Evaluation Of A Program Evaluation - 1017 Words

A Program Evaluation is an important factor in determining if an agency is producing successful results. Usually a program evaluation is requested or brought forth by a specific concern that is in need of being addressed. This type of practice-based research method provides agencies with accountability. Sometimes a program evaluation is needed in order for some agencies to continue to receive funding to keep their programs, to meet accreditation standards, and to ensure clients are being helped by the programs (Royse, 2011). Before performing a program evaluation, it is important to consider many factors such as time, resources, audience, and purpose. A time limit for an agency evaluation could change the direction the evaluation goes. Resources are definitely an important aspect of the evaluation. A lack of resources could result in a simpler process whether than a copyrighted tool for an evaluation. The type of audience and purpose will in turn decide which type of method is to be implemented. The written report should be prepared for the type of audience that will be examining it. Each audience will require their unique writing style (Royse, 2011). For example, if the audience is a group of high school students, it would be necessary to write in a less complex writing style. Project Identification The project identified in this paper is of the Northeastern State University (NSU) Social Work Practicum program. â€Å"The Northeastern State University s Social WorkShow MoreRelatedEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation994 Words   |  4 PagesProgram Evaluation Time-Out is the title for the proposed program, providing prevention and solution-based services to African American high school student-athletes in Hampton, Virginia (Baskerville, 2015). To begin with, this paper will provide a comprehensive program evaluation model for the program. Secondly, it will outline the evaluation framework the program will use to evaluate the program. Next, the paper will provide a timeline detailing when critical evolution task for the program willRead MoreEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation1262 Words   |  6 Pageswould evaluate your program relative to each of the components. Linnan and Steckler (2002) describe the following key process evaluation components: Context-aspects of the larger social environment that may affect implementation; Reach-the proportion of the intended audience to whom the program is actually delivered; Dose-delivered-The amount of intended units of each program component that is delivered; Dose-received-the extent to which participants engage with the program; Fidelity-the extentRead MoreEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation1182 Words   |  5 Pagesto Mertens and Wilson, program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency. Stakeholders often want to know whether the programs they are funding and supporting are effective. While program evaluation first focuses on the effectiveness of the program, other important factors to take into consideration is cost of the program, improvements that couldRead MoreEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation1300 Words   |  6 Pagesyou would evaluate your Program relative to each of the components Linnan and Steckler (2002) describe the following key process evaluation components: Context-aspects of the larger social environment that may affect implementation; Reach-the proportion of the intended audience to whom the program is actually delivered; Dose-delivered-The amount of intended units of each program component that is delivered; Dose-received-the extent to which participants engage with the program; Fidelity-the extentRead MoreEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation1227 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction The purpose of a program evaluation is to assess working programs and determine if the outcomes are sufficiently effective (Houser, 2015). Program Evaluations are a type of action research leading to improved programs and services for the designated populations. Feedback from stakeholders is necessary to confirm the program is operating to the highest quality and standards (Astramovich Coker, 2007). The program conducted serves adult military personnel who are diagnosed with PostRead MoreEvaluation Of A Program Evaluation Essay1412 Words   |  6 PagesPROGRAM EVALUATION In order to determine the effectiveness of the program and the level of participant satisfaction, Kingsley Manor will collect and analyze data with the aim of answering the following questions: (1) Will an onsite wellness program increase the wellness and health related uality of life for older adults with Diabetes Mellitus Type II? (2) What participant specific characteristics predict increased or decreased benefit from participation in a wellness program? (3) Do older adultsRead MoreEvaluation Of The Article Program Evaluation Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The article Program Evaluation: Strategies to Facilitate Agencies’ Use of Evaluation in Program Management and Policy Making discusses the United States Government Accountability Office attempting to view how various federal agencies utilize program evaluations The Government Accountability Office (GOA) â€Å"examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policyRead MoreEvaluation Of The Training Program791 Words   |  4 PagesREMARKS With this training program, we have for several years produced effective GTAs for our undergraduate classes, both in small classroom discussions and in chemistry laboratory instruction. The program evaluations provided overwhelmingly favorable feedback (see Fig.1). Within the six major training categories evaluated, three categories had no negative evaluations. The other three groups provided 97% favorable or neutral evaluations, with a maximum of 3% for poor evaluations. Surpassing our initialRead MoreProgram Evaluation Paper806 Words   |  4 PagesJones, M. O. (2015). Program evaluation of alternative schools in North Carolina: a companion dissertation (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina, 2013). Journal of Organizational Educational Leadership, 1(1), 4th ser., 1-27 The North Carolina and South Carolina State Department of Education both agreed and passed legislation that created services for alternative education. The focuses of each of these programs were to modify behavior, meet student academic needs, and reduce recidivismRead MoreEvaluation Of A Student Program1330 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual case conference to determine if the needs of that individual student have suggestions for school wide interventions or programs. If the student is having problems academically or behaviorally, the PPT closely examines that student’s case to see if the school can change to better this student. As described by the school psychologist, RTI is a three-tier program that mainly focuses on prevention. The school concentrate on prevention by ensuring the school is using appropriate and evidence

Oskar Schindlers Actions During the Holocaust Essay...

Oskar Schindlers Actions During the Holocaust The Holocaust usually refers to Nazi Germanys systematic genocide of various peoples during the Second World War, the main target of this designed massacre being the Jews. Approximately 6 million Jews became the victims of this fanatical racism, slaughter, and cruelty. However, in all this madness, there were still a few people with sound conscience and courage to act against these atrocities. The most famous of these heroes would be Oskar Schindler, the once opportunistic businessman who, later, spent every last of his pennies to save his 1200 Schindler Jews. People often deliberate on why Oskar Schindler did what he did. However, the issue of interest should not be focused on why†¦show more content†¦In order to keep his Jews out of the death camps, Schindler spent a sum of 4 million German marks which was an enormous sum of money for those times. People ask why. They ask why such a greedy opportunistic person changed his way of living and spent the whole of his life and h is money to save the Jews. When asked this question in person, Schindler replied as follows. I hated the brutality, the sadism, and the insanity of Nazism. I just couldnt stand by and see people destroyed. I did what I could, what I had to do, what my conscience told me I must do. Thats all there is to it. Really, nothing more. Like he said, that was all there was to the reason for Schindlers actions. Schindler believed that the Germans were doing wrong when they started killing innocent people, and, therefore, did what was right, which was trying to save as many victims as possible. Any person with a sound mind and a sound conscience would have realized what Schindler had realized. However, during this period of intense cruelty, the vast majority of German citizens stood by and watched as their Jewish neighbors were dragged from their homes, stripped of their belongings, and killed. Two famous psychological experiments illustrate why no one else did what Oskar Schindler did. Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, conducted a study focusing on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. The experiment began in July 1961, aShow MoreRelatedOskar Schindler s Good Deeds Essay1546 Words   |  7 Pages There is no doubt that Oskar Schindler’s actions helped save many Jews during the Holocaust. His acts of bravery allowed many Jews to survive the Nazi regime and bring forth a new generation of Jews. We understand the outcome of Oskar Schindler’s good deeds, but do we truly understand the motives of his actions? What made a German industrialist so brave and devoted to saving the lives of the persecuted? Did Oskar Schindler see right through the Nazi facade and see the evils and atrocities it committedRead MoreLeadership in Schindlers List941 Words   |  4 PagesJulianne Felix Deguzman Leadership in Schindler’s List Leadership has played a valuable role throughout history in countless leaders and even followers. Although some of the greatest leaders in history lead for a more notorious cause, the leadership skills they conveyed and followed were key to the success of their goal and accomplishments. I believe Oskar Schindler was a great leader for many reasons because of how he dealt with the Nazi party during the Holocaust and how he adapted to change and fromRead MoreSchindler s List Of The Holocaust Essay1635 Words   |  7 PagesSchindler’s List was one of the first critically acclaimed Holocaust films in the United States. Director Steven Spielberg set out to make a historically accurate film about Oskar Schindler, portrayed by Liam Neeson, and his Jews. It has been over 20 years since the film’s release and Schindler’s List continues to reign supreme when it comes to Holocaust films. However, this is not to say that the film has not been without controversy specifical ly surrounding the film’s historical accuracy. WhileRead MoreSchindler s List Essay example621 Words   |  3 PagesMyranda  Marotta   US  History  II   Period  8   2/27/15   Schindler’s  List  Ã‚   Often  times  in  life  one’s  weaknesses  can  develop  into  their  greatest  strengths.  This   idea  directly  relates  to  German  industrialist  Oskar  Schindler  and  his  character’s   transformation  throughout  the  Steven  Spielberg  directed  film  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Schindler’s  List​ .  Oskar  Schindler   was  a  Nazi  member  who  saved  over  a  thousand  lives  during  the  Holocaust  by  employing   Jewish  prisoners  to  work  at  his  factories.  Although  this  act  of  utter  courage  and  selflessness  Read MoreA Comparison Of Oskar Schindler And Amon Goeth : What Is Human Evil?1002 Words   |  5 Pagesis true for Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth, who both had very different reactions to World War II. Human goodness is when one sees the truth, accepts it, and makes rational decisions based on the truth. Human evil is irrational decision-making, and when a person sees and understands the truth but choses to defy it. In Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, philosophers Kant and Rahner would agree that Schindler is a representation of human goodness, and Goeth represents human evil. Oskar Schindler representsRead MoreAnalysis Of Oskar Schindlers Changing Identity1732 Words   |  7 PagesPart I: Oskar Schindler’s Changing Identity: 1. Oskar Schindler’s identity drastically changes from the beginning to the end of the movie. At first, Schindler was a greedy, selfish, and rich man, who was a member of the Nazi party and profited from the war. He also was a womanizer who constantly cheated on his wife. He only cared about making money and he only hired Jewish workers because they were cheaper. He saved his workers initially because he did not want to pay to train other workers and protectedRead MoreDeconstructing the Obvious: Schindler’s List990 Words   |  4 PagesDeconstructing the Obvious: Schindler’s List In the film, Schindler’s list, many film techniques were used to present important ideas of the film. There were many scenes that took place in the movie that stood out and was filled with film techniques. The liquidation of the ghetto was filled with important themes and ideas that were shown through various film techniques. The ending also presented various film techniques. During the liquidation of the ghetto, a girl who is wearing a red coatRead MoreThe Holocaust is often considered one of the darkest and most heinous periods in modern history,1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe Holocaust is often considered one of the darkest and most heinous periods in modern history, however there are numerous accounts of heroism and selfless charity to emerge from the ashes. Despite the Nazi regime’s stranglehold on European affairs during a large part of the second world war, their radical and racially charged agenda was not universally accepted amongst German citizens and Nazi officials. The fear of strict punishment at the hands of the SS squashed popular outcry over the atrocitiesRead MoreI. Introduction. Schindler’S List Begins In Krakà ³w, Poland1328 Words   |  6 PagesI. Introduction Schindler’s List begins in Krakà ³w, Poland during World War II. At this time, the Nazi Party was trying to cleanse the world of â€Å"impure† people including Jews and rounded up all of the Jewish to make them work. In the movie, Oskar Schindler used Jews from the Krakà ³w ghetto to staff his factory instead of sending them to concentration camps. At first, he uses them only to make money, using bribery in order to get workers. Eventually, he realizes he is saving them from harsh treatmentRead MoreHope Amidst Terror1036 Words   |  5 Pages The horrifically unjust persecution of the Jewish people during the Holocaust is widely recognized as history’s single most malevolent event. Oskar Schindler’s courageous protection of his workers has become one of the most famous acts of compassion that occurred during Hitlers systematic execution of the Jews. Schindler was able to save over one thousand Jews by using his wealth and connections. The compassion that this member of the Nazi party showed to the Jews was punishable by death, yet

Vegetarian (Health, Ethics And Environmetnal Effects) Essay Example For Students

Vegetarian (Health, Ethics And Environmetnal Effects) Essay Word Count: 1522 Must We Kill To Live? Today youve arrived here with questions. After you read this maybe youll have the answers? If not go to Http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/andes/4004 Whether youre already a vegetarian or if youre only curious about vegetarians I hope you find this informative and maybe influential. Ihope to open your minds enough that youll agree that we dont have to kill to live. I hope to expose you to a lifestyle that doesnt promote violence or death. These are all the reasons you should need to convertyour lifestyle. Ive been a practicing vegetarian for 2 years. A vegetarian is defined as someone who avoids all animal flesh, including fish and poultry. Vegetarians can be sub categorized: Those who avoid flesh but still indulge in animal products such ascheese, milk and eggs are referred to as ovo-lacto-vegetarians. People who reject all animal products are referred to as purevegetarians or vegans. Scientific research shows that ovo-lacto-vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters and vegans arehealthier than both. Now Im going to present you with four reasons everyone should be a vegetarian. First the obvious ethical reasons, second the physiological reasons, third the health reasons and finally the most important reasons for our planet, the environmental impact of a meat based diet. First the ethical reasons to become a vegetarian. The ethical reasons were the first to occur to me when I began considering becoming a vegetarian. Why should any creature lose its life to fill my stomach? Unfortunately most people dont associate the meat on their plate as having had life at one time. In some countries people eat meat of monkeys, dogs. cats, and even other people which is disgusting to us. But its OK for us to kill cows, chickens, or fish cause they are different? At 20 weeks of age, 85 million pigs die for Americans to eat. Another 24 million die due to abuse before they reach slaughter age. Cows normally have a 25 year life span, but most only live to be 3-5 years old before dying to become hamburgers. More than 1 million calves a year are raised for veal. They spend a miserably short life of 16-18 weeks in a crate thats not big enough for them to even stand or move in. Not given any water or solid food, only deficient milk replacers, so they will stay white and tender. Since only female chickens lay eggs over 280 million male chicks are thrown into plastic bags and piled on each other to die. Something to ponder, when you eat out, whats really in that meat? Besides a dead animal? The FDA says certain percentages of unknowns are acceptable. Like cockroach parts, rat feces, and other unknowns. There are over 660,000 animals killed every hour for meat. The average American consumes 200 pounds of meat a year. Hindus believe that eating an animal ingests its fears and misery from the time of its death. Ethically animals live and breath, as we do, they feel pain and know fear. If by not eating meat I spare the torture of another living creature, how small a sacrifice is that? If the ethical reasons werent convincing read on to the physiological reasons. Physiology refers to the way were built, our anatomy. The differences between animals who were created to be predators (carnivores) and humans are distinct. Carnivores have long teeth and claws for holding and killing prey, humans have short teeth and no claws. The jaws of carnivores open in an up and down motion and shred, a humans jaw moves sideways for grinding and chewing as well as up and down. Humans are more similar to monkeys than carnivores like lions. There are many more differences that are too technical for me. Well, weve covered ethical and physiological reasons, now lets move on to health. Vegetarians enjoy excellent health consistent with dietary guidelines and meet the recommended daily allowances for nutrients. .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .postImageUrl , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:hover , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:visited , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:active { border:0!important; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:active , .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua700edcbe6d49ac78cadae2ffe6dc5cf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: 10 different versions of the game Essay The PCRM also lists a host of health benefits of a vegetarian diet including, prevention of cancer, heart disease, lowering blood pressure, preventing and reversing diabetes, preventing and alleviating gallstones and kidney stones as well as aiding osteoporosis and asthma. When looking at the health benefits .

Virtual War Essays - Billy Corgan, Glendale Heights, Illinois, Eye

Virtual War Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski, who lives in Salt Lake City, was copyright February 1999. It is a book of the science fiction genre. It is based in the future around 2053. By now the earth's population is only around 2 million because of disease, chemical and nuclear war-fare have made much of the planet unsuitable for living. Now city's people live in huge bubbles for ozone and toxin protection. They no longer fight wars. There are too few people. They instead wage virtual wars where a team of three of their finest fight for them. (They are now fighting for an island that has recently became safe for inhabitancy, Havi.) The main character, Corgan is a boy. He is only 14 years old and has lived in a "aerogel" box for all his life. The world he knows is all holographic. He was genetically made for one purpose, the virtual war. Corgan has acquired the traits of Loyalty, Honorability, and Trustworthiness from the box. He has genetically superior traits of coordination and quickness. He is to be the team leader. He does not know much of the outside world, except for what "Mendor teaches him." Corgan's box provided him with everything he needed. A program was written to act as a mother and father to him, called the Mendor. It mended back and forth as parents depending on the situation. His team was of great excellence. The two chosen to be on his team are much different than he, however their roots are very similar. Sharla, he finds out, is to be his code breaker. She was from the same batch of babies as he was. She had golden blonde hair, and blue eyes. Corgan felt embarrassed but he liked her. She was unruly however, and escaped from her box many times as a result of being a code breaker. She was experienced and knew of the outside world first hand. She did not care for nobility and Honor like Corgan, she just wanted it over with. His other teammate was a genetic experiment gone wrong. He was a mutant with a huge head and a small frail body. He was regarded as useless until they discovered his brilliance. It wasn't until that time they took him from the "aerogel" and put him in his own chamber. He was to become the strategist. Because of his size and history, he came off as a rude, cry baby. He was younger than Sharla and Corgan being only 10. However, he talked like a old man. They trained together and it seemed victory eminent. Corgan asked before the war if they could live on the island when they win. The council, who controls their city state, agrees and after the 9 hours of battle, they become victorious. Afterward, they are celebrated as heroes. After the war they are to go to a Reception. At the Reception, Corgan finds out that people placed bets on the event, like it was a game. It was more than a game it was a realistic recreation to show people mistakes of the past. The virtual war was held so people realized what man was like and how he had to learn from his lessons. The people had learned nothing I would not recommend this book. It had a simple plot and lame characters with simple logic it was like recalling old goosebumps books. Perhaps it would be a good book, however for your little bother or anyone you dislike.

Free Essays on Identities

Who am I? This is a brief six-letter question that has a complex and inner woven answer. A person’s identity is composed of many intricate and multifaceted identities. To define an individual’s identity is to examine the plurality of identity and how they collectively create â€Å"who you are† on the basis of culture, religion, personal factors, education, class and the tendency of shifting identities supported by the works of Ahmed, DuBois, and Maalouf. Culture is the shared beliefs, religious values, language, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular nation or people. This sense of belonging to a culture directly affects a person’s identity. Someone’s speech, dress, manners and social interactions are a direct result of cultural influence. Maalouf uses the example of identical twins being separated at birth and raised in two different cultures. Although genetically identical, when reunited as adults, they may differ in their style of clothing, language, values, morals and more. Culture directly affects an individual’s identity by setting social standards and â€Å"norms†. No matter what the culture, people have the desire to conform. Each culture has its own â€Å"norms† which people will conform to for social approval and acceptance. Individuals and their identities are representations of their culture. For example, in our Western culture, a bare foot girl wearing a toga on the street would be considered a social non-conformist, whereas, a socially acceptable girl in jeans and a Gap sweater is characterized as the cultural â€Å"norm†. Religion is an aspect of culture that is typically passed down through generations. Parents of faith most often raise their children in their own religion and spiritual beliefs. It could be said the religious choice a parent makes on behalf of their unborn children forms at a very early age an element of identity that is representative of the parent’s and their culture. In... Free Essays on Identities Free Essays on Identities Who am I? This is a brief six-letter question that has a complex and inner woven answer. A person’s identity is composed of many intricate and multifaceted identities. To define an individual’s identity is to examine the plurality of identity and how they collectively create â€Å"who you are† on the basis of culture, religion, personal factors, education, class and the tendency of shifting identities supported by the works of Ahmed, DuBois, and Maalouf. Culture is the shared beliefs, religious values, language, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular nation or people. This sense of belonging to a culture directly affects a person’s identity. Someone’s speech, dress, manners and social interactions are a direct result of cultural influence. Maalouf uses the example of identical twins being separated at birth and raised in two different cultures. Although genetically identical, when reunited as adults, they may differ in their style of clothing, language, values, morals and more. Culture directly affects an individual’s identity by setting social standards and â€Å"norms†. No matter what the culture, people have the desire to conform. Each culture has its own â€Å"norms† which people will conform to for social approval and acceptance. Individuals and their identities are representations of their culture. For example, in our Western culture, a bare foot girl wearing a toga on the street would be considered a social non-conformist, whereas, a socially acceptable girl in jeans and a Gap sweater is characterized as the cultural â€Å"norm†. Religion is an aspect of culture that is typically passed down through generations. Parents of faith most often raise their children in their own religion and spiritual beliefs. It could be said the religious choice a parent makes on behalf of their unborn children forms at a very early age an element of identity that is representative of the parent’s and their culture. In...

Using the Spanish Verb Echar

Using the Spanish Verb Echar Echar may primarily mean to throw, but the reality is that it has literally dozens of possible translations that vary wildly with the context. Fast Facts Although it is usually defined first in dictionaries as to throw, echar is an extremely flexible verb than can refer to many types of giving something motion, either literally or figuratively.Echar is the verb in a wide array of idiomatic phrases.Echar is conjugated regularly. In its simplest usage, echar means to throw or, more generally, to move (something) from one place to another. See how the way you understand and translate the verb depends on what is being moved and how: Echà ³ el libro a la basura. (She threw the book in the garbage.)Echar una cuchara de aceite de oliva. (Add a spoonful of olive oil. While throw works in the sentence above, it obviously doesnt here.)Angelita echà ³ la carta al correo. (Angelita sent the letter in the mail.)Echà ³ el vino en una copa. (He poured the wine into a glass.)Este dragà ³n es monstruo que echa llamas de fuego por la boca. (This dragon is a monster that breathes fire from its mouth.)Esa mquina echa chispas. (That machine gives off sparks. You also could use throw here: That machine throws sparks.)Le echaron de la escuela. (They tossed him out of the school. Note that, as in English, this sentence can be understood literally, meaning he was physically removed, or figuratively, meaning that he was expelled.)Zupo les echà ³ la charla a sus jugadores. (Zupo gave the talk to his players.) Idioms Using Echar Because echar can be so broadly understood, it is used in a variety of idioms, many that you probably wouldnt associate with the concept of throwing. For example, echar la culpa, which might literally be understood as to throw blame, typically would be translated simply as to blame. Example: Y luego me echà ³ la culpa de arruinarle el cumpleaà ±os. (And later he blamed me for ruining his birthday.) Here are some other idioms using echar: echar un vistazo a (to glance at)echar de menos a alguien (to miss someone)echar abajo (to pull down)echar la llave (to lock)echar el freno (to put the brakes on)echar a perder (to ruin or demolish)echarse atrs (to back out)echarse un novio (to get oneself a boyfriend)echar ganas (to put forth much effort)echar a suertes (to make a decision by random means such as tossing a coin or drawing straws)echar el alto (to order someone to stop)echar un ojo (to watch or look at)echar balones fuera (to sidetrack)echar las campanas al vuelo (to shout out the news)echar el cierre (to close or shut down)echar algo en falta (to miss something)echar la buenaventura (to tell a fortune)echar la vista atrs (to look back)echar por tierra (to ruin or spoil)echar una siesta (to take a nap or siesta)echar sapos y culebras (to rant and rave)echar una mirada (to take a look)echar sal (to salt)echar en saco roto (to do something in vain)echar el resto (to go for broke)echar un pulso (to challenge someone, t o arm wrestle) echar pestes de alguien (to run somebody down)echar una pelà ­cula (to show a film)echar la primera papilla (to vomit)echar una mano, echar un capote (to help out, give a hand)echar leà ±a al fuego (to add fuel to the fire)echar el guante a alguien (to catch somebody)echar una cana al aire (to let ones hair down. A cana is a gray or white hair.)echar una cabezada (to nap)echar chispas (to give off sparks, to rant)echar una bronca a alguien (to tell off someone)echar agua al vino, echar agua a la leche (to water down) Also, the phrase echar a followed by an infinitive often means to begin, as in these examples: Cada vez que oà ­a la cinta me echaba a llorar. (Each time I heard the tape I would burst into tears.)Prà ©stame tus alas y echarà © a volar. (Lend me your wings and I will begin to fly.) Conjugation of Echar Echar is conjugated regularly, following the pattern of hablar. Here are the most common indicative tenses: Present: yo echo, tà º echas, à ©l/ella/usted echa, nosotros echamos, vosotros echis, ellos echanPreterite: yo echo, tà º echas, à ©l/ella/usted echa, nosotros echamos, vosotros echis, ellos echanImperfect: yo echaba, tà º echabas, à ©l/ella/usted echaba, nosotros echbamos, vosotros echabais, ellos echabanFuture: yo echarà ©, tà º echs, à ©l/ella/usted ech, nosotros echaremos, vosotros echarà ©is, ellos echaran.

International business economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International business economics - Essay Example In this pursuit, an M&A team also had been setup to seek out prospective targets (Dutta and Chaturvedi, 2005). The main target of globalizing the company was in terms of boosting up exports substantially. Entering the Chinese market through joint ventures or transfers of technology was also on the cards. But these aspirations failed to materialize and instead when the opportunity to acquire Daewoo, a concern that had a market share of 22 percent even with large idle capacities, arrived, Tata Motors grabbed it (Dutta and Chaturvedi, 2005). The objective of the present endeavor is to look at the acquisition in detail to the extent allowed by the scope. In what follows we look at the strategic and economic rationale of Tata Motors that motivated acquisition, seek to explore aspects like the strengths of Daewoo Motors that made it potentially valuable for Tata Motors, the major challenges faced by Tata Motors in the process of acquiring Daewoo and the major potential synergies and their materialization. To perceive the rationale of the acquisition, it is first necessary to understand where Tata Motors stood just before this breakthrough phenomenon in the history of the Indian Automobile industry. Although Tata entered the sphere of manufacturing automotive vehicles way back in 1954 when it collaborated with Daimler-Benz, it spent the following two decades or so in enhancing its R&D base of operations through a multitude of collaborations and manufacturing mainly construction equipment (Dutta and Chaturvedi, 2005). The first commercial vehicle was manufactured in 1977 and by 1983, Telco, as Tata Motors was known until 2003, initiated its production of heavy commercial vehicles. ‘TATA 407’, the company’s first light commercial vehicle that was completely indigenous in design was launched in 1986. In 1991, the first passenger cars that were designed indigenously, the Tata sierra and the Tata estate,

How social media is changing advertising models Essay

How social media is changing advertising models - Essay Example Marketers currently use social media to catch up with the digital customers, letting go the traditional advertising models, and adopting the new ones that involve marketing online via the social media. It is evident that the digital migration, specifically the current use of social media does have a growing role in marketing that changes the advertising models, this in turn has implications on how channels, consumers, and companies perform. Unlike in the past, customers can now give their feedbacks about a certain product, feedback visible to other agents, these agents include the channel partners, the competitors, and even other companies. The main impacts on the advertising models include the fact that social media allows reviews about certain products (online reviews and ratings) impact different metrics. These metrics include the brand evaluations, consumer ratings, the company performance, consumer purchase conversion rates, and the organizations value. Many of the new advertising models adopted by many organizations include "customer feedbacks," in the past the customers did not have much freedom to give feedbacks about a certain product (Evans). Currently, social media for advertising the customers the freedom to rate a certain product that to some extent defines the major characteristics of a firm. The past advertising models focused on the four Ps, social media to some extent brings in another P, which stands for the "people," which is deeper, broader, and more profound than the consumer targeting is. Social media changes the way people interact among themselves, they play a major role as creators, advocated, critics, transmitters, and transformers of messages. Not long ago, the introduction of TVs in the industry changed the advertising models used in the past, but the introduction of the internet, social media, and the use of mobile phones made them even better. The online social environments, including the social

Student achievement gap Essay Example for Free

Student achievement gap Essay Introduction A study achievement gap is considered to be the observed partiality and bias of educational measures between the working effectiveness of group of students (Lee, 2002). This group is described and identified on basis of gender, race, competency level and financial status. The race gap in educational accomplishment is an old issue. Several children are most likely to drop out of school. They are with or without school diplomas, cannot read or write or do simple math (Lee, 2002). The proof and data for the gap has been recorded which include drop out rates, number of students who have taken higher placement examination, top students and are admitted to higher-status secondary schools, colleges and other professional programs. This paper concentrates on the general question and then independently on the statistical gap in standardized test scores. The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the differences between the two groups. Achievement Gap: Literature Review. In accordance to National Assessment of Educational Progress report, more than thirty percent of Asian-American students performed at proficient level whereas only ten percent of African-Americans did so in fourth grade reading exam. Disparities subsist in the student’s module-taking outline as well (Jansen Bruinsma, 2005). Researchers believe that disparities in achievement occur because of socioeconomic factors. In accordance to data of U. S Census Bureau, twenty seven percent of black children are living in poverty as compared to twelve percent of Asian-American children. Studies have also suggested that dropout rates are higher for children who do not have any access to proper housing and finance facilities and benefits. Another study indicates the boundaries and restrictions of economic and social mobility in African Americans and argues that their drop out rate is higher in schools in New York City. However, Asian Americans make up large portion of all the city’s elite magnet schools because they have good family background (Jansen Bruinsma, 2005). Case Study The case study selected to analyze the academic achievement gap study conducted in Cherry Creek School District in Colorado at high school level. The findings indicated that Asian American students performed at better levels than black students. The case study of Cherry Creek School District School lays out the causes for achievement gap. According to the research, they can be classified in to two main groups. They are the factors which are associated with financial status, societal ambience in which they live and their family background. The other factors are associated to student’s schools. Financial status is the main reason which shows low student achievement. Research shows has compared the living conditions of African Americans and Asian Americans and have reached to the conclusion that black students are living in poor conditions and they lack facilities. It also demonstrated that African Americans come from unstable family background which hinders in their learning process (Lee, 2002). Asian-Americans live in better conditions and come from stable family structure which allows them to perform better at school as compared to African-Americans. Achievement gap studied at Cherry Creek School District in math indicates that the gap exists because of lack of parent involvement. Educators have shown that parental involvement and cultural values play an essential role in school achievement among children of Asian Americans. Other factors which influence achievement gap are cultural attitudes and racism. A total of 72 blacks and 72 Asian Americans were interviewed. The number of low achieving students was higher in blacks as compared to Asian Americans. In the same school, Facts and figures collected suggested that about sixty percent of whites, Asians and blacks were high school students who were registered in an Algebra 1 course. However, the pattern changed for higher level math courses (Lee, 2002). Records indicated that sixty percent of Asian-Americans took Algebra 2 whereas only fifty five percent of black students were enrolled in it. The report showed that black students are behind their Asian-American counterparts on general knowledge and math skills. It showed that high percentage of Asian American students scored at proficient level while black students performed poorly in their math test. Conclusion This study demonstrates that Asian-American parents talk extensively to their children on the importance of customs, values and how to work in society. Whereas African American parents are not involved in their children school life. By comparing the two groups in the lights of economic and school contexts, it can be concluded that the gap between the black and Asian American students is wide because of socioeconomic backgrounds, family backgrounds and school contexts. This shows that culture plays an essential role in school achievement and demonstrates that culture interconnects with class, race and schools. References Lee, J. (2002). Racial and ethnic achievement gap trends: Reversing the progress toward equity? EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER, 31(1):3-12. Jansen, E. P. and Bruinsma, M. (2005). Explaining achievement in higher education. Educational Research and Evaluation, 11(3):235-252.

College Admissions Essay: Not Old Enough to Drink, yet Admitted to the Bar! :: College Admissions Essays

Not Old Enough to Drink, yet Admitted to the Bar! I am twenty years old peeking out of my window as the mail truck makes a quick stop at my house. Barefoot and shivering, I sprint out to the mailbox. With trembling hands I open the envelope. I did it! I passed the BAR exam! My goal since beginning high school has been to pursue a career in law. Since then, I have been consistently taking steps toward my goal in every way possible. I have interned at the Baltimore District Attorney's office, which was one of the most unique experiences of my life. I attended a variety of legal processes, from homicide and drug-related trials to assault arraignments. Most people would prefer to be oblivious to knowledge of crimes that occur locally. I am fascinated by it. I will be responsible for prosecuting criminals. I will play my part in making my community a better place to live. The thought of being in court excites me. Unlike most people's attitude toward traffic court, I was thrilled to be attending court after receiving my first speeding ticket a few months earlier. Television shows that deal with law excite me as well. Every Sunday night at ten o'clock my family knows where to find me-glued to the television watching "The Practice" with a smile on my face. I currently work as a legal assistant at Rapaport and Skalny, a local law firm that specializes in litigation. I am learning so much about the law with each project I work on. Although the majority of the work I do there is filing and typing of documents, I remain fascinated with the entire legal system. I love the fact that the work I do contributes to lawsuits going to court and to clients paying for much needed services. As I head toward college, I continue to take steps getting closer to my main goal.

Desciptive New York

New York is one of the United States most known cites. It is also known for it's sights and attractions. New York has always been my second home since my first home (New Orleans) was struck by a natural disaster. Before I moved back to New Orleans I gained friendships and built on them. Ever since 2008 I've been vacationing in New York for at least one month in each summer. It's something about that 2009 vacation I will never forget. It was overall fun and I had a blast. My 2009 vacation to New York was my best vacation because of the relationships I built on, the parties, and the fashion. When I landed in New York in the summer of 2009 the atmoshpere just felt different. I seen so many people in the airport that I will probably never see again in my lifetime. I traveled to Brooklyn via train to check in to the place I would be staying the three weeks in New York. Where I was staying was my friend's apartment that I stayed in the previous year I was there. He asked me to come stay with him for three weeks before he left for school. He wanted me record for his YouTube channel he called â€Å"HBTV† (Half-Breeds Televison). I made an apperance in multiple episodes and directed some episodes. I relived my NYC hooping moments as well. My friend took me to some off our old hangout spots like the YMCA Gym. In there we use to play ball until the sun came up. We were so happy when we saw old faces that still worked at the gym. In there we went to adult night and had a loads of fun. I ended some nights with a nice home cooked meal from my friend's mother. We were already best friends, but our bond grew tighter over the three weeks. We were so close, we started finishing each other sentences. i told him if he was ever in New Orleans he would always have a place to stay . New York is also known as the city that never sleeps meaning the lights are always on throught out the city and the party never stops. The parties I went too were outstanding; I don't think no party in my lifetime will over top those. The difference between New York parties and New Orleans parties is you don't have to watch your back after the party is over. What I mean by that is in New Orleans there is always violence during or after the party. i got expose to so many different cultures and I was expose to different music. I danced with so many different people, I also learned how to salsa dance. I met new people and I came out with a few numbers. I came to every party dry and ended up drinched in sweat by the end of the night. Every morning after parties we always discussed what happen that night, how much fun we had, and who did the funniest thing through out the party. Fashion is a big part of New York City for years. Manhattan is a â€Å"fashion burough† in my own words because of a lot of big clothing companys have offices through out the burough. There are also a lot of clothing stores in New York City. When I travel to NYC I always visit Soho. Soho is a spot in Manhattan with some nice clothing spots. Before every party I had to get a new outfit from Soho. Seeing how the culture was in New York it changed my life. I saw everything from Nikes to Reeboks. I loved the fashion so much I adapted into my everyday living. New York is one of the most known cities and is one of the best in my opinon. New York has the best everything from fashion to food. This trip to New York changed my life comepletly and gave me inspration. It's the reason I decided to go to college to live my dream and one day live in New York again. Just breathing New York's air felt good. Visiting New York City was my best vaction because of the parties, fashion, and the relationships I built on. If I could do it all over again I would.

John Dewey Essay

Synopsis John Dewey was born October 20, 1859, in Burlington, Vermont. He taught at universities from 1884 to 1930. An academic philosopher and proponent of educational reform, in 1894 Dewey started an experimental elementary school. In 1919 he cofounded The New School for Social Research. Dewey published over 1,000 pieces of writings during his lifetime. He died June 1, 1952, in New York, New York Early Life John Dewey was born on October 20, 1859, to Archibald Dewey and Lucina Artemisia Rich in Burlington, Vermont. He was the third of the couple’s four sons, one of whom died as an infant. Dewey’s mother, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, was a devout Calvinist. His father, a merchant, left his grocery business to become a Union Army soldier in the Civil War. John Dewey’s father was known to share his passion for British literature with his offspring. After the war, Archibald became the proprietor of a successful tobacco shop, affording the family a comfortable life and financial stability. Teaching Career The autumn after Dewey graduated, his cousin landed him a teaching job at a seminary in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Two years later, Dewey lost the position when his cousin resigned as principal of the seminary. After being laid off, Dewey went back to Vermont and started teaching at a private school in Vermont. During his free time, he read philosophical treatises and discussed them with his former teacher, Torrey. As his fascination with the topic grew, Dewey decided to take a break from teaching in order to study philosophy and psychology at Johns Hopkins. George Sylvester Morris and G. Stanley Hall were among the teachers there who influenced Dewey most. Upon receiving his doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 1884, Dewey was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. At Michigan he met Harriet Alice Chipman, and the two married in 1886. Over the course of their marriage, they would give birth to six children and adopt one child. Philosophy Dewey’s philosophical treatises were at first inspired by his reading of philosopher and psychologist William James’ writing. Dewey’s philosophy, known as experimentalism, or instrumentalism, largely centered on human experience. Rejecting the more rigid ideas of Transcendentalism to which Dewey had been exposed in academia, it viewed ideas as tools for experimenting, with the goal of improving the human experience. Dewey’s philosophy also claimed than man behaved out of habit and that change often led to unexpected outcomes. As man struggled to understand the results of change, he was forced to think creatively in order to resume control of his shifting environment. For Dewey, thought was the means through which man came to understand and connect with the world around him. A universal education was the key to teaching people how to abandon their habits and think creatively. Education Reform John Dewey was a strong proponent for progressive educational reform. He believed that education should be based on the principle of learning through doing. In 1894 Dewey and his wife Harriet started their own experimental primary school, the University Elementary School, at the University of Chicago. His goal was to test his educational theories, but Dewey resigned when the university president fired Harriet. Writing Dewey wrote his first two books, Psychology (1887) and Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding (1888), when he was working at the University of Michigan. Over the course of his lifetime, Dewey published more than 1,000 works, including essays, articles and books. His writing covered a broad range of topics: psychology, philosophy, educational theory, culture, religion and politics. Through his articles in The New Republic, he established himself as one of the most highly regarded social commentators of his day. Dewey continued to write prolifically up until his death. Later Life and Death In 1946, Dewey, then 87, remarried to a widow named Roberta Grant. Following their marriage, the Deweys lived off of Roberta’s inheritance and John’s book royalties. On June 1, 1952, John Dewey, a lifelong supporter of educational reform and defender of rights for everyman, died of pneumonia at the age of 92 in the couple’s New York City apartment.

Where to Get a Writing Critique

Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique By Maeve Maddox From time to time, I receive emails from writers, asking me to critique attached poems or short stories. In the early days, I would send a polite reply, explaining that I hadn’t time to critique their work. Now I simply delete the email and attachments and get back to my own writing. The DWT Contact page states the policy that our writers don’t answer questions via email. Critiquing a manuscript of any length is time-consuming. Time is the most precious possession of a working writer. Asking another writer, especially one with whom you have no personal acquaintance, for a free critique is the equivalent of asking a stranger for a gift costing anywhere from $300 up. I have arrived at this figure by browsing the sites of professional critiquing services. Rates are based on word-count, number of pages, or some combination of the two. One service that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror charges $300 for the first 20,000 words and $15 per every 1,000 words thereafter. Another service offers a flat rate of $260 for the first 50 pages, but applies a per-page rate thereafter. A manuscript of 100-199 pages is priced at $6 per page; from 100-199 pages, $4 per page. A manuscript of 200 pages is priced at $3.75 per page. Paid critiquing is neither a practical nor sensible solution for the beginning writer. Such services are for writers who have already done everything they can to improve their drafts with whatever help is available to them without an outlay of cash. On the other hand, writers need the feedback of other writers. What’s the solution? Where can beginners find suitable readers for their early drafts without an outlay of cash? First, they must be willing to critique the work of others in exchange for critiques of their own writing. Ideally, they will find another writer or writers in their own vicinity. For example, I belong to a writer’s critique group whose members live within a radius of about thirty miles. We meet weekly, varying the meeting place so that no one has to drive the farthest distance every week. Not every group is a good fit for every writer. In approaching an established group, writers need to evaluate the writing level and interests of the members. Some groups specialize in different genres. Not every group critiques poetry or illustrated children’s books. Not every group is made up of beginners. A group of published writers may not be the best choice for an unpublished writer who is still struggling with basics. A good place to find kindred writing spirits is your local public library. Browse the bulletin board. Ask the reference librarians if they know of authors in the area. Writers who can’t find other writers locally can look for critique partners on the Web. Here is a starter list of five sites that offer help in finding a partner: Kingdom Writers An email critique and fellowship group for Christian writers. Ladies Who Critique Ladies Who Critique  is a critique partner-matching site for writers of all levels – â€Å"published, unpublished, aspiring, hobbyists, even closet writers or complete newbies!† Nathan Bransford This free writing forum offers a thread devoted to connecting with a critique partner. Poetry-Free-For-All This site boasts 23,000 members â€Å"of all skill levels† and is described as â€Å"a non-stop online poetry workshop for beginners and experts alike.† Participants must agree to offer at least three critiques of others’ work for each poem submitted. Quantum Muse This site is for writers of â€Å"science fiction, fantasy and alternative writing and artwork.† It offers the opportunity of publication. Membership is free, but participants must complete three critiques of the work of others before receiving permission to submit. Scribophile This free site is for writers of all skill levels. Members exchange detailed critiques. Reciprocity is a must. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureLatin Plural Endings6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know

Speculation That Edward De Vere Was the Real Shakespeare

Speculation That Edward De Vere Was the Real Shakespeare Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was a contemporary of Shakespeare and a patron of the arts. A poet and dramatist in his own right, Edward de Vere has since become the strongest candidate in the Shakespeare authorship debate. Edward de Vere: A Biography De Vere was born in 1550 (14 years before Shakespeare  in Stratford-upon-Avon) and  inherited the title of 17th Earl of Oxford before his teenage years. Despite receiving a privileged education at Queen’s College and Saint John’s College, De Vere found himself in financial dire straights by the early 1580s – which led to Queen Elizabeth granting him an annuity of  £1,000. It is suggested that De Vere  spent the later part of his life producing literary works but disguised his authorship to uphold his reputation in court. Many believe that these manuscripts have since become credited to William Shakespeare. De Vere died in 1604 in Middlesex, 12 years before Shakespeare’s death in Stratford-upon-Avon. Edward de Vere: The Real Shakespeare? Could De Vere really be the author of Shakespeare’s plays? The theory was first proposed by J. Thomas Looney in 1920. Since then the theory has gained momentum and has received support from some high-profile figures including Orson Wells and Sigmund Freud. Although all the evidence is circumstantial, it is none-the-less compelling. The key points in the case for De Vere are as follows: â€Å"Thy countenance shakes spears† is how De Vere was once described in royal court. Could this have been a codified reference to De Vere’s literary activities? In print, Shakespeare’s name appeared as â€Å"Shake-speare.†Many of the plays parallel events from De Vere’s life. In particular, supporters consider Hamlet to be a deeply biographical character.De Vere had the right education and social standing to write in detail about the classics, law, foreign countries, and language. William Shakespeare, a country bumpkin from Stratford-upon-Avon, would simply have been unequipped to write about such things.Some of De Vere’s early poetry appeared in print under his own name. However, this stopped soon after texts were printed under Shakespeare’s name. So,  its been suggested that De Vere took on his pseudonym when Shakespeare’s earliest works were first published: The Rape of Lucrece (1593) and Venus and Adonis (1594). Both poe ms were dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, who was considering marrying De Vere’s daughter. De Vere was well traveled and spent most of 1575 in Italy. 14 of Shakespeare’s plays have Italian settings.Shakespeare was heavily influenced by Arthur Golding’s translation of Ovids Metamorphoses. There is some evidence to suggest Golding lived in the same household as De Vere at this time. Despite this compelling circumstantial evidence, there is no concrete proof that Edward de Vere was the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. Indeed, it is conventionally accepted that 14 of Shakespeare’s plays were written after 1604 – the year of De Vere’s death. The debate goes on.

Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society Article

Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society - Article Example There many different aspects in which multiculturalism can affect the way people within a society behave. One of the factors that affect the behavior of people the most is the culture in which they are raised in. Culture refers to learned, shared, and integrated way of life (NesSmith, 1995). An example of the impact culture has on the behavior within a society is the different roles of women depending in which part of the world they live in. In the United States, women have equal life and they play an integral role in family life. Not only are the primary caretakers for the children, they also share the financial role with men. â€Å"Women compromise more than half the US workforce† (Missouricollege, 2009). In contrast to the Middle East women have very few rights and men dominate society and have power over most aspects of everyday life. In societies in which one of the gender lives in inequality progress is limited because there is a large opportunity cost associated with in hibiting the rights of women. There are other injustices that occur in foreign nations which in the perspective of the local is the normal activity. An example is the spread of child labor in many developing nations. Children should have the right to receive a proper childhood instead of being forced to work at an age in which neither their minds nor bodies are prepared for the task that should be performed by adults. Multiculturalism can also be utilized in an official manner as a type of policy guideline for governmental matters such as immigration. Three approaches to deal with immigrant groups and their cultures are monoculturalism, melting pots, and multiculturalism (Wordiq, 2009). In a monoculturalism, culture countries implement policies in which immigrants are accepted and assimilated. A melting pot occurs in  places where immigrant cultures are mixed and consolidated. The best example of a melting pot is the United States of America.  

Cultural Competence in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Cultural Competence in Social Work - Essay Example It is apparent that acquiring cultural competence causes the ability to communicate, understand, and interact effectively with individuals across cultures. Furthermore, a culturally competent person must value prevalent diversity in culture, and portray actions or attitudes that accept as well as promote different cultures. The individual should respond effectively and respectively to people of all races, sexual orientations, cultures, ethnic background, religions or faiths, and classes. Health and human services profession requires a practitioner to recognize, value, and affirm the worth of tribes, individuals, families as well as community. The practitioner also has a responsibility to preserve and protect the dignity of all people in the community. Standards for cultural competence Health and human services work has several cultural competence standards that govern the practice. The National Association of Social Worker (NASW) has stipulated several standards or norms for cultural competence. One of the standards is ethics and values that states that social work professionals should function in conformity to profession’s standards, ethics, and values. In addition, they must recognize ways in which professional and personal values may accommodate or conflict with requirements of diverse clients. Health and human services work has several cultural competence standards that govern the practice. The National Association of Social Worker (NASW) has stipulated several standards or norms for cultural competence.  ... cerning traditions, history, artistic expressions, family systems, and values of individuals that they serve (National Association of Social Workers, 2001). Acquirement of cultural competence skills Cultural competency in health and human services necessitates the acquirement of cross-cultural skills. In this sense, social work professionals should be equipped with suitable approaches, techniques as well as skills that reflect an understanding of importance and influence of culture in the provision of health and human services. In service delivery, social workers should not only be skillful in and well informed about various available services, but should also be in a position to make suitable referrals for their clientele. They should identify and avoid discrimination of clients from service opportunities because of their diversity. Social work professionals should endeavor to provide services that aptly match clients’ culturally unique needs. Besides, they should promote pro cedures and policies that guarantee access to care or services, which incorporates different cultural beliefs and practices (Doman, 2010). Social workers must acquire various critical elements that enhance their ability to be more culturally competent. These elements include  valuing diversity;  being cognizant of various dynamics associated with interaction of cultures;  having the capability to undertake cultural self-assessment;  attaining profound cultural knowledge; and  developing versions of service delivery revealing awareness as well as compliance with cultural diversity.  Social work practitioners should be proficient in these elements and manifested them in their professional as well as social interaction. Furthermore, these elements ought to be incorporated in policies, attitudes, as

Shark Finn Soup Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shark Finn Soup - Research Paper Example The paper also considers the laws made by various nations to stop shark fin harvesting and how the concerned individuals, groups and institutions can create awareness amongst the masses regarding the cruelty and wastage associated with shark fin harvesting. Keywords Sharks fins, finning, ecology, cruelty, extinction, harvesting Shark Fin Soup There is no denying the fact that Shark Fin Soup happens to be an important constituent of the Chinese cuisine. It is also true that Shark Finn is treated as a luxury item as far as the Chinese cuisine is concerned and is usually served on formal occasions and gatherings like banquets and weddings. Shark Fin is primarily used to add texture to the Chinese soups in combination with a number of other ingredients and spices. As far as the Chinese cuisine is concerned, Shark Finn soup tends to be an ingredient of historical relevance and its history could be traced back to the Ming dynasty (Earth Island Journal 2013, 8). The irony is that though sha rk fin soup involves much cruelty on the part of professional fisherman, with the increase in the income of Chinese population, the demand for the Shark Finn soup has been constantly on the rise. This is indeed worrisome and serious when one takes into consideration the survival and sustainability of the shark species. This is because the shark fins required to make Shark Fin Soup are collected from a range of shark species. Not only Shark Finn Soup is responsible for a decline in the shark populations around the world, the collections of shark fins by the fisherman involves much cruelty as they simply chop off the shark fins from a shark and throw back the rest of the shark in the ocean to die a painful and cruel death. On e big reason why the Chinese like the Shark Fin Soup is because they consider the Shark Fin Soup to be an important part of the Chinese culture. Simply speaking Shark Finn Soup happened to be a culinary delicacy that was earlier afforded by the rich and wealthy o nly (Dukes 2011, 42). In a way the Shark Fin Soup happened to be a symbol of wealth and status. Thereby, to claim that Shark Fin Soup happens to be a food of cultural importance is faulty because most of the Chinese actually speaking did not afford to eat Shark Fin soup. They were simply not in a financial position to buy Shark Fin Soup. Shark Fin Soup happened to be a delicacy that was primarily confined to the rich Chinese families. Thereby, actually speaking the popularity of the Shark Finn Soup is a trend that is of recent origins. This is because with the rise of the economic reforms in China and with the opening up of the Chinese economy, the number of Chinese people who are rich has dramatically increased over the years (Dukes 2011, 42). As Shark Fin Soup carries a snob appeal, many of the newly rich Chinese do prefer to buy and serve Shark Finn Soup because they believe that it adds to their social stature. Yet the bad thing is that those people who like to eat Shark Finn So up are simply not concerned about the cruelty to which the sharks are subjected to, to get their fins. They show no concern for the decreasing shark populations owing to the well established shark fin trade. Every years, millions of sharks are killed around the world so as to harvest the shark fins that constitute an important constituent of the Shark Fin Soup and some other Chinese and East Asian delicacies (Reading 2000, 51). The method resorted to

Moving Average Method: Limitations and Types of

Moving Average Method: Limitations and Types of Forecasting is very essential and important part in business planning. It refers to estimation of the demand for products and services in coming future and the resource necessary to produce these outputs. Estimates of the future demand for products or services are commonly referred to as sales forecast. In other words, forecasting is the art and science of predicting future events. Is is not mere a guess or prediction about the future without any rational basis. It may involve taking historical data or intuitive prediction in the absence of historical data. Basis of Forecasting Forecasting by its nature uses data from the past period to forecast the future projection of the company. Historical data includes your organization`s financial statements and any information you believe has relative predictive value to the future success of your company. Historical data doesnt have to solely come from your company; it can also be historical macroeconomic data, such as the Consumer Confidence Index, interest rates, housing starts or any other economic variable you believe has an effect on your business based on your business experience and observations. Moving Average Method A moving average method uses a number of most recent historical actual data values to generate a forecast. The moving average for n number of periods in the moving average is calculated as : This method uses the average of a number of adjoining data points or periods. The averaging process uses overlapping observations to generate averages. The term moving refers to the way averages are calculate the forecast moves up or down the time series to pick observations to calculate an average of a fixed number of observations. In our ten periods on the question the moving averages method would use the average of the most recent ten observations of the data in the time series as the forecast for the next period. The moving average is commonly used with time series data to smooth out the short-term fluctuation and highlights long term trends or cycles. The threshold between Long-term and short-term term depends on the application and the parameter of the moving average will be set accordingly. For example it usually used in the technical analysis of financial data like stock prices and return various stock or trading volume A moving average also called rolling average, is an average price movement indicator, showing average value of the data within specific time frame. Moving average levels are interpreted as resistance in a rising market, or support in a falling market. Here a support level means a price rank where the price tends to find support as it is going down. The price is more likely to bounce off this level rather than break through it. A resistance level is the opposite of a support level and is an upper extreme where the price tends to find resistance as it is going up. Modern graphical analytic programs calculate wide range of different Moving Average types and offer assortment of their visualization styles. A time frame for calculation could be set as short, intermediate or long term. For long term trend the 200-days average is most popular; for medium term 50-days average and for short term 10 days average. Following types of rolling averages are used more often than others: a simple moving average (SMA); a weighted moving average (WMA) and an exponentially moving average (EMA). Types of moving average method Simple moving average method it is used to estimate the average of a demand time series and remove the effects of random fluctuation. It is most useful when demand has no pronounced trend or seasonal fluctuations. In this method if we use n period moving averages, the average demand for the n most recent time periods is calculated and used as forecast for the next time period. For the next period, after the demand is known, the older demand from the previous average is replaced with the most recent demand and the average is recalculated. Weighted moving average method in this method each historical demand in the moving average can have its own weight and the sum of the weight equals one. For example, in a 5 period weighted moving average model, the most recent period might be assigned a weight 0.50, the second most recent period might be assigned a weight of 0.30, 0.20, 0.10, and for third most period with a weight of 0.05. text{WMA}_{M} = { n p_{M} + (n-1) p_{M-1} + cdots + 2 p_{(M-n+2)} + p_{(M-n+1)} over n + (n-1) + cdots + 2 + 1} The advantage of weighted average method is that is allows emphasis on recent demand over earlier demand. Exponential Smoothing Method It is a sophisticated weighted moving method that is still relatively easy to understand and use. It requires only three items of data: periods forecast, the actual demand for this period and ÃŽÂ ± which is referred to as smoothing constant and having a value between 0 and 1. The formula of the ESM is as follows: Ft = Ft-1 + ÃŽÂ ± (At-1 Ft-1) Where Ft = Forecast for the period (t) Ft-1 = Forecast for the previous period (t-1) At-1 = Actual demand for the previous period (t-1) ÃŽÂ ± = Smoothing constant (value varies from 0 to 1) Selecting a smoothing constant is basically a matter of judgment or trial and error. Commonly used values of ÃŽÂ ± range from 0.05 to 0.5. Feature Moving average method:- Smoothing data Moving average help in smoothing or smooth function on the original sequence, the original sequence of fluctuation is weakened, and the average interval number N bigger, stronger on series smoothing effect. Odd and Even Moving average time interval number N is odd, only a moving average, the moving average as the middle moving average terms in a trend representative value; and when the moving average term N is even, the moving average value represents the middle position of the even level, not on a time, is in need of an adjacent two average value of the moving average, it can make the average value of a certain period of time, this is called shift is average, also become the center of moving average. Seasonal changes When the series include seasonal change, moving average interval number should be consistent with the seasonal variation of N length, in order to eliminate the seasonal variation; if the sequence contains a cycle of change, from the terms N and cycle length should be basically the same average, cycle fluctuation elimination can be better Advantages of Moving average method: Easily understandable The moving average model assumption is that the most accurate prediction of future demand is a simple (linear) combination of past demand moving average method is easy to understand than any other method. This method smooths the data and makes it easier to spot trend.. Simple and Easy Calculation Moving average is calculated by taking the arithmetic mean of a given set of values. They are easier to use than other regression models. For example, to calculate a basic 10-day moving average you would add up the closing prices from the past 10 days and then divide the result by 10. Stable Forecasts how responsive we want the forecasting model to be to changes in the actual demand data must be balanced against our desire to suppress undesirable chance variation or noise in the data. With help of moving average can achieve such objectives. Limitations of Moving Average Method Equal weighing is given to each of the values used in the moving average calculation, whereas it is reasonable most reasonable data is more important to current situations. The moving average method doesnot takes into account the data outside the average period. The use of unadjusted moving average can lead to misguiding forecast The moving average method to a large number of data records from the past; Through the introduction of new data is more and more time, continuously revised average value, as predicted value. The basic principle of moving average method is through the moving average to eliminate irregular time series of changes and other changes, thus revealing the long-term trend of time series. Solution to the Given Problem Year No. of Cars 3 Year Moving Total 3 Year Moving Average 1 1324 ____ ____ 2 1605 ____ ____ 3 1486 4415 1471.67 4 1567 4658 1552.67 5 1687 4740 1580.00 6 1021 4275 1425.00 7 1424 4132 1377.33 8 986 3431 1143.67 9 1529 3939 1313.00 10 1425 3940 1313.33

Essay --

My 20 year old cousin has been informed that I have recently taken a class in Aids and Epidemics. This course was mainly used to inform me about how risky HIV transmission can be. As well how easily it may be spread from one person to another. My cousin has asked me to inform her about HIV and how it could effect her. There are many ways to avoid the spread but it requires taking proper precautions which I will inform you about as you read along. It’s safest to try and be in a monogamous relationship so you and your partner know who each of you are sleeping with. There are many ways at which you could be at risk and don’t even know it. The safest way to protect you is to wait for sexual intercourse until the person is either checked or each of the individuals are virgins and commit to each other. This will ensure that neither one of you is sleeping with anyone else nor you’re both clean. As you read the essay below I will inform you on how exactly HIV can be tran smitted, how you could be at risk, and what measures you should take in order to protect yourself. This is a very scary v...

Why Do Luxury Companies Sponsor Art?

Course: The Environment of Visual Arts Administration Instructor: Prof. Carlo Lamagna Title of the paper: Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Author: Qing Zhong Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Motivations of corporate art sponsorship fall in many categories, as suggested by O'Hagan and Denice (O'Hagan,J. 2000). The analysis of this article concentrates on the external benefits a luxury company could gain from sponsoring art and particular attention will be given to the promotion of brand image, as it is a dominant motivation for corporate decision makers in order to raise brand awareness (Hitters, 1996).To examine the outcomes of art sponsorship, examples of some luxury companies will be given. These examples include but are not necessarily limited to, Deutsche Bank, LVMH and Hermes. Each example will examine one aspect of the three major motivations that can be generalized into the publicity/brand image promotion category. In addition to these three examples, a personal observ ation will be given as a complete inspection analyzing all the motivations in a flowing process.All the cases used in this article are â€Å"designer sponsorship† which means that luxury companies either initiate corporate art organizations or organize their own art events (Eamon O hOisin 1995). Instead of sponsoring existent art organizations or events, designer sponsorship allow luxury companies to take control over all aspects of the activities and thus maximizes the potential outcomes. The starting point of this discussion is the definition of sponsorship.It has been reiterated thousands of times by many luxury companies as selfless motives. However, it is not true in reality. Differing from charity or philanthropy, sponsorship is at its best a win-win situation in which sponsors put their own benefits, instead of the sponsored subjects’, in the first place. For the recipients, financial support may save them from desperate situations. For the givers, expected bene fits include earning capacity growth or transferring a responsible corporate image to the public.Luxury companies may not gain directly from their sponsorship behaviors, but they gain huge indirect bnefits from branding and image promotion to the public (Krzysztof Klincewicz, 1998). Indirect benefits relating to art sponsorship could be further detailed in three aspects. Firstly, by appearing more frequently in front of the public’s eyes on banners, boards, websites or TV news report, luxury companies propagate themselves and impress the latent clients in a way that is different from traditional advertisements.A good example worth mentioning is the Deutsche Bank’s sponsorship for various art forms, including art fairs such as the International Hong Kong Art Fair, Art Fair Tokyo, self designed art events such as â€Å"Artist of the Year† and influential long-term art projects like the cooperation between Deutsche Bank and the Guggenheim Museum. Figure 1 Hong Kong International Art Fair Sponsorship for worldly renowned art events gives Deutsche Bank a wide coverage and exposure in social media and thus expands its visibility to the public, but this kind of brand exposure is not directly related with Deutsche Bank’s products.It gives the public a fresh and indirect perspective to approach the bank and its products. As can be seen in Figure 1, whenever viewers browse on the Hong Kong Art Fair’s website, they can’t avoid noticing the little image of the bank on the right corner. Same situation applies to other art events such as the â€Å"Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year†. It is impossible for the media to mention this event without saying its title beginning with the â€Å"Deutsche Bank†.It is neither impossible for the public to get a first impression for the event without knowing that it is sponsored by the bank. Secondly, art sponsorship transcends the role of a narrowly defined advertising tool a nd adds meanings and value to the company and its products, which is the most essential difference between art sponsorship and sports or entertainment sponsorship (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Value creation is essential as it stimulates emotional connections in human minds and help luxury companies attract and gather key clients who share the same kind of ifestyle with their unique brands. By sponsoring art, luxury companies create images that consistently convey their value and expect potential clients connect the corporate identity with these images, which is often times not just an illusion as meaning transferring and image associations are most effective and immediate when such image links exist (Gwinner, K. 1997). Let’s take a look at Bernard Arnault‘s plan on the LVMH Museum, which has been a controversial issue since 2006 because of the conflict between the public rights and the corporate’s benefits.Figure 2 LVMH Museum The museum looks fabulous. It’s itself an art work by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, but it’s also a iconic image of the corporate self-portrait: arrogant, powerful, egocentric and elitist. The project once ceased constructing because neighbors  objected: they want the space to remain green and they don't want this to be the start of more buildings in the bois, even if it's by Gehry. However, the senate finally compromised to LVMH’s superpower announcing that this project contributes to the civic pride and cultural identity of the nation.Ironically, the content of this museum may not be as democratic or liberal as stated. It will include Arnault’s private and corporate collections as well as heritage pieces from several brands such as Dior and Vuitton-those have always been regarded as belongings of the elite. Contrary to the senate’s announcement, LVMH reinforces its value and identity by building up a private coded museum that can only be decoded by the counterparts, namely, the limit ed elite who would have the sense and taste to appreciate the art in the same way the company appreciates it.Wouldn’t the public be scared off if they approach this apparently exclusive and flamboyant museum? They might come up with an even stronger conclusion that glory only belongs to the superior. As for the â€Å"lucky† elite, their requirements for supremacy can be further satisfied and therefore confirms their degree of honesty for the company. Thirdly, since sponsorship is naturally linked with social responsibility, it will relieve the public’s aversion for the luxury that is often times regarded as a superior, limited VIP belonging distinguishing the elite class from the grass roots.Promotion of public image also provides better returns in luxury companies’ rent-seeking process – that of lobbying important politicians or policy makers (O'Hagan, J. 2000). Cartier might have been excelled in establishing such a generous and socially responsi ble identity in its continuous giving for the Foundation Cartier since 1984. Besides the organization’s name, there is no link between the artworks commissioned by or in the foundation’s collection and the Cartier brand.This kind of sponsorship is therefore called the â€Å"pure† sponsorship in order to distinguish from the product-related one (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Figure 3 The Foundation Cartier The artworks in the collection travel around the world and ongoing programs take place in the foundation’s dynamic, light-filled home in Paris, which Figure 2 presents. For nearly 30 years, Foundation Cartier has been sponsoring the contemporary art in a modest and prudent manner.Though hard to notice, this conduct might have won a good reputation for Cartier and would benefit the brand enormously in its long term rent-seeking activities. Finally, in order to delineate a more consistent and comprehensive picture, an independent case based on my personal observation at the Rolex Mentor ; Protege Arts Initiative will be studied to integrate all the three motivations stated above. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative is an international philanthropic programme created to assist extraordinary, rising artists to achieve their full potential.It seeks out these artists from around the world and brings them together with great masters, for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. The event that I volunteered at was a â€Å"dinner celebrating the Mentors and Proteges of the 2010-2011 Rolex Arts Initiative†. It was actually a quite exclusive event with safeguards standing outside the entrance and all guests dressing up with their by-invitation-only cards. Admittedly, Rolex has done a lot to propagate this initiative, as can be seen on various websites, on banners, n magazines and on spot of the celebrating dinner (Refer to Figure 4). Figure 4 Entrance of the dinner for celebration the Rolex Arts Initiative However, â€Å"By Invitation Only† is what I felt for this arts initiative because during a whole year of mentoring, no public access has been allowed into the procedure all the way from selecting qualified candidates to presenting the cooperative final projects. Only the â€Å"selected† will have a real sense for what is happening within this event.This â€Å"selected† group includes the renowned artists, board of the Rolex, celebrities and business magnets, all of whom share a common character of being superior and elite (from my observation at the Rolex dinner). As the art initiative reflects the value of Rolex, it satisfies and attracts the same group of people who recognize and approve of this value. If attracting only a small group of people is what Rolex aims at, there will be some questions to ask: Does the initiative promote the public image of Rolex? Is this program contributing to the overall goodness of the society?Can the public feel the goodness an d if yes, to what extent? Information gathered from the websites or the observation did not suggest a positive answer to this question, but together they do not provide enough evidence to make a decisive conclusion. Luxury companies’ motivations for art sponsorship are tailored to the internal and external situation each company faces. They are diversified and sometimes hard to recognize, but together they stimulates information and resource exchange between art organizations, business and the public and contribute to the flourish of the art ecology.Bibliography Bulut, D. â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility in Culture and Art. †Ã‚  Management of Environmental Quality  20, no. 3 (2009): 311. Comunian, R. â€Å"Toward a New Conceptual Framework for Business Investments in the Arts: Some Examples from Italy. †Ã‚  The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society  39, no. 3 (2009): 200. Eamon O hOisin. â€Å"Art Marketing: Sport on the Sidelines. †Ã‚  Ci rca  no. 71 (Spring, 1995): pp. 43-45. Gwinner, K. â€Å"A Model of Image Creation and Image Transfer in Event Sponsorship. †Ã‚  International Marketing Review  14, no. 3 (1997): 145.Krzysztof Klincewicz. â€Å"Ethical Aspects of Sponsorship. †Ã‚  Journal of Business Ethics  17, no. 9/10, How to Make Business Ethics Operational: Creating Effective Alliances: The 10th Annual EBEN Conference (Jul. , 1998): pp. 1103-1110. O'Hagan, J. â€Å"Why do Companies Sponsor Arts Events? some Evidence and a Proposed Classification. †Ã‚  Journal of Cultural Economics  24, no. 3 (2000): 205. pp. 6. 8 Okonkwo, Uche. Luxury Fashion Branding : Trends, Tactics, Techniques. Basingstoke: Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Deusche Bank,â€Å"Art & Music: Fostering Creativity†, http://www. db. com/csr/en/art_and_music. htm (Accessed Novembe r 21). [ 2 ]. Judith H. Dobrzynski, â€Å"Paris To Get Gehry's LVMH Museum Afterall†, Arts Journel Weblog, http://www. artsjournal. com/realcleararts/2011/04/lvmh. html (Accessed November 21). [ 3 ]. LaPlaca Cohen, â€Å"Cultural Sponsorship†, http://www. laplacacohen. com (Accessed November 21). [ 4 ]. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, â€Å"About the initiative†, http://www. rolexmentorprotege. com/en/ about-the-initiative/index. jsp(Accessed November 21, 11).

My experience, role and learning support Essay

In accordance to the ethical guidelines written by The British Education Research Association (BERA, 2004), the names of the children and school, where used, have been changed in order to maintain confidentiality and anonymity. My role (Hancock et al. , 2013 p1) States that â€Å"the practice of learning support as carried out by teaching assistants has developed considerably in recent times†. In the nursery I work along side two higher level teaching assistants and the nursery teacher. At this stage of school life, the majority of learning is through play, so we encourage the use of structured, well thought out fun educational games and play either in small groups or on a one to one basis, I carry out structured activities i. e. drawing, writing, crafting and reading, either on a one to one basis or with a small group of usually 4-6 children. I help identify any child or children that may benefit from further one to one help, through keeping well informed observation notes (KU1. 1) (KS3. 1) (PPS4. 3) In my role as classroom assistant in year one, my role is very similar to that of the classroom assistant, Margaret Verrecchie, in reader book 1 (Hancock et al. , 2013, pg4) A classroom assistant) I work along side the teacher and one teaching assistant. I help the teacher in the classroom, prepare resources’ for the session and offer the children extra support with reading and writing, it depends on what the teacher wants and needs and on what she asks me to do. Each day is different, and my duties vary accordingly. (PPS4. 3) (KS3. 1) As a midday supervisor, I work along side 10 other midday supervisors, supervising the children in the dining area and other parts of the school during the lunch time break. I help the children with a variety of tasks such as cutting up food, unwrapping of pack lunches and help teach good eating habits, After the children finish eating, we go to the playground, or if it’s wet play, a classroom, where I supervise the children at play. I ensure pupils keep out of areas that are out of bounds, deal with misbehaviour, reporting any problems that I’m unable to resolve to my duty manager, I attend to all pupils who are sick or injured, ensuring they receive the appropriate medical attention, reporting all accidents in the accident report book, I am aware of my responsibilities under the child protection legislation, reporting any concerns I may have to my senior supervisor or child protection officer. I enjoy this role as it allows me to see the children in a more relaxed environment, giving me the invaluable opportunity to get to know the children, on a more personal level, getting to know their personalities outside of the classroom. As lunchtimes are a great opportunity for the children to burn of f some steam, I try to encourage the children to take part in lots of physical activities like skipping and hoopla hoops. (PPS4. 3) I can personally relate to the parent helper in the (The Open University, 2013) E111 DVD sequence –Pam Crawford is a parent helper with a son who is special needs statemented, In the sequence, Pam states that she originally started to volunteer mainly to support her son, but along the way she decided that being a teaching assistant was what she wanted to be, so started a college course to train to become a qualified teaching assistant, which is exactly the same as why I am doing this course. Framework I provide a varied and broad array of duties and tasks on a daily basis in support to the pupils, the teacher, the school and the curriculum, through performing activities on a one to one basis or as part of a team with my work colleagues. Although they do tend to regularly overlap each other, I offer the four levels of support as suggested in the DfEE framework. (PPS4. 3) To support the pupils I encourage them to act independently in an appropriate way, to interact with each other and engage enthusiastically in all the classroom activities. I try to establish a good relationship with all the pupils, acting as a good role model, being aware of and responding appropriately to all individual needs. I supervise and support all the pupils ensuring their safety and make sure they have access to learning at all times. I help them to develop their skills in listening, to express their feelings and ideas, help them to understand, describe, select and retrieve information, show them ways in which to help with problem solving, communication etc. I also attend to all pupils’ personal needs including social, health, physical, hygiene, minor first aid and general well being. To help support the teacher, I prepare the classroom as and when needed for the lessons then clear everything away at the end of the lesson. I also help display pupils work around the classroom; I keep records as and when asked to do so by the teacher. I also support the teacher by managing pupil behaviour, reporting all difficulties appropriately, to the relevant member of staff. I also gather and report and information to and from parents or careers at the end of the school day and I provide administration duties as and when the teacher requires. To support the school I participate in any training and learning activities and any performance development meetings as and when required, I contribute to the overall ethos of the school, I am aware of and support difference and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and discover and to be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person. To help support the curriculum I help prepare and maintain equipment/resources as directed by the teacher and assist the pupils in their use, also supporting the pupils in using basic ICT as directed by the teacher. I support the pupils in respect to national and local learning strategies e. g. literacy, numeracy, early years as directed by the teacher and help pupils understands instructions that have been given by the teacher. Previous interests and experiences I enjoyed school and took part in lots of school activities like the school productions and the school summer floats at carnival time, I also learnt to play the flute which gained me a place in the school orchestra. I was confident and never had problems making friends, although I did struggle with my school work, but I never let it beat me, I always strived to do my best. I have always been able to take the initiative and have a positive and adaptable personality. I find it easy to fit in with my surroundings and work well as part of a team or on my own. Since leaving school, I’ve worked for various companies, big and small. I’ve been a company administrator for a large company, which built up my confidence working as part of a team which encouraged me to be more efficient with my time as I had to work to strict deadlines, gaining knowledge on company policies and procedures and improving my ICT, and communication skills. I was also a care worker for a care agency where confidentiality was paramount; I went to client’s homes to perform various duties from personal care to shopping and housework. It’s through this job that I learnt skills to encourage people to be independent and carry out simple instructions/tasks. It’s also through this job that I learnt the importance of confidentiality and to keep completely accurate, up to date client observational records. I have three children of my own now and the experiences gained from being a mother, on top of the experiences gained from previous employment and my current employment, has enabled me to make the clear decision that I would like to pursue a career as a teaching assistant as I feel that the skills I’ve gained through life are all relevant to a teaching assistant’s role and skills that I have acquired for life. Key theories and concepts Both Piaget and Vygotsky were instrumental in forming a scientific approach on cognitive development in children. Jean Piaget was one of the first psychologists to reveal that children reason and think differently at different periods in their lives. Piaget considered development went through four stages: Sensori-motor: Pre-Operational: Concrete Operational and the formal Operational stage. The Sensori-motor period (0-2 yrs) is the first stage, as the infants interactions are based on exploring their environment through their senses and abilities, such as grasping and sucking, this also includes practice play as the infant is able to repeat actions continually, but with no intention. The pre-Operational stage (2-7 yrs) is where children’s language is rapidly developed, allowing them to express themselves. They start to use pretend play and parallel play which means children are talking but it is not directed at anyone in particular. The Concrete operation (7-11 yrs) and Formal Operational (11-adult) periods are the third and fourth stages. These are not usually considered in early childhood education but they are still equally important as they are able to think realistically and logically about situations and understand their world (Pulaski. 1980) Vygotsky believes children’s learning of new cognitive skills is guided by an adult or a more skilled child, such as an older sibling, who structures the child’s learning experience, a process Vygotsky called scaffolding. To create an appropriate scaffold, the adult must gain and keep the child’s attention, model the best strategy and adapt the whole process to the child’s developmental level. Vygotsky used this term to signify tasks that are too hard for the child to do alone, but can manage with guidance. Children do seem to follow a certain internal structure, for example grasping and touching, but not all children learn in the same way or at the same pace. A classic example of Vygotskys scaffolding theory can be seen with my two sons, the youngest that at the time was in nappies wanted to use the big toilet like his big brother, so as suggested by Vygotsky, my eldest son used the scaffolding technique. Vygotskys ideas have important educational applications, like Piagets, Vygotskys theory suggest the importance of opportunities for active exploration. But assisted discovery would play a greater role in a Vygotskian classroom than in a Piagetian class: The teacher would provide the scaffolding for children’s discovery, through questions, demonstrations and explanations. To be effective, the assisted discovery processes would have to be within the zone of proximal development of each child (Bee and Boyd, p38. (2009) Cognitive learning is not just internal but also external. Piaget believed that developmental growth was learned in stages. Vygotsky believed that learning was a social and progressive process that did not start or stop at a certain stage or age. A child’s activity plays a key role in the way they learn. I believe that both these theories go hand in hand and that the environmental factors do influence learning behaviours. Training needs My overall aim is to become a qualified teaching assistant, for primary school aged children, which I will gain through completing this course and with the ongoing training I am receiving at work. I aim to develop a better understanding of the ways in which children learn and be more involved in the planning and preparation of lessons. Even though I am a valued member of staff, I still feel that I need to develop my relationships further with professional bodies. I feel I also need to develop my leadership skills further, in order for me to improve my effectiveness in leading pupils through a class activity.