A Critical Reflection on Learning Society and Learner Identities Essay

The paper draws on the historical experiences of learning society and learner identities from the normative and sociological paradigms which have extensively determined how the experiences of learning have been shaped and how learning society should be constituted. In light of this, patterns of participation in learning process are engaged through a concise interplay between the course of life and their determinants. Focusing on examination as a key factor in the official discourse of learning society, the whole concept of learning society and learner identity can comprehensively be argued within the parameters of sociological construction through theories of human capital, functionalism, symbolic, post modern among others. Through a critical evaluation and reflection, the history of learning society as well as learner identities reveal that the underlying motivation of learning society leans on the uncalled for abstraction of economic behaviors which range from social relations to the individual learner’s participation in the lifetime process of learning. Introduction The underlying principle of learning society and leaner identity is founded within the fundamental of the predominant interplay between social capital and cultural aspects with education. Exploring the inherent meaning of education and learning in the lives of individuals typifies a particular focus on the perpetual element of learning in the social milieu of a rapidly changing society. Researchers contend that the social revolution towards a contemporary society is typical of globalization therefore, life long learning portend a relationship with learning society within the theoretical paradigm that will help in analyzing and evaluating the inherent meaning of education (Coffield, 2001). The process focus on leaving learners with options of developing their own learner identities as inspired by the learning process as well as the pedagogic approaches to education. The experiences and the hitherto identities propel a situation that determine whether the learner goes back to school and learn at least something knew; because, the whole question of the learning society is to enhance the individual’s bargaining power to better their social and economic positions in life through a clear understanding of themselves. Learning Society: A Reflection on the Influence of formal Education on Learner Identity In a multiple deprived modern global community, learning society and learner identities facilitates a broader evaluation of maximum social utility of learning guided by the pedagogical approaches used in the social construction. As a result, learning identities become created and basing on the model of community development, participants in the community development are learners who exhibit such characteristics through a learning process. They are thus encouraged to learn irrespective of age or status; all in a bid to gain accreditation of developing their own knowledge and skills. This extensively develops their leaning identities and gives them a leeway to access other learning. According to Alheit (1992), education as a national social institution can be argued to form part of the global structure. This means that information technology and largely the digital age forms the modern global infrastructure of education and thus, the learning society is inspired and directed by technology to impact on the experiences of a learner within the realms of education. Maguire (2006) further asserts that as the goal of education continues to change over the years due to the element of social integration and formation of economic advantage, many individuals who had dropped out of school or similarly stopped at some level prefer to go back and begin learning. Significantly, it is obvious that from a symbolic and conflict theoretical understanding, the concept of adult education comes into play guided by the principle of skill formation in the context of a strengthened global economic competition. Arguably, increased convergence system of education has become a trend which remarkably points the difference between the traditional attitudes of education versus the modern attitudes. The meaning of education is clearly construed in three levels which are elaborate. Firstly, learning society and learners identity is historically and sociologically explained within the efforts to understand how people use education and the resultant knowledge and skills to construct their courses in life. Secondly, the educational and learning experiences mean different phenomenon to different learners especially within the content of producing as well as forming their identities. Finally, learning society and learner identity become the epicenter of understanding significant experiences that people have with regard to different stages in their lives. This also borders the line whether those experiences originate at work, in school, during leisure time pursuits or during adult study (Antikainen et al, 1996). Accordingly, questions such as the substance, social context and formal education form the important milestones in the learning experience. From the traditional outlook, educators and many members of the society have believed that education is productive. This means that the effects of education are reflected in the experiences a learner goes through in the process of learning as well as after learning. In view of this, the experiences one endures in relation to education break down the universal function of education and somewhat give it a different understanding. Hodgson (2000) postulates that the individualized learning experiences have led scholars to hypothesize several emancipatory meaning of education. Essentially, it is plausible to argue that with the existence of life long and cultural patterns of education in the society, a learning society continues to emerge thus inspiring many individuals to go back to school and learn something new based on the social or economic significance attached to the concept that is learned. For instance, as an immigrant to the United States, there is dire need to learn English for both social communicative purposes as well as official business transactions. In light of this, although the immigrant may be an adult, he goes to learn at a mature age due to the cultural shift and social position in the society. The trends in the educational circles necessitate the learning society. In essence, the flow of information, knowledge as well as students from across regional and national borders is a contemporary trend that can serve as a typical example of westernization as well as global diffusion of local educational products (Husen, 2004). Young (2009) further outlines that globalization is key to learning society and leaner identities. To illustrate, it is evident that regardless of the age, status and racial backgrounds, individual members of the society tend to embrace a contemporary computer based approach of education to continue learning. Such cases are characteristic of E-learning, distant leaning as well as the emergence of virtual institutions; a factor that inspires the attitude for lifelong learning and shapes the identities of learners to reflect a more contemporary one as opposed to the historical approach towards learning. Every situation in the present society calls for problem solving, critical and creative thinking and apt communication skills and this deep feature of the globalised society steers individuals to be always on the search for education, skills and knowledge.

Developing Yourself and Others Essay

In order to carry development needs analysis on myself, I made use of customer feedback surveys that include customer complaints and compliments. This technique is representative of the entire customer opinion as KAYA Doncaster is the sole customer for which the team is contracted to. KAYA Doncaster has a procedure to ensure feedback to its service provider through completing surveys, complain or commendation. The survey is based on the performance of my team as a whole, providing the service. This reflects on my people management skills and allocation of tasks. To assess the developing needs of my team member, Y, I make use of one to one interview technique. This technique allows me to explore employees’ opinions, have an in-depth discussion. This technique is useful for understanding opinions and feelings and helpful in exploring a range of views. To identify any particular learning style for myself or my team member, I made use of the Learning Style questionnaire developed by Honey and Mumford. The learning styles identified by the questionnaire were based upon the work of Kolb. The outcome of the questionnaire has revealed that I share both pragmatism and reflective learning styles. My pragmatism approach makes me keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice and also I positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. I like to get on with things and act quickly on ideas which I feel more confident. I perceive problems and opportunities as challenges. Occasionally I tend to also take a reflective learning style where it makes me stand back to ponder experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. I like to collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to a conclusion. The outcome of the questionnaire has revealed that my team member has a more  activist learning style. Activists are those people who learn by doing. They need to get their hands dirty, to dive in with both feet first. They have an open-minded approach to learning, involving them fully and without bias in new experiences. The first learning option available for me is through analysis of previous experiences. Those past experiences can therefore cater to provide solution for any current or arising problems. My second option would be to shadow a successful colleague from a different site to enable me to see a first-hand operation within the organisation for relevant problems or situations. For Y, brainstorming about the task would generate new ideas and assigning these ideas hands-on would be the first learning/development option. The second option would be to get Y to be involved directly in group discussions so as to give the Opportunity to learn through actively expressing and learning from the group discussion Shadowing would require allocation to a different site and also it will be done during my normal working hours. Physical presence to a different site during my normal working hours can represent a barrier to the learning/development option. To overcome this, transport mode/cost and a dedicated day within my working agenda can be provided to make it achievable. Brainstorming and group discussion are time consuming and will be based on availability of staff time. To overcome this, brainstorming sessions or group discussions will have to be allocated on non-busy days. Monitoring my own development will be based on analysing performance pre and post shadowing. Any changes arising from the learning activity whilst shadowing will reflect on the best way of performing task and these changes can be looked into and adapt to other tasks in order to better them for future. Minutes from group discussions and brainstorming sessions for any new ideas generated should be kept. On future one to one interviews with the team member, the implementation of these ideas should be reflected upon to analyse their outcome. Successful outcome will indicate progression of the team member and unsatisfactory will enable to understand any barriers to implement them and support needed to overcome these barriers.

Toward An Intelligence beyond Mans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Toward An Intelligence beyond Mans - Essay Example As these form of computers are evolving, many of them will actually mimic humans in doing some roles better than them to an extent of blurring the difference between humans and computers. Generally, these computers will be regarded as artificially intelligent creations that will have the capability of absorbing large quantities of information, store and process them, at a faster speed compared to the slow human brains. The only thing which with the time that can be incorporated in such computers to totally give it an upper hand on humans, is when they shall be incorporated with human feelings. Computers will hence become faster and better, â€Å"Computers match people in some roles, and when decisions fast are needed in a crisis, they often outclass them†. Computers will hence be part of our evolutionary process. Ever since 100,000 years ago, the human brain has not changed that much in terms of its capacity of holding information. The human brain cannot accommodate large chun ks of information at once. Computers, on the other hand, provide humans with a chance to store large quantities of information and skip an evolutionary process of developing super accommodative brains. With time, human beings will form a symbiotic relationship with computers. Human beings will be expected to give them electricity and reproduce them while in return they can offer their economic and social needs, â€Å"Child of man’s brain rather than his loins, it will become his salvation in a world of crushing complexity†.

Political and Economical Polices of the Soviet Union Assignment

Political and Economical Polices of the Soviet Union - Assignment Example The term Glasnost is related to the Soviet Union’s open policy on different branches of the government. On the other side, the Perestroika is generally the reformatory political movement in the Soviet Union aiming to bring forth economic and political restructuring. Before trying to evaluate the relevance of these policies at present, one must try to understand the problems which forced the government to implement the same. These policies are still relevant at present in Russian context because the same can help this nation to ensure smooth functioning of the government machinery. Besides, the transformation of Russian Communism from humane concern to Stalinism resulted in the degradation of the system as a whole. One can see that implementation of innovative economic and political policies can help a nation to be at the forefront of development. Within this scenario, change in economic and political policies, apart from Communist ideology, helped Russia to enjoy the benefits of modernization. So, these policies proved to be successful by limiting the influence of Stalinism and prove to be relevant at present. One can see that the US-Russian relations at present are based upon mutual understanding and co-operation. During the Cold War, the relationship was not smooth but based upon suspicion. Besides, both the nations tried their level best to divide the world nations into different blocs based upon ideological differences. In addition, the change in Russian political and economic policies was helpful to move rapidly towards development. Now, the US government does not consider Russia as a potential enemy in the international arena.  

Old dependency ratio(demography) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Old dependency ratio(demography) - Lab Report Example The question remains, what other factors are likely to be varied, simultaneously, along the change? How have people’s behavior been adjusted and in what manners? Whether the high dependency ratio is a burden on working population or the situation is merely another social outcome of the demographic transition; without concluding it to be negative or positive? Figure.1 is a diagram of historical data, projecting â€Å"old dependency ratio† in U.S. As graph shows, old dependency ratio has been substantially raised historically due to both lower fertility and reduced mortality of old population. It is anticipated to sharply increase after 2010s. From year 1950 to 2010 the ODR changed from a value of 0.14 to 0.22, where as the likely jump for the period from 2010 to 2030 will be from a value of 0.22 to 0.35 (all figures are noted approximately) (the change for 20 years after 2010 is almost double the change between 1950 and 2010). The projected sharp increase (from 2010 to 2030) can be interpreted as a result of post WWII baby boom from 1946-1964. From 2010s, some of the babies born between 1946 and 1964 will be over 65. The diagram indicates that during this period there will be a huge financial burden on rest of the population (the working population). However, it is pre-mature to assume a negative situation without further investigation into more details. Something favorable might be happening as a consequence of demographic changes in the population ratios of the old and young. There are factors which might change as consequence of change in the old dependency ratio. This change might be helpful rather than being adverse. First of all, let us look at the historical data of expenditure on education. Table 1 and Table 2 show the yearly expenditure on education as well as income over the years. Table 1 shows this data on the

How Social Media Changed the Way people Communicate Essay

How Social Media Changed the Way people Communicate - Essay Example Papyrus helped in improving communication during the time as it could be moved from one place to another. Additionally, smoke signals were relied on during the prehistoric age. The smoke signals were popular among the American Indians (History World, n.d.). On the other hand, the sending of written message is thought to have begun on 6th century BC. Most of the government in this era relied on written content for communication. The Persians were the first to rely on written form of communication (History World, n.d.). On the later period, people focused on ways of improving the speed of the messenger. Such form of advance focused on developing excellent roads, fast riders and well-provisioned staging posts that were more accessible to freshmen and horses (History World, n.d). The effectiveness of communication was further improved by use of domesticated pigeons in the 11th century (History World, n.d.). Moreover, communication was quickly revived with the development of the printing press (History World, n.d.). The first publication were made in Germany in 15th century and then spread to the rest of the world. After this period, different printing press emerged in Switzerland, Venus, Paris, London, and Sweden (History World, n.d.). Consequently, the printing of books and pamphlets begun in these areas most of which were used in transmitting propaganda. Moreover, the printing press was followed by the advent of newspapers in the 17th century (History World, n.d.). The various disharmonies that were taking place in Europe made many people longing for information about the latest events (History World, n.d.). Consequently, the printers and publishers put more effort in ensuring people had the necessary information on time. The most published papers at the time were from Germany. Communication was rapidly improved in the 19th century. The invention in this era led to the development of letter, Penny post, and affordable post (Lambert, 2013). Moreover, there was the invention of telegraph, and this made it possible to send a message over a long distance in an efficient way. Furthermore, there as development of fax machine and telephone in 184 and 1876 (Lambert, 2013). Indeed, communication improved significantly in the 20th century. At this period, radios and televisions were developed and covered information during war (Lambert, 2013). Consequently, information was readily available. Later years saw the rise of telephone. In fact, this allowed making of calls and passing of commercial text through the mobile phone. In the 21st century, communication has been totally revolutionized. The transformation has taken place through the emergence of internet. Consequently, various forms of social sites have emerged such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and email (Tuft University, 2013, p.1). Therefore, communication has been made easy and efficient. A reflection on different types of social media social media helps in highlighting ways in which communic ation has been changed; this occurs in terms of society interaction, awareness on various issues taking place in the world, control over people lives, increased transparency, increased avenues of communication, and change of ways of society communicate. Social Media Social media has provided a platform for interaction of people. â€Å"The social sites help people make, share, and/ or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks†

Benjamin Franklin's inventions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benjamin Franklin's inventions - Essay Example Out of this situation, he had two pairs of spectacles cut into half and each half put lens in one frame. This invention is today known as bifocals. Commonly, bifocals are prescribed to persons with a condition called presbyopia (Barretta and Matthew 37). This paper will discuss some of the most prominent inventions of Benjamin Franklin. Although Franklin did not event electricity, he discovered many things regarding it that had previously not been understood. He showed that electricity comprised of a common element that he named â€Å"electric fire. Prior to his experimentation, people thought that electricity comprised two opposing forces (Randolph 58). He further showed that electricity was fluid like a liquid that passed from one body to another but never destroyed. His work about this experimentation became the foundation of the single fluid theory. Additionally, he coined important terms during his experiments, which are presently used in electrical engineering. These terms inc lude charge, minus, plus, armature, positively, conductor, negatively, and condenser. In relation to electricity, he invented lightning rod (Barretta and Matthew 44). ... Franklin also invented stove that came to be known as Franklin stove. It was invented in 1742; it is a metal-lined fireplace that is placed in the middle of the room. Prior to this invention, fireplaces warmed homes in America. This stove has rear baffles designed to improve airflow (Barretta and Matthew 47). Unlike a fireplace, it uses less heat and provides heat with less smoke. It has cast-iron furnace that radiates heat in all directions from the middle of the room, and the iron walls that absorb heat evenly (Randolph 96). This design ensures that it provides warmth to the room even after the fire has gone out. Besides, Franklin invented glass armonica that enhanced harmony in music. This mechanized instrument premiered in early 1762 when Marianne Davies played it. It was foot-treadle-operated instrument holding 37 glass bowls. The player of the instrument touched the bowls’ rims with fingered moistened from water trough (Barretta and Matthew 65). In addition to the above inventions, Franklin made other inventions that either are used today or formed basis for future inventions. He invented flexible urinary catheter. During his day, catheters were quite painful and rigid; tubes were inserted into the bladder through the urethra in order to drain urine from the body. He devised a catheter that had flexible tube thus making it less painful (Barretta and Matthew 83). It is important to note that this invention was inspired by Franklin’s desire to ease some discomfort for his brother who was suffering from kidney stones. Moreover, he invented odometer; he was curious as to the distance he was traveling by carriage as a postmaster, particularly for his travels between Boston and Philadelphia. Although the odometer

Integrative strategic workshops and simulation Essay

Integrative strategic workshops and simulation - Essay Example The knowledge industry therefore has to deliver custom made solutions to its customers . Their close relationship is sometimes evident in their language as well. The features of the production are: flexible, creative, complex problem solving and dictated by the individual customers. As a future caution Sveiby has advised to adapt to the needs of their clients, to tailor-make their problem solving. They have to be very careful as to how they organise in order to make room for creativity and to maintain and develop the valuable knowledge of their employees as their prime assets. The two major trends of knowledge management have been observed by Kasten (2007) . Financial institutions, particularly banks, operate on universal rather than local structures and have centralised organisation. These are interested in stability and position within the industry. These organisations do not rely on specialised knowledge as much as the healthcare sector hence have a less finely divided internal structure. Hospitals have decentralised knowledge organisations and are forever in the pursuit of innovative and useful knowledge. These healthcare organisations a re human based rather than technology based as are the financial institutions (Kasten 2007). ... organizations. Available http://www.sveiby.com/articles/KnowledgeStrategy.htm Task 2 invisible balance sheet: Nokia has about $ 183 billion worth of intangible assets coming from the difference between market value of $ 190 billion and book value of 5.7 billion. These invisible assets, which no accountant mentions, comprised of patents , concepts, models and computer systems etc (internal structures), The brand name, image, trademarks, customer and supplier relationship (external structures). The intangible assets are generally not liquid and are self finances since banks do not finance these. The third category of internal assets is values, experience ,education and social skills of employees. The invisible balance sheet measures internal assests. In Aug 2001 Nokia lost assets worth & 86 billion yet remained a market leader in telecom sector. The loss was of the invisible assets while its visible assets remained high. Bhutoria (N. D.) states that besides the customer base and strength of operation, a company has human capital as important asset. After all it is the human capital that ensures smooth running of operations and acquiring and retaining the customers. An employee is professional when he is an expert in his chosen field, he may be a role model for others. A person has a set of competencies each of which has a value. When such a person leaves the organisation that much capital is lost. An employee's expected economic value to the firm corresponds to the future earnings of the employee for the remaining active service life. It should also include career movement or possibility of employee leaving the organisation. However, since it is difficult to evaluate employees on individual basis so a group valuation should rather be performed

Statement of purpose 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statement of purpose 4 - Essay Example The fees are the least of my concerns for now because I know that in the end, all my sacrifices will pay off whatever I will spend as I enter your university to get the education I so much desire to enhance my communication and teaching skills. I am Hashem Adnan Ahmed Hussein Abdullah Jasem, a Kuwaiti who is proficient in Arabic and the English languages. I am currently employed at the Ministry of Education in Kuwait as an intermediate school English teacher specifically for boys, starting during the last quarter of last year. Being new in the profession, I found out I still have so much to learn and one of which is about teaching the English language to speakers of other languages. When I was a student myself, it all seemed so easy for me to teach the English language but that, I now realize, was because I had the inclination to easily learn foreign languages. Learning however, is an entirely different thing because in the learning process, I concentrated more on how I could assimil ate all the information given me at the speed I desired. Teaching on the other hand involves learning and imparting what one has learned, to various students who have different levels of speed in absorbing the information given. ... experience, I searched for schools that could accommodate me and at the same time cater to my needs and I found your good school to meet the help I am seeking for to improve me in my chosen profession. I believe I could work well with my professors if given the chance because I know I have the determination and passion of a young student who so much desires to be educated by efficient instructors who know how to bring out the potentials of their students. I am completely confident that your institution has all the resources not only materially but especially in the employment of quality educators. I have gone over the program of the school for the course I like to enroll in and I pretty much like it especially practical teaching, research methods in language learning and teaching and the theories of foreign language learning. I believe these programs would help me a lot in the improvement of my skills when it comes to communication and teaching the language I am most interested in, E nglish. As an applicant to your well-known school, I am looking forward to be a part of your achievements with my humble contributions. Being young and voracious to learning, I know the university can take advantage of my possible contributions, though they might not be world-changing. I have been a good student, though not excellent enough to claim awards but my involvement to sports could give me some good credits. I have been an enthusiastic football player since I was eleven and have been privileged to be a part of the team sent to the Arabian games tournament for schools in Algeria in 2006. In addition to that, I also took part in the football team of our college which won the Kuwait University Championship Games for three consecutive years during my stay in college. Currently, I am

Impact of Financial Markets on Economy, Businesses, and Individuals Assignment - 1

Impact of Financial Markets on Economy, Businesses, and Individuals - Assignment Example Retirees depend highly on the returns of their pension funds. Thus, a fall in stock prices may lead to a loss to a portion of the syndicated investment of the funding in the stock market, reducing the overall return and giving them less purchasing power The federal reserve of the United States is the central bank of the country which facilitates the banking system of the country. It provides services for account maintenance, payment and collection services, circulation currency and transferring funds. For the government it acts as a fiscal agent by honouring treasury check, electronically processing transactions and handling the issuance, transfer and redeem of government securities The board of governors is appointed by the president to serve 14 years of office. Their primary responsibility includes the formulation of the monetary policy, approving the currency circulation limitations and setting cash reserve requirements for the commercial banks (FederalReserve.gov, 2014). The board focuses on developing swift payments system in the country and implementing laws that are related to consumer credit. It sets marginal limits to the use of credit or security purchase and reserves regulatory and supervisory rights over the banking system. The chairman of the Federal Reserve is appointed by this board of governors as well. The chairman of the Federal Reserve is one of the active board members and assumes the role of the head of the central bank. Under his leadership, the board of governors of the Federal Reserve carries out their responsibilities of analyzing, interpreting and regulating the financial system of the country. The chairman is required to report to the congress bi-annually to relate the activities and decisions of the central bank. He maintains contacts with the president’s financial advisory council and other economic officials. The chairman also maintains membership of leading financial institutions internationally like the IMF, BIF etc.  

The Border Fence Essay Example for Free

The Border Fence Essay In the essay â€Å"The Fence of Lies† the author Mario Vargas Llosa’s thesis is that the border fence between Mexico and the United States is a bad idea and a waste of taxpayer’s money. Some of the main points he uses to strengthen his argument are that it is purely a political ploy to get officials re-elected, that the fence is far too costly and the construction will never happen, and the money should be spent elsewhere. In addition, we should allow immigrants an open door policy into our country because of the immense contribution they make to our economy and that they are willing to do the jobs that most Americans will not. Vargas Llosa’s most compelling argument is that the fence will do nothing at all to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this country and the environmental impact it will have. Although, the Author brings up some valid points, I think that there are some definite weaknesses in his claim as well as issues that he did not even mention. Even though I am in favor of the fence, I feel that he could have done a better job convincing readers of his point had he focused on why the fence will not work and the environmental impact it will have, instead of confusing the matter with whether or not immigration is moral. Vargas Llosa begins his essay with the statement that the proposal of this fence is purely a â€Å"theatrical show† because on 7 November, there will be elections to renew the House of Representatives and part of Congress and that even if the bill passes they will never build it (2). As to the question of if will be put up, we know now that the fence is almost completely erected. Immigration was a hot political topic at the time and still is; I am sure that the politicians considered this, as it was a valid idea to control the border. In every poll, that I can find, the majority of Americans are for tougher border patrol, even people who are for giving these immigrants a path to citizenship. One of the main points the author makes is that these are hardworking people  who are just trying to create better opportunities for themselves and their families by coming to this Land of Opportunity, taking jobs that Americans are unwilling to do, and that we should not impede them of that chance. He uses an example of this woman Emerita, who emigrated from Guatemala and started up a housecleaning business, through hard work and persistence, is making $96,000 dollars a year. He does not say if she is legal now, but uses this as a generalization of the type of people we are denying into our country by not having an open border. I do not believe that this woman portrays the average migrant worker in our country. Most work for less than minimum wage, have no benefits, and do not pay taxes, which; are the main reasons Americans are unwilling to work those jobs, not because they are afraid of hard work as Vargas Llosa implies. In addition, he does not mention the gunrunners, drug smugglers and possible terrorists who would all have free access in or out of our country as well. Immigration into our country is a privilege for these people not a right, so why should we, as Americans, not have the right to be selective about who we let in? As an alternative to this point, Vargas Llosa states that if we wish to stop this flow of people into our country then we should use that â€Å"6 billion† (1) dollars to create jobs and try to stimulate opportunities south of the border. This statement is a bit of a stretch considering that the U.S. went into a recession shortly after the writing of this essay and our unemployment surged to over 10%. First, I know $6 bn is a lot of money, but how many jobs can it possibly create when you are talking about 21 countries in Latin America? Where do we even begin to help and is it really our problem? Why should the taxpayers of the America be responsible for an undertaking of that size and is it even possible? I think these are reasonable questions to ask oneself and if looked at logically will find this a ridiculous proposal that has no validity. Another argument Vargas Llosa made, that â€Å"if, by some miracle, it is built, it will serve for absolutely nothing† (1). He also says in the conclusion of his essay that the â€Å"cement monstrosity would soon be as full of holes as Swiss cheese† (11) saying that the fence would not even obstruct migrants determined to get across. He makes a point of saying that the fence would only cover a portion of the border, leaving 1200 miles of open frontier through which people  could easily pass over. Well, that is true, however, in those areas where there is not any fence, there are natural obstacles such as large, desolate stretches of desert or mountains with no cities close by to take refuge. All of the major ports of entry are included in the fenced area, which provides at least a moderate obstacle when it comes to illegal crossing. As for the damaging alterations that will happen over time, such as, holes cut into it, sensors could be added in the ground and or in the fence, plus routine patrols done for visual inspection. To say that the fence would do â€Å"absolutely nothing† is much t oo definitive in my opinion. He would have had better effect on me had he developed more along the lines of, the benefits of the fence are minimal since it does not even cover the whole border and then used some specific, compelling details to back that up. Lastly, the most valid point the author makes is one in which he developed the least. The environmental impacts this fence would have on the native communities grazing and farm land, certain species migration and feeding patterns, and on the conservation land it cuts through. The amount of time spent to study the impacts on the wetlands of the Rio Grande valley and the several endangered species that inhabit the affected area was much too short to make any scientific judgments. Not to mention the effects the actual construction process will have on these species and areas. There are several Wildlife Refuges and Audubon Sanctuaries where the fence is slated to cross. I think that if Vargas Llosa would have spent more time developing these ideas with good solid facts, it would have appealed my emotional senses much more than the story of Emerita whom seemingly had nothing to do with whether or not we should build fence. The environmental costs of this project seem heavy, are ones not easily reversed. Politics may have played a factor here, as the reason for the inadequate amount of research involved determining the environmental effects the fence will have. In conclusion, I have covered most of the major points that Vargas Llosa presented in his essay, pointed out the weaknesses in his argument and ways in which he could have strengthened it. Most of the points he focused on had to do with immigration instead of issues related directly with the fence. Had he focused more on the actual impacts of the fence it would have been a much more compelling case. I do not think that immigration is bad, as long as there is control over it. If the border fence can help our officials  to gain at least some control over who and what is actually coming into and out of our country than it should prove to be a valuable tool to create better immigration policies and eliminate the unwanted elements associated with it. (6) The Environmental Impacts of the Border Wall Between Texas and Mexico Lindsay Eriksson1 and Melinda Taylor2

Research Methodology into Ratio Analysis of HSBC Bank

Research Methodology into Ratio Analysis of HSBC Bank In this project my aim is to analysis the Ratio Analysis to find financial position of the HSBC bank by using the financial tools and also to know the functions of Internet Banking System in HSBC Bank. This study based on financial statement such as Ratio analysis and financial performance. This project helps to identify and give suggestion the area of weaker position of business transaction in HSBC. This study is made to evaluate the Ratio analysis as per trend analysis. Here I have given the Title, Aim, Objectives of the project, Introduction and background of the company chosen. It also gives the summary regarding the literature review, methodology using for the research, data collection methods and data analyzing procedures. Introduction: Finance is very essential for every business to run successfully. To run the business every organization will need financial support. In our present economy finance is defined as the provision of money at the time when it is required. Every enterprise whether big or small needs finance to carry on its target. In fact finance is so indispensable today. It can be said as blood of an enterprise. Without adequate finance no enterprise can possible accomplish its objectives. In the early years of its evolution it was treated synonymously with the rising of funds. In the current literature pertaining to financial management a broader scope so as to include in addition to procurement of funds efficient use of resources is universally recognized. Nowadays internet is widely used by all sectors of people. Today bank has introduced various facilities through internet. E-Banking is a revolution that changes the banking system around the world. E-Banking is more comfortable for the customers and bank. Title: Critically analyzing the ratios of HSBC bank to study the financial performance of bank during 2010-2011 and also study the functions of internet banking system in HSBC bank. Aim: To study the financial performance of HSBC bank by analyzing the financial ratios from the past five years financial data and also study the role of internet banking system in HSBC bank. Objective of the study: To analyze and evaluate the financial performance of HSBC Bank To study the growth of HSBC in terms of comparative analysis and trend analysis of financial statements for the past five years, from 2006 to 2010. To study the roles of Internet Banking in HSBC To review the benefits of internet banking to customer and bank To make suggestions recommendations for improving the financial position Rationale: Personal Rationale: As I am a finance student, am very much interested in doing the ratio analysis of the company because of that we can able to know the financial performance of any company. I am very eager to know the financial status of the HSBC bank always. Because this bank is globalized bank, it is in every part of the world. Now it has introduced the lot of facility in Internet banking that benefits the customers. I have the relationship with the bank for the past five years. So, I personally interest in doing with HSBC Bank financial performance and internet banking sector. Organizational Rationale: As it is bank, we have wide range of information available in website, articles, journals, magazines and newspapers. HSBC employees are very friendly to their customers. They are always ready to explain their roles of internet banking system. For the financial data, we will able to get the financial statement from their website so there is no lack of information availability. Policy Rationale: The system and the procedures followed by the HSBC bank is also one of my interests to choose the HSBC bank. This bank follows the banking rules and regulations given by the government and fair trade practice. Thats make the customer safety banking. In internet banking system, there are many options for doing the transaction easily and safely. Academic Rationale: There are more resources available for doing this work. There are many financial books available to elaborate the ratio analysis. We have studied in deep about the ratio analysis and Internet banking system. IMPORTANCE OF THIS STUDY The subject matter of financial management is of immense interest for every financial analyzer. It needs special attention because of the complexities involve in managing cash in present day banking function. The important aspect is the estimation of how much of finance. The business organization requires and for what purpose. The most important area of financial management is the working capital management. Here the study tries to reveal the banks position and performance by evaluating the relationship between various components parts of financial statements. Ration analysis has been taken as a tool in assessing the performance of the company in respect of the following aspects. Liquidity Position .Long-term solvency. Profitability. Activity. This study helps to know the usage and the benefits of internet banking system This study helps to study the functions of internet banking in UK HSBC bank Literature Review: 1 RATIO ANALYSIS Ratio analysis is one of the techniques of financial analysis where ratios are used as a yardstick for evaluating the relationship between component parts of financial statements to obtain a better understanding of the firms position and performance. It is used as tool by the company or individual to analysis the quantitative performance of the company financial statement. Meaning Ratio is relationships expressed in mathematical terms between figures which are connected with each other in some manner. Ratio will be calculated from current year figures and it is compared with previous year in order to know the financial performance of the company. It is defined as the systematic use of ratio to interpret the financial statements so that the strengths and weaknesses of a firm as well as its historical performance and current financial condition can be determined. The importance of ratio analysis relies in the fact that it presents facts on a comparative basis Conclusions can be drawn regarding the liquidity position of a firm. It is useful for assessing the long-term financial viability of a firm. It throws light on the degree of efficiency in the management and utilization of its assets. It helps in inter-firm comparison and also with industry averages. Liquidity Ratios: It is the ratio which is used to determine the companys capacity to pay its short- period debt obligations. If the value of the ratio is high, then the margin of safety will become high so that the company able to cover its short term debts. Liquidity ratio includes Current ratio, Quick/Acid ratio and Operating cash flow ratio. Current Ratio It is a quantitative relationship between current assets and current liabilities and indicates and enterprises ability to meet the current obligation. Current assets refer to liquid resources and must be sufficient enough to pay current liabilities when they mature. A relatively high current ratio is an Indication that the firm has ability to pay its current obligations in time as and on the other hand a relatively low current ratio represents that the firm shall not be able to pay its current liabilities in time without facing difficulties. An increase in the current ratio represents improvement in the liquidity position of a firm while a decrease in the current ratio indicates that there has been deterioration in the liquid assets of the firm. The ratio equal to the rule of thumb is 2:1. Quick/Acid Test Ratio: The ratio is ascertained by companys liquid assets and current liabilities. Here liquid assets are those assets which are immediately convertible in to cash without much loss. It is also known as liquidity ratio. It shows the ability of the enterprise to meet its short term obligation without sale and collection of inventories. LeverageRatios: It is the ratio which is used to calculate the financial leverage of the company inorder to know the methods of financing using by the company and to measure the ability of the company to meet its financial obligations. Debt-equity Ratio This ratio indicates the relative proportions of debt and equity in financing the assets of a firm. One approach is to express the debt-equity ratio in terms of the relative proportion of long-term debt and shareholders equity. The debt considered here is exclusive of current liabilities. It is an important tool of financial analysis to appraise the financial structure of a firm. A high ratio shows a large share of financing by the creditors of the firm, a low ratio implies a smaller claim of creditors. Interest Coverage Ratio : These ratios are computed from information available in the profit and loss account. It is also known as time-interest earned ratio. This ratio measures the debt servicing capacity of a firm insofar as fixed interest on long-term loan is concerned. It is determined by dividing the operating profits or earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by the fixed interest charges on loans. Proprietary Ratio: This ratio indicates whether the firm is employing a reasonable proportion of debt or if heavily loaded with debt in which case its solvency is exposed to serious strain. This ratio relates the owners/proprietors funds with total assets. The ratio indicates the proportion of total assets financed by owners. PROFITABILITY RATIOS: This ratio helps to access the ability of business in order to generate the earnings of the business by comparing the expenses and relevant costs during the specific period of time. Net profit Ratio: This measures the relationship between net profits and sales of a firm. Depending on the concept of net profit employed. A high net profit margin would ensure adequate return as well as enable a firm to with stand adverse economic conditions when selling price is declining cost of production is rising and demand for the product is failing. A low net profit merging would have the opposite implications. Return on Assets: Thus profitability ratio is measured in terms of this relationship between net profit and assets. This may also be called profit-to-asset ratio. The concept of net profit may be net profits after taxes net profits after taxes plus interest and net profits after taxes plus interest minus tax savings. Assets may be defined as total assets fixed assets and tangible assets. Return on capital Employed: The term capital employed refers to long-term funds supplied by the creditors and owners of the firm. Here the profits are related to the total capital employed. It can be computed as The capital employed provides a test of profitability related to the sources of long-term funds. The higher the ratio the more efficient is the use of capital employed. A comparison of this ratio with similar firms with the industry average and over time would provide sufficient insight into how efficiently the long-term funds of owners and creditors are being used. Debtor turnover ratio: Debtor turnover ratio indicates the number of times the debtors are turned over during the year. Generally if the value of debtor turnover is high, then there is more efficient in the management of debts and sales. OTHER RATIOS Fixed Assets Ratio This ratio relates the net assets and the long-term funds. Here the ratio should be high. That is the handling of fixed asset should be greater than the long-term funds at an appropriate level. E-Banking: Electronic banking system is the system that allows the individual to do the banking activities by sitting in one place. Electronic funds transfer means doing the financial transactions electronically. This is used for the number of different activities like electronic payments and card transactions where the holder makes payment by using their credit or debit cards.[Brain Dixon and Mary Dixon 2006] Internet banking is also called as online banking, it is an outgrowth of PC banking. Internet banking uses the internet as the delivery channel for conducting banking activity, it is used for the purpose of transferring funds, paying bills, helps to checking and saving account balances, paying mortgages and also help to purchase financial instruments.[Benton E Gup 2005] According to Richard H Baker, advancement in technology helps to develop the system of internet banking. According to industry analysts, internet banking provides many facilitiies Able to access the banking at any time World wide connectivity Very easy to access the information by transacting data Direct customer control of international movement of funds without intermediation of financial institutions in customers jurisdiction According to the report of Global Market for Internet Banking, more than 172 banks in Europe are running the internet banking system and they are very successful in running online banking. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH Research is a process in which the researcher wishes to find out the end result for a given problem and thus the solution helps in future course of action. The research has been defined as A careful investigation or enquiry especially through search for new facts in branch of knowledge RESEARCH DESIGN Redman and Mory (1923) defined research as a systematic effort to gain new knowledge According to Clifford Woody research comprises defining or redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or giving solutions, collecting, organizing, evaluating the data, making deductions and reaching conclusions and at carefully testing the conclusion to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis The research design used in this project is Analytical in nature the procedure using, which researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the performance. With particular reference to working capital management, for the prosecution of the study, both the primary and secondary data. DATA COLLECTION METHOD: Primary Data: Primary data is the information collected by the researcher in first hand. This data is collected by the researcher inorder to analysis the research. Primary data is collected from the field organization selected that is from the employees, customers and observing the real life situations. The main benefit of the primary data is collected only for the specific study so it is more relevant to the study. But there is disadvantage for the collection of primary data it involves more cost and time. It is not suitable for short term study. Primary data for this proposal will be collected from the employees and customers of HSBC bank inorder to know how they run the internet banking system and the functions and benefits of internet banking system in HSBC bank. Primary research may be quantitative and qualitative research. Qualitative research is the method where the researcher set the questionnaire which will give to large number of respondents (Hair, Wolfinbarger, Ortinau, and Bush, 2008, p81). Based on the responses the data will be analysed. In this study, questionnaire will be given to the customers and employees of HSBC bank to analyse the data regarding the functions of Internet Banking. Secondary Data Secondary data is the information which is collected already and it is used for some other studies by different researcher. This data not only used for the current study. The sources of secondary data are books, journals, articles, newspapers, internet, government, corporate reports and library. The advantage of this data it is easily available and also very cheap compared to primary data. In this study we are using secondary data for the analyses of ratio in order to know the financial performance of HSBC bank. From the annual reports maintained by the company. Data are collected from the companys website. Books and journals pertaining to the topic. Research Approach: There are two types of research approaches Inductive and Deductive approaches. Inductive approach is the approach that starts with specific objectives and become generalized. It begins by identifying the issue by observation or being informed. Deductive approach is the approaches where the conclusions derived from the situation. It begins with general situation and ends by identifying the specific issue. Arguments based on the rules, laws and regulation will be using deductive approaches and the argument based on the observations will be using the inductive approaches. SAMPLING PROGRESS Sampling: It is the process of choosing small number of people for doing the research from the large population. That sample group will be tested, analyzed by assuming that sample group represents the entire group (Crouch, S. and Housden, M., 1996, p116). Sampling Unit In this research the target populations are the customers of HSBC Bank Alperton Branch. The sizes of the sampling will be 100 customers. Sampling type will be random choosen among the large population group. From the total sample size the study will be done for the 10 customers and 5 employees of HSBC bank. Ethnography procedure will be used for analyzing the data based on the data collection method. In this method it takes account of words, context and non-verbals. STATISTICAL TOOLS Tool for Data Collection Questionnaire will be used as a tool for data collection as it provides the advantages of allowing the respondents to answer at their convenience and faster data collection. The questionnaire explicitly stated the purpose of study as academic and assured confidentiality of information solicited from the respondent. Percentage method This method is used in making comparison between two are more series of data. Percentages are used to describe relationship. Percentages can also be used to compare the relative terms, the distribution of two or more series of data. The data collected through questionnaire response method was analyzed in the following manner: Raw data will be coded and tabulated and the tabulated data will be converted into percentages, to show the percentage of opinion among respondents. Percentage analysis thus involves the simple interpretation / analysis of the various items taken up in the questionnaire on a percentage basis from the data collected. Interpretations of the graphs also include mean scores obtained by the organization on every aspect / item as calculated. Number of respondent Percentage of Respondents =  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­___________________________________ * 100 Total number of people questioned Weighted average method Weighted average method is defined as an average whose component items are multiplied by certain value (weights) and the aggregate of the products are divided by the total of weights In the Weighted Average Method, the weighted average can be calculated by the following formula K XW = ÃŽÂ µ WX/ ÃŽÂ µX Here XW represents the weighted average X1, X 2, X3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Xn represents the value for variable values W1, W2, W3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Wn represents the weight age given to the variable. Steps:- Multiply the weights(W) by the variables(X) to obtain WX Add all WX to obtain ÃŽÂ µWX Divide ÃŽÂ µWX by sum of the weights (ÃŽÂ µX) to get weighted average. Correlation: Correlation is the techniques of determining the degree of correlation between two variables in case of ordinal data where ranks are given to the different values of the variables. Spearmans coefficient of correlation (or) 1 6 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœdi  ² r = _____________ n (n ² 1) TOOLS OF ANALYSIS Ratio Analysis. Comparative Balance Sheet. Trend Analysis Conclusion: This dissertation proposal starts with the introduction of finance, and helps to know the importance of finance for banking sector. The researcher will work towards the financial ratios of HSBC bank from the sources of annual reports, financial statements like balance sheet in orer to know the financial position of HSBC bank and analyze the role of internet banking in HSBC by getting the data from the bank customer and employees.

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation There are many arguments both for and against image manipulation in the media by the public. Groups argue that image manipulation contributes to eating disorders in both women and men and a general decline in self-worth. But opposing views suggest that image manipulation is a necessity for the upkeep of our idyllic view of celebrity culture, or is a form of art. Through my research, I will look at literature that may suggest that the use of image manipulation is negatively affecting our views of society and, in turn, what positive effects it is having too. When speaking about image manipulation, we need to think of the ethics involved. In a post about the ethics of image manipulation, Lodriguss says; When we correct, manipulate and enhance images in Photoshop, we must deal with questions of both ethics and aesthetics. (Lodriguss, 2006) What is ethical and what is not in terms of image manipulation? In what way are we manipulating the images, and is this for good or bad? There are a whole host of questions that can be asked, but we must focus our attention on whom the editing is affecting. When an image is edited, we are looking at two possible audiences who could be affected by the image; the subject and the people viewing the image. These two parties will each have different views about the editing that means the moral implications become entwined. When a reader picks up a magazine, looks at a billboard advertisement of a celebritys latest perfume release, or a fashion shoot, their view of the subject is most likely skewed. The editors of these publications often embrace imaging software and its editing features to better engage their target audience, and also to assist celebrities in keeping up their perfect image. Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, has been quoted saying Yes, of course we do post-production corrections on our images. Photoshopping is an industry standard. (The Daily Mail, 2012) This was said about an image of Kelly Clarkson that was heavily altered. It may be seen by some that the editing of the image is ethically correct as it is maintaining a positive image of the artist. We have to remember that looks sell and in the dog eat dog world that is celebrity culture, does the digital world offer a safe haven for those who may need those few extra pounds shaved off? We have seen a strong example of how digital manipulation can help those that are being edited, but what about the audience that view and interpret the images? It is quite apparent that the editors of the media publications have an agenda when it comes to image manipulation. Maximising profit. A general understanding is that the public want to see the glam and glitz that comes with the size zero celeb. Its a form of escapism in the sense that the decoders may look at a magazine front cover and get lost in its world of designer gear and pocket sized pooches. But that escape from reality is short-lived, and the effects of over exposure from these edited images can be devastating. Young girls are exposed to between 400 and 600 media images per day. (Hawkins, 2012) With such a high figure, is it any wonder that there has been an outcry from charities, that support those affected by eating disorders, to ban excessive photo manipulation? The BBC say that the media is a powerful influence and we know how vulnerable some people at risk of eating disorders can be to its visual images in particular in a quote from Susan Ringwood of B-Eat. (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2010) Charities are getting angry that the media is allowed to digitally diet celebrities with no form of ethical guidelines that they must adhere to. However change may be on the horizon. The government are currently looking at reducing the amount of editing that institutions are allowed to put out into the mainstream public. They [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] want to keep computer enhancement and digital manipulation to an absolute minimum (eg red eye reduction, background lightening). (Herrin, 2011) The gov ernment have seen that the stream of unrealistic photos that plague the media is affecting the way some people view themselves, which is therefore having an effect on their own wellbeing. By creating an ethical code that institutions have to follow, they will be taking one step to safeguarding those at risk of influence. Early this year, a young 14-year-old girl named Julia Bluhm from Maine, USA, started a petition on the Internet to try and get teenage magazine Seventeen to print unedited photos of women once a month. Julia didnt think that she would get nearly the amount of signatures that she did, totalling up a staggering 84,000. This figure effectively illustrates how many young females believe that image manipulation has a negative influence on the youth of today. The magazine promises not to doctor girls body shapes or face shapes (Dieken, 2012) which means that it wont be reducing the waist size or the complexion of the young girls. Girls will now be able to read a magazine with accurate representations of their peers, even if it is only once a month. This was seen as a massive breakthrough in the media industry, with her crusade [leading] to a magazines commitment to change. (The Daily Mail, 2012) I believe that both the encoder and the decoder of media texts have valid arguments when it comes to the ethics of image manipulation. I think that the celebrity culture demands that those in the spotlight look their very best at all possible times, and the media make a positive contribution to that image remaining so. I do however believe that the repercussions of this editing take an over arching negative effect on those who view them. Young women should not have to be subjected to a bombardment of ultra skinny, perfect representations of women. If those images were mediated by the institutions to a set code of ethics, I believe that the representations of women and the ramifications would be much less negative and tarnished.

Pros And Cons Of Mcdonalds Essay -- essays research papers

McDonalds: Welcome sign in the high street or a place to avoid? In this essay I will be discussing the pros and cons of fast foods. Now a day every body will recognize the golden arches of McDonalds, it is hard not to. McDonalds has restaurants everywhere, beside major roads and in almost every high street. Their commercials are on television at least once a day. They became popular within a couple of years. Teenagers especially like McDonalds because of the relaxed atmosphere, cheap prizes and the fact that all over the world you know what you are buying. In restaurants I find that the waiter there look at me and think that I might not be able to pay for the meal. With McDonalds I find that every person is welcome to come in and eat, no matter what you look like or how much money you have. There is also not a certain dress code that you have to oblige to. Fast food is easy to eat food that requires no cutlery. The fast food industry is not only good. The foods contain too much fat, salt and sugars. The food is not always what is said to be and uses a lot of packaging. Packaging that will be thrown on the ground, if the food is not eaten within the restaurant. People usually don’t take the time to throw the packaging in the dustbins. The high streets usually have a whole carpet with litter of fast food restaurants. I think that the restaurants can’t be responsible for the litter but the restaurants can do every thing to make their packaging as environmental friendly. Peo...

Epiphany in Araby of James Joyces Dubliners Essay -- Joyce Dubliners

Araby: An Epiphany  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story, "Araby" in James Joyce's Dubliners presents a flat, rather spatial portrait. The visual and symbolic details embedded in the story, are highly concentrated, and the story culminates in an epiphany. An epiphany is a moment when the essence of a character is revealed , when all the forces that bear on his life converge, and the reader can, in that instant, understand him. "Araby" is centered on an epiphany, and is concerned with a failure or deception, which results in realization and disillusionment. The meaning is revealed in a young boy's psychic journey from love to despair and disappointment, and the theme is found in the boy's discovery of the discrepancy between the real and the ideal in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story opens with a description of North Richmond Street, a "blind," "cold ... .. silent" street where the houses "gazed at one an-other with brown imperturbable faces." It is a street of fixed, decaying conformity and false piety. The boy's house contains the samesense of a dead present and a lost past. The former tenant, a priest,died in the ba... ...stern enchantment." His love, like his quest for a gift to draw the girl to him in an unfriendly world, ends with his realizing that his love existed only in his mind. Thus the theme of the story-the discrepancy between the real and the ideal-is made final in the bazaar, a place of tawdry make-believe. The epiphany in which the boy lives a dream in spite of the ugly and the worldly is brought to its inevitable conclusion: the single sensation of life disintegrates. The boy senses the falsity of his dreams and his eyes burn "with anguish and anger."   

My Philosophy on Teaching :: Education Teachers Learning Classroom Essays

My Philosophy on Teaching It became clear to me that I wanted to become an Elementary teacher when I was given the opportunity to attend Hinton Elementary School as a student volunteer to read to the first grade class during my junior year of High School. It was on this day that I realized that teaching is what I truly want to do with my life. Given the opportunity to read to the first graders and being able to get to know each of them filled a special place in my heart. After reading a few of my favorite childhood books to the first graders, I gave them the opportunity to read and sound out some of their favorite books to me. I am very grateful that I was given such an opportunity, such an eye opening experience – which helped me to realize that this is what I want to do with my life – Teach. Every teacher has an opinion as to what the best teaching method is. While each method has many advantages and disadvantages, I have chosen direct instruction as my main teaching method. To me, it seems to be more direct and easier to understand for elementary students. Direct teaching is also known as systematic, active, or explicit teaching. In this set, the teacher is a strong leader that develops, structures and teaches by having an academic focus point. With the emphasis on the importance of a structural lesson, the presentation of new information is followed be student practice and teacher feedback. A teacher must have a lot of patience with the younger children. It is often the case that students will fall behind because they have not yet mastered the basic skills of the given subject. With the direct teaching process, the children are able to receive several opportunities to enhance their learning and make them understand subjects more clearly. By refreshi ng their memories, using repetition, giving homework, and asking questions, a teacher can better understand the children and allow them to learn in a proper manner. The younger children can learn, remember and understand instead of just memorizing the information to get through a test and forgetting it after the test is over.

Case Brief Santa Fe Independent Essay

Facts: In Santa Fe, Texas, students were elected by their classmates to give pre-game prayers at high school football games over the loud speaker that were mainly Christian. A Catholic and a Mormon family felt this was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution. The school district has always done pre-game invocations before each game however while the case was pending the school district changed their policy, still permitting student led prayer but not requiring them as they were before. The District Court ordered that only nonsectarian and nonproselytizing prayers could be given. When the case went to The Court of Appeals, they found that the policy was still invalid. The district filed a writ of certioran claiming the new policy was not a violation of the Establishment Clauses because they could be considered a private student speech because they were no longer required at all home games and they were not a public speech. Issue: Does a prayer delivered by a student over a loud speaker violate the Establishment Clause? Holding: In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that the prayers given by students over the loud speaker doe violate the Establishment Clause Reasoning: The Court reasoned with the facts that a prayers given at the football field or any sporting event were not private speeches that were authorized by government policy on government grounds during school events that are funded by the government. As the student is giving the prayer there is no open forum as would be the case during public speeches. Without this in place, prayers before sporting events are not considered to be public speeches but are considered to be sponsored by the school. The new policy the school had to elect students to be the spokespersons to deliver the prayers was also criticized, leading the justices to believe the school was still controlling the process.

Negligence: Duty of Care and Buick Motor Co.

Negligence, duty and Breach of Duty. To constitute a legal action against some one’s negligence, several requirements to be fulfilled. First one is that there must exist some duty of care towards the plaintiff by the defendant. The second one is that the defendant should breach such duty of care imposed on him. The third one is that the negligence done by the defendant should be the cause of the harm resulted to the plaintiff. The fourth one is that the harm should have some monetary value. In Haynes V Harwood (1935) 1 KB 146 at 152, Judge Greer L.J, pointed out these requirements in his judgement stating that â€Å" Negligence in the air will not do: negligence, in order to give a cause of action, must be the neglect of some duty owed to the person who makes the claim†. The simple meaning is that if one done negligence actions, in a place, which is untouched by other people, in such a place, there would not arise a duty of care toward others. Therefore the question of the breach of such duty of care would also not arise. In such a situation a legal action on negligence can not be instituted.To understand above elements pertaining to negligence in law of tort, we shall discuss them in detail. Duty of Care In  tort law, a  duty of care  is a  legal  obligation  imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard  of  reasonable  care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in  negligence. The claimant must  be able to show  a duty of care imposed by law which the defendant has breached.The duty of care may be imposed  by  operation of law  between individuals with no  current  direct relationship (familial or contractual or otherwise), but eventually become related in some manner. At common law, duties were formerly limited to those with whom one was in  privity  one way or another, as exemplified by c ases like  Winterbottom v. Wright  (1842). In the early 20th century, judges began to recognize that enforcing the privity requirement against hapless consumers had harsh results in many  product liability  cases.The idea of a general duty of care that runs to all who could be foreseeably affected by one's conduct (accompanied by the demolishing of the privity barrier) first appeared in the landmark U. S. case of  MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. (1916) and was imported into UK law by another landmark case,  Donoghue v Stevenson  [1932]. MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. , 217 N. Y. 382, 111 N. E. 1050 (1916) A famous  New York Court of Appeals  opinion by Judge  Benjamin N. Cardozo  which removed the requirement of  privity of contract  for duty in  negligence  actions The  plaintiff, Donald C.MacPherson, a stonecutter, was injured when one of the wooden wheels of his 1909 â€Å"Buick Runabout† collapsed. The  defendant,  Buick Motor Company, had manufactured the vehicle, but not the wheel, which had been manufactured by another party but installed by defendant. It was conceded that the defective wheel could have been discovered upon inspection. The defendant denied liability because the plaintiff had purchased the automobile from a dealer, not directly from the defendant. The portion of the MacPherson  opinion in which Cardozo demolished the privity bar to recovery is as follows: If the nature of a thing is such that it is reasonably certain to place life and limb in peril when negligently made, it is then a thing of danger. Its nature gives warning of the consequence to be expected. If to the element of danger there is added knowledge that the thing will be used by persons other than the purchaser, and used without new tests, then, irrespective of contract, the manufacturer of this thing of danger is under a duty to make it carefully. That is as far as we need to go for the decision of this case . . . . If he is neglige nt, where danger is to be oreseen, a liability will follow† Donoghue v. Stevenson  [1932] The case of  Donoghue v. Stevenson  [1932] illustrates the law of negligence, laying the foundations of the  fault  principle around the Commonwealth. The Plaintiff, Donoghue, drank ginger beer given to her by a friend, who bought it from a shop. The beer was supplied by a manufacturer, Stevenson in Scotland. While drinking the drink, Donoghue discovered the remains of an allegedly decomposed  slug. She then sued Stevenson, though there was no relationship of contract, as the friend had made the payment.As there was no  contract,  the doctrine of  privity  prevented a direct action against the manufacturer. In his ruling, justice Lord MacMillan defined a new category of delict (the Scots law nearest equivalent of tort), ( based on â€Å"implied warranty of fitness of a product† in a completely different category of tort–â€Å"products liability†) b ecause it was analogous to previous cases about people hurting each other. Lord Atkin interpreted the biblical passages to ‘love thy neighbour,' as the legal requirement to ‘not harm thy neighbour. He then went on to define neighbour as â€Å"persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions that are called in question. Reasonably foreseeable harm must be compensated†. This is the first principle of negligence. Breach of the Duty The test is both subjective and objective. The defendant who knowingly (subjective) exposes the plaintiff/claimant to a substantial risk of loss, breaches that duty.The defendant who fails to realize the substantial risk of loss to the plaintiff/claimant, which any  reasonable person  [objective] in the same situation would clearly have realized, also breaches that duty. Breach of duty is not limited to professionals or persons under written or oral contract; all members of society have a duty to exercise reasonable care toward others and their property. A person who engages in activities that pose an unreasonable risk toward others and their property that actually results in harm, breaches their duty of reasonable care.An example is shown in the facts of  Bolton v. Stone,[5]  a 1951 legal case decided by the  House of Lords  which established that a defendant is not negligent if the damage to the plaintiff was not a reasonably foreseeable consequence of his conduct. In the case, a Miss Stone was struck on the head by a cricket ball while standing outside her house. Cricket balls were not normally hit a far enough distance to pose a danger to people standing as far away as was Miss Stone.Although she was injured, the court held that she did not have a legitimate claim because the danger was not sufficiently foreseeable. Causation For a defendant to be held  liable, it must be shown that the particular acts or omissions were the cause of the loss or damage sustained. Although the notion sounds simple, the causation between one's breach of duty and the harm that results to another can at times be very complicated. The basic test is to ask whether the injury would have occurred but for, or without, the accused party's breach of the duty owed to the injured party.Even more precisely, if a breaching party materially increases the risk of harm to another, then the breaching party can be sued to the value of harm that he caused. Sometimes causation is one part of a multi-stage test for legal liability. For example for the defendant to be held liable for the tort of negligence, the defendant must have (1) owed the plaintiff a  duty of care; (2) breached that duty; (3) by so doing caused  damage  to the plaintiff; and (4) that damage must not have been too remote. Causation is but one component of the tort.On other occasions causation is the only r equirement for legal liability (other than the fact that the outcome is proscribed). For example in the law ofproduct liability, the fact that the defendant's product caused the plaintiff harm is the only thing that matters. The defendant need not also have been negligent. On still other occasions, causation is irrelevant to legal liability altogether. For example, under a contract of  indemnity insurance, the  insurer  agrees to indemnify the  victim  for harm not caused by the insurer, but by other parties.Where establishing causation is required to establish legal liability, it is usually said that it involves a two-stage inquiry. The first stage involves establishing ‘factual’ causation. Did the defendant act in the plaintiff’s loss? This must be established before inquiring into legal causation. The second stage involves establishing ‘legal’ causation. This is often a question of public policy: is this the sort of situation in which, d espite the outcome of the factual enquiry, we might nevertheless release the defendant from liability, or impose liability?

R.M.’s symptoms Essay

1. Compare her VS with those of a healthy person at her same age. R.M.’s temperature is low: 96.8 F and normal range is 97.8 -99 F R.M.’s blood pressure is elevated: 142/84 and normal range is 120/80 R.M.’s heart rate is low: 52 and normal range is 60-100 R.M.’s respiratory rate is on the low end of normal: 12 and normal range is 12-25. 2. List eight general questions you might ask R.M. to assist in determining what is going on with her. Does your family history of thyroid, adrenal, or pituitary disease? Have your menstrual periods been altered? What have your sleep patterns been like? Have you been exceptionally nervous? How has your appetite been over the past 6 months Have you had weight fluctuation over the past 6 months Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Have you had any radiation therapy to your head and or neck? 3. You know that potential causes for some of R.M.’s symptoms include depression, hypothyroidism, anemia, cardiac disease, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, and allergies. As part of your screening procedures, describe how you would begin to investigate which of these conditions probably do not account for R.M.’s symptoms. As part of screening procedure, e began our investigation by focusing on auscultation of the heart and lung sounds for sign and symptoms of cardiac disease or problem. However, there are no abnormalities present with R.M.’s heart. According to R.M.’s symptoms, it is clear that she does not have any signs of cardiac disease, symptoms of allergies, and fluid and electrolyte imbalance. R.M. has symptoms of hypothyroidism, anemia, and depression. 4. Unnecessary diagnostic tests are expensive. What tests do you think would  be the most appropriate for R.M., and why? We think that thyroxine, (T4), and pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) will be appropriate for R.M. because this test will confirm the diagnosis of thyroid failure. Cholesterol levels need to be checked and also other blood tests needs to be performed to detect levels of calcitonin, calcium, prolactin, and thyroglobulin and check for anemia and liver function. All these tests can be affected by hypothyroidism. 5. Interpret R.M.’S laboratory results. 6. The family practitioner affirms a diagnostic of hypothyroidism. With this diagnosis, what other signs and symptoms would you want to investigate? Other signs and symptoms we would want to investigate include impaired memory, depression, elevated blood cholesterol level, irregular menstrual periods, and stiffness or swelling in the joints (Mayo, 2014). http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/basics/symptoms/con-20021179 7. The family practitioner prescribes levothyroxine (Synthroid) 1.7 mcg/Kg body weigh/day. At this time. R.M. weighs 130 pounds. What should be her daily dose of Levothyroxine in milligrams? How would her prescription read?

Ptlls Level 3 Unit 001

Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector Unit 001 – Roles, Responsibilities and relationships in lifelong learning. Candidate Name: City and Guilds Number: TASK A Guidance Document Driver Training Department. Guidance Document for driver trainers working with learners Overview Instructing, coaching and assessing in the driver training sector can present many challenges and variants when interacting with learners on a day to day basis.Training scenarios can greatly differ in their aim, practical application or severity of risk assessment and your involvement can then vary to include the protection of personal information, development of training materiel or direct contact with individuals. You should be aware of how your actions could influence or impact on not only learners, but also colleagues the Service and even members of the public. Legislation It is essential you familiarise yourself with the various Legislative acts, regulatory requirements (including codes o f practice) and Service policies which have been outlined below.Though it is not expected for trainers to know these word for word, you will need both an accurate interpretation of them and the ability to refer to them with ease. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) This Act sets out the general duties which employers have towards employees and members of the public, and duties which employees have to themselves and to each other. The Act is in force to make the working environment a safe and secure place for any individual within it. Generally common sense assures us of this but by raising awareness and understanding then further improvements to the working conditions can be realised.The main aspects of the act are; †¢Requirements for the employer to ensure the health and safety of its employees †¢Requirements for the employer to provide adequate information, training and supervision of its employees along with adequate equipment and systems of work †¢Requirements fo r you to take care of yourself or others that may be affected by things you do or neglect to do. †¢Requirements for you to co-operate with employers and not to misuse or interfere with anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.You will also be teaching and working within some regulations that are ‘born from’ or linked to the Health and Safety at Work Act. The main ones of these are. †¢PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) 1998 †¢LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) 1998 Further information on Health and Safety legislation can be found on the LFRS Service intranet system, http://Pages/Health-and-Safety. aspx where there are also links to www. hse. gov. uk for self- research. You can also find relevant presentations for delivery to learners on the Driver Training Department, server in the presentations folder.Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and Road Safety Act 2006 When working in the Emergenc y Response Driver Training (ERDT) sector, this legislation forms a major influence on not only what you teach but also how you teach it. †¢Section 19 Road Safety Act 2006 (ne. sect. 87 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984) gives and exemption for speed limits provided that i)observing the speed limit would hinder the vehicle, ii) the driver has been trained in accordance with this legislation, iii) the vehicle is being used for training purposes. †¢Contained within the Road Safety Act is the competency requirements of ERDTYou will also be teaching and working within some regulations that are ‘born from’ or linked to the Acts. The main ones of these are. †¢Traffic Signs and General Directions Regulation 2002 †¢Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossing Regulations 1997 †¢Motorway Traffic (England & Wales) Regulations 1982 Further information on road traffic legislation can be found on the LFRS Service intranet system, http://Pages/DriverTraining-M aterial. aspx where there are relevant presentations and also links to Department for Transport section within www. gov. uk/government/orginisations/department-for-transport web sites for self- research.Service Policy LFRS has a service Health and Safety policy specifically covering all types of vehicle related operations. It is titled Road Risk Management and acts a policy, but also gives guidance to the above legislative requirements. There is an overriding message of ‘drive to arrive’, highlighted by response driving speed limits. †¢Responding vehicles are subject to a policy enforced limit of the speed limit enforced for that vehicle on that road at that time, + 20 mph. Road Risk Management policy is available on LFRS intranet system http://corporate/policies/Pages/PoliciesProcedures. spx Though not part of your main role, there may be occasions where you come into contact with vulnerable groups. You should make yourself aware of service guidance relating to th is subject and the legislation Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. This can be found on www. legislation. gov. uk Professional Qualifications and Membership As a member of the Driver Training team you will be required to hold several qualifications or memberships that may require periodic re-accreditation, CPD and operating within Codes of Practice.Your role will require registration as a member of the Institute for Learning, IfL. It has a code that was developed by the profession for the profession to outline the behaviours expected of members. The Driver Training department adopts the code and its outlining behaviours; †¢Integrity †¢Respect †¢Care †¢Practice †¢Disclosure †¢Responsibility Further information can be found on the IfL website www. ifl. ac. uk You should also make yourself familiar with The Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications Regulations 2012. This can be found at www. legislation. gov. ukProfessional relationships, resp onsibilities and boundaries. You should look to behave in a way that is appropriate to your role and promote appropriate behaviour and respect from learners you interact with. You should be aware and operate within any ground rules that are set by your employer and emphasised through your line manager. You are also responsible for ground rules that you should look to install between you and your learners. Below are some examples and scenarios that you should be aware of in your role. The role of a Driver Trainer often brings you into close contact with small roups of learners, in a closed and personal environment and for extended periods of time. The need to create an open and relaxed environment is important, especially during ERDT, but this could lead to a blurring of boundaries between teacher and learner. It is important that you are aware of this and maintain the authority to be able to control situations safely when teaching in a moving vehicle environment. Though you may know students through other avenues such as other work activities or sports clubs you should be aware of discussing aspects of training, especially on social media sites.You should also be aware of commenting on aspects of your working day which could be open to public view and be easily misinterpreted by other employees or members of the public. You should be aware of the boundaries of your responsibilities during your working day. For example, you may encounter a problem with a training vehicle that you think you may be able to repair. This may cause further damage or not repair the fault adequately which may have implications later in the day. The service has many departments that specialise in different areas that are available for you to call on and will assist you when it is beyond your responsibility.During the delivery of training courses your main responsibility will be to your students; however there will be other professionals who you will need to interact with. Internally th ese could include other instructors, colleagues from other departments, your line managers and learner’s line managers. You should aim to deal with each whilst remaining professional and thoughtful of the role they have and to not overstep the boundary of your role. External agencies such as Police, training facilities or members of the public should be dealt with professionally and respectfully.Remember you are representing the service and the department at all times. If you are ever in doubt of your responsibilities and boundaries of your role, always ask someone, either another teacher, line manager or a colleague related to the task in question. Individual learning needs Though on the surface most driver training courses are ‘pre-programmed’ with times, facilities and outcomes; the learning that is delivered is very flexible and can vary greatly from course to course due to the individual’s needs. It is your responsibility to facilitate this, rememberi ng to stay within the boundaries of your role.A scenario may occur where a student has personal commitments such has child care or transportation problems that may affect the delivery of the course. Guidance for the flexibility of course timings can be, at the first point, discussed between teacher and learner. This could then be referred to Driver Training line manager or the Specialist Training Manager for clarity or confirmation. If longer periods of time off are needed you can refer the learner to the Absence Management Policy http://corporate/policies/Pages/PoliciesProcedures. spx . There is often a miss conception within the service that the standard of numeracy and literacy skills is fairly similar, or at least above a given standard. The truth is often far from this and you should be aware of a learners need in this area. Though the majority of driver training is of a practical nature you should be aware of learning barriers. These can include factors such as an individualâ €™s learning style or conditions such as dyslexia. Learners may be unaware of these factors or unwilling to disclose them.For learning styles you can encourage completion of a VAK questionnaire, found on the team site http://team/sites/ds/default. aspx. This will enable you and the learner to better focus the information they receive and may make them more aware of their learning style. When delivering sessions that involve presentations, reading, writing, facts and figures or even discussions, be respectful of individual’s learning needs and be observant of the learner’s reactions. You should be aware of factors linked to dyslexia that may also affect other aspects of driver training.Disorders such as dyspraxia may be apparent in a mild form and can affect a learner’s movement and coordination. This may become evident when operating lifting hydraulics or following verbal commands in a vehicle. If you experience learners that make you aware of these factors work together with them in a respectful way. If you or they need further information there are many useful websites such as the dyslexia foundation www. dyslexiafoundation. co. uk/ and the dyspraxia foundation. www. dyspraxiafoundation. org. uk/ . Reference List

Chronic Illness and Palliative Care. Master Nursing Essay

Chronic Illness and Palliative Care. Master Nursing - Essay Example The discussion in this paper will be based on the principles of care of a patient with a chronic illness which is asthma in attempts to explore three main concepts, living with asthma and patients quality of life; the client's empowerment through self-management care and the continuity of care in a multidisciplinary team approach with a palliative care setting. According to the definition provided by the World Health Organization (1990), "Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain or other symptoms and psychological, social and spiritual problems in this context are of paramount importance" (pp. 804). Regarding shared values and ethics in palliative care, ethike is a Greek word from which the word ethics is derived. Ethos is a value which one has and consistently applies to one's life. Within the palliative care setting, there are three aspects of patient care that need special attention: the realms of t he palliative care patient; the realm of the palliative care nurse; and the realm of the palliative care team. ... Scott was diagnosed with asthma at age of six years. There are some factors such as dairy products; shellfish; electrical storms and dairy dust that trigger his asthma attacks. Scott is married, but his wife left him three months ago and his condition gets worse and the house does not have the same standard as before. In his effort to find alleviation of the symptoms of asthma, Scott attends his 45 to 49 year old health assessment for the first time. The Patient's Diagnosis Scott was diagnosed with asthma at age of six years. His asthma is a chronic condition. Recently, Scott is complaining of bad asthma attack which stopped him to attend his work as usual. Additionally, Scott has psoriasis and the history of having it is unknown. However, the nurse practitioner should conduct a thorough health assessment in order to gain furthers details about the diagnosis of both disease, treatment, and the way of self management that is followed by Scott in order to control over his condition. Me asuring the severity level of asthma is determined by the physician by asking the client to have a lung function test (LFT), which a breathing test that identify whether the person is having asthma and its severity. Another test that can be done easily by the patient is spirometry, which is an instrument that is considered to be the most accurate test to determine asthma (Department of Health and Aging, 2010b). Living With Asthma Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and lung. It is characterized by wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. There are some of the risk factors that contribute to trigger asthma attack such as colds and flu, air

The main ideas of Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The main ideas of Buddhism - Essay Example Buddhism is a dharma or non-theistic religion that promotes the norms of the people. It consists of a range of beliefs, traditions and practices. These components are rooted in the teachings accredited to Buddha which is also known as Siddhartha. The religion followers believe that Buddha means, â€Å"The awakened one† Statistically, the Religion is practised by over 300 million people around the world with most of the followers coming from India. Buddhism has two common branches, namely; Theravada and Mahayana. The former has extensive followers from Sri Lanka while the latter has followers from East Asia.Different religions emphasize on differing aspects, while others advocate for proclaiming faith on the religion, others stress the importance of putting into practice the norms of the religion. Resultantly, Cohen (182) supposes that Buddhists accept as true that practising is obtained through comprehension of the â€Å"Four Noble Truths†. Cohen (182) brought to light the exact and ultimate goal of the Buddhism Religion, the practice. The principal goal of Buddhism is the achievement of Nirvana state by practising the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ which is also known as middle way as per the submission of McDaniel, (250). In a nutshell, the eight factors include; having the right understanding, professing the right intention, practising the right speech and actions, righteous living, making correct efforts, at all times maintaining good mindfulness and right concentrations.