Disabled Children and Education Essay

A lot of disabled children nowadays are taking to American schools in the pursuit of quality education. Even if there is some semblance of community support, or even school-wide support, it is alarming to note that there is still much to be done. There is still a lack of good studies and research made on the unique needs of disabled children. Also, there is a continuous threat of non-school intervention in cases that sometimes warrant to the harassment of disabled children within school premises, and even the lack of school facilities that are specially created for the comfort and enjoyment of the school’s disabled student populace. Finally, even a recent study suggests that even given the support the disabled child has in the form of the alignment of IDEA and NCLB, they have to contend with the many changes it could bring to present attitudes, what they believe in, as well as what they hold dear in helping disabled students achieve the best in their educational lives. Introduction Students with physical disabilities – especially those who have opted to enroll themselves in institutions that are meant for â€Å"normal† students – have always been beset with a lot of challenges through every step of their educational process. see more:importance of school facilities to students From the choice of the school, to its environment, and available curricula, physically disabled students have always been limited to what they could choose that also basically suits them. Abend (2001) stresses the importance of the entire school experience for the disabled students and has reported about the current laws and regulations put in place that were meant to protect them. These include the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 that was later renamed as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act or IDEA in 1990, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. IDEA is a â€Å"refitted† version of the Education For All Handicapped Children Act, which has made it possible for disabled children to get equal educational rights. It was more concerned with knowing more about disabled children and focused on making special education and other related services available for them. IDEA on the other hand, with its amendments in 1997, made it possible for disabled students to be able to study with non-disabled students, and championed the said cause. Abend also tells of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA of 1990 that then enforces laws that made schools safer and more accessible for disabled students. The ADA is put in place for schools to either follow ADA Accessibility Guidelines or ADAAG or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or UFAS. Unfortunately, the UFAS and the ADAAG are designed not with the disabled children in mind, especially the disabled students of school age. Giangreco, Dennis, Cloninger, Edelman and Schattman (1993) also noted the issue of teachers who are teaching disabled children as well. It is considered important because, aside from the school environment, disabled students would also have to deal with teachers who could or could not deal with them efficiently like their normal counterparts. As the concept of allowing the disabled children to join their non-disabled classmates in general education courses is supported by a lot of educators, some are rather still doubtful as to what extent should this inclusion would be. Giangreco, Edelman, Luiselli and MacFarland (1997) have also reported about the use of instructional assistants that now serve to support the said implementation of allowing disabled children to be able to study together with their non-disabled counterparts on a classroom. As part of the new efforts of being able to actually complement the increase of disabled children to be accommodated, school administrators, teachers and instructional assistants alike are facing increasing pressure from the parents of such children to provide better care. Aside from making the school actually safe and its environment actually conducive to ensuring equal opportunities for education between disabled and non-disabled children, school administrators would also have to deal with the â€Å"hostility† of the normal students themselves, especially in taking to bullying disabled children in their own classes. Hergert (2004) has reported that bullying has been increasingly getting the nefarious attention that it deserves from the media as well as educational journals. The report does include other factors that lead to bullying aside from the children having been physically impaired in some way, such as being ethnically diverse, the children being bullied of different ages, and live in communities where a lot of the people who live there could single them out from being â€Å"different†, such as small or big cities, and even those living in suburban areas. In light of such problems, the National Council on Disability has taken measures in order to improve the educational opportunities of such disabled students. Frieden (2004) has presented a paper which details all the research that the NCD has undertaken, with the cooperation of several schools as well as integration with IDEA as well as the No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB, one of the most ambitious educational laws that were put in place that sought to enhance American education especially through reading and mathematics, measured by their own respective standardized tests. Statement Of The Issue To Be Investigated Students with physical disabilities are enrolling in public schools all across America at an increasing rate. As is already indicated by the recent studies, American lawmakers are striving to get a better grip of this problem and introduce laws which would enable disabled students to have an equal chance at education like their non-disabled counterparts. Frieden (2004) has created a report that shows how very determined the American educational system is in actually curbing that said issue. The issue in question, giving disabled students a clear chance at education, already has several laws to its credit, but as Frieden also already states, the recent study that they have has its many implications. On one side, a lot of educators and schools are very much concerned in providing better schools for these disabled children, but on another side, they are grappling with the fact that the problem is enormous, and schools and school administrators are still quite daunted by the fact that there simply isn’t enough understanding and readiness as of yet as to handle this unique problem. The schools themselves are also beset with other problems such as meeting the yearly â€Å"report card† on their annual performance, and the impact that it could cause on the students with disabilities if things did not go as planned. The report also focused on the teachers as well as the strategies that they would most likely employ, with respect and with the support of the school administrators in question. It also details current research that the NCD has with regards to how they are coping with the problem at the moment. Despite this however, even if disabled students are afforded opportunities for equal chances for good education right now, they are still beset with a lot of problems. The report entails the findings that they have to a certain point that which still needs to be addressed. Literature Review Abend (2001) reports the various laws that were put in place in order to assure that disabled students, especially children, have the same opportunities just like their non-disabled counterparts when it comes to quality education . These laws and guidelines he discussed included: †¢ Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) †¢ Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) †¢ Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) †¢ Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) †¢ ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) There is also Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112) that worked in close tandem with that of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Whereas the 1975 Act was more concerned with the services that are given to disabled children, Section 504 deals with whether or not the disabled children would have need of such services. However, as it was already discussed, the use of the UFAS or the ADAAG was more tailored to suit disabled adults more than it can be used for disabled students. Abend goes on to discuss one of the key factors of the success of an overall rehabilitation of the current stand on disabled students bid on education – how the school should be set up. Schools are considered as the second homes to students throughout most of their school lives, and it is important that disabled children should also be comfortable with how they would be willing to spend almost an entire day in such a facility. The school facilities in question should not only be the furniture that could be found inside a classroom – it also deals with the environment of the classroom (if it’s comfortable, too noisy, or too cramped), where the disabled students could go to after school hours (such as playgrounds and the school grounds), and the security of the school. Concerns about air quality are also aired because of the fact that disabled children are highly susceptible to fluctuation in air quality, especially if the child is to go to a general education school. Ensuring that disabled children could actually go around in a school that is also designed for their comfort actually helps a lot in the process of ensuring that they also get quality education. Other important factors that contribute to sound and quality education for disabled children include highly qualified teachers as well as highly qualified instructional assistants. Giangreco et al. (1993) and Giangreco et al. (1997) report on the many benefits that highly qualified teachers and instructional assistants could give to disabled children in the classroom setting. There are educators who feel strongly that disabled children should be able to join their non-disabled classmates in a normal classroom setting, but there are some who are still worried up to what extent should it be made possible. It is also the same with instructional assistants who serve as â€Å"extensions† of the teacher in a classroom, especially when coordinating with the teachers to also include them in class discussion and attending to the special needs of their â€Å"charges†. As they are tasked with the overall management of the classroom, they are also in charge of looking over what happens within that classroom, and sometimes it is more than just staying within the lessons. However, as Hergert (2004) relates, such disabled students’ incidents concerned with bullying by other children are traditionally a â€Å"hands-off† matter when it comes to school affairs. There are cases however that some schools also act upon complaints made by the students who are harassed. Hergert is concerned about, along with the problems of teachers and educational assistants of the best caliber to educate and attend to disabled students’ needs, how the school community still seems to deny the fact that bullying is such a huge problem and dismissing such complaints as overreactions from the students. However, with Frieden’s (2004) report, all such problems are then equated and are meticulously laid out, in response to such problems. Aside from ensuring sound school environments for disabled children to actually find themselves become part of the classroom experience itself, the report has also talks about what the schools can do in order to combat these problems. These are accomplished by strategies that are based upon what typically goes on in a school during their disabled children programs like counseling and the like. Common factors were discovered and goals were also set out, along with the best strategies that could help bring about it. Findings Frieden’s (2004) report has noted several findings on the educational crisis faced by America’s disabled children. Although there is enough reason to believe that disabled children nowadays have better opportunities in getting a better education, it still comes up short. Aside from the overwhelming responsibilities of implementing new and improved means of getting disabled children the education that they deserve, the NCD also has to look over problems of reducing the percentage of disabled children who drop out of schools, ensuring that there are more disabled children who graduate with high school diplomas, and look over available strategies that would ensure the success of a school’s disabled children educational program. Based on Abend and Hergert’s independent studies, the focus on the needs of disabled children through adequate school facilities and the bullying problem are either ill-fit for the children themselves or largely ignored by the school. There is still an inadequacy in trying to solve this problem, and is reflected in Frieden’s report. Also, the problem of finding the best educators for the disabled children themselves counts as another task that needs to be attended to. Lastly, the problem of implementing such improvements on a school-wide basis, mainly through following the guidelines set by the IDEA and NCLB alignment, also needs a lot of attention. Implementing such guidelines is an entirely different thing when it has to be maintained successfully, and this is what the Frieden report has sought to recommend for future studies and research on the matter. Discussion Getting quality education for disabled children is a daunting task. This is more so if the current stakes are too high. In correspondence with the integration of both IDEA and NCLB, the Public Schools of North Carolina (2005) has released guidelines and procedures that schools found statewide would have to implement with regards to the reauthorization of IDEA back in 2004. The guidelines include also the various responsibilities that the test coordinators would have to accomplish in order to disseminate information to North Carolina statewide schools with regards to documentation, job responsibilities, staff training, and other procedures and guidelines. As part of the results that came after the alignment of IDEA and NCLB, the guidelines are a clear sign of, in the given North Carolina example that American education is indeed in an upswing. However, NCLB has, at that time, not actually improved American education as a whole, but mostly benefited schools who were grappling with their own adequate yearly performance or AYP woes. Aside from this, Frieden also noted how it was difficult to keep up with all the assessments that are needed by the NCLB in order to correctly gauge their academic skills. Also, it was very difficult for school leaders to realign assessments as well as other requirements that would allow disabled children to fully become part of the classroom discussion and cope with their own academic performance. Strategies meant to complement disabled children education also come up a little short at that time, because of limited research. The studies that are available are either aimed at younger students not fit for other levels, the studies in themselves where done with limited student participation in numbers, the studies are only concentrated on one kind of disability, or there are no programs available that would help to alleviate the disabled student dropout rate. Also, even if some education programs are set in place, there is still a lot of concern in regards to a lack of support from administrators, the time and effort used in order to implement them, lack of materials, ill-fitting teaching styles, limited teacher understanding of the practice or even not remembering it at all, and ill-fit between what is considered as â€Å"safe† for implementing in a state with regards to their own local guidelines. Conclusion The scope of undertaking the problem of the quality education of disabled children is very different from what one could expect when tackling educational concerns of non-disabled children. This is not to say that one is clearly much more important than the other, but it means that what American education has for now for disabled children is still continuously undergoing a lot of transformation, and is still in serious need of continuous study and research. Frieden’s report basically sums up everything about the problems that disabled children education currently face, and leaves a daunting message that clearly states there is still a lot to be done yet. This concern is not just because of what schools must do in order to make the annual â€Å"report card grade† of their performance – it means that disabled students who are enrolled in their schools need to be attended to, and have different special needs than their non-disabled counterparts. Nurturing such students and giving them equal educational opportunities are the keys in which the school thrives and survives in situations that warrant what â€Å"best education† could be expected from schools. This, alongside with their commitment to bringing the best education and American child could possibly have, should serve as their goal. References Abend, A. C. (2001) Planning and Designing for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. edfacilities. org/pubs/disabilities. pdf Frieden, L. (2004) Improving Educational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. educationalpolicy. org/pdf/NCD. pdf Giangreco, M. F. , Dennis, R. , Cloninger, C. , Edelman, S. W. & Schattman, R. (1993) â€Å"Experiences of Teachers Educating Students With Disabilities† in Exceptional Children, vol. 5. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. uvm. edu/~mgiangre/EC9359(4)359-372. pdf

English Literature Essay

The â€Å"Infant Sorrow† is a short, two stanza poem featuring a young baby who is in fear that his mother and father do not love or want him. The young baby first feels sorrow when, â€Å"My mother groaned†, here the baby is feeling like his mother does not want him although she could me â€Å"groaning† about a number of things. The mother could already have a lot of children and not want to bring another up into the world or she may not have enough money, the â€Å"groaning† could also however be due to the pain of child birth. The young baby then sees his father, â€Å"my father wept† this is also a feeling of loneliness for the child. But as with the mother, the father could be crying for a number of reasons, the â€Å"weeping† of the father is not tears of joy as in innocence it is tears of sorrow. This initial sorrow is loneliness and neglect, this is because of the mother and fathers reaction to its birth. The second feeling of sorrow is helplessness, the baby feels helpless in the world, this should not happen because the mother and father should help and look after it. â€Å"Helpless, naked, piping loud†, using the word â€Å"Helpless† suggests that the new baby feels vulnerable, which is extremely experienced for a baby. Using the word â€Å"naked† shows embarrassment for the baby. It shows that the baby is feeling insecure and without warmth. The choice of words used by the baby are experienced throughout the poem, they all show the sorrowed feelings of the baby during child birth. b) How do language and form communicate the emotions expressed in this poem?  The emotions expressed in this poem are all experienced; there are feelings of sorrow, depression, loneliness, and vulnerability from the baby.  In the first stanza the words â€Å"groaned† and â€Å"wept† are used to show the emotions of the parents; however they can be interpreted in many ways. When the baby talks of the dangerous world it has just entered it suggests â€Å"leaping†, this could mean that the baby has been pushed into an experienced world and situation, this could also be a reason for the mother and father to be upset about the birth. The baby refers to itself as â€Å"a fiend†, an experienced word meaning a cruel wicked and inhuman person, this shows that the baby has strong emotions of neglect from its parents. The whole of the first stanza symbolises the change of state for the new born baby, it changing from being in the womb to being in the dangerous outside world and having no one to look after it, â€Å"helpless†. The opening stanza also shows that the real world is a dangerous place to live in, it is unpleasant and un secure for the baby. In the second stanza the baby is talking about its true feelings and again how its mother and father are reacting to it. Throughout the poem we know that the fat her is in control, he has power over the new born baby, we know this from phrases such as â€Å"Struggling in my father’s hands†, suggesting that the fathers hands are controlling the baby. The baby also talks of â€Å"swaddling bands†, in the past these have been seen as ways to keep your baby close to you and wrapped up tightly to create the atmosphere of being in the womb, however here â€Å"swaddling bands† are used to symbolise restraint and control of the father and separation from the mother completely. In innocence, a baby is suggested to be a gift from God, something to admire, look after and love, however, in experience the baby is seen as corrupt, in â€Å"Infant Sorrow† the baby is hidden away, â€Å"Bound and weary† To end the second stanza the word â€Å"sulk† is used, normally the word â€Å"sulk† would be linked with children or teenagers, youths mainly however here the baby uses â€Å"sulk† to describe its own emotion. This shows a sign of rebellion on the baby’s behalf, the baby has simply given up trying to fight against these feelings of hatred from this mother and father, â€Å"To sulk upon my mother’s breast†.

Power point use in work envirnoment Essay

Cynthia Computer Application-205 Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Microsoft Word-Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 lead global in the development and production of software and software-related services and solutions. Initially known for home computers, Microsoft, headquartered in Washington, now offers various operating systems and software for desktop computers. This multinational company strives to help the worldwide business community improve efficiency and productivity. In recent years, this company has battled criticism concerning what some consider monopolistic, anti-competitive business practices. Despite legal setbacks including antitrust violations sanctioned by the US Department of Justice, Microsoft remains a major player in its field. In today’s business environment demands the sharing of data, mobile technology and speedy communication. Microsoft provides tools enabling business to be productive and communicate effectively regardless of location. Outlook serves as the portal for e-mail, tasks, calendar and contacts. Microsoft office line workspace, boasting online storage space, enables users to save access and share documents throughout the world. Mobile Technology like smartphones, which supply the user with advanced computing options allow you to stay connected to businesses. Microsoft office Accounting Express 2008 offers small start-up or at home businesses a resource for accounting processing and procedures. The software includes invoices, budget and finance template and profit and loss statements. Office Excel surpasses manual, paper-based spreadsheets in terms of ease of use and accuracy. Businesses confront an ever-growing number of security threats. Many businesses elect to use Microsoft Vista operating system as a measure to protect their data. Vista boasts account control, troubleshooting and diagnostic features and spyware blocker. Microsoft Security Essentials, introduce in 2009, offers antimalware solutions at no cost to consumers who use Genuine Windows-based PCs. Large business may choose Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate; Ultimate offers Bit Lockers Drive Encryption for maximum data protection. Microsoft lost its standing as the leading global software company in May 2010. Apple, once on the verge of extinction focused on innovative, new consumer products to generate growth; a popular line of hand-held devices contributed to the company’s surge in profitability. In contrast, Microsoft, despite sporadic new systems releases, primarily lies mainly on preserving the existing business. Although Microsoft remains a strong player in the market, the company continues to face stiff competition. PowerPoint is an excellent tool for employee training and online learning. Business owners and company managers can use the programs to create compelling and interactive slide shows to demonstrate new products, train new workers and help existing customers get the most out of the products they buy. In fact there are a great many advantages to using PowerPoint as an online learning tool. One of the most powerful things about PowerPoint is the fact that it can corporate animation features and clip art. Its ability to incorporate sound is another powerful benefit of PowerPoint as an online learning tool. The sound functions of this program can make the slide show more interactive and less boring, and too can encourage visitors to stay with the training. Companies can use this interactive feature of PowerPoint to overcome problems and make their training sessions compelling. PowerPoint contains a number of powerful interactivity tools that makes it easy for users to engage the attention of the entire online audience. The improvement done to Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 is the ability to group the dates in the dropdown list into years and months. That means you don’t have to create a new column to identify the years and months of each row using Excel formulas. In Excel 2010, you can customize your own Ribbon tab. It can be used as commands in one place. In this way you do not have to click from one tab to another to find your commonly used command. In the earlier years of Excel (2003 and below), sorting can only be done based on the color coding in the cell, Not only that, you can also sort the records by the font color. That’s new in Excel 2002 and 2010. Multiple conditional is not made easy Excel 2007 and 2010. In the older Excel version 2003 and below, we are to count based on one single condition. When using Excel 2003, multiple conditions sum has to be done using the formula SUMPRODUCT or combining all the conditions into one before applying the formula SUMIF to data. With the new Excel 2007, you can now easily sum up the values based on more than one condition by using the SUMIF’s fomula.

May 3, 1808 by Francisco Goya Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

May 3, 1808 by Francisco Goya - Term Paper Example The massacre was a violent act that must have left a strong impression on the artist as there are two paintings in existence about the events, one for the fight on May 2nd and the other depicting the events of May 3rd. Whenever an action of war usurps the freedom of a region, resistance becomes the only way in which to fight the occupying armies. As most under armed and poorly manned military resistance goes when attempted by civilians, the rebellion was put down within a day even though French blood was spilled. In order to reassert power and order, the French occupying army arrested and quickly executed those who were most prominent in the uprising. The power of that event and the consequences that followed appeared to have inspire this painter to commemorate the event through the artist medium that was his skill. According to the evidence that the painting presents, the idea that Goya witnessed the events is highly probable. The emotions on the canvas not only provide a tale of the heroism of the rebels, but it shows the despair and the fear that would beyond the romanticism that might be found in a piece that is only documenting what might have happened, rather than the details of what did happen on that sorrowful day. The French army is clearly considered the enemy as they stand in a row that is rigid and without individuality, while the Spanish rebels are shown having individual responses and movement, thus giving them a more human appearance. The French are shown as a unit, a single tide of destruction, where the Spanish are men, vulnerable and The piece is one of two works of art created to commemorate the infamous date and actions of that heroic rebellion. The companion piece, The Second of May 1808, shows a fury of movement with no central action taking the focus of the work. This suggests that a point of view was found by the artist that expressed the confusion and excess of activity that was difficult to process into one focal moment.

Religious Liberty Talk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religious Liberty Talk - Essay Example Thus, for widely distributed network of people, freedom of religion becomes hugely important issue. The article explores the speech of President Obama at the recent National Prayer Breakfast which was attended by eminent people across different segment of society. Kathleen has criticized Obama who had ‘lamented eroding protection of religious liberty’ across the globe’. She says that it is unethical of Obama to talk about religious liberty when modules of healthcare reforms of Obamacare are distinct in their violation of religious liberty, especially the contraceptive mandate. She contends that while overtly we may be supporting the issue, covert actions and diminishing redlines between state and religion has become major concern. The author’s has rightly brought the issue to the limelight as Obama administration has adopted confrontational attitude with regard to religious liberty. The case of Hobby Lobby and Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are significant in their differing opinions. In the later case, jury had unanimously voted against the government interference in the recruitment of minister in church. Indeed, religious freedom is inherently linked to democratic postulates of American constitution that promote freedom of actions and thoughts. By infringing the religious freedom of individuals within a multicultural society, the government is also violating constitutional rights of the

The Year of Living Dangerously - Vision Can Be a Model for Knowledge Essay

The Year of Living Dangerously - Vision Can Be a Model for Knowledge - Essay Example The symbol comes through Billy helping Guy to see. Guy internalizes traditions of the west as a way of objectifying and distancing the virtue of knowledge when he says, "I gave her to you, and now I'm taking her back (Gibson 16)". By defining self in the opposition context, Guy develops a primary demeanor and attitude of disagreement. The guy makes it clear from the start that there is no way he will involve himself in ensuing affairs. However, Billy takes the initiative of going parallel in a connective and paradoxical manner in exploring the function of vision. Billy associates vision with empathy, commitment, and contact. Billy replaces communion in likeness Guy’s opposition via difference. In his view, Billy wants the verb ‘to see’ remain synonymous with ‘feeling’ as a verb. This is different from other parts of the world as â€Å"Algonquian Indian languages do not have tenses (not that they cannot express time if they wish), but rather have "ani mate" and "inanimate" verb forms, so they automatically think in terms of whether things around them have a life essence or not.† Billy makes effort to visualize the real Djakarta that covers thousands of people living in poor conditions because of humble backgrounds. Therefore, they die from multiple diseases and starvation. Conclusively, the film in celebration of the medium as a movie highlights pessimistic statements concerning possible opportunities. Weir, the director, encounters inherent features met by the visual image when it tries entering the human conscience.

Quality Assurance Procedure With Regard To Student's Ability-Based Essay

Quality Assurance Procedure With Regard To Student's Ability-Based Assessment - Essay Example This paper will explore an analysis of quality assurance with regard to Student ability-based assessment. The paper will also develop and examine the underlying issues and causes that trigger student’s ability-based assessment as a way of quality assurance in college. Student’s Ability-Based Assessment Institutions of higher learning for adults are very complex and dynamic. It is, thus, necessary to carry out student ability-based assessments for lecturers to be able to understand whether what they teach in the classroom is being understood by the students. Student ability-based assessment is seen to lead to program assessment. Wilkin (2000 p.18) notes that the ultimate goal is not only to determine the student’s competency but also to determine corrective actions that may be taken to ensure that competency is reached. Student assessment scores are also used by the college as a measure of yearly progress (Denton and Brown 2009 p.217-229). Cicchelli and Ashby-Davi s (2011) argues that one of the major determinants of achievement of the learning task is to be able to establish the cognitive-entry characteristics of a person. Therefore, it is important to assess such entry characteristics before issuing instructions since many lecturers today are faced with teaching exceptional students and adults in the regular classroom. What triggered the introduction of student ability-based assessment in my college was the fact that a number of students were found only to show competencies in some of the subjects without due regard to the others. For example, in a course that exhibits two abilities as outcomes targets, some students were found to perform superbly in one, in which they even obtain a grade (â€Å"A†) but could completely show a big contrast in the other with a grade â€Å"F†. In some situations, the overall grade of some students would reflect an average performance of grade â€Å"C† giving the student opportunity to pro gress through the curriculum. However, the truth of the matter is that the student lacks the ability to be deemed necessary by the faculty of the college. For this reason, the college administration, through assessment division, deemed it necessary for student assessments to be done as a quality assurance procedure so that a curriculum based on the student’s ability can be introduced as suggested by Denton and Brown (2009 p.217-229). The introduction of student ability-based assessment was also to enable the college set a curriculum that is able to nature students with competence in their areas of study that meet labor market demands. This is after a survey showed that many graduates of the college lacked expected competency that meets the skills demanded in the labor market. The initial perception among the students was that the assessment was being carried out as a normal exam test procedure. It was until late that students came to discover that it was a way of examining in dividual student competency so that the college administration could come up with student curriculum validation procedures that meet the skills required in the labor market. Analysis of the Incident Wilkin (2000 P.6) argues that national demand for educational accountability has triggered interest in a number of assessment techniques through which institutions of learning can demonstrate responsibility and effectiveness. Ability-based education is such an approach used as

Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Report - Coursework Example Communication can only be successful and effective, it has to be two way. Therefore, this implies that a good manager should not only be a good orator but also a good listener. This means that it is not only the managers who would be the cause of communication breakdown in the organisation but the employees as well. Employees need to have the confidence to share any concerns they may have concerning the running of the organisation since in the end they also have some stake in the performance of the organisation. The aim of this report was to identify the possible causes of lack of communication in the organization, and from these propose possible recommendations that could ensure better management, and greater and better communication between managers and the staff. Fear makes the staff feel the urge to protect them. In such a case, they are likely not to be open to sharing any interests or thoughts pertaining to their work in the organisation. Consequently, this will result in subdued communication in the organisation. This makes it hard for the staff in the organisation to work towards attaining the goals and objectives of the organisation. Inevitably, the organisation will suffer and lose its competitive edge in the overly competitive market. According to the egalitarian theories of leadership, everyone at the place of work are equal and need to be treated like so. This will ensure that the employees feel free enough to easily share their views. In an instance where the members of the organisation lack any form of commitment to the achievement of the goals and objectives, they tend to slack. They will not have the drive to perform well or do their assigned work to the best of their abilities. The staff will barely focus on what it takes in order for the organisation to success. The result of this is normally lack of communication. According to Douglas McGregor’s Theory Y of management

Theories of Media Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theories of Media - Movie Review Example The only tool he has in this philosophical battlefield is his charisma and skills in clever rationalization. In actuality, the film centers on Nick's crisis of conscience as he denies the hazards, rhetoric, and moral qualms that his job involve with. Adding to the complication of the story is the presence of his son, who chooses to believe him despite the obvious facts that are tagged along with the kind of career he has. Along the way he met two people that put twist on his life, the investigative report who thinks she got Naylor by the neck for her own scheme, and win the interest of the tobacco head honcho. The movie also tackles the wondrous possibilities of having enough money to bribe certain responsible media, such as film, to advertise almost anything even hazardous element like cigarettes. It takes near to death experience and a child's welfare that convinced Naylor to oppose his expertise. Even not directly stated, but the sub message is clear that Hollywood is more influential and glamorous than the Washington, but still both cities are essentially in the same business of promoting and tolerating public influential ideas. Putting in an ugly light the moral sectors who themselves have moral issues to resolve with, and depicting the being of a person of the social antagonist. The film balances between the stand of smokers and non-smokers. Leaving to the audience the decision which argument they most likely conformed. It is the matter of choice that matters and how responsible one should be with his stand. THE AUDIENCE Joey, Nick Naylor's son, informally represents the audience of the film, putting up sympathy toward his father's job by agreeing his arguments, but still having his own mind, doubtful about cigarette smoking. And like Joey, audience able to understand that Nick is only doing his job in order "to pay his mortgage", just like anyone else working. The production targeted mature audiences because of its theme. It is an engine to capsulate the culture and business of professional argument. Informally aim for public awareness about social influence. THEORIES OF MEDIA In the movie, a certain journalist, played by Katie Holmes, has her own scheming method to penetrate the perspective of a tobacco lobbyist. A person like Nick Naylor, in his status, is a subject for media content. Like Gazeteciler stated, every angle of the hero's argument and personality is subject for news framework, it is changeable. California's Proposition 99 is a response to the neo-puritanical culture. It is the real issue ongoing sub context to the film. The aim of this form of media is to awaken the senses of the public or rather a reminder of how social influence and authoritarian responsibilities in a way audience can relate and sympathize with. Even before this film is played in cinemas, it already gains both praises and negative critiques. The content of the movie itself is controversial enough to even produce a 'gimmick' for its press release. The title could catch attention of the authority concerns, enough for them to get alarmed. That's why the press release agency effortlessly brought the advertisement of this film, but still aware that it won't be in a blockbuster list because of its sensitive theme and the fact that some genre of audiences cannot be allowed for

Sex Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sex Education - Essay Example The advantages of teaching sex education at home include the outcome that children will gain a sense of appreciation and high regard for their sexuality. This may be undertaken with parents who want them to enjoy and celebrate that very special part of their being. It is possible for parents to attain self-respect for their children if they are able to appropriately and relevantly teach them sex education at home. This self-respect is one that can be ensured by parents in their children regarding their sexuality, given that they teach them responsibly. This vision may be best promoted at home by providing a loving and thoughtful sex education. The demand that parents speak to their children is high in today's intense peer and media pressures. There is also a compelling need for parents to be open-minded and communicative to their children regarding sex education. On the other hand, the advantages of learning education in school include objectivity, collective learning, and freedom of inquiries, which may not be found at home (if parents tend to be strict and conservative). Children will certainly appreciate more to learn sex education in school rather than at home, given this home environment. There might be uneasiness between the child and the parents, which might preempt the child from raising certain concerns, for which the school may be a good venue.

Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday Essay Example for Free

Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday Essay Finding something that will make it easier to plan your holiday It is not as easy as it looks to find a concept that you believe in and you think is going to make it easier or more convenient for people to travel. First I was trying too hard, finding something that would do amazing things, something that would be so new. Nothing came to my head, then I thought, why not just try something simple that I would like to have to help me planning my travels or for my friends. I had to stop trying to think something big as the small things are just as important when you are for example planning your trip. So after going through the thoughts that I was not going to find anything, something came into my head. Why not make a website that will help people travel around Iceland and maybe have an application that goes with it. I did some research before my presentation and found out what technology I could use. Then I went to class with the idea. Getting feedback and to work more with the concept After the presentation, the concept was more clear what it could have and what was needed to be done to get it going, as well as what more research needed. There were some new ideas from the class that in a way changed the purpose for the website and for the application. The research that had to been done was to look how many people could use it, maybe it would be a good idea to narrow it down in the beginning, so it would only be accessible for people that live in Iceland, to get the domestic tourism stronger, help people to travel in the own country before taking it further. So the concept was coming together and the next step was to do the research that had to be done to be sure that this would be possible for the travellers. Planning your dream holiday It is everyone’s dream to plan a dream holiday, it is not as easy as someone would think, there are so many information about different transport, activities, attractions, tours, accommodation and dinning. Putting all the information form each category into a database, each area would have its own database so it could work on its own as well as together. It is going to be a website as well as a application for I phone. The technology that Trip Sketch application is using with Green Traveller is similar as what is in this concept for the I phone, The focus going to be Iceland and not the USA or UK. For example for the website the customer will first have the opportunity to choose for how long the holiday is going to last and then what area of Iceland is interested for the customer. With that out of the way the customer can have the choice between the categories that were mention before, click on accommodation and there will be all the places in that area and if the customers click on for example a hotel they will get information about the hotel, where it is, how to get there, website, opening times and other important information. The customer can also save that hotel in his folder and later on compare different accommodations before booking the right one. This goes for all the things in the database. The application for the I phone is more for the customer on the road, following the technology as mention before with the opportunity to plan a day out. This is going to focus on domestic traveller at the beginning, if that is successful then it will be look at taking futher. What this concept idea will consist of The need to be able to make our own holiday in the comfort of your home is an increasing demand, this concept will help travellers build the dream holiday by going on a website, which will have multi choice questions so the person will answer questions related to what that the person would like to do on that holiday. It will look like questioners for the consumer and in the end the person will have all the information to plan and book the dream holiday. This site will only be available in Iceland for the start, if that goes well, then by time it will be open for international tourist that have Iceland on the list and there will be the opportunity to open a site for other countries if there is interest for it. The welcome page will consist of basic information about Iceland as well as safety tips for travelling in the country. There will be a demonstration on how the site works, similar to what is done on the website Just-Eat (Just-Eat 2010). On the page will be a sign in part, where the consumer will sign in and fill out basic information, like contact, age, gender, address and interests, this will create a username that will allow the consumer to log in anytime and will also store the searches that are conducted. There will be a â€Å"start your trip button† on the page that will take the consumer to the start of the exclusions process, the consumer will then be taken to a page where there will be a start of point choices. Like Region: the different region of the country – West, South, East, North and the West fjords. Adventure: for example; horseback riding, river rafting, hiking, sailing and more. Time: how long the trip can last, couple of hours, half a day, a day, week, month. Attractions: Culture and history: where the Icelandic culture and history are, like art galleries, museum, heritage centres, festivals for the arts and more. Based on the choice made, the consumer is taken to another page where there will be sub options to choose from, with the addition of accommodation. This process continues until the consumer presses finish and is presented with the result from the search that was undertaken. That would be called the travel plan and would give the consumer the insight of what kind of a holiday would be on offer. The opportunity is then available to book any aspect of the holiday right from the website. Like Travel option: booking a car rental, bus tickets or airplane tickets. Accommodation: hotels, country hotels, farmhouses, cottages, camping sites. Restaurants: would be able to make reservations for all the meals the consumer is thinking of having on the trip. Trips: the consumer would be able to book all the trips that would be on the travel plan. Tickets: to museums, festivals, shows and more. The flow chart below demonstrates the concept process of elimination to find the ideal holiday for the consumer. Figure 1.1 Flowchart for design concept The companies that want to take part in the website will need to create a retailer login, where the company will have to fill in an application form with all required information, such as Company name Type of activates: selected from a drop down menu. Location: where the company is based. Activities locations: where the activities are taking place. Dates: fill in a calendar with the upcoming activities. Prices: Range of package prices as well as prices for individual activities. Contact details: phone numbers, homepage, e-mails and contact person. Each company or business will have to fill out predetermined templates for each activity and these will then be available on the website instantly, the responsibility lies with each company to give accurate details. The templates are used so the website information is uniform for display to the consumer. A fixed charge will be taken for each booking that is made on the website, so the company will only pay if it gets business from the website. The website has two main objectives Assist the consumer in finding the ideal holiday. Assist local retailers in finding customers for the holiday activities. This is done by designing the website so that it only requires the input from consumers and retailers to function. Consumer input: search entries, holiday review, holiday request. Retailer input: holiday details, prices, dates. References: Just-Eat. (2010, November 17). Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Just-Eat: http://www.just-eat.co.uk/ What technology will support the concept and how Developing the concept will involve building up a web site that will take all the information that is needed and put it in the right places. Building up the website will go through several stages, taking the storyboard that is the foundation of the site (Sweeney 2008) and getting all the ideas on it is the first step, this gives the layout for the site at the beginning with the opportunity to improve further on. The second stage will be to get the information into the database that will be behind the web site as the storyboard is only the structure of the site but has no full information on it. The layout will have similarity to what TripSketch uses for the application Green traveller for the iphone . Using multi questions templates to plan a domestic holiday. It would be possible to take the website and turn it into an application for iphones or smart phones, which would then have to be in an area where there would be internet connection to be able to interact on the application and get the result straight into your phone. The concept is based around the use of a website as the interface for both the consumer and the retailer. This requires the development of a website interface that is linked to a database in which data is input or output to the interface. The consumers interface in one where the database is searched based on the input from the consumer is taken through a process of elimination. The consumer interface can be set up in many ways such as Search engine interface Single page multiple choice Multi page multiple choice The search engine interface allows the user to input any number of search terms and the n the database is searched and the results displayed. The pros of using this type is that it will make it easier for the consumer to find the activity that is on offer, however the user might not use the right words for the activity that will then resolve in not finding what is on offer. Single page multiple choice allows the user to input all choices on the same page and go straight to result page. This can be convenient if there are few choices in the form and holidays are mostly similar, the more the variety the more inconclusive the result will be. Multi page multiple choices allows the user to eliminate at each page before going to the next set of choices, this then only presents choices to the consumer based on its previous selections. Doing this the consumer will come to concentrated results and from there the user can select the ideal holiday. The retailer interface could have any numbers of styles to bring the data into the database as out of it, such as The website has employee that would take all the data that comes from the retailer and process them into the database that will then be available to the consumer through the website. The retailer would take all the data and put it into the database through the retailer interface on the website. That would then not require a special employee from the website and would then be more cost effective to the website. The site would be able to charge the consumers directly as bookings are made online, using online credit card facilities and possibly Paypal. In doing so the website can update the retailers account with the payment made and show the deducted amount to the website. The retailer is then paid on regular bases. The website could have a review interface for the consumer for a specific holiday that the consumer has undertaken. This would be an option for the user to do, as signed into the website and already gone on the trip, which would go into the database and be linked to the trip that the retailer has on offer as well as linked to the retailer. It would also be a possibility to have an comment box for the website that would give the consumer an opportunity to give comments on what could be improved data wise on the site as well as what has been done well and not so well. This data would then be send to the administrator for further improvement on the site The technology used for the website is widely used and thus easily implemented for this type of website. References: Bibliography Buhalis, D. (2003). eTourism Information technology for strategic tourism management. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Chris Cooper, J. F. (2008). Tourism; principles and practice. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Just-Eat. (2010, November 17). Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Just-Eat: http://www.just-eat.co.uk/ Nokia. (2010, November 15). Ovi daily app . Retrieved November 15, 2010, from Ovi store: http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/global/2010/08/travel-plans-in-your-future-try-tripsketch-green-traveler-for-nokia/ Page, S. J. (2009). Tourism management man; managing for change. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Sweeney, S. (2008). 101 Ways ti Promote Your Tourism Business Web Site. Jim Hoskins. Sweeney, S. (2009). 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. Jim Hoskins.

Why Abortion Is Wrong Essay Example for Free

Why Abortion Is Wrong Essay The concept of abortion up to this day is constantly being argued in politics. Is abortion wrong? Does the mother really have a say in whether or not she keeps the baby? Some politicians would argue yes; the mother has absolute control on what she wants to do with her body. Others would argue no; this violates many things in our American government, but which statement is correct? Abortion is wrong politically in many ways because it goes against our right to life, the Hippocratic Oath, and our right from cruel and unusual punishment. It should be outlawed in all of the United States Of America. The right to life is enshrined in article three of the universal declaration of human rights. It states, â€Å"every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his/ her life.† But when exactly does life start? When is a fetus actually considered to be alive? According to the Mayo clinics in Florida, Minnesota, and Arizona a fetus’s heart, brain, and other of its very vital organs start to form at week five of pregnancy. At week six its heart is already developed enough to pump blood throughout the body, and at week 7 the brain develops even faster than before. The baby at this point is also capable of â€Å"breathing,† Its lungs are developed and are working within its body, very similar to a baby already being held by its mother. Abortion is a huge rule breaker for doctors as well who take the Hippocratic Oath upon being licensed to become a physician. It states, â€Å"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asks for it, nor will I make suggestions of this effect, similarly I will not give a woman an abortive remedy.† The first and most obvious way in which this oath was broken is by giving a woman an abortive remedy. The doctors swear upon this oath that they will follow these guidelines of conserving life, and try their best to protect it, but by giving an abortion to a woman it is causing the murder of a living being. The second way, â€Å"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asks for it.† This statement is being broken because by giving a woman a deadly injection for the fetus, they are doing just that; giving her a deadly drug. The bill of rights, gives us the right from cruel and unusual punishment. Punishments to include torture, barbarous punishments, degrading punishments not known to the common law, and punishments so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the general moral sense. There are many ways to give an abortion, and every single one of these forms are considered cruel and unusual. Dilation and evacuation is one example of cruel and unusual punishment. This method of abortion is generally preformed in the second trimester of pregnancy. Forceps are used to rip away pieces of the developing baby body and remove them from the womb. Because the skull has often hardened by thing time, it may have to be crushed for removal. Another form of cruel and unusual punishment is Saline Amniocentesis, also known as â€Å"salt poisoning.† This method, first used in Nazi concentration camps and now common in America, is preformed during the second or early third trimester. A needle is injected into the abdomen and the amniotic liquid is removed. This is then replaced by a concentrated salt that burns away and deteriorates the baby’s skin. Within three days the mother goes into labor and delivers a dead, burned baby, and in some cases the baby may still even be alive. One last method is partial birth abortion. Using ultrasound the abortionist grasps the baby’s leg with forceps, and partially delivers all but the head. Scissors are then jammed into the back of the babies skull and the wound is pried opened. A powerful vacuum is then inserted and sucks out the baby’s brain. Partial birth abortion is normally done during the late second or early third trimester of pregnancy. Abortion is in no way acceptable, and should be banned from the U.S. There are so many evident rules being broken, that is hard to understand why some places in America still allow it to happen. Abortion is politically wrong because it takes away the right of life, it gives no importance to the sworn oath, and allows all these forms of cruel and unusual punishment.

Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills

Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills This essay will be used as a tool to critique and improve my leadership and management skills as this is essential to the changes that are needed in the NHS improvement plan. In this process I have identified my leadership strengths as well as my development needs. I have used self assessment and feedback from colleagues in the form of my managers, peers and direct reports. I have also reflected upon my vision and style of management and further identified areas that can be enhanced into making me a more versatile leader as this is important to the NHS modernisation programme (DH 2000). With this information I have formulated an action plan that is SMART (Specific, Measureable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time bound) (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). Leadership is essential and central to the current NHS modernisation programme. In fact the department of health quotes anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). In simple terms the department of health is looking towards its own staff to develop and deliver their NHS improvement plan and are looking for visionary staff at all levels of experience (DH 1999). The changes that I have had to lead and am currently leading have been driven by reducing waiting times for new case patients as well as implementing the 18 week Pathway from referral to treatment (DH 2006). Other drivers for change and improvement have been the implementation of the Choose and Book system, whereby patients are invited to choose where they are referred and given the option of booking their appointments. The reason for these changes on a whole has been to provide a faster, more user friendly and convenient access to care for patients requiring treatment (DH 2005). My professional title is Head of Orthoptic Services which is an allied health profession. I have to provide clinical leadership whilst ensuring a comprehensive and equitable service is provided that is responsive to changing needs, that is flexible to change and has to directly follow department of health guidelines and changes. My leadership role is to manage and develop the Orthoptic Services within the framework of national guidelines and ensure that effective communication across 3 hospital based departments, out-reach clinics, special schools and screening clinics is adhered to, to enable effect change. Within this role I am met with challenges that are set from management levels above me that I have to react to within my sphere of influence. These may include financial management, staffing levels, waiting targets and service developments in line with the NHS improvement plan (DH 2004). In providing these changes the challenges that I face are mainly down to financial constraint s and staffing levels. Staffing levels are always an issue since our department lost a member of staff due to recruitment and retention, and as a method of cost savings the post was dissolved. Conflict is often an issue as change is at this time frequent and often initially met with resistance and negativity; I myself can initially have these reactions and project them. My personal vision of leadership is to be a transformational leader. This type of leader has the skills to share their vision, motivate their team and gain commitment, which will as a result inspire performance (Bennis, 2003, p 31-46). I am keen to motivate my staff by giving them objectives that I feel are appropriate and within their capabilities; this gives them a varied, inspiring work life and will broaden and increase their interests. This has been highlighted in my LQF feedback which I will discuss in greater detail later. I feel this is also how the department of health envisions how leadership will carry forward their NHS improvement plan (DH 2001). However, this is sometimes not always possible and in more challenging times I can become more of a transactional leader. I feel sometimes when I have to pass on objectives that people are resistant to, then reward and punishment which is characteristic of transactional leadership comes into force. One example of this was when a member of staffs competencies was called into question due to consistently producing clinically inadequate test results. My leadership philosophy is to be a leader who has inspirational qualities and to be credible. This should involve being approachable, hard working, trustworthy, competent and supportive. If I am able to fulfil these criteria then I feel I will have credibility as a leader and or manager. This is what followers expect of a leader (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 19-31). The reason for this is because a confident and competent leader will have the ability and capabilities which will be obvious to their followers. They will be able to share their vision which will inspire the staff to follow in their footsteps. To be a successful leader it is important to self assess and understand about self-knowledge. If one is able to identify their strengths and any areas for development, this will result in being able to set realistic parameters and be able to capitalise on their strengths, interests and capabilities (Bennis, 2003, p47-64). I have therefore completed an assessment of myself by using the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 360 Feedback assessment tool (LQF). I have also completed a shortened Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to identify my personality type. The LQF is based upon research with over 3,328 participants and is evidence based grounded research with 150 NHS Chief Executives and Directors of all disciplines. This makes it a robust form of assessment (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). . My criticism of the LQF would be that you have to carefully select who you feel is able to fill it out in a critical but positive way. I feel that if this is not done it has the ability to skew the percentage scales especially if there has only been small numbers of participants in each group. This creates statistically insignificant results. Finally some of my direct reports felt that the language and questions were quite technical and needed some form of political astuteness and management knowledge, therefore making it difficult to fill out completely accurately. I have been able to identify key qualities from the LQF which not only fit in with my leadership philosophy but in my role as a leader. Some of these qualities I had no idea I possessed. I appear confident and am approachable, supportive, motivated, focused, determined and a good communicator. I also have the will to see service developments; this is key to the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plans (DH 2000). These qualities have been identified by my managers, peers and direct reports. Some of these qualities fit in with being a transformational leader which is clearly what is important to the department of healths improvement plan. Interestingly some of my needs for development have been identified as not being self-confident, not dealing with disciplinary needs and identifying slipping standards, these development needs all point to a more transactional form of leadership or the more management orientated tasks. This process (LQF) has forced me to be far more critical and reflective of myself. It has been uncomfortable at times as some of the feedback has been quite damning of my leadership style, however it is apparent that this is an anomaly in the process and not the general feeling from the rest of the participants. It has highlighted to me key strengths that I have aspired to possess, and it has clearly highlighted areas needed for development, some of which I feel I may have been subconsciously aware of. An example of my strengths directly ties in with the department of healths NHS modernisation programme quote: Anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). A number of direct reports state I delegate duties well which allows people to expand their own role in the department. This creates new challenges for people which maintains motivation (LQF page 44). Other comments relating to this go on to state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. In this process I have been able to clearly identify key qualities and strengths; however, in order to become a more effective leader some development needs have been identified. In order to achieve this I have created action plans for three areas I would like to work on. Firstly to improve my time management skills, my next plan will be to develop the ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way and finally to increase my self confidence. (Appendix 1) To enable myself to improve these development needs I have formulated action plans for each. I am going to attempt to use ideas and recommendations from professional consensus but also from the likes of Bennis, Kouzes and Posner, Tracy and Covey all advocators of personal development and leading experts in leadership. My first action plans objective is to improve my time management skills. The rationale behind this is because poor organisation and time management creates a negative outlook for all groups of people I work with, my peers, direct reports and my managers. It has been stated in the LQF that it sets undesirable standards to others. Also objectives can be left too close to the deadline which then creates a rushed and poorly planned outcome which can directly affect the quality of the project. Ultimately the deadline can be missed if other tasks make me have to digress from the original task. Furthermore people have identified that I need to improve my long term planning and see the bigger picture, however, this is difficult if I am constantly dealing with the day to day urgent tasks or Fire-fighting as quoted by a peer. Having reflected upon my style of leadership and identifying a quality I possess, approachability, I also feel this can hinder effectiveness. I currently operate an open door policy and try to be approachable. This causes frequent interruptions and digressions which puts pressure on myself and creates difficulty reaching deadlines. The strategies I am going to explore are based around Stephen Covey and Brian Tracys methods of improving personal effectiveness. Before I set about this I feel I will have to reduce the potential unnecessary interruptions and digressions. Firstly I still want to remain an approachable leader with an open door policy, this, my staff felt was a strength, however, I feel that if I restrict access I will have more uninterrupted time which will make me able to work for longer periods of time and thus reach goals and objectives far more effectively. My first step is to simply close my door between certain hours and ensure that people are aware that if the door is closed I am not available, but I will make staff know that I am available between the hours of 08.00 09.00 (dependent on start time), 12.00 13.30 and 16.00-17.00. The next step will be to improve clarity; this is the most important concept in personal effectiveness, if I have absolutely clear goals and objectives, this should improve my productivity and prevent me procrastinating (Tracy, 2004, p7). Ideally I will start to document what it is I want to achieve since this will enable me to visualise what it is I am aiming for. During this process I will set a realistic deadline to achieving my goals, this will give the objective urgency. I will plan ahead, again documenting what needs to be achieved. Finally, something I rarely do will be to take action on the plan immediately (Tracy, 2004, p7). The next step will involve building upon my clarity and identified goals and objectives and will involve planning ahead by working from a list. A short time making a plan of the day ahead will in the long run save time. Therefore I am going to list the tasks or objectives that need to be achieved monthly, weekly and daily, and as I have achieved an objec tive I will cross it off. Tracy (2004, p14) explains that monthly and weekly lists increases effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately improves motivation and drive since you are able to visualise your achievements. It is this sense of accomplishment that generates forward motion. This strategy will be a very useful evaluation tool as it will enable me to assess my progress and achievements. This plan of action also fits in with the Quadrant II theory where I need to balance my working life between urgent and important issues (Covey, 2004, p150). There are four quadrants (I) important and urgent (II) Important and not urgent (III) not important but urgent and (IV) not important and not urgent. Currently if I reflect upon my practice and what has been highlighted in my LQF I am working in quadrant I. Jerry spends most of his time fire-fighting at work i.e. he is constantly dealing with the immediate problem rather than getting on top of things and looking ahead and planning bette r (LQF, p47). This affects my drive for improvement which is key to the NHS Modernisation and Improvement plan (DH 2000). Covey (2004, p152) states that this leads to stress, burnout, crisis management and fire-fighting and therefore lead me to be far less effective and efficient. The idea is to work more in quadrant II where I am dealing with important but not urgent tasks, if I can achieve this then this will impact on having to deal with the urgent and important tasks that prevent me from planning ahead and driving for improvement. Furthermore if I can get into quadrant II, less and less tasks will be urgent and important. An example of a problem that exists at the moment as a result of poor time management and dealing with urgent and important issues all the time is patient discharge letters. I am unable to sit for any length of time and write them, they are therefore mounting up and compounding my inefficiency. If I were to list them on my weekly schedule, then I will be able t o visualise the task needs doing. Therefore if I can eliminate the pile that exists, it will be easier to stay on top of the task, one letter at a time is easier and more effective than having to sit down and write ten. Therefore my evaluation tool will be to constantly review my task lists and assess my achievements and work on the objectives that are left outstanding. The second action plans objective is to look at developing my ability to confront members of staff at all levels in a self managed way. The rationale behind this is because confrontation at work occurs at all levels, meaning that I have to manage confrontation with my peers and direct reports. Confrontation and conflict appeared frequently in my LQF assessment, with comments suggesting I shy away from it, bury my head in the sand, let standards slip rather than deal with confrontation and do not deal with disciplinary issues to avoid confrontation. These comments were particularly used by my peers and direct reports. All this fits in with the difficulty I have dealing with conflict management. Conflict is likely when the work place has staff of varying backgrounds (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375), for example professionals versus semi professionals, which can then lead to perceived status differences making joint working far more difficult. One of my peer comments was to do with the perce ption that my staff controls me and that I have little control over them. Though I disagree with the majority of this statement, there does appear to be some obvious perceptions within my peers that this is in fact the case. The strategy to improve on my ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way will concentrate on conflict resolution. My role as a leader is to identify, explore and resolve issues that may be causing conflict, this may be uncomfortable but can only be achieved with perseverance and some degree of risk (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375). Confronting my direct reports would be the logical first step, the reason for this is the feedback I received from my peers, suggesting they (direct reports) control me. My own direct reports suggested that I dislike confronting them when standards are slipping or when disciplinary issues need resolving (LQF, p 44-45). Return to work interviews after sickness are left or not done, these by no means are a disciplinary action, however if they are not done it gives the opinion that I do not care. In line with improving my time management skills, my intention is to immediately list the interview down on my schedule, so that I can visualise the need to do it. If clinical case note standards slip, then I should deal with them immediately also. There was a case when a colleague had written highly inappropriate comments in clinical records that were brought to my attention. I procrastinated far too long in dealing with this, so that when I did eventually confront the member of staff I was me t with hostility Why did you not speak to me months ago. My staff members were aware of the issue and were uncomfortable that nothing had been done. If feel if I had exercised better assertiveness and had identified, explored and resolved the issue earlier then the outcome would have been more positive for me and my direct reports. I feel the longer issues are left, the more I worry and become less in control. When it comes to the confrontation, I am tense, uncomfortable and out of control. The quicker I can explore and resolve the issue the easier it will be to deal with and I will be moving towards a more self managed way of dealing with confrontation. Furthermore the quicker I act on these types of issues the more it will be a self managed style of leadership, as it will prevent me from being pushed into dealing with confrontation by my direct reports and peers. Managing confrontation with my peers will employ a more open and honest form of communication (Covey 2004, p 202). Through my LQF and reflection I have identified that with my immediate peers there is differing professional backgrounds and probable peer resentment. It is clear that with both parties small issues and annoyances have been left to fester. This then leads to an escalation of bad feeling and antagonism between us all. With the differing professional backgrounds there has always been a differing level of expectation across the workforce. Covey (2004, p 201-202) examines dealing with the issues head on by arranging a series of meetings to mediate and resolve the existing issues and promote a more open and positive working relationship. By taking these steps myself to deal with the current situation, I will be self managing confrontation and will not be forced into having to deal with issues by outside pressures and necessity. Evaluation of this action plan will again be in the form of scheduling and crossing off achievements, but also reflecting upon the experience. Rule: Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field (Tracy 2004, p52). If I can maintain a diary reflecting upon conflicts that have been resolved and concentrate on the problems and not the personalities then I will be moving towards a self managed way of dealing with confrontation. I will be forcing myself to learn from my experiences and be able to identify successful and less successful outcomes and identify why these exist or what it was that was different between each confrontation. I will reflect upon the use of some of my strengths identified in my LQF. Confidence but not arrogance, highly developed communication style and being able to listen, these are all important in dealing with conflict management (Outhwaite, 2003, p 374-375). My final action plans objective will be to increase my self confidence. The rationale behind this is very personal. Already through my LQF assessment I have learnt that people mostly perceive me as confident and having motivational and inspiring qualities, however, my own personal confidence levels are very poor. Fear of change, conflict and failure is a barrier to my confidence. The LQF assessment showed a very low score for taking calculated risks, this does not surprise me since my direct reports and peers are very unforgiving when it comes to poor judgement and change, even if it was justified. One particular peer is very judgemental regarding failure and slipping standards. My time management skills are in need of further development and a sense of not achieving the balance between non urgent and important tasks (Quadrant II) and constantly dealing with immediate issues constantly chips away at ones confidence levels. Not being able to achieve positive outcomes in conflicts and confrontations needs to be addressed. The more I can succeed and develop the win/win habit the better my confidence will become. It is not about winning confrontations and moving forward my way, but more that agreements and solutions end with a mutually beneficial or satisfying outcome (Covey, 2004, p207). My strategy to improving my self confidence will start by formulating organisational plans and task sheets. When I achieve an objective or project I will cross these of the list and highlight it as an achieved small win (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This creates momentum and the sense of achievement as previously discussed. I will rate key results on a scale of one to ten and identify strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses can be used to further develop. If I learn from these weakness and train further this will eliminate the feelings of inadequacy and the lack of confidence I have (Tracy 2004, p 51). Key results or completed projects can be discussed with colleagues and appraised by my manager (Tracy, 2004, p 35-40). All these achievements that I have previously never reflected upon will start to give me a sense of confidence and accomplishment I have never previously thought about. On reflection I have assessed my achievements more on a win/lose scenario, but the more I c an work towards the win/win habit (Covey, 2004, p 205-234) and pass this on to my direct reports the more I am likely to succeed and become self confident. My direct reports tend to assess accomplishments using the win/lose way, and therefore anything that is achieved must have the outcome of us having won the battle, it is not surprising that this promotes the lack of confidence and a feeling of inadequacy I have. Evaluation of this action plan will be to more frequently assess my achievements and accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This will involve assessing my task sheets and my organisational plan which will be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This will help me visualise the tasks that have been completed. The rating of tasks and further training can be assessed by looking at the ratings and assessing if they are improving. This will enable me to build my self confidence. Conflicts and confrontations can be reflected upon and I will be able to better understand the concepts behind win/win. If I can self manage the confrontations and aim for win/win, not only will I be achieving mutually satisfactory benefits and outcomes, but this will be working towards building my self confidence as more and more tasks will be achievable. It will also improve the interdepartmental conflicts and possible peer resentment that has been evident since my LQF. To conclude, it is obvious that all my action plans link into each other. As I become a more effective and efficient leader, then my peers will have less reason to resent my management style and pressure me into acting upon issues that are troubling them. This will then have the effect of lessening conflicts and confrontations. Furthermore, as I improve my time management skills and lessen the confrontations that occur, this will start impacting on my own self confidence. My own self confidence is directly affected by poorly self managed confrontations and an increasing number of tasks that are left undone or incomplete. It is obvious from my strengths that I have the ability to carry out these action plans and that my staff members are more than willing to take on tasks that are suitable for them as they state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. The Department of Health is looking for visionary staff members that are able to implement and carry out their modernisation plan. As my leadership skills improve I will be more effective in leading change and envisioning improvements becoming the embodiment of the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plan.

College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be And Why - Pol :: essays research papers

College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be and Why - Polonius of Hamlet Polonius, father of Laertes, in William Shakespear's Hamlet, strikes me as someone exceptional. In the first act, he gives advice to his son who is departing on a journey. Polonius's advice guides me in almost every aspect of my life. I would like to talk with Polonius to gain more insight on life. Along with other advice, Polonius delivers one of te most famous quotes from Hamlet: "To thine own self be true." Polonius's quote helps me make tough decisions. Such an occasion arises when I have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of a choice, and they are equal. When faced with this situation, I ask myself, "would I be true to myself if I..." For example, I am temperate, and do not participate in certain activities harful to me such as drinking or doing drugs. Occasionally, others try to influence me to drink. Sometimes, I am tempeted; however, I know that I would not be true to myself if I submitted. I realize drinking is not somthing I want, nor is it in my best interest. Being true to myself involves acting in accordance with my values. Imust conduct myself like a gentleman and use proper etiquette for te given situation. Thus, the quote acts as a reminder for me to act properly. The next few lines are "and it must follow as the day the night, / thou canst not then be false to any man." By acting like a gentleman, I can assure muself that I will not harm nor create conlict with many people. For example, I remain calm in situations that most people would become upset and swear. Then, I am in a better position to deal with the would-be conflict. Next, Polonius covers many aspects of life. He tells us how to choose and treat friends, as well as rules for listning and speaking. We are told not to lend or borrow items becase "for loan oft loses both itself and friend," meaning one will end up losing a friend as well as what he lent "Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar" tells us to understand things that are immoral, but not to

T.S. Eliot’s Powerful Use of Fragmentation in The Waste Land Essay exam

T.S. Eliot’s Powerful Use of Fragmentation in The Waste Land T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is an elaborate and mysterious montage of lines from other works, fleeting observations, conversations, scenery, and even languages. Though this approach seems to render the poem needlessly oblique, this style allows the poem to achieve multi-layered significance impossible in a more straightforward poetic style. Eliot’s use of fragmentation in The Waste Land operates on three levels: first, to parallel the broken society and relationships the poem portrays; second, to deconstruct the reader’s familiar context, creating an individualized sense of disconnection; and third, to challenge the reader to seek meaning in mere fragments, in this enigmatic poem as well as in a fractious world. On the most superficial level, the verbal fragments in The Waste Land emphasize the fragmented condition of the world the poem describes. Partly because it was written in the aftermath of World War I, at a time when Europeans’ sense of security as well as the land itself was in shambles, the poem conveys a sense of disillusionment, confusion, and even despair. The poem’s disjointed structure expresses these emotions better than the rigidity and clarity of more orthodox writing. This is evinced by the following from the section "The Burial of the Dead": Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade And went on in the sunlight, into the Hofgarten, And drank coffee, and talked for an hour. Bin gar keine Russin, stamm’ aus Litauen, echt Deutsch. And when we were children, staying at the arch-duke’s, My cousin’s, he took me out on a sled, And I was frightened. He said, Marie, Marie, hol... ...ze anything other than the awful finality of despair. The sense of healing and salvation at the end of The Waste Land indicates that there is hope for meaning, even in fractured worlds and obfuscated poems. But it is up to each of us to discover it. NOTES 1. T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land, in Selected Poems (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1962). 2. In his preface to his notes on The Waste Land, Eliot writes, "Not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of the incidental symbolism of the poem were suggested by Miss Jessie L. Weston’s book on the Grail Legend: From Ritual to Romance (Cambridge). Indeed, so deeply am I indebted, Miss Weston’s book will elucidate the difficulties of the poem much better than my notes can do; and I recommend it . . . to any who think such elucidation of the poem worth the trouble" (68). 3. See Eliot’s notes to The Waste Land.

Jack Londons To Build A Fire: Theme Essay -- essays research papers

Jack London's To Build a Fire: Theme The significance of the words "dying and death" in Jack London's 1910 novel, "To Build a Fire" continuously expresses the man's dwindling warmth and bad luck in his journey along the Yukon trail to meet "the boys" at camp. London associates dying with the man's diminishing ability to stay warm in the frigid Alaskan climate. The main characters predicament slowly worsens one level at a time finally resulting in death. The narrator informs the reader that "the man" lacks personal experience traveling in the Yukon terrain. The old-timer warned the man about the harsh realities of the Klondike. The confident main character thinks of the old-timer at Sulphur Creek as "womanish." Along the trail, "the man" falls into a hidden spring and attempts to build a fire to dry his socks and warm himself. With his wet feet quickly growing numb, he realizes he has only one chance to successfully build a fire or face the harsh realities of the Yukon at one-hundred nine degrees below freezing. Falling snow from a tree blots out the fire and the character realizes "he had just heard his own sentence of death." Jack London introduces death to the reader in this scene. The man realizes "a second fire must be built without fail." The man's mind begins to run wild with thoughts of insecurity and death when the second fire fails. He recollects the story of a man who kills a steer to...

On Drama Translation Essay

Like their contemporary prose translators who were introducing Western fiction to China, budding dramatists were enthusiastic about bringing Western plays to the Chinese stage. The first play was staged in Japan from an adaptation of Lin Shu’s translation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. A Chinese student in Japan named Li Shutong adapted the script. The play was put on by members of the Chun Liu (Spring Willow) Drama Society. Their performance marked a complete break from traditional theatrical practices. After the May 4th Movement, complete translations of plays were published and used in productions. Many established writers began to try their hand at writing scripts for the stage. Also in the introduction of foreign masterpieces, a lot of famous translators were produced. If we have a try at drama, we can find it very difficult, more difficult than the translation of novels. Actually, drama is very different from novel. And drama translation must be done in a much different way. First, drama scripts are written for stage performance. So the translated scripts must be suitable for the audience. But poems, prose and novels are written for reading. Though sometimes foreign scripts are produced only for reading, there are seldom the cases. Also the foreign playwrights would be against that. Second, drama performance is a comprehensive ways of acting. It is an audio-visual art, which needs lighting, stage properties, and sound effects. The lines by the actors contribute a great deal to the success of the play. The audience relies heavily on the lines of the play. Most of them are ordinary people, but not erudite scholars. The actors usually don’t repeat the words except for the sake of laying stress. If the lines are too obscure, the audience will get confused as a play goes on without a stop. Third, there aren’t any annotations in a stage performance. In a novel, the hidden intention of the characters, the natural and social background, cause and effect of the subtle changes of the emotions can be stated by the narrator. So the readers can grasp the whole text and better understand it. But in a play performance, the audience get information only from the lines of the characters. Further more, foreign playwrights often use puns or allusions in a play. It is really difficult to translate them in simple language due to the cultural differences. For example, an allusion in the original play may be very appropriate and enlightening. But a literal translation of it may  cause great trouble to the Chinese. And an annotation for the allusion is not feasible because in stage performance, an actor can’t speak the annotation. He can only use sign language, stage properties to imply it. So drama translation sets higher standards for the translations. So the above-mentioned three characters of drama require a popular and simple language of the translation. For example, in the revised version of the translation by Yang xianyi of Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw, the translator adds some words, delegate some to make the second version simpler in diction and structure. Example 1: The Mother: (to Clara) Give it to me. (Clara parts reluctantly) Now (to the girl) this is for your flowers. (Act I) [First version] ( ) ( )( ) ? , [1](P. 9) [Second version] ( ) ( )( ) ? , [2](P. 462) In the first version, the translated sentence â€Å" †seems more faithful and close to the original text. But it is awkward sounding. But the revised version is easier for pronunciation and causes no cause in understanding: in the text, the money is surely the compensation for the flower but not other things. Example 2: Algernon: Ah! That must be Aunt Augusta. Only relatives, or creditors, ever ring in that Wagnrian manner. This is from the Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, a line by Algergon, when he hears the rings of the bell. Wagner refers to a famous German playwright Richard Wagner who is famous for his sublime style. A literal translation of it will cause great trouble for the Chinese because they don’t know Wagner, let alone his style. But Yu guangzhang translates it as â€Å" , †. [3](p. 129)The phrase â€Å" †is sonorous and a little bit exaggerating. But it is so vivid that it presents an arrogant aristocratic woman to us. Example 3: Hamlet: Look here upon this picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion’s curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars, to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury New lighted on a [ heaven] kissing hill, a combination and a form indeed, Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man. This is your husband. ( The Tragedy of Hamlet, Act III, scene IV) [Liang shiqiu’ version] : , , , ; ; ; , ; , ; , , : [4] In this paragraph, the Gods Hyperion, Jove, Mars, Mercury are not familiar to the Chinese audience. They may be confused by a transliteration. Though Liang shiqiu uses annotations that will not help much. The audience cannot have a script while watching. But Zhu shenghao is more tactful in his translation. [Zhu shenghao’ version] : , , : ; , , ; , , [5] In this version, Zhu shenghao avoids the transliteration of unfamiliar names. Instead he grasps their symbols and personal traits. So the audience could follow the play more easily though they don’t remember the specific names of these characters. Since drama is mainly written for stage performance, it is different from novels, prose and poems. We can read novels slowly and casually. If we can’t understand some part of it, we can reread it and ponder on it. A first reading of a novel may mean nothing to you. As we read it time and again, we can dig deeper and deeper into it. But in drama performance,â€Å" its purpose is to bring about sudden upheavals of the highest moral nature. †[6](p. 44)So drama language should not only be simple and understandable, but also must vividly demonstrate the personalities of the characters in a specific historical period. To avoid the stereotype, the translator must pay much attention to the roles of the characters in relation to others. The tones, intonation and diction of the characters should also be noticed. Example 4 The BYSTANDERS GENERALLY (demonstrating against police espionage) Course they could. What business is it of yours? You mind your own affairs. He wants promotion, he does. Taking down people’s words! Girl never said a word to him. What harm if she did? Nice thing a girl can’t shelter from the rain without being insulted, ect. , ect, (Act I) [first version] ( )!! , , , [7](p. 17) [second version] ( )!!! , , , [8] (p. 465) The second version of the translation adds the exclamation â€Å" †. It can vividly show the questioning tone of the bystanders. If the actors tactfully express it on the stage, which will draw the sympathy from the audience toward the protagonist. Another example of the flexible translation can be shown in â€Å"Romeo and Julie† Friar Laurence: Here comes the lady;/ O, so light a foot /Will never wear out the everlasting flint; / A lover may bestride the gossamers/ That idles in the wanton summer air, / And yet not fall: so light is vanity. [Cao yu’s version] : ,? , , , , [9] [Zhu shenghao’s version] : , , ; , ,. [10] The second version of the dialogue is better. In the first version, the last sentence â€Å" , †is obscure. The second version of this sentenceâ€Å" † can fit in well with the profession of Fiar Laurence. It vividly depicts a priest who is greatly concerned about the properties of the church and is devoted to his work. Another important aspect of drama is the scene of movement. In drama performance, the movement of actors will cause conflicts. The conflicts will push forward the development of the story. Then the audience will be interested and follow the show. So the actor must act on their personalities, intentions and run into conflicts with each other. And language should show the kind of movement. In Thunderstorm by Cao yu, the fierce contradiction between labor and capital can be read in the dialogues. So the language is full of movements. For example: : ,! ,! —— Hai: You drowned two thousand two hundred coolies in cold blood, and for each life lost you raked in three hundred dollars! I tell you, creature, you’ve made your money by killing people, and you and your sons stand accursed forever! And now on top of that you—— [11](p. 492) Literally, the word â€Å" †is just calling the name of Zhou puyuan in an impolite way. But its translation shows the sharp opposition between him and Zhou puyuan. Also it hints that Hai will retaliate on Zhou. So it is full of movements. In the Importance of being Earnest, Yu guangzhong is also good at showing the movements in the language. For example: Algernon: how are you, my dear Ernest? What brings you up to town? Jack: Oh, pleasure; pleasure! What else should bring one anywhere? Yu guangzhong translates it as â€Å"? ,! , †[12](p.126)Yu knows that Jack is a dandyish play boy. In the play, he just comes to Algernon for fun. The translation is far better than â€Å" †. and will agree with his proposal to Miss Bracknell. Finally, dramatic language should be refined and full of emotions. Without poetic sentiment, dialogues are half-dead. [13] The language of drama should have rhythm, be rich in meaning and full of unspoken words. In the dramas by Ibsen, Shakespeare, and Caoyu, we can feel the strong emotions and mellowness of their language. For example, in Caoyu’s translation of Romeo and Julie, we are overwhelmed by his coruscating wit. Julie: Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray,/ Hunting thee hence with hunt’s-up to the day. [Cao’ version] , [14] In the original language, the word â€Å"affray† rhymes with â€Å"day†. So the sentence can be read fluently. Cao is clever enough to end each clause with â€Å"? † and â€Å"? †, so they still rhyme with each other. Also the rhythm and appeal are attained. Another example of the poetical emotions can be shown in Yang xianyi’s translation of Quyuan by Guo moruo. â€Å" , ,! , , ,! , ,?! ,?! ,?! , , ,! † [Cao’s version]