Saturday, August 31, 2019

Act like a girl

I wanted to Interview a male who has experienced similar experiences with not being accepted because he was not the stereotypical â€Å"man. † In our Interview the other day, I asked you If you agreed or disagreed with this statement: â€Å"Every child, boy or girl, should have the right to his or her own self image, and should not have to live by some gender roles† (Freeman 36). You answered yes in agreement! I asked you why you said yes so quickly. Your answer was because growing up you faced situations when you wished you could simply be yourself thou the Judgment of others.You shared your thoughts of what the stereotype of a man Is to you. Some common Images of a man Is to be athletic, masculine, muscular, insensitive, and tough. I'm sure you could have gone on with this list of characteristics expected of a â€Å"manly man. † Women are expected to be a particular way, also. Some of us Just don't fall under those expected traits. Still, most people tend to ho ld common stereotypes of certain people in mind. We both went to the same high school and cheered on our Varsity cheer squad for 2 years together.I was glad that you decided to share this part of your life with me, I know It was hard to talk about. In high school you didn't dress Like all the other boys, and you didn't talk like all the other boys. You were a male cheerleader. You were the only male cheerleader. You expressed the hardship and ridicule our peers put you through. I felt a deep sorrow when you told me that our peers would tease you. Teasing is for elementary school, not high school. I could see the pain in your eyes when you would state the comments the students would make towards you.It Is definitely a common assumption for people to make that because a male Is a cheerleader, then he must be gay. You do not consider yourself to fit the gender role of a typical male, because you are very much the opposite. I felt it was necessary to ask you about your childhood. I want ed to know how you grew up and if there was any influences in your life pertaining to the topic of gender stereotypes. Growing up you said that you didn't play with car toys, or ride motorcycle bikes, and wasn't into sports.In Freeman's essay he TLD play with parable dolls, or play tea party with the other little girls, and she loved playing basketball. When I asked you if you had played sports, you said no but you would play catch in the park with your dad. I am sorry to have heard that your father passed away when you were very young. I was surprised to hear that you do not think that your father passing away influenced you to be more in touch with your feelings. You have always been more in touch with your feelings even before that incident. Most people think that a boys father passing away will greatly Influence theDuring our interview, your brother, Corey came in to greet me. That was polite of him! I asked you how your relationship was with your brother, since you two are very opposite of each other. Your brother seems to fit the mold of our society's â€Å"man. † I was devastated to hear that your relationship with your brother has been strained for years. It started when you became a cheerleader, because he doesn't accept the fact that that is who you are and that is what makes you happy. Freeman and her mother's relationship was also uneasy because of her mother's lack of support.On the contrary, your relationship with your mother is beautiful, and stable. You expressed your thankfulness and appreciation for her in our interview. She has not turned her back on you, or Judged you. Your mother accepts you for who you are. You are her son and she loves you no matter what happens. I enjoyed our interview. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and discuss the questions I had for you. I am happy that you are absolutely content with yourself. We have been friends for a couple of years now, and I wouldn't change you for anything.

Happiness Essay

What makes a person happy? Happiness is an endless path in life. Everyone has a different opinion about what makes them happy. People have always been attentive to the issue of what makes humans happy. However, getting a large amount of money is a pursuit for many people, especially the young generation around the world. In the article, â€Å"Get Happy† by Walter Mosley, he states how, â€Å"Happiness is considered by most to be a subset of wealth† (87). Quote above explains how money is the first thing that comes in person’s mind that make them happy because with the money one can buy anything he wants.Money is one of the most important things in over lives because we need it to have a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear, and to get from here to there. That’s where the â€Å"money can buy happiness† phrase comes in because people believe that since money can buy everything it can buy happiness too. However, I disagree and believe that hap piness primarily comes from relationships. First of all, money cannot buy relationships in a person’s life. Family and friends are one of the most important sources of happiness for most people.It doesn’t matter how much money a person has, if he doesn’t have any family or friends that he can share with, then it doesn’t bring very much happiness. As Mosley stated in his article, â€Å"It [Money] can only buy bigger TVs and comelier sex partners.. † (87). above quote explains money can only buy stuff that can make a person temporary happy. For instance, some people are really rich but lonely because they have no one by their side, while others are poor but happy with their close friends and family.In my personal experience, I have a friend back in India who was very rich and his parents got everything he wanted. When my parents bought me a bicycle, his parents bought him a bike. It looked like he had a perfect life, but once I got to know him better ; I got to realize that the life I thought that was perfect because of money was actually not perfect. Whenever his parents came home they always fought about little things, they never eat dinner together and they don’t even care about their son. They didn’t have any connections between them.So it’s true doesn’t matter how much wealth one have but one can never buy happiness that comes from one’s family. Secondly, Money is limited, it cannot last forever. Money can end easily and it cannot be obtained easily either. Even if money could buy happiness, it would only be for a little because things tend to disappear at some point. On the other hand, strong family bonds will never disappear but will be always by one’s side, continuing to bring one happiness. In addition, Mosley states, â€Å"how most of those people [wealthy people] will lose that wealth before they die† (87).No matter how rich a person is but there always will be a time w here all the money from the person will be gone. For example, my dad told me a story about this guy who was very wealthy in India but because of too much money he was too proud of himself and started breaking relationships with other people. He got caught in fraud for his business and everything was taken by the government. And just like that all the money was gone and there was no one by his side. In the article, â€Å"If You’re happy and you know it, You’re in Third† by Adriana Barton, she states about athlete names Ms.Bahrke who got a third number in Olympic game and still says â€Å" I’m going to be ‘Mrs. Happy. [Getting married]’† (84). She wasn’t sad that she couldn’t get a first place but she was happy that she is getting married; it shows how relationships can bring happiness. Thus, money cannot buy happiness. Lastly, money can negatively consume in one’s life. Wealth is a good thing but it also can ruin a person’s life instead of giving someone happiness. Money is very addictive; even if person has a lot of money he will often never be satisfied with what he has.For example, instead, he will try to become wealthier and because of that he may not have time for his family or friends and will start losing relationships. It will have an effect on their children, and at the end, all he will have is money but no one else at his side. In the article, â€Å"What you don’t know makes you nervous,† by Daniel Gilbert, he states, â€Å"psychologists and economists now know that although the very rich are no happier than the merely rich†¦ † (80). the above quote states how most of the time people who has a lot money are the one that are not happy.If money makes a one happy then why wealthy people are are not happier than the poor people? The main reason is relationships. Wealthy people are so into making money that it makes them so blind that they cannot see the h appiness that their family can bring to them. And at the end they have all the money but they don’t have any shoulders to cry on or to share the money, happiness with. While poor people might don’t have money but they have the family that takes care of each other which is most important happiness a person can have. Thus, relationships can bring a person long lasting happiness but money won’t.Too much money can make person’s life depressed instead of giving happiness. But family will always be there by one’s side. In conclusion, I don’t think that it? s somehow possible to â€Å"buy happiness†. Thus, we should be aware that it is friendships and family that truly bring us the happiness to which we aspire. Money might be able to make people temporarily happy but that’s not the point, the point is that it can’t buy anyone long lasting happiness. Being happy is an emotion it is something you sense, not something you buy. Tha t is why happiness is priceless. Works CitedBarton Adriana. â€Å" If You’re Happy and You Know It, You’re in Third. † America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. 9th ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,2011. 79-81. Print. Gilbert, Daniel. â€Å"What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous. † America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. 9th ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 79- 81. Print. Mosley Walter. â€Å"Get Happy. † America now: Short Readings From Recent Periodicals. 9th Ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 79-81. Print.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Types of Reinforcement

People have been using the theory of reinforcement even though they have not properly studied this theoretical concept. They have been employing this theory to strengthen the response for a particular stimulus or environmental event (Huitt and Hummel). Reinforcement theory generally states that the frequency of eliciting the same response will likely increase if it is followed by a reinforcer. The probability of repeating the same behavior in the future is dependent on what occurs after the individual engages in that behavior (Malala, et al. ). There are four types of reinforcement.Each type of reinforcement is distinguished by the kind of stimulus presented after the response. In positive reinforcement, for instance, a positive stimulus is presented after a certain response to increase the frequency of that response of behavior (Malala, et al. ,; Huitt and Hummel). The positive stimulus usually comes in the form of rewards. Positive reinforcement has been used in school settings to reinforce positive attitude towards studying. For example, academic awards such as medals and certificates are given to students who excel academically or in a certain field such as sports.While the previous example used a tangible positive reinforcer, it could also be intangible. To cite an example, according to Kobus and her associates (48), the praise, support, and encouragement of teachers and significant others (e. g. , parents) motivate grade school students to work hard and increase their self-efficacy (i. e, confidence in one’s capability). Positive reinforcement has often been used by parents as well. They reward their children with a reinforcer such as money for their hard work in school or for cleaning their room.The concept has also been applied by companies for their employees. Salary increase and promotion, for example, are awarded to hardworking employees for their outstanding performance. On the other hand, in negative reinforcement, the reinforcer, which is s omething negative, is withdrawn after the response. Repetition of this phenomenon will increase the occurrence of the response. This is usually observed when a person wants to avoid the negative reinforcer (Huitt and Hummel). For instance, children obey the house rules so that their parents will not get mad at them.In this example, the negative reinforcer is the anger of the parents while the response is the obedience of children. At work, employees meet their requirements and deadlines to avoid being reprimanded by their boss. Most people think that negative reinforcement and punishment is the same, which is a misconception. While negative reinforcement elicits a positive response due to the removal of the negative reinforcer after the response, punishment lessens the frequency of a response or behavior by presenting a negative stimulus after the response (Huitt and Hummel).Punishment has been used at home, in school, and in the workplace. For example, at home, parents ground their children when they do not come home at the time agreed. In school, punishment is imposed to discipline students. A simple example of this is reprimanding noisy students for disrupting the class. Punishment has been a system adopted in schools in the form of disciplinary policies where punishment for specific types of school offense are indicated (Gaustad 3). In the workplace, an example of punishment could be reducing the salary of employees when they do not report to the office without filing a leave.As punishment, they will not be paid for the days they did not come to work. The fourth type of reinforcement is extinction. In extinction, the frequency of a response or behavior is weakened when the reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is removed (Huitt and Hummel). To cite an example, in the field of psychology, extinction learning has been used in treating disorders such as anxiety disorder. The goal of the treatment is to extinguish fear by teaching the patients that the stimulus they fear no longer results in harmful consequences (Anderson and Insel 319).For instance, the patient is exposed to a previously feared event associated with an unpleasant outcome to get him or her accustomed to the event until he or she does not fear it anymore. Extinction can also occur in a corporate setting. When a company stops giving bonuses to hardworking employees, they may lose motivation to work hard, resulting in a decline in productivity. Based on the examples stated earlier, it could be concluded that reinforcement affects the behavior of individuals, children and adults alike.Reinforcement can either increase or decrease the frequency of a certain behavior depending on the stimulus or reinforcer presented (or removed) after the behavior. Hence, it could be inferred that behavior can be modified according to the pleasantness of the reinforcement that can be experienced for doing a certain behavior. For example, an individual’s positive or desired b ehavior can be maintained with positive or negative reinforcements, while his negative or unwanted behaviors can be extinguished through punishment or extinction.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Take home exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Take home exam - Assignment Example The attitude of the customers also gets influenced by the promotional activities carried out by the company such as advertisement. Irrespective of the nature of the customers, it is the duty of the marketers to properly understand the needs of the customers. In doing so the marketers would be able to develop goods or services which would meet the need of the customers a lot more precisely than the competitors, The main problem is that the consumer decision making process is a complex on and understanding the mindset of the consumers correctly is quite difficult. The customers do not actually make purchases without thinking carefully about the needs. Wherever there is a presence of the choice, decisions are also usually involved and these decisions are most of the times influenced by changing motives. The organization that can understand why customers make decisions such as who buys the products; how they buy; where they buy; why they buy; would have more chances to become successful. The philosophy that guides all the marketing activities is the core concept of marketing. The idea that an organization should look to try to satisfy the needs of the customers through coordinated activities that allows the marketers to achieve the marketing objectives; The marketing concept states that a business should first understand the needs of the customers and then develop the products accordingly. ... To implement the marketing concept a company must have good information regarding the needs and demands of the customers to develop a customer oriented strategy (Pride and Ferrel 4). As far the topic of forcing the customers to buy products that the customer may not is concerned; it can be said that the core concept of marketing actually puts the customers at the very beginning of the marketing process. Before developing any products the marketers usually go for a market research to understand the need and demand of the customers and then only the products as per the needs of the customers are developed. Any great innovation including the launch of the smart phones is actually a result of the understanding the customer demand through he market research. Addition of mp3 players of cameras are actually augmentation. The core product of a cell phone remains to be the on the go telecommunication facility provided by the phone. But features such as cameras or mps players actually were lov ed by the customers. Hence the marketers realized that the customers are actually looking for total package in a cell phone and hence the marketers such as Apple and Samsung decided to launch smart phones. The same principles can be applied in case of automobile manufactures also, in the initial days, very few automobile manufacturers used to provide financing and hence the customers had to look for other means to go for financing. But now all most all the companies provide the facility of car financing. This again shows the importance of understanding the customer demand. To conclude things it can be said that the marketers do not force the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Medicaid Fraud in the State of Virginia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Medicaid Fraud in the State of Virginia - Essay Example They set up a personal care service center that is duly authorized to provide respite care to Medicaid recipients. Respite care is usually given by the family or another unpaid primary caregiver of the recipient. Having set up authorized respite care centers for Medicaid beneficiaries, such individuals then proceed to file false or fraudulent claims for reimbursement from the Medicaid program. Gilchrist claimed reimbursement for 38 non-existent Medicaid patients for which her company received approximately $294,713 (The United States Attorney General's Office, 2013). Cases of fraud on the Medicaid program have dire implications. This is especially the case when the US Government is lobbying to increase Medicare coverage to more Americans, especially the poor and those who cannot afford health insurance covers. For this reason, states have taken measures to arrest the problem. The state of Virginia, for instance, has set up the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to deal with defrauders.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Constructive Dismissal and Unfair Dismissal Claims Essay

Constructive Dismissal and Unfair Dismissal Claims - Essay Example Although, Raj’s employer reserved the legal right to end his employment contract, their failure to serve proper notice on him regarding the issue amounts to unfair dismissal. The dispute is therefore actionable by the Employment Tribunal or Court (Collins, 2011). Failure to provide proper Raj with notice of his impending dismissal amounts to wrongful dismissal in the sense that the employer showed clear disregard for the employment contract which they signed with the employee in question. Unfair dismissal is provided for under Section 95 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Owing to the low evidentiary threshold for establishing unfair dismissal even where the employer had adhered to the provisions of the employment contract, proving Raj’s case is easier.The enforcement of a fair dismissal requires the grounds for the action to fall within the parameters of one of the half-dozen fair grounds for dismissal stipulated in the Act. These include: gross conduct, incompetence o r lack of qualifications, redundancy, violation of laws, and or some other substantial reason (SOSR) (Cabrelli, 2009). Unfortunately, Raj’s summary dismissal for mere, unintentional lateness by 20 minutes due to train delay fails to meet any of these conditions of fairness in his treatment. The employee’s long-term exemplary service and an apology over the latest incident outweigh the â€Å"gross misconduct† grounds for his dismissal.   Wrongful dismissal Knight and Latreille (2001) noted that wrongful dismissal is defined by ERA  § 95.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Marketing Mix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Mix - Assignment Example rious education programs through DVDs, online lessons, interactive museum lessons, as well as support for families, kids, and teachers on creating awareness about art in the entire USA. The theme of the arts is the traditional American and European paintings though there has been the incorporation of the modern, a perfect example being the Ginevra de Benci by Leonardo. Fundraising is done on the basis of becoming a member by donating a gift of $1,000 enabling one to enjoy exhibitions, education programs and other programs. Besides, the museum owns stationery, and other art galleries can be accessed online. The Getty is among the best art museums in Los Angeles, having a population of 3.884 million, with the cheapest collection where everything almost accessed freely (White 24). There is free admission, besides, the exhibits, gallery talks and the curator-led tours are provided at no additional fees. The museum is unique as it stays open until 9 pm on Saturdays and parking is not charged after 5p.m during the weekends. The theme of the arts focuses on modern architecture that adds to the expensive city view in addition to the labyrinth of gardens adds to the impressiveness of the museum. Besides, there is the exhibition of the Western art including the illuminated manuscripts, paintings, photos, drawings and other decorative arts that have been provided for by American and European artists. Getty centre has various shops spread across LA with the main shop situated in the Entrance Hall offering books, gifts, jewelry, and stationery. There is also the children shop in the West Pavilion and also the Centre for Photographs Shop also offering art galleries. There education programs provided by the Education department that organizes partnerships, programs, social media lessons, and resources for training. One can become a member of the museum by signing up for the mailings to receive the e-newsletters or can contribute in the form of donating arts. The Museum of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Media As Ideology, Culture, and colonialism Ch 2 Essay

Media As Ideology, Culture, and colonialism Ch 2 - Essay Example This is especially the case, when one considers the works of later Marxists such as Rosa Luxemburg who saw the media as a conduit through which the state attempts to mold the mind of the masses, in order to make the masses docile. This is especially applicable to state-owned media where ideas such as patriotism, diligence and religious ideals are always served to the public. This is always an artifice to stave off the revolutionary spirit from prevailing among the masses (Wasserman and de Beer, 385). At the same time, the definition and analysis of the media above warrants the rethinking of the true purpose or function of the media. While there are those who point out that the role of the media is to educate, entertain and inform, there are other thinkers in the 21st century who postulate that the role of the media is to inform, educate and to initiate and facilitate meaningful debate. While the former standpoint takes on a wider and less formal function, the latter takes on a more formal and stricter commitment to positive social change. As a side note, the passing of the media as channels through which culture and ideology are transmitted to shape consciousness specifically, in order to determine the behavior and attitude of the target population is also wide enough to include the presently online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and specific enough to limit the role of the media to the moderation of the target population’s behavior. The import of this is that not only is the public seen as part of the media, but personal responsibility is also invoked. This is because, since anyone can become part of Facebook, Twitter and/or MySpace (which are all part of the media), individual’s discretion goes a long way to determine how these avenues may be used to impact the target population positively or negatively. This also means that the media is seen as

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Pen-3 Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pen-3 Model - Essay Example PEN 3 Model Culture is defined as a set of beliefs, behaviors, objects and others that are common to a group of people (Schaefer, 2009). Cultural aspects also include religion, language, values, laws, norms and the like. It is learned by the people by imitating the elders and/or enforcement by means of stigma and praises inside the society. Because of this, it is logical to say that culture can also affect health, as the health of an individual is also affected by culture and in turn also affects the health of the society. The health of the society is vital and it should be assessed regularly to monitor the needs of the people. A healthy population is a healthy civilization. Some diseases, like AIDS, are spread because of behavior. AIDS is transmitted by having unprotected sex or by using soiled needles contaminated by the HIV in medical procedures. These are all controllable and the spread can actually be contained when the people can just adjust their behavior. Behavior, like promi scuity, is an aspect of culture. Therefore, a disease that is spread by culture can also be corrected by culture. The sub-Saharan territory in Africa has the largest population of people with AIDS. The adult prevalence of AIDS in the 2005 was at 5.0% and it continues to grow (UNAIDS).

Friday, August 23, 2019

Historiography and History Research Methods Essay

Historiography and History Research Methods - Essay Example The 20th century saw historians place less attention on narratives of epic nationalists and focus more on the complex and more objective study of intellectual and social forces. History was treated less like an art and regarded more as a social science, though there were still some historians who felt otherwise. Several other ways of studying history have since come up ever since with Postmodernists in the recent times questioning the need to study history on the basis of personal interpretation of sources. This paper is aimed at providing a historiographical analysis of the Berlin war. The Berlin wall attracted numerous different views from historians, depending on whether they viewed it from the West’s of East’s perspective. Both sides though, seemed to be at first seeking reasons to justify its construction before finally agreeing that the wall is a barrier (Ladd, 1998). The view of those supporting the East, according to Marxist theories, was that the Proletariat was using the wall as a defence against the influential bourgeoisie. Particularly, the East felt threatened by fascism which they saw as against socialist progress as noted by Beattie (2008). They seemed to imply that the neighbouring West Germany still possessed some Nazism. The West however, termed the wall shameful for the way it restricted movement between the two sides. Historians supporting the West, of course, differed with this view. According to them, the wall came up due to the two system’s historical discrepancy. They have, in many instances, viewed the period of the wall’s existence as totalitarian. Liberal historians, like the Marxists, however reported the war to have been a progressive development. From the East German’s point of view, the wall was some sort of a political embarrassment and a place to be avoided but the Western powers like Britain, US and West Germany held a different view about the wall. If fact, the

Visualizing and Inferring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visualizing and Inferring - Research Paper Example This comparison helps in understanding the dimensions with regard to the magnitude and time in a much better way as the five senses are put to task (Yopp & Yopp, 2001). For instance, the use of close texts where one has to think using the clue and prior personal encounter to arrive at an appropriate word missing in a passage before they can be provided with the opportunity to check against their choice. A teacher reading a comprehension or even a poem while the students listen to important details aids the students to use the self questioning to eliminate what is key from the rest of the text by having to think harder, paying keen attention to what is being read and even asking to be reread for an area they feel they missed out (Burmark, 2002). They try to visualize and relate the text to others, they have read before (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). They read the text and look for new information learnt and what they intend to know before they create a map of concepts for further investigations. The texts sink into the students’ minds through the aid of illustration. This can be achieved through the use of charts, pictures, discussions, drawings and other visual images. These ease the complicated texts and enable the students to organize the information obtain in an understandable manner (Burmark, 2002). The use of adjectives in a large text accompanied by vivid description brings clarity in the memory of the students as they read through. Discussion of the text creates a unique understanding of the topic as one gets clarification from other students as well as the teacher, concerning the theme of the text and distinguishing it from the plot. The student gets the opportunity to ask questions about unclear concepts or marked during the reading period. Note taking accompanied by real life examples help students draw the picture of what they visualise and can trace a place in the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Mathematics and ESL Students Essay Example for Free

Mathematics and ESL Students Essay With the changing demographic in schools and cities, there should be a growing focus on the method of teaching to be sensitive to the needs of ESL learners. In the article Supporting ESL Students among the key insights was the need to build foundations. As in any curriculum or area of learning, it is necessary to build on a strong base and establish fundamental concepts for learning to be fluid as knowledge areas expand. Consider how mathematics was first introduced or taught to students. To be able to fully grasp mathematics, one must first learn addition and subtraction. From there one can learn multiplication and division then fractions. This method of teaching and learning emphasizes the need to build on a strong base. For ESL students the case is similar, in that first they must build a strong foundation of language, meaning develop a knowledge of basic or fundamental words, and from there move on to abstractions and conjugations. By first understanding root words and key structural and grammatical rules, they are able to build on a solid foundation and thus better understand more complicated concepts. A sensitivity to language, grammatical structure and word usage is necessary because for ESL learners, understanding of mathematical concepts only come after successful communication. In Reforming Mathematics Instruction for ESL Literacy Students, authors Buchanan and Helman (1997) concur with the initiative to engage learners in collaborative learning. In this case, students are challenged cognitively by encouraging them to investigate, formulate and comprehend mathematical concepts through classroom activities. By engaging learners in activities that will require them to formulate their own questions, engage in classroom discussion or interact with others in an attempt to communicate their learning, then students are stirred clear of becoming passive learners. By engaging their understanding, then learners have a better chance of fully grasping concepts as well as remembering them. As the old adage goes, â€Å"Practice makes perfect,† in the case of mathematics and the English language, nothing can be more appropriate. By encouraging students to practice their language skills as well as their understanding of the mathematics, they hone their knowledge and skills set. Encouraging and helping develop fluency helps students in many different ways. First they are better able to understand instruction later on, second they are better to communicate their own thoughts and insights and third, they build a knowledge foundation of which they can build upon later on. Learning mathematics is often like building a pyramid. For one to be able to successfully learn mathematics, one must begin with a strong foundation of basic mathematics concepts and only from there can one progress. In teaching mathematics, strong foundations should always be the point of reference. As such, linking mathematical concepts with prior knowledge and experiences make it easier for the student to relate the topics and then connect it to their own lives. In this sense, learning becomes more of a personal and integral experience rather than a passive encounter. By being able to successfully relate mathematical concepts to more familiar terms and experiences the fatigue or fear associated with the technical aspects of mathematics can be reduced as well. Learning mathematics in itself is a challenging task on its own. For ESL learners the challenge of learning mathematics is only compounded by the task of having to negotiate an unfamiliar language. As such in the instruction of mathematics to ESL students it becomes necessary for the instructor to be sensitive to these needs. A focus on providing instructions that would build good foundations in language, grammar and understanding of mathematics is integral. Similarly, positive reinforcement of learning through the encouragement of continued communication between students and classroom activities that promote practical utilization of concepts learned, promotes the better understanding of math as well as language. Reference List Buchanan, K. and Helman, M. (1997). Reforming Mathematics Instruction for ESL Literacy Students. Center for Applied Linguistics. Retrieved 10 March 2009 from http://www. cal. org/resources/digest/buchan01. html

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Modernization Theory and Dependence Theory Analysis

Modernization Theory and Dependence Theory Analysis In this day and age the rapid development of the word and the growing assimilation of countries can hardly fail to affect the development of new theories which attempt to explain the relationship between countries and the existing inequality between developed countries and countries of the third world. Two theories which analyze the development in third world countries are the modernization theory and the dependence theory. These two theories, while being rather different, still have several similarities in their views on the modern world and relationships between developed and developing countries. As Alvin So explained, there are three chief and historical essentials which were constructive to the foundation of the modernization theory of development after the Second World War.First, the United States rose as a superpower.While other Western nations, such as Great Britain, France, and Germany, were undermined by World War II, the United States came out of the war stronger then before, and became a world leader with the execution of the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Western Europe.[2]Second, the idea of communist began to move throughout the world.What was once the Soviet Union spread its influence to Eastern Europe, China, and Korea.Third, there was the breakdown ofEuropean colonial empires in Asia, Africa and Latin America, creating numerous new nation-states in the Third World.These budding nation-states began searching for a form of development to support their economy and to improve their political independence. The modernization theorys intellectual lineage has been traced back to Aristotle. Aristotle first recommended that states, just as plants, went through a natural pattern of growth. Just like Aristotle, Americans in the early Republic assumed that if societies grow in a natural manner, they must also perish. The thought that the progression of human development could be understood and controlled dates to the early nineteenth century, when France and Britain were struggling to bring back their trade empires. Since then it has tended to reappear at times and places where systems of dominance required explanation and rationalization. The modernization theory looks at the internal factors of a country with the assumption that, with aid, â€Å"traditional† countries can be developed in the same way more developed countries have. The modernization theory tries to recognize the social variables which cause social growth and development of societies, and then tries to explain the social evolution. In order for a country to have a profitable, sophisticated, modern economy the country must follow a pattern of development. This is a very systematic theory as it means do one thing and another will happen. In order for this to happen, there need to be prerequisites for takeoff that will lead to takeoff in which will lead to mass-consumption(Mahler 45). A missing component of this theory is that the modernization theory assumes all countries will follow the set path to development. There are actually numerous variables in which will affect a states ability to in fact develop. An example of this is the fact that Mexic o is geographically designed in a way that will cause it to have a weak economy due to the deserts, forests, and mountains. This makes it so that only 12% of the land is arable. The fact that there are no major rivers doesnt help either. These issues all help to making it tricky for Mexico to develop because it restrains transportation, which in turn weakens the possibility of exporting and importing goods in a proficient manner.Another problem with the modernization theory is that it assumes that all states have the necessary preconditions to develop. This is not true as many states do not have proper leaders and government. The explanation for this is that if a state is controlled by weak leadership, it will in turn influence its ability to develop. For example, Saddam Hussein, made it so that his country could not develop because he took all of the wealth for himself. Perhaps, if Hussein had spread the wealth throughout his country, this will have helped education and increased i nvention. This could have made it so that his country developed in a more efficient manner. One policy implication the modernization theory suggests is that the third world countries should look up to the developed western nations, while the Western countries should pass on more modern values, institutions, technology, and financial investment to the Third World countries. Another implication is that in order for the third worlds to develop, they should be moving along the path that the United States has traveled, hence move away from the ideas of communism. (READING) A theory in which is opposed to the Modernization model which was created largely as a response to it is the Dependency theory. Dependency theories developed in opposition to the optimistic claims of modernizationtheory which saw the less developed countries being able to catch up with the West. They stressed that Western societies had an interest in maintaining their advantaged position in relation to the LDCs and had the financial and technical wherewithal to do so. A variety of different accounts of the relationship between the advanced and less developed states evolved within the broad framework of dependency theory, ranging from the stagnationism and ‘surplus drain theory of Andre Gunder Frank (which predicted erroneously that the Third World would be unable to achieve significant levels ofindustrialization), to the more cautious pessimism of those who envisaged a measure of growth based on ‘associated dependent relations with the West. The major contribution to dependency theory was undoubtedly that of Frank, a German economist of development who devised and popularized the phrase ‘the development of underdevelopment, describing what he saw as the deformed and dependent economies of the peripheral states-in his terminology the ‘satellites of the more advanced ‘metropolises. InCapitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America(1969), he argued that the Third World was doomed to stagnation because the surplus it produced was appropriated by the advanced capitalist countries, through agencies such as transnational corporations. Frank himself insisted that growth could only be achieved by severing ties with capitalism and pursuing autocentric socialist development strategies. According to the dependency theory, the Global North exploits the Global South. One reason for this is that the south is highly dependent on the wealth of the north; therefore unable to advance themselves because of the vicious cycle that then ensues. An example of this vicious cycle can begin with a country being very poor and/or economically unstable. They then allow a multinational corporation to set up camp in one of their cities. This leads to many new jobs for this city, but the people are hired for very poor wages. Then the products that are produced get siphoned off by the Global North, in turn preventing that states â€Å"mass-consumption† abilities which is a generalized way that the south gets exploited by the north and the multinational corporation comes out making huge profits at the expense of desperate people just trying to survive and willing to work for pennies. The depencde theory has several implications. First, Promotion of domestic industry and manufactured goods. By imposing subsidies to protect domestic industries, poor countries can be enabled to sell their own products rather than simply exporting raw materials. Second, Import limitations. By limiting the importation ofluxury goodsandmanufactured goodsthat can be produced within the country, the country can reduce its loss of capital and resources. Thrid, Forbidding foreign investment. Some governments took steps to keep foreign companies and individuals from owning or operating property that draws on the resources of the country. In conclusion, both theories admit the leadership of western countries and their currently dominant position in the modern world, while undeveloped countries are characterized by socio-economic and political backwardness. At the same time, the two theories agree that the cooperation between western countries and developing countries is constantly growing and leads to their integration. However, it is necessary to underline that Modernization theory views such cooperation and integration as a conscious and voluntary act from the part of developing countries, for which modernization in the western style is the only way to overcome the existing backwardness, while supporters of Dependency theory argue that such cooperation and integration is imposed to developing countries by more advanced western countries, which simply attempt to benefit from their cooperation with developing countries and their westernization becomes a way of the establishment of control over and growing dependence o f developing countries on developed ones. Regardless, the existing differences, both theories still raise a very important problem of relationships between developed and developing countries and the dominance of western countries and western civilization in the modern world.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Scientific Glass Sg Provides Specialized Glassware Finance Essay

Scientific Glass Sg Provides Specialized Glassware Finance Essay Scientific Glass provides specialized glassware for a variety of organizations such as pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research labs, quality-control sites and testing facilities. As of  January 2010, there was a substantial increase in their inventory balances which tied up the capital necessary for further investment needed for expansion. The debt-to-capital ratio surpassed the target of 40% preventing the company to use their capital in other areas. In addition, the shipping costs were rising, competitive pressures were accelerating, and certain markets in North America and Europe were becoming saturated which underscored the necessity for capital investment for expanding market opportunities in Latin America and Asia. Moreover, expanding warehousing network increased the inventory levels along with costs, documentation complexities and errors. The company hired a new Manager of Inventory Planning, Ava Beane, to come up with an effective plan to manage SGà ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬s inventory without requiring a large capital investment. In order to finance operations in year 2010, SG requires an external funding of $53.8 million (Exhibit1). These expenses would further limit the company to use their existing capital in other areas such as research and development and expanding to international markets. To improve customer service levels, SG had increased the target customer fill rate to 99% and added six more leased ware houses to meet the demand more accurately. This led to an increase in the inventory levels as some warehouse managers kept extra inventory in order to meet the company target fill rate. Good practices Maintained continued sales growth and higher customer satisfaction Produced creative products with lower life cycle costs Focused on durable products, innovative designs and superior customer services Reduced time between ordering and delivering the products to the customers Bad practices Treated inventory management as an afterthought, due to which inventory imbalances were increasing The company exceeded its target debt to capital ratio of 40% Incurred both underage and overage costs High Inventory Problem Due to increasing in customer service level, SG planned to add regional warehouses in many parts US. SG has the main and the largest one in Waltham, MA, which is next to manufacturing plant. SG also has another warehouse that located outside of Phoenix,  Arizona. However, at the end of 2008, SG bought other six warehouses. This means SG has the total 8 warehouses to serve customers. Annual rental and operation costs for North  American warehouses were 15% of the cost of the warehoused inventory. However, in 2006, before add more 6 warehouses, SG already made investment to expand the warehouse at Waltham in anticipation of continued growth, but after these 6 warehouses had been bought, this warehouse does not work full efficiency of its capacity.  Another problem of warehouse management is company expected to reach high level of  customer service to 99%, so that warehouse managers keep order inventory ahead before it reach threshold of inventory level to order new one to assur e that they will meet the customer service target level at 99%. This situation causes high inventory levels than required and also high inventory turnover. Moreover, salespeople were allow having its products up to $10,000 worth from ware house and kept them in trunk stock in their homes and cars in order to deliver this inventory on short notice to any customer who was within driving distance. This amount could lead to high finished goods in warehouse and in-transit as shown in exhibit 6. It could lead to missing products in inventory, and lost. Proposed solutions to inventory problem In order to solve the inventory issues, there are actually two main aspects to consider: Number of warehouses and their structure can be changed; Related policies can be changed and of course appropriate ones can be done simultaneously. For changing the number of warehouses, in other words, centralizing or decentralizing warehousing functions, available options are considered as: Centralized warehousing in Waltham: In this option, one central warehouse near to manufacturing facility at Waltham will send all customer orders from one location. Centralize warehousing in Waltham to meet demand in Southeast and Northeast regions using delivery service of Winged Fleet as their rates are cheaper for these two regions. This would allow SG to pool its inventory in order to meet demand. However, the customer response times would increase Decentralized warehousing: In addition to the main warehouse at Waltham, there would be another warehouse at Dallas which would be supplied from Waltham. This would allow demand to be met for all the regions and prevent any stock-outs in a single warehouse. Continuing with 8 warehouses: This option makes no change on the network of the warehouses and all regions will be supplied its warehouse if there is no stock-out occurs. Two centralized warehouses: In this option, addition to the main warehouse at Waltham, there will be an additional warehouse at the west, at Phoenix, and it will be supplied from Waltham. Demand of east region will be met from Waltham, demand of west region will be met from Phoenix and demand of central region will be met from both warehouses, assuming to have equal shares on the central region. Outsourcing the warehousing functions: In this option, all warehousing actions will be outsourced to Global Logistics (GL) and distribution will start from main warehouse at Waltham and then GL will be responsible from rest of the operations. Outsource warehousing to GL to meet demand in the Central, Southwest and Northwest regions because shipping costs for those regions is cheapest with the GL rates. Outsource warehousing to Global Logistics (GL) which will provide a centralized warehousing in Atlanta. Goods will be transported in bulk from Waltham to Atlanta and GL would take responsibility of inventory-control and delivery to the customers. This way SG would not have to bear the warehouse rental charges and could focus on increasing sales and develop newer products to meet customer needs. Changes in inventory policy: In addition to these options, Beane should propose the following actions to Eric Gregory and Melissa Hayes Lower fill rates to the industry-average in order to decrease inventories. Greater enforcement by managers to avoid keeping excess inventories in the warehouses. Have periodic reviews of inventory and control procedures for all stocks in the warehouses. Evaluations of the proposed solutions Evaluation of mentioned alternatives will be conducted from mainly five aspects: Transportation costs, Average inventory levels, Time responsiveness, Fill rates and Additional costs and benefits Transportation Costs: Transportation costs for alternatives are calculated for the two products, namely Griffin and Erlenmeyer, since they are mentioned as the best representative for a total of nearly 3000 products of Scientific Glass. In addition, for each option, demand for the next year calculated considering the 20% increase in sales. When warehouse to customer shipments are considered average shipment weight of 19,5 pound is used and to have an average transportation cost value, these two products costs are averaged according to their relative proportion in sales . It also be mentioned that, inter-warehouse transshipments occur only when stock-out occurs and as the number of warehouses are decreasing, effect of this costs will be diminished; therefore, it is only considered in the option where there are 8 warehouses. For the 1st option, having 8 warehouses and making no change, from Waltham to all other 7 warehouses all items are sent by bulk shipment. Inter-warehouse transshipments are calculated by bulk  shipment rates and they are considered only when a stock-out occurs, therefore fill rate is included in these calculations and average total cost found as $2701, 41 For the 2nd option, when there is only one warehouse, all customer shipments are calculated for rates of Winged Fleet. In this option, average total cost is calculated as $12210, 16. For the 3rd option, when two centralized warehouses considered, it is assumed that Waltham will supply east region, Phoenix will supply will west region and they will equally supply the central region. Average total cost is found as $2332.07. For the last option, when warehousing functions are outsourced, assuming the 5 regions of  Global Logistics (GL) will have equal amount of demand. Total average cost is calculated as $2276, 83. To conclude, as it is expected, when numbers of warehouses are decreased transportation costs are increased. From the aspect of transportation costs, GL option has the smallest cost amount. Average Inventory Levels: First of all, it must be decided which inventory policy that the company should apply. Begin with the review type; although firm monitors the entire inventory transfers from Waltham warehouse to other warehouses; they think taking physical counts of inventory at all warehouses. Therefore, it is concluded that company uses periodic inventory review policy. Secondly, company did not mention any due date, therefore the inventory plans should consider infinite time horizon. And lastly, though there exists a fixed cost for shipments from warehouses to customers; there is no other fixed cost related to transportation to the warehouses, i.e. no fixed ordering cost. The only order cost is $0.40 per pound bulk shipment cost which is a variable cost with weight. As a result, all analysis can be conducted considering critical ratios and the related fill rate values, which is the only option that is left and also it is considered as the most applicable to the situation. Since some of the simultaneous changes can be done, considering ceteris paribus principle and when fill rate is maintained exactly as 99% for all warehouses, we can calculate the average inventory level that must be kept at warehouses. Weighted-average biweekly inventory levels are found as: 8 warehouses : 98853 2 warehouses : 68034 1 warehouse : 59703 Outsourcing : 59703 When outsourcing option is used, it will be the same for the company in the sense of kept inventory levels for the one-centralized-warehouse option therefore they are assumed to be equal. As number of warehouse decreases, level of inventory decreases as it is expected. This is because, the greater the degree of  collaboration, the lower the uncertainty (standard deviation of the error or coefficient of variation) of  the demand model This implies that the money tied up in the inventory decrease sand this extra capital can be used in other areas, like expansion plans to international markets Time Responsiveness: Delivery system of the company compensates 2 weeks of shipment cycles including the stock-out situations. In order to be a market leader, differentiation on this subject is also needed and unfortunately since this is not an exact quantitative scale, only possible situations could be mentioned. For having one centralized, or two centralized or 8 decentralized warehouse options, they all include at most 3 days ready to shipment duration and Winged Fleets delivery time of at most 3 days if there is no stock-out situation and the stock-out probabilities are diminishing with the aggregated demands. On the other hand, GL has 1-day premium shipment in addition to 3-day regular shipments. Considering the highly growing market situation and different segment of products, having different delivery times to different products and also to different customers will make this company focus on the most yielding areas. Therefore, it can be said that working with GL has the advantage of differentiating customers/orders and, since there will be 2 warehouses, stock-out probability and related durations will be less compared to other options. And all of these aspects will increase the time responsiveness of the company. Additional Costs and Benefits: Quantitative issues to related to options of inventory management In order to continue with the current warehouses total of $10M investment is necessary, it is assumed that all of this amount will be equally shared among all warehouses. Since warehouse operating costs will be the %15 of the total warehoused inventory, these costs could be directly compared with the annual average inventory levels that are kept in each option The amount paid to sales forces will not change when the company has 1, 2 or 8 warehouses because it is assumed that as the number of warehouses decreased, number of salesperson per warehouse will increase and total of 32 will not change. On the other hand, when warehousing is outsourced this amount will not be paid Qualitative issues to related to options of inventory management When GL is used for warehousing, SGs senior managers will be able to focus on increasing sales, marketing issues and developing next generation of products. There are some issues that must be mentioned from the proposed policy changes. Stopping the practice of trunk stock could conclude with a decrease in the time responsiveness and therefore it should not be stopped. Also as mentioned in the same proposed policy changes, improving thec ontrolling systems will create a better understanding of the current situation after the warehousing functions changed. Finally, when GL is used, the approach of warehouse managers to keep more than99% fill rate and 60-day-supply will not be a problem, because all of these operating issues will be responsibility of GL. This will help to company not to keep excessive amount of inventory and less tied-up money in the inventory which can be used in other areas. Fill Rate: Companys fill rate policy should also be calculated for the different alternatives. The company replaced the earlier fill rate policy of 93%, which is only marginally better that the industry average fill rate of 92%, with 99%. However, there is no sign that the company is implementing this policy because it is the best approach that must be taken for the company objectives. Moreover, using a fill rate higher than optimal level leads to higher inventories and more money tied up in the inventory. Therefore, company should lower the rates down to optimal levels, if there is no other concern related to market leadership or customer satisfaction. To calculate the optimal levels of fill rates for all four alternatives we should consider cost items which are added to underage and overage costs. However, the sales leadership noted that underage costs are 10% of the gross margin and overage costs are 0.6% of the unit cost of any product. Also it is assumed that unit costs covers all the costs such as warehouse rental and operation costs, cost of capital and inventory write-offs. For the three alternatives other than outsourcing, there is no change in cost items, only the multiplied quantities are changed; but the outsourcing alternative eliminates the 15% warehouse rental and operating costs and 1% inventory write-offs. As a result, overage costs are decreased while underage costs are increased. Resulting optimal fill rates are as follows: 1, 2, or 8 warehouses Outsourcing Reference product 1   95.4% 96.5% Reference product 2   94.9% 96.1% These numbers can be interpreted in two different ways: If company is flexible about the determination of fill rate, in other words if it can lower the fill-rates from 99% to optimal levels, outsourcing option pushes the optimal fill rates to higher levels which results in larger inventories and more money to tie up. If the company still insists on keeping fill rate at 99%, the additional costs that must be paid to maintain 99% fill-rate level is lowered in the outsourcing alternative. Consequently, the better policy related to fill rates depend on the attitude of the company. Finally, another policy change about fill-rates can be considered. Rather than using one fill-rate for over all products of the company, different rates for different products can help the company in decreasing inventory costs related to, at least, for some of the products. Conclusion To conclude, since available options are studied from different aspects, it must be mentioned that the company should choose the alternatives and compare the results of evaluations according to their priorities. For instance, evaluation criteria like inventory levels and transportation costs are conflicting on interests. Company can see their situation and make decisions according to priorities. While assessing the weights for factors, it is considered that average inventory level and the transportation costs are the most important costs for the company. Then, the fill rate follows them. Time responsiveness is the next important factor which is followed by additional costs and benefits with equal weights for each. Changes in warehouse management are considered as options other than outsourcing do not provide radical policy changes which could make warehousing management better. These weights and the scores related to our previous investigations yield that the outsourcing the warehousing function to Global Logistics is the best alternative among all. All of investigations and cost studies conducted in this case study are to find the most cost effective option in order to getting closer to the target debt to capital ratio of the company and provide more capital to fund expansion into new international markets while maintaining or even improving the high customer satisfaction level

Monday, August 19, 2019

Similarities Between Aristophanes Lysistrata and Euripides Medea Ess

Similarities Between Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Euripides' Medea The poetic tone of Aristophanes' Lysistrata differs greatly from the poetic tone of the Greek tragedies we have read in class. However, after analyzing this Greek comedy, it seems to share some of the main characteristics of Euripides' Medea. Within these plays, we meet shrewd, powerful masculine women who use the art of manipulation to get what they want from others and to accomplish their goals. This theme of manipulation is employed through various means and techniques. The women of these plays also seem to contradict the stereotypical woman and have characteristics similar to the Homeric Greek warrior. In the opening scene of the Medea, the nurse tells the audience of Medea's sorrow. Although Medea has done everything possible to please Jason including committing crimes in his behalf, Jason leaves her and decides to wed the daughter of Creon, the king of Corinth. Though Jason is able to manipulate Medea in the beginning, his powers of manipulation are no match for Medea. Jason also tries to rationalize his actions by claiming that his sole purpose in marrying Creon's daughter is to better the lives of Medea and their children. However, after Medea is full of rage, it is impossible for Jason to manipulate her any further. Throughout the rest of the play, we see several examples of her excellent manipulative skills. When Medea admits to her murderous intentions to the women of Corinth, she is able to convince them to keep silent about it. She pleads to them using their feministic views to her advantage. When Aegus, the king of Greece arrives in Corinth, she manipulates him to offers her refuge from her enemies in return for a cure for his in... ...nd coaching them, but never physically joining them in their demonstration against the war. Although Lysistrata is manipulative, her character is more likeable than Medea's character. Lysistrata is not vengeful when carrying out these plans. Although Lysistrata does gain much power when she organized this movement, her intention is not selfish. Lysistrata manipulates these men and women for, what she believes is a greater good, peace. Also, Medea is feared and deemed powerful because of her passionate rages, while Lysistrata's power comes from her ability to remain strong and composed throughout the play. They are both shrewd characters who undermine the stereotypical subservient female. While Lysistrata serves as a great leader and earns the respect of many men and Medea gains power by cruel means, both use manipulative tactics to accomplish their goals.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Strindbergs Miss Julie and Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay -- Engli

Strindberg's Miss Julie and Beckett's Waiting for Godot The motivations and behavior of key characters in Strindberg's Miss Julie and Beckett's Waiting for Godot will be analyzed according to Eric Berne's method of transactional analysis. Eric Berne deals with the psychology behind our transactions. Transactional analysis determines which ego state is implemented by the people interacting. There are three possibilities which are either parent, adult, or child. The key characters in Waiting for Godot are Vladimir and Estragon. Vladimir is the more intellectual of the two and Estragon is more emotional. Their ego states are always shifting from minute to minute. In Miss Julie the key characters are Jean and Miss Julie. Jean shifts his ego state according to his situation either to compliment the ego state of the person he is talking to or to exploit the situation. In the relationship between Miss Julie and Jean their ego states interchange as Miss Julie begins as the parent, then she falls so they are equal on the adult level and eventually she is on the bottom so Jean is on the top as parent ego state. People are made with three basic ego states which are the parent, adult, and child. Some people have a dominant ego state and others are constantly changing. All parts are necessary for a well rounded personality. The child is linked with intuition, creativity, spontaneity, drive and enjoyment. The adult is the rational, objective and logical side which allows work to get done. This is the part of us that should be involved in difficult decision making because it weighs the pros and cons of the decision without bias. The parent is useful for actually raising children and for routine decisions that do not require the deductive rea... ...llowed to flow. He also manipulates Miss Julie's emotions by appealing to the romantic child in her. It is Miss Julie's fall from her high social status and her consequent fall to a childish ego state that makes Jean adapt his ego. She starts out thinking she is better than Jean because he is her servant. As they get closer she feels he is her equal so she talks to him as an adult from an adult standpoint. By the end when she has fallen from grace she feels so low that she is talking up to Jean and wants him to tell her what to do. All the while Jean is on the opposite side of the wheel that Miss Julie is on. Bibliography 1. Berne, Eric. Games People Play. Grove Press INC, New York Thirtieth printing 1966. 2. Strindberg, August. Plays: One , Miss Julie . Secer & Warberg Limited, Great Britain 1964. 3. Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Grove Press INC 1956.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Possible Risks Which Affect Computer System Essay

Abstract The short report reveals about the possible risks that affecting the computer system in terms of data loss and malfunctioning of programs. By taking simple precautionary measures the unexpected hazards can be completely eliminated. The most significant preventive measure is timely backing up the data. The other involves physical safety and installation of anti-virus programs. One factor to be kept in mind is that without proper physical safety no data is safe, as the hardware parts including motherboard, processor, and storage system constitute a computer brain. Once the brain gets damaged the whole system is collapsed. Introduction Normally people never think of taking precautionary measures until they experience individual loss or feel the bitterness of unexpected disasters. This may also happen in most of the cases regarding back up processes against possible risks involved in information loss. There is no use of running after the data, which has already been a lost or taking bleak effort to regain it. But one has to be vigilant regarding the backup process by learning from the drastic experiences of others. If one realize about the importance of information stored in the system and feel the perspiration to create and process the data associated with it, he will never let it go by silly causes. Firstly he would concern about the protection of information by all possible ways. This short report reveals about the possible risks involved in data loss and the ways to eliminating those risks. Possible Risks to the Data There are several risks, which cause the data in the computer to vanish or to corrupt. Therefore different backup processes are to be adopted to protect data from different risks. Only a few numbers of backup processes are capable to handle all the risks and protect data loss. Here is a short description about the commonly seen risks to PCs. Hardware Failure It is termed as the most significant risk that may affect the data storage system. If a person is well aware of hard disk failure he never forget to backup the data timely. Disk crash may lead the system with irrecoverable loss of data and valuable programs. The other hardware failures include memory errors; system-timing problems, resource conflicts and power loss can also corrupt the data or damage the important programs. Ensuring proper dust free and moisture free atmosphere, timely scanning of disk, supply of uninterrupted power will minimize the above risks. Software Failure There is also a possibility of data loss due to software errors. It may be the result of improper or ineffective software design. Due to lack of proper logic and effective coding the program on execution may get hanged and because of that the data may get corrupted. â€Å"Some software bugs may be even more damaging, even causing the loss of files unrelated to them. † (SF). But rarely it happens. This risks can be eliminated by using of the trustful and reliable software. File System Corruption This problem generally comes due to the improper maintenance of system disks. If the disk is not scanned regularly there is a risk of transforming file structure used to contain information files and programs. It may cause damage of data and ultimately loss. Accidental Deletion It happens by simple mistakes of human as, rarely, important files may accidentally be deleted from the hard disk. By taking certain protection techniques and undeletion utilities the lost files can be recovered later. Proper backup of data in time and usage of proper undeletion utilities will negate the data loss from accidental deletion. Virus Infection Viruses are uninvited malicious programs that cause irrecoverable damages to the system files and important programs. The data loss can happen either due to direct Virus attacks or it can happen as a result to the efforts for removing viruses from computer system. By installing trustful anti-virus programs this problem can be eliminated. Other Risks Data loss due to physical activities of human such as Theft and Sabotage by dissatisfied employees is also a matter of concern. Same consequences are expected from the natural disasters such as Fire incidents, flood, earthquake, mud slide, hurricane, lightning strike, etc. at is on. Once the system is damaged physical no recovery can be expected from that. Therefore the only solution from the risk is to ensure physical safety of the system. So protect the systems from the possible physical hazards keep it physically as well as functionally safe. Work cited SFSource : Software Failures ; http://www. pcguide. com/care/bu/risks. htm

Educational Broadcasting Essay

Radio became highly popular in the 1930s in Canada. A heated debate in the parliament helped Prime Minister Mackenzie King to set up a commission to create Canadian broadcasting system. Canada’s first network broadcast was in 1927. King addressed the nation from Parliament Hill. His speech gave indication that radio could be a valuable way for communication. It also deeply influenced his political career. Educational broadcasting was developed both at the federal and provincial level. This was marked by tension between the two jurisdictions. This paper studies the history of educational broadcasting in Canada. In 1927 the University of Alberta’s Department of extension was given the license to operate the radio station CKUA. By 1944 the Department of Telephones purchased and operated the station with the university retaining the license. The university also provided the programming for a fixed number of hours a day. The federal government in 1946 stated that broadcasting would be the responsibility of the government (Samuel, 1975). Educational broadcasts on radio began in 1940 after the Carnegie Foundation donated a grant of five thousand dollars to the B. C Department of Education. Its purpose was to study the use of broadcasting in rural education. A school broadcasting department was created which ran programs for Grades 1 through 8. The CBC provided the crews while the Department of education provided the creative elements of the program. The service offered programs in music, science and history. It was later expanded to include the Western provinces of Canada. Educational radio began in Ontario in 1949. The Announcing and Radio Production course at the Ryerson Institute of Technology was operating the CJRT-FM. The station provided educational services to schools and the public. The license was help up to 1972. The general university budget had the CJRT funded as a special budget (Samuel, 1975). The government recognized the importance of electronic communications in Quebec. A bill regarding radio broadcasting was passed on March 1945. However nothing could be achieved because of a serious dispute between the federal and provincial government. The Department of Education began producing two hour radio programs in Nova Scotia in 1928. This was done in association with Halifax station CHMS. English, French, History, Music and Drama were the subjects discussed in the broadcast. Performers and actors also participated in the program. The programs were intended to support teachers. Formal educational radio programs were broadcast in 1942 by a national advisory council. These educational programs were based on the provincial curricula. They were produced in cooperation with education authorities in the various provinces. These policies reflected the constitutional position regarding the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments. The first experimental educational television broadcasts began in 1954. The CBC was associated with Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Television broadcasts were designed to be used by students and teachers. They consisted of instructions and formal educational programs which were linked directly with the provincial curricula. These educational programs were beneficial for the provincial communities. The Metropolitan Educational Association was formed in 1959 to use television broadcasting to serve the educational needs of Toronto. The CBLT in Toronto and CHCH in offered Hamilton Formal university courses. General educational programs like Two For Physics and The Nature of Things were highly popular. CBC television also presented sixty half hours programs each year for in school use. A yearly series of half hour programs called University of the Air was broadcasted each week during the 1960s. Studios were also connected with classrooms and laboratories using closed circuit television (Toogood, 1969). Channel 19 in Toronto was reserved for educational purposes in 1961. An educational television section was established in 1965 by the Ontario Minister of Education. This section was within the Curriculum Branch of the Ministry. There were plans for educational television. Ontario’s department of education applied for a license to open an educational television station. However the federal government refused the license. However a compromise was reached between the CBC and Ontario government. The CBC was allowed to apply to the new regulatory agency for broadcasting license on behalf of the Ontario Department of Education. Audio visual materials were made by Radio Quebec which was an audio visual production house. During the late 1960s it expanded its production to distribution of its materials. The Calgary and Regional Educational Television Association was incorporated in 1967. Closed circuit channels from the Instructional Television Fixed Service Band were used to transmit programs to 25 Calgary locations (Toogood, 1969). Memorial University in Newfoundland is a leading producer and distributor of educational television programs since the 1960s. It has produced programs for closed circuit use on university campuses. It has also produced programs for the university’s education division. It has contributed in using television for distance education and teleconferencing. Educational television programs were designed by the Nova Scotia’s Department of Education to teachers and students. Production facilities have been owned by the CBC. The Department of Education has produced the programs. Video tapes have been developed for provinces. Teachers have also been provided these video tapes for classroom use. Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have used video tape and film for educational purposes (Toogood, 1969). The 1960s saw a renewed interest in the development of national educational television service. The Canadian Radio-Television Commission was established in 1968. Educational broadcasting came under the jurisdiction of the Commission. The Canadian Educational Broadcasting Agency was established by the introduction of bill C-179. The agency held licenses and operated educational broadcasting facilities. The provincial authorities were responsible for production and programming. The federal government was responsible for transmission of the programs. The bill was withdrawn due to provincial pressure. The Quebec Broadcasting Bureau Act effectively updated an unused 1945 act on Radio Quebec. The act proposed broader powers than the proposed Federal bill C-179. The federal bill was not passed. This ended the phase for the establishment of a national education service. Ontario and Alberta pressured the federal government for the establishment of a provincially owned and operated educational television service. An interim government specified that the CBC would provide educational facilities and provincial educational communications authorities provide the programming. Broadcasting received undertaking under the regulatory power of the CRTC. At least one channel was obliged to make available for educational programming (Twomey, 1978). Provincial educational television was developed by TVOntario and Radio-Quebec in the 1970s. The CBC was awarded a license to act as an agent for the Ontario Ministry of Education by the CRTC. This also led to Channel 19 to become the first UHF channel in Canada. Educational television services used any format and program. Entertaining broadcast schedules were developed by the provincial educational television. This led to them breaking out of the lecture format. There was much criticism and opposition from conventional broadcasters. The right of the provincial authorities to decide what is educational has been upheld by the CRTC (Twomey, 1978). In 1972 the OECA applied for a broadcasting license. The OECA is a crown corporation that reports to the provincial legislature through a minister. The policy is made by the independent Board of Directors appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. There is no direct government involvement in policy or programming decisions. The OECA distributes programs through video tape and their utilization in class rooms. New electronic technologies have been developed and used in marketing and utilization. Services have also been extended since 1973. Programs have also been sent to cable systems. TVOntario has become a popular broadcasting service. It has provided British dram, classic movies, documentaries and talk shows. It has become an appreciated public broadcasting services for Ontario citizens. French language programming has also been a part of the TVO broadcast. A separate service for the French community was initiated during the 1980s. Advertising is not carried on the English and French service. Funding comes from government grants and sale of programs (Twomey, 1978). CJRT-FM also evolved in the 1970s. Ryerson’s funding was changed by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. There was no allowance for the radio station. There were announcements that the CJRT would cease its operations. However political activity saved the station. In 1973 the CJRT-FM was established as a separate and independent corporation. The CJRT-FM was a private non profit corporation and had its own independent Board of Directors. The station provided some university level courses. However most of its program content was classical and jazz music. Radio Quebec distinguished itself from other television services. It adhered to the concept of educational programming but did not bind itself by any federal definition. Education was part of culture and its main objective was to influence the culture of Quebec. During the 1970s a schedule of television programs was distributed directly into the cable facilities in Quebec City. During this time two UFH television stations were also established. Over the years the use of satellite distribution to transmitters to cable was initiated. Tele-Quebec has tried to reflect the culture of Quebec in the province’s regional aspects. Quebec has its own educational television broadcasting. Program formats are offered without contextualization. The Alberta government announced the setup of an Alberta Educational Communications Corporation in 1972. Two local educational television projects were taken by the corporation. It reported directly to the government. The provincial government was responsible for funding the television service and CKUA radio. ACCESS Network radio broadcasted at least twelve percent of its programming for education. The service has provide mix of music, news and community oriented programs. Programs were mainly formal educational programs designed for classroom use. It also began to act as the purchasing and distributor of audio visual material for the education sector (Foster, 1982) The Saskatchewan Educational Communications Corporation was created in 1974. It became known as the SaskMedia. The corporation provided audio visual and distribution service to the Ministry of Education. The 1980s saw increase success for provincial educational television services. Signal distribution increased the coverage via satellites to cable. Formal and informal educational programs were delivered to cable companies throughout the province by ACCESS Network television. The schedule consisted of English language provincial services. There was a mix of children programs, school programs, British dramas, classic movies and talk. CKUA and CJRT-FM were educational radio services established themselves by mixing classical music, jazz and talk. CKUA enjoyed government funding. The CJRT had to sell advertising and use other sources for revenue generation. Saskatchewan in the 1980s still had no prospects of educational television. However in 1984 the University of Regina delivered credit courses to five centers. This instruction service was expanded in the succeeding years. They were offered by a new agency, Saskatchewan Communications Network. It offered two educational television services. Formal services for closed circuit from the University of Regina and traditional educational services were offered for the general public. The Knowledge Network of the West Communications Authority (KNOW) was established in 1980 by a Cabinet Minute under the Societies Act of British Columbia. This was a public television service. It provided institutional and formal education system. It provided services which were complementary to the system. All programs were supported and developed by educational institutions and the government. Atlantic Canada in the 1980s also saw pressure for the creation of educational television. The CRTC in 1980 called for extension of services to remote communities. The Atlantic Television Network established the ATV-2. This was an alternative service providing satellite for cable television in the Atlantic region. It would broadcast four hours of educational programs on weekdays. It has become a provider of post secondary learning opportunities in the region (Foster, 1982). Manitoba has seen little activity in the development of provincial educational television. The province has used the CBC as the main public broadcasting service. The department of education in Manitoba cooperated with the CBC in providing schools programming. The 1990s was a decade of steady growth for educational television. Direct to home satellites made educational services available to the entire populations. The services were extended to the entire country. Other provincial educational television services like ACCESS, the Knowledge Network and SCN also expanded their educational services in the provinces. TVOntario and Tele-Quebec faced some government cutbacks but this did not impact their educational broadcasting services. The 1990s changed the situation for educational television service in British Columbia. The Open Learning Agency of British Colombia was established. It dedicated its segments to the college, university and school learning. New electronic systems were used to effectively deliver distance learning services throughout the province. The Knowledge Network became part of the Open Learning Agency. It also maintained a connection with the formal courses. Traditional education television evolved with children’s programming, British drama, documentary and talk shows (Rosen, 2002). The SCN in Saskatchewan developed a program schedule which funded and broadcasted locally produced documentaries. This reflected the local character and priorities of the province. These services were distributed by satellite to cable systems across the province. Funding came from yearly government grants. In Atlantic Canada educational services were provided by the ATV-2 network. Various universities in Alberta Canada use formal credit course for broadcast on this service. In Alberta provincial educational television and radio changed in the 1990s. In 1995 a new ACCESS television was introduced. It provided a new programming and business model. The look and style were also modern and youthful. There was a broader range of popular programming. Revenues were generated through the sale of broadcast air time. Educational products and services were also sold. Non commercial pre school programming was broadcasted in the morning. There was also a mix of non commercial ministry programs and US produced drama and movies. Traditional documentaries and magazine shows were also shown in the evening. Programs from the US were also broadcasted (Rosen, 2002). Specialty television in the 1990s was undergoing some rapid extension. Development work for a Canadian national educational television service was begun in 1991. The Canadian Learning Television was established. It was an adult oriented educational service emphasizing lifelong learning. It included two provincial educational broadcasters. Canadian Learning Television is Canada’s only national educational television broadcaster. It was launched in September 1999. It has financed specialty services by cable subscriber fees and commercial advertising. It works with universities and colleges. It also works with provincial educational broadcasters (Rosen, 2002). The twenty first century has seen provincial educational television services, radio services and national educational television performing very well. Despite fears of privatization this has not yet materialized. Radio and Television have become an important part of Canadian life. They have offered entertainment and education for thousands of Canadians. Canada’s educational broadcasting services have provided programming to its varied audiences. There have been feelings of loyalty and connection with these services. The appeal of educational broadcasting has been increasing in Canada. High quality educational programming has been provided which has been instrumental in spreading literacy. It has also helped in providing distance learning services to remote communities. Educational broadcasting has helped in responding to specific provincial needs and realities. Educational broadcasting has come a long way since its genesis. Formal and informal educational services have helped spread knowledge and enlightenment to many communities in Canada. They are an essential part of Canada’s cultural policy.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Advanced Computer Logic

In any organization, it is best that the purchasing transactions be organized in order to reduce purchase transaction costs (About, Inc). The importance of considering the methods involved in purchasing transactions is underscored by the fact that these transactions form the majority of the expenses of an organization (About, Inc). Indeed, it has been noted that â€Å"[i]n a typical organization, 80% of the purchasing transactions represent approximately 20% of the total dollars spent (About, Inc).†Thus, Tom Camp and Eleanor should discuss about changing their procurement process because apparently, it does not serve the best interests of the company. The facts given show that the equipments it purchases have a high obsolescence rate due to differences in preference and orders.Thus, there is a need to streamline the purchasing process of the company and minimize the differences in suppliers and orders, which only cause additional cost to the company.It appears that this situat ion is appropriate for the application of systems contracting. A systems contracting arrangement is described as â€Å"an agreement between the buyer and supplier where the buyer places a blanket order with the supplier and the supplies are delivered to a special area on the buyer’s premises (About, Inc).†This arrangement ensures that the inventory records are in order and constantly updated (About, Inc).In a systems contracting arrangement, the supplier retains ownership of the goods while they are purchase orders are still being generated and the customer is billed at established periods only (About, Inc). This system allows the buyer that his inventory commitment is kept at a minimum (About, Inc).Thus, the buyer is left to deal with his personal concerns regarding maintaining its inventory, without a huge commitment to the seller (About, Inc).  Another option for the company is to adopt the theory of reverse auction, wherein a single buyer would choose from among many sellers so that the buyer could get competitive bids on their needed equipment. This is also an option that could mean savings for the company because only the winning bidder would provide the procured equipment, and the company would no longer concern itself with differences in orders from among the difference departments of the company.Moreover, this could reduce the obsolescence rate of the equipments because the competitive nature of the selection and procurement process would ensure that only the best equipment would be ordered.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works CitedAbout, Inc. â€Å"Four Methods to Reduce Purchasing Costs.† 2007. 4 Oct. 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Child Development Essay

The difference Between the Sequence and Rate of Development Children’s development generally follows a predictable sequence of stages known as milestones. However, occasionally a child may skip a stage or go through a stage very quickly e. g. a child may miss out crawling and move straight from sitting to walking. An example of a sequence is the physical development of a baby where movement begins with their head and then downwards and from the centre of their body outwards. The time of a child’s development milestone isn’t as consistent as the sequence because children’s stages of development happen over different rates rather than particular ages. An example of this is that children don’t begin walking all at the same time. Some children are learning to walk before their first birthdays whereas others may learn to walk many months later. However, it is important to understand that although a child may be developing slower in certain aspects of development, they maybe excelling in others and that all children are generally following the same sequence. 2. 1 Personal Factors Affecting Children’s Development Early childhood development can be affected by a number of factors. A child’s health plays a crucial role in their development and can be determined by factors including the genetics they inherit from their families, malnutrition from a poor diet and poor conditions in their environment. Unhealthy children may find they are less equipped to tackle problems in comparison to healthy children. They may also be restricted in participating in activities which can have a detrimental effect on building relationships with others, access to creating an understanding of their environment and their progression in motor development. Disability can have a profound effect on a child’s development. The three core areas of disability are physical disability, learning disability and sensory impairment. Normal development involves children to be able to interact with their environment, and to understand their findings. Children with physical disabilities will often be restricted in their ability to effectively interact with their environment which can then have a detrimental effect on their ability to develop cognitively and emotionally. The limitation of exploring their environment can also impact on their motor skills due to lack of mobility. Furthermore, children who spend time away in hospital may have limited opportunities to develop age appropriate social skills, language skills and speech. Learning disabilities can affect children’s ability to grasp, process and analyse information. Disabled children often show an uneven pattern of development e. g. language development and physical development which can have some effect on their ability to interact with others. Inadequate interaction with others may have a negative influence on a child’s personal skills, their self esteem and often causes a reluctance to face problems. Children with sensory problems such as visual or hearing impairments may experience difficulties including mobility, language development and communication skills. Visually impaired children often suffer with mobility issues hindering their physical development which reduces their ability to explore their surroundings. It also interferes with engaging in imaginative play limiting the child’s ability to develop imitative skills. Hearing impaired children commonly lack language and communication skills as they have a reduced opportunity to take advantage of the critical early period of language development by hearing people’s voices. The lack of communication skills can impact on the child’s ability to engage with other children. 2. 2 External Factors Affecting Children’s Development Poverty can create a lasting disadvantage in children’s development. The areas of poverty to take into account are housing, diet, education and leisure activities. Children who are underprivileged in these areas are more likely to face challenges with their social and emotional development leading to behavioural problems. This can leave them at risk of developing negative relationships affecting social skills, academic skills and self esteem. Poverty can also influence a child’s health where poor housing and diet and a lack of leisure opportunities often lead to obesity, malnutrition and a likelihood of becoming ill. This can affect a child’s ability to join in activities with other children hindering many areas of development. The family environment can have a profound effect on a child’s development in both a positive or negative nature. Children living in a positive family environment often develop good social interaction with others as a result of positive relations with family members. Therefore this may impact on a child’s development in learning areas such as personal, social and emotional skills and communication, language and literacy skills. Similarly to poverty factors, family factors can also influence a child’s academic pathway. A child with underdeveloped social skills may express themselves with inappropriate behaviour, a lack of interest to learn and an inability to create positive relationships thus reducing the chance to progress and succeed in a predominantly social environment as is education. Personal choices are another major influence regarding normal development. As children grow, they develop a greater independence and are presented with more choices to which can impact on many areas of development. A prominent area of development in which a child’s personal choices impacts on is their relationship with food and physical activity. In recent times and partly influenced by the media, children’s eating habits have become increasingly unhealthy and in addition, children’s physical activity has declined. This has resulted in many children becoming overweight or obese and even diabetes. The consequences of this is likely to impact on physical development as children who are suffering from the above are more likely to be restricted in participating in all areas of physical activity in contrast to their peers who have a healthy lifestyle. The development of a child may also be impacted upon if they are in care of the local authority. An unstable living environment may affect children in many negative ways as often the child may move to various care settings on a regular basis. With this in mind, a child may develop issues with regards to their emotions. A lack of confidence and self-esteem may arise resulting in anti-social behaviour thus impacting on social skills. Academic ability may also be diminished through the inability to socialize effectively as well as many other areas of development in which social skills are essential. Education is an important area of a child’s development as it determines children’s academic ability through their education pathway. In particular, this influential area impacts on a child’s cognitive development in which they gain skills in reasoning, understanding and the ability to solve problems. Education is not only acquired through schooling, it is also gained in the family environment via social activity and family life in general. Educating through schooling can develop a child’s confidence in their ability, encourages positive social behaviour and helps children to understand the norms and values which are appropriate in society. 2. 3 How Theories of Development and Frameworks to Support Development Influence Current Practice. There are many theories which were created in order to understand children’s development. These theories are very important as they often have and influence on current practice. Piaget’s psychological theory of development was of the role of maturation, that by growing older a child would have increased capacity to understand new and differing concepts. This though was not a smooth learning curve but one which was transitional. These stages occurred at specific age ranges; 18 months, 7 years and 11 or 12 years. This appears to have impacted the school curriculum as a basis of when children are capable of understanding new concepts and ideas. The way in which a child adapts to these new changes or differences to their perceptions of the world is through assimilation and accommodation which work in unison. Assimilation refers to the inclusion of new concepts into existing schemas whilst accommodation refers to the challenges to the existing schema and accommodating ones thought processes around the differences. Only at the specific stages of maturation will a child be able to assimilate and accommodate for these new concepts. This approach can be perceived as rigid as although a child may not learn in a smooth learning curve, they may progress at different rates at a lesser staggered approach. Vygotsky’s theory of development differs to that of Piaget in that development was ‘proximal’. The ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD) promotes the notion that children develop through their engagement with adults and activities alongside their peers rather than through teaching or by working through concepts and challenges alone. It was the development of language and articulation of ideas that would govern a child’s development and may be seen as an enabling approach that will allow a child to solve challenges and develop in a way that they will as a final result be able to perform the task alone. This approach has proved to be influential with regards to early years education particularly in the frameworks of England and Scotland in that there is an emphasis placed on building positive relationships with adults and other children in the setting. Furthermore, children are encouraged to work together during activities thus promoting teamwork in order to conquer challenges and in addition play an active role in their learning. Skinner, who adopted a behaviourist approach to learning developed the theory of operant conditioning. This theory suggests that a child’s behaves and learns via creating an understanding based on consequences and reinforcements. These reinforcements are divided into three sub-groups described as positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers and punishers. Positive reinforcers are a form of reward in response to being presented with a desired outcome for example, if a child has created a nice piece of work they may be given praise or a sticker as a reward. This then reinforces an understanding that they have done something good to which they will aim to continually reproduce. Negative reinforcers also produce repetition in behaviour in that they are used to stop something from happening for example, a child may try to avoid one of their peers due to the fear of having their favourite toy being taken away from the understanding of previous experiences. In contrast to the above, punishers are believed to weaken the repetition of behaviour such as if a child hurts a member of their peers they may be put in a reflective corner to recognise their inappropriate behaviour and if this process is repeated, the child will understand and aim to avoid this consequence. This theory links in with practice today in that children are often rewarded with positive reinforcements when behaving appropriately for example sharing during activities, comforting a peer who is unhappy or following a task with good results. Furthermore, punishers are also used in todays practice when a child is behaving inappropriately in which tactics such as the reflective corner as well as a telling off are effective in breaking the repetition. 3. 1 How to Monitor Children’s Development using Different Methods. A child’s development is monitored in a number of ways which includes observations, parent – practitioner meetings and standard measurements. Observations can be carried out in a variety ways and provide valuable information in terms of a child’s development. Narrative observations involve watching a child or children during an activity and making notes to what has been seen including all areas of behaviour. In this form of observation it is important that the practitioner who is observing remains unnoticed in order to avoid a change in behaviour of the child or children. Time sampling observations involve making a record at regular intervals of what a child is doing which focuses on a specific behaviour for that particular time. An example of this maybe during outdoor play time in which a child’s social interaction could be observed. Event sampling observations involve focusing on particular events in order to build up a pattern of children’s behaviour over a period of days or weeks. In this form of observation, the events leading to behaviour, during behaviour and after behaviour are recorded in detail. Standard measurements may also be used to monitor a child’s development. This method of assessment is employed by various professionals in order to assess development in areas such auditory, health and education. Standard measurements in contrast to having an overall objective, focus on a child’s development in relation to the overall population and furthermore, is used to determine whether a child has a particular deficiency in an area of development. This form of monitoring children is of particular use when monitoring disability or suspected disability in a child as it places all emphasis on one child whilst using a range of assessment methods to determine any apparent problems. 3. 2 Reasons Why Children’s Development May Not Follow the Expected Pattern. There are a number of reasons in which a child’s development is not following the expected pattern. Disability may affect a child’s development in a range of areas which include physical development, personal development and social development. In some cases disability can restrict a child from participating in normal physical activity, for example some settings may not be wheel chair friend in areas such as outdoors. This in turn may prevent a child from being involved in the same activities as other children thus impacting on their physical development. With this in mind, outdoor play is important whilst developing effective social skills. Children often use a range of communication skills whilst exploring and discovering therefore deprivation of social interaction may have a harmful impact on a child’s personal and social development. Children with emotional problems are also at risk of not developing along the expected pattern. A child lacking in confidence and self-esteem can often become reclusive and struggle with communication in particular during situations where it is loud and fast paced such as in a nursery environment. Children who tend to hide away from the action are inevitably missing out in areas of learning and development and is unfortunately often carried through to later life. Environmental factors are another area to consider in relation to an expected pattern of development. The home environment can have a profound affect in many areas. A negative home life may often determine a child’s ability to socialise effectively thus affecting numerous other areas. Due to a lack of social skills, a negative impact may be made on a child in education and as a consequence their academic achievement may be at risk. In addition, cultural difference may also play a part as there are a variety of ways in which different cultures nurture their children. Some cultures, for example in western society encourage freedom and independence. This in turn gives children the opportunity to discover new things and develop and understanding of the world. Children with learning difficulties often follow an uneven pattern of development. Tasks and activities are often more of a challenge for children with learning difficulties in which failure is not uncommon in academic situations and as a result can lead to frustration and issues regarding self-esteem. In some cases with these personal issues, a breakdown of communication can emerge resulting in a negative impact on areas of learning and development which rely on effective communication skills. How Disability may Affect Development. Disability can have a substantial influence on a child’s development. Disability covers three areas in which normal development is more of a challenge in contrast to children who are not disabled. These areas include physical disability, learning disability and sensory impairment, all of which may hinder development. Due to the interdependence of learning areas in order to maintain normal development, disabled children as a consequence are more unlikely to develop at the same rate as other children. For example, a child with a physical disability such as being wheel chair bound may find it a challenge whilst exploring the environment. This could have a knock on effect in learning areas such as social interaction, communication and knowledge and understanding. This then in turn may be detrimental in terms of developing positive relationships with their peers which can often lead to social rejection or bullying. As a consequence of this, a child may develop personal and emotional issues manifesting itself in reduced self-esteem and confidence resulting in reclusion. How Different Interventions can Promote Positive Outcomes for Children where Development is not Following the Expected Pattern. If a child has been recognised as not following the expected pattern of development, interventions are made in order to establish where the problem lies and the best way to tackle it. External practitioners known as agencies may then become involved and assess the child whilst providing support and expert advice to the family and the nursery or educational setting. These agencies may include paediatricians who are responsible for monitoring progress and make referrals to additional healthcare, health visitors who offer advice and support to families and physiotherapists who are responsible for working with the physical problems of disabled children and young people and suggest exercises. Speech and language therapists provide support to disabled children who have problems with their speech and language. They also offer advice on communication to the parents whether it is verbal or non-verbal for example using sign language. Other areas of intervention include the role of the Educational Psychologist who assesses the way in which a child learns and identifies issues with a child’s learning. They can then identify how to benefit a child’s learning by creating Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and are responsible for managing the child’s statutory assessment and the issue of a statement of needs if required. In nursery and school settings special educational needs coordinators (SENCO) can become involved in the coordination of activities and the provision of support to meet the specialised needs of disabled children. In many cases multi agency and partnership working is adopted as it provides integrated support for children who are not following the expected pattern and their families. Supporting children with additional needs and their families with a range of agencies working collectively provides more effective care for the child due to the sharing of information and agreement as to how to implement plans. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supports this practice as a way of contributing to a child’s development as this information shared may aid any further assessments. The Importance of Early Identification of Speech, Language and Communication Delays and Disorders and the Potential Risks of Late Recognition. It is extremely important to identify delays in speech, language and communication as soon as possible. Early identification of speech and language delay is critical to a child’s development as it is interconnected and is a key area with regards to many other areas of learning and development and furthermore, it is essential whilst developing the ability to communicate. With the inability to use effective language, a child’s cognitive ability may become weakened as both these areas are strongly linked to each other. Language delay can influence a child’s ability to understand concepts and develop intelligence amongst other areas of cognitive development. Communication and speech delays are also important to identify as they determine a child’s ability whilst interacting with others. In addition they can affect a child’s emotions, in some cases resulting in anti-social behaviour, thus impacting on areas such as education. However, through early identification and intervention, the impact of speech, language and communication delays may be significantly reduced thus creating a more positive future for children. 4. 2 How Multi-Agency Teams Work Together to Support Speech, Language and Communication. Multi-agency and partnership working plays a key role with regards to a child’s speech, language and communication development. When it has been recognised either by a parent/carer or whilst in the nursery setting that a child is showing signs of difficulty in these areas, the child would then need to be assessed by either a health visitor or general practitioner. This would then enable a greater understanding of where the problem may lie and furthermore exclude a number of other possibilities. Once a diagnosis has been found, the child may then been referred to a variety of agencies in order for further assessment and to create a plan to tackle the problem areas. These agencies may include speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers who provide support for children who have sensory impairments, learning difficulties or communication difficulties. These agencies will often work together in collaboration discussing and sharing information which in turn enables the child to make maximum progress. Furthermore, the agencies will work together to develop strategies, provide knowledge and in some cases provide resources to parents/carers and the nursery setting. 4. 3 How Play and Activities are Used to Support the Development of Speech, Language and Communication. Effective play and activities are beneficial in order to support a child’s speech, language and communication development. The nature of play and participating in activities generally involve a great deal of social interaction with others. Therefore by providing play situations and activities that support these learning areas, children’s development will be enhanced. Toy animals are an effective play resource. They engage children into the natural world and encourage them to imitate movements and sounds which in turn enhance a child’s speech development. Nursery rhymes and singing encourage the development of language. Children who are exposed to these activities have a greater ability to listen and understand words and actions. Nursery rhymes also enhance a child’s ability in reading as a result of the development of language. Reading books with children can enhance their communication skills. Stories can generate interest where children become inquisitive. Children often ask questions and discuss ideas which can enhance their ability to communicate with each other. In addition to the above, a child’s speech and language may be developed by role modelling in which they will learn to use new sounds and words by listening and engaging in general conversation. With this in mind and from own practice I feel it is important to provide appropriate speech for a child to be exposed to, using clear and slow language whilst altering vocal pitch in order to convey grammatical information. Furthermore, I feel if a child has attempted to say a word with ineffective results, it is important to praise the child for their effort in order for them to continue trying. 5. 1 How Different Types of Transitions can Affect Children’s Development. Transitions are a significant stage in a child’s life and can affect them in a range of ways and in a number of areas of development. They are an nevitable part of growing up, however it is important to recognise and understand the signs and the impact of transitions on children’s development. A change in the family structure of a child in terms of an additional sibling may have an impact. The child may feel their relationship with their parents is threatened by the arrival of a new baby and they may feel they are getting unequal amounts of attention. The child’s personal and social development may be harmed during this transition. With this in mind the child may develop issues with self-esteem as a result of receiving less attention than previously. The child may also develop anger issues from seeing the frequent attention and care being provided to the new baby which could then in turn manifest itself in sibling rivalry. The position of beginning nursery or school is another major transition for a child which may impact on their development. A new and unfamiliar environment may be a daunting experience for many children. Children who are less outgoing in comparison to their peers may try to avoid interacting with others and avoid social activities. This could then result in the child becoming a recluse resulting in missed opportunities to play, learn and develop. A child’s admission into an institution such as hospital due to ill health is also a significant transition which could impact on their development. Social interaction may be diminished in particular of children who stay for long periods in hospital. Through this lack of socialising, children may become underdeveloped in others areas including their knowledge and understanding through missed opportunities to explore the environment with their peers developing new ideas and perspectives. Moving to a new house or location is another transition which can impact on children’s development. This can be a traumatic time and in particular of a child entering the care of the local authority. Often in this situation a child has moved around a number of locations thus creating a sense of instability resulting in personal issues. These issues are often expressed in the form of anger, isolation and anxiety which in turn can hinder normal development. Furthermore, many children in this situation come from broken families which in some cases involved abuse and neglect. With this in mind when involved in a situation of this type, it is important to build trust whilst working with the child in order to prevent a further negative impact on their development. 5. 2 The Effect on Children of Having Positive Relationships During Periods of Transition. Transitions are a significant and potentially harmful experience in children’s lives, therefore it is important to provide a positive and supportive network around children in order to make transitions an easier and more comfortable process. A child who is undergoing a process of transition whilst receiving positive support and encouragement is more likely to accept changes in their lives and develop a greater confidence in the transition process. A strong relationship with someone such as a key person in an educational setting can benefit a child’s transition. A child beginning nursery will be presented with an unfamiliar environment in which a key worker’s job is to develop a close relationship with the child and provide support allowing the transition to run more smoothly. In some cases a key worker may change settings or may be away for a long period of time such as maternity leave. In these situations a child may react negatively to the loss of familiarity which subsequently may impact on their development. Therefore it is important to provide additional support to the child via attention; reassurance and encouragement in order to alleviate further negative affects whilst a close relationship with a new key worker is being formed. Children encounter transitions with an array of experiences in which some may be positive and some negative. Children generally will always be worried. Confronted with unexpected transitions, like divorce or death, a child may feel excluded or to blame or angry. An understanding of their experience and the possibilities of what is going through their heads and giving a thoughtful and sympathetic response will often help bring them through the transition and in turn lead to a more confident and rounded child.