (1979), and received the Friend Of Freedom Award (1981). Ronald E. McNair was nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics. In 1978, he was one of 35 applicants selected from a pool of ten thousand for NASA's space shuttle program and assigned as a mission specialist aboard the 1984 flight of the shuttle Challenger. On his first space shuttle mission in February 1984, McNair orbited the earth 122 times aboard Challenger. He was the second African American to fly in space. In addition to his academic achievements, he received three honorary doctorates and numerous fellowships and commendations. He was also a sixth degree black belt in karate and an accomplished jazz saxophonist. He was married to Cheryl Moore and had two children, Reginald Ervin and Joy Cheray. On the morning of January 28, 1986, McNair and his six crew members died in an explosion aboard the space shuttle Challenger. JESSE LOUIS JACKSON (b. Oct. 8, 1941, Greenville, S.C., U.S.), American civil-rights leader, Baptist minister, and politician, the first black man to make a serious bid for the U.S. presidency (in the Democratic Party's nomination races in 1983-84 and 1987-88). Born into a poor family, Jackson attended the University of Illinois (1959-60) on a scholarship and then transferred to the predominantly black Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina (Greensboro), receiving a B.A. in sociology (1964). He moved to Chicago in 1966, did postgraduate work at the Chicago Theological Seminary, and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1968. While an undergraduate, Jackson became involved in the black Civil Rights Movement. In 1965 he went to Selma, Alabama, to march with Martin Luther King, Jr., and became a worker in King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1966 he helped found the Chicago branch of Operation Breadbasket, the economic arm of the SCLC, and served as the organization's national director from 1967 to 1971.

Plan of action for Eliazar Gomez Essay

Research has shown that shaking babies is the leading cause of infant mortality. In the United States, up to 1,400 children receive medical treatment after being shaken. Twenty-five percent of these die, while a majority of survivors have to cope with a lifelong vision problems and brain injury (First Statewide, undated). Debby Golonka, MPH, writing for BCB Health Guide, in its Web site, expounds that the long-term complications of the shaken baby syndrome may include seizures (uncontrolled muscle movements and unable to speak, see and interact normally), muscle spasticity that results in awkward movements, mental retardation, blindness or vision problems, delays in physical or emotional growth, learning and behavior problems at school. Vincent Palusci, MD adds that damage to an infant’s immature brain, with little stored information and developed capacities, will impair the brain’s adaptive abilities. Dr. Palusci cites an example that a child with severe vision-related problems will not learn by observing. Dr. Palusci also says that the development of language, motor coordination and balance will be adversely affected, requiring physical and occupational therapy, using a sensory-rich environment, in order to assist the child acquire the skills. Dr. Palusci also underlines the importance of building the child’s ability to be attentive. Dr. Palusci writes that therapists often work on one child to help him focus and further his attention span. Dr.Palusci also says that older kids with SBS may require special education and continued therapy. Plan of Action for Eliazar Gomez From his medical records, it seems that Eliazar may have shaken baby syndrome. It’s utterly important to ascertain for sure if he is mentally retarded. It is highly probable that Eliazar has problems with his social skills with fellow students and teachers, and communication skills (â€Å"just looking at you† might indicate that he didn’t understand what was being said). His being a busybody might indicate his short attention span. All of which are signs of mental retardation (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2004). If Eliazar is determined to be mentally-retarded, he will need individualized help. One would need to work with Eliazar’s parents to come up with an individualized education program for him. Further, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities writes in its fact sheet that teachers will do well to learn more about mental retardation, and the techniques and strategies one can employ to help mentally-retarded students. One also needs to get more involved by emphasizing the student’s strengths and interest, being aware of his educational goals. On the instruction side, the fact sheet suggests being as concrete as possible, giving less verbal instructions and doing more demonstrations (show a picture, or other visual aids). Longer tasks also need to be broken down into smaller steps. (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2004). References 2004. Mental Retardation Fact Sheet. National Dissemination Center for Children withDisabilities. Retreived on 28 March 2008. First statewide shaken baby prevention research project in US. EmaxHealth. Com Retrieved on 28 March 2008. Golonka, Debby. 2007. Shaken Baby Syndrome. BCB Health Guide. Retrieved on 28 March 2008. Palusci, Vincent J. 2004. Shaken Baby / Shaken Impact Syndrome. .

Biography of Inventor Jacob Perkins

Biography of Inventor Jacob Perkins Jacob Perkins  was an American  inventor,  mechanical engineer, and  physicist. He was responsible for a variety of important inventions, and made significant developments in the field of anti-forgery currency. Jacob Perkins Early Years Perkins was born in Newburyport, Mass., on July 9, 1766, and died in London on July 30, 1849. He had a goldsmith  apprenticeship during his early years and soon made himself known with a variety of useful mechanical inventions. He  eventually had 21 American and 19 English  patents. He is known as the father of the refrigerator. Perkins  was elected a Fellow of the  American Academy of Arts and Sciences  in 1813.   Perkins Inventions In 1790, when Perkins was just 24, he developed machines for cutting and heading nails. Five years later, he earned a patent for his improved nail machines and started a nail manufacturing business in  Amesbury, Massachusetts. Perkins invented the bathometer (measures the depth of water)  and  the  pleometer  (measures the speed at which a vessel moves through the water). He also invented an early version of the refrigerator  (really an  ether  ice machine). Perkins  improved steam engines (radiator for use with hot water central heating - 1830) and made improvements to guns. Perkins also invented  a method of plating shoe-buckles. Perkins Engraving Technology Some of Perkins greatest developments involved engraving.  He started a printing business with an engraver named Gideon Fairman. They first engraved school books, and also made currency that was not being forged. In 1809, Perkins bought the stereotype technology (prevention of counterfeit bills) from Asa Spencer, and registered the patent, and then employed Spencer. Perkins made several important innovations in printing technology, including new steel engraving plates. Using these plates he made the first known steel engraved USA books. He then made currency for a Boston Bank, and later for the National Bank. In 1816 he set up a printing shop and bid on the printing of currency for the  Second National Bank  in Philadelphia. Perkins Work with Anti-ForgeryBank Currency His top-notch American bank currency received  attention from the  Royal Society  who were busy addressing the massive problem of forged  English bank notes. In 1819, Perkins and Fairman went to England to try to win the  £20,000 reward for notes that could not be forged. They pair showed sample notes to the  Royal Society  president Sir  Joseph Banks. They set up shop in England, and spent months on example currency, still on display today. Unfortunately for them, Banks thought that unforgeable also implied that the inventor should be English by birth. Printing English notes ultimately proved a success and was carried out by Perkins in partnership with the English engraver-publisher Charles Heath and his associate Fairman. Together they formed the partnership  Perkins, Fairman and Heath which was later renamed when his son-in-law, Joshua Butters Bacon, bought out Charles Heath and the company was then known as  Perkins, Bacon.  Perkins Bacon  provided banknotes for many banks and foreign countries with  postage stamps.  Stamp production started for the British government in 1840 with stamps that incorporated an anti-forgery measure. Perkins Other Projects Also concurrently, Jacobs brother ran the American printing business, and they made money on important fire safety patents. Charles Heath and Perkins worked together and independently on some concurrent projects.

The Great Gatsby First Person Essay essays

The Great Gatsby First Person Essay essays What an exciting time I had when Tom took Myrtle, one of his many lovers, and me to a party. Tom, being a wealthy man, could afford a whole other home for his affairs and so he took us to his Morningside Heights Apartment where his affair with Myrtle took place. Of course we all drank and I must admit that I had not been so intoxicated but for one other time in my life. As I was able to keep myself in check, the alcohol did not have such a loose affect on Myrtle. Shortly after Tom presented her with a new puppy, she started talking about Daisy. He warned her not to talk about his wife but she found pleasure in his arousal and started chanting Daisys name at which point Tom thrust his fist into her face, breaking her nose, and along with it the party. I was a bit, woozy, to put it at least, from the alcohol and ended up leaving with Mr. McKee by way of the 4 a.m. train to Long Island. I do find myself quite the lucky one. Gatsby is known for his lavish parties and I was lucky enough to be invited to one. Alcohol and food was in abundance and everyone enjoyed themselves even though they didnt know a great deal about the host. At midnight I sat outside with Jordan and realized that the man at my table had served with me in the same division during the war. I was fascinated when he introduced himself as no other than Jay Gatsby. I enjoyed the company of Jay Gatsby during a trip we took into New York together. He told me of his past and his accomplishments. Although many of them seem untrue, he had evidence that they were indeed fact. For example, he showed me a medal from World War I and a picture of him playing cricket at Oxford. I was impressed when we were pulled over for speeding and Gatsby produced a white card which prompted the officer to apologize for bothering us and let us on our way. I saw Jordan Later and she informed me of how Gatsby knew Daisy and had a love for her. Jay wanted me to set up a reunion fo...

A Brief Timeline of Events in America - 1651 - 1675

A Brief Timeline of Events in America - 1651 - 1675 The American Revolution would not commence until 1765, when the Stamp Act Congress, representing the thirteen colonies, disputed the right of the British parliament to tax the colonists without providing them with representation in the House of Commons. The American Revolutionary War would not begin until 1775. During the period from 1651 to 1675, however, attempts by the British government to control commerce in the American colonies gradually created an atmosphere in which rebellion was almost inevitable. 1651 England passes the Navigation Act that forbid goods to be imported from the colonies to England in non-English ships or from locations other than where they were produced. This action causes supply shortages hurting colonies and eventually leads to the Anglo-Dutch War which lasts from 1652-1654. 1652 New Amsterdam is given permission to form its own city government.Rhode Island passes the first law in America which prohibits slavery.Maine is included within the boundaries of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.The Anglo-Dutch War begins in July.In defiance of England, Massachusetts Bay declares itself independent. 1653 Massachusetts Bay does not support the New England Confederation in declaring war against the Dutch colonists.   1654 The first Jewish immigrants arrive in America when they settle in New Amsterdam.The new governor of Maryland, William Fuller, does away with the Toleration Act which gave Catholics the right to practice their religion and removes Lord Baltimore from authority. 1655 A civil war between Catholic and Puritan factions after the revocation of the Toleration Act in 1654 results in a Puritan victory.The Dutch, after years of conflict with New Sweden, are able to defeat the Swedes and end royal rule by Sweden in America. 1656 Lord Baltimore is returned to power in Maryland and Josias Fendell is named its governor.Quakers who arrive in Massachusetts Bay are treated horribly and banished which is supported by the New England federation. Later in the year, Connecticut and Massachusetts pass laws to allow for the banishment of Quakers. 1657 Quakers who arrive in New Amsterdam are punished and then banished to Rhode Island by Governor Peter Stuyvesant. 1658 Massachusetts colony passes laws that do not allow for religious freedom of Quakers including the holding of their meetings. 1659 Two Quakers are punished by hanging when they return to Massachusetts Bay after being banished. 1660 Lord Baltimore is removed from power by the Maryland assembly.The Navigation Act of 1660 is passed requiring only English ships with a three-quarters English crew be allowed to be used for trade. Certain goods including sugar and tobacco could only be shipped to England or English colonies. 1661 The English crown, in protest to the rules against Quakers, orders them released and returned to England. They are later forced to stop the harsh penalties against Quakers.The first bible to be printed in America was published in the Algonquin language. 1662 Connecticut is given a royal charter.The Massachusetts Bay Colonys charter was accepted by England as long as they extended the vote to all landowners and allows for freedom of worship for Anglicans. 1663 The Carolina colony is created by King Charles II and has numerous proprietors.Rhode Island is given a royal charter.All imports to the American colonies are required to come from England on English vessels with the second Navigation Act. 1664 The Hudson River valley Indians surrender part of their territory to the Dutch.The Duke of York is given a charter to control lands that include the Dutch area of New Netherland. By the end of the year a naval blockade by the English of the area causes Governor Peter Stuyvesant to surrender New Netherland to the English. New Amsterdam is renamed New York.The Duke of York grants land called New Jersey to Sir George Carteret and John, Lord Berkeley.Maryland and later New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia pass laws that do not allow for the freeing of black slaves. 1665 New Haven is annexed by Connecticut.The Kings Commissioners arrive in New England to oversee what is occurring in the colonies. They demand that colonies must comply by swearing allegiance to the King and allowing for the freedom of religion. Plymouth, Connecticut, and Rhode Island comply. Massachusetts does not comply and when representatives are called to London to answer to the King, they refuse to go.The territory of Carolina is extended to include Florida.   1666 Maryland prohibits the growing of tobacco for a year due to a glut of tobacco on the market. 1667 The Peace of Breda officially ends the Anglo-Dutch War and gives England formal control over New Netherland. 1668 Massachusetts annexes Maine. 1669 The Fundamental Constitutions are issued in Carolina which provides for religious tolerance. 1670 Charles Town (present-day Charleston) is established by Joseph West.The Treaty of Madrid is completed between England and Spain. Both parties agree that they will respect each others rights in America.The Virginia Assembly only allows landowners the right to vote. 1671 Plymouth forces King Philip (Metacomet), chief of the Wampanoag Indians, to surrender his weapons.French explorers claim the interior of North America for King Louis XIV. 1672 First copyright law is passed in the colonies by Massachusetts.The Royal Africa Company is given a monopoly for the English slave trade. 1673 Virginia is granted by the English crown to Lord Arlington and Lord Culpepper.French explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet travel down the Mississippi River exploring down to the Arkansas River.The Dutch launch a naval attack against Manhattan to try and win back New Netherland during the third Anglo-Dutch War. Manhattan is surrendered. They capture other towns and rename New York to New Orange. 1674 The Treaty of Westminster ends the third Anglo-Dutch War with the American Dutch colonies reverting back to England.Father Jacques Marquette establishes a mission at present-day Chicago. 1675 Quaker William Penn is granted rights to portions of New Jersey.King Philips War begins with retaliations for the execution of three Wampanoag Indians. Boston and Plymouth unite to fight against the Indians. Nipmuck Indians unite with the Wampanoags to attack settlements in Massachusetts. The New England Confederation then reacts by officially declaring war on King Philip and raising an army. The Wampanoags are able to defeat settlers near Deerfield on September 18th and Deerfield is abandoned. Source: Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M., ed. The Almanac of American History. Barnes Nobles Books: Greenwich, CT, 1993.

US Intelligence Failure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

US Intelligence Failure - Research Paper Example ver did not carry out any immediate action such as keeping the terrorist by the name Khalid al-Mihdhar from entering the US even though they even had his passport number. They took that action too when he was already in the country and even registered as well as taking flying lessons (Zegart 96). There were several reasons that cause this failure in intelligence as will be discussed below in detail. The CIA is a very bureaucratic agency and had been so since the era of the cold war. The policies that had been formulated then were never changed even after the cold war was over. This therefore meant that they had no policies and directives of how to handle the terrorism situation if it arose or what mandate they had in the whole issue. Even though Clinton had formed an Al Qaida taskforce, it only handled issues to do with Osama bin Laden and it was still not an active group and would not have known how to handle the terrorist intelligence information about the 9/11 attacks. The bureaucracy in the federal government also led to delay in intelligence decisions and legislations and hence the reason there was delay in taking action in regards to the Khalid situation. Other than bureaucracy, the budgetary allocation for the CIA was limited hence leading to a flat budget. They could not therefore afford to start investigations on the terrorism planning meeting or even follow up on the situation in Afghanistan because they had limited agents in the field. The airport surveillance would also require a lot of money and manpower resources which they had a shortage of considering the number of work they had to tackle in the whole nation. Majority of the funds was dedicated to the defense and the wars ongoing in other parts of the Middle East and hence little remaining for intelligence purposes. The CIA and other intelligence organizations had their own fair share of other internal intelligence issues to deal with that demanded immediate attention. Since they had not

A Raisin in the Sun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

A Raisin in the Sun - Essay Example Another aspect that sets the book apart is the use of gender, class and race to describe the main theme. This book is a stark example of how an ordinary black family living in that period in America is restricted from accomplishing their dreams and goals. Therefore, through this aspect, Hansberry has tried to explain how the question of race and class takes over and leads to influencing people in reality even though most people try to do away with such concepts and live for the better tomorrow of humanity. During the course of the play, one of the characters, Asagai says to another character, Benethea, â€Å"You came up to me and you said†¦ "Mr. Asagai – I want very much to talk with you. About Africa. You see, Mr. Asagai, I am looking for my  identity!† (1.2.98) Through these lines it is evident that each and every person finds it very important to explore where it is that he came from. Every person is interested in knowing where his roots lie and how he fits in to the world. Much the same way, Asagai mocks in a playful manner saying these lines as he would like to understand more about the African culture from where he descends. This play thus is a platform for raising issues pertaining to justice in terms of gender, class and race and the role that different people played in the formation and making up of society. Each and every character within this play and the Youngers family, feels a sense of loss when he is on his own, because on his own, he is made to face the cultural impediments and impact of being subject to ridicule just for being a part of a different race. The mother of the family says, â€Å"Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could.† This dialogue is a perfect example of the kind of discrimination that was faced by each one of them and how the older family members knew about the raging levels of the same and were used to it. With ti me, the family had learned to pay less attention to these surroundings that they existed in because they knew that there was very little done that could be reformed. Such established racist laws that demarcated even housing and shelter for black people and white people, made it even more difficult for African –Americans to leave the slum areas and even think of leading a better life. This play depicts the kind of disdain that people belonging to African American families, were living in during the times of the war. Women were not given equal status, they were subject to living within the households as housewives, take care of the household and the many babies that they were forced to raise and nurture. Careers were very bleak, even for the men belonging to such a descent, and they could not get any jobs except for ordinary chores or running mundane minimum wage errands. Poverty was stark within such households, in addition to such people being looked down upon. Such was the t rauma and turmoil that people belonging to black families were forced to live within and adapt to. Fighting for equality for such families, as depicted through the play, had become a matter of reasoning that the other, white and powerful people were not even interested in listening to. In Act I, Scene II, the kind of life that the different members of the family were living, has been shown very well. Each member was

Kalaipahoa, Poison God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kalaipahoa, Poison God - Essay Example The tree from which the woodcarving came was called the Kalaipahoa tree and perhaps this is where the name of the Hawaiian god Kalaipahoa originated. Certainly, Kalaipahoa, Poison God is a work of art at least going by the principles and elements of art. Perhaps it is appropriate to start by mention the fact that the Hawaiians produced this piece of art in order to construct their identity when it came to worship and other religious issues. This meant that the people of Hawaii in used to worship their god in a unique way that no other ethnic group did. This was particularly so in the sense that the Hawaiians had a sense of identity in their god of poison while other tribes worshipped their gods in the mountains and the oceans. Additionally, the Hawaiians constructed their god with human hair thus they strategically essentialized themselves to survive their cultural identity and draw more powerful supernatural support since its style, iconography, and underline message conveyed such. When it comes to the background of the work, the Hawaiian woodcarvers constructed the pieces of art for religious purposes and they made sure that Kalaipahoa was carved out of the Kalaipahoa tree that was considered very poisonous to humans. Mainly, the tree was collected from Molokai Island before being transported to the woodcarvers. Essentially, the people of Hawaii were well versed with all kinds of poisonous trees and they put this knowledge into good use by utilizing it in wars and in worship. Although the Kalaipahoa tree was very famous for its medicinal value, its poisonous nature proved to be unbearable at times and could kill humans within seconds of inhalation or contact. Finally but equally important, it is worthy to note that Kameharnehas poison-god, who was also called Kalai-pahoa, was a female carved out of wood with human hair. Her facial expression depicted anguish with one eye shut whiles the other one wide open. She seemed to be looking at the

Formosa Plastic Cops. USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Formosa Plastic Cops. USA - Term Paper Example ed nearly the whole of the reactor facility and the adjacent warehouse igniting Vinyl chloride resins stored in a warehouse with smoke drifting over the local community who were then evacuated and the facility remains shut down. The initial fire was caused and fuelled by Vinyl chloride monomer, raw material for Vinyl chloride manufacture, which is highly flammable and a known carcinogen. The explosion occurred when the bottom valve of an operating reactor was opened spilling its highly flammable contents. The next section discusses the specific sections of 29 CFR 1910.146 that Formosa Plastics Corporation neglected. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Formosa Plastics Corporation did not comply with the Permit Required Confined Spaces 29CFR 1910.146. The sections of Permit Required Confined Spaces that were neglected are Training and Rescue and Emergency operations. Under the section of Training, Permit Required Confined Spaces requires that an employer provides training for the employees to understand, and acquire knowledge and skills vital for the safe performance and execution of duties within the confined space. It also requires training to be provided to the employee before being assigned duties, when duties are changed, when permit space operations are changed that are hazardous for which the employee has not been trained on, and if the employee feels that the permit space entry procedures have been deviated from or the employee has little knowledge of the procedures. The training is designed to establish employee proficiency in execution of the duties and new or revised procedures. After all the training has been done, certification should be made available with the name of the employee, trainers signature and the respective training dates. Formosa Plastics Corporation also neglected the Rescue and Emergency services regulations for confined space. The rescue and emergency operations require that the employer provides and trains

Alfuttaim motors Toyota Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Alfuttaim motors Toyota - Essay Example This has made it to enhance the robust development of the automotive industry of the UAE as well as contributing to its significant growth widely. Alfuttaim motors have the greatest number of its vehicles on the road as compared to other automobile manufacturers in the world. Its vehicle brands target both the middle-class economy as well as the first-economy economy (Nayak & Josh, 2012). Its vehicle brand, the Lexus, targets the first-class economy. This is because it is quite expensive and it can only be afforded by people who consider themselves as falling under the category of first-class. The sales of this Lexus brand are however minimized by the stiff competition from the German machines like the Mercedes Benz and the BMW. The majority of the sales of the Alfuttaim motors are the Toyota. This is because these types of vehicles are affordable to the middle-class in the economy. It is also notable that the middle-class makes up the largest percentage of the people in the world. It is also the biggest sale as it is accompanied by a wide variety of material handling equipment from the same manufacturer which is equally affordable to the middle-class. This has made Alfuttaim motors to be a significant exporter of cars in the developing nations as that is where most of the middle-class people reside. The target market of the Alfuttaim Motors is spread throughout the world. This is mainly due to its ability to cater for the vehicle needs of all the people whether they are low income earners or the high income earners. Its ability to offer a wide variety of motor vehicles also places it at a better position to capture a wide market base in the world. It is acknowledged that the Alfuttaim motors makes affordable vehicle brands for the low income earners so as to provide them with a rudimentary means of transport (Nayak & Josh, 2012). It also makes luxurious cars, for example the Lexus,

Formosa Plastic Cops. USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Formosa Plastic Cops. USA - Term Paper Example ed nearly the whole of the reactor facility and the adjacent warehouse igniting Vinyl chloride resins stored in a warehouse with smoke drifting over the local community who were then evacuated and the facility remains shut down. The initial fire was caused and fuelled by Vinyl chloride monomer, raw material for Vinyl chloride manufacture, which is highly flammable and a known carcinogen. The explosion occurred when the bottom valve of an operating reactor was opened spilling its highly flammable contents. The next section discusses the specific sections of 29 CFR 1910.146 that Formosa Plastics Corporation neglected. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Formosa Plastics Corporation did not comply with the Permit Required Confined Spaces 29CFR 1910.146. The sections of Permit Required Confined Spaces that were neglected are Training and Rescue and Emergency operations. Under the section of Training, Permit Required Confined Spaces requires that an employer provides training for the employees to understand, and acquire knowledge and skills vital for the safe performance and execution of duties within the confined space. It also requires training to be provided to the employee before being assigned duties, when duties are changed, when permit space operations are changed that are hazardous for which the employee has not been trained on, and if the employee feels that the permit space entry procedures have been deviated from or the employee has little knowledge of the procedures. The training is designed to establish employee proficiency in execution of the duties and new or revised procedures. After all the training has been done, certification should be made available with the name of the employee, trainers signature and the respective training dates. Formosa Plastics Corporation also neglected the Rescue and Emergency services regulations for confined space. The rescue and emergency operations require that the employer provides and trains

The effect of coffee and tea on dental erosion Research Paper

The effect of coffee and tea on dental erosion - Research Paper Example In order to have a healthy body, one must have clean teeth because they are the most visible internal part of the body. Teeth show up while an individual talks, eats, smiles and yawns. Clean teeth directly boost the confidence of an individual whereas stained teeth are a source of embarrassment for the individual who has them. The individual with clean teeth can socialize more confidently in comparison to an individual who has stained teeth, particularly at a very young age in life. In light of the relation of teeth hygiene with the confidence of an individual, it can be said that cleanliness of teeth is essential for good psychological health of an individual. Healthy psychology is essential for good personality, which is in turn essential for healthy society. Tea and coffee are beverages that are consumed by almost every single member of the society on a daily basis irrespective of age. People generally have a taste for both of them and these beverages are an essential part of the daily meal. In light of the immense consumption of both tea and coffee, it cam be said that this research applies to a vast majority of people in the society. This is a very useful research in that it would make them aware of the negative effects of an everyday beverage on their teeth.

Classical conditioning Essay Example for Free

Classical conditioning Essay Classical conditioning is a form of basic learning the body automatically responds to a stimulus. One stimulus takes on the properties of another. The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) is credited for discovering the basic principles of classical conditioning whilst he was studying digestion in dogs. He developed a technique for collecting dog’s salivary secretions. Pavlov (cited in Eysneck M.W 2009) noticed that the dogs would often start salivating before they were given any food or saw the feeding bucket or even when they heard the footstep of the laboratory assistant coming to feed them. Quite by accident Pavlov had discovered that the environmental control of behaviour can be changed as a result of two stimuli becoming associated with each other. These observations led to what’s now called classical conditioning. A neutral stimulus (such as a bell) which normally wouldn’t produce a response (such a salivating) eventually becomes paired with another stimulus (such as the food) this is referred to an unconditional response. When the bell and food (unconditional stimulus) are paired often enough the dogs start to salivate as soon as they hear the bell and before the food is served. When this occurs conditioning has taken place. (Cited in Burns 1995) Pavlov argued that if dogs could be conditioned to salivate then it is possible to apply the process to bodily process that effect illness and mental health disorders. Nowadays classical conditioning is applied in the treatment of phobias and in aversion therapies.(Cited in Burns 1995). Operant conditioning Operant conditioning is the process of a behaviour in which the likelihood of a specific behaviour is increased or decreased through positive or negative reinforcement. The theory is based on Thorndike (1993) law of effects which state that behaviour is a function of its consequences (cited in O’ Brien 2009). Skinner used observation as a leading approach to operate conditioning. A key principle of operant conditioning was that where behaviour is reinforced (that is where people are rewarded when they behave in a particular way). It will tend to be repeated under particular circumstances. (Cited in Gross R 2010). For example a mother picking up a crying infant and if the baby stops crying when picked up, the probablility of the mother repeating the same behaviour increases since the cessation of the baby’s crying is a reinforced.(Gerry, K et alt page45) . Reinforcers can also be primary or secondary. Primary reinforcers are our basic needs like food, water and shelter. Secondary reinforcers are events that have become rewarded through their association. For example money, because money can satisfy people needs it takes on reinforcing characteristics of its own. Operant conditioning can be used in behaviour management and in education, for example children are rewarded when they do well in school and punished if they fail, if they see someone getting rewarded they are more likely to copy the good behaviour. Operant conditioning can also be used to help people with addictions along with classical conditioning,for example in alcohol and drug addiction. Operant conditioning is also used in pain management and in social skills training. It has also been used to reward schizophrenic patients for good behaviour. For example given them tokens in exchange for sweet when they behave well in hospital.(Aylon Azrin,1968,cited in Eysenck 2009). Social Learning The social learning theory proposed by Albert Bandura (1965), has become the most influential theory of learning and development. Bandura argued that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning. He argued that people could learn new information by observing other people this type of learning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviours.(Cited in Eysenck, M 2009) for example Teenagers wanting to be thin like the models that they observe on the television or on the computer. Bandura (1965) Three groups of young children watched a film about adults behaving aggressively towards inflatable Bobo dolls. In one of the films it showed adults being rewarded for aggressive behaviour. The second group were scolded and the third group were neither rewarded or punished. All children showed increased aggression if offered a reward for what they learnt, and the behaviour decreases if they are punished. (Cited in Gross 2009). for example social learning can be learnt thro ugh the media. Pop stars are often seen as role models, and children of smokers are more likely to smoke when they are adults. Phobic patient benefit more from watching fearful patients gradually overcome their fears. (Cited in Gerry,K.et alt 1996) There are three core concepts in social learning, first learning through observation, mental state is essential part of the process and the theory also recognises that just because something is learnt doesn’t mean it will result in a change in behaviour.(cited in Burns 1995)Positive reinforcement is far more effective than negative reinforcement. Bandura believed that observation and direct reinforcement could account for all types of learning. He argued that emotional behaviour could be switched off through modelling procedure. Learning need not necessarily be correct. Through learning human behaviour can be modified. Learning is very important when working in social care, helpers need to know how to modify client’s attitude toward their illness so the helper can work with them to recover.(cited in Burns 2005)

Benefits of Parent Involvement in Child Education

Benefits of Parent Involvement in Child Education Family involvement makes a difference in a child development. Family is inside the microsystem and is close setting for a child, so child will get direct influence and experience from the family. For the sake of the healthy and holistic development of children, educator need to understand the importance, benefits, challenges and ways to get family involvement. According to Epstein (1995), there are six types of parent involvement, which are parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making and collaborating with community. Parent involvement not just means that parent only have one way to interact with the school such as collect the report, school need to provide various activities for the parent to be involve in children’s learning process. For the parenting, teacher can help the parent to learn about child development and what is developmentally appropriate practice for children (Epstein, 1988). For example, parent can learn the four types of parenting styles, included authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent and uninvolved parenting style and the impact on children from the aspect of autonomy granting, acceptance and involvement and control. When school provide this type parent involvement, it actually helps school to have a deeper understanding about the environment, practice and culture of that family. Co mmunicating is also important parent involvement, it helps to develop an effective communication between school and home about children’s progress and school activities or policy (Epstein, 1988). Besides that, volunteering provide opportunity for parent to participate in the school activities such as fund-raising, provide car pools service and teach topic related to their professional (Epstein, 1988). Policy of the school and convenient of both side need to be considered to prevent unexpected event to happen such as parent prepare peanut butter cake that are not allow in school food safety policy. Learning at home give chances for parent and children to engage in educational activities at home together (Epstein, 1988) , for instance, complete the collage with the adult guidance, take picture of holiday time for show and tell session and prepare a traditional food to bring for the family night. In addition, parent also can be involved in decision making activities (Epstein, 19 88). Parents are not just the people that pay the fee, they are also valued member to give comment to and develop school policy such as curriculum planning, teacher hiring standard and chose teaching materials. The last type is collaborating with the community, it means that school support parent to provide services to the community (Epstein, 1988). For instance, raise fund for charity organisation, clean the housing area and donate reading materials to the public library. Why the parent involvement is importance for the children’s development? Firstly, most of the children spend more time in home with parent than in school, the attitude of parent has greater influence on children than teacher. For instance, when parent care about the school activities so much, willing to participate as much as they can and show the initiative towards it, their children will indirectly know that because of school is important, that is why parents spend so much time on it. Children will have better attendance and done the homework in time with the adult guidance. Secondly, when parent get involved in school activities, they will have deeper understanding about the way school teach their child, the school policy and they may change their perception or belief about child development. Through this, children can obtain better nourishment from parent that are knowledgeable and responsive toward the children’s learning experience in school and try to link it to the home environment. Thirdly, emotion wellbeing of the children can be enhance if the parent involvement is sustained, not just a few times in one year or limited to greeting each other and pay fee only. Some children do not like to go to school and want to stay at home is because they do not see the relationship between the school and home, they think these two are separated, they feel insecure and anxious when they leave house and parent. So, when parent get participate in the school activities, children will know that relationship of school and parent is well established and feel comfortable and proud when they saw parent show the care for their learning and school is view their parent as valued members to cooperate with. Children gain lots of benefits from the family involvement in early childhood centre. They gain the sense of self-worth in school because they really feel secure and acknowledged that school is the place for them to learn and spread their wings safely, without any negative emotion. Consistent responses between parent and school also help children to develop self-worth, self-confident and positive engagement with adult, classmates and learning process (Carol, 2010). When parent and teacher have effective communication, they will talk about how to enhance children’s development and how to provide enrichment for children, children know adult are care for them, not just dumping then in school alone. Parents also increase the confidence and level of self-esteem on themselves and school provided education through the activities such as child-rearing skills class, field trips and policy making process (Carol, 2010). Besides that, parents also know school is supportive and will not fe el lost when bring up young children, especially young, first time to be a parent. When they acquired the skill to help their child better, they tend to support the learning at home more, in consistent, authoritative and developmentally appropriate way. Furthermore, not only children and parent gain benefit from parent involvement, teacher gain too. When parent are involved in the learning process of children, teacher will gain insight into that family’s culture, background, sensitive issue and practice. Every parent have different expectation for their own child too (Carol, 2010).This will help teacher to plan more suitable, appropriate learning experience and activities for children and their family members. Teacher morale can be improve too (Carol, 2010), when teacher know that parent are willing to collaborate with them, their energy and positive mind set will be increase, thus they will have strong competence in the profession and advancement. Quality of teaching also im proved because obtain the assistance and support from parent such as teaching aids or resources, parent talk about their professional and volunteer as replacement teacher (Carol, 2010). There are some challenges of parental involvement, including time management problem, personal problems, language or culture differences, attitude of teacher and lack of understanding and trust (Carol, 2010). Nowadays, working parents are very common, they are very busy and not always available. If the school did not take this into consideration, the parent involvement will be reducing because parents are not free to attend the activities. This will cause the lacking in direct, face to face interaction between teacher and the ineffective delivery of message. Teacher also have time problem, they are busy all the time and fail to maintain a regular communication with families. Parents will feel fear and reluctant to approach the teacher (Carol, 2010). Every person has different personality, some are introvert, timid and some are out going and open. When the parent or teacher have difficulties and do not dare to tell each other about their needs, both of them will lost the opportunity t o help and this will influences the child. For example, teacher lacking teaching material and parents do not have transportation for the child. For the people with low self-esteem and confidence, they think that they do not have the ability to help each other or they feel shy and shame because of their low socio-economic group. Parent with old, traditional parent involvement concept also cause the challenge for family involvement in school (Carol, 2010), they think that it is unnecessary, waste time and not willing to contribute their effort to the learning activities of their children. Other than time and personal problem, language or culture differences is another factor that build the challenge of involve parent in school (Carol, 2010). Culturally and linguistically diverse parents always have the problem in interaction with school, they have different ethnic background like Malay, Chinese, Indian, different culture, they speak different language such as Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin , English, Tamil, and even speak in different dialect, for instance, families that speak in Mandarin also use Cantonese or Hakka as their daily language, especially for old people like grandparent. If the school did not care for need of these culturally and linguistically diverse parents, misunderstanding, miscommunication and ineffective message deliver will occur. Parent who do not know English will unable to read the notice written in English, parent are not willing to work with teacher or other parent that with different races because of the stereotype and when children display difficulties in learning, school and parent are unable to discuss the problem and solve it because they speak in different language and do not understand the language that use by each other. Besides that, attitude of teacher is also a challenge for parent involvement (Carol, 2010). Some teachers show excessive professionalism towards parent, parent will not active to involve because they feel fear, unhapp y and difficult to approach the teacher when they want to express the need and contribute their effort (Carol, 2010). There are also pessimist teacher that only report negative information to parent (Carol, 2010). They only focus on bad things and neglect contribution and achievement of children and parent. For instances, teacher always talk about disruptive behaviour of the child in school and often make assumption that parent did not try to manage and improve the behaviour. But sometimes, disruptive behaviour cannot be change within a short period even with lots of effort contribute by parent in home. Parent also will feel stress, annoyed and hopeless because of the pessimism of teacher. Frequently, teacher have the problem of power struggle (Carol, 2010), they feel that they are the only one have power in classroom and do not want to share it with parents. They are not eager to find the ways for parents to feel secure, equality and comfortable (Carol, 2010). So, parent involvemen t need to be rejected from their point of view. Teachers that lack of self-confident are reluctant to admit help (Carol, 2010) because they feel their professional will be disappear and reduced if they ask for help from parents for example if they need cooperation in replacement of teacher, getting the teaching material and planning learning experience about certain area of knowledge which that teacher are not familiar than parents. When the school is not able provide appropriate physical setting, space problem will be arising (Carol, 2010). Parent need facility such as discussion room and car park area to participate in the school activities, if the room or area is not provided, how the parent are going to park the transport vehicles, sit down, and communicate with the teacher? Also, lack of understanding and trust will lead the parent involvement to become limited and powerless (Carol, 2010). Parent and teacher both feel that each other are lack of ability to enhance children†™s learning and development. For example, parent feel that they know best about their child so whatever practice on child is definitely appropriate and correct, teacher will feel that parent are not knowledgeable than them because of the lower education level and different professional area. The suggestions from each party are not accepted. Because of these feelings, miscommunication often occurs, which make the process of parent involvement even problematic. Past negative experiences of parent also the root of lacking trust on teacher, for instances, teacher did not take care of child with special need, caused the child injured in school and teacher did not provide appropriate solution and any suggestion that help to prevent the accident to happen again. For sure, parent of the child will feel disappointed and do not believe the teacher have the competence and skill to improve the development of their child. Who want to work together with the teacher when there is no faith and ho pe? There are different type of activities that can enable parent to assist children development using their abilities, time and energy (Carol, 2010). First type is school-wide activities, it included workshops, family night, parent education class, adult training program and support services such as car pools and babysitting for younger children (Carol, 2010). This is where the all parents and teachers come together and work collaborative to participate in school wide program. They use this chance to interact, share information and discuss the issues related to school. Through this activity, all parent and teacher are capable to develop warm and positive relationship with each other. Second type is communication activities, school can engage parent in activities through the use of phone calls, newsletter and email to give the reminder and notification to parent (Carol, 2010). Technology is very advance nowadays and it is also the tools to enhance communication, school need to use it wis ely and appropriately. Not only through phone call and email, school can organise chat group on social media such as Facebook and Whatapps for discussion with parent to run more efficient. For example, discussion group for family night, parents and teacher can give comment and suggestion like person in charge of beverage, food and performances. Any changes and reminder can be sent to each other faster than compose an email. Educational activities is the third type of activity, parent are encourage to participate in the activities occur in classroom or school and help the class to run more smoothly such as fund raising, volunteer for manage classroom, work as photographer during children’s performance, design webpages if the some parent have the knowledge and skill about it, beautify the environment of classroom by cleaning unwanted stuff and create wall painting (Carol, 2010). This kind of activities enable parent and school work together to set up better learning environment for children and children can see the parent’s contribution, know that parent are really involved in the school when they saw the wall painting and their parent helping in classroom, not just talking through phone and come to school for meeting. For the parent with special need child, they are invited to develop the individualised educational plan for the child too (Carol, 2010). Fourth type is service activities, this included childcare service, parent support group, resources libraries, material centre and exchange of service (Carol, 2010). Parent can obtain the resources and service from the community and school to lighten the burden, reduce the stress and improve the quality of living. Parent can borrow story book and teaching aid to guide children’s learning at home, seek for school’s counsellor when face the problem that will influence the child’s development and welfare and support other parent when they need any help. During this activities, both of the school and parent are the contributor and receiver at the same time, it help both party to realise the importance of provide helping hand to others that need help and give them the opportunity to serve the community. The last type is decision activities (Carol, 2010), it allow parent to make decision about school, not just let the parent to be the fee payer only. Parents are given â€Å"power† to decide what will happening in the school such as the standard of hiring teacher, what is included in the policy, review and design the educational program (Carol, 2010). When parent are involved in the program planning, they will gain the knowledge about the requirement of quality program and authentic developmentally appropriate practice. Only after they know about what the program is about and how it is implementing, they will be support the program (Carol, 2010). Thus, they will not question about teacher’s professionalism and let the teacher have the negative feeli ngs because the effort is not appreciated by parent and fear to communicate with parent. In conclusion, working with parent and families is a continuing process. Even though with the best way and approach to involve the families in the educational activities, this process will not be successful if parent and teacher are not capable to solve the problem and challenges between them. Therefore, teacher need to take the initiative to approaching the parent, help them to overcome the barrier, explain the importance and benefit of parent involvement in school to them and finally develop best way to invite them to the school activities. When teacher showed the enthusiastic, parent need to be responsive too because in order to develop positive relationship between school and families, both party need work cooperative to contribute effort to the process, not just rely on particular one party. References Epstein, J.L., Coates, L., Salinas, K.C., Sanders, M.G., Simon, B.S. (1997). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Carol, G. (2010). Home, school and community relation. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Observe a Sixth Grade English Class at Bain Middle School Essay

Observe a Sixth Grade English Class at Bain Middle School I observe at Roosevelt Middle School, which is in River Forest, in Mrs. Braun’s sixth grade English class on Tuesdays in the morning. As I have observed, I have noticed that the classroom is student-centered. During computer time, Mrs. Braun focused more on helping the students get into the computer program to start the assignment than on having enough time to get the assignment done. Several times, Mrs. Braun gave helpful comments on how to do things on the computer or in the program, such as how to install automatic spell check. Mrs. Braun was also very patient as she was being asked questions while she was trying to explain the assignment. From what I saw, some students were getting bored, though, while the assignment was being explained and started whispering to each other. However, the whispering did stop when the students had to get started on the assignment. I have also observed that there seems to be a strong set of rules in place in Mrs. Braun’s classroom. This is evident through some of Mrs. Braun’s subtle, and not-so-subtle, reminders. For example, she gently made an example of a student by pointing out that his decorated pen (with a silly topper on it) was not allowed in class if it was going to be played and not used. She made a general statement that all pens similar to it are not welcomed is they are going to be played with. Overall, the students follow the rules very well, and there have not been any severe disruptions. There has only been whispering occasionally, but it stopped when Mrs. Braun asked. Disciplinary strategies seem to be in place as well, although I have not seen any discipline used while I have been observing the... ...yout. I have observed many things in my first two observations in Mrs. Braun’s class. The students do a lot of in-seat assignments, such as handouts. There seems to be a few good projects being done but they are done mostly outside of class. I feel that some time should be spent in class working on the projects, even if it is 10-15 minutes. The layout seems like both a good idea and a bad idea. It seems like a good idea because if one student gets stuck on something, there are others around to help. It seems to be a bad idea, though, because of what I stated before, there is still the temptation for the students to talk when they are not suppose to and distract each other. The only implication I have is that it seems that some old methods are hard to leave behind, such as busy work (hand outs), for more interactive methods (interaction with each other).

Management Control Systems at Reliance Industries Limited Essay

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is world’s leading and India’s no: 1 Private Ltd. Company. RIL group is a highly diversified group and is in to multiproduct business like oil / gas exploration, retail of petro / consumer products and mfg. of petrochemical / refining and textile products. Also, in to infrastructure and transportation sectors. he Reliance Group, founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002), is India’s largest private sector enterprise, with businesses in the energy and materials value chain. Group’s annual revenues are in excess of US$ 44 billion. The flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited, is a Fortune Global 500 company and is the largest private sector company in India. Backward vertical integration has been the cornerstone of the evolution and growth of Reliance. Starting with textiles in the late seventies, Reliance pursued a strategy of backward vertical integration – in polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics, petrochemicals, petroleum refining and oil and gas exploration and production – to be fully integrated along the materials and energy value chain. The Group’s activities span exploration and production of oil and gas, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles, retail and special economic zones. Reliance enjoys global leadership in its businesses, being the largest polyester yarn and fibre producer in the world and among the top five to ten producers in the world in major petrochemical products. Major Group Companies are Reliance Industries Limited (including main subsidiary Reliance Retail Limited) and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited  Organizational Structure of Reliance Figure [ 1 ] Reliance Major Subsidiaries * Reliance Petroleum Limited (RPL) was a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and was created to exploit the emerging opportunities, creating value in the refining sector worldwide. Currently, RPL stands amalgamated with RIL. [7] * Reliance Life Sciences is a research-driven, biotechnology-led, life sciences organization that participates in medical, plant and industrial biotechnology opportunities. Specifically, these relate to Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals, Clinical Research Services, Regenerative Medicine, Molecular Medicine, Novel Therapeutics, Biofuels, Plant Biotechnology and Industrial Biotechnology. [8] * Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited (RIIL) is engaged in the business of setting up / operating Industrial Infrastructure that also involves leasing and providing services connected with computer software and data processing. 9] * Reliance Logistics (P) Limited is a single window solutions provider for transportation, distribution, warehousing, logistics, and supply chain needs, supported by in house state of art telematics and telemetry solutions. [11] * Reliance Clinical Research Services (RCRS), a contract research organization (CRO) and wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Life Sciences, has been set up to provide clinical research services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. As far as Board structure of RIL is concerned there are 8 Non executive directors and four executive directors, hence RIL is strictly following suggestions given by Kumar mangalam Birla committee regarding corporate governance. Figure [ 2 ] Reliance Board Structure Figure [ 3 ] Reliance Reporting Hierarchy Functional structure Employees within the functional divisions of an organization tend to perform a specialized set of tasks, for instance the engineering department would be staffed only with production engineers. This leads to operational efficiencies within that group. However it could also lead to a lack of communication between the functional groups within an organization, making the organization slow and inflexible. As a whole, a functional organization is best suited as a producer of standardized goods and services at large volume and low cost. Coordination and specialization of tasks are centralized in a functional structure, which makes producing a limited amount of products or services efficient and predictable. Moreover, efficiencies can further be realized as functional organizations integrate their activities vertically so that products are sold and distributed quickly and at low cost. For instance, a small business could start making the components it requires for production of its products instead of procuring it from an external organization. But not only beneficial for organization but also for employees faiths. Hence Reliance is Having Highest Operational efficiency as compared to competitors. Management Style And Culture At Reliance Industries Limited Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has emerged as India’s largest private-sector enterprise and carved out a distinct place for itself in global Fortune 500 companies. Reliance’s business success and competitive position reflect the leadership provided by its founder, Mr.  Dhirubhai Ambani who said, â€Å"Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising my vision. Only when you dream it do you get it. † The leadership system defined by Ambani is based on value creation towards both its customers and stakeholders. The same vision has been taken up and forwarded by his son Mr. Mukesh Ambani, current Chairman and Managing Director of RIL. Reliance believes that any business conduct can be ethical only when it rests on the nine core values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Fairness, Purposefulness, Trust, Responsibility, Citizenship and Caring. The existence of the culture in RIL is driven towards achievement of excellence in systems, processes, technology and people and also toward the fulfillment of their corporate vision i. e. â€Å"To become a globally competitive enterprise, driven by the market, creating and maintaining a lead over competition through quality products and establishing itself to be the preferred supplier of its customers. † With the vertical integration of chain from refinery to textiles, RIL has unique fully integrated structure. Basically it is a process centric organization that maximized synergies across all interfaces, leverage core competencies of various disciplines to maximize value from current assets and create growth opportunities while allowing people to develop and contribute to their full capabilities. When we talk about the organization culture, specifically RIL focuses on high performance work culture which fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, inclusiveness, teamwork and continuous improvements. Among all RIL basically focuses on innovation and has a innovative council for promoting the same. The company believes hat it is the innovation in thinking and execution that has made RIL reach where it is today. The firm belief of innovation being the differentiator for future and the source of competitive advantage shows the importance that is given to it. RIL in the early 1990s did suffer from low employee participation in improvement activities and low customer satisfaction. The introduction of various quality improvement tools in the facilities like the Total Quality Management( TQM), Kaizen Activities and customer focus approach led to the improvement in quality, productivity improvement and customer satisfaction in the organization. RIL realizing the importance of human and intellectual capital for business success, has given more importance to the use of its human potential and the creation of Learning organization to help in continued success in future. RIL in its importance to the health and safety also has also initiated Safety, Health and Workplace Environment Program (CASHe) – which is an initiative to promote healthy workplace and reducing health and safety risk has been instrumental in creating a culture of implementing health, safety and environment project on a priority basis. This program has also been able to improve the performance of the company on the occupational health and safety front. The Health and Safety Principles that were put forward in this regards to articulate the stakeholders expectation along with the existing values of the company underpin both the corporate culture and cooperation across the company. The growing importance of Corporate Governance by RIL shows its priority towards a transparent and accountable organization thus being able to meet the needs of all the concerned stakeholders. The publication of annual corporate governance report is one important aspect showing its growing inclination towards it and its aim to have fair and equitable treatment of its employees, shareholders, customers and investors. They aim to provide timely and balanced disclosure of all material information concerned towards stakeholders. Moreover they aim to have a sound system of risk management and internal control. The existence of code for board of directors and board committees, code of business conduct and ethics for director/management personnel signifies the existence of the culture driving the whole organization towards effective corporate governance. RIL has a long and strong tradition of supporting the larger communities that it connects with – from education, health, drinking water, large-scale development of employable skills, to assistance during natural calamities such as earthquakes and cyclones. The Reliance Foundation would address social development imperatives of India, specifically quality, formal and vocational education, affordable high-quality health care, meaningful rural development and urban renewal, and protection and promotion of India’s priceless heritage of arts and culture. Management in simple words are characteristic ways of making decisions and relating to subordinates. Different management styles and employed by different organizations depending on the prevailing culture, the nature of the business, the nature of the task and the personality and skills of the leaders. RIL is an organization which is operation in multiple facets. They have multiple manufacturing facilities at multiple locations where by dealing in different product ranges. The supreme authority of the company is Board of Directors. But they have given much more independence to the individual units at different level to take decisions at their level. There is a good mix of corporate level strategy (taking RIL as a whole which is set up by the BOD) as well as appropriate business level and operational strategies at each segment as well as business units to accomplish the corporate level strategy. Every unit which is a part of RIL has its own hierarchy, headed by the CEO or the President, but a more of a democratic style of leadership is seen. Since they promote innovation and value their human capital they promote participative environment at different levels of management to be able to make a better and informed decision. Empowering the employees in RIL is relevant. However the level of decisions and intensity of problems are defined whereby decisions can be taken at particular level of management. Management Control Systems Internal Controls RIL has a comprehensive system of internal controls to safeguard the Company’s assets against loss from unauthorised use and ensure proper authorisation of financial transactions. The Company has an exhaustive budgetary control system to monitor all expenditures against approved budgets on an ongoing basis. The Company’s accounting process is based on uniform accounting guideline that sets out accounting policies and significant processes and deadlines on a company wide basis. There are inding directives for internal reconciliations and other accounting operations. The Company maintains a system of internal controls designed to provide a high degree of assurance regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, the reliability of financial controls, and compliance with laws and regulations. RIL has well established policy towards maintaining the highest standards of health, safety and environmental norms while maintaining operational integrity. This policy is strictly adhered to all RIL manufacturing facilities. The Company has an internal audit function, which is empowered to examine the adequacy and compliance with policies, plans and statutory requirements. It is also responsible for assessing and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance process. The management duly considers and takes appropriate action on the recommendations made by the statutory auditors, internal auditors and the independent Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Internal Checks and Balances.

Sleep Disorders

People are getting less sleep in today's society than they did 80 years ago (Myers 54). Although not every person needs to sleep the standard number of 8 hours a night, everyone has a set number they need to meet in order to function optimally. About 20% of Americans are reporting that they are getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night (Davis). Modern inventions like computers, television, and social diversions are making this hard to achieve (Myers 53). Many people have the misconception that they can skimp on sleep now and later pay off their â€Å"sleep debt† with extra long sleep sessions, however, this is an untrue statement.The human brain keeps track and remembers the amount of sleep we are getting/not getting for at least two weeks at a time (Myers 54). It will take a lot more than a single slumberous weekend to get the body back on track. Sleep depravation has many effects, ranging from seemingly harmless to more prominent and severe. People who sleep less tend to ex perience higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, memory impairment, irritability, slowed work performance, and impaired communication and concentration (Myers 54).The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have been linked to insufficient sleep (Coren). Data from a study on traffic incidents across Canada after daylight savings time, in which people lose one hour of sleep, showed a significant increase in the number of accidents than before the time change (Coren). Sleep depravation can weaken the body's immune system, which fights off viral diseases and other harmful illnesses like cancer (Myers 54). Psychologists believe there are a few explanations on why getting sufficient sleep is important.One reason is that sleep helps our body and brain repair damaged tissue. When sleeping, the neutrons in a person's body are also at rest and focus on repairing themselves (Myers 55). Another reason is that sleeping helps people remember. During sleep, bodies bring back and reconstruct memories of daily experiences (Myers 55). It has been found that people who are trained on certain tasks and have a restful night of sleep can recall them better than others who do not (Myers 55). Some groups of people are sleep deprived because they suffer from sleep isorders. These disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy (Myers 55-56), prevent individuals from receiving an adequate amount of sleep and can result in undesirable symptoms. Works Cited Coren, Stanley. â€Å"Daylight Savings Time and Traffic Accidents. † New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. , 04 Apr 1996. Web. 26 Jan 2012. Davis, Jeanie Meow. â€Å"Sleep Deprivation in America. † WebMD. com, n. p. 29 Nov 2011. Web. 26 Jan 2012. Myers, David G. Psychology in Everyday Life. New York: Worth Publishers, 2009. Print.

History of Tattoos Essay

In today’s world, it is not uncommon to see people covered in all types of body art, such as tattoos. Arms, legs, sometimes even faces, all painted with permanent ink. For what reason, some people ask. What’s the point having words, designs, or pictures permanently drawn onto your skin? I personally love tattoos; they’re an artistic way for people to express who they are and their originality. Tattoos are a way for people to showcase their inner differences. But the question is, where did tattooing start, and why? The word tattoo originates from the Tahitian word tattau, which means, â€Å"to mark.† An explorer James Cook, in his records from his 1769 expedition to the South Pacific, first mentioned this word. However, many scientists believe that the earliest known evidence of tattooing dates back 3300 B.C. due to 59 markings found on the skin of a mummified human body known as The Iceman (Demand Media Inc.). In 2160 B.C., tattooing became prevalent in Egypt. Several mummies displaying lines and dots tattooed all over their bodies have been recovered that date to as early as the XI Dynasty. Though these people had been mummified for thousands of years, the tattoo markings were still completely visible (Hemingson). The main reasons for these Egyptian tattoos are to connect with the Divine (like god, or God); as a tribute or act of sacrifice to a deity; as a talisman, a permanent amulet that cannot be los; or to provide magical or medical protection (Hemingson). Around 700 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans began tattooing, but for an entirely different reason. The use of tattoos, or â€Å"stigmata† (marks upon the body, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ), were mainly used to mark someone as â€Å"belonging† either as a slave to an owner or to a religious sect or sometimes even as a disciplinary measure to mark people as criminals (Designboom). When the dynasty of Macedonian Greek monarchs ruled Egypt, the pharaoh Ptolemy IV was said to have had ivy leaves tattooed on himself. These leaves symbolized his devotion to the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. This fashion was also adopted by Roman soldiers, which then spread across the Roman Empire (Famento). During the rise of Christianity in 600 B.C., there was a widespread temporary standstill to tattooing in the Middle East and Europe. Saint Basil the Great, one of the most notable doctors of the Christian Church, warned: â€Å"No man shall let his hair grow long or tattoo himself as do the heathen, those apostles of Satan who make themselves despicable by indulging in lewd and lascivious thoughts. Do not associate with those who mark themselves with thorns and needles so that their blood flows to the earth† (Hemingson). During the gradual process of Christianization in Europe, tattoos were often considered remaining elements of paganism and generally legally prohibited. In the years 306-373, the Christian emperor Constantine completely banned tattoos. He felt that tattoos disfigured what was made in God’s image (Hemingson). Though this ban of tattoos was very powerful, it couldn’t completely eliminate tattooing from Europe or the Middle East. Tattooing worked its way back into these two religions between 500-1500 by holy pilgrims. During the Middle Ages, people would go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and the only proof that they had actually been there would be the tattoos they received from the Coptic priests. The basic tattoo the pilgrims usually returned with was a simple cross, but the more outgoing people returned with portraits of historical events from the bible inked into their skin (Hemingson). The earliest reference to British royalty being tattooed was King Harold II sometime between 1022 and1066. After King Harold II was killed in the Battle of Hastings, the only way his sister Edith could pick out which body was his was from the words ‘Edith’ and ‘England’ that were tattooed upon his chest (History of Tattooing). Tattooing started evolving into a form of art in the 1600’s. The Japanese word irezumi refers to the insertion of ink to the skin leaving a permanent, decorative mark, which in other words, means tattooing in how we see it today. Tattooed marks were still used as a punishment during this time, but there were fads of decorative tattoos coming and going throughout the years. The release of the popular Chinese novel Suikoden, a story of bravery illustrated with extravagant woodblock prints demonstrating heroic men with their bodies permanently painted with mythical creatures, flowers, and other images, inspired many people to get tattoos similar to what they had seen. Woodblock artists began tattooing their designs onto human flesh just the same as they would create their woodblock prints, using chisels, gouges, and ink known as Nara ink. This ink turns blue-green underneath the skin (Irezumi). Between 1766 and 1779, Captain James Cook voyaged out into the South Pacific three times After these voyages to Polynesia, Cook and his crew told stories of people covered in tattoos that they had seen, referring to them as â€Å"tattooed savages†. Cook’s Science Officer, Sr. Joseph Banks, returned to England with a tattoo. Many of Cook’s ordinary men came back with tattoos, a tradition that soon became associated with men of the sea. These sailors and seamen re-introduced Europe to tattooing (History of Tattooing). As soldiers and sailors began returning home from conquest and trade wearing tattoos in various places on their bodies in the early 1800’s, tattooing starting to become very popular among Western societies. These men had imitated the tattooing practices they had witnessed from the people of Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. Ordinary working class men wore tattoos on their body to symbolize their pride (Hemingson). Also in the early 1800’s, doctors and others in the medical field began voicing their concerns of tattooing. Many doctors felt that tattoos could cause many complications to ones well-being. A leading doctor wrote about a woman who had died from an infection caused by a tattoo in 1837. In 1853 a physician reported the first case in which syphilis was transmitted by tattooing. Back in these days, tattoo artists had no knowledge that using the same needles for multiple customers without cleaning them spreads diseases. It wasn’t uncommon to clean off a fresh tattoo with saliva, tobacco juice, or even urine (Hemingson). Several tattoo artists found jobs in Washington DC during the Civil War. A man who was German born, Martin Hildebrandt, started his tattooing career in 1846 and was considered the best tattoo artist at that time. He tattooed military members from both Union and Confederate camps. In 1870, the first American tattoo studio was opened by Hildebrandt (Hemingson). Samuel O’Reily opened tattoo studio in 1875. During this time, tattoos were done by hand, using needles attached to a wooden handle. The tattoo artist would dip the needles in ink and move their hand up and down, puncturing the skin with 2-3 needles per second. Tattooing by hand was a very slow process, and required good manual skill. Since O’Reily was not only a great tattoo artist, but also a mechanic and technician, he began to work on a machine that could help speed up the tattooing process. O’Reily created a hand-held machine where the needles could move up and down automatically. This invention made tattooing as fluent as drawing. In 1981 O’Reily patented his invention and offered it for sale. Tattooing in the US was revolutionized over night. Sailors lined up to be tattooed by O’Reily and his apprentice Charles Wagner. At this point in time, over 80% of the US Navy was tattooed (Hemginson). During the Holocaust in 1939, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex. Over 400,000 prisoners were assigned a serial number and branded, or tattooed, with that number (History of Tattooing). In 1961, New York City banned tattoos and tattoo parlors due to a hepatitis outbreak. This ban wasn’t lifted until 1997. Recently, many towns in New Jersey have removed the bans to avoid legal challenges and have applied rules to regulate tattooing (James). Starting in the 1990’s, tattoos had started being linked to the American fine art world. The number of academy trained artists entering the tattooing profession seemed to be growing each year, doubling since the 1980’s. Art schools and programs started turning out more trained artists than the mainstream art world could absorb, so many art school graduates migrated towards the tattooing industry (Hemingson). It is apparent that tattooing has been widely practiced in all parts of the globe, dating back to ancient times. Throughout history, tattooing, as well as other types of body art, has been related to religion, emotions, inner expression, and even punishment. Tattooing has occurred and still occurs in cultures everywhere and is widely popular in todays American society.

Intership PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intership PAPER - Essay Example I was blessed with good people to work with who supported me throughout my internship. The Creative Activity & Fitness Center was established in 1990 initially as a play group for very young children. As the children grew up, more and more classes were offered to develop their creative skills such as workshops in Art, Music, Dance, etc. Parents were delighted to have a place to bring their children where they learn skills and enjoy at the same time. Over the years, the population of enrolees grew and more workshops were offered, that there was a need to expand the business. Enrolment to the center was like membership where parents renew their children’s membership in order to avail of the services and use the facilities. The owners bought the huge land beside it and built a larger dance studio, a swimming pool, a theatre for recitals and performances, a large playground and more rooms for the varied workshops offered. Because of the new facilities, the center has gained a great reputation and attracted more members since it now accepted teenagers and even adult s. There are also workshops for adults such as Sculpting, Painting and Photography as well as some dance classes. The center is busiest in the afternoons after school when the children come for their workshops and tutorial sessions and during summer when all the workshops are fully-booked. Currently, there are some playgroups and preschool classes offered in the mornings and day care service the whole day, with some night shifts for children whose parents work at night. Weekends are particularly heavy, as multiple workshops are ongoing for all age brackets as well as the use of the facilities is maximized. The population of the members is comprised of various nationalities and ages. The center is staffed by about 50 people occupying positions in administration, teaching, public relations, program management, maintenance and security,

Interpersonal Communication Speech or Presentation

Interpersonal Communication - Speech or Presentation Example Interpersonal communication includes sending and receiving messages between two or more individuals. This form of communication involves all aspects of communication such as listening, asserting, persuading and non-verbal communication among others. In addition, the individuals communicate on different interpersonal levels depending on the individuals they are communicating with (DeVito 5). This asserts that the interpersonal communication skills involved when an individual is communicating with a family member is different when the same individual is communicating with a friend. In successful interpersonal communication, the senders and recipients of messages are supposed to understand the messages, their meanings and implications. In addition, interpersonal thinking plays a crucial role in establishing concentration and certain problem solving skills (DeVito 8). Interpersonal communication is regarded as the most private form of communication. Some of the examples of interpersonal communication include day dreams, talking to oneself and comprehending a book article. In fact, this information occurs in an informal setting. The observer can also use cues of posture, dressing or even facial expressions to make an impression on the role of the other individual. This is because individuals have the ability to send and receive messages in a non-verbal form. In the movie â€Å"You’ve Got Mail†, Meg Ryan fell in love with Tom Hanks through the internet. This was after a series of disclosures that were made using the email. In this case, the two characters forge a relationship just like individuals who are having a face to face interaction. These characters got attracted to each other and eventually fell in love. These individuals were attracted to daily conversations in the cyberspace. However, the email is continually becoming the playground, birthplace and graveyard for several personal relationships (DeVito 9). There are several elements of interpers onal communication. These elements include the communicators, the message, feedback, noise, communication channel and the context. Based on the movie, the two-way communication process between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks was an interactive process. They used the email as a channel to convey their messages. The context of the message entails the love affair between the two individuals. In this case, there are several forms of noise including the use of complicated jargon, inattention, disinterest, errors, cultural differences and inappropriate body language (DeVito 12). As stated in the communication theory, noise has a highly significant role in interpersonal communication. The interpersonal communication in the movie is a two-way communication which involves two parties. In this two-way communication, the sender of the message is receptive to feedback. The one-way communication is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, in the movie â€Å"You’ve Got Mail†, they use the egalitarian style which involves sharing of information other than directing behavior. The egalitarian style is employed in order to stimulate the opinions and ideas of other individuals to arrive at a mutual understanding. From an interpersonal communication perspective, the trends in the face to face communication are considered as the most crucial ingredient in the development of interpersonal relationships (DeVito 18). Development in the communicat