How illiteracy influences people’s life Essay

In the movie, â€Å"The Reader,† Kate Winslet played the role of Hanna Schmitz, an illiterate train conductor who was sent to jail without even understanding what she has done wrong. When Hanna said the line, â€Å"I would rather listen to you†¦ ,† I was moved because these few words allowed me to empathize with people who are illiterate. It gave me a glimpse of the feelings of helplessness and frustration they must encounter in their everyday life. The movie also showed me how illiteracy can affect a person’s life. Because of the fact that they do not have access to the information the rest of the world has, they end up being enslaved by the opinions of the literate. It is impossible for them to construct opinions as they do lack the details needed to create one. At the same time, they are forced to be dependent on people who can provide them with this information. They are also under the mercy of people who have knowledge in the written law. The movie also showed me how humbling it must be not to be able to read or write. At the start of the movie, she had an affair with a man half her age. And, whenever the man would read for her, her seniority faded away because of the way she would act like a child waiting for her father to read her a bed time story. Hanna’s story shows how important being literate is. It plays an important role in a person’s life as it can change his or her destiny. In this essay, I would like to talk about the changes and effects of literacy to a person’s mind and life. I would like to show how literacy can give intellect and power to a person by going through the works of Staple, Douglass and Kozel which they created in order to emphasize the importance of literacy in the democratic world. Brent Staple, an author and editorial writer for the New York Times, recounted the way his grandfather changed his life by learning how to read. In one of his articles, he wrote: Name of Author – 2- â€Å"Nevertheless, the ability to read and write gave them a vantage point on their circumstances and protected them from swindlers who regularly stripped illiterate people of land and other assets. † (p. 1) Staple’s grandfather was able to gain his independence by learning how to read and write. He also learned how to distinguish what is good from what is bad, what can benefit him and what can ruin his life. He also found himself with the power to think and give his opinion as he now has a better grasp of the issues around him. Armed with the knowledge he was able to acquire from reading, he found the power to make his own decisions and fight for his rights. He was able to free himself from the prison of other people’s thoughts. Another writer, Frederick Douglass, who is famous for his line: â€Å"I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong,† wrote an article that is parallel to Staple’s article in the way that he talked about the way literacy influenced his life and his thinking. Douglass’ story, however, is quite different from that of Staple’s grandfather. In his story, he recounted that he learned how to read in secret with the fear of being beaten. Being born a slave, Douglass was passed on from one owner to another. The wife of one his owners taught him the alphabet even though she knew that there was a law against teaching slaves how to read. Her husband obviously disapproved about this when he found out. He believed that a slave who gains literacy will be unsatisfied with his condition and yearn for freedom. Even with the threat of being caught and beaten up, Douglass learned how to read with the help of the white children in the neighborhood. He also did his best to observe the way the order white men would write. His perspective changed after he has attained literacy. Douglas realized that black men are not brutes or savages who should be limited to working as a slave, Name of Author – 3 – they have the right to be educated and respected. As his master predicted, he yearned for the freedom that the white people have. As he continues to learn how to read and write, Douglass’ attitude to life is gradually transformed by literacy. Douglass mentions in the article: â€Å"I read them over and over again with unabated interest. They give tongue to interesting thought of my own soul†¦. The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder. † (p. 45) By learning how to read and write, Douglass learned not only the meaning of words and sentences, but the power of knowledge. He slowly became aware of his rights as a human being and how unfairly the black people have been treated. He also realized that illiteracy is the reason why the white people were able to enslave his race for so long. Not only did illiteracy keep them unaware of their rights, it also made them unable to think for themselves, to distinguish from right and wrong, what is harmful and what is not. It also stopped them from acquiring the knowledge that they need to pursue their freedom. Hence, they were influenced by the white people to believe that their only purpose in life was to work for them. With his newfound knowledge, he was able to change his life and gain his freedom. At the same time, having appreciated the value of literacy, he passed on the knowledge to other slaves, giving them the opportunity to change their own lives. In Kozol’s article, he focuses on how illiteracy can threaten a person’s way of life and thinking. He believes that one will never really have ability to protect himself if he is illiterate because he is always unaware of what’s going on. He can’t read the strange signs on the street that warns him of danger or tells him that he is breaking the law. Neither can he read legal documents, making him vulnerable to being swindled. He is also unaware of his rights. Kozol Name of Author – 4 – says, â€Å" They do not know what rights they have, what deadlines and requirements they face, what option they might choose to exercise. They are half-citizens. Their right exist I print but not in fact. † (52-53) They cannot protect their own rights since they don’t know what their rights are. Neither can they apply their rights or make a choice because they do not know what their options are. The same points were tackled by Douglas in his article when he said that black people were treated like slaves because they were not literate and were not given the chance to know that they do not have to limit themselves to such a status. They just thought that would go through this nightmare for the rest of their lives because no one could save them. What they didn’t know was they could’ve saved themselves had they known that they had rights to fight for. If they had been literate, they would have realized that they are not slaves and they have right to be educated and respected because they are humans. Illiteracy, however, has exiled them to such an nightmarish existence where their destiny is dictated by their masters. Now literacy still plays the most important role in society. If you are not able to read and write, it would be really hard for you to live. You wouldn’t know how to deal with a lot of things. You wouldn’t know what is right or wrong, what would benefit you and what would harm you. Because of the numerous things that you do not know, your lack of knowledge can bring you harm. At the same time, your lack of knowledge, stops you from having your own beliefs or opinions. And, since you have know access to the options you can choose from, you end up believing that there are none and the only thing you can do is follow what the other people are doing or to have the same opinion as they do. Without literacy, all the people can do is follow and obey, allowing other people to take charge of their own lives. If a country is filled with illiterate people then democracy is useless since the mindless majority can be controlled by the Name of Author – 5- government and the votes of those who are literate and have their own minds can be surpassed by those who aren’t. If that is the case, then the government can become a dictator in the guise of democracy. Hence, it is safe to say that without the presence of literacy, there is no knowledge. Without knowledge, there are no choices. And, without knowledge, there is no freedom which is the very essence of democracy.

A and P: Movie Review

Gallant After watching the film A&P In comparison to the discussion In the classroom, a lot of the topics are current trends and Issues In the 20th century. There can be much discussion about many things in the film. After watching the film however rather than from the reading and discussion in class, I pictured things differently in my own mind. Upon first trying to relate it to the sass's, I actually thought the film was pretty odder and could be possible in today's times, depending on a store and its' management, whether an independently owned little store or a big box grocery store. The main character, Sammy, who displays an 18 or 19 year old male teenagers' feelings are very much alike as all boys during the adolescence years. John Update himself reported In his Interview of when he was young and married and 29 years of age that he could relate to these types of feelings and fantasy dreams which prompted him to write the story.I could not envision however In the sass's of actual ly seeing any young girls in bathing suits that would be daring enough to walk in a store dressed in such a way. Personally, I do not recall seeing any young teenage girls do this during those times. I did grow up in the sass's. I recall most young women being more demure and even seeing something such as this might result in a police arrest possibly. Perhaps I am being naive as I was a young child during this period but don't recall families allowing their young girls to behave in such a way.Sammy appears to be bold In that time period In my opinion of how he chose to Just quit his Job because he TLD believe the same beliefs as his manager, Mr.. Lange. While growing up In the sissy, many children and adults alike, from what I saw and remember were taught to work hard and success would then follow. Many of the male adult family relatives were away serving in the Navy or Army and those at home, especially the women, had chores at home, like laundry and cooking, were working hard stil l because they had larger families to feed.My grandmother who had 13 or 14 hillier had also worked part time in a retail chain called J. J. Newbury. Our family would never have heard of a teenage boy being able to quit his job Just because he didn't agree with his manager who was his elder. Teenagers growing up in the sass's whom I was exposed to had to respect their elders and do as adults around them expected and work hard for their families with chores to do along with school work in order to receive allowances from the family In return for the hard work. The Job was Important If a teenager had one to share the wages with their family.Regarding consumers as a society of pigs, cows, and sheep, and an older woman's' attitude compared to a witch that should be burned in Salem was never even a be rebelling to soon becoming an adult in the near future and possibly could be one of these people. He is suppressing some self-discovery and trying to figure out where he fits in a society an d perhaps wondering if he belongs working in a grocery store for the rest of his life or if he really should be having fun like the young girls laughing and running about in the store.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative Dispute Resolution - Assignment Example Mediation and arbitration are applicable in different scenarios and have a number of advantages and disadvantages as the discussion below portrays. Litigation refers to the use of courts in resolving conflicts. An aggrieved party initiates the process by reporting a matter at the law enforcement agencies who in turn investigate arrest and prosecute the suspect. The nature of litigations varies depending on the rules and laws in every jurisdiction. Litigations are systematic and strive to uphold justice for both the victim and suspect. Ligations are appropriate in a number of circumstances. They are useful in high stake cases. Political conflicts, murder cases, defamation and economic conflicts among companies always end up in courts owing to the intensity of the conflicts and the seriousness of the damages that victims incur from such cases. Key among the advantages of litigations is the fact that the proceedings are systematic. As explained earlier, litigations begin with investigations (Kerley, Joanne and Paul 78). In every stage, the law enforcers among other parties involved such as the prosecutors must always uphold the di ctates of the law that help protect the interests of both the victim and the suspect. Proving a case beyond reasonable doubt makes litigations just and fair. The judges or jury must consider the evidence and the witnesses’ accounts as they make their determination. Miranda rights and the right to appeal help enhance the quality of the justice system since it provides both the victim and the suspect with a number of basic privileges that enhance the exhaustively of the investigations and the quality of the court proceedings in order to improve the quality of justice. In case a defendant is not satisfied with the ruling, such individuals have the rights to appeal the rulings and the courts of appeal must institute appropriate benches and rehear the cases. Despite the numerous advantages,

Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso The Glorious Artists Essay

Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso The Glorious Artists - Essay Example The essay "Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso The Glorious Artists" will help to understand the important role of such artists as Paull Klee and Pablo Picasso. Here will be discussed famous words of glorious artists. Abstract art never shows flowers as flowers, houses as houses etc. Mainly abstract art addresses issues that lie deeper than objects of material reality. Paul Klee was in a broad sense a transcendentalist who accepted that the material world was standing out among numerous realities open to human consciousness. His applications of color, pattern and miniature sign systems all address his endeavors to utilize art as a window to this philosophical rule. Klee challenged conventional limits differentiating visual art and composition by investigating another expressive, and to a great extent theoretical or graceful dialect of pictorial images and signs. Letters, arrows, musical documentation, old pictographs, or a couple of dark lines remaining in for an individual or question habit ually show up in his work, while seldom requesting a particular interpretation. The artwork that was chosen for the analysis is Winged Hero (1905). This artwork depicts a surreal humanlike creature with one wing. The artist wrote himself on the picture "Because this man was born with one wing, he believed he could fly. His attempts, of course, have only resulted in crashes and a broken left arm and leg". The odd creature could extremely well speak to a sort of self-portrait of the averageartist of the 20th century.

Changing Character of Alien Immigration in Early Modern Period Essay

Changing Character of Alien Immigration in Early Modern Period - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the most powerful of European powers ventured into the immigration spree during the Early Modern Period to show specific interests. Nearly through the entire 16th century, the most explorative and dominant figure of alien immigration into the Americas was undoubtedly Spain. Since the turn of the Century, Spanish interests in the New World were perhaps one of the most organized and resolute. As early as 1513, sections of the continent had been identified for settlement by the Spanish explorers as led by Ponce De Leon. Florida was among the settlement areas identified by De Leon, paving way for similar incursions into other American territories by the Spanish. In as much time, Cazabeza de Vaca and his crew had discovered Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in a similar adventure. Discovery and navigation of main American rivers such as Colorado and Mississippi were nigh as exploration continued into the 1500s, soon making it possible to take ove r Florida and California. In the meantime, other explorer countries in Europe were preparing to compete with Spain in the venture and English explorers sooner came on board. Despite the fact that much of the discoveries leading to the immigration of the Europeans were by chance, they took complete advantage of the discoveries and eventually occupied the New World. The English explorers, for instance, were in search of routes to the Indies, making the stumble-upon impact good to their interest in overseas territories. Virginia was taken over in 1607 by the British. The French got interested in the immigration and settlement in 1608 through the assistance of Samuel Champlain in form of identifying and taking over Quebec. By 1670s, interests of expansion of the overseas territory by the French led to exploration and takeover of Louisiana.

Urban Legends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Urban Legends - Essay Example The lady of the house heartily denied that she had anything to do with the camera being lost, claiming her husband slipped and tossed the camera in to the Loch of his own accord. The issue was still unresolved at press time. The local sheriff’s office along with the fire department has issued an advisory - be extremely careful of what is put down drains and garbage disposals, as increasing reports are coming in of alligators coming out of the sewers. â€Å"I was just walking along Main Street, and there†¦he†¦she†¦it†¦was†, gasped 89 year old lifelong resident Gladys Pichers. Ms. Pichers, a longtime member of the local community, claims that she saw a six-foot alligator crawl out of the sewers. The sheriff’s department, though they were reluctant at first, soon received three more telephone calls about the problem of the reptilian sewer infestation. One woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, has told the Outcry that she was accosted by an 8-foot alligator across town. Whether both women saw the same alligator or not was unclear as of press time. It is also unclear as to whether or not the alligators were local residents to begin with, or have travelled many miles to join us in our local community. While camping in the forests surrounding Mt. Ranier in Washington State, a local high school student has sworn in a signed affidavit to have seen Bigfoot roaming around in the woods as well. â€Å"He was, um†¦tall,† the student recalled, when pressed for details on the subject. â€Å"And kinda hairy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Further details will appear tonight on the six o’clock news, when the teen, along with his parents and his lawyer, as well as members of the sheriff’s department, will make a statement and reveal pictures that the teen took while on his expedition. No further searches are expected to take place from law enforcement for the ‘tall, kinda hairy’ Bigfoot. Phone

Aging in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aging in America - Essay Example Guided by the welfare initiative under the Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision in 1999, and a New Freedom Initiative (NFI) in 2001, all American States are expected are modify their respective long term care (LTC) policies to provide comprehensive health care services dedicated to the needs of older Americans. This framework is expected to reform the following areas to increase well being of older Americans:Using the Systems Change Framework as a guide, this paper examines reform in the State of Oregon and how reform efforts have affected them. In Oregon, LTC services are administered on a local level, so as to increase the number of options available to seniors citizens.About 7% of Oregon's population are less than 5 years old, 25% under 18, and 13% are 65 or older. Women constitute 51% of the population. Of these, most settlers originally came from Europe. Others like Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Asians form a large part. The Asian community forms slightly less than 5% of the popula tion.Program information was obtained through interviews with people over 65 years of age, health care professionals and health service providers about each of the four component areas of the LTC Systems and Change Framework. Interviewees provided details regarding the impact of services across available services, satisfaction with services, and future plans for reforms.Unrelated to governmental policy changes though, a technical experts meeting held during April 2000 had underscored the fact that the issue of older population is currently under-addressed, is poorly understood and widely unrecognized. It said that not many organizations are taking into account the comprehensive health issues, medical systems and reimbursement, environmental issues, and education that are necessary to help older Americans live better. To utilize available funds effectively, resources must be tailored to the needs of the aged. The 25% of the population who are over age 50 today control 70% of the total net worth of U.S. households and are seasoned consumers (Dychtwald 1990). Baby Boomers, already in there 60s, are already pushing the market to produce goods and services that are relevant to their needs. They do not like to be thought of as old. Many of these goods and services will increasingly be health-related such as gyms, ski slopes, and dating services for older adults. Since they have resources to spend, the market will respond to meet their demands. To meet the needs of the elders, the government has framed Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA aids state agencies to cover their social service needs. All people over age 60 are eligible, regardless of need or income. Further the State Units on Aging establish local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to develop and administer service plans within local areas. These provide referral services, case management, transportation, home services, day care, nutritional information, community meals, legal services, senior centers, employment programs, and protective services. Access is the most important concept to remember when planning services for the aged. They will try to avoid services that they perceive are inappropriate, too expensive, or

Business plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business plan - Coursework Example In the past few years, there has been a drastic increase in population with new young families and subdivisions moving towards the urban centers. It is therefore Pizsho’s strategy to take advantage of the golden opportunity of first-moving products and find itself as the best pizza provider within the region. The management team has a strong belief that the shop will be the best option in serving the fast growing population with modern, unique and fresh menu as opposed to the other shops nearby. Currently, Pizsho has well established network in the town with approximately 2000 customers visiting the premises daily. It has trained employees with vast experience in hospitality industry and modern equipment. Although it was started recently, it has expanded rapidly. If this trend continues, it is anticipated that the shop will open other branches. Taking the assumptions that there market conditions prevail, the shop will employ more workers, improve the competence skills and offe r diverse services. This business plan therefore calls for an interesting, profitable establishment with a future anticipation of growing to serve the needy society. Above all, this business plan gives a clear description of a healthy food industry with well established prospects, looking forward to gaining an international popularity. Mission Pizsho has a mission of creating a pleasant and responsive environment for the esteem customers in a productive and well designed atmosphere that facilitates a good work place for all people. The shop is very sensitive to the taste and the appearance as well as ingredients of pizza. It attempts to satisfy its customers with the best services; both tangible and intangible. It maintains the fact that, â€Å"our neighbors are our customers as we are all residents of the market area.† Vision To be the leading food industry that creates and nurture creative, healthy and respectable environment that people can sit, relax and enjoy the best fo ods in the region. In striving to achieve this, it ensures that the workers are fully compensated and motivated to respect the customers and produce quality pizzas. Pizsho seeks to maintain responsible and fair profit, just enough to maintain the business operations healthy and meet its demands. Objectives The objectives of Pizsho are: i. To maximize profits at any given time. ii. To create a stable market place able to sustain sales and marketing goals and attracting customers iii. To arrive at hospitable monthly sales by the end every financial year with a steady increment by the end of the third financial year iv. To establish a modest relationship among all the distributors and customers. Key Performance indicators The business key to success factors are: i. Marketing: promoting the company, its products as well as delivery channels to the rural community ii. To deliver the customer with value proposition iii. Product consistency and

Olympics Document Based Question Essay Example for Free

Olympics Document Based Question Essay DBQ Essay (Modern Day Olympics 1896 – 2002) War, Nationalism, and money paid by various corporations/countries all shaped the modern day Olympics. War played a major role in shaping the modern day Olympic Games. In document one, Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, states that the Olympics would serve as a reduction of war because of the worldwide competition between various countries. Coubertin wrote this document to attempt to convince the Athletic Society of France to revive the Olympic Games. In document 3, the autobiography of Arnold Lunn talks about how the Nazis used certain competition to prove to the world that a dictatorship (or Nazism) is better than democracy. The only thing that mattered to the Nazi’s was to win. The Nazi’s had pictured the Olympics as a war where it was the Nazi’s against the world. Document 5 reveals that if Japan wouldn’t have hosted the Olympic Games after the Second World War, they would’ve never gotten what they needed to rise as a world trade power. Ryotaro Azuma wrote this document to recognize the fact that the Olympics had evolved into an event that would ultimately save a country. Nationalism also played a major role in shaping the modern day Olympic Games. Document 2 recognizes the fact that men were too proud to let women represent their country in the Olympics. Document 4 represents nationalism because it shows how proud America would be if they beat the Soviets in any sort of competition during the Olympics. Bob Matthias wrote this document to show us the determination and pride the U.S had to defeat the soviets, and how the Olympics evolved into a competition between just the U.S and the Soviets.

Competition vs. monopoly Essay Example for Free

Competition vs. monopoly Essay 1. Analyze the fast food industry from the point of view of perfect competition. Include the concepts of elasticity, utility, costs, and market structure to explain the prices charged by fast food retailers. Firms within the fast food industry fall under the market structure of perfect competition. Market structure is a classification system for the key traits of a market. The characteristics of perfect competition include: large number of buyers and sellers, easy entry to and exit from the market, homogeneous products, and the firm is the price taker. Many fast food franchises fit all or most of these characteristics. Competition within the industry as well as market supply and demand conditions set the price of products sold. For example, when Wendys introduced its $. 99 value menu, several other companies implemented the same type of changes to their menu. The demand for items on Wendys value menu was so high because they were offering the same products as always, but at a discounted price. This change in market demand basically forced Wendys competition to lower prices of items on their menu, in order to maintain their share of the market. The previous example illustrates the elasticity of the fast food industry. Supply and demand set the equilibrium price for goods offered by franchises within the industry. Competitors of Wendys must accept the prices established by the consumer demand for the value menu. If consumers didnt respond so positively to Wendys changes, other firms wouldnt have had to adjust prices. On the flip side of this concept, there is no need for franchises to further reduce prices below the current levels. At the current prices, firms may sell as much product as they want, thereby maximizing profits. This industry has a very high utility value. Utility is a measure of satisfaction or pleasure that is obtained from consuming a good or service. If consumers feel as if they get a good meal, at a good price, then theyre satisfied. This customer satisfaction coupled with relatively low prices keeps the industry profitable. Another quality of perfect competition that may be overlooked, but is vital to this industry is the ease of entry into the market. Start-up franchises within this market structure can begin operating with relatively low initial investments (compared to other industries). This is not the case where monopolies are concerned. There are numerous barriers to entry into monopolistic market structures, capital being one of the most prominent barriers. If a new franchise an offer the consumer a quality product at a reduced price, then the chances of success are greatly increased. For example, Chanellos and Little Caesars offer discounted pizza prices, and maintain the same quality as other pizza chains. These companies spend less on advertising and more on the actual product. Thats a very important concept in this industry, because their quality product at this discounted price gives them a niche in the market. Once a company establishes a niche, they become more visible to the consumer, thereby creating more demand, which leads to greater revenue. 2. Analyze sports franchises from the point of view of a monopoly. Sports franchises fall within the market structure of monopolies. Most professional sports teams fit most or all of the characteristics of a monopoly. For each sport, there are a limited number of teams and new entries into the league are few and far between. Also, there are many barriers to entry into the market, including large initial capital investment, dominance by one or few firms, and other legal issues that must be considered. An investor would initially need cash for payroll of players, payroll for management, advertising, playing facility, and many other miscellaneous costs. The new franchise owner would need to be very wealthy and have the backing of other wealthy individuals just to purchase the franchise. Once a franchise eventually enters the market, they have the ability to set the prices for that particular market. Monopolies are price makers and the products offered are not sensitive to changes in the market. The demand curve of a monopoly is not elastic, as is such in a perfectly competitive market. The monopolistic demand curve is the same as the curve for the industry since there is only one firm within the industry. This allows the franchise owner to maximize profits by setting the price of tickets and concessions at an amount that creates the most revenue. Consumers will pay the price, if they want to attend a particular sporting event, no matter how outrageous the price. This price setting is allowable, because unlike perfect competition, there are no substitutes. Cities may have two or three teams of different types of sports (i. e. baseball, hockey, football), but few cities have more than one professional team of the same sport. Sports franchises, although theyre monopolies are not all bad. These teams bring million and millions of dollars in revenue to the city in which theyre located. First of all, jobs are created in the construction of the sports facility. Then there is revenue to the city from taxes, consumer spending at hotels and restaurants, tourist visits and numerous other avenues. Sports franchises are similar to the fast food industry in the respect that they also have a very high utility value. Fans are pleased when they witness a very competitive, hard fought sporting event, and they are willing to pay to do so. Just look at the price of Super Bowl or NBA finals tickets. Spectators pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to witness these events year in and year out. As long as the teams are competitive and there are superstar players, consumers will continue to watch and attend events regardless of the price.

Oxygen Product and Recycling in Artificial Ecosystem

Oxygen Product and Recycling in Artificial Ecosystem Discovering Terrestrial and Aquatic life The Ecosystem Simulation Purpose/ Hypothesis The purpose of this experiment was to create an artificial ecosystem in order to observe the natural changes in life. The column was put together including a terrestrial and an aquatic section to see how the two interact as one. Plants, insects, and fish were added to the column in order to observe how oxygen is produced, used and recycled. The eco-column experiment was done in order to familiarize us with testing water for pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen levels. Along with familiarizing the participants with the process and meaning of certain environmental tests the eco-column simulation helped to show how life and nature works. It gave insight to how one element affects another in nature. The eco-column simplified the mast works of nature. Methods Two liter bottles were brought in and the bottoms were cut out of all but one and the tops out of all. After cut, the bottles were assembled together and taped. The eco-column was composed of three different sections; aquatic, decomposition and terrestrial. There was a filter inserted between the decomposition and the terrestrial chambers in order to catch the soil that would try to make its way down to the aquatic chamber. The eco-column was first assembled September 24th. For the aquatic chamber water was brought in, nearly a gallon, from local lakes, ponds, and creeks. For the decomposition and terrestrial the soil was taken from local forest. After assembling the column and inserting water and soil there were instructions to insert rocks, sticks, and insects. After assembly was complete test were done. The aquatic chamber went through various test including turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature, along with subjective test such as odor and color. Observations were comple ted, as well as soil test. At first the columns were tested every week, but after 3 weeks the teacher instructed the class to complete test and observations every two weeks versus every week. The teacher gave out aquatic plants in order to help with dissolved oxygen levels. Once the dissolved oxygen levels and temperature became constant and safe fish were placed into each of the aquatic chambers of the eco-columns. The eco-column experiment lasted around three months; from September to December. The tests were completed five times. Dissolved oxygen and temperature were both tested using a probe in which was placed in the water. The pH levels were tested using a a special paper stick pH tester. In order to test turbidity water samples were taken from the aquatic chamber and put in a machine which read the level. The soil test were completed by taking out a cup of soil from the eco-column the week before. They were then tested for various elements such as; pH, nitrogen, potassium, an d phosphorus by putting them in the directed containers in which powder was added to test for the specific element. The eco-column was taken down on December 3rd. The water and soil was dumped outside of the school and the bottles were given to our teacher in order to be used again. Results The table below shows how the dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH levels changed throughout the experiment. It is visible that the pH levels and temperature remained fairly constant over time. The temperature remained around 21 degrees Celsius and the pH levels neutral, 7. The dissolved oxygen levels however were constantly changing. The first day of our experiment, September 24th, the dissolved oxygen level was 1.0. At that level the water was unsafe for marine life, such as fish. There was barely any oxygen circulating throughout the chamber. A week later the level was up to 7.6. Our teacher stated that the range of 7 is a safe number. She ensured her class that they would receive plants and fish when the levels were suitable. About the second week in she added a plant into the aquatic chamber which really helped with the dissolved oxygen levels. Once suitable (about the third week) the fish were added and one can see from the table that the tested fields remained fairly constant . Water Quality (figure 1) The table below shows the observations of the aquatic, decomposition, and terrestrial chambers over time. When the eco-column was first assembled, the water was not in very good condition. It reeked of sewage, was yellow and from the chart above the dissolved oxygen levels were as low as they could be. Not only was the aquatic chamber bad, but the decomposition and terrestrial habitats smelled fowl, were full of mold, and life did not survive. From the chart one can easily see that over time the conditions greatly improved and by the end was an ecosystem sustainable for life. By October 22nd the eco-column had greatly improved. There were signs of growth, clear water and the mold was nearly gone. By the last day of the experiment there was no smell, no algae and no signs of mold. From observations and data it is clear that the presence of plants and animals helped to improve water and soil quality. They helped to minimize bacteria and fungus while improving the state of the air and o xygen levels. Observations of Biomes (Table 1) Discussion Identify two Food Chains or Food Webs in each of your habitats (chambers). Use arrows to illustrate these food chains and food webs; complete sentences are not required. Use extra paper if needed. Aquatic Chamber Decomposition Chamber (top soil chamber) Terrestrial Chamber On separate sheet Identify and briefly discuss the biogeochemical cycles which are taking place/which are present in your EcoColumns. Do not merely state that â€Å"they are all present†; instead, provide more specific information The sunlight brings in warmth , energy, and oxygen. While the animals ( fish and insects) breathe in oxygen CO2 is produced. The CO2 is then taken in by the plants and oxygen is released. The cycle then repeats. Is your ecosystem column a closed or open system? or is it something in between a closed or open system? Explain how this (closed, open or other) influences the ecosystem column overall. The eco-column is in between an open and a closed system. It is closed in the sense that it is isolated from the rest of nature. It is open because it has all the regular cycles and interactions of an ecosystem but just in a smaller, and confined. Although it is technically a closed system it is open because it has natural cycles. What kind of niches are available/present for the various organisms in the column? Be specific, descriptive, and use terminology that is pertinent to the topic. The fish niche is to clean up the algae present in the aquatic habitat. While the aquatic plants niche is to take in the CO2 produced from the fish and produce oxygen in order to keep the fish alive and dissolved oxygen levels high. Discuss evidence of ecological succession taking place in your column (or in the column of another lab group if you have not observed any signs of succession in your column). Our eco-column started out lifeless. The water was dark, the smell was unbearable, the chemical levels were high, and the dissolved oxygen levels were low. Over time the water began to clear, the smell went away the chemicals leveled out and the dissolved oxygen levels rose. The presence of plants cleared up the water and made it livable. After the first plant other plants were able to grow and the ecosystem was able to support life (fish). Discuss the stability and sustainability of the ecosystem columns in the lab, including your own. After the first week my groups eco-column became stable, the levels remained constant from that point forward, ours was also capable of sustaining life. However, everyone’s eco-columns weren’t as stable. Several groups struggled with clearing up their water and raising their dissolved oxygen levels. Because of this they were unable to have fish. One groups water turned black due to a fungus and eutrophication occurred. Discuss three trends or patterns which stand out as you think back on the data which you have been recording for 6 weeks. These trends or patterns should apply to the water quality tests or other observations which you have made over this multi-week time period. Briefly discuss these three trends or patterns, providing possible explanations based on environmental science principles. My group’s pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature all follow the same pattern. They started out very low, rose quickly, dropped, and then leveled back out. Many of our terrestrial insects died so this could have possibly affected the levels, as well as lack of sunlight. Explain what eutrophication refers to and how this occurs. Apply this explanation to your ecosystem column. How might eutrophication take place in your column? Explain fully. Eutrophication refers to the increase in nutrients in water such as nitrates and phosphates; it depletes the oxygen and turns the water different colors. Eutrophication happened in one group’s column but not ours. Eutrophication could happen by nutrients from the soil in the terrestrial chamber dropping down to the aquatic chamber and polluting the water. Once the water is polluted the oxygen depletes and the water changes colors and becomes unsafe. Pick another group in your class. How do your data compare to theirs? Brainstorm some causes/reasons for any differences. Since we worked at lab stations other groups were always around. I observed that most people had similar results to us. Good temperatures, steady levels of pH and dissolved oxygen with rather clear water. Some groups however were not similar. Some had bad levels, could never get oxygen levels to healthy state and had vast amounts of mold and algae. Some eco-columns were lifeless because insects and plants were unable to survive. Finally, address any sources of error in this lab. This should be narrated in a â€Å"cause and effect† manner and talk about specific problems. A good example would be â€Å"water did not drain from the terrestrial chamber so †¦Ã¢â‚¬  while a bad example would be â€Å"we messed up the measuring one day.† The only error my group could find in the lab was the soil test. We could never get enough soil to do the test, so our data is very scarce and not one week could we actually complete the task. The only time we had enough soil was the last time and the results did not seem to be very accurate. I believe something could be done to improve the soil test and raise the accuracy. Conclusion Before this experiment I was clueless on the various water and soil test; as well as how to conduct them. I now feel confident that I could complete each test on my own and I am aware of the temperature, pH level, and dissolved oxygen number needed to sustain life. This experiment was very helpful in demonstrating how an ecosystem works and how everything needs and plays off one another. The eco-column gave us the opportunity to experience biogeochemical and life cycles. We learned what is necessary to sustain life and I feel as if that was the most important thing learned from the eco-column experiment. References Botkin, D. B., E. A Keller (2011). Environmental Science (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. The EcoColumn. (2013). Retrieved December 12, 2013, from Annenburg Learner website: http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/bottlebio/ecocol/ EcoColumn Lab. (2013, February 7). Retrieved December 14, 2013, from Teaching Real Science website: http://teachingrealscience.com/2013/02/07/eco-column-lab/

Essay --

Students typically spend 7-8 hours in school, five days per week. Being homeless contributes to disadvantages in education, their health, and additionally to their family status. Our nation is experiencing more homeless persons now than they had since the Great Depression and this is affecting our educational framework. Nearly 1.2 million public school students were identified as being homeless during the 2011-2012 school year, 73 percent more than before the Great Recession (The state of America's children 2014, 2014, p. 26). The experiences students receive from an early age carries on to all other aspects of their lives, whether it is positive or negative, and follows them for the rest of their lifetime. Many reasons are attributed to why so many households are now homeless, such as the inability to afford housing, the decrease or lack of government funding, health problems, domestic violence, just to name a few. Unfortunately, the rising housing costs are exceeding many peoples income, especially if employees only make minimum wage. A full time worker receiving minim...

Classifying Three NFL Teams According To Attitude :: essays research papers

Classifying Three NFL Teams According to Attitude The National Football League was formed decades ago by the merger of two national leagues. The Super Bowl is the traditional season-end activity that crowns the national champion. Each team represented starts with one of the original leagues.The number of teams active in the NFL does not remain the same for longr.o. the game of professional football is big business and can be highly profitable. When the NFL announces that it has approved new expansion teams, there is intense competition among team less cities to attract one of the franchises. The game is profitable for team owners and for players, but it also is profitable for the cities in which teams are centered. It contributes to the local economy and enhances the stature of the city in where a team is located. Of course teams and their organizations are made up of individuals, but the teams themselves tend to settle into characteristics of their own. Once established in reputation, the team can remain with it for years regardless of the changes that occur within and around it. Example can be seen in any NFL team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are technically sound playing but very bad results. The team has been winning with much greater frequency in recent years, but it can expect to maintain the loser perception for years to come. As teams take on their its own personality. Most of NFL teams relies rely on assessment of the number of games won compared to the number lost during a season or over a number of years. Teams also can be classified according to that personality, or at least according to the personality perceived by fans and the press. With the classification of good, average and bad. The Tennessee Titans will be used to show the good team the Minnesota Vikings will represent the average and the Dallas Cowboys will fill the role of bad. The Tennessee Titans The Titans provide a good example of how teams can change the perceptions that have built around them over the years. In the case of the Titans, the change was effected by moving to a new state, changing the team name, replacing personnel and replacing the coaching staff. The Titans hardly have the same team at all, but they formerly were the Houston Oilers. You should keep in mind that as the Oilers, the team had posted so many consecutive losing seasons that it had managed to destroy the reputation built during the winning years.

Changing face of Indian villages Essay

India is a land of villages. It is said that real India lives in villages. About seventy per cent of its population lives in villages. India is undergoing revolutionary changes. Its villages are not untouched by those changes. The changes are reflected in every walk of life. These changes have been brought by various agents. These include science, technology, and spread of education, advent of media in rural areas, industrialisation, urbanisation and migration. Hence the lifestyle, attitude and thinking have changed greatly in rural India. In fact these factors have combined to change the ritualistic rural society into a dynamic society. Traditionally, Hindu society has been caste ridden. Caste-based division has been prominently visible in rural India. The people of upper caste treated themselves superior to the people of lower caste. Discrimination against them was a commonplace event. People of upper caste did not eat or drink anything even touched by the lower caste people. Even they were not allowed to take water from the well used by the upper caste people. They are not allowed entrance in temples. Such unjust distinction based on caste, colour and community was widely prevalent in Indian society. But things are rapidly changing now. People do not care tor any such distinction. There is an interdependence existence in society. There is a close interaction of people of different castes, creeds and religions, among them for various purposes. The outlook of the villagers has undergone sea change. They have begun to see things in broader context. This is a good sign. The access of media has brought big changes in their life. Now they have realised the importance of education. They no longer hold back their girls from going to schools and colleges. They have begun to come out of the four walls of their homes. They have started sharing responsibility with their male counterpart. Naturally, it has a positive impact on society. Agriculture, which is the mainstay of rural economy, is also being influenced  by the winds of changes sweeping across various walks of life. It is no longer left to the mercy of Nature. The agrarian reforms, increasing application of science and technology are bringing sea changes in the faces of villages. Availability of safe drinking water and electricity has made the life of the villagers easier and comfortable. Mass media has also contributed a lot to change the life of the villages. Now rituals and superstitions have begun fading away. People have begun to see things in the light of reason and logic. There is a great awakening in the villagers. They are now politically and economically aware and sound. There is no longer casteism in rural society. These changes are likely to have good impact on overall progress of India.

Health, Safety and Security Essay

Explain potential hazards and harm that they may arise from each in a health and social care setting (P1) There are lots of hazards that may occur in health and social care settings, these hazards pose risks of harm that effect specific service user groups. The essay is based on a private residential care home for the elderly with dementia, these people have mobility issues and other health issues associated with old age, e.g. high blood pressure and diabetes. There are 20 residents with 8 permanent members of staff including a nurse and various care workers. Hazards in the physical environment The physical environment includes everything that is around you e.g. people, buildings, pets, objects, temperature and air; all of which have a dramatic influence on people’s well-being. There is a governmental National Minimum Standards which people must maintain for a healthy physical environment. These pose risks for the elderly residents due to their limitations in vision and with movement. The hazard is the obstacle of boxes left in the narrow hallways. This risk is that the elderly people will trip over the boxes and cause injuries to themselves, this is caused by their limitations of movement and vision thus them not seeing the obstacle or can’t move to avoid them so they are likely to fall over them. (http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/3/195.full.pdf) Hazards from equipment The hazards from equipment are any equipment you use or come in contact with in the work place; these could pose a hazardous risk. This is a hazard in the residential care home due to the residents needing regular medical tests to see if their medication is working and if not then a review of the medication is needed to assess what needed to be done to help the residents. If the medical equipment such as a sphygmomanometer gives false readings due to it been broken then it can cause patients to be misdiagnosed that there medication is needed at the dosage. This misdiagnoses could potently cause injury to the residents e.g. if a person has high blood pressure but the equipment gives a low reading then long term damage can happen to blood vessels such as ones in the kidneys. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2563463/) Hazards from infection Serious infections mainly only pose risks if procedures are correctly followed, if they are not followed then it causes unnecessary hazards to yourself and others. This is a potential life threatening hazard in the elderly residential care home especially for those who are immune compromised, which elderly people are. Diseases such as MRSA can spread rapidly around the care home if correct procedures in cleaning are not followed, this infection has been linked to over 1,000 deaths a year. These hazards of infection come from things such as incontinence pads not been disposed of, a lack of hygiene levels been maintained etc. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12652388) Hazardous waste Hazardous waste is any human waste and potently infected equipment, this waste needs to be disposed of correctly. Syringes and needles are a serious hazard which can cause needle-stick injuries; this can happen if these objects are not disposed of correctly. They should be disposed of in sharps boxes which are then incinerated; if not there is a potential risk of the spread of, HIV and Hepatitis B virus. Within the residential care home it is a large risk as if procedures are not followed for the residents, blood carried infection such as hepatitis B can be spread to other residents. This can happen by them having yearly flu vaccinations, if the needles are not changed for each resident then these infections are spread. Also soiled bedding and incontinence pads are a hazardous waste which should either be washed at a high temperature to kill the bacteria or be disposed of and incinerated, this will prevent diseases and infections spreading thus becoming a hazard. (http://www.epa.gov/ superfund/students/clas_act/haz-ed/ff_01.htm) Hazardous substances There are many hazardous substances in health and social care settings, most are only potential risks if correct procedures are not followed. This is a hazard particularly in care home as the residents can become disorientated and may ingest the chemical cleaning products without realising how hazardous it can be. By ingesting the chemical cleaning products it could kill or seriously damage the residents internally. To prevent this happening, all hazardous substances should be stored in either a lockable cabinet so residents cannot ingest them. Also medicines are a hazardous substance which if they are not stored in a lockable medicine cabinet can lead to residents ingesting them which can kill them. (http://www.rospa.com/occupationalsafety/training/riskassessment/control-of-substances-hazardous-to-health.aspx) Hazardous working conditions Working conditions are all aspects of where you are during your work. This includes things such as the staffing levels, hours of work and staff relations. There are a lot of regulations in the health and social care sector which helps maintain a standard of care. However there is a higher than normal levels of staff turnover with much staff shortages this causes the staff to have to rush over there work thus procedures are not always followed correctly leading to an increase in the risk of accidents and injuries. Also many staff members may have to work double shifts or long shifts which may lead to staff neglecting residents as been over tired means staff will forget doing things which is necessary. Within the care homes for the elderly this is a very dangerous hazard, due to their possible limitation in movement, it can cause the service users to come to harmed due to neglect caused by a lack of supervision by staff members as they are over worked. Hazardous security systems Security systems are put in place to protect the safety of staff and the service users. All social, health, yearly years care and residential homes have security system procedures in place to protect people. Within the residential care home there are lots of confidential personal medical records that have to be kept secure. If they are not kept secure then their bank details could be used and their money stolen without them knowing, this could lead to their family not been able to afford to pay for the care home and the person losing their place in the home. Also the residents have dementia so there is a security hazard as they may wonder off the premises and get injured. To prevent this happening all doors and windows must be locked. Doors can have electronic locks so only authorised people can enter or leave the home, yet if there’s a fire or emergency the doors unlock to allow residents and staff to leave easily

The Role of Computer and Internet in Education

CHAPTER 5 THE INTEGRATION OF COMPUTER USE IN EDUCATION JAN Department VAN DEN AKKER, PAUL KEURSTEN and TJEERD PLOMP of Education, University of Twente, P. O. The Netherlands Abstract Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, There is an increasing awareness that disappointing experiences with the introduction of computers in education are a consequence of insufficiently taking into account factors that are crucial when introducing change in educational settings. Many of the problems in the literature show great similarity with the kind of problems often experienced in curriculum implementation.In this context the endeavors to make computer use an integrated part of classroom activities are analyzed. Emphasis will be laid on the interaction between teachers and courseware; elements for a more effective strategy for the integration of computer use in educational practice will be presented, with special attention to the design of support materials as an essential part of courseware. Introduction Despi te many national and local initiatives, examples of successful computer use in classroom practice are still relatively rare. In many countries the number of computers in schools has considerably increased in recent years.However, little progress has been made: still few teachers are actual users; software use is often restricted to drill and practice type; the alignment with the curriculum pattern is poor. Research results (of both surveys and case studies) from many countries point to the conclusion that there is still a long way ahead before computer use will be effectively integrated in most classrooms (see e. g. Becker, 1986; Office of Technology Assessment [OTA], 1988, for the USA;, Chomienne, 1988; Olson & Eaton, 1986, for Canada; Cox, 1987, for the U. K. ; Inspectorate, 1986; Plomp & Van den Akker, 1988, for the Netherlands).There is an increasing awareness that these disappointing experiences are a consequence of insufficiently taking into account factors that are crucial wh en introducing change in educational settings. Many of the reported problems that schools and teachers face when implementing computer use show great similarity with the kind of problems often experienced in curriculum implementation (cf. Fullan, Miles, & Anderson, 1987; Sheingold, Martin, & Endreweit, 1987; Walker, 1986). For that reason we would like to analyze the endeavor to make computer use an integrated part of classroom activities 65 6 .I. VAN DEN AKKER et al from a curriculum implementation perspective. We shall start with an overview of the variables that can influence the process and outcomes of curriculum implementation. For the different categories of those variables we shall then discuss the literature on computer use in education. Emphasis will be laid on the interaction between teachers and courseware. Based on this problem analysis we shall present elements for a more effective strategy for the integration of computer use in the educational practice.Special attentio n will be paid to the design of (written) support materials as an essential part of courseware. An Overview of Factors Affecting Implementation _ Drawing upon the work of Fullan (1982) and of Van Velzen, Miles, Ekholm, Hameyer, and Robin (1985), we propose a framework for discussing factors influencing the implementation of innovations in the educational practice by distinguishing four categories of variables: national (and/or state and/or district) context; characteristics of the school (organization); external support; characteristics of the innovation itself.Within each category several variables can be mentioned: – National context central legislation and regulations; system of policy formation and decision making in educational affairs; time, resources and facilities made available for an innovation; proclaimed values and aims about an innovation; attitude of politicians and (other) opinion leaders about an innovation. School organization experiences with earlier innovat ions; role of the school leader(s); methods of decision making; available facilities (time, money, materials); internal co-operation and mutual support; distribution and exchange of information.External support inservice training; assistance with internal coaching and guidance personal contacts with – – staff development; for individual teachers; experts and colleagues from other schools. – Innovation characteristics relevance of the innovation for needs and problems of users; clarity of the goals and practical meaning of a change proposal; Implementation of Computers in Education 67 – complexity of innovation requirements, especially in teaching quality and practicality of the innovation products. ehavior; In the next sections we shall first summarize literature on the integration of computer use, as far as it relates to the first three categories (national context, school organization, and external support). We refer to those categories of variables as the conditionalfactors, because they are conditional for the ultimate use of products by teachers in their daily work. Afterwards we shall focus our attention on the characteristics of the innovation product itself in relation to the teacher’s role.Conditional Which computer literature, emphasis Factors for the Integration of Computer Use research results about use in education? We but restrict ourselves on empirically based conditional factors can be found in the literature on do not intend to offer an exhaustive overview of this to a summary of some selected publications, with an sources. National Context Still little empirical research is done about the impact of variables in the national (state/district) context on the actual use of computers in the school practice.Descriptions of national policies on information technology in many countries are available (e. g. Beishuizen, Tobin & Weston, 1988), but focused research efforts in this area are hard to find. Broad attention for policy variables is given by Fullan et al. (1987) in their study on the implementation of the new information technology in Ontario schools. Apart from obvious tasks as investing in hardware, software development, research, teacher training and the like, policy makers should also play a stimulating role in the planning and co-ordination of implementation activities.Proclamation of new aims for the educational system and encouragement â€Å"from above† for initiatives and activities in the field can be helpful for the many participants in the innovation. School Organization The influence of the school organization on the implementation of computer use has been studied more frequently. The results usually confirm the findings from the more general innovation literature. Encouragement and support from school administrators and principals are of vital importance (Carmichael, Burnett, Higginson, Moore, & Pollard, 198. ; Cox, Rhodes, & Hall, 1988; Fullan et al. , 1987). Help fr om principals is especially necessary in providing for facilities for training, the purchase of hardware and software, the rearrangement of timetables and other organizational measures. Also conducive to the implementation process is a positive school climate where teachers give mutual support by exchanging ideas and experiences and by providing feedback (Carmichael et al. , 1985; Cox, 1987; Inspectorate, 1986). 68 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al.A beneficial role can also be played by computer coordinators, especially if they combine computing expertise with strong interpersonal and organizational skills (Strudler & Gall, 1988). Also measures have to be taken to secure long term supplies and maintenance of hardware and software (Bitter & Gore, 1986; Wagshal, 1986). External Support A growing body of experience and research data has become available about effective components of inservice training and other forms of external support for schools and teachers in the use of computers.A criticis m on past inservice approaches is that the emphasis on technical aspects was too strong, while too little attention was paid to the integration of computer use in the daily classroom practice and also to the skills in selecting and evaluating courseware ~~homienne, 1988; D’Arcy & Gardner, 1988; Wiske et al. , 1988). Teachers need a strong support to overcome their (initial) problems of uncertainty and their concerns about changing teacher/student relationships and about accountability (OTA, 1988).There is a growing consensus about characteristics of inservice training that can increase its effectiveness (OTA, 1988; Stecher & Solorzano, 1987): appropriate balance between lecture and (guided) practice; detailed curriculum guides and plans for the course plus lesson-related materials and hand-outs; clear training objectives; inservice lessons linked to teachers’ own instructional practice; peer interaction, including communication during hands-on activities; strategies fo r teaching heterogeneous groups; follow-up support and guidance. This (selective) literature review indicates a rough imilarity between conditional factors for both integration of computer use and curriculum implementation. Future, more focused, research activities are necessary to sharpen our insights in this area. Product Characteristics and the Teacher’s Role â€Å"Educators and educational researchers consistently cite one factor as central to the full development of technology’s use in the schools – the classroom teacher† (OTA, 1988, p. 87). For that reason it is important to take a closer look at the changes facing teachers at the implementation of computer use in their classroom practice.As Fullan (1982) has pointed out, nearly every innovation requires teachers to change on several dimensions: the use of new materials, alterations in their teaching behavior, and changes in their beliefs and attitudes. In this section we want to explore how certain characteristics of the new materials (especially courseware) can influence changes in teaching behavior and beliefs. From the general innovation literature we know that there are several product characteristics that can influence the fate of a certain innovation. First, we present a brief overview of this literature.Then we shall use this as a filter to screen the literature on computer use in education. Implementation of Computers in Education 69 Well-known discourses about influential (product) characteristics of innovations are delivered by Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) who describe features like observability, complexity, compatability, and relative advantage, and by Doyle and Ponder (3977-78) who refer to the practicality ethic of teachers, with criteria like instrumentality, congruence, and cost. An authorative summary of these characteristics is provided by Fullan (1982; see also Fullan et al. , 1987).He mentions the following characteristics, elucidated by some central questi ons: Need and relevance What is the need for and the appropriateness of the change? What is the priority of the efforts to implement the innovation relative to other concerns? Clarity How clear are the goals and essential features of the innovation? practical implications for the users? Complexity How clear are the How many components of instructional practice are affected and how much do they differ from existing practices and beliefs? How difficult is it to learn the necessary changes? Quality and practicality How well developed and tested are the products?How certain is the impact of the innovation? What is the trade-off between the actual benefits and the personal and organizational costs? Weaknesses in one or more of these characteristics usually cause major obstacles for implementation. Fullan (1982, p. 62) underlines the importance of individual perceptions in this respect: â€Å"ImpIementation is a problem of individuals developing meaning in relation to specific policy or program directions. † Although materials alone can never be sufficient for the implementation of innovation proposals by broad target groups of teachers, the potential influence of materials is great.Well designed and vafidated products can contribute substantially to the realization of educational changes (Crandall and Associates, 1982; Emrick & Peterson, 1978; Van den Akker, 1988~). We proceed now with a short overview of research findings about the interaction between product characteristics and teachers in the domain of computer use. Courseware Quality and Teachers’ Problems There is a wide dissatisfaction about the quality of educational software and courseware (OTA, 1988). Some conclusions are: Much educational software is isolated material, badly attuned to the curriculum 0 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al (content, materials, strategies) in use (Inspectorate, 1986; Woodhouse & Jones, 1988). Often computer use cannot be a process of simply incorporating new into old, but i t requires reshaping what was there (Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986). But also a warning is in place: if the software closely relates to the existing curriculum, it can indeed be easier for the teachers to use, but then it is often seen as just an â€Å"extra† and not fully integrated in the day to day practice (Cox, 1987).Thus, software should either support the goals of the existing curriculum or meet the needs for a curriculum change (Mallatratt, 1988). Much software has been developed for use by individual students, not taking into account the usual whole-class teaching and the practical constraints of a classroom with limited numbers of computers (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation [CERI], 1986). This restriction places a considerable demand on the planning and management skills of teachers. Much software is poorly documented (Jorde, 1985). User guides contain mainly â€Å"technical† information about operational aspects of the software.Support (print) mate rials for the teacher with suggestions how to integrate the program in the instructional process is frequently lacking (Inspectorate, 1988). â€Å"Most software does not yet sufficiently exploit the capacity of the computer to Drill and practice software continues to enhance teaching and learning. . dominate all subject areas† (OTA, 1988, p. 122). Furthermore, much of the early generation of software can be characterized by the â€Å"Quiz Syndrome† (Mackey, 1987). An innovation which appears to bring just one long question-answer routine gets a bad name.The available educational software covers only parts of the different subject matter domains (Inspectorate, 1988); most software is just â€Å"piecemeal† (Williams & Williams, 1984). The lack of sufficient high quality materials obstructs the integration of computer use into the daily practice. Problems many teachers experience are the following: For various reasons it is difficult to select suitable software. No t only is software often poorly documented, but also many teachers lack the knowledge and skills for an effective evaluation of the software quality (Knupfer, 1986; Preece & Jones, 1985).Moreover, there are only limited possibilities to preview potentially useful software before purchase (Balla, Gow, & Burton, 1986; Mallatratt, 1988). Teachers often lack technical skills in using computers and software (CERI, 1986; Ridgway et al. , 1984). This often leads to uncertainty, especially when the level of computer familiarization of the teacher is the same as or even lower than that of the students (Carmicheal et al. , 1985; Heywood & Norman, 1988). A consequence of this phenomenon may be that educational computing will be restricted to the limited level of expertise of the teacher.Teachers often experience unanticipated problems with their instructional roles (Carmicheal et al. , 1985; Cuban, 1986; Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986; Wiske et al. , 1988). Computers challenge teachers’ exis ting instructional routines by requiring a shift from expository teaching towards a role in which the teacher is more of a partner and guide of the students. Many teachers feel uncomfortable about these changes and therefore try to minimize them (Elder, Gourlay, Johnstone, & Wills, 1987; Olson, 1988; Plomp, Steerneman, & Pelgrum, 1988). This factor is particularly Implementation f Computers in Education 71 – important because research has shown that the way a teacher integrates computer use through his ongoing instructional decisions is critical to the impact of computer use on learners and learning results (Wilson, 1988). Cox et al. (1988) observe that teachers frequently lack knowledge and skills for effective stimulation of students’ microcomputer activities, and thus children fail to learn what they might learn with judicious teacher intervention. Teachers experience many practical problems when they start to use computers (Carmicheal et al. 1985; Elder et al. , 19 87; Inspectorate, 1986). Computer use demands from teachers many time-consuming management and organizational activities. Wiske et al. (1988) conclude that the major barrier for computer use is that it is unclear for teachers how the potential contribution of computer use can outweigh the costs involved. In summary we may conclude that the research on the integration of computer applications in education reveals many similar problems as described in the literature on curriculum implementation (cf. Fullan et al. 1987). Most factors that influence curriculum implementation also influence the integration of computer use in the instructional practice. An Infusion Approach for the Integration of Computer Use In this section we will try to identify elements of an effective strategy for the integration of computer use in education by analogy reasoning with approaches of effective curriculum implementation. Most teachers, if they are using computers at all, are still inexperienced users; th e great majority are in the initial implementation phase.In this stage small-scale successful experiences are an important factor in stimulating the use of the innovation by teachers, both in the field of curriculum implementation (Van den Akker, 1988b) and computer integration (Fullan et al. , 1987). There are two components of successful experiences: first, the students attain clear learning results; second, the teacher succeeds in an effective lesson execution without major problems, and is aware of his own contribution in this respect.Such successful experiences can only take place when teachers have high quality courseware at their disposal. We define courseware as: a package comprising computer software and (mostly written) support materials. Since our analysis of implementation problems indicated that especially the support materials – if available – are of a poor quality, we shall focus on that component (â€Å"lessonware†) of the courseware.In order to identify â€Å"high quality† characteristics, we need to clarify what functions the materials should have for the teacher. Functions and Characteristics of Courseware As shown in the previous sections, integration of computer use by teachers is complex and involves them in learning new roles and unlearning old ones. Implementation can be 72 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al. conceived as a learning process for the teacher in which changes are required in teaching behavior as well as in beliefs, attitudes and understanding.A literature review of Van den Akker (1988b, c) on curriculum implementation, teacher planning, and general learning theories provides some answers to the question of how materials can contribute to this learning process of teachers in their initial implementation phase. The literature on curriculum implementation reveals that in teachers’ initial implementation efforts personal self-concerns dominate, changing via more task-oriented concerns to concerns about t he impact of the curriculum on learners (Loucks & Lieberman, 1983).Research indicates that this change model also applies on computer integration (Cicchelli & Beacher, 1985, 1987; Wiske et al. , 1988). Thus, at present, where most teachers are still in the initiation phase where personal survival concerns dominate, courseware materials should support the teachers by anticipating as much as possible potential user problems and by offering practical advice to prevent or solve such problems.From research on teacher planning (Clark & Peterson, 1986) it has become more evident that changing the practice of teaching requires more attention to the stage of pre-active planning. The lesson planning approach is of crucial importance for the lesson execution, and, ultimately, also for learning-by-reflection of the teacher afterwards. Literature on general learning theories indicates that (intensive) orienting activities yield more precise and reasoned plans for action.Courseware may activate a nd support teacher planning by providing a clear orientation to the teaching task, by pointing to critical features of (computer assisted) lessons and by making suggestions about how to deal with emergent problems during the instructional process. From this analysis we may conclude that courseware, intended for teachers’ initial use, should contain a large amount of procedural specifications: very accurate how-to-do-it advice focused on essential but apparently vulnerable elements of the curriculum.This means that the support materials should not only contain â€Å"technical† information about the use of the computer program, but also detailed advice about the instructional process (cf. Fullan et af. , 1987). With the help of such materials, the teachers should be stimulated to a task orientation and to concrete role-taking experiences and should be supported with practical advice for successful lessons. In order to produce such courseware, one has to follow a very car eful development approach, with much attention for formative evaluation and revision of the materials.Obviously, the technical certainty of the software must be guaranteed and the program should be easy to use (Fullan et al. , 1987). Special efforts have to be made to detect teachers’ problems with the use of the courseware in their classroom situation. These evaluation findings should lead to the incorporation of procedural suggestions for the teachers in the support materials about how to prevent or solve such problems. It seems desirable that the development of the software and the support materials (â€Å"lessonware†) proceeds in close interaction.More or less simultaneous design, construction and evaluation activities can further the interwoveness of the different courseware components. Such an approach may also increase the chances to produce courseware that is innovative from an instructional and curricular perspective (cf. Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986). Implementa tion of Computers in Education 73 An Illustrative Study An explorative study along these lines has been done by Keursten (1988), who developed courseware for primary science.He pointed out that there is a remarkable resemblance between major implementation problems of teachers with a new approach in (activity-based) science education and the earlier discussed problems with the integration of computer use. Van den Akker (1988a, b) mentioned the following key problems for teachers in the science domain: complex and time-consuming lesson preparation; a lack of background knowledge and skills (causing a lack of self-confidence); great difficulties in changing the didactical role; insufficient view of possible learning outcomes.In the research project of Van den Akker (1988a, b), a successful effort was made to diminish these problems by providing teachers with many, carefully tested procedural specifications in curriculum materials. Keursten (1988) applied the same sort of specification s in courseware for a series of seven lessons (on the theme â€Å"weather†; final grade of primary school), to be used by teachers who had neither experience with computer use nor with an activity-based science approach.The courseware package consisted of: written lesson materials containing subject matter information and directions for lesson preparation and execution; educational software with a very succinct manual about its operation; and some student materials. The procedural specifications for the package were divided over the written lesson materials (â€Å"lessonware†) and the software manual. In the â€Å"lessonware† the following categories were incorporated: i general characterization of the series of lessons in terms of objectives, content, time (also division of time over different lessons), suggestions for detecting learning effects. ackground information about the subject matter so that it is not necessary for the teacher to refer to other sources during the lesson preparation. Per lesson were included: a short outline of the lesson; suggestions for the lesson preparation, including issues like: necessary learning aids, classroom organization, structure of the lesson in keywords, personal preparation by the teacher. guidelines for lesson execution with suggestions for instructional activities, for classroom organization, and for guidance of the students.The manual of the computer program consisted of: directions for the use of the computer (especially important for teachers without experience with computers); description of the objectives (short, because it is also part of the written lesson materials); directions for the use of software (important, as it must answer all possible questions teachers may have in using the program); points of attention about the siting of the computer(s). – – – – 74 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al. Two basic elements in the design approach should be underlined.First, the curr icular perspective was in the forefront; the computer software was developed as a tool for realizing the formulated curriculum aims. Second, the primary focus in the elaboration of the materials was on the tasks and user problems of the teachers – and not on the possibilities of the software. An evaluation of the use of this courseware with five teachers had positive results. The teachers were able to use the package as meant by the designers. They hardly experienced any technical problems and adequately realized the activity-based science approach.Also the reactions and learning outcomes of the students were very satisfying. A general conclusion of this study was that the characteristics of the courseware seem very appropriate to reduce implementation problems. Therefore follow-up research has been started for further investigation of this approach. Conclusion The integration of computer use in the instructional practice of teachers â€Å"infusable† support materials (cf. Wilson, 1988). We would like to summarize our infusion approach as follows: benefits by eachers can start their computer use with short and well organized applications; successful use is strongly advanced by carefully designed and validated procedural specifications in the different courseware components; based on these successful experiences, teachers acquire clarity about the meaning and potential of the innovation, gain confidence in their own competence, and develop their own view of the appropriateness of the innovation for their students and themselves. Without such early â€Å"high quality† experiences, teachers’ judgments about the relevance and practicality of computer use can only be superficial.As Wiske et al. (1988) found, the initial reservations of teachers about computer use diminish after experiencing examples of computer use that yield clear educational benefits. A real integration of computer use in the curriculum can only be realized when teache rs recognize the surplus value of computer use. Successes in the early implementation phase are crucial for motivating teachers to further activities and to elicit commitment to the change efforts. We have strongly concentrated our arguments on the role of products (courseware) in the process of implementation.Of course we realize – see the first part of our article – that there are many other variables at stake. But we agree with Collis (1988) that it makes sense to focus on those variables which are relatively easy to manipulate. And, within the then available options, we have strong indications that a sophisticated design of the support materials within courseware can have a great impact on implementation activities and outcomes. We presume that this impact can be increased when the use of such products is combined with inservice training (cf. OTA, 1988).Such integrated support activities seem to have the greatest potential to enable teachers to an effective integra tion of computer use in their classroom practice. Implementation of Computers in Education 75 References Akker, J. J. H. van den (1988a). Ontwerp en implementatie van natuuronderwijs [Design and implementation of science education]. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger. Akker, J. J. H. van den (1988b). The teacher as learner in curriculum implementation. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 20 (l), 47-55. Akker, J. J. H. van den (1988c, April). Product design and curriculum implementation.Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. Balla, J. , Gow, L. , & Burton, P. (1986). Computers in the teaching process and software development: Cooperation is the key. Education & Computing, 2, 265-271. Becker, H. J. 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Plomp, Tj. , Steerneman, A. H. M. , & Pelgrum, W. J. (1988). Curricular changes as a consequence of computer use. In F. Lovis & E. D. Tagg (Eds. ), Computers in education. Proceedings of the IFIP TC 3 European Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 03-508). Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers. Preece, J. , & Jones, A. (1985). Training teachers to select educational computer software: Results of a formative evaluation of an Open University Pack. British Journal of Educational Technology, 16 (l), 9-20. Ridgway, J. , Benz ie, D. , Burkhardt, H. , Coupland, J. , Field, G. , Fraser, R. , & Phillips, R. (1984). Conclusions from CALtastrophies. Computers in Education, 8, 93-100. Rogers, E. M. , & Shoemaker, F. F. (1971). Communication of innovations. A cross-culfural approach. New York: Free Press. Sheingold, K. , Martin, L. M. W. I & Endreweit, M. E. (1987).Preparing urban teachers for the technological future. In R. D. Pea & K. Sheingold (Eds. ), Mirrors of minds. Patterns of experience in edl~~ationa2 compufi~~ (pp. 67-85). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Stecher, B. M. , & Solorzano, R. S. (1987). Characteristics of effective computer in. ~erv~cepro~rams. Pasadena, CA: Educational Testing Service. Strudler, N. B. , & Gall, M. D. (1988, April). Success&l change agent strategies for overcoming impediments IO microcomputer implemenfution in rhe classroom. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.Velzen, W. G. van, Miles, M. B. , Ekhol m, M. , Hameyer, U. , & Robin, D. (1985). Making school improvement work. A conceptual guide to practice. Leuven: Acco. Wagshal, P. H. (1986). Computers in the schools: Lessons from television. Curriculum Review, 24 (3), 32-34. Walker, D. F. (1986). Computers Microcomputers and Education and the curriculum. In J. A. Culbertson & L. L. Cunningham (Eds. ), (85th NSSE yearbook, pp. 22-39). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 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Prepare Environments and Resources for use during healthcare activities Essay

1.1 When going into a call the first thing that should be done is to get all the materials that you need together in order to provide care. For example, if someone is bed ridden and you are changing their pad then you will need to get the clean pad, carrier bag, toilet roll, baby wipes, towel, cream if applicable and usually the slide sheet ready. By not having everything ready you will have to stop what you are doing and go and get things. The individual during this time is rolled on their side and no doubt in some discomfort and delaying the proceedings to go and get things only increases this discomfort. After providing care all materials should either be disposed of or put away ready for the next use. Any soiled clothing or bedding should be changed and put into the washing machine ready for the next wash. When preparing food all dirty dishes should be washed, dried and put away so that they are ready for the next use and all kitchen surfaces should be wiped clean. Any foods that have been opened should be stored correctly either in the cupboard or fridge so that they do not go off and can be used again. 1.2 It is important that team members work together in the management of the environment and resources. The carers who go into the homes and provide care need to be considerate not only of the individual but also of the next carer who is going into that call by leaving the environment ready for use. Care managers need to respond immediately to any problems to ensure that carers can continue with their work without delays. 1.3 Any problems with the environment should be investigated to the extent that no harm comes to the person doing the investigation. For example , if the problems are related to something such as gas, or electricity then the gas or electric board should be called immediately as interfering with this could cause harm. If the problem is something minimal such as changing a light bulb than this can be done as long as no harm can come to the person changing it. For example, if the light bulb can be reached whilst standing on the floor then it is safe to do so but if it requires step ladders or a chair then further assistance is required. All problems should be recorded in the care plan and reported to the care manager. 1.4 The impact of environmental changes on resources including their storage and use largely depends on the setting in which these resources are being used. For example,  in hospitals and nursing homes, there are specific storage rooms, refrigerators’ etc which are temperature controlled at all times and therefore do not specifically undergo environmental changes. However, in individual’s homes environmental changes have a greater impact as the impact as the ability to control certain factors such as storage is reduced. An example of this would be if pads were kept in a shed outside due to lack of storage space in the home. This would be fine in the summer months but once the temperature started to drop damp could set in making the pads wet and non-useable. Another example would be where certain medication was prescribed which needed to stored in the refrigerator. If it is not kept refrigerated it may not work as well as if it had been. OUTCOME 2 2.1 With regards to preparing environments, medical equipment, devices and resources for use during healthcare activities the health and safety measures relevant to the healthcare activity and environment are as follows: Wearing gloves, aprons and masks when necessary  Ensuring that there are no objects in the way which can cause harm, Ensuring all medical equipment, devices and resources are functioning correctly and if they are not report the problem and not use them. Ensuring the equipment, devices and resources are still relevant to the individual e.g. if eye drops were prescribed for use over 5 days are the still required. Ensuring that all equipment, devices and resources are to hand before starting the healthcare activity. 2.2 Gloves and aprons (where necessary) are worn during all calls involving personal care and food preparation. Different gloves should be used for personal care and food preparation to avoid cross contamination. Gloves and aprons should be disposed of at the end of each call. Hands should be washed on entering and leaving each call and after smoking and eating. Hair should be tied back if it is mid length or long. Tissues should be used if coughing or sneezing and disposed of and then hands should be washed. 2.3 The main conditions that affect individual comfort within the environment are warmth, lighting, food and cleanliness. With regards to warmth it is important to ask the individual whether they are comfortable especially in the winter months when the thermostat may need to be turned higher up. A change to the blankets on the bed will be  necessary according to the seasons and particularly in winter a blanket over them while they are sitting in the chair or a hot water bottle may be required. Lighting is more often than not unchangeable and it is important to ensure that light bulbs work. I do care for a lady who felt that the lighting in her front room was to bright so we brought lamps down from of the spare bedrooms to create a softer feel to the room which she is now pleased with. Food is extremely important in affecting individual comfort as we all need to eat and drink and we also like to have snacks to eat between meals or while watching TV. We can ensure that the fridge is stocked up with foods that the individual likes to eat and, if they have mobility problems, leave snacks out for them within easy reach. The same applies to drinks with regards to cleanliness, most people like to sit in a room or lie in bed in which the immediate surroundings are tidy and clean. 2.4 The main resource that I am personally responsible for are gloves and aprons. I can ensure that these are available in advance of planned healthcare activities by ensuring that I have a sufficient supply at all times with regards to essential resources within the individuals home I can ensure that these are available in advance by keeping my eye on stock levels and where levels are running low then advise either the individual, their family or the care manager that stocks need reordering. It is the duty of myself and my colleagues to report any shortages immediately. 2.5 Medical equipment, devices and resources should be checked before they are used each and every time they are used to ensure that no malfunction can harm the individual who is using them or on whom they are to used. Any defects should reported immediately to the care manager and the equipment not only used but put out of the way of the service user who may not understand or realise that there is a problem. If a defect is noted it is important to leave clear instructions for colleagues both in the care plan and also by putting a sign with the equipment, devise or resource so that it can be easily be seen. 2.6 Any problems with medical equipment, devices and resources would be immediately reported to my care manager who would then look into the matter. 2.7 Refer to 2.5 above. 2.8 Clinical governance is the term used to describe a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within a health  system. Resources are prepared in line with clinical governance by following the standard codes of practice as described in unit 201- preparation to work – 1.1 and also unit 208 preparation to work -1.1. OUTCOME 3 3.1 It is important to ensure that the environments are ready for their next use as it ensures that the area has been left clean and tidy. It also ensures that the next carer who comes in to the call does not have to spend time cleaning up the environment before they can begin their work. For example, if an individual needs to use the commode desperately it is not acceptable for the carer to have to tidy up or move things out of the way that the previous carer left before the individual can use the commode. 3.2 The factors that influence the readiness of environments for use in healthcare activities are as follows: How the previous carer left the environment. How mobile the individual is. Whether the individual lives alone or with family. Whether supplies/equipment has been ordered and is there. 3.3 All equipment must be cleaned and stored correctly once they have been used so that the next colleague can use them straight away. For example, when giving someone a bed bath, the bowl used must be cleaned and rinsed and put back in the place it is stored. Flannels and towels must be put into the washing basket or directly into the machine ready to be washed. Razors must be rinsed and checked to ensure that any unsafe or worn blades are removed and disposed of. If clean blades are needed then these should be put on ready for use the next day. 3.4 Used, damaged or out-of-date items should be disposed of immediately. With regards to soiled pads and catheter bags these should be placed in a carrier bad and disposed of in the outside bin. Damaged items should be removed from the property as they can cause harm to the individual if they continue to be used (the individual may not be aware that something is damaged). Out-of-date items such as medication should be placed in the bin out of the service users sight/reach as the medication may have changed and out-of=date items are no longer in use. Taking the wrong medication can cause serious harm to an individual’s health. 3.5 Un-opened and surplus resources should be returned to the correct location for storage  so that they are not in the way. Leaving them lying around can be a hazard for an individual with regards to mobility, for example , boxes of pads left in the hallway . It also ensures that all opened items are used first. 3.6 It is important to monitor levels of consumable materials used in healthcare activities so that the individual does not run out of things which they need on a regular basis. Examples of things which need to be monitored are pads, creams, catheter bags. Whoever orders these supplies, such as the individual themselves, their family or the care manager, need to be advised in advance so that they can get the order in before supplies run out. 3.7 Consumable materials are replenished by either advising the individual, or their family (or whoever does this for them) what they need more of, or advising my care manager of the individuals requirements. This does not always happen of course. I care for a man who is bed ridden and we visit him four times a day. We use baby wipes when changing his pad in order to ensure that he is clean, however, he never has any wipes as his family don’t bother with him. The office has been informed on a number of occasions yet still the family do not provide what is needed. It is often the carers who will provide these as it make our job very difficult not having them especially when he only has one flannel which we use to wash his body in the morning. 3.8 All information is accurately recorded as specified in local protocols in the care plan. For example under the heading â€Å"household duties† I always state that the pad has been correctly disposed of. If additional supplies are needed I enter this in the â€Å"comments† box and state who I have advised.