Planetary Comparison Essay

Man first came to live by finding ways to sustain his life. He could think, decide, create an opinion and work with his bare hands. After many years of survival, he became more curious at the things around him. He saw the moon, the sun and the stars. It was when the man was curious that human life was considered intelligent life. Without man’s curiosity, he wouldn’t care about the planet that he is hosting his life. Without his brain, he wouldn’t know that other planets and other heavenly bodies exist aside from the planet Earth. The properties of planet Earth include its shape, density, reflection of light and age. The shape of the Earth resembles that of a sphere. It is a spherical planet because of gravity. What makes the Earth spherical is the bulging characteristic it has on the equator. The bulges exist on this part of the planet because of rotation. Properties of the Earth Density – As of the Earth’s density, it refers to the â€Å"mass per unit volume† of the planet. The density of the Earth can be better imagined if compared to the density of iron, rock or water. The density of is 8 grams per cubic centimeter, 2. 5 grams per cubic centimeter for a rock. With water, it is just a gram per cubic centimeter. Deep down the planet is surely a dense section of the Earth (Newman, 2000, p. 267). † Reflection of Light – Another property is reflection of light. The Earth has 37% albedo, which means that it has 37% of light that it is capable of reflecting. Again, to get the clearer picture, the reflection of light of the Earth can be compared to that of dirt, clouds and ice. Dirt can only reflect around 10%, while water and clouds have just enough albedo. When albedo is moderate, it means that the reflection of light ranges from 40 to 60 percent. Meanwhile, ice has a high albedo because its reflection of light is almost a solid one hundred percent (Hamilton, 2001). Age of the Earth – The age of the Earth is also another property of the planet. Planet Earth is as old as billions of years. With the help of radioactive dating of stones, scientists and geologists discovered that the Earth existed 3. to 4. 5 billion years ago (Hamilton, 2001). The Earth’s Interior The Earth’s interior is characterized by explosions, earthquakes and seismic waves. There are waves that travel in both solid and liquid parts of the Earth. There are also waves that run only on solid ground (Hamilton, 2001). Inside the Earth’s interior, one can find nickel, iron and solid in the inner core. In the Earth’s outer core are nickel, iron and liquid. It s mantle are oxygen and silicon, which, when combined, form silicate rocks. The temperature inside the Earth’s core is hotter than the surface of the sun because of radioactivity and collisions. During the early years of history, the Earth is molded by numerous collisions and the heat from this activity contributed to the 6500K temperature of the planet’s core (Hamilton, 2001). Surface Changes It is a fact that the surface of the Earth changes constantly. One activity that contributes in the surface change of the planet is continental drift. Continental drift, as its name implies, refers to the drifting apart of the Earth’s continents. The continents move over time, and such movements were better understood and explained as the Plate Tectonics Theory came out, describing the lithosphere of the planet (Hamilton, 2001). If the lithosphere breaks, tectonic plates are built. In this planet, there are plenty of minor tectonic plates. With major tectonic plates, there are only seven. There is movement among these plates at different kinds of boundaries which include transform boundaries, spreading or divergent boundaries and collision or convergent boundaries. These boundaries pave way to the formation of oceanic trenches, mountains, volcanic activities and even earthquakes. Imagine two pieces of large lands collide (Hamilton, 2001). The tension caused by the collision alters the shape of the pieces of land. This is what happens to planet Earth. Whatever type of activity there is, the surface of the Earth will always be affected (Hamilton, 2001). Even erosion affects the surface of the Earth. Erosion happens when particles like rock, soil and sediments are displaced or moved to other places. What cause the displacement are agents like water, living organisms and wind. Ice is also another cause of displacement because of the downward slope (Hamilton, 2001). The Earth and the Other Nine It cannot be denied that the Earth is special because compared to other planets in the solar system; it is only the Earth that is capable of sustaining life. It has an atmosphere. It has displacement of lands. It has plate tectonics. It has water. It has humans. The one thing that separates the Earth from the other planets is the human being and human life. There may be signs of the existence of life in Mars, and that there are other forms of life in the moon of Saturn, but only Earth is capable of supporting and maintaining life (Moskowitz, 2008). Intelligent Life – Even if it may be proven in the future that there are indeed organisms living in Mars, it is still safe to say that the Earth is home to intelligent life. Other planets may be able to host life, but only the planet Earth is capable of hosting the intelligent kind (Moskowitz, 2008). Life on other planets would not even be possible without the planet Earth, according to Gregory Laughlin. Laughlin is a planet hunter and an astrophysicist at the prestigious University of California, Santa Cruz. Gregory was able to say this because the Earth delicately transferred some of its materials to the other planets. These tiny materials can be found in the planet’s crust (Moskowitz, 2008). Water – Another feature of the Earth which cannot be found in other planets is water. The planet is indeed a place conducive for evolution because it has water in it, in that amount. The amount of water on Earth is almost magical. The amount of water present in this planet is just enough to keep a desert alive. There is not too much water to drown the Earth’s mountains (Moskowitz, 2008). Water on Earth is different from the water in the other planets because the water in the other planets either fry or freeze. This can be explained through the distance between the planet earth and the sun (Moskowitz, 2008). Distance – Distance, of course, is a unique feature of the planet. The Earth indeed has the best location in the solar system because if we depend on too much sun, then the distance between the planet and then sun is just right enough to match the Earth’s geological timescales (Moskowitz, 2008). It is the temperature we get from the sun that regulates the Earth’s atmosphere. It is the distance between the Earth and the sun that keeps the temperature of the Earth’s surface around the temperature of the waters (Moskowitz, 2008). Size – The size of the Earth is also another unique feature of the planet. A smaller Earth will not leave space for the planet to hold on to the atmosphere. A bigger Earth may be a hotter Earth for humans. Hotter in this sense means the kind of warmness which humans will not be able to tolerate (Moskowitz, 2008). Getting More Detailed Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun. Among all the other planets, it is the eighth largest. It has two moons namely Titan and Ganymede. While these moons are smaller than Mercury, they are more massive than the planet. Mercury, compared to the Earth, is closer to the sun (Arnett, 2008). Venus, on the other hand, is the sixth largest planet in the solar system. It is also nearer to the sun compared to the Earth. It is an inferior planet with phases easily seen through a telescope from the Earth (Arnett, 2008). Aside from the Earth, Mars stands out to be a popular planet since the early times. Today, there are observatories that are ground-based just to study Mars. The size of Mars is a barrier in studying it, but the planet still shows features that can host life (Arnett, 2008). The biggest planet in the solar system is Jupiter. When it comes to mass, this planet is doubly massive compared to the Earth and to the other planets as well. In fact, when compared to the Earth’s mass, Jupiter has 318 times more (Arnett, 2008). Saturn is a popular planet since the prehistoric years because there was Galileo in 1610, holding a telescope, observing this planet with rings. Galileo knew that Saturn looked different and he thought that the Earth passes through the rings after some years on a regular basis (Arnett, 2008). If the Earth is spherical, then the planet Uranus is ecliptic. Unlike the Earth, Uranus’ poles are hotter than its equator. The poles of this planet are more receptive to the sun’s energy than the equator (Arnett, 2008). Neptune is far from the sun, but its core measures the same as that of the mass of the Earth. Its core is made of rocks. It does not have a unique internal layering like that of Saturn and Jupiter, but the composition is nonetheless distinct. Whatever heat it receives from the sun is nothing compared to the heat it can generate itself through its core (Arnett, 2008). Pluto is the smallest planet in the solar system. It has an eccentric orbit, which makes it closer to the sun at times than Neptune. Unlike the Earth and all the other planets, this heavenly body rotates in the opposite direction (Arnett, 2008). Above all these, it is still the Earth that stands out. All these pieces of information would not be known without the human mind, made possible with life, sustained by the Earth.

In the 21st Century, How Important Is to Be Able to Read, Write and Speak English in Thailand?

At the present time, English is used widely around the world and also the most spoken official language. Being able to read, write and speak English becomes important for Thai people because of various reasons. English is used in education and in doing business. Firstly, it is important for Thai children because English is used in education. There are many sources of knowledge written in English such as textbooks or information on the internet. If Thai children can read and write English fluently, they will understand the content which is written in English. They can also express their point of view by writing down.Therefore, children will be able to access to more sources of knowledge. Nowadays, some Thai students go to study overseas. Living in a foreign country, English is very necessary since it is a language which used worldwide. Students must be able to speak English because they have to communicate with foreigners such as their classmates or their teachers. They are also requi red to read and write English in order to understand the information in textbooks and be able to finish their homework. Moreover, business opportunities for Thai people can be expanded by being able to read, write and speak English.Currently, many foreign companies are established in Thailand. They want the employees who can use English fluently. In foreign companies, they use English as an Interlingua. Companies’ employees have to interact with people in English. They have to read papers and write down everything in English as well. Thus, it is advantageous to Thai people who are able to read write and speak English. For Thai employers, if they are able to speak English, they will have an easier communication with their business counterparts without hiring employ translators.This will cut down the companies’ expenses. Employers can directly negotiate with their counterparts. They can clearly understand each other business deal. In conclusion, it can be seen that Engli sh is very essential in Thailand. English is used for educational purposes and expanding business opportunities. Therefore, Thai people should realize that the importance of being able to read, write and speak English in Thailand is very necessary. We should try harder and harder in practices these skills.

American Japanese Internment Camps Essay Example for Free

American Japanese Internment Camps Essay Japanese Americans refer to all Americans of the Japanese heritage who were born in Japan or the descendants of those who were born in Japan. Initially, they were the largest Asian American group but currently they are sixth largest group in those of mixed race and mixed ethnicity. The largest group of these people is found in California while others are distributed in other states such as Washington, New York, Illinois and Hawaii.   Although every year there is quite a considerable number of Japanese immigrants who enter United States, the net migration still remains low since the older Japanese Americans still leave United States and go back to their original country, Japan. Japanese Americans have a long history in the United States since history records that the first group arrived American in the late 1800s.   In the year 1942, the United States government forced all the Japanese Americans and the Japanese who had settled along the Pacific Coast to relocate to war relocation camps which were referred to as internment camps.   Since the internment camps resulted from the presence of Japanese Americans, this research shall first focus on their history and later discuss about the internment camps. 2.0   History of Japanese Americans in the 19th Century United States has ever been known as the country of immigrants as a result of war, food shortages and political persecutions in other countries where the immigrants hail from. Japanese people happen to make a large percentage of the immigrants, and as highlighted earlier, they began to migrate in to the United States from the late 1800s.   The main cause of the immigration of the Japanese was to work in the sugar plantations which were established along the Pacific by traders who had settled in the Hawaiian Kingdom. The sugar industry had grown tremendously as it was aided by the Americas civil war in the year 1861-1865, and that called for more workers after the Hawaiian population was decreasing due to disease. Other workers were leaving the plantations for better work, and as a result the Hawaii’s foreign minister sought more workers from Japan. Consequently, in the year 1868, the first one hundred and forty nine Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaii.   Since they were not used to the harsh conditions in the region and all the hard work in the sugar plantations, about forty of them returned to Japan. The rest went ahead and even intermarried with the Hawaii residents. The first Japanese immigrants in to the Hawaii gave formed the Japanese American community.   In the year 1886, the Japan and the Hawaii signed labor convection after which a lot of Japanese migrants arrived to Hawaii as contract workers and some went to California as student laborers.   According to the studies of Niiya and Japanese American National Museum-Los Angeles, Calif. (1993), the Japanese migration to Hawaii was mainly labor migration which intensified following Chinese exclusion from the United States in the year 1882.   It also involved emigration back to Japan and also to West Coast. It was halted by the Gentlemen’s Agreement in the year 1908 and finally by the Exclusion Act in the year 1924. 2.1   Reasons for the Japanese Migration to America Although most of the Japanese went to America for the contract labor, some still had others reasons. For instance, some just followed their parents like the case of one teenage girl who narrates that she just followed her dad. In another case, a woman followed her spouse after he had stayed for quite some time without returning back to Japan. Though she had thought that they would make enough money and return home, they ended up settling there permanently. Student’s immigrants also made a good number of Japanese Americans especially in San Francisco. In the year 1890, there were about three thousand Japanese students in America. Since they did not have enough money for their upkeep and studies, they resulted in to working in the plantations to earn extra money. Consequently, they ended up living in very poor conditions and one newspaper described them as â€Å"poor students and youths who have rashly left their native shores. Hundred of such are landed every year, with miserably scant funds in their pockets†¦Their objection is to earn with labor of their hands, a pittance sufficient to enable them to pursue their studies in language, sociology and politics† (Niiya & Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1993 pp. 3). 2.2   Japanese Americans Life in the Early 20th Century Contrary to what most Japanese had expected, life in America was quite hard for any one else other than the Native Americans.   The life and the work were made difficult by the banks, labor recruiters, and the immigration agents who used to charge Japanese immigrants extortion fees. In addition to the economic exploitation, the Japanese Americans also used to face racial discrimination. The social attitude, laws, and practices limited and excluded them from enjoying life fully, liberty, and also property. The salary that they were getting was barely enough to sustain them, leave alone saving money to enable them go back to Japan.   Most of them wished they were back in Japan like one worker who used to be paid fourteen dollars a month and out of those dollars, he used to pay more than half for the sleeping quarters. The rest was spent in buying food and other personal use.   In such a situation, it was practically hard for such a person to save enough money that would have enab led him to go back to Japan. As a result, majority were eventually forced to settle completely in America (Niiya, & Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1993). The harsh living conditions of Japanese Americans continued to worsen as the years progressed.   In the year 1941, the situation worsened further especially after the Japan attacked and damaged the Pearl Harbor. The Americans accused the Japanese Americans of collaborating with Japan and as a result, they betrayed America. Since every one had started spreading rumors of how the Japanese Americans had helped Japan in the war, the whole of the American population started to have a bad altitude towards them.   As a result, many people started to propose for their removal from the Western States, as they feared Japan might attack them from West Coast although Japan did not have such plans. However, other Americans had other reasons for their removal since some coveted their farms. The groups who were pressing for the Japanese Americans removal from the West Coast continued to increase as groups like Anti-immigration Organizations, Chambers of Commerce from every city, and the American Legion joined the rest who were pressing for the same. The major reason why the Americans wanted the Japanese Americans removed was mere hatred other than the reasons that they were giving initially. Henry McLemore, one of the San Francisco Examiner was quoted to have said that â€Å"let us have no patience with the enemy or with any one whose veins carry his blood.† He continued to say that â€Å"I personally hate Japanese† (Spickard 2009 pp. 106). Still, some politicians continued to express their sentiments towards Japanese as some said that it was impossible to know whether they were loyal or not and were often referred to as inscrutable Orientals. With such hatred, it was obvious that the Japanese Americans were not going to escape relocation. The decision of relocating or imprisoning the Japanese Americans was made in the Washington D.C. by the administration of Roosevelt guided by the military leaders. They were arguing that it was of military necessity to do so, though they were not able to demonstrate that necessity. The military leaders believed that Japanese were dangerous regardless of whether they are loyal or not. Moreover, they continued to argue that even giving them citizenship was not to help in any way, since that would not change their nature. Despite the fact that there were a few protests who argued that they had already jailed all the dangerous Japanese Americans, the administration went ahead and made the decision to remove all of them from the West Coast. Studies of Spickard (2009) record that on 19th February 1942, President Roosevelt issued executive order 9066 that empowered the Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, to designate military areas with an aim of excluding Japanese Americans from the West Coas t. As a result, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and California were divided in to two military regions and the Japanese Americans were prohibited from western parts of the states and some inland sections. Following the order, some of the Japanese Americans started to move towards east with their belongings and family. However, moving with such a short notice was almost impossible for them and many American did not want them to settle in their territories. They were continuously harassed, and due to this, they continued to move to the east.   One governor from Idaho was quoted to have said that â€Å"The Japs live like rats, breed like rats, and act like rats. We do not want them buying or leasing land or becoming permanently settled in our state† (Spickard, 2009 pp.107). When voluntary migration failed to produce desirable results, on March 27, DeWitt stopped it and put travel restrictions on the Japanese Americans in the military zone. In addition, the army decided to move all of them in the concentration camps. The concentration camps were the barbed wire enclosures where the Japanese Americans were moved to after the executive order was issued in the year 1942, to bar them from residing in the West Coast parts of America. Though there had been camps earlier in the history of America, these camps were exceptional because a whole ethnic group was forced to reside there. Since Japanese Americans were passive by nature and accepted anything that was imposed on them, as some people argue, they did not resist moving in to the camps neither did they move out of the same without an order. Some people planed to resist legally though much was not derived from the same, since it did not stop them from being evacuated from their places. Studies of Spickard (2009), record that during the evacuation day, one hundred and twelve thousand Japanese Americans were taken to the evacuation camps. The camps were of very poor conditions since it is recorded that even the ground was wet especially on the day of evacuation. There was no adequate light and the rooms were very small. The environment was not favorable either since it was hot during the day and very cold at night. Whichever the case, they had no alternative but to stay in the barbed wire enclosures. The ten camps were located at different locations particularly in the interior west, in the isolated desert areas. Some of the camps were located at Amache, Minidoka, Poston, Manzanar California, Jerome, Tula lake California and Heart Mountain. After evacuation, only six Japanese Americans remained in the local hospitals since they were seriously sick.   Since they were living communally, all facilities were being shared by about two fifty people. Given that the conditions in the camps were not conducive at all, around one thousand and two hundred left the camps when they were given the chance of joining the US Army. Although many of the Japanese Americans had become desperate and frustrated at first given that some of them even attempted suicide, they later decided to adapt to the life of the camps. Each camp had a government owned farm land that was leased to them; they engaged in agricultural activities and produced poultry and dairy products. The cost of food was not high and other services like the medical cares were provided free of charge. Education was also offered free of charge up to the high school level and majority of the internees were recruited as teachers and others were trained to fit in the employment programs that were available at the camps. 3.1   Japanese Americans Life after Relocation from Concentration Camps After January 1945, all people were finally allowed to leave the internment camps.   The Japanese Americans were given the identification card and they were told that once they presented them to the authorities, they would be allowed to go back to their homes. However, though the government had allowed them to leave, they were still afraid of the Americans for they were still hostile towards them. Even the people who received them were similarly harassed by the rest.   One man who had returned to California in May after the executive order was removed was quoted to have said â€Å"Everybody was afraid of being attacked by the white people. The war was still going on at that time and prejudice and oppression were very severe† (Niiya & Japanese American National Museum-Los Angeles, Calif., 1993 pp. 19) as he described the situation. Moreover, on top of racial discrimination and other forms of harassment, the Japanese Americans still went through a lot trying to rebuild their lives once again. The Japanese Americans are among the many immigrant groups found in the United States. Since the late 1800s nearly half a million Japanese immigrants have settled in America and more than twice of that number today claim Japanese ancestry.   Although they went to America being optimistic that they would work hard and establish themselves, some of these dreams were never realized. Some thought that after making some money, they would go back to their motherland which never came to be since life in America was characterized by a lot of economic hardships. In addition, they faced a lot of prejudice and were discriminated against. The worst came to worst during the Second World War when all the Japanese Americans were forced in to camps with no apparent reason –other than being of the same ancestry with the America’s enemy, Japan. The relocation camps which were located far from the West Coast were characterized by the poor living conditions.   Since the year 1942 when the Japanese Americans was relocated to the internment camps, they were able to go back after the year 1945 when the executive order was finally removed. American Japanese Internment Camps. (2016, Oct 16). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

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Marketing assigment - Assignment Example I can give you hundreds of such examples but before that just a small out-of-the-topic example, which I think would help the readers bring closer to the point I am actually talking about. For instance, what if you are sold the gold having a lower karate than that of indicated on gold? It would shatter not only your trust but also ignite you to tell others about the fraud committed by a person or company. Now let’s take an example of â€Å"Safeguard soap† – a product of Proctor & Gamble. The TV ad claims that it, being a medicated soap, keeps you away from 10 diseases. A psychological tool has been tactfully & smartly used by showing a child admitted in a hospital and showing the parents desperately seeking an advice from a doctor. I do not deny the quality of the soap but the way it is being marketed, is totally unethical – in fact a new way of taking money out of peoples’ pockets. Let me prove my aforesaid critique. What about the people/children l iving in small towns or villages and using an ordinary soap since birth? Do they really fall sick more often? The answer is 180o opposite – i.e. villagers are healthier and live longer than city people. From consumers’ perception, we have many examples of mobile phones where consumers have rejected certain products in spite of aggressive marketing.

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Cover Letter - Essay Example I am also hardworking and flexible, so I can meet the changing needs and demands of my job. My value for a systematic and collaborative environment is an added advantage for your organization to realize its goals in a timely and effective manner. I understand that achieving performance improvement and government expenditure growth is a difficult task for the government. However, for whatever the government can accomplish, it should to be accountable to the taxpayers. In other words, the taxpayers should be aware of how their money is used. One of the most successful methods of achieving accountability is to publish and release data annually and semi-annually in order to provide the public with information on how public funds are spent and how well the government is performing in terms of service delivery to the public. Providing information about public service and performance ensures that the government becomes accountable and improves its efficiency (Erkkilä, 2012). Data of expenditure should be published to enable the public to track the money paid to civil servants, money spent on contracts, and other types of government expenditure. Releasing public data should be done in public and through the print media so that a ll citizens can access them. The local government can become more open, transparent and accountable to its constituents by providing open data, disclosing sufficient financial information on annual financial statements, and engaging the public in decision making. Publishing data on financial expenditure enables the public to assess government performance; hence holding the government accountable for its service delivery and performance. This openness builds public trust on the government. The government should also discuss various issues with the public concerning public service and how the government is using public funds to meet its expenditure. Financial information

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Cross-Cultural Enterprise Management - Essay Example Focus of the paper will be towards emphasizing the importance of effective cross cultural management in an enterprise and to what extent this affects the survival of the enterprise. Cross-cultural management is particularly important for the operation of an enterprise to gain the requisite advantage in the fiercely competitive world. If the problem of cultural conflict in an enterprise is not handled well, it might influence the entire working environment of the enterprise and make the task of management more complex and the decision-making and implementation of multinational operation more difficult. Such problems might restrict the selection of human resources from native or overseas market, products and services. The impact of cultural conflict on the transnational business happens to be quite comprehensive, systematic affecting the entire process. This study will center on the cross-cultural enterprise management to analyze the problems in enterprise cultural management and prese nt possible solutions which are of a certain guiding significance to some of the UK companies On the basis of successful and unsuccessful case analyses of overseas investments by some of the UK companies or by some MNCs in UK, the study tries to put forward general theories in such a manner that the study proves to be of some help in future research work. Background Cross-cultural management in essence means managing different cultures with effective coordination amongst the cultural groups and management teams of different cultures with its impact on organizational behavior, effective communication with people who come from different countries and cultural backgrounds. (Li,C & Lu,C, 2000) Along with the rapid development in the economic field and globalization and integration of economies, the role of corporate culture is becoming increasingly significant in upgrading enterprise competitiveness. Different culture backgrounds, values, enterprise management modes, politics, beliefs and cultures as well as racism and communication misunderstanding will give rise to corporate cultural conflicts. Cultural conflicts will in turn affect the relationship between multinational management and local employees and may lead to a loss in market opportunity and organizational efficiency, thus hampering the implementation plans of global strategies of multinat ionals. The so called "cultural conflict" refers to the process of confrontation and repulsion between different cultures or cultural elements, which not only includes the conflict arising from cultural difference between multinationals and countries where multinationals operate but also the conflict among internal employees from different cultural

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Marketing Plan for Dell India Sales - Case Study Example It's budgeting and the organization's implementation strategies are also considered in the final plan. Dell is the second largest PC manufacturer in the world and has 60pct of its revenue from the US which is the largest market. However, with the recession and the attempt to malign Dell in this country, the company is looking for markets outside the US. The increasing market for laptops and desktop PCs in China, India, Brazil and Russia have given reason for Dell to make strategies to depend less on the US market and expand to other regions of high yield. Its presence in India since 8years has given it much exposure to make the appropriate strategies to suit the Asian market, particularly the Indian market, which has the most potential. The economic advantages that Dell offers for the local market and which have been successfully displayed in China have more reason for Dell to gain a foothold in the already tapped PC market in India despite the presence of other strong contenders like HP, Lenovo, etc. and its own presence in the country for over six years now. The advantage on GDP with every investment by Dell enables it to gain faster penetration into the local market and enter other frontiers too. "Then there is the multiplier effect. ... have more reason for Dell to gain a foothold in the already tapped PC market in India despite the presence of other strong contenders like HP, Lenovo, etc. and its own presence in the country for over six years now. The advantage on GDP with every investment by Dell enables it to gain faster penetration into the local market and enter other frontiers too. "Then there is the multiplier effect. A Peking University study of the Dell effect showed that for each $1 million spent by the company in China, $2.3 million was contributed to the nation's GDP, 92 new jobs were created and $144,000 was generated as tax revenues. Factor in China's PC penetration at 6% and Dell's revenue growth there at 26%, the implications are clearer. India with a PC penetration of just 1.8% and a population of 1.3 billion, offers the kind of potential Dell can hardly ignore. A latecomer it may be, and is up against stiff competition from old hands like HP, Lenovo, Acer and homegrown HCL Infosystems, but the motivation for Dell to scale up here are obvious. In less than six years, it has garnered a 36% market share in the large enterprise segment. However, it is still weak in the 1.7-million home buyer/retail desktop and portable media market. But Dell is eyeing a 10% overall market share in the next 18 months and a doubling of revenue to $1 billion; this, after t aking nearly six years to hit $500 million. The $1-billion figure is just 1/60th of Dell's global sales and for this to be relevant to India, revenues would have to be many times more" (Prasad, Gupta, 2007). ii. Socio-Cultural- Another reason that Dell can leverage in the Indian market, is its strong direct sales experience. Since, these kinds of economies do not permit high prices and are more accustomed to retail selling which offers

Analysis of the Lyrics of Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas Term Paper

Analysis of the Lyrics of Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas - Term Paper Example Hip hop style was mainly popular on the East Coast having been popularized by groups such as The Roots. Given it’s preferences for performing with a live band, the group was mainly considered to be an alternative hip hop group before embracing other musical genres such as RnB, dance and Pop Music exerting a great influence in the music industry in the recent years. Most of their works have had a lot of influence from electronic music which was mainly used on the group’s most recent album, The E.N.D. A bulk of the group’s production is handled by Will.i.am. Despite being formed in 1995, the group rose to prominence in 2003 with their critically acclaimed album, Elephunk. This was the group’s third album and which saw them find an international following as well as achieving massive success from the huge album sales. The group has maintained the spotlight ever since then and according to Nielsen SoundScan, the group has the second best sales for downloaded t racks in the US. The single â€Å"Where is the love?† was released in 2003 as the lead single from their Elephunk album. Upon its release, the single topped charts in thirteen countries across Europe and the US, including in the UK where it remained at number one for seven weeks and went on to be the best selling single in Britain in 2003. The song â€Å"where is the love?† was written by the Black Eyed Peas with significant support from John Fair and Justin Timberlake, who also sun the chorus to the song although he neither appears in the song’s video nor is he acknowledged as a guest artist. Justin Timberlake remained as a â€Å"Ghost writer† for the song because his record company did not want this song to interfere with the sales of his album, Justified, that had just been released. He is rumored to have written the chorus of the song after listening to the song via a phone. The idea for the song came to Will.i.am after he had heard so much about nega tive things in the society such as discrimination, hypocrisy, gang violence, and terrorism. The song has been noted for its social commentary and its positive message, issues with lack in most songs played on the radio these days. The song invites people to critically think about the ills that are happening in the society and urges people to take up more responsibility for their own lives. The lyrics of the song plead for societal healing and speak against misinformation and displaying negative images in the media. â€Å"Where is the love?† addresses issues of social injustice and lack of social cohesion in the American society as a result of racism and discrimination. The song insinuates that the cause of all these negativity in the society is a result of a lack of love among people, hence the question Where is the love? Process The song consists of three verses performed by rappers Will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap with additional vocals from singer Stacy Ferguson, widely know n by her stage name ‘Fergie’. The song’s hook repeats after every verse and is performed by Fergie. The hook is made up of three parts; the first part begins with the lyrics â€Å"People killin', people dyin', Children hurt and you hear them cryin', Can you practice what you preach, and would you turn the other cheek.†This part talks about violence that has led to many people dying, children becoming victims and also addresses issues

Climate Change - Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Climate Change - Global warming - Research Paper Example So speaking about climate change we don`t mean the present day changes but we look them through in the comparison with many years` data. Climate includes such features as the average temperature, amount of the rainfalls, number of sunny days and other changeable parameters which are different in the different places of the Earth. At the same time there are some processes that can influence not only conditions of the particular region but large territories on the planet. So we can speak about climate change. There are some definitions of this term that is widely used today. The Oxford dictionary (2014) gives us the definition â€Å"A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.† and the NOAA (2014) defined it as â€Å"A non-random change in climate that is measured over several decades or l onger. The change may be due to natural or human-induced causes.† For determination of climate change such indexes as changes of the average weather parameters and changes in the frequency of extreme weather phenomena are used. The reasons cause climate changes are dynamic processes on the Earth, external influences such as changes in the sun emanations and in the recent years - human activities. Modern climate change towards the warming is called â€Å"Global warming†. There are a lot of investigations that indicate changes of meteorological indexes and their influence on global climate changes and also the human life. The work of Sippel & Otto (2014) is focuses on a recent hot and dry summer with exceptional multi-day heat waves. Their own results and analyses of the literature demonstrate that intensity and frequency of monthly and 5-day warm temperature extremes in summer have increased

Change for the better Essay Example for Free

Change for the better Essay Describe a situation in which critical and creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think critically and creatively in similar situations. A situation that critical and creative thought could have been used for a better outcome is when buyers were making choices about buying real estate. There was a time back in 2006 thru 2007 that the real estate market was showing significant weakness where previously to that year it was thriving, but buyers were not thinking critically and creatively. Instead investors were being avaricious and they let their greedy ways of thinking make decisions for them. To make things poorer, lenders were very hostile in their lending procedures while nobody in the government was watching. Investors continue to buy properties at high prices. They were even paying over the listed prices for certain properties. Then there went it was ruined, and investors were trapped with nearly valueless properties. This is why and how thousands of properties started going into foreclosure. This was a hard lesson to learn but today the lending rules have changed thanks to a revamp of the lending practices. By thinking critically and creatively the government has constricted an improved unsupervised system. Define free will, truth, knowledge, and opinion. Explain how we use them to form thoughts. The moderate definition of free will is when people have choices when it comes to decisions like whether to attend an event or finish an assignment. Another example is getting up to go to work, although it may look uncontrollable, it really is a choice you make every day. For this reason, it is ironic that so much confusion exists about truth (Ruggiero, p. 27, 2009). Even otherwise intelligent people can be heard saying things such as â€Å"Everyone makes his or her own truth,† â€Å"One person’s truth is another person’s error,† â€Å"Truth is relative,† and â€Å"Truth is constantly changing† (Ruggiero, p. 27, 2009).All of these ideas undermine thinking (Ruggiero, p. 27, 2009). Knowledge can change as new information is becomes accessible. Ideas do not constitute knowledge unless they correspond to reality (Ruggiero, p.28, 2009). â€Å"Opinions are i ntensely personal, so it is understandable that people have strong feelings about theirs (Ruggiero, p. 34, 2009). But many people carry those feelings beyond the boundaries of good sense (Ruggiero, p. 34, 2009). They take the valid idea â€Å"Everyone has a right to his or her opinion† to the ridiculous extreme of â€Å"Everyone’s opinion is right† (Ruggiero, p. 34, 2009).

Casablanca Social And Political Mores Of Society Film Studies Essay

Casablanca Social And Political Mores Of Society Film Studies Essay The classical film Casablanca (1942) is a romantic story set in the times of World War II and is about two men who were in love with the same woman. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns the most popular nightclub and gambling hideout Ricks Cafà © Americian that is located in Casablanca. During the war many people wanted to escape Europe for America therefore, people who wanted to escape went to Ricks Cafà ©. Ricks cafà © became heaven for the people who wanted to escape looking to buy illegal letters of transit to allow them to escape. Unexpectedly a gorgeous lady, Ilsa Lazlo (Ingrid Bergman) enters the nightclub with her husband Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid). Ilsa was Ricks true love who had left him when the Nazis conquered Paris. Ilsa wanted her husband to escape to America; however, she wanted to stay behind in Casablanca after renewing her love with Rick. Though, Casablanca did not end in an entirely happy ending because Ilsa has escaped with Victor. The director (Michael Curtiz) uses many elements throughout the film such as: using actors, dialogue, elements of lighting, elements of camera movements, sound, editing and production design to show the audience the understanding of the whole story. The director used different styles throughout the whole film to send an emotional, and political messages implied by the characters action. Actors The director (Michael Curtiz) uses famous stars Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) in the romance film Casablanca. Rick as a mysterious handsome cafà © owner with a love past, set up in the business with his friend Sam (Dooley Wilson) as a piano player. In addition, all the refugees are under Ricks protection which means that he sells illegal documents for the refugees who wants o escape to America. Curtiz makes Ricks cafà © seem very real. In addition, the film focuses on Rick clash between love and virtue: since he must choose between doing the right thing by helping Ilsas husband (Victor Laszlo) escape or his love to her. Also Curtiz chooses Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) to be a beautiful lady who Rick falls in love with, and married to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Ilsas role is basically a lover and a help a great man (Victor). The movie is a metaphor for American involvement in World War II. Curtiz makes the dialogue very touching and ironically funny. Movement Casablanca obviously prefers closed formal compositions as opposed to open one, and opening framings play a famous role in the visual design and staging of shots (visual design refers to the static organization within shots while visual staging refers to organizational shifts within shots). I will speak about the scene where Rick had his Paris flashback and waiting for Ilsa to show up after she arrived to Casablanca. The shot demonstrated to the audience how the camera was moving from right to left movements from Ricks face to his hand which tips the glass. Moreover, the second shot shows the audience the camera movement that was following Sam the piano player walking on the right towards Rick leaving space between both Sam and Rick and the door was showing in the background. This shot sets up the audience for the approaching scene where Ilsa will enter unexpectedly from the door in the background. After that, Ricks grabs the alcohol bottle so he can pour a drink for himself; by doin g that it showed a clear view of Ilsas entrance. This scene provides attention towards Ilsas entrance. When Ilsa is about to enter the cafe both Rick and Sam immediately turned their heads towards the door, the lights where darkened before Ilsas entrance; and when Ilsa does enter, the lighting of the room is back and it highlights that Ilsa is framed by background door. In this scene there were many pauses on some parts to show the importance of the character or information such as the faces, hands, body movements and eyes. Therefore, by doing the pauses they will grab the attention of the audience towards the specific shot. According to Louis Giannetti, movements that are from right to left physical movement in this direction seems natural however, movements from left to right seems mysteriously tense and uncomfortable. (Giannetti, 2010). Sound As well, the major musical pattern which is the song that Ilsa asked Sam the piano player to play her and Ricks song As Times Goes By. The song showed the audience the love and romance between Ilsa and Rick. The music appeared again when Rick was lost in his sad memories, in the flash back sequence in Paris. By playing the song it will bring to the audience an emotional atmosphere. According Louis Giannetti in Understanding Movies, music merged with lyrics, music acquires a more real content because words have specific references to the film. With or without lyrics, music can be more specific when contrast with film images. (Giannetti, 2010). In Casablanca, while playing the music in Ricks flashback it showed the audience the love between both Rick and Ilsa. Furthermore, according to Louis Giannetti, loud sounds tend to be threatening and intense; however, quiet sounds strike as delicate, hesitant, and often weak. (Giannetti, 2010). Moreover, when Rick remembers the time he spent in Paris with Ilsa, when they were in the car driving or drinking wine together there was a soft music playing in the background which showed the audience that it is a romantic and happy scene. Also, when the German war planes were overhead, the tanks rolling down the road towards Paris and the German troops crossing the river the music that was playing in the background was loud which illustrated to the audience that there is danger. When Rick was going o take the train from Paris there was the sound of heavy rain at the station, and when the conductor says All aboard, last train leaving in three minutes this demonstrates to the audience a very anxious and nervous scene to whether Ilsa will be showing up or not. After remising there was a freeze shot where no music was played and suddenly music was played when Ilsa came in this illustrated that this is when something will unexpectedly happen. Lighting Moreover, Casablanca shows many techniques of film noir, mainly with the use of shadows and lighting throughout the film. The effect of lighting in Ricks Flashback to Paris is the only bright sequences in the whole film that helps the audience to understand the happiness of Rick and Ilsa when they were in Paris. Rick is sitting, drunk and in a total dark room remembering the good times he had with Ilsa in Paris. The sudden change from dark to light illustrates to the audience the comparison of how Rick was happy in Paris and unhappy now. The final scene in Paris, where Rick is waiting under the rain for the train, the cloudy gloomy clouds and dimmed lighting on the scene indicates that Ilsa will not be showing up. It tracks the set up pattern of the light scenes are the pleased and joyful and the dark scene are sad and misery. In addition, the logo in Paris cafà ©, a shadow on a white background, this shows the whole scene a bright and happy tone. This illustrates for the audience t he mood and purpose of the flashback. Moreover, the name of the cafà © La Belle Aurore which indicates the meaning of the beautiful sunrise; this is another point of the good times they have experienced in Paris. On the other hand, the logo for Ricks Cafà © Ricks Cafà © Americian, has white letters on a dark background which shows the differences between both cafes. This use of lighting demonstrates the happiness in Paris and the sadness in Casablanca. Furthermore, in Casablanca Ricks face is glowing through the whole film; however in one scene his face was not glowing (this shows that the shadows on Ricks face demonstrates the loss of the power). This scene is when Rick was drunk waiting for his love Ilsa in his cafà ©. This point out that Rick has lost all the power and that Ilsa holds significant influence on him. According to Louis Giannetti in Understanding Movies, the use of light and shadows creates mood and emotional impacts on films. While using spotlights, which are hi ghly selective in their focus and intensity, the director can guide the audiences eyes to any place of the scene. There are various different styles of lighting, usually is designed as a lighting key, the style is connected to the theme and mood of the film, as well as its type. Tragedies and melodramas films are usually lit in high contrast, with harsh shafts of lights and dramatic streaks of blackness such as Casablanca. In general, films have darkness suggests fear, evil, and the unknown. On the other hand, lightness suggests truth, joy, and security. (Giannetti, 2010) Dialogue In addition, the dialogue of this scene is very touching to the audience. After the Cafà © has closed and streets are empty, Rick is depressed sitting in a dark room while smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol heavily. Ricks face is completely unreadable. Sam feels that Rick is troubled and says to Rick Boss go home to bed. Rick stubbornly tells Sam that he is waiting for a lady Rick is expecting Ilsa to come back to him. Shes coming back; I know she is coming back. This shows the desperation and the bad mood Rick is feeling. Then Sam again feels that Rick is trouble and suggests that they should take the car, get drunk and drive all night or stay away until Ilsa is gone so Rick can avoid seeing Ilsa. This shows that Sam is worried about Rick. Before Rick starts to reminisce about the good memories both of them had, he then pound his fist down on the table and says out of all the cafes in town she has to walk in mine. Then Rick raises his head, trying to get his control and power back Rick madly orders Sam to repeat the song he played for Ilsa As Time Goes By: Rick: What is that your playing? Sam: Oh, just a little something on my own Rick: Well, stop it! You know what I want to hear Sam: No, I do not Rick: You played it for her; you can play it for me Sam: Well, I do not think I can remember Rick: If she can stand it, I can. Play it! While hearing As Time Goes By, the camera blurs into a dissolve from his face into a flashback- it takes Rick back to happier moments with the romance he had with Ilsa in Paris. Ricks remembers the past to oppose the explanation that Ilsa will tell Rick of her disloyalty in Paris. Rick feels rejected because of his true feeling for Ilsa and Ilsa leaving him in Paris without any explanation. At the end of Ricks remembering, the camera pans from left to right, locating Rick drunk. The camera relocates Rick on the left when unexpectedly the door of the cafà © opens. Ilsa appeared wearing a scarf and a white coat. As Rick expected, Ilsa has come back to him, but she gets up Ricks angry feelings by telling him that she would not have came to Casablanca if she had known he was here. Ilsa tries to talk to Rick but he refuses to hear the explanation she has. Rick hesitates in talking: Rick: Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places. (This showed the audience how miserable he is when he found his true love with another man). Ilsa: I would not have come if I had known that you were here. Believe me, Rick, it is true. I did not know. Rick: it is funny about your voice, how it has not changed. I can still hear it. Richard dear, I will go with you any place. We will get on a train together and never stops. (Rick saying this to Ilsa shows that he is being sarcastic and he is hurt). Ilsa: Please do not. Do not Rick! I can understand how you feel. Rick: Huh! You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey? Ilsa: I did not count the days. Rick: Well I did. Every one of them mostly, I remember the last one the wow finish. A guy standing on a station platform, in the rain with a comical look on his face, because his insides had been kicked out. After completing the conversation, Ilsa tries to continue explaining her past story, with tears in her eyes, the reason for keeping her secret from him earlier. But Ricks rude sarcasm and irritation stops Ilsa from continuing her explanation. Editing Furthermore, editing is a very important technique to any film. Editing is used expansively and is more stressed than other film techniques such as panning or dolly shots, angels, light, mise en scene and tracking. Editing is not only important for the storyline of the film but it is significant in the sense that it allows for the engaging of several types like action, romance, and history. Through the use of cuts, the director can show numerous coincident scenes at ones that represent a different genre. According Louis Giannetti in Understanding Movies, editing is and artistic and narrative process by which scenes shot for a film are put together to create a logical visual and a narrative form. One of the most important elements about editing is that it removes the unnecessary time and space in the film. With the connection of ideas, editing associates one shot with another or one scene with another. (Giannetti, 2010) Production Design The main point of a film is that it tells the audience the story. All the films are based around a plot or storyline that includes many scenes and sequences all of which it contributes to the overall story. The use of the camera and editing is an important element of moving the image language. The director uses basic elements to get their point to audience, such as: the dialogue sequences that occur by a series of shots from one actor to another, the sequences of the scenes that will point out their point in the film. The lighting of the film can show who, where and what is important. The music can illustrate the importance of the scene. They can also point out their point to the audience by illustrating it as a story such as Casablanca the director used a storytelling technique. The director raises the some types of questions that would be asked of any manuscript document- questions about its information content, its background context, and its historical influence. Also, demands of the close reflection of camera angle, lighting, shot composition, editing and the ways in which each of these and other elements of visual language add slight patterns of understanding. If not a frame-by-frame or shot-by-shot analysis, surely a scene-by-scene or sequence-by-sequence breakdown is essential for understanding the order of images and how they may play on one another and interact with whatever soundtrack there may be. (OConnor, 1988) Sum Up To sum up, lighting, movements, sound, actors, dialogue, and editing are very essential in a film. Therefore, these elements help to provide a vivid image in the audiences head, to point out their main issue across the film, and to emphasis the important parts throughout the whole film. The director should know all of the types of elements to make sure he/she uses the correct element added in the film. If the director uses the wrong element in the film he/she may be sending a wrong message or picture to the audience. Argument of Films Reflecting the Political and Social Mores of Society at the Time of Creation Some historians argue that films reflect the political and social mores of society at the time of creation and some say otherwise. This question is arguable because it can either be that the film reflects the political and social more of the society or the society drives the entertainment. However, social and political issues can affect films and films can affect the society. Any film can be based on a political issue or a social issue that is happing in the world for example, like financial crisis there has been many films made about it or based on a history of the famous piano player Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. Films can be based on a social issue that has to do with under age prostitutes, buying illegal guns such as Taxi Driver; this kind of social issue can be seen in the world. Films can do what books cannot do: provide the audience with a story, as well as an image to back up the story. Watching a film or a commercial is a very inactive activity, allowing the audience to sit, stare and absorb everything that is presented in the screen. Films can symbolize a powerful element that can spread the ideas in a quicker form. Film-makers often manipulate their audience into believing that what they are seeing is the truth. Some film makers can also twist the truth in the film. By using a variety of techniques in their film, an audiences feeling towards one subject or another can change after watching the film. While watching the film no matter what their political or social views, their views can be changed towards the end of the movie. This kind of reaction to the audience is because of the lighting, camera movements angles and overall screen play on the film. Films can affect society in various ways. For instance, many films can affect the audiences attitudes an d morals like horror and violent films in some cases the film makes the audience act out the way they see it in the film. The audiences can start acting violent and aggressive and by doing that they will affect the society as a whole. Moreover, war films often have big bodily fit men as sergeants and most of time they would be smoking cigarettes when showed in films. Many people started buying cigarettes to be like those men this also affects the society. According to The Journal of Marketing, the president of the California state senate recently held a hearing on the issue because he believes that screen smoking does have an impact on young people and he wants the industry to respond to this problem. (Pechmann Shih, 1999). This example shows the audience that films do affect the society and the industry. Drug films also teach the audiences that doing drugs makes the audience look cool or selling drugs can make you rich. Romance films show the audience that everything ends happily when in reality not everything ends happily. Those examples changes the way the audience sees things and changes in their beliefs, perspectives and values which also affects the society. Films are cultural works of art that are formed by cultures, which reflect those cultures. Films are considered to be a vital art form, a source of popular entertainment and an influential method of educating of teaching the audience. According to the book History in Images/ Images in History: Reflections on the Importance of Film and Television Study for an Understanding of the Past, what films hides in the cinematic gift are the moral narratives needed to maintain the society that produces and supports these stories in films in the first place. Film packages this social gift in alluring visual images, economic clarification, romantic myths, political explanations, emotional validation, and convincing religious and legal value systems. The generis narratives that characterize much of the current cinema are intended to be traditional are designed to generate a sense that the audience has moral responsibility to head the warning of the film. The advice which comprises the cinematic gi ft is concerned with how to be recognized and how to function as a proper individual in the particular society that offers the film. The audience is exposed to socially excused instructions about how the society and individuals should ideally function. If the film gives the audience social misinformation understood in terms of entertaining story, the audience must, according to the laws of reciprocity give it back a promise to maintain the type of society that will continue to create and support stories. Some audiences see life as if it were just like in the movies, films that are created and controlled by a small number of audiences who maintain a limited vision of the social as well as the individual body. (Mascia-Lees Sharpe, 1992). Since 1930s, films have become major factors in politics and the culture. Film and culture implement an overly simple, reflective model of the film-culture. The issue demands some understanding of theory and recognition of the need to understand a film as one part of a much larger, complex and ever-changing culture. Understanding a film as artifact needs a consideration of its production background, the difficult joint process involved in its creation, and the political or other reasons a film may be meant to serve. Based on the acknowledgment that the audience may read in a single film differently, attention has focused on the ways in which class, gender, and political associations influence the understanding of a films signs and symbols. Film makers should draw awareness to equally vital differences in the meaning films hold for people in various cultures or other eras. Film makers should ask themselves if the films current at the time, social or culture influences that may have le aning the audiences at some specific place and time in the past to react to a film in one way or another. (OConnor, 1988). Conclusion In other words, this is a debatable issue; research could not come to an answer, whether films reflect the political and social mores of society at the time of its creation due to the fact that it depends on each societys value and priority. However, film has a huge influence on forming our thinking or it sometimes reflects real life, the issue is important. Society can drive the entertainment industry. Social and political mores of society can affect films which create a film within a specific moral, social or political, for example, Casablanca it is driven by the society with a political issue since it was set at the time of War World II and the film was about the refugees trying to escape to America.

Ambulance Drivers during World War I :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Ambulance Drivers during World War I World War I allowed for the emergence of many new types of warring equipment. The airplane proved to be very useful and successful. The armored tank became an integral part of an army. However, one of the many new innovations that is frequently overlooked is the introduction of the ambulance. Even though ambulances were used as early as the 1480’s, they were first predominantly used in World War I. The main reason for this is the advent of the automobile. The first vehicles designed as ambulances were first used in 1792 by the French Army (Prose & Poetry). These were usually wagons pulled by slow animals, such as oxen. Because the ambulances were slow in addition to the rough terrain they had to pass through in battlefields, most patients were likely to die from the trip itself (Prose & Poetry). Additionally, the ambulances had bad reputations. They were considered as â€Å"driven by civilian drunkards and thieves who ran when they heard the guns† (qtd in Prose & Poetry). With the introduction of the automobile, the image of the ambulance changed. The ambulances were faster and performed their job much better. The novelty and the speed made driving an ambulance more acceptable to members of the better educated class in the United States (Prose & Poetry). This allowed ambulance organizations to recruit volunteers from ‘better’ schools, such as Harvard and Yale. Ironically, since the automobile was still new many recruits had to first learn how to drive. Because of the number of better educated volunteers, there were a significant number of famous authors that were ambulance drivers during World War I. They included Ernest Hemingway, W. Somerset Maugham, and E.E. Cummings (Literary). Three predominant volunteer ambulance groups were active in World War I: the American Field Service (AFS), Norton-Harjes, and the American Red Cross. When the United States entered the war, the AFS and Norton-Harjes merged into the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps (Literary). Many of these volunteer groups recruited drivers directly from colleges and universities around the United States.

Battered Womens Syndrome :: essays research papers

Battered Women's Syndrome: A Survey of Contemporary Theories Domestic Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1991, Governor William Weld modified parole regulations and permitted women to seek commutation if they could present evidence indicating they suffered from battered women's syndrome. A short while later, the Governor, citing spousal abuse as his impetus, released seven women convicted of killing their husbands, and the Great and General Court of Massachusetts enacted Mass. Gen. L. ch. 233, 23E (1993), which permits the introduction of evidence of abuse in criminal trials. These decisive acts brought the issue of domestic abuse to the public's attention and left many Massachusetts residents, lawyers and judges struggling to define battered women's syndrome. In order to help these individuals define battered women's syndrome, the origins and development of the three primary theories of the syndrome and recommended treatments are outlined below. I. The Classical Theory of Battered Women's Syndrome and its Origins   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), known in the mental health field as the clinician's bible, does not recognize battered women's syndrome as a distinct mental disorder. In fact, Dr. Lenore Walker, the architect of the classical battered women's syndrome theory, notes the syndrome is not an illness, but a theory that draws upon the principles of learned helplessness to explain why some women are unable to leave their abusers. Therefore, the classical battered women's syndrome theory is best regarded as an offshoot of the theory of learned helplessness and not a mental illness that afflicts abused women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theory of learned helplessness sought to account for the passive behavior subjects exhibited when placed in an uncontrollable environment. In the late 60's and early 70's, Martin Seligman, a famous researcher in the field of psychology, conducted a series of experiments in which dogs were placed in one of two types of cages. In the former cage, henceforth referred to as the shock cage, a bell would sound and the experimenters would electrify the entire floor seconds later, shocking the dog regardless of location. The latter cage, however, although similar in every other respect to the shock cage, contained a small area where the experimenters could administer no shock. Seligman observed that while the dogs in the latter cage learned to run to the nonelectrified area after a series of shocks, the dogs in the shock cage gave up trying to escape, even when placed in the latter cage and shown that escape was possible.

Thematic Analysis of Jack Londons White Fang Essay -- Jack London Whi

Thematic Analysis of Jack London's White Fang White Fang, written by Jack London, is a wonderful adventure novel that vividly depicts the life of a wolf by the name of White Fang. Throughout the course of the novel, White Fang goes through numerous learning experiences as he interacts with humans and other wolves from Alaska around the turn of the century. Jack London uses the events that transpire during White Fang's life to illustrate that only the cunning, intelligent, and strong will be able to survive. The ideas of Darwinism and survival are reinforced by almost every action that takes place in the novel. Man is shown defeating nature through superior intelligence, a wolf cub conquers his puppy-hood, and a young wolf survives despite the hardships placed upon him by man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the story begins, Jack London is quick to introduce his theme, but he opens the first three chapters without the main character, White Fang. Two men, named Bill and Henry, are trying to transport the body of a rich man across the frozen tundra of Alaska by sled dog, while a pack of hungry wolves is pursuing them. The wolves gradually kill off the team of dogs, and eventually Bill, in an attempt to survive the long winter. It is ironic in that both the wolves and Henry are struggling against each other for their lives. The wolves need to eat Henry to fight off their maddening hunger, and Henry needs to get rid of the wolves so he can remain living. In the end, Henry proves the victor of t...

Culture Shock Among International Students Essay

There are certain individuals that cannot adopt the environment in an instant. One good example is when an individual entered a new environment, thinking that he can cope with someone’s culture immediately. Methods of handling Culture Shock vary cross-culturally, all people make up with the situation and build their identity differently. Factors such as general behaviour, motivation to acclimatize, skills in language, fellow and host nationals support, the distance in cultural facet of two cultures involved and mainly familiarity made during the encounter are factors of degree of this acculturation of Culture Shock. Various people, such as tourists, international students, businessmen who have partners abroad and so on, can suffer from Culture Shock. In spite of the fact that international students face Culture Shock and have to overcome it fast, they are ready for it because they go abroad deliberately and know what they want. Nowadays Culture Shock has been interpreted in many ways by the people who already experienced it and by anthropologists studying it. In general, â€Å"Culture Shock can be defined as the process of initial adjustment to an unfamiliar environment† (Pedersen 34). Mostly, people who travel a lot in other country experience Culture Shock, whether it’s a temporary vacation or become a new resident for a certain place. All of a sudden the person is on the state of shock. Life becomes impulsive for them and they have problems with coping even with the simplest aspects of living. Culture Shock was first introduced in Kalvero Oberg’s literature, 1960. Oberg defines Culture Shock as â€Å"precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life† (176). Oberg talks about the visual aspects of culture such as customs, language and attitude as in contrast to beliefs and values they can be pragmatic. Individuals tend to judge visually and applying their beliefs is responsible for the anxiety. Many scientists establish their own meanings of Culture Shock but most of them are closely related to the definition of Oberg. For example, Hofstede defines Culture Shock as â€Å"a state of Makarova 2 distress following the transfer of a person to an unfamiliar cultural environment†, that can be accompanied by physical illness (97). Elisabeth Marx just simply calls it â€Å"the experience of foreignness† (71). Evidently, most of the definitions have in common, that Culture Shock is an unpleasant reaction encountered with an unfamiliar culture. According to Kalvero Oberg, Culture Shock has four stages. The Honeymoon Stage is where a person feels excited about the adventure. The Crisis or Cultural Shock Stage is when a person tries to look up for new things and becomes aware of the differences between his own culture and the other new culture. The Adjustment stage is the stage where the person starts to recover, accepts the new culture and sense of self comes back. And lastly the Adaptation Stage is when a person resumes his conversant pattern but now has a different contextual from the new culture (177). People who encounter this kind of situation behave in a very different way and have all sorts of feelings. In his original article, Oberg lists six main aspects of Culture Shock: 1) strain caused by the effort to adapt; 2) sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in relation to friends, status, profession and possessions; 3) feeling rejected by or rejecting members of the new culture; 4) confusion in role, values and self-identity; 5) anxiety and even disgust, anger about foreign practices; 6) feelings of helplessness, not being able to cope with the new environment (180). Bad temper, fears of being cheated, contaminated and injured or disregarded, the feeling of purposelessness are the signs of Culture Shock that Adler have observed (21). â€Å"The symptoms may range from mild irritation to surprise or disgust† (Scupin 124). It stands to reason, everybody reacts something new, unusual and strange differently. Almost everybody who spends some time abroad experiences the problem of Culture Shock due to cross-cultural differences. This hold true for international students as well who left their home countries to study overseas. Leaving home and travelling to study in a new country can be a stressful experience. Research provides substantial evidence that Culture Shock has negative effects on international students. But it should be mentioned that Culture Shock among them has some peculiarities. Firstly, students who goes abroad to study at universities leave their families and friends Makarova 3 at home, they have to live alone in another country where there are not acquaintances. They don’t have usual support close to them and first of all should meet new people and make friends with them. Secondly, the main task for students is to study, to concentrate on getting new knowledge, to learn a lot of information. But it is difficult enough because they find themselves in totally new surroundings. Thirdly, young people have to obey foreign teachers which have their special viewpoint and demands. They should forget about their habitual rules and adjust to new ones. Fourthly, it is necessary for them to count their money because prices can be higher or lower in comparison with their own country and at home it was their parents who paid for everything. That’s why, some students don’t just know how to spend money economically. So, keeping to a budget can help to survive. Fifthly, parents don’t always provide their children who study abroad with enough money. Moreover, students don’t always have a very large grant and sometimes they don’t have it at all. Therefore, young boys and girls have to find a job and earn money to help their parents and be able to buy what they want. Sixthly, unknown food, strange shops, new traffic code are everywhere and it isn’t easy to understand everything at once and get adjusted to it. Food should be tasted, shops – explored, rules – learnt and it can take much time. And seventhly, students don’t know anyone and every day they meet more and more people. Some of them are friendly and ready to help, some don’t pay attention to strangers, others can be hostile to foreigners. So, it is very important to start communicating with those who will help and support. These special feature can explain why international students should overcome Culture Shock fast. They just have no time to go through all stages, they have to study. It seems that Culture Shock affects the performance of international students either directly or indirectly, and most international students don’t know about this. For example, an international student can lock himself/herself in a his/her room the for whole day, not attending classes, doing nothing just looking out of the window or thinking about home. But finally they start using this time effectively and wisely, revising what they have studied, completing assignments and end up with better grades and results and meet deadlines. Other international students can even lock themselves in Makarova 4 a room for the whole week, do nothing just think about home, read news on the internet about home or chat with families and friends back home through Skype, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Most of them don’t know to what extent Culture Shock has affected them. For example some students take medicine almost every day or visit hospitals regularly without knowing that Culture Shock is the cause and has highly affected them that’s why they are in a such condition. No doubt, international students prepare for studying abroad for a long time, they dream of foreign universities and ready for Culture Shock beforehand. They study foreign language and country thoroughly because they are interested in it. They take a liking to the country where they are going to study, want to live and work there. Their pen-friends tell everything about customs, traditions and way of life of their country. Certain purposes of studying abroad are very important for these young people and students do their best to achieve them. Besides, there are a lot of international students from other countries in universities who also go through Culture Shock and they constantly help each other. Students who live in this country and study at these universities are very tolerant and patient to foreign students because they need other experience and opinions. The same can be said about teachers, they are always ready to support foreign students. Universities themselves can provide accommodation and a place to work because they need bright students and are able to help them. And of course, young boys and girls who live and study in foreign countries have constant support from home, often calls and messages from parents and friends. According to these facts, it can be said that most of the international students aren’t afraid of Culture Shock and handle it very easily. To sum up, international students are the most prepared for Culture Shock group of people, because studying abroad is their dream and goal. They want to enter foreign universities, they are eager to live overseas and Culture Shock are not able to prevent them from doing it. But at the same time, they should remember that Culture Shock is entirely normal, usually unavoidable and not a sign that they have made a mistake or that they won’t manage. In fact there are very positive aspects of culture shock. The Makarova 5 experience can be a significant learning experience, making them more aware of aspects of their own culture as well as the new culture they have entered. It will give them valuable skills that will serve them in many ways now and in the future and which will be part of the benefit of an international education. Makarova 6 Works Cited Adler, P. â€Å"The Transitional Experience: An Alternative View of Culture Shock. † Journal of Humanistic Psychology 1975: 13-23. Hofstede, G. H. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: N. P. , 1997. Marx, E. Breaking through Culture Shock: What You Need to Succeed in International Business. London: N. P. , 1999. Oberg, K. â€Å"Cultural Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments. † Practical Anthropologist 1960, 175-182. Pedersen, P. The Five Stages of Culture Shock: Critical Incidents around the World. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. Scupin, R. Cultural Anthropology: A Global Perspective. New York: Pearson, 2011.

Jealousy

In Shakespearean plays jealousy usually plays a considerable role in the causing the tragedy. Shakespeare shows great understanding in human nature and human tendencies. One aspect of human nature that he has a lot of insight on is jealousy. Shakespeare understands jealousy well, and is able to illustrate how jealousy can bring out the worst in people. In Othello , it is clear that in law relationships will fail because jealousy makes both parties of the relationship act evil.In addition, jealousy can cause the downfall of a marriage. Moreover jealousy can initiate the downfall of a friendship. Jealousy can bring out the evil and irrational actions in a relationship, resulting in the failure of the relationship. Family (In Law) relationships will fail due to both parties acting evilly and irrationally because of jealousy. Jealousy can cause the destruction of a good father daughter relationship causing a father to betray his daughter.Desdemona and his daughter had a good relationship because Barbantio says, â€Å"I therefore vouch again/ That with some mixtures powerful o'er the blood,/ Or with some dram, conjured this effect, He wrought upon her† (Act 1 scene 3, line 103-105). This shows that she would never have wanted to leave her father of her own free will before. However due to the jealousy towards Othello for winning his daughter, Barbantio betrays his own daughter when he says, â€Å"God be with you! I have done. (act 1 scene3 line189).This quote shows that Barbantio disowns and betrays his daughter because he is jealous that she has chose Othello over him, ending their father daughter relationship. Moreover, Barbantio and Othello had a good relationship until jealousy caused Barbantio to become racist. Othello says, â€Å"Her father loved me, oft invited me† (Act 1 scene3 line128), this shows that Barbantio and Othello had a good relationship. Afterwards, Barbantio exclaimed that, â€Å"I'd rather adopt a child then get it. † (Act 1 Scene 3 line 191). Barbantio is saying that he would rather adopt a child then have a half black grandchild.The jealousy causes Barbantio to become racist, ending their relationship. Therefore, jealousy can cause people in a Family(In Law) relationship to act with evil, resulting in the downfall of the family relationship. Jealousy can cause spouses to act evil and irrational, ensuring the downfall of the marriage. Husbands go from trusting their wives to distrusting their wives for the reason that jealousy causes them to, hence ending their marriage. Othello declared, â€Å"My life upon her faith! † in a response to Barbantio uttering, â€Å"She has deceived her father, and may thee. (Act1 scene 3 line 293), this shows that he is fully trusting of Desdemona in the beginning of their marriage. Then Othello becomes jealous of Cassio because he believes that Cassio is sleepingwith Desdemona, this jealousy initiates Othello's distrust in Desdemona. This distrust towards Desd emona results in Othello not believing Desdemona when she says that she is a â€Å"true/ and loyal wife† (Act 4 scene 2 line 34-5) results in the end of the relationship because Othello slays her because he suspects that she is cheating.Furthermore, jealousy can cause a member of the relationship to act illogically resulting in the collapse of the relationship. Othello started out as a very sensible person who would always think of a logical solution. For example, when Barbantio came to fight him he talked them out of a battle, he says, â€Å"Hold your hands,/ Both you of my inclining and the rest. /Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it/ Without a prompter† (Act1 Scene2 Line 83-85). This shows that he was in a logical state of mind before the jealousy caused him to become unreasonable.He became so unreasonable that he started seeing what the jealousy inside of him wanted to see. The jealousy caused him to be unreasonable to the point where a simple hanker chi ef, that Desdemona could have easily lost, triggered him into thinking that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair, which led to him plotting to kill both of them. Additionally, Othello and Desdemona's have a very pleasant marriage, until abuse starts because of jealousy. Othello went from show enormous amounts of affection towards Desdemona.When Othellos sees Desdemona for the first time in Cyprus he exclaims, â€Å"O my fair warrior† (act2 scene1 line 177) then Desdemona replies, â€Å"My dear Othello! â€Å"(Act 2 Scene1 Lines 178). This shows that there is a lot of affection in their relationship prior to jealousy making Othello very abusive. Othello becomes jealous that Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio, so his suspicion lead to him abusing Desdemona mentally by calling her a â€Å"Whore†. As a result, jealousy can evolve into the hammer that can break a wedlock!

Music 100 Essay

1. Form in music is different from the form in visual arts because in music it contains a beginning, ending, and the musical events that occur in between. 2. You can describe a composition form on many levels. 3. Binary form have repeated A and B sections usually of the same length. AABB form. Classical music and nursery rhymes are examples of music in binary form. 4. Some of the contexts that call and response is used are socialized interaction, stylized conversation, and imitation. 5. Sonata form is one of the most important forms of the Classical and Romantic periods and remains in use today. It has 3 sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. There is a progression of events that happen and each section plays a different function in developing the piece. (Hast, pg. 302-303, 2010) 6. The basic blues structure is a twelve bar strophic and made up of stanzas (or verses). The bar is a steady grouping of beats; each of this form is a group of four beats. These bars are further grouped into 3 phrases of 4 bars each. (Hast, pg. 304, 2010) 7. The typical sections of a contemporary North Indian classical instrumental performance are: 1) a three part alap (improvisation), 2) a two-part slow or medium tempo gat (composition), 3) improvisations based on the gat, 4) a fast gat, and 5) improvisations based on the fast gat. (Hast, pg. 312, 2010) 8. The performance or free jazz is different than playing the blues because they do not use the same form.

Factors That Influence Learning

TASK 18 – Outline the factors that influence learning. Learning is influenced by many factors such as attention, motivation and emotions as well as by learner characteristics like prior knowledge, cognitive and learning styles and intellectual capabilities. The following list shows a number of other factors that may also have a bearing on a pupil’s capability to learn: * Family * Culture * Gender * Impact of peers * Subject content * Teaching style * Learning skills * Recognition of need to learn * Past experiences of learning * Personal learning styles * Range of opportunities Awareness of the learning process * Barriers to learning * Rewards and punishments All these factors have an impact on the quality and quantity of learning for the pupil. For example: * Where cultural background encourages the experience of different learning opportunities then the pupil will have more opportunities of developing effective learning skills. * Not all pupils acknowledge the value o f learning. If a pupil has low-level skills, they may deny the importance of learning as a defence mechanism to prevent exposing themselves or the reason might be a lack of family or peer support for learning. Some pupils might be very much influenced by their peers, either having their own learning experiences enhanced or discouraged by peers. * If a pupil encounters a teaching approach that does not match their own learning style, they may be put at a disadvantage. * A productive and effective learning experience will encourage learning skills, which enables that pupil to successfully learn in other contexts. * Facilitators of learning might not provide effective rewards for learning, such as attention and praise.If the young person relies on rewards such as money or gifts for motivation then they will have difficulty learning in a non-reinforcing environment. Factors that may hinder learning for pupils with special educational needs may be attitudinal, organisational or practical . Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 2 Outline the principles of educational inclusion. Schools and teachers are now required to provide equality of opportunity for all children: * Boys and girls * Children with SEN * Children with disabilities Children from different social and cultural backgrounds * Children from different ethnic groups (including traveller’s, refugees and asylum seekers) * Those from diverse linguistic backgrounds The Government is committed to promoting the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities into mainstream schools that recognise and celebrate human diversity. Under UK legislation, educational institutions are required to ensure that no learner is prevented from participating fully in education or disadvantage because of factors such as: * Physical, sensory or cognitive impairment Ethnic or social background * Gender Inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs is a key principle of current educational policy and practice. Inclusion is a process by which local education authorities, schools and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils in mainstream education. Principles of an inclusive education service: * With the right training, strategies and support nearly all children with special educational needs can be successfully included in mainstream education. Schools, LEAs and others should actively seek to remove barriers to learning and participation. * An inclusive education service offers excellence and choice and incorporates the views of parents and children. * The interests of all pupils must be safeguarded. * All children should have access to an appropriate education that gives them the opportunity to achieve their personal potential. * Mainstream education will not always be right for every child all of the time.Equally just because mainstream education may not be right at a particular stage it does not p revent the child from being included successfully at a later stage. The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers and the Handbook for secondary teachers in England incorporates a statutory inclusion statement on providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils. It outlines how teachers can modify the National Curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each KS.It sets out three principles that are essential to developing a more inclusive curriculum: * Setting suitable learning challenges * Responding to pupils diverse learning needs * Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 3 Explain the importance of attitudes, skills and resources in the achievement of successful educational inclusion. Sometimes for children with special educational needs and disabilities, obstacles can stand in the way of them getting/achieving the right education and support.Factors that can affect success: * Special education professionals should work in partnership with parents and take into account views of parents in respect of their child’s particular needs * Special educational provision’s should take into account the wishes of the child concerned, taking into account their age and understanding * The culture, practice, management and deployment of resources in school should be designed to ensure all children’s needs are met * Interventions for each child should be reviewed regularly to assess their impact, the child’s progress and the views of the child, their teachers and their parents * LEAs, schools and settings should work together to ensure that any child’s special educational needs are identified early * LEAs, schools and settings should exploit good and best practice when devising interventions * There should be co-operation between all the agencie s and a multi-disciplinary approach to the resolution of issues Depending on the school setting the teaching assistant may play a vital role in supporting the children with SEN. The tasks that a teaching assistant may help with might include helping pupils with reading difficulties, supporting speech therapy programmes and helping pupils to access the curriculum. Explain the importance of encouraging independent learning when promoting educational inclusion.Independent learning concentrates on the creation of experiences and opportunities that help students to become self-reliant, self-motivated and lifelong learners. Independent learning focuses on the individuals need for independence and active participation in their own learning, both in school and in society. Independent learning is important because it is part of an ongoing, lifelong learning process that stimulates deeper thinking and reflection and promotes the continuing growth of students’ abilities and strengths. I ndependent learners develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to make responsible decisions and take actions dealing with their own learning.Teaching staff can help students take responsibility for their learning by providing opportunities and strategies for learning independently and by encouraging pupils to initiate and actively participate in their own learning. Learning is an interactive process among pupils and between teachers and pupils. Pupils engage in learning activities as individuals who are interdependent with other individuals in the classroom and wider society. Students will move towards independence in varying degrees, depending on factors such as age, skill level and ability in a particular subject. Natalie Levy Student no: SH 34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 4What support can a teaching assistant provide to a pupil with special educational needs? As a teaching assistant there are three aspects in fostering Independent Learning. They are: * The learning environment created by the staff * The relationship established between teacher and learner * The teaching and modelling of skills needed for independent learning A teaching assistant can play an important role in providing a supportive environment that encourages pupil motivation, self-confidence, interest and desire to learn. It is important that the teaching assistant, in order to promote independent learning, knows their students well and should reflect upon their pupils learning processes.In order to help the students succeed as independent learners, the teaching assistant needs to anticipate difficulties and offer support at crucial intervals. The teaching assistant must develop a good understanding of their students’ strengths and weaknesses (socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically) their exceptionalities, their health and their cultural backgrounds. The relationship between the teaching assistant and learner should foster increasing learner responsibility , meaning that as the student grows in maturity and understanding, they are able to take on greater responsibility for their own learning. An important aspect of the teaching assistant’s role is the teaching and modelling of skills needed for independent learning.The attitudes, skills and knowledge of independent learning will be fostered in students through ways in which the teaching assistant organises the classroom and instructs the student. * Teachers should utilise instructional techniques, strategies and approaches based on collaboration between learner and teacher. This will encourage student participation, both in determining goals and in monitoring the learning process. * Teachers should use approaches that foster student self-confidence and empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning. * Students should be taught activities which facilitate the transition to independence through modelling, demonstration and direct instruction of learning skills.Th ese should then be followed by practice opportunities provided by the teaching assistant, who in turn monitors the students’ progress towards their goals of independent decision making. * The teaching assistant should share with students what is being done and why an activity is useful. The goal is that learners will eventually make their own decisions, connect what they already know with what they are learning, make judgements and inferences, apply new ideas and derive pleasure from learning. The teaching assistant’s role is to be a patient facilitator, showing students how to learn independently, encouraging them, providing feedback and supporting their efforts.These are all crucial factors in providing a learning environment which fosters independent learning and which motivates students to pursue independent learning skills. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 5 List the stages of the statementing process. Children with SEN who attend mai nstream schools are placed on the SEN list in line with this guidance: * If they require provision which is different from, and additional to, that made for most pupils (â€Å"schools action†) * If the pupils fail to make adequate progress, further provision is to be made (â€Å"schools action plus†) The special educational needs of the majority of children should be met effectively through School Action and School Action Plus. In a small number of cases, where the child is still a ignificant cause for concern after intervention in School Action Plus, the school will ask the LEA for a Statutory Assessment. This involves the LEA, working co-operatively with parents, the child’s school and other agencies, where appropriate. The LEA will seek evidence from the school that strategies and programmes implemented over a period of time have been unsuccessful. The LEA will need information about the child’s progress over time and clear documentation on the childâ €™s SEN and the action taken to deal with these needs. They will then decide whether a statutory statement of the child’s educational needs is necessary. Statutory assessment does not always lead to a Statement of Special Educational Needs.The LEA then looks at the statement request. It may be that a certain child’s needs are very significant and complex, in which case the LEA will carry out a multi-agency assessment and then, if appropriate, provide a Statement of Special Educational Needs. A Statement of Special Educational Needs is a legal document that sums up all the advice gathered during the Statutory Assessment. It sets out what the child’s special educational needs are and the special educational provision required in order to meet them. It names the school where this provision is to be made and any other non-educational needs and provisions affecting arrangements at school.This will be reviewed at least every year but can be more frequent if profes sionals working with the child or the parents identify further concerns. A Statement of Special Educational Needs is split into six parts: 1. Identifies the child or young person and those with parental responsibility. 2. Identifies the needs of the child or young person. 3. Identifies the provision required to meet the needs as described in Part 2. 4. Names the school where the child or young person will be placed. 5. Identifies health needs 6. Determines what provisions are needed to meet those health needs. The provision required will normally be quantified in terms of hours of provision and staffing arrangements in order to meet the changing needs of the child.The school must provide: * Appropriate facilities and equipment, staffing arrangements and curriculum * Any modifications to the application of the National Curriculum * Appropriate exclusions from the application of the National Curriculum and changes needed to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum. Natalie Levy Studen t no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 6 All children with a statement should have short-term targets, set out in an IEP, prepared by the SENCO with the support from the external agencies and the class teacher. Throughout the process, local authority officers work with parents to reach agreement about the content of the statement.Where the LEA declines to provide a statement, the school may request a reassessment after six months. Parents also have the right to appeal against the decision to the SEN tribunal. List and explain the broad content of the SEN code of Practice. The SEN Code of Practice gives practical guidance on the fulfilment of functions under part 4 of the Education Act 1996 to local authorities, the governing bodies of maintained schools, settings in receipt of government funding to provide early education and to those who help them, including the health services and social services. It also provides general practical guidance to such settings about the provisio n of nursery education to children with special educational needs.The Code of Practice provides a framework for developing strong partnerships between parents, schools, LEAs and health and social services. It promotes a consistent approach to meeting children’s special educational needs and places the rights of children at the heart of the process, allowing them to be heard and to take part in the decision making process wherever possible. The focus is on ensuring that SEN are identified as quickly as possible. The code sets out five principles: * That children with SEN should have their needs met * That their needs will normally be met in mainstream schools * That the views of children should be sought and taken into account * That arents have a vital role to play in supporting their children’s education * Those children with SEN should be offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum in the foundation stage and later years. The Code sets out guidan ce on policies and procedures aimed at enabling pupils with SEN to reach their full potential, to be included fully in their school communities and make a successful transition to adulthood. It recommends that schools adopt a graduated approach to match provision to children’s SEN so that, where necessary, increasingly available specialist expertise can respond to a child’s individual needs if they do not make adequate progress.The Code also provides advice on carrying out statutory assessment of a child’s SEN and of making and maintaining a statement of SEN for children with severe and complex needs, this would include carrying out annual reviews of statements and planning for young people with SEN when they make the transition to college, training and employment. The Code emphasises the importance of involving children and parents in decision-making and of effective multi-agency, to combine services around the needs of the children and their families. List and explain the broad content of the LEA and school SEN policies. The responsibility of the LEA in respect of SEN is to: Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6Page no: 7 * Plan its overall special educational provision and review it periodically * Assess those pupils whose special needs may require a Statement of SEN * Ensure that the provision specified in the Statement of SEN has been made available * Initiate annual reviews of every Statement of SEN * Monitor the performance of its maintained schools and Support Services * Identify, assess and make provision for all pre-school children who may have special educational needs The LEA also has a duty to consult with schools, Health and Social Services and voluntary organisations over its SEN Policy, which it must publish and keep under review.Regulations require that the LEA must publish information on the arrangements they make for children with SEN in general. The policy covers all pupils and young people between the a ges of 0 – 19 who may/will experience some form of difficulty in their learning which may arise from a variety of factors, including those relating to the pupil or young person themselves, their learning environment and their social environment. The policy model has three key elements: * Philosophy – Relevant basic details. * Principles – Broad guidelines. General statements derived from the beliefs which can be interpreted by policy users to guide. * Procedures – Practical details.Operating routines and actions derived from the principles which cover the most common areas of policy application or critical events. Updating of the policy and evaluation of its implementation will be undertaken through annual review by the LEA’s SEN Management group, with due reference to SEN initiatives contained within the Education Development Plan and associated planning documents. The school SEN policy is a document that gathers together, in one place, all LEA gu idance and information on all aspects of special needs and inclusion. This includes Special Educational Needs and also many other issues to do with the management of inclusion in schools. It is intended as a management tool for senior managers in schools as well as SENCOs.The framework for the Special Educational Needs policy is provided by: * The United Nations convention on the Rights of the Children (Salamanca Statement) * The Children Act 1989 * The 1994 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (revised 2002) * The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 * The Education Act 1996 * Key DfEE regulations and circulars on the organisation of special educational needs * The Green Paper â€Å"Excellence for All† 1997 and the DfEE Programme of Action 1998 * The Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 * The Human Rights Act 1998 * The SEN Code of Practice (Draft) 2000 * The â€Å"Quality Protects† Management Action Plan * The SEN and Disability Act 2001 Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLCAssignment no:6 Page no: 8 TASK 19 – Research the responsibilities of all teaching and support staff for learners with special educational needs in a local school to you. Responsibilities and roles of staff/agencies from the school in which I am based. Class teacher: * Should always be aware of any children who are already on the SEN register. * Make sure time is made available for Termly and Annual Reviews. * Attend INSERVICE training. * Attend regular meetings with the SENCO. * Take account of different needs when planning. * Take into account the feelings of, wishes and knowledge of parents. * Maintain a class SEN file which is to be stored securely. Maintains confidentiality at all times. * Seek advice from the SENCO on strategies which might be used to help the pupil. Teaching Assistants/Learning Support Assistants: * Work on a one-to-one basis where necessary. * Allocated time to work with children at School Action and School Action Plus. * Attend INSERVI CE training. * Attend regular meetings with the SENCO. * Have a minimum of 20 hours per week to support children with SEN. SENCO: * Provide professional guidance to staff with the aim of providing high quality teaching. * Has an overview of provisions made for pupils with SEN. * Liaises with teachers, TA’s and multi-agencies when necessary. Ascertains which stage each child is operating at and reviews when appropriate. * Keeps an updated confidential register. * Arranges review meetings with parents/teachers. * Updates teachers on SEN children and explores/discusses current initiatives. * Responds to specific requests from teachers and other multi-agencies * Visit nursery, pre-schools and secondary schools to help with integration when moving in or on from our school. * Store SEN information securely and in an orderly fashion ensuring easy access. * Share information with the Head Teacher/teachers/TA’s where appropriate. Educational Psychologists: * Performs formal psy chological testing. Assess results and determine whether a child has special educational needs. * Give advice to teachers/TA’s in relation to particular pupils (requested through the SENCO) * Runs INSERVICE training on particular needs. * Carries out intervention work such as counselling, behaviour management and student study skills. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 9 Speech and Language Therapist: * Assesses the extent of the problem. * Makes a diagnosis of the problem. * Liaises with the SENCO/teacher/parent on the best programme of care for the child. School Nurse: * Carries out various hearing/sight tests. * Inform staff in the school setting of any particular health requirements. Trains staff if injections or other medical procedures are required. * Consult/refer to a doctor if they think other professional may be required in the care of the child. Peripatetic Teacher/Support Worker: * Assess and test the child. * Offer advice and guidance to teachers/TA’s. * Advises on specialist equipment when/if needed. In the school setting where I am the school will also contact other settings who offer OUTREACH services if there is a need. Outline the purpose and use of at least two different resources and two pieces of specialist equipment for learners with special educational needs that might be available in schools. Pupils with poor vision may have difficulty in using a normal computer.However there are a number of techniques that can be applied to assist pupils. Touch typing skills often make it possible to use a computer more effectively. They are particularly valuable for partially sighted and blind computer users as they remove the need to constantly look between the keyboard and the screen. Drills are used to practice each key and sequence of keys until the whole alphabet is covered. Large print keyboard stickers will help a pupil identify where the keys are, they are a learning tool rather than something to be re lied upon. These are available in different colours and styles. Many people with no usable vision, may find it useful to operate their computer by voice (known as voice in-voice out).The users speak and the software recognises what was said and types it into the computer. This means that: * Words are correctly spelled. * The user’s flow is not interrupted by having to stop and worry about spelling. * The need to type or hand write is removed – this is also helpful if the user is also dyspraxic. Speech output is also used. This means the user does not need to be able to see the screen to use a computer. Software called a screen-reader can intelligently send all information to a voice synthesiser such as what is being typed, what has been typed and menu options. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 10Pupils with very poor motor skills will often struggle with normal computers as well. They may find it hard to relate the movement of their hand on the mouse to the movement of the cursor on screen. In these instances it may be that a trackball or joystick is easier to use. A normal keyboard has over 100 keys and can sometimes be very confusing to the user; again key stop stickers could be used. Lowercase keyboards can be used (a standard keyboard but in lower case only) and also overlay keyboards (touch sensitive membranes which slide over the top of a normal keyboard and determine the functions of the keyboard). All of the above are available in the setting where I am and make it easier for the user.They feel confident using computers and can also join in mainstream ICT lessons. Explain the contents and purpose of an individual education plan and explain how a teaching assistant could contribute towards achieving its aim. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a planning, teaching and reviewing tool. It should support the process of planning intervention for an individual pupil with SEN. IEPs should be teaching and learning plans setting out â€Å"what, â€Å"how† and â€Å"how often† particular knowledge, understanding and skills should be taught through additional or different activities from those provided for all pupils through the differentiated curriculum.Wherever possible pupils should be involved in setting their own targets for the IEP, in agreeing and implementing appropriate strategies and evaluating the outcomes. IEPs should: * Raise achievement for pupils with SEN * Be seen as working documents * Use a simple format * Detail provision additional to or different from those generally available for all pupils * Detail targets which are extra or different from those for most pupils * Be jargon free * Be comprehensible to all staff and parents * Be distributed to all staff as necessary * Promote effective planning * Help pupils monitor their own progress * Result in good planning and intervention by staff * Result in the achievement of specified learning goals for pupils with SEN IEPs should focus on: Up to three or four key individual targets set to help meet the individual pupil’s needs and particular priorities * Targets should relate to key areas in communication, literacy, mathematics and aspects of behaviour or physical skills * The pupil’s strengths and successes should underpin targets set and the strategies used Though not included in the IEP teachers should always refer back to the pupil’s Individual Pupil Record to get information on their baseline or entry level assessment as well as information about the pupil’s particular needs and current strengths. This profile should also include information regarding the pupils needs in relation to general strategies such as: Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 11 * The short-term targets set for or by the pupil * The teaching strategies to be used * The provision to be put in place * When the plan is to be reviewed * Success and/or exit criteria * Out comes (to be recorded when IEP is reviewed) Success criteria in an IEP means that targets have been achieved and new targets need to be set, whilst exit criteria means that not only have targets been achieved but that an IEP may no longer be required.Teachers should always aim to talk to pupils about their IEPs in a quiet place away from the rest of the class. A teaching assistant can contribute towards achieving the IEP aims by: * Providing a positive caring and learning environment that promotes improved self esteem and confidence * Supporting the child on a one-to-one basis in the area of disability e. g. reading, writing * Providing a quiet place to work * Keeping instructions direct and simple, one at a time. Repeating and rephrasing instructions where necessary * Providing visual cues and peer mentoring * Providing consistent and ongoing clarification * Teaching the child â€Å"strategies† not just facts Reducing working time and expectations initially to ensure the chi ld is successful * Trying to ensure that there is a good partnership between home and the school setting and keeping parents informed as to how they can support their child at home. Describe how you might carry out a case study for a learner with special educational needs and what information it should contain. To carry out a case study for a learner with special educational needs the objective is to portray: * How the learner’s needs are identified * The learning experiences and provisions in place for them * The levels of satisfaction, appropriateness and challenge for the learner * The learning impacts and outcomes for themIn a case study I would need to conduct a range of interviews with: * The individual learner (except in the case of a very young person) * Relatives or friends who might have a perspective on the learners experience and development * Those directly providing the learning opportunities at an operational level (tutors, teachers etc) this would usually incl ude local authority representatives. Questions I may need to ask are: * How are the learner’s needs identified and what learning experiences are in place for them? * Are the learner’s satisfied and challenged? * What are the learning impacts and outcomes for them? Natalie Levy Student no: SH 34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 12Where a pupils’ learning has been supported, helped or promoted by local authorities already, my report should identify the nature of the learning experiences, the outcome derived by the individual learner, the factors contributing to the effectiveness of the learning opportunity and key factors that contributed to the success. Alternatively, where a pupil has not been supported, helped or promoted I should include in the report the key factors and barriers affecting achievement. My report should draw out key messages for local authority staff, schools and other organisations and individuals concerned with successful learning. In short a case study should include: * The relevant characteristics of the learner * How his/her learning needs were identified, or the learning opportunities were accessed * Standard of achievement * Quality of access to curriculum * Support available Quality and effectiveness of support * How well providers work in partnership * Barriers that prevent the learner accessing appropriate curriculum and support * Key factors and barriers affecting the achievement in these outcomes * Progress made * Examine and illustrate the distinct role and contribution of the local authority leadership in promoting and ensuring learning * Key issues for action * The next steps or future developments both for the learner and local authority and other providers who may be involved. Design a brief that could be used to advise school staff of the guidelines in confidentiality in an imaginary school. See attached document.