Budgeting in Health Care Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budgeting in Health Care Organizations - Essay Example There are numerous other types of budgets such as annual statistics budget and revenue budget and they vary according to their purposes (Gapenski). These budgets can vary across different health care institutions. The reason for this is the diversity of the financial structures, organizational culture and reporting systems of organizations (Finkler and McHugh, 2008, p.171). The process by which health care organizations design and implement budget based on such organizational structure, culture and reporting system determines whether they will achieve budgeted operating margin targets. This is demonstrated in the experience of University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics (UUHC). It was found that the institution's personnel are not knowledgeable on budgeting and finance and that there is no organizational mechanism or aspect of the organizational culture that encourage the education of the staff. As a result, expenses always exceed the budget and what is worse, the extra expenditures are found to be unnecessary (Clark, 2005, p.79). Budgeting, or correct budgeting, is important because it supports the operation of the health care organization. ... lth care institutions and it needs budgeting in order to maintain positive performance and deal with problems, such as "shrinking revenues and rising expenses" (Schwieters and Harper, p.76). The benefit of budgeting is aligned with the importance of cost information. As managers and hospital personnel are informed about budgeting and cost, a sound operating budgeting process can finally be implemented in order to achieve financial health. This point was explained by the intervention introduced at UUHC in 2004 to improve budgeting results. The organization pursued an aggressive education drive for its staff about budget and finance, "offering incentives to stay within budgets, holding budget variance meetings with managers, and requesting corrective action plans from managers". The result was improved budgeting performance. The intervention model highlighted by the case of UUHC included an important tool in budgeting: variance analysis. It is a method that focuses on comparisons of ac tual results and budgeted expectations for each line in the budget of each cost center in the health care organization (Finkler, Ward and Baker, 2007, p.200). The flexible budgeting variance analysis is one of its types that is widely used in health care organizations. The methodology follows a framework of gathering information the comprehensively cover the composition of departmental expenses. This could lead UUHC, for instance, to subdivide total variance (the difference between standard prices and quantities and actual prices and quantities) into three: price, quantity and volume (Baker, 1998, p.128). Baker explained these three in detail: Price variance pertains to the proportion of the overall variance caused by the differences between actual and expected price input; Quantity

The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart Essay Example for Free

The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart Essay The Wicked Day, Mary Stewart’s concluding volume of the four-book series called the Arthurian Saga proved to be another fantastic display of mastery in Middle Ages inspired literature. Stewart’s primary modification the original Arthurian legends is making Mordred, originally Arthur’s twice-removed cousin, into Arthur’s bastard son to his half-sister Morgause. Although I initially did not like this alteration, this book proved to be an enchanting version of the original legend of King Arthur and his knights after all. What I liked about it most is its non-typical approach to the characters. In the original legends which I’ve also read, the dialogue used was not very exciting, and the emotional impact of events that unfolded was not so intense. Stewart’s take on Arthur is a lot more mature, making her book stand heads and shoulders above the bland mass of other fairy tales whether in book or screen which is based on the story. She presents Arthur, Mordred, Morguese and the rest as three-dimensional characters in a realistic world. Arthur himself was not shown as a faultless leader, neither was Morguese shown as evil incarnate as she usually was in the original where she also wasn’t portrayed to have had an affair with Arthur. Morguese in Stewart’s book was shown more like a victim of circumstance, and even Mordred was humanized in Stewart’s tale, a man without lack of conscience who must battle his own demons and settle his grievances against a father who abandoned him. I think these elements make the entire saga and its inevitable ending portrayed in this installment as a lot more morally gray, it makes it hard for me to judge whether a particular character is good or bad and I ended up not doing so at all. Truly a treat for Arthur lovers everywhere, the magic in her book is subtle yet captivating. Source: Stewart, Mary. (1983). The Wicked Day. Ballantine Books.

Callenges Of Life :: essays research papers

Challenges of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jerry is a young boy in, the story of â€Å"Through the Tunnel.† He has a very big challenge which is swimming through a tunnel. By swimming through the tunnel he will be able to prove to the older boys and especially to himself that he can reach his goal if he sets his mind to it. Jing-mei and her mother from the story â€Å"Two Kinds,† also have a couple of challenges they must face. In this story, the mother is so eager for her daughter to excel, that she pushes and pushes until the daughter finally pushes back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jerry wants to do something very challenging. He wants to swim through a long tunnel, but must hold his breath some throughout his journey. When he sees boys (older boys) diving into the water, lasting a long time under water, and coming out a couple of meters away, he tries to so the same thing. It seems to be very easy for them. Jerry tries to do this a couple of times, but he is not successful. After his unsuccessful attempts he decides to practice holding his breath for a long time before trying it again. â€Å"A controlled impatience makes him wait.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story of â€Å"Two Kinds,† a mother tries to make her daughter do things that she is not interested in doing. Jing-mei had always head her mother talking about â€Å"America† and how wonderful and different life would be once they arrived. Jing-mei never liked the plans her mother had for her. Her mother wanted her to be a perfect kid. (Or at least what her mother thought o perfect child ought to be like.) Jing-mei’s greatest challenge was to inform her mother that she wasn’t interested in being the perfect child. She simply wished to be accepted as herself. One day Jing-mei performed a musical piece on a piano at a talent show. After her horrible performance, father, mother, and Jing-mei drove home disappointed, especially mother. Jing-mei went to her room went they arrived home. Her mother went to Jing-mei’s room shouting and yelling at her about her awful performance. talked back and told her mother that is this wasn’t for her to be so controlling of her life. â€Å"Why don’t you like me the way I am?† exclaimed Jing-mei.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I mentioned previously, Jing-mei’s mother wanted her daughter to be a perfect child. She sent her to piano lessons with a retired piano teacher. Mother cleaned houses for a living. She would find magazines in the houses she worked for.

A Second Adolescence

He is healthy, has no known diseases or a family history that would suggest him particularly prone to illness. He awakening into a life and body he no longer recognizes. He has physically let himself deteriorate In a dark cubicle showing no Importance to his physical self (Lachrymal, 2004). Concern for ones physicality Is important in accepting the changes of middle age and being comfortable in one's own body (Sharon, 1998). He begins to recognize his own body s importance because off crush he develops on his daughter's friend.Starting to work out and place Importance on how he looks Is symbolic of his acceptance of his new body (Ben-Earl, Leave, & Shave, 2008). His office job has made him somewhat sedimentary yet it appears to have little effect on his physical wellbeing except in athletic terms he begins to address. His body and physical image becomes important to him. He wants to feel attractive and begins working out vigorously. He once again sees himself as a sexual being and wa nts to feel good about himself physically. Ben-Earl, Leave, & Shave, 2008) Changes at his Job serve as a catalyst for Lester to begin a transformation in his life in order to unify his self image with the actuality of his everyday Life(Lachrymal, 2004). Family dynamics: Luster's relationship with his wife Is In shambles. They no longer support each other or have a sexual relationship. His relationship with his daughter is almost nonexistent and it is unclear if there is any extended family. No close familiar relationships exist in Lester life. It Is clear though that there was a time that he and his wife and daughter were happy.He often reminisces of a time when he had less to no responsibility and his whole life ahead of him. He feels stifled by his family and his Job and has no outlet to address this problem. Throughout the period of observation Lester makes a complete circle to self acceptance. He takes some drastic tepees but they are In the end successful. He develops a sexual obsession with his daughter's friend which functions to snap him out of his state of complacency and begin to mix things up in every area of his life.He effectively begins to identify himself as an adolescent would testing boundaries and forming a new personality(anger, 2004). Caroline Is the dominant member of the family. She Is louder and more demanding than her child or partner. Image Is everything to her. 1 OF 7 important to her than her actual ability to successfully fill these roles(Barnett, 2004). Her whole persona is a set of illusions that are not based on reality. She is materialistic and lives in a world of half truths and delusion. As a mother her actions are hollow and self serving.They are for show as opposed to being truly supportive or helpful. She is overcritical, berating Jane on her appearance repeatedly. Adolescence is a time which is difficult for both the child and the parent(Anger, 2004). On the one hand a parent must be supportive an seen as in a position of authority while still giving their child room and space to mature and grow into the adult they are attempting too. Respecting an adolescent's budding maturity while arming an adult relationship with them is extremely hard on a parent, who still sees their child as being a child.It does not count to pretend to be friends with the adolescent, and being ‘cool When what they want is a level of actual respect and consideration, which is the case between Jane and Caroline. It is so important for Caroline to appear to be listening to and understanding her daughter that she loses sight of the person Jane is. As a father he is unable to connect with his daughter. Lester begins to try to talk to her but at this point she is uninterested in meeting him half way and it's unclear she ever will. The obvious attraction he has to Angela alienates Jane and separates them emotionally further.Father and daughter could potentially be allies against Carolynn ‘s conformist nature, but Luster' s adolescent fantasy puts them permanently at odds. By paying more attention to the object of his desire, Angela, he proves to Jane that her feelings are of no consequence to him. He genuinely seems to want a more honest relationship with Jane, but fails to see the connection between his feelings for Angela and his parental role. Lester is able to play a parental role for Angela that he cannot for his own daughter. He manages to e comforting and accessible. As a wife Caroline is the first to step out on their relationship and partnership.In order to feel like a woman and sexually attractive she begins a sexual relationship with an icon of her chosen profession(Barnett, 2004). She is able to validate her decisions through this sexual relationship. His perceived success emboldens her in her primary relationship(Ben-Air, Leave, & Shave, 2008). Psychological Influences: Lester becomes aware all off sudden that he is unhappy with his life. He makes a conscious decision to change his surr oundings and instead of losing his Job which as the probable outcome of restructuring at the office, he takes a stand and refuses to be overlooked.Revealing an abuse of power he is able to manipulate his bosses to give him a year's salary with benefits. This freedom allows him to begin a path to self discovery that codifies his self image with how he is perceived by the world. Over the course of the few months we have access to Lester he goes through distinctive stages of development akin to that of an adolescent. Risky serves as an attachment relationship for Lester. He is able to form a close secure attachment to Risky and egging to stretch the boundaries of his previously rigid position in family as well as community(Sable, 2008).This is in line with the convoy theory (Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004) which stipulates that attachment relationships change and continue to form over time. Risky serves to both father and daughter as a stable reliable relationship that the can cou nt on(Sable, 2008). This allows Jane to express openly comfortable and confident with her changing body. It allows Lester to once again believe in himself as having worth and no longer defining himself solely as a husband and father. He begins to explore what he really wants and what he needs to do to get there. He finally begins to start doing for himself.Although in the most classic terms possible he is living out a midlife crisis, it appears that for him this is a process of maturation and acceptance he previously did not have a chance to experience(Lachrymal, 2004). He is mirroring the psychological experience his daughter should be going through(Morris, Silk, Steinberg, & al. , 2007). He buys the car he wants, starts working out, starts smoking pot and standing up to his wife. Lester brazenly demands respect and independence both in his family and Job. He exclaims that things are changing and no longer allows his wife to bully him or talk over him.He makes a loud and overt dema nd for respect. He wants the same amount of freedom as his wife and daughter and symbolically breaks the bonds of restraint by disrupting dinner, breaking a plate against the wall and demanding a change of music, atmosphere and pecking order. It is the first clear step towards Lester being able to redefine himself both internally and externally(Lachrymal, 2004). Theoretical perspectives: The majority of middle aged people report having more satisfaction and less anxiety bout their abilities and describe a sense of perfecting skills(Lachrymal, 2004).Stereotypically the midlife crisis hits a huge percentage of people yet only a small percentage actually seem to. It is a period in which people have a chance to review their decisions and life choices, and come to terms with what they have achieved or not achieved. They may be exactly where they want to be or some may have to adjust their self image to incorporate the way their life actually looks potentially leading to crisis. This is t he case of Lester Barman. He describes waking up from a 20 year mom and finally becoming aware of, and wanting to participate in his surroundings.Luster's internal world is pretty much dead before meeting him. He describes an awakening one day with the feeling that his life is n. Tot his and he no longer recognizes the different systems he is involved in. Using his work difficulties as a catalyst, he becomes able to change his entire life into something he can accept(Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004). Lester seems to have not formed a functional attachment style with anyone in his life until he ‘wakes up' (film) after feeling like he had ‘been in a coma for 20 years. He starts to develop an attachment relationship with Risky in a sense.He eventually becomes comfortable with what he feels is his true self, and secure with Risky. Psychological Progress: Insinuators and Bowls idea that attachment forms and changes over the life span supports the idea that Lester gains a sense of security through his relationship with Risky(Antibiotic, Kamala, & Dashiki, 2004). Rick's attachment to his father is nonexistent. He feels protective of his mother but neither of his parents has provided safety or comfort for him in moments of distress, one of the most salient bobs of a caregiver(Sable, 2008).He instead has to take on the role of care-giver and protect and defend his mother who is otherwise helpless and alone. Risky easily slips into a similar role with Lester, being the familiar role he is used to. Lester gains wisdom and self awareness by mirroring an adolescent sexual attraction. He exploration and discovery an adolescent typically engages in (Aren't, 2000). Instead of his parents Lester rebels and redefines himself within in the family structure he has created as an adult. He pushes emotional limits and attempts to make connections in ewe and more passionate ways.Coming full circle Lester finally is able to accept the man he is and the life he lives. H e goes through a growing process a kin to that an adolescent would when creating an adult identity. Lester tests his new self out in all of the major areas of personality and finds himself in a body he accepts with a persona he is comfortable with(Anger, 2004). Luster's restraint in not having a sexual relationship with Angela demonstrates a level of maturity he did not previously possess indicating successful personality growth towards adulthood.When Lester anally sees Angela as the child she is and is able to comfort her expressing fatherly instinct his competence as a father is proven to him. He is able to reassure her without being patronizing and respecting her growing maturity, an important role parents play for adolescent children(Anger, 2004). In a sense Lester uses Angela as a proxy for his daughter as soon as he identifies her as something more than a sexual object. The fact that Lester recognizes the extent to which a sexual relationship with one of Cane's friends would b e inappropriate, the love he has for his daughter and ole as a father is reestablished.Lester gains solace by looking at a picture of the glory days of his family where they are all smiles. His ability to renew his life and find beauty in the ups, downs and seemingly mundane moments is testament to his development as a mature, well adjusted adult(Lachrymal, 2004). SOCIAL FACTORS: Gender Roles / Gender Conformity: Lester and Carolina's marriage does not follow strict gender roles in the classic sense of man as bread winner woman as home maker (Lore, 1994). Carolyn views herself as the bread winner of the family. She has proclaimed herself the captain of her emails social standing.She believes that one's social position can be directly related to economic gains. For her, money and material gains are the most important marker of one's overall success socially. Making money is the most important thing for her. It is unclear how much money she actually contributes to the family, but â₠¬Ëœsole bread winner' is a role she takes on readily if loudly (Mikhail, 2004). It is a typically make role, yet she somehow thinks that by both worrying about economic status and appearance she deserves more credit and admiration (Barnett, 2004). She is the first o fully disregard her marital relationship.Her sense of entitlement increases as their relationship moves forward. Masculinity and Homophobia: Considering masculinity to be socially constructed provides men with agency in forming the prevalent view of masculinity. Masculinity being malleable allows us to step back and identify exactly what we require of men to be ‘manly' in our society (Kismet, 2004). The pressure is insurmountable for some people. Risky dad is unable to accept himself for who he is and his internalized homophobia is so devastating that he feels he is forced to act to defend his manhood.Luster's truthful acceptance of the realities of his life in the end is what ends his life. Not accepting popular c ultures definition of masculinity and the freedom that allows is Lester is terrifying to a man who has based his life around not admitting or accepting the truth of his situation. Military Perspectives on Homosexuality: homosexuality. Don't ask don't tell (DADA) being the official position thought of by some as a progressive policy for the military was not repealed until 2011(Bird,2014).Showing how ingrained homophobia is in a military psyche. The staunch difference teen other nations policy on civil equality, even in the military is astounding. Take for example the United Kingdom and Australia's response to transgender soldiers serving verses the United States. Julia Bard's 2014 New York Times article ‘The Courage of Transgender Soldiers' elucidates Just how polarize these nation's policies actually are (Bird, 2014). ‘Department of Defense regulations don't allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. Military, based upon medical standards for military service. â €  (Bird, 2014) The official position of the United States military is hat being transgender is a mental disorder as defined by the ADSM Ill of 1980(American Psychiatric Association, 1980), instead of adopting the current medical standard for considering gender nonconformity (gender dysphasia) not as a psychological disorder in and of itself (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Solidarity and respect are shown to transgender members of the military in both the U.K and Australia while the United States military continues to use an antiquated theory of gender, allowing official intolerance (Kernighan, 2012). Homophobia in the Military: In 1999 DADA was the official Clinton era policy adopted by the United States in 1993 (Burlier, 2010) to address civil equality in the military. Homosexuality remained a disagreeable ‘offence' when openly expressed changing very little for LIGHT military personnel. Same-sex orientation after DADA was enacted was still a disagreeable offenc e.The law did not prevent service members from being asked about their sexuality rather it removed questions sexual orientation from recruitment questionnaires. Military members and prospective recruits were not allowed to discuss their same-sex orientation risking discharge or denial of entry if they did Burlier, 2010). The argument for not allowing homosexual service members to disclose was the concept that ‘an open statement by a service member that he or she is a homosexual will create a rebuttal presumption that he or she intends to engage in prohibited conduct,' (Burlier, 2010 p. ). Regulations are not put on heterosexual service members discussing their personal exploits, fantasies or desires. Several sexual practices are considered ‘prohibited' both under military code and civil courts, yet the assumption is not made that these acts have or ever will take place. DADA did very little for improving the actual situation and daily lives of LIGHT service members. The actual number of discharges due t same sex relationships was not significantly different before and during DADA policy years (Burlier, 2010).Rampant homophobia was a social requirement isolating and associating closeted LIGHT service members (Kier, 1998). The fear at being discovered was a daily reality. Anyone could tern a soldier in for same sex activity, actions as innocuous as holding hand. This leaves individuals suspected of homosexual ‘conduct' (Burbler & 1995) alienable physical and verbal attacks as well as official action being taken. Hetero- normative principles were the sole cultural atmosphere. Colonel Frank Fits served in the military even before DADA was the official policy.The much more restrictive, abrasively homophobic policy adopted during the time of his service shaped his attitude was a requirement of service. Any closeted member of the military would have to internalize feelings of self hatred due to the constant anti gay rhetoric. Internalized homophobia and it Repercussions: Frank Fits identifies himself purely based on his military experience. He has no identity other than colonel. He does not take on or identify with the role of husband or father. He coldly treats his family as cadets below his rank.His own sun refers to him as Colonel or Sir as one would a superior officer. The fact that Frank Fits cannot be anyone but the coroner he once was makes it impossible for him to explore, let alone accept feeling and attitudes that the military looked down on. Introspection does not exist for him. Orders, fear and denial run this man's life. His sexual curiosity and feeling of lust towards men are so unacceptable to Frank that he builds is life around his explicit homophobia. Cool. Frank Fits' residual self hatred, fear and shame pushed him to most the extremes of discrimination and racist principles.His internalized homophobia shaped his relationship with those closest to him, his wife and son who he alienates (Frost, Meyer, 2009). H iding this part of his internal self in the end defines his entire life. Offensively attacking any chance he got to not have his internal self exposed to the public or himself. Lashing out offensively is a defense strategy so that he will never be exposed to others or himself. The anguish and embarrassment Cool. Fits experiences by being what he thought to be rejected by Lester provoked emotions so strong that he had to kill Lester to be able to live with himself.Luster's comfort and ease while discussing his own marital relationship mixed with misunderstanding previous events convinces Cool. Fits that Lester is a closeted homosexual. The fact that Lester is neither actually gay, nor homophobic shattered Cool. Fits' world. The Cool had to play the role of the macho heterosexual for so long made that he became overly Jealous, controlling and abusive to his wife. Being less aggressive would have made him appear weak in his military unconsciousness. This fact made it inconceivable that Lester could be unapologetic, calm and without anger or Jealousy at the fact that his wife was with another man.A freedom Frank Fits could never allow himself. He ends Luster's life right at the moment that Lester is able to achieve something that the Cool. Cannot, self acceptance. Conclusion: Luster's acceptance and renewed love of life ends up being what kills him. Lester is able to accept in other people facts that they cannot accept about themselves. Cool Frank Fits does not possess the skills to regulate his emotions or cope internally hen faced with a threatening situation, choosing instead to lash out in violent anger (Morris, Silk, Steinberg, & al. , 2007).For Frank Lester becomes the embodiment of all the sexual feelings he cannot except within himself. Killing Lester is a desperate attempt to kill the feelings Frank most fears. Lester reaffirms his identity as a well adjusted adult when rejecting his foolish adolescent urges. He accepts what he has accomplished and is at peace with who he is, uniting the image he has of himself with the actuality of his life. Typically this type of review is done later in life(Lachrymal, 2004). Lester is afforded the luxury of being at peace before he dies even though it is sudden.

A History of Arabian Music

Henry G. Farmer illuminating book â€Å"A History of Arabian Music† seeks to provide readers with insight of the historical influences that shaped Arabian music and the culture that nourished and gave rise to variances and interpretations dealing with the theory of music and the practices that further consolidated and supported these theories. The book was published originally in 1929 and covers musical work over several centuries. The book starts with the factors that helped to shaped Arabian music culture. These include political and social factors which were instrumental in shaping Arabian music theory.The book starts with a look at the â€Å"Days of Idolatry† in the 6th century (Farmer, 1929). According to Farmer, this was a time which was referred to by Muslims as â€Å"Days of ignorance† based of the fact that at that time much of the knowledge relating to Arabian civilization and the attending economical, political and cultural practices, was lost. Farmer argues that there were many musical instruments in this Islamic time, whose development were linked to Southern Arabians and these instruments include Mi’Zaf (Barbiton) and the Kus (A Large Kettledrum) (Farmer, 1929).Factors Migration of people from the southern region to Al Hijaz resulted in a melting pot of the Arts and musicians and poets flourished and shared their talents with others. Farmer also stated that the Musicians and poets in Ukaz competed fiercely for ascendency in their respective arts and this may have helped to shaped the music of the times. Farmers reports that singing girls were famous during that time and musicians gained further recognition from singing at the courts (Farmer, 1929).The author states that during the time of Idolatry, music was found in all areas of society; and pervaded, religious, public and private lives. Arabians were known to sing while at work and play and they often express joy by enagaging in music. Dispite the many musicians and s ingers of that time, only a few names have been preserved for modern society. Farmer states that with the advent of Islam during the time of Mohammed the Prophet and subsequent to his death, legists have been debating if music was lawful although there is no reference in the Quran as to any opposition.Farmer argue that the opposition to music may have developed by those theologians who decryed the attention being paid to music and popular musicians of the time (Farmer, 1929). Arabian music would also be influence by the Khalif, Mu'awiya who during his reign in the 7th century eventually gave recognition and a present to a musician in his court and this was in direct contrast to what were popular expressions of disapproval of musicians at the time.Yazid II (720-24) a ruler, was also said to have been instrumental in bringing back music to the courts and public life because he enjoyed the arts Farmer illuminatingly states that eventually during what he termed the â€Å"Orthodox Khali fate† there arose serious competition between the musicians of two major Arabian cities; Mecca and Al Medina and he argues that it was Mecca that gave the Arabians the musician Ibn Misjah who was stated to be the first schooled person in Arabian music.Farmer stated that Arabian music was influenced by both Greek and Persian musicians and composers and the Greek influence gained ascendancy with the work of Greek theorists such as Ptolemy, Aristoxenos and Euklid prominently taking center stage to shape Arabian music. Farmer also looks at two Khalifs who were avid supporters of music and these were Al-Amir (1101-1131) and Al-Musta'H (1094-1101). Farmer argues that the later Khalifs helped to support and shape musical development and enjoyment.In Farmers’ eyes the development and growth in appreciation of music in the Arabian culture was not without opposition and controversy. In his eyes, and based on his research, it was the Khalifs, especially those from the 8th to the 1 2th centuries that brought back music to public and private lives and encouraged a growing appreciation of this art form. He viewed the work of the great philosopher, Al-Ghazali, as being enormously influential pertaining to musical development and cites the Principal of the Two Nizamiyya colleges in Baghdad and Nisapur as being one who came out in defense of the music.Farmer has been able to shed light on a period in Arabian history that shows how music development evolved and developed and the forces that acted to restrain the emergence of musical theory. His book shows the triumph of those who overcame adversity and opposition to music in public and private citing religious teachings and the book ends with a look at the work and lives of those who actively sought to make music a part of daily lived of Arabians.Farmers work shows that the development of the music did not happen overnight, but was a result of centuries of struggle and erudite contemplations. No single individual ca n lay claim to the developing theories of music for the Arabian people and the development was due to a multitude of music lovers who defended the art and practices and eventually left a rich heritage. References Farmer, H. G. (1929). A History of Arabian Music. Luzac.

Black History Month - African American Inventors, L

Black History Month - African American Inventors, L Black history inventors are listed alphabetically. Each listing has the name of the black inventor followed by the patent number(s) which is the unique number assigned to an invention when a patent is issued, the date the patent was issued, and a description of the invention as written by the inventor. If available, links are provided to in-depth articles, biographies, illustrations and photos on each individual inventor or patent.   Lewis Howard Latimer #147,363, 2/10/1874, Water closets for railway cars (co-inventor Charles W.Brown)#247,097, 9/13/1881, Electric lamp, (co-inventor Joseph V. Nichols)​#252,386, 1/17/1882, Process of manufacturing carbons#255,212, 3/21/1882, Globe supporter for electric lamps (co-inventor John Tregoning)#334,078, 1/12/1886, Apparatus for cooling and disinfecting#557,076, 3/24/1896, Locking rack for hats, coats, and umbrellas#781,890, 2/7/1905, Book supporter#968,787, 8/30/1910, Lamp fixture William A Lavalette #208,184, 9/17/1878, Improvement in printing presses#208,208, 9/17/1878, Variation of printing press Arthur Lee #2,065,337, 12/22/1936, Self propelled toy fish Henry Lee #61,941, 2/12/1867, Improvements in animal traps Joseph Lee #524,042, 8/7/1894, Kneading machine#540,553, 6/4/1895, Bread crumbing machine Lester A Lee #4,011,116, 3/8/1977, Carbon dioxide laser fuels Maurice William Lee #2,906,191, 9/29/1959, Aromatic pressure cooker and smoker Robert Lee #2,132,304, 10/4/1938, Safety attachment for automotive vehicles Herbert Leonard #3,119,657, 1/28/1964, Production of hydroxylamine hydrochloride#3,586,740, 6/22/1971, High impact polystyrene Frank W Leslie #590,325 9/21/1897 Envelope seal Francis Edward LeVert #4,091,288, 5/23/1978, Threshold self-powered gamma detector for use as a monitor of power in a nuclear reactor#4,722,610, 2/2/1988, Monitor for deposition on heat transfer surfaces#4,805,454, 2/21/1989, Continuous fluid level detector#4,765,943, Thermal neutron detectors and system using the same#4,316,180, Directional detector of changes in a local electrostatic field#4,280,684, Manual automobile pusher#4,277,727, Digital room light controller#4,259,575, Directional gamma detector#4,218,043, Manual automobile pusher#4,136,282, Directional detector of gamma rays#5,711,324, Hair drying curler apparatus#5,541,464, Thermionic generator#5,443,108, Upwardly deployed privacy blind#5,299,367, Hair drying curler apparatus#5,256,878, Self powered detector based monitor for radiographic cameras#6,886,274, Spring cushioned shoe#6,865,824, Fluid flow system for spring-cushioned shoe#6,665,957, Fluid flow system for spring-cushioned shoe#6,583,617, Barkhausen noise measurement probe with magneto resistive sensor and cylindrical magnetic shield #6,442,779, Portable feet elevator#6,353,656, Radioisotope based x-ray residual stress analysis apparatus#6,282,814, Spring cushioned shoe#6,240,967, Sleeve assembly for protecting conducting wires against damage by cutting implements#7,159,338, Fluid flow system for spring-cushioned shoe K Latimer to LeVert, Lewis to Lu Valle M Anthony L Lewis #483,359, 9/27/1892, Window cleaner Edward R Lewis #362,096, 5/3/1887, Spring gun James Earl Lewis #3,388,399, 6/11/1968, Antenna feed for two coordinate tracking radars Henry Linden #459,365, 9/8/1891, Piano truck Ellis Little #254,666, 3/7/1882, Bridle-bit Emanuel L Logan Jr #3,592,497, 7/13/1971, Door bar latch Amos E Long #610,715, 9/13/1898, Cap for bottle and jars (co-inventor Albert A Jones) Frederick J Loudin #510,432, 12/12/1893, Fastener for the meeting rails of sashes#512,308, 1/9/1894, Key fastener John Lee Love #542,419, 7/9/1895, Plasterers hawk#594,114, 11/23/1897, Pencil sharpener Henry R Lovell #D 87,753, 9/13/1932, Design for a doorcheck William E Lovett #3,054,666, 9/18/1962, Motor fuel composition James E Lu Valle #3,219,445, 11/23/1965, Photographic processes#3,219,448, 11/23/1965, Photographic medium and methods of preparing same#3,219,451, 11/23/1965, Sensitizing photographic media Continue black history database M

Group Therapy as a Strong Treatment Tool

Group Therapy as a Strong Treatment Tool Group therapy and its use in addiction treatment Group therapy is a strong therapeutic tool and has been greatly effective over the years, in the treatment of substance abuse. On most occasions, it is as equally effective as the individual type of therapy, since the groups are associated with many traits that have good rewards. Some of these types of rewards include the reduction of isolation and quick recovery.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Group Therapy as a Strong Treatment Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This model of group therapy provides some information that is important to the client, who may require this service for the first time. The model also helps the peers in schools to avoid and abstain from any form of abuse of substances. The possibility of having a professional single treatment in the model also enables people using it to attend to a number of clients at the same time. The model has also b een credited with the provision of feedbacks when tasked with providing the values and the abilities of the members of each group. The model helps in solving this problem since it helps the clients to overcome past experiences in their families that may be harmful. The substance model is also important as it gives the members the opportunity to learn the skills needed in the society. This helps them to cope with their everyday life instead of looking for solutions to end their abuse of substances. The substance and drug abuse is also solved through the support, encouragement, and reinforcement of members, when they are carrying out some anxious and difficult tasks. How counselors can intervene in the group process Counselors can intervene in the group process, when majority of the members are faced with the self-denial, to try and solve this problem by helping the members accept their own problems. The counselors can also intervene when there is a confrontation between the members, to help solve the problem. They can also intervene in the case of a critical situation when a member proves a hard nut to crack in trying to solve the substance abuse problem in him or her.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Counselors are also important in the group process, as they provide information to the members concerning recovery and addiction, and also aid in clarifying issues and providing answers to the questions asked during the session. They can intervene in the case where the members of the group are in need of psycho educational tips, which can help them relate with the material personally, rather than intellectually. The counselors also intervene in the group to ensure that there is interaction and participation between all members, as it enhances the sharing of feelings, experiences and thoughts. The counselors also make sure that there is a healthy reinforcem ent between the members, through healthy behaviors that build a healthy interaction between them. The counselors are also involved in validating issues or problems that may be shown by individual members. When a group member for instance struggles with relapse, the counselors acknowledge and try to elicit support from the rest of the members without becoming judgmental. The counselors also challenge the members to practice behaviors that are counterproductive, and this involves giving a prompt feedback on his/her present behavior. Group culture Group culture is the culture of both the formal and informal groups, and it helps them to carry out tasks that are important to the system of the organization. In group culture, individuals are recruited and assigned various roles to play in the group, so as to facilitate the achievement of the group’s goals and objectives. In group therapy, the group culture is a common way of doing things and this greatly helps in fostering success o f the therapy. Group culture can be defined in other terms as a participatory democracy. This is the culture where people speak with one voice, through their actions. In this form of culture, a group of people start solving their problems themselves, by first assessing the solutions within them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Group Therapy as a Strong Treatment Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The group assesses the solutions at hand rather than the solutions from outside. A group culture is involved in the decisions that control lives, by taking a direct action of reclaiming the power from fear, detachment and isolation. Individuals basically challenge oppression and unearth the self-empowerment within them. In a group culture, the group primarily focuses on one specific incident or worry amongst the members, that is very crucial to them. They then converge and each member of the group epics his/her own thoug hts and feelings. They form forums where they focus on counseling, problem solving and discussions, without interference from other people outside the group.

Eo - Irregular Latin Verb

Eo - Irregular Latin Verb Eo, ire, ii or ivi, iturus - go Indicative Present Active Sing1 - eo2 - is3 - itPl1 - imus2 - itis3 - euntIndicative ImperfectSing1 - ibam2 - ibas3 - ibatPl1 - ibamus2 - ibatis3 - ibantIndicative FutureSing1 - ibo2 - ibis3 - ibitPl1 - ibimus2 - ibitis3 - ibunt   Passive (Impersonal) PresentiturImperfectibaturFutureibiturPerfectitum estImperfectitum eratFutureitum erit Subjunctive Present Sing1 - eam2 - eas3 - eatPl1 - eamus2 - eatis3 - eant Subjunctive Imperfect Sing1 - irem2 - ires3 - iretPl1 - iremus2 - iretis3 - irent Subjunctive Perfect Sing1 - iverim2 - iveris3 - iveritPl1 - iverimus2 - iveritis3 - iverint Subjunctive Pluperfect Sing1 - ivissem2 - ivisses3 - ivissetPl1 - ivissemus2 - ivissetis3 - ivissent Imperative PresentSingipliteFutureSing2nd Personito3rd Personitopl2nd Personitote3rd Personeunto Gerund and Supine Gerundeundi, eundo, eundum, eundoSupineitum, itu Infinitives Infinitive PresentireInfinitive Perfectivisse, isseInfinitive Futureiturus esse Participles Participle Presentiens, euntisFuture Participleiturus Irregular Latin Verbs Eo Fio - to becomeVolo - to wishnolo, nolle, nolui to be unwilling and malo, malle, malui to prefer are similar. Sum - to beDo - to giveFero - to carryEdo - to eat About Irregular Latin Verbs

A history of the orchestra and the development of the symphony Essay

A history of the orchestra and the development of the symphony - Essay Example For the music lovers, the orchestra has become one of the most noted sources of enjoyment. An orchestra is a musical ensemble used most often in classical music. Even if the orchestra is classical, this has transcends the passage of time for until now, people are still enjoying the orchestra.The word orchestra originally signified the section in ancient Greek theaters between the stage and the audience that was used by dancers and instrumentalists, between the stage and the audience that was used by dancers and instrumentalists. Orchestra can also refer to various specialized ensembles, such as a balalaika orchestra, a jazz orchestra, or a gamelan (Indonesian tuned-percussion orchestra). In a modern theater the part of the auditorium reserved for musicians is called the orchestra pit, and the term orchestra often also designates the part of the ground floor used for audience seating.Opera and ballet orchestras share with symphony orchestras on the size and structure but they differ i n their ancestry and function. The symphony orchestra performs symphonies, concerti, and other concert music and is normally placed on a stage. Opera and ballet orchestras are part of theatrical performances and are seated in the orchestra pit of a theater. Orchestra can be classified into two, with which the basis of classification is the number of staff and/or musicians. A full size orchestra, also known as the "symphony orchestra" or "philharmonic orchestra usually have over eighty musicians on its staff, in some cases over a hundred, but the number of musicians used in a performance varies according to the work being played. A leading chamber orchestra, on the other hand, might have forty or fifty members; some are much smaller than that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra, 2006). Meanwhile there are also different sections in an orchestra. The string section, which forms the backbone of orchestral sound, is divided into four parts, much like a vocal choir: first violins, second violins, violas, and cellos and double basses. The woodwind and brass sections, unlike the strings, normally have only one player per part. Until the late 19th century, the woodwind section consisted of two oboes, two flutes, two bassoons, and two clarinets; the two members of each pair played different musical parts. By the late 19th century three of each instrument was common, with the third player sometimes switching to a related instrument. The brass section typically consists of two trumpets, four horns, three trombones, and a tuba. These are sometimes augmented by other brass instruments, such as the bass trombone or the Wagner tuba designed by the German composer Richard Wagner and used in his scores. The percussion section employs one or. The basic percussion group consists of a pair of timpani, a side drum, a bass drum, cymbals, and a triangle (http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/ahugill/manual/intro.html, 2006). History of Orchestra Orchestral playing started in Italy and Germany on 15th and 16th centuries when the households of nobles had musicians to provide music for dancing and the court, however with the emergence of the theatre, particularly opera, in the early 17th century, music was increasingly written for groups of players in combination. Dresden, Munich and Hamburg successively built opera houses. When the 17th century came, opera flourished in England under Henry Purcell, and in France under Lully, who with the collaboration of Molire also greatly raised the status of the entertainments known as ballets, interspersed with instrumental and vocal music (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra, 2006). As nobility began to build retreats from towns, they began to hire standing bodies of musicians. Composers such as the young Joseph Haydn then fixed body of instrumentalists to work with. At the

Key features of the organizational structure and business operations Essay

Key features of the organizational structure and business operations of banks - Essay Example It is also visible that the employees' activity is customer-oriented. All the employees are busy - they work with the clients, advise them how to act better in different situations and are oriented for their needs satisfying. The organization structure of the bank is typical for such business: the employees work under the manager's control, and the staff of the bank fulfills direction functions and is responsible for appropriate functioning of the bank. If I owned this business I would give make the consulting office functions wider, and pay more attention to the quality of the work with clients, as well as to the betterment of connections between the manager and the customers of the bank. In addition to that it needs to note that the bank inside is rather clean and well-maintained: the working process is appropriately organized and meets the highest business standards in the bank field. A car lot I have visited is a large area with numerous amount of cars presented for clients. The employees of the car lot are dressed in special cloths reflected the firm brand. The great amount of consultants provides the functioning of the car lot. ... But those who answer the clients' questions consult them rather well and show much knowledge in the car field. The business has strict organizational structure, but sometimes the functions of the employees are mixed: both the manager and the consultants work with the documentation and don't always pay appropriate attention to the customers' needs, but basically the business process runs rather well. The car lot is rather clean, but sometimes the employees who are responsible for the clearness of the store don't do their duty well: dirt is visible in some places. But if I owned a car lot I would improve the organizational system of my business: I would make the assortment of production wider; the management functions should be more centralized, and the head manager of the car lot should concentrate his activity upon better communication with clients - he should try to satisfy all their needs and pay more time and attention to better organization of the business operations of the car l ot. 3. Court. I have visited a set of courts which are used for business. The employees of the courts are clean dressed and they have all their equipment necessary for the work. The employees' functions are strictly determined, and it is seen that they do their functions rather well. But it needs to note that the manager is not visible in the court - just sometimes he directs the employees' working process, but most part of his time he spends for different kinds of activity which is not directed to the working process functioning. But in spite of that the employees of the court are mostly customer-oriented and do their duties rather well: they help customers to choose the right sport

Information Processing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Information Processing Theory - Essay Example It became vogue in the 1950s when high-speed computers started developing. (Information-Processing Theory, n.d. a) This paper shall try to give a broad overview of Information Processing Theory. But with thousands or perhaps millions of researches, books, and articles published, anyone wishing to find complete information would realize that what this paper has provided is only the tip of the iceberg. There are different but similar forms of information processing theories. Nevertheless, they originated from the works of cognitive psychology, primarily through the works of David Rumelhart & James McClelland and their Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) (History of Cognitive Psychology, 1997) Their PDP model has the following components, and it can be seen later how this fits very well into the Modern Information Processing Theory: (Rumelhart, Hinton, and McClelland, 1986) As stated earlier, information processing theories developed because in the 1950s computers came under increased development. Researchers like Herbert Simoun at that time really thought and properly demonstrated that human intelligence can be simulated using computers. From this, various models of information processing theory have been proposed, primarily in the work on memory (Information-processing theory, n.d. b). â€Å"This theory identifies three important concepts: information processing needs, information processing capability, and the fit between the two to obtain optimal performance. Organizations need quality information to cope with environmental uncertainty and improve their decision making. Environmental uncertainty stems from the complexity of the environment and dynamism, or the frequency of changes to various environmental variables.† (Premkumar, G., Ramamurthy, K., & Saunders, C. S., 2005). Apparently, this has also developed from the original information processing theories. However, this is applied to

Human trafficking on women in hawaii or united states vs foreign Essay

Human trafficking on women in hawaii or united states vs foreign countries like india or china - Essay Example According to Fagan Brian, Human trafficking often involves the use of threats, false promise, force and trickery. The victims are usually sexually exploited; the sexual practices they engage in include sex shows, pornography, mail order brides, brothel prostitution, sex tours and serial sponsorship. Trafficking in women and girls has become an international business in Hawaii as well as other countries; especially in U.S. it is regarded as a migration issue, which leads to responses that will demand efforts to illegally cross the border. Taran and Gloria argues that, Hawaii is a logical transit destination where trafficking is very high. Research by Fagan shows how Alec Sou, William Khoo and Mike Sou conspired and devised a scheme so that they can obtain the labor of Thai nationals. They entice them to come into their farms in Hawaii, with false promises of good jobs. Furthermore, they make arrangements for high recruitment fee, which attract many jobless women from countries like China. According to Taran and Gloria, Hawaii is the first state to criminalize the activities related to sex trafficking in women. A new law was formulated; a law that recognize the relationship between trafficking and tourism. The major activities that contribute to trafficking in Hawaii include prostitution and other related activities (Fagan Brian. 2007). The state of Hawaii has developed a legislation that would campaign against sex tourism and sex trade in general. According to Taran and Gloria, the case of human trafficking is being prosecuted by Human trafficking prosecution unit. The case is conducted by the Hawaii department of public safety; this is the top priority of justice department. However, human trafficking is the fastest developing industry in Hawaii and United States. People trafficking continue to rise in number. Human trafficking throughout international and local borders requires collaboration and cooperation between countries or states involved. For instance to transport trafficked women from China to Hawaii, the two states have to collaborate and cooperate in order to perform human trafficking successfully. The major destination for the traffickers (U.S. and all 50 states including Hawaii), must come up with a domestic response to this alarming crisis. Violence against women and girls is defined as a national policy issue in Hawaii. However, sometimes, it is considered an individual problem that is not relevant to a public subject. In other words, trafficking of women and children should be viewed as a wide context of labor migration and transportation of persons from crisis situations and conflict areas as internally displaced people and refugees (Taran Patrick and Gloria Moreno 2007). An effective analysis should address the issues of women trafficking so that the federal government can be able to come up with policies, which can be implemented to control the crisis. Fagan claims that, women trafficking should be recognized as a component of population mobility and labor migration that ranges across seasonal and temporary population movement; movements that are intended to be temporary may sometimes turn to seasonal or permanent. This is because the victims may decide to remain in the destination place as a permanent migrant. On the other hand, China has had tragic stories about immigrants who migrate to Hawaii and other countries in U.S.

Socrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Socrates - Essay Example Socrates was a Greek philosopher, whereas Cicero was a Roman rhetor. Socrates was born in 469 BC, while Cicero was born in 106 BC, so these philosophers expressed their wisdom in different epochs. They both used dialogues as a narrative and a polemical form to develop the state of mind of their students. Socratic dialogues criticized practices of the society, and it appeared that Socrates pretended to undermine undoubtful opinions of his students. On the other hand, Socrates and Cicero imposed different arguments to provide an understanding on the subject of justice. Therefore, 'Crito' implicated a hypothesis on a problem whether philosophers' escapes from jails would have been defined as an act of justice. Furthermore, Cicero analyzed the duties of justice from two relevant perspectives. According to him, justice must have been treated with only a respect for humanity. At the same time, he defined justice as not causing harm to any individual; analogically, Cicero forbade to lay a c laim on property that belonged to another person. Socrates and Cicero both stated that justice was a key virtue in the society. These philosophers had a clear opinion that justice dealt with matters relating to an idea of fairness (Cicero, 20; Jowett, 4). For instance, Cicero stated that righteous behaviour was a key ingredient of justice. According to the rhetor, meritocracy deserved to be extremely important for a justice' hegemony in the society. In order to achieve meritocracy, people needed to abide the laws that were issued in their community. From the other perspective, Socrates refused to escape from prison stating that this possible action of him must have been regarded as being totally unjust. He assumed that escaping from prison was equal to injuring the laws of Athens (Jowett, 5). Philosopher believed that escaping from prison would have been a case of returning an injustice for an injustice. Socrates and Cicero both believed that justice dealt with an idea of fairness. Therefore, Cicero argued that abiding the rule of law ensured equal distribution of rights in the society (Cicero, 21). Similarly, just law promoted fairness. In fact, these philosophers stated that justice demanded that people got what they truly deserved (Cicero, 20; Jowett, 2). Socrates always explained that emotions could alter one's judgement when deciding between a just decision and an unjust decision, because emotions could force an individual to commit an act of injustice. So, Socrates denied Crito’s plan to help him in a form of escaping from the gail. But, Crito forced a thesis that the philosopher's escape would have been just because the sentence he faced in Athens was injust. Socrates answered that justice at all time involved facing a fair trial and getting a fair sentence afterwards. He stated that although his sentence was unjust he had an obligation to obey the laws of Athens (Jowett, 12). He argued that his duty to Athens was to accept the sentence. Generall y, Socrates and Cicero acknowledged that the laws served interests of the people and they did not subjugate to desires of the prominent leaders of demos or populi Roma (Cicero, 35; Jowett, 15). Then, Socrates said that justice was all about fulfilling one's obligation; for example, when an individual had a debt the just thing to do was to return the debt in time. He strongly discouraged people from viewing justice as a punishment or a revenge. According to the philosopher, retaliation was unacceptable. Analogically, philosopher considered retaliation as a wrong way of justifying his escape from the gail; according to Socrates, act of retaliation, as a rule, resulted in harming another individual. He argued that if in the process of seeking justice one ended up harming another person, then the person seeking justice was committing an injustice (Jowett, 13). From Crito’s view (when planning Socrates' escape), every philosopher was supposed to fight against the unjust sentence. Then, Socrates stated that retaliation against the unjust

Human trafficking on women in hawaii or united states vs foreign Essay

Human trafficking on women in hawaii or united states vs foreign countries like india or china - Essay Example According to Fagan Brian, Human trafficking often involves the use of threats, false promise, force and trickery. The victims are usually sexually exploited; the sexual practices they engage in include sex shows, pornography, mail order brides, brothel prostitution, sex tours and serial sponsorship. Trafficking in women and girls has become an international business in Hawaii as well as other countries; especially in U.S. it is regarded as a migration issue, which leads to responses that will demand efforts to illegally cross the border. Taran and Gloria argues that, Hawaii is a logical transit destination where trafficking is very high. Research by Fagan shows how Alec Sou, William Khoo and Mike Sou conspired and devised a scheme so that they can obtain the labor of Thai nationals. They entice them to come into their farms in Hawaii, with false promises of good jobs. Furthermore, they make arrangements for high recruitment fee, which attract many jobless women from countries like China. According to Taran and Gloria, Hawaii is the first state to criminalize the activities related to sex trafficking in women. A new law was formulated; a law that recognize the relationship between trafficking and tourism. The major activities that contribute to trafficking in Hawaii include prostitution and other related activities (Fagan Brian. 2007). The state of Hawaii has developed a legislation that would campaign against sex tourism and sex trade in general. According to Taran and Gloria, the case of human trafficking is being prosecuted by Human trafficking prosecution unit. The case is conducted by the Hawaii department of public safety; this is the top priority of justice department. However, human trafficking is the fastest developing industry in Hawaii and United States. People trafficking continue to rise in number. Human trafficking throughout international and local borders requires collaboration and cooperation between countries or states involved. For instance to transport trafficked women from China to Hawaii, the two states have to collaborate and cooperate in order to perform human trafficking successfully. The major destination for the traffickers (U.S. and all 50 states including Hawaii), must come up with a domestic response to this alarming crisis. Violence against women and girls is defined as a national policy issue in Hawaii. However, sometimes, it is considered an individual problem that is not relevant to a public subject. In other words, trafficking of women and children should be viewed as a wide context of labor migration and transportation of persons from crisis situations and conflict areas as internally displaced people and refugees (Taran Patrick and Gloria Moreno 2007). An effective analysis should address the issues of women trafficking so that the federal government can be able to come up with policies, which can be implemented to control the crisis. Fagan claims that, women trafficking should be recognized as a component of population mobility and labor migration that ranges across seasonal and temporary population movement; movements that are intended to be temporary may sometimes turn to seasonal or permanent. This is because the victims may decide to remain in the destination place as a permanent migrant. On the other hand, China has had tragic stories about immigrants who migrate to Hawaii and other countries in U.S.

Group marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group marketing plan - Essay Example The college students with the state of Oregon will be the ultimate customers as the company seeks and evaluates new ventures. Campaigns that suit the students would be given the highest priority compared to the programs that cater for the general population. The specific actions that the management would take include sponsoring activities at Taylor’s Bar & Grill and Rennie’s Landing and encourage students purchase their products. The activities would include sponsoring a Mr and Miss College in the region, a campaign that would cost an estimate of $3,000 including the planning and awards to the winners. Students and those who would like to follow the event, will be required to purchase Hop Valley Brewing company products as their tickets to the event. This will be a one day event, starting in the morning and ending at night the same day. This event will play a significant role in promoting the company’s products. Organising for a games day will be another viable program to implement the marketing strategy of the company. It is all clear that college students and other young people either working or yet to join colleges have a unique like for games. Sponsoring a one day games events, that would be seasonal, is a great program for implementing the strategy and get the needed results. To participate in the games, students will be required to purchase Hop Valley Brewing company products as their tickets. The winners of the games will be given free products and encourage them to buy more of the products for future chances of participating in the games. There will be different beer stands run by the company’s agents throughout the games. Hop Valley Brewing Company management team will finally participate in a brewing festival, an event that brings thousands of customers together. The event that will be hosted at Portland, Oregon’s

The change of resistance of a metal Essay Example for Free

The change of resistance of a metal Essay The power I supply to the circuit will be very important. There must be enough current to measure but not too much which would cause the wire to generate a significant amount of heat, which would affect the result. The current must also remain fairly constant throughout the experiment so any affect it has on the resistance has the same effect on the result. A battery has a relatively low current but in a closed circuit it will drain very fast so it would not be suitable. A power pack would overcome this problem but I will have to keep the output very low. From this equation, Heat Energy = V2t/R it can be seen that p.d, time and resistance determine the amount of heat given out by the wire and thus its effect on resistance. Due to this I want to keep the p. d and time as low as possible and the resistance a value that is not too small. There are also several other problems I will have to overcome if I want to make the experiment as reliable as possible. If I use tap water in my experiment there will be a possible current running through the water due to the slight impurities in the form of ions within the water. This could cause inaccuracies in my results. To overcome this I have decided to use distilled water so my results are as reliable as possible. Another problem I may have is the event of parts of the wire touching in the water, especially if I have a fairly compact coil. To overcome this I have decided to use varnished wire that will guard the wire against unintended conducting. A final consideration is the period of time to supply the current to the wire, if the time is too great then it will cause the wire to considerably heat up which will effect my result, thus I have decided to keep the current running for a minimal amount of time but enough so that the readings on the voltmeter and ammeter are settled and constant. After a preliminary experiment I found I could comfortably fit 5m of varnished, coiled wire in a beaker. I also found that the thinnest available wire I could use was 0. 021 cm in diameter. In conclusion I have decided to use a varnished copper wire of length 5m, with a diameter of about 0. 021cm, which was the smallest available. This should give adequate resistance to measure. I have also decided to use a power pack on a low output setting. Basic Theory The theory of resistance can be very complex to calculate on a molecular scale and it is mainly done by observation. However I can explain in simple terms the theory of how temperature changes the resistance of a material. Electrons colliding with impurities within the vibrating lattice arrangement of metals cause resistance. The energy lost is given out in the form of heat. See diagram bellow. The amount of collisions is dependant on the amount the atoms in the lattice are vibrating. The faster the atoms vibrate the higher the probability of a collision. The temperature of the metal is what affects the vibrating atoms. More heat energy means the atoms vibrate more thus creating higher resistance. Prediction Due to the theory above I predict that the resistance will increase as the temperature of the water rises. From the formulas mentioned earlier and the information from the table I obtained from the Internet, I can predict more accurately what my results may look like. Temperature Resistivity of Copper at 20 Temperature coefficient Resistivity at Temperature Length of Wire Area Expected resistance (Degrees C) Degrees C (ohm m) ? (Ohm m) (m) (Cm2) (Ohms) Plan. I am going to use a beaker of distilled water to vary the temperature of a length of wire, knowing that resistance varies with temperature. To measure the resistance I am going to pass a current through the wire and take readings of the current and potential difference across the wire, which will allow me to calculate the resistance. To do this I will assemble my circuit so the wire is connected to a power pack, I will put a voltmeter in parallel with the wire and the ammeter in series. I will hold the wire in the water my making an MDF support as shown in the diagram with two crocodile clips. I will then heat the water to different temperatures using a Bunsen burner and take a reading every 10? C from 20 to 100? C. I will then turn the power pack on for a period of about 5 seconds to take readings from the ammeter and voltmeter. I will take every reading three times to ensure of no discrepancies between results. I will then average the results. I have decided to use a varnished copper wire of length 5m and diameter 0. 21mm made into a coil. This will give suitable resistance and will change sufficiently to measure the temperature of water. Apparatus needed: MDF piece 5 meters 0. 21mm wire 2 crocodile clips Connecting wires Voltmeter Ammeter Large beaker Bunsen burner, tripod, gauze, mat Power pack Distilled water Thermometer Safety During my experiment I must consider the following:   Caution when using the power pack alongside water   Caution when using boiling water   Use of appropriate equipment when moving boiling water Results Trial 1 Temperature i C Potential Difference (V) Current (A) Resistance (ohms) Trial 2 Temperature i C Potential Difference (V) Current (A) Resistance (ohms) Trial 3 Temperature i C Potential Difference (V) Current (A) Resistance (ohms). Average resistance results Temperature i C Resistance (ohms)   Analysis From the graph you can see that there is positive correlation between temperature and resistance and in this set of results it appears to be linear. There are anonymous results at 60? C and at 100? C. This could have been caused by several things, which I will mention later. My graph also satisfies my hypothesis that as the temperature rises; the resistance of the wire increases also. Firstly I would like to compare my theoretical results with my actual results to see the discrepancies between them and if they are at all related. From the graph you can see that the two sets of data are similar. My actual results are in general slightly higher than the predicted ones. Contact resistance between the crocodile clips and the copper wire could have caused this, especially since the wire was varnished and it was difficult to remove all of the coating. The wire may also have been stretched slightly when I was coiling it, leading to thinner areas of wire, which would have increased the resistance. There may also have been kinks in the wire that would have affected the results. I heated the water to the different temperatures after which I removed the heat. During the time between when I removed the heat and when I took the reading it is possible that the water cooled slightly thus giving lower resistance. Another big influence would have been the heating of the wire by the energy given out by its resistance; this would have created higher resistance. Finally the varnish on the wire may have been inconsistent leading to parts touching in the water thus making the circuit shorter and lowering the resistance. The anonymous result at 60? C could have been made by a general loose connection when I took that reading, caused by the experiment being knocked, as it was consistent through my three sets of readings. A more likely explanation is that two parts of the varnished wire were touching where there may have been a scratch leading to a shorter circuit and thus reducing the resistance. When I took my reading at 100? C I had to keep the Bunsen burner underneath to keep it at this temperature. This could have heated up the wire more than the water did, thus causing a greater resistance as shown in the graph. Evaluation My experiment was successful as I managed to construct and use a system to take measurements. The results were reasonably accurate and allowed me to confirm my prediction. I was pleased that my results were strongly correlated. There are several things I could have done to improve my experiment:   Use of more accurate multimeters would have increased the accuracy. I could have used data logging equipment with a thermometer connected to a computer to monitor my results more carefully and accurately   I could have done the entire experiment several times and taken different readings each time, instead of taking all three readings immediately after one another I could have used different lengths and thickness of wires to further prove my hypothesis   I could have tried a greater range of temperatures of water by raising its boiling point by adding a salt or similar, I could also have lowered the temperature using ice and a salt. I could have also used a lower current or put in a resistor before the wire to reduce the heating effect   I could have used solder connections and thicker wires to reduce any error in faulty connections If I were to repeat the experiment I would consider the above and in general take more readings to remove any anonymous results. 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National Curriculum Values Aims and Purposes

National Curriculum Values Aims and Purposes The touchstone of an excellent curriculum is that it instils in children a love of learning for its own sake Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, Sir Jim Rose (2009) The National Curriculum (NC) was introduced into the United Kingdom by the Conservative government as an integrated framework for learning  [i]  (National Curriculum Primary handbook, 2010, p8) through the Education Reform Act of 1988. A statutory nationwide curriculum for all state and maintained primary and secondary schools and organises schools into four Key Stages (KS) and applying to all children and young people between the ages of 5 and 16, it sees itself as lying at the heart of policies to raise standards.  [ii]   The NCs objective is to ensure that these schools follow a common curriculum which specifies the subjects taught for children throughout their school career (the core subjects being Literature, Numeracy and Science) and to standardise the content taught at schools across the UK, with the exception of Academies, which are publicly-funded and have a significant degree of autonomy. Independent Schools may set their own Curriculum. The curriculum also sets out the knowledge, skills and understanding required in each subject and sets standard or attainment targets for each subject, enabling teachers to plan for individual childrens learning needs. In the following I will explore the values and principles which underpin the National Curriculum and the opportunities it offers, drawing on other relevant documentation, for example, The Foundation Stage Curriculum, Every Child Matters, The Rose Report, The Cambridge Report and the recent Government White Paper The Importance of Learning, whilst offering how they will impact on my own teaching and my personal views of their success in meeting their objectives. Values and Princilpes Education influences and reflects the values of society  [iii]  (The Primary National Curriculum, 1999, p10). There are four main purposes and two principal aims set out in the National Curriculum:- 1. To establish an entitlement for every child to develop and apply the skills and understanding necessary to ensure self-fulfilment through motivation and engagement. Teachers should aim to give every pupil the opportunity to experience success in learning and to achieve as high a standard as possible (The National Curriculum Primary Handbook, 2010, p9). Whilst teachers are bound by a mandatory curriculum, the teaching of knowledge, through inclusion, skills and understanding must be taught in a flexible way which suits an individuals needs, drawing on a childs previous knowledge and with a clear agenda for the route forward to obtain maximum pupil progress. If a child falls significantly behind, a teacher may use the curriculums programmes of learning to differentiate to a greater degree and plan according to ability. For high achievers, suitably challenging work can be found again within the curriculums programmes of work and differentiation met through planning a greater breadth and in depth study of the subject. To establish publicly accessible national standards of childrens academic performances enabling a framework for targets and improvement, and also a regulated assessment of achievement in the form of Assessment through Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), introduced into the UK in 1991, and initially taken at the end of Years 2,6 and 9. Arguably never a popular addition to the school calendar, Year 9 SATs were subsequently abolished in 2008 and replaced by continual student assessment through Assessing Pupil Progress (APP). The SATs results lead to a compilation of published league tables, giving parent and carers not only newfound access to achievement statistics for each school and measuring the ability of individual schools to successfully teach the National Curriculum, but also a free choice in the school they wish their children to attend. To promote continuity and coherence of taught subject matter in order to allow ease of transition between key stages and establishments, while providing the support for lifelong  learning. 4. To promote public understanding, allowing the general public to understand and be assured of the achievements and worthiness of compulsory education, to instill confidence in the general public and promote an understanding of the achievements and values of compulsory education. Aim 1: The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve. . The implementation of equal opportunities and inclusion for all pupils to achieve including pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as a second language, pupils from all cultural and social backgrounds, pupils from different ethnic groups including travellers, refugees, and asylum seekers, boys and girls saw the barriers of discrimination and stereo-typing challenged and dispelled. Children and young people are enabled to achieve at all levels of their personal and professional lives, producing a fair and healthy society and a productive economy with sustainable employment. When planning, teachers should set high expectations and provide opportunities for all pupils to achieve (The National Curriculum Primary Handbook, 2010, p9). Teachers need to be aware that the diverse mixture of children in their care should all have access to the same opportunities to achieve and their learning will be influenced by their inherent different experiences, interests and strengths. Through the integrated framework of statutory subjects, the National Curriculums objective is to provide a breadth and balance as well as securing the fundamentals of literacy, numeracy and ICT (The National Curriculum Primary Handbook, 2010, p8) and through rigorous planning allowing flexibility to adapt to individual childs learning styles and needs and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. The promotion and implementation of a thorough and high standard of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology curriculum, essential to effective education, will enable children and young people to ultimately gain access to a more fulfilled future and have more choice in its direction. Aim 2: The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. Every Child Matters (?) acknowledges the link between pupil well-being and effective pupil performance and drawing on the outcome, Making a positive contribution, a non-statutory PHSE programme designed to develop the social and emotional skills of all pupils through complementing, consolidating and strengthening good practice in  [iv]  the school was soon rolled out nationally to address this challenging role. With the introduction of Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) (primary) and Citizen(secondary) programmes, using a whole-school approach, the tools to help children reinforce links between emotional wellbeing and effective learning now has a firm place in every day school life. Children and young people are given the confidence to manage risk, adversity and change and encouraged to take up opportunities. An effective school should contribute to the pupils sense of identity through developing their knowledge and understanding of themselves and their wider environ ment, celebrating the achievement and aspirations of what they see around them, whilst contributing to widening their outlook and raise their own aspirations about further education and work opportunities. Schools today continue to celebrate cultural and religious diversity and along with the implementation of PHSE, offer a broad range of subjects and experiences, enabling children and young people to obtain valuable knowledge and skills which will allow them to think creatively and critically, draw out their ability to be innovative leaders and know how to lead safe and  [v]  healthy lives. These skills will in turn allow the children to grow into responsible adults and as parents they will instil these values in their own children which in turn will benefit society as a whole. Enable children and young people to; value themselves, their family, their close and wider relationships, the diverse range of people, cultures and heritages in todays British Society and environment in which they live. Through nurturing a child as a valued individual, promoting self-esteem, self worth and emotional well-being, the school curriculum should enable them to form worthwhile and meaningful relationships whilst learning the fundamental difference between right and wrong. An appreciation, engagement and respect for others will direct them into becoming responsible partners, parents and citizens with a constructive, responsible and valued role to play in society, whilst preparation for further education, training and employment, will ensure they become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens (The National Curriculum Primary Handbook,2010, p5). Children and young people are expected to commit to the virtues of truth, justice, honesty, trust and a sense of duty whilst them to cope with the pressures of a rapidly changing and technically challenging global environment, and in particular communications technology, giving them the tools to succeed as individuals, parents and workers. Education only flourishes if it successfully adapts to the demands and needs of time (The Primary National Curriculum, 1999, p11) Let battle commence! Following the introduction of the National Curriculum; the criticism, reforms and attempts at reform have come in abundance! Tim Oats, Head of Assessment, Research and Development at Cambridge Assessment argues that a well-defined and enhanced national curriculum based on concepts, principles and key knowledge can lead to a greater focus on deeper learning, with fewer topics being pursued to greater depth.(2010) Read more about School curriculum needs reform on ESLwatch.info Excellence and Enjoyment 2003 In 2003 Excellence and Enjoyment, the strategy document for teaching children with English as a Foreign Language (EAL) in Primary Schools was published. Built on National Literacy Strategy (1998), and the National Numeracy Strategy (1999), in the executive summary, the document was bold enough to state it wished to, Take ownership of the curriculum, shaping it and making it their own. Teachers have much more freedom than they often realise to design the timetable and decide what and how they teach. (Excellence  and Enjoyment, 2003, p3) In his forward, Charles Clarke, the then Education Secretary states; Children learn better when they are excited and engaged (Ibis, p2), Different schools go about this in different ways. There will be different sparks that make learning vivid and real for different children. I want every primary school to be able to build on their own strengths to serve the needs of their own children (Ibis, p2). The debate for the relaxing of the stronghold of the curriculum expectations was well and truly under way. Revised Secondary Curriculum 2007 A revised Progamme of Study for secondary schools was introduced in 2007. Claiming the revised curriculum offered greater Flexibility and Coherence (The new secondary curriculum. What has changed and why?, 2007,p4) it offers to give schools the flexibility to personalise learning and design a curriculum that meets the specific needs of their learners; To give schools greater flexibility to tailor learning to their learners needs, there is less prescribed subject content in the new programmes of study. Instead, the curriculum focuses on the key concepts and processes that underlie each subject. (Ibis, p4). In relationship to the argument for a more cross curricular approach, it states; The common format contributes to greater coherence, making it easier to see links between subjects. Several subjects share key concepts and processes; curriculum opportunities highlight the potential for cross-curricular links (Ibis, p4). Early Years Foundation Stage 2008 In 2006 the Childcare Act provided a legal framework for the creation of the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and was introduced in September 2008, giving a new framework for learning, development and welfare for children in all registered early years settings (including child minding provision), maintained and independent schools. This covers children from birth to the August after their fifth birthday. Cambridge Report 2009 In 2008, Ed Balls, the then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, commissioned Sir Jim  Rose to carry out an independent review of the primary curriculum in England. Before the report was  delivered, The Cambridge Primary Review, an independent enquiry into the condition and future of  primary education in England and which had been launched in October 2006 was published, led by Professor Robin Alexander. Whist acknowledging a need for some kind of national curriculum and that the EYFS areas of learning provide a good basis, the Cambridge Review sees the current curriculum as over-crowded and unmanageable'( Alexander, (2009)) with too little value put on creativity and imagination. With 900 pieces of data being collected from both official and independent sources including academics, children and teachers the in-depth report accuses the National Curriculum of implementing a system that values facts more than understanding and enquiry, and suggests a complete over-haul of the curriculum with the introduction of 12 new underlying aims and 8 subject domains. It proposes only 70% of teaching be  attached to the National Curriculum with the remaining 30% being attached to a newly proposed Community Curriculum. Alexander argues that the current curriculum places an over emphasis on the importance of children gaining high standards in the basics (reading, writing and arithmetic) at the expense of the peripheral subjects and, as such, are undervaluing the importance of creativity and imagination, leading to problems occurring in their progression through school and beyond. He also argues that an obsession with curriculum testing of the core subjects is jeopardising childrens right to a full and broad education. Rose Report 2009 Sir Jim Roses remit was to propose a curriculum which would inspire life-long learning while reducing prescription and giving teachers greater flexibility. In particular he was asked to consider at how primary schools could develop childrens personal skills and proposes a new curriculum based on six areas of learning (English, communication and languages, mathematics, the arts, historical, geographical and social, physical development, health and wellbeing, scientific and technological) which would help them achieve academically as well enable them to have a smooth transition between early years and primary school, and into secondary school. Proposing that summer-born children should start reception class in the September after they turn  four years of age, acknowledging that children with birthdays in August who start school in the September after they turn five, do less well at school, and are also slightly less likely to go to university. Sir Jim, a former Ofsted chief, in recognition of the changing face of the world around us, calls for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to be made a core skill of the new curriculum (making provisions for additional training for teachers) ,alongside literacy and numeracy, and although he insisted this would not mean other subjects such as science traditionally seen as a core subject would become less important In no way does that suggest we are stepping back from recognising the importance of science and technology (Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, Sir Jim Rose (2009)) and although imperative that we should allow for a digital generation of children who are being brought up using technology in their recreation to make the link between this technology and learning, again the bias of curriculum is shifting away from reasoning and creativity. Also recommended is a more theme based cross-curricular approach to teaching subjects, which will provide children with ample opportunities to apply and use their knowledge and skills in cross-curricular  studies, allowing them to deepen their understanding and think creatively. There will be an emphasis on personal development and on social and emotional learning and finally, a focus on spoken communication, making particular use of the performing and visual arts, especially role play and drama. The Creative Curriculum Government White Paper- The Importance of Teaching 2010 As it warned it would, the new government abandoned the Rose framework for the primary curriculum and recently launched its own review in the form of the Government White Paper, The Importance of Teaching. It is also abolished the curriculum and assessment watchdog, the QCDA. However, in the interim, the version of the national curriculum introduced in September 2000 will continue in force until 2012, at least. Michael Gove the Secretary of State for Education having accused Labour of squeezing the fun and enjoyment (GMT interview 24 Nov 2010) out of school, unveiled the most radical programme of education reforms for a generation overhauling the national curriculum, a far more rigorous screening of would-be teachers will be enforced and staff given more power to discipline pupils. All schools (including primary schools for the first time) will be forced to meet tough new targets. Proposals to toughen up exams as a result of the supposed dumming down of education, as pupils are accused of taking soft options in order for the school to achieve well in the League Tables, yet leaving school with subjects which prospective employees simply do not value. A reading test for six-year-olds to check if they can recognise simple words like cat and street will be brought in and in the most rudimentary reform of the education system for a generation. Mr Gove describes the national curriculum as a straitjacket which stifles the creativity of our best teachers (Ibis) and intends give teachers more freedom to innovate and inspire (Ibis) and prior to the release of the White Paper, Mr Gove said on BBC Radio Fours Today programme, I want to slim the National Curriculum down, The original intention behind the National Curriculum was that it shouldnt cover everything in the school day and our Coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, have made the case very powerfully that what schools should follow is a minimum curriculum entitlement that takes up perhaps 50 per cent of school time. . Reading through the proposals, I am unable to find any real commitment to a slimming down of the curriculum and only real radical objective appears to be for a far more rigorous screening of teacher training applicants, including tests of character and emotional intelligence and the encouragement of ex-forces applicants no doubt to bark orders at their pupils. Disappointingly, in the light of the Cambridge Review, very little has been learned and very little has been implemented to create a less prescriptive curriculum and once again, it is the teachers who take the brunt of the blame for the purported failure of the education system when in my opinion it is surely due to lack of investment. With the budget of an independent school, surely every state school (even with their commitment to inclusion-unlike the private system) could begin to address class-sizes and never want for resources again. With a proposed  £359m programme of education cuts, the present government seems to me to be looking for a quick fix agenda. If the government would finally put their money where their mouth is and, dare I suggest, give prospective teachers the wage structure they surely deserve, given the responsibility they have towards educating the next generation, maybe finally teachers would be seen in the light of respect they deserve. Trainee teachers will spend more time in the classroom Ensure support available to every school for the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics For existing teachers, schools will be given more freedom to pay the best staff higher salaries and greater powers to sack the worst performers. No-one is helped when poor performance remains unaddressed, said the report. Underperforming teachers place additional pressures on their colleagues and let down the children in their care. The White Paper said current regulations surrounding teacher competence procedures were too complex, lengthy and fragmented meaning heads were reluctant to fire staff not fit for the classroom. They will be shortened and simplified under Coalition plans, although full details are yet to emerge. Mr Gove said: The countries that come out top of international studies into educational performance recognise that the most crucial factor in determining how well children do at school is the quality of their teachers. The best education systems draw their teachers from among the top graduates and train them rigorously, focusing on classroom practice. They recognise that it is teachers knowledge, intellectual depth and love of their subject which stimulates the imagination of children and allows them to flourish and succeed. But for too long in our country, teachers and heads have been hamstrung by bureaucracy and left without real support. The initial promise of entitlement to a broad, balanced and rich curriculum has been sacrificed in pursuit of a narrowly-conceived standards agenda. By Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Correspondent 6:01AM GMT 20 Feb 2009 Telegraph The most conspicuous casualties are the arts, the humanities and those kinds of learning in all subjects which require time for talking, problem- solving and the extended exploration of ideas, By Richard Garner, Education Editor Friday, 20 February 2009 the I ndependent For each National Curriculum subject, there is a programme of study. The programmes of study describe the subject knowledge, skills and understanding pupils are expected to develop during each key stage. Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils. Many schools use the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) Schemes of Work to plan their curriculum. These help to translate the National Curriculums objectives into teaching and learning activities The prime duty of the school, I believe, is to instil a positive commitment to, and love of education, in order to allow each pupil to reach their full potential in life as outlined by Mick Waters, the then Director of Curriculum, QCA (2007) when he said, Most of all, young people should relish the opportunity for discovery and achievement that the curriculum offers. Without motivation and a thirst for knowledge, a child will neither benefit from their school years nor aspire to let education be the door-opening to a better future. Through encouragement of their interests, inherent strengths and experiences, children will develop a confidence in their ability to learn as independent individuals or collaboratively with their peers, whilst developing a creative, inquisitive and rational mind in the process. I firmly intend to use my role as a teacher, working within a collaborative framework, to use my gained knowledge and skills, creativity and adaptability, to capture and enhance the learning capabilities of the children within my remit. Teacher assessment Teacher assessment is an essential part of the national curriculum and is carried out as part of the teaching and learning process. It spans the programmes of study, and takes into account evidence of attainment in many contexts, including discussion and observation. The national curriculum tests provide a snapshot of attainment in English and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Schools have a statutory responsibility to report teacher assessment levels in core subjects of English, mathematics and science for each eligible pupil to QCDA. Schools must also report teacher assessment level judgements to parents, carers and guardians for both core and non-core subjects Primary curriculum What will the new primary curriculum look like? The new government has made it clear that it intends to restore the National Curriculum to its original purpose a minimum national entitlement for all our young people organised around subject disciplines. An announcement outlining next steps is expected shortly. What happens in the meantime? The existing subject-based National Curriculum requirement will remain in force for primary schools. The current framework, introduced in 2000, provides flexibility for schools to adapt the curriculum to their needs. Details are available from the Key stages 1 2 section of this site. Will primary schools still be getting an additional training day in 2010/11? Yes. Primary schools teaching Key Stages 1 and 2 will still receive an extra non-contact day in 2010/11 to help them prepare adequately for the next school year and consider new approaches. Why have you sent out handbooks? That decision was taken by the previous Government. They proposed to introduce a new primary curriculum from September 2011 and put in place a programme of support and guidance for schools from January this year. The new Government has decided not to go ahead with this policy for the reasons set out in the Ministers statement to Parliament. Will schools get a refund for primary curriculum materials that they have purchased. Yes. A full refund will be made automatically to those who placed orders on account. (The account will be credited rather than a refund made.) Those who purchased by credit card will need to call our orderline on 0300 303 3015. All customers have been contacted directly by QCDA with information about the refund policy. Can I still access the Curriculum design tool from the primary curriculum website? Following the Secretary of State for Educations decision not to take forward the last Governments proposals for a new primary curriculum, associated material which had been published on the National Curriculum website has been removed. This means that the curriculum design tool will no longer be available. Registered users have been contacted and asked if they would like to have any stored information returned to them. Can I still access pages from the new primary curriculum website? Following the Secretary of State for Educations decision not to take forward the last Governments proposals for a new primary curriculum, material which had been published on the National Curriculum website has been removed. Material on the statutory requirements that schools must meet in relation to the National Curriculum, is available from the  Key stages 1 2 section of this site. The programmes of study also map out a scale of attainment within the subject. In most Key Stage 1, 2, and 3 subjects, these attainment targets are split into eight levels, plus a description of exceptional performance. The exception is Citizenship, which has separate attainment targets for the end of Key Stages 3 and 4. Children develop at different rates, but National Curriculum levels can give you an idea of how your childs progress compares to what is typical for their age. For example, by the end of Key Stage 1, most children will have reached level 2, and by the end of Key Stage 2, most will be at level 4. [edit] Failure and adverse effects of the free market objective Although the primary purpose for the National Curriculum was to enable league tables and inform parental choice, many parents or guardians still fail to get the school of their choice[14] and there is concern that the league tables have a detrimental effect on pupils: focus on league tables had resulted in pupils being pressured to attain high grades and so opt for subjects that are seen as easier to get good marks in such as art, drama and history. The result has been for the more difficult mathematics in subjects such as chemistry and physics being dropped Gillard D (2010) Hobsons Choice: education policies in the 2010 general election www.educationengland.org.uk/articles/29election.html How, I wonder, does Gove reconcile his many statements about freeing schools from central control with his imposition of systematic synthetic phonics for teaching reading? Every education report from Hadow onwards has urged teachers to use a variety of methods and warned against relying on one. Almost every expert on the teaching of reading opposes this policy, so what is it doing in the Coalitions programme? Another generation of children is to be used as guinea pigs to satisfy some ignorant advisor or to make money for a textbook publisher. The National Curriculum, we are told, is to be reformed (yet again!). In primary schools it will be subject-based and in a phrase that tells us everything we need to know about Goves lack of understanding of education it will be based on evidence about what knowledge can be mastered by children at different ages. To make matters worse, Gove has invited Niall Ferguson, the British historian most closely associated with a rightwing, Eurocentric vision of western ascendancy (Charlotte Higgins The Guardian 30 May 2010) to help rewrite the history syllabus. Freedom for schools? I dont think so. The study of most subjects under the National Curriculum would usually culminate in the sitting of a GCSE at the end of Key Stage 4. Although the GCSE examinations replaced the earlier, separate GCE O-level and CSE examinations, the syllabi were still initially devised entirely by the examination boards, whereas since the implementation of the National Curriculum the syllabus outline is determined by law. Thus much of the attention surrounding the claimed dumbing down of GCSEs[9] is, indirectly, a criticism of the National Curriculum. Public schools are free to choose their own curriculum and examinations and many have opted for the more demanding[10][11] IGCSEs which are not tied to the National Curriculum. It is claimed that this is creating a two-tier system with state school pupils losing out. From time to time ministers have suggested that state schools may be given funding to enter pupils for IGCSE examinations[12] but a study was undertaken by QCA[13], which concluded that IGCSEs do not follow the programmes of study required by the Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum and therefore could not be offered as a state-funded alternative. Gillard D (2010) Hobsons Choice: education policies in the 2010 general election www.educationengland.org.uk/articles/29election.html The report, however, does find that the national curriculum has been effective in raising standards, improving pup