A Brief Biography of Keira Knightley - 1123 Words

Keira Knightley is a beautiful and talented British actress known for her complex and varied film roles. Her body of work has included drama as well as comedic roles. She has earned the respect of many through her accomplished acting career and endearing personality; inspite of her many personal struggles, she has maintained her status as a beloved hard working star and one of the most influential women in British Culture. Keira Christina Knightley was born on March 26th, 1985 in the south London suburb of Richmond. Her conception came as a surprise to her parents ,Will and Sharman Knightley. Will and sharman were both heavily involved in showbusiness. Will was an actor and Sharman was an actress turned playwright. The couple only planned on having one child, Keira’s older brother Caleb, born in 1979. Even though she was a surprise her parents couldn’t have been happier to welcome another child to the family. Life was going as normal as possible for the Knightley’s with their two beautiful children. It was inevitable that Keira and Caleb would be raised in a household where writing and performing are very prevalent. Keira asked for her first agent at the age of three. At the age of six she was diagnosed with dyslexia. Dyslexia is characterized by difficulty with learning to read fluently and with understanding despite normal intelligence. It is the most common learning difficu lty. Keira severely struggled with reading in school, and her parents quickly took

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay - 1014 Words

Henrik Ibsenamp;#8217;s A Dollamp;#8217;s House, considers a very delicate situation experienced by a Scandinavian family in 1879. Nora Helmer, the main character and adored wife of Torvald faces a life-altering dilemma. She has to decide whether to remain with her obsessive husband in his sheltered home, playing the part of a doll, or take the initiative to leave and seek out her own individuality. There are three minor characters that have a significant impact on the final decision that Nora attains. Each one, representing some particular social aspect, is essential to the development of Noraamp;#8217;s character. Krogstad, Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde have all had a long-standing relationship with the Helmer family, but neither†¦show more content†¦This causes her to become upset towards Dr. Rank because his confession means that they can no longer continue their secretive game together. The connotation of the name amp;#8216;Rankamp;#8217; has a symbolic meaning in Ibsenamp;#8217;s play. The word rank denotes a stink or rot and may very well represent the depression experienced in Noraamp;#8217;s life. The significance of his life helps to exemplify the loneliness and misery experienced by someone living in solitude. Evidence of his desolation occurs when he says, amp;#8220;Iamp;#8217;m slowly sinking. Thereamp;#8217;s nothing to be done about it; (Ibsen 45), and furtherm ore when he explains how he does not wish to see Torvald once the dying process begins. On no account must he. I wonamp;#8217;t have it. Iamp;#8217;ll lock the door on him. amp;#8211;As soon as Iamp;#8217;m absolutely certain of the worst, Iamp;#8217;ll send you my visiting card with a black cross on it. Youamp;#8217;ll know when the final horrible disintegration has begun (Ibsen 45). The very existence and fate of Dr. Rank manifests a sense of sorrow and despair and this forces Nora to take into consideration the particular lifestyle of his when making her decision to leave her family and home. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mrs. Kristine Linde is a longtime confidante of Nora, and until the beginning of the play, has not seen her for nine or ten years. Since then, her husband has died and she was left withShow MoreRelatedEssay on Henrik Isbens A Dolls House1015 Words   |  5 Pages Independence nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. Ibsen shows us a very realistic play that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seem toRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay1126 Words   |  5 Pages Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House examines a woman’s struggle for independence in her marriage and social world. Through the use of character change, Ibsen conveys his theme that by breaking away from all social expectations, we can be true to ourselves. When Ibsen presents Nora Helmer, we see a â€Å"perfect† wife, who lives in a â€Å"perfect† house with a â€Å"perfect† husband and chil dren. The Helmer children have a nanny that raises them. By having the nanny, Nora has the freedom to come and go as sheRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pages Nora is a captivating character in Ibsens A Dolls House. She swings between extremes: she is either very happy or immensely depressed, prosperous or completely desperate, wise or naive, impotent or purposeful. You can understand this range in Nora, because she staggers between the person she pretends to be and the one she someday hopes to become. Throughout the play, Nora is portrayed as subordinate to her male counterpart, Torvald. As most other men during this time, Torvald believed that womenRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay739 Words   |  3 Pages A Dolls House By Henrik Ibsen Dramatic Critique The P’s Person: Nora, Torvald Helmer’s wife, and mother of Ivar, Bob, and Emmy. Peculiar trait: On the surface Nora’s peculiar trait seems to be her obsession for money. Her internal peculiar trait is that she desires to become significant to her husband. She spends money on material objects to decorate their home and dress up the family. The impression of the home appears perfect, like a doll’s house. Passion: Nora’s passion isRead MoreEssay on Henrik Isbens A Dolls House1485 Words   |  6 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A Doll’s House, a play by Henrik Ibsen, tells the story of Nora, the wife of Torvald Helmer, who is an adult living as a child, kept as a doll by her husband. She is expected to be content and happy living in the world Torvald has created for her. By studying the play and comparing and contrasting the versions presented in the video and the live performance, one can analyze the different aspects of it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ibsen’s purpose for writing thisRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay921 Words   |  4 PagesIbsens A Dolls House In Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House†, in Act Two Scene 6, Nora’s deceptive behaviour and desperation reaches its climax due to the arrival of the letter. This is because the letter contains the means she used to get hold of the money. During the time when the play took place, society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play the role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children and made sure that everything around the house was perfectRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essays733 Words   |  3 Pages In many literary works, there are characters in which portray both similarities and differences. In the Play A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, two of the characters have many oppositions and congruencies. These characters go by the names of Nora Helmer and Mrs. Linde. Ibsen characterizes these women by describing their comparable and contrasting personalities. He does this by describing their financial situations as well as their family lives. He describes these women, as opposites while in factRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay907 Words   |  4 Pages A Doll’s House nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In past history, society has been both very prejudiced and traditional with its view of gender roles. Often times a woman would not have had the same right to something as a man did. Many women however went against the law and tradition to do what they thought was right. In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, Nora does something that is unimaginable during the time period. Nora’s husband Torvald believes he is the man of the house and that his wifeRead More Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay1195 Words   |  5 Pageshusband, he becomes understandably agitated; in his frustration he shares the outside world with her, the ignorance of the serious business world, and destroys her innocence and self-esteem. This disillusion marks the final destructive blow to her dolls house. Their ideal home including their marriage and parenting has been a fabrication for the sake of society. Noras decision to leave this false life behind and discover for herself what is real is directly symbolic of womans ultimate realizationRead More Transformation of Nora in Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesTransformation of Nora in Henrik Isbens A Dolls House During the time in which Henrik Isbens play, A Doll?s House, took place society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play a role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children, and made sure everything was perfect around the house. Nora is portrayed as a doll throughout the play until she realizes the truth about the world she lives in, and cuts herself free. Nora Helmer was a delicate

Wal-Mart and Country Wide Poverty (Precis) Free Essays

Wal Mart and Country Wide Poverty Ever since its existence, much controversy and debate have surrounded the benefits and downfalls of the Wal Mart corporation within society. The purpose of this precis is to summarize the article â€Å"Wal-Mart and Country-Wide Poverty† by Stephen J. Gotez and Hema Swaminathan. We will write a custom essay sample on Wal-Mart and Country Wide Poverty (Precis) or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Wal Mart† is the most successful â€Å"Big box† retailer in the world with 4750 stores worldwide and 3,600 in the United States. Much of its success arises from the fact that it offers lower prices to consumers. At face value this is a good thing because it makes consumer goods more easy to purchase, therefore encouraging people to spend money and stimulate the economy. This has been proven to reduce annual inflation rates, lower the absolute poverty threshold and contribute to economy-wide productivity gains. Unfortunatley, the price of this is destroying up and coming â€Å"mom and pop† small buisineses that find it difficult to compete with larger corporations such as wal mart. By doing this, they are taking away meaningful employment from many people. Some of these people include the wholesalers for these small companies, employees and of course the business owners themselves. All of whom have invested a lot of time, money and effort only to be put out of a job. The ironic part is that most of these unemployed individuals are turning to Wal Mart itself to replace their former jobs, as Wal Mart employs about 2% of the average countries workforce. Unfortunatley, these jobs often pay low wages, and offer part time work rather than full time work. This results in many people failing to earn enough money to make ends meet. As a result, the poor and unemployed are living from government income such as EI and Welfare for survival. This is a problem because these services are paid for indirectly by the taxpayers of the country. Furthermore, the government could be putting that tax money towards things that could advance themselves as a nation, such as education, healthcare and scientific developments. It seems that by failing to accommodate the public with available work, we are slowing down overall progress towards a brighter future and better society. In sum, while Wal Mart offers lower prices and increased convenience to the public, we must remember to read between the lines and realize that there is more to the story than this. We as a society must decide if the cost for convenience is too great to be paid, and if not, then what can we do about it? Reading articles such as this will provide consumers with valuble insight towards â€Å"Big box companies† and encourage thinking with a â€Å"sociological mind† when choosing where to shop. How to cite Wal-Mart and Country Wide Poverty (Precis), Papers

Those Winter Sundays Essay Research Paper Guilt free essay sample

Those Winter Sundays Essay, Research Paper Guilt is the cardinal subject of the verse form, # 8220 ; Those Winter Sundays. # 8221 ; Upon reading this emotionally maneuvering verse form, it leaves the reader reminiscing of one # 8217 ; s ain childhood. # 8220 ; What did I know, what did I know of love # 8217 ; s severe and alone offices? # 8221 ; The verse form # 8217 ; s stoping echo # 8217 ; s a haunting feeling of guilt within the reader # 8217 ; s head. The inquiry would be guilt of what? # 8220 ; Those Winter Sundays, # 8221 ; is a verse form of a male parent that worked really difficult to back up his household and could non pass really much quality clip with them. This was conveyed from the undermentioned line, # 8220 ; Sundays excessively my male parent got up early? # 8221 ; However, the verse form exposes the love of this male parent. The house was cold non merely in temperature but in household. # 8220 ; ? .chronic cholers of that house. # 8221 ; What was the ground for these # 8220 ; cholers? # 8221 ; Why did no 1 of all time thank pa for re-starting those # 8220 ; banked fires # 8221 ; warming the # 8220 ; blueblack cold # 8221 ; house? Besides, dad polished places, yet those in the Ho usage â€Å"spoke indifferently to him. We will write a custom essay sample on Those Winter Sundays Essay Research Paper Guilt or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † As a immature male child, like most childs, the writer did non see the whole image. What may look to hold been a impassive place environment was one of love. This love was non one of a male parent larking with his kid which most boies and girls yearn for but of paternal devotedness and dedication. It makes one admiration if this verse form was written shortly after the male parent # 8217 ; s decease. The writer seems to repent non thanking his pa for what he had done. The writer besides seems to be faulting himself for being a sodium? ve child and non appreciating the love his male parent could outdo express. In an uneven retrospect, the verse form seems to be a vas the writer uses to forgive non merely his male parent but himself. # 8220 ; What did I know, what did I know. # 8221 ; The writer was likely a male parent himself by the clip he has written this verse form. He excessively has taken the male parent function and can non pass much clip with his household. The writer now realizes that such a baronial place goes unrecognised. Bibliography mine

The Marathon Runner Essay Example For Students

The Marathon Runner Essay On your mark , set , go !The marathon runners immediately started off . Under a hot sun, I stood beside the sports track to watch the race quietly, I didn*t cheer for the runners on . In fact, marathon was an exhausting sporting event. The audience at the stadium rooting for at their favourite competitor . However, the runners were not distracked by the spectators. They concentrated on the race instead. Did they hear any cheerful voices? Surely I saw the smile on their faces. Immediately, the spectacle of the marathon race struck me. I gradually understood its meaning . It was simply a sport ,but one that improved my understanding of life. I realized that I must begin with knowledge that may be uninteresting in itself. All of the marathon runners were trying their best to complete the race, even though they felt very exhausted. The race was spectacular . From the beginning to the end, the runners showed a lot of energy, just like a meteor shower shining through the dark. So I recognized the need to remain energetic to fulfill my lifelong goal. We will write a custom essay on The Marathon Runner specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Sometimes, people are easily discouraged by trivial problems. However in the race, all of the competitors were continuously on the move. They were running as fast as they could till the end. Similarly, I*m like a marathon runner whose life is on a move. So I should never feel frustrated by any difficulties and should always strive to keep up my standard. No matter whether it*s raining or shining, marathon runners will not slacken their pace. They are ready for the next challenge and compete in other races. Obviously, they are strong and are determined to achieve their goal. Whenever I see them racing, I simultaneously feel a great sense of purpose. My lifelong goal will definitely materialize if I persevere. Only purpose and strength can lead to success. Category: Miscellaneous

The Railroads essays

The Railroads essays One of the major events in the gilded age was the construction of the railroads. At that time there was no artifact of the new industrial culture as powerfully symbolic as the locomotive. In this time period the ton-miles of freight carried by the thirteen principle lines in the country rose from 2.16 billion to 14.48 billion, an increase of six hundred percent. In the next couple years track mileage more than tripled from thirty five thousand to about hundred and fifteen thousand miles, with about eighteen thousand locomotives in service. In the congressional legislation that paved the way for the transcontinental railroads, it was provided that the line should move west from Council Bluffs under the direction of the Union Pacific and the east from Sacramento under the auspices of the Central Pacific. Each company was to receive ten alternating sections along its right of the way to help defray the cost of construction. The Central Pacific was a partnership of five men, all newcomers to railroad building. Collis Potter Huntington was a coarse, rough man who, like Jay Gould, began his career as a peddler. Huntington formed a partnership with Mark Hopkins, his partner in hardware store; Leland Stanford, a grocer; Charles Crocker, a former gold miner; and a brilliant engineer, Theodore Dehone Judah, to build a railroad across the Sierra Nevada. The five men got their contract to build their railroad. So the rails were pushed forward relentlessly in the face of heavy snowfall, avalanches, and, in the summer, blistering heat. On several occasions whole construction camps were buried under hundred feet of rock and earth by avalanches. As the track moved west to east, laying the rails developed into a race between the construction crew of the Central Pacific and those of the Union Pacific. The line that built the longest stretch of railroad bed could claim the largest number of sections and, it was hoped, the l ...

The Dual Nature of Hinduism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Dual Nature of Hinduism - Research Paper Example There is probably no more pertinent example of Hinduism’s singular nature than its well-known caste system. The four levels of Indian society, which have their origins in ancient Vedic literature, have often been regarded as a written manifestation of the enforced stratification of Indian society by the Aryans, the theocratic invaders whose military prowess enabled them to conquer the subcontinent about 1500 B.C. â€Å"One fourth of the Supreme Being constitutes all beings, while three fourths of Him are immortal and stand above. With the one-fourth (He) arms were made into the Kshatriya. His thighs became the Vaisya. From his feet the Sudra was born† (Rig Veda, 90). Historians generally concur that the strict social regimentation described in the Vedas was not actually created or introduced by the Aryan invaders but had existed in a somewhat less formal version prior to the conquest. Hinduism as we know it today, with its concepts of karma and samsara, grew up against this socio-cultural backdrop, with which it was suffused and which it in turn influenced. Social norms and the means whereby they are passed on are pervasive and give form to the Hindu caste system. Each caste, or varna, is sub-divided into jatis, which divide each varna into specific occupations. Social interaction among the jatis of a particular caste is regulated â€Å"through an elaborate ritual system,† which governs social behavior (Deshpande, 2010). The Vedic texts offer a rationale for classifications and rituals, â€Å"rules that are laid down concerning appropriate occupational pursuit, appropriate behavior within and between castes.

The Marginal Productivity Theory of Distribution Term Paper

The Marginal Productivity Theory of Distribution - Term Paper Example As such, each factor of production can be paid based on what it contributes to the production of the output. This paper argues that the marginal productivity theory of distribution is valid, and, on certain highly limited assumptions, bears relevance to micro-economic problems such decisions of individual firms with regard to employment of factors of production. Marginal productivity theory of distribution presented a unified inter linkage between the pricing of commodities and the â€Å"pricing of persons† by indicating that the returns to all factors of production, are grounded in a single, marginal productivity principle. However, from the start, it was apparent that the marginal productivity theory could not stand by itself and only represented a derivative section of the theory of value. Three core properties of marginal productivity theory make this apparent: (1) the theory is essentially a theory of the demand for factors rather than their supply; (2) it adopts prices o f products as derived in the determination of demand for factors; (3) the theory cannot be applied to the determination of values within an exchange economy (Rima, 2001). ... the previous political economy with a novel science of economics or a discipline that employed rigorous methods mimicking those of the physical sciences (Fetter & Rothbard, 2007). Since its inception in the early 19th century, the marginal productivity theory of distribution (MPTD) has been cited by some economists as the solution to the ethical problem of distributive justice (as a means of determining fairness in wages, interest, profits, and rent). Other economists have rebuffed this ethical claim but have perceived the MPTD as a valid demand-side criterion, which forms the basis of determining equilibrium and efficiency (Blaug, 1996). Some of the pioneers of the theory such as John Bates and Philip Henry Wicksteed argued that a business enterprise would be prepared to remunerate a productive agent only that which it adds to the firm’s utility. Clark sought to establish that each unit of labour and capital can be settled based on the value that it adds to the total product or its marginal productivity (Wicksteed & Robbins, 1935). Clark maintained that, although, all tasks within an enterprise vary in significance the remaining work can be reassigned to ensure that all essential tasks would be undertaken; hence, no single unit of labour can be considered to be more critical than the other (Stigler, 1994). Clark’s marginal productivity theory can be considered to be a rebuttal to Marx’s assertion that competitive capitalism methodically robs workers their labour since the workers contributes more to the total product relative to the wages that they receive. According to Clark, the payment to capital can be established based on its marginal productivity, and that there cannot be a â€Å"surplus value† expropriated from the labour as Marx had claimed (Blaug, 1996).

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Essay Example The authors could be influenced by certain current or historical events, culture of a particular time, lives of great people and many more factors to come up with those works. This influence can enable novel writers to create a more authentic or at the same time interestingly fictionalized plot as well as script for their novels. The incorporation and there resultant reflection of culture, customs, and other intricate aspects of a particular time, in a novel, which was set in that particular time, is one of the key requisites to become a â€Å"Great American Novel†. â€Å"From the late nineteenth century to World War I, and even after, there was much discussion of the great American novel. Eventually the idea died†¦But in recent years the idea, though not the phrase, has returned to life† (O’Connor 1). Thus, when a novel written by an American novelist aptly reflects and incorporates various cultural aspects and perspectives of American people of a particula r time, in which the novel is set, it can be considered for elevation as â€Å"Great American Novel†. Water for Elephants, written by Sara Gruen and set during the Depression era of 1930s, is one such novel, as it aptly reflects sizable aspects of that time, even while telling a romanticism filled human story about an individual’s want to find a place, which he can call his â€Å"home†.... In the current times, aged people are having longer life-spans because of the advancing medical treatments and with the working sons and daughters of those people unable to personally take care of them, old age nursing homes are becoming the last refuge for these old people. In the past, the family had major responsibility for taking care of its elderly, particularly the sick elderly, but that has minimized sizably in the current times. (Shanas). With the central protagonist being portrayed as a 90 years old man with no caretakers, he was placed in the nursing home. Thus, as the author ‘sets’ the older Jacob’s character at the turn of the 20th century, he has incorporated the cultural element of old age nursing homes. The way Jacob was treated by the staffs at the nursing home as an old man, who does not have an independent thinking only pushes him to go in search of a favorable ‘home’. One of the key themes of the plot, as it starts from the elderly Jacob is the conflicts that arose because one’s need for independence and self worth. As Jacob is in his nineties, and in the final lap of the death race, he feels that his old age is restricting him from doing anything independently, with the staffs taking him for granted. â€Å"Age is a terrible thief. Just when you think you're getting the hang of it, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back.† (Gruen 12). He thinks because of his old age only, the staffs restrict him. Jacob gets angry as the staffs keep opening his window blinds, without ever asking him about his preference. Jacob totally opposes this way of treating him like a child, and wants his opinion to be heard and more importantly wants to go and explore various places in the outside world. As Jacob recollects the story in

Family Domestic Violence Assessment Social Work Essay

Family Domestic Violence Assessment Social Work Essay Mrs. Chan has a family of four including a son and a daughter. She first came for help because of the bad father-son relationship in her family. During the interview, she disclosed the fact that she has been suffered from domestic violent for about one year. Four interviews were conducted by the worker. The purpose was to help assess the situation and set up an intervention plan to dismiss domestic violent in the family and create a harmony family atmosphere. Background information The client, Mrs. Chan, is a housewife and her husband runs a grocery store. They have an 11-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. The financial status of the family is adequate. Problem assessment Clients perception of the problems During the interview sessions, Mrs. Chan explained her views on the problem. Mrs. Chan worried about the bad father-son relationship in the family. For example, they seldom talk to each other. The sons school work was getting work and had strange behaviors. Mrs. Chan told the worker that she was abused by her husband and tolerated it for about one year. She had mentioned if her husband took out a knife, she could not stand it. When this happened, the client worried about she and her two childrens safety. Works perception of the problems According to Family-Centre Approach (Waldegrave , 2005), the family system would be disturb if there is one problem in the family. It suggest to focus on one problem and to regain the balance step by step. The worker observed that the family have several problems . The family members tolerated them but not tried to solve them, they lacked of focus on the problems. Domestic violent Mrs. Chan suffered from domestic violent since last year. Mr. Chan abused Mrs. Chan and even took out a knife to threat. The worker observed that the client and her childrens safety were at risk. Spousal relationship The unsolved domestic violent would trigger the other problem in the family (Waldegrave , 2005). The worker found that Mr. Chan was not respectful enough towards Mrs. Chan. He abused his wife and did not consider her physical hurt and trauma. Mrs. Chan tolerated it for a long time and never asked for help. Tolerate is not help for problem solving. Father-son relationship The family is the fundamental resource for the nurturing of children and parents should be supported in their efforts to care for their children (Waldegrave , 2005). The domestic violent affected the father-son relationship. The children witnessed the father beat the mother, this arouse the hatred of them towards the father. During the interviews, the worker found the client had suffered from domestic violence for a long time. She had many worries and hard to decide the arrangements, for example, financial concern and childrens school issue. Agreed view of the clients and the worker The client and the worker agreed that safety is the first concern. We thought that Mrs. Chan and her two childrens were in a dangerous situation. The domestic violent led to other problem in the family, such as the father-son relationship and the sons behavior problem. Based on Mrs. Chan determination to change, it was hope that the domestic violent could be dismiss and a more harmonious atmosphere would be create in the family. Priorities of problems Domestic violent Spousal relationship Relationship of father and son Intervention phase The Inter-Agency Committee on Collaboration of Services for Families Where Wife Assault Occurs (1990) suggest that unless the batterer acknowledged his violent behavior and finished his own intervention plan, the worker should not bring the couple together for counseling. In this case, the client and her family member were separate for different individual intervention. Objectives Short-term: Ensure safety To dismiss violence in the family Improve spousal relationship Improve father son relationship Long-term: Create harmony and supportive atmosphere in the family Strategies and rationales Residential Services for Abused Women Lowenberg and Dolgoff (1996) developed an Ethical Rules Screen which place the protection of safety as the most important principle. So the workers first concern was the clients safety. Refuge centers provide temporary accommodation to females and their children in face of domestic violence or family crisis. The social worker would refer the client for the Harmony House for safety concern. She can have a safe place to stay and think about what to do next. Domestic violence support group Many women think that telling others or reporting to the police of the violence is betrayal and disloyal to the husband, she is also breaking the trust and friendship between the two (Towns, Adams and Gavey, 2003). According to the case, Mrs.Chan was reluctant about telling the abusing problem at first and informed that she had never told others before. So it is good for her to communicate with others in the same situation and face the problem not tolerate it. This interaction would benefit her decision making. Emotional management and interpersonal relationship workshops Mrs. Chan indicated that Mr. Chan was not good at controling his emotion and got hot temper. These workshops are conflict resolution trainings that help abusing men deal with their emotions in a healthy manner. The workshops emphasize empathy, forgiveness, and understanding. Through the course of the workshops he will be able to control anger . Counseling with the children Kolbo(1996) suggest the negative effects of witnessing domestic violence on childrens emotional and behavioral development. The domestic violent behaviors had bad effect on the children. The son worse in study and hate his father. It is necessary counsel the children for further intervention. Apply family therapy Use risk assessment to evaluate two of the couple are ready for the family therapy, and the safety monitoring is ongoing. In the condition that the husband was conscious that his violence was irrational and the wife was willing to counsel with the husband. The family-centre approach believe that families who seem hopeless can grow and change (Boone, 2002). All family member is responsible to the harmony of the family.

William Faulkners A Rose For Emily Essay -- essays research papers

Rather than stating the true meaning of his works, William Faulkner generally uses symbolism to portray the depth of his tales. Throughout the story â€Å"A Rose For Emily,† time is a continuous theme that is portrayed through symbols. The past, present, and future are represented by different people, places, and things. One of which such symbols, the main character herself, represents the essence of the past through her father, her house, and her lover.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Historically, the Grierson name was one of the most respected names in Jefferson. Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Grierson played various roles in the community to further the reputation of his name and to earn his family a great deal of honor.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He also, however, had and air of superiority about him. His attitude toward women, as evident in the treatment of his daughter, reflects his old-fashioned ways and his inability, or his lack of desire, to move on into the future. Throughout Miss Emily’s childhood, her father believed that â€Å"none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily.† Mr. Grierson did not allow his grown daughter, even at the age of thirty, to make her own decisions. Moreover, he did not feel it was her place to act on her own behalf. Miss Emily willingly accepted her role in the household. The name and the attitudes that Mr. Grierson passed on to his daughter Emily symbolically opposed the change that was going on around them.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Financial Prospectus Content Paper Essay

Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format. Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, you’ll pay for it in the long run. This work comprises FIN 375 Week 4 Financial Prospectus Content Paper Business – General Business Individual Financial Prospectus Content Paper Resources: Final Prospectus Expectations Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material  added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format. Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, you’ll pay for it in th†¦ A+ tutorial you will find here – https://bitly.com/1wySU49 Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, you’ll pay for it in the long run. Business – General Business Individual Financial Prospectus Content Paper Resources: Final Prospectus Expectations Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format.

Impact of corporate governance on the financial pe Essays - Economy

Impact of corporate governance on the financial pe Essays - Economy Impact of corporate governance on the financial performance of Nepalese Enterprises Lilesh Kumar Yadav, LumanaTamrakar, Manika Shrestha and NamrataPandit Abstract This paper empirically examines the relationship between corporate governance and performance of Nepalese enterprises. The performance variables used in this study are return on assets and return on equity and these are the dependent variables. The corporate governance variables such as board size, audit committee, board diversity, ownership structure and control variable such as leverage and firm size are the independent variables. The population of this study consists of financial and non- financial companies listed in Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). Total number of 27 financial and non- financial companies listed in Nepal stock exchange for a period of five years from 2011-2015 are used as the sample size. Data are collected from annual report of the respective firms. The pooled cross sectional data analysis has been carried out in this study. The multiple regression models are applied to test the significance and important of corporate governance in the Nepalese firms. The study reveals that board size, leverage and firm size are positively related to return on assets of non- financial firms. This indicates that large the board, leverage and firm size, higher would be the return on assets. The results also show that there is negative relationship of return on assets with audit committee and board diversity. This indicates that higher the audit committee and board diversity, lower would be the return on assets. There is a positive relationship of return on equity with board size, leverage, firm size, and audit committee and board diversity. In the case of financial firms, the study reveals that there is a positive relationship of return on assets with audit committee and firm size. This indicates that higher the board size, leverage and firm size, higher would be the return on assets. The regression result shows that the board size, leverage and firm has positive impact on return on assets in the case of non-financial firms. Similarly, in the case o f financial firm, there is a positive impact of ownership structure, audit committee and firm size on return on assets whereas the coefficients are negative for board size, board diversity and leverage. Keywords: return on assets, return on equity, board size, ownership structure, audit committee, board diversity, leverage and firm size. 1. Introduction Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It is also argued that the corporate governance is the framework by which the interest of various stakeholders is balanced. It shows a set of relationship between a company's management, its board, its shareholder and other stakeholder. Corporate governance provide the mechanism by which the problems of corporation stakeholders, which include the shareholders, creditors, management, employee, consumers and the public at large are framed and resolved. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) also defines corporate governance as the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. The Asian Development Bank defined the concept as the manner in which authority is exercised in the management of a country's social and economic resources for development (Eng Mak, 2003); corporate governance has become a topical issue because of its immense contribution to the econom ic growth and development of nation. The absence of good corporate governance is a major cause of failure of many well performing companies. Existing literature generally support the position that good corporate governance has a positive impact on organization performance (OECD, 2009). Effective corporate governance has been identified to be critical to all economic transactions especially in emerging and transition economies (Dharwardkar et al., 2000). The concept of corporate governance has been increasing public interest in recent years due to its plausible importance on the economic health of corporation in general. Good corporate governance practice provides a means to recognize the dreams of justifying risks and optimizing performance concurrently in today's aggressive and regulatory setting. Corporate governance lays down objective framework for creating long term trust between company and its stakeholders. It is solved by rationalizing and monitoring risks of a company, limiting liability of top management by carefully articulating decision making process, ensuring integrity of financial reports, and finally providing a degree of confidence necessary for proper functioning of an

Free Essays on Dream Of Wings Summary

A DREAM OF WINGS SUMMARY The dream of flight can be traced back as far as civilization and perhaps even further into the dawn of man’s imagination. This book answers questions that abound about who came before the Wrights and significantly what part they played in the building of the foundation of aviation. Tinkerers rather than technicians, these men set forth to chase a dream, the dream of flight. A Dream of Wings by Tom D. Crouch chronicles the people, the machines, and the time period as a piece of aeronautical history that can be related to the age as a whole. The book begins with acknowledgements from the author along with a description of the Wright Brother’s flight of September 20, 1904 in which for the first time an aircraft had flown in a complete circle. The author illustrates the wonder associated with heavier-than air flight. The awe and amazement of the public can well be characterized by the description then of the airplane as an â€Å"Aerial Steamboat† (Page 17). Aside from the public the imagination of many engineers would be captured by this new technology. Men such as Chanute, Cayley and Wenham applied their knowledge to further the dream of aviation. Octave Chanute in particular made a large impact during the dawn of heavier-than-air flight. Though his interest in flight stems back to the New York Rapid transit report of 1875, he could not fully realize his visions until the true actualization of his engineering firm in 1885. His having Israel Lancaster speak at the Buffalo meeting would have profound impact o n aviation research. Despite what was essentially a failure in the Buffalo meeting Chanute became increasing enthusiastic about aviation through the exploits of men like Louis Mouillard and Otto Lilienthal. Through sound logic, the book goes into great detail of the successes and failures of those before the Wrights in attempts at finding solutions to the problems involved in flight and the control of... Free Essays on Dream Of Wings Summary Free Essays on Dream Of Wings Summary A DREAM OF WINGS SUMMARY The dream of flight can be traced back as far as civilization and perhaps even further into the dawn of man’s imagination. This book answers questions that abound about who came before the Wrights and significantly what part they played in the building of the foundation of aviation. Tinkerers rather than technicians, these men set forth to chase a dream, the dream of flight. A Dream of Wings by Tom D. Crouch chronicles the people, the machines, and the time period as a piece of aeronautical history that can be related to the age as a whole. The book begins with acknowledgements from the author along with a description of the Wright Brother’s flight of September 20, 1904 in which for the first time an aircraft had flown in a complete circle. The author illustrates the wonder associated with heavier-than air flight. The awe and amazement of the public can well be characterized by the description then of the airplane as an â€Å"Aerial Steamboat† (Page 17). Aside from the public the imagination of many engineers would be captured by this new technology. Men such as Chanute, Cayley and Wenham applied their knowledge to further the dream of aviation. Octave Chanute in particular made a large impact during the dawn of heavier-than-air flight. Though his interest in flight stems back to the New York Rapid transit report of 1875, he could not fully realize his visions until the true actualization of his engineering firm in 1885. His having Israel Lancaster speak at the Buffalo meeting would have profound impact o n aviation research. Despite what was essentially a failure in the Buffalo meeting Chanute became increasing enthusiastic about aviation through the exploits of men like Louis Mouillard and Otto Lilienthal. Through sound logic, the book goes into great detail of the successes and failures of those before the Wrights in attempts at finding solutions to the problems involved in flight and the control of...

Naming, Taxonomy, Classification of viruses Essay

Naming, Taxonomy, Classification of viruses - Essay Example Other examples of pathogens include the nematodes, fungi and bacteria. In Biology, the term nomenclature is used to refer to the naming the various taxonomic groups as per the international conventions. When it comes to the naming of viruses, there is a special body tasked with this responsibility. It is called the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), (formerly known as the International Committee on the Nomenclature of Viruses) which was established in 1966. It is the committee of the Virology Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies. Unlike the nomenclature of other living organisms, viruses are not named with respect to Carolus Linnaeus’ Latinized binomial system. They are named by use of words of English origin new international taxonomic names this is according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, R. I. B. Francki (1991). Rule No. 10 – rules pertaining the spelling of names with respect to the language used are outlined in Section 6 of Chapter 3 of the proposed viral nomenclature. This is as per the minutes of the meeting held in Moscow in 1966, Rule No. 13 - where agreed upon, the symbols may come after an abbreviation of a Latin name of a given host genus of a particular host, but if need be, a full name instead of the abbreviation may still be used, When it comes to the taxonomy of viruses, which is the classification of viruses into various taxonomic groups, the International Committee n Taxonomy of Viruses came up with a unified taxonomy. The classification system makes use of the below ranked taxons; The current list from the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) indicates that there are three (3) viral orders namely; Caudovirales – these are the tailed double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) phages, Mononegavirales – these are the ones having enveloped globular virons bearing similar single stranded negative ribonucleic acid (ss (-) RNA) genomes and

Discuss how authors critique gender roles in thire noveles Season of Essay

Discuss how authors critique gender roles in thire noveles Season of Migration and Beer in the snooker club - Essay Example Salih writes about characters from poorer parts of northern Sudan while Ghali writes about city people in Egypt. The main characters in both of these books are male. The men in the books also meet a number of women and from time to time there is discussion of gender relations in British society and in their homeland also. Contact with Western society, and with London in particular, makes the authors think about potential changes to local family and social relationships, and especially to gender roles. In the first novel it is quite difficult to work out what the author’s views on the topic of gender are, because the male narrator has quite a different perspective from the other main character, Mustafa Sa’eed. The village in which they meet is rather traditional which means that life runs on the basis of Islamic law. The narrator describes his family, with emphasis on his grandfather who is a good male role model for him. There are also a number of elderly males who make a lot of sexist jokes about women. One of these characters, Wad Rayyes, seems to represent the dominant view : ‘He had been much married and much divorced, taking no heed of anything in a woman except that she was a woman, taking them as they came, and if asked about it replying â€Å"A stallion isn’t finicky†.’ (Salih: 66) The narrator observes this behaviour and repeats the animal comparison when he says (Salih: 81) â€Å"Wad Rayyes, who charged women as he charged donkeys†. This kind of womanizing behavior is also displayed by Mustafa Sa’eed who goes after several different British women when he is in London. He actually marries Jean Morris and she compares him to â€Å"a savage bull that does not weary of the chase† (Salih: 33). The fact that Sa’eed kills Jean Morris and drives several of his lovers to suicide underlines the aggression that this character feels in his romantic relationships. At one point Sa’eed describes his bedroom in

Whether Organizations Should Use Formal Mentoring Schemes Essay

Whether Organizations Should Use Formal Mentoring Schemes - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that employees’ morale holds the key for the eventual decisions that are made for them when it comes to imparting training and the related facilities. There must be an effort to mobilize the employees more and more and seek from them a feedback mechanism so that their role comes out significantly well within the related context of training regimes. The formal mentoring schemes within the organizations of today are shaping up because there is a need to address the challenges which have come up. The employees know little with respect to social and personal pressures which engulf their domains and it is only natural to understand that formal mentoring schemes would help resolve these issues in entirety. A mentor is defined as an individual who serves as a teacher or a trusted counselor whose main task is to act wise and thus guide and advise on different issues and matters. As far as the formal mentoring schemes and activities are concern ed, they are always very organized and have a serious disciplinary regime within them. Mentoring is more inclined with personal development relationship than anything else; focusing on the experienced senior who imparts the much-needed knowledge and help towards the unknowing junior. The former is regarded as the protege or an apprentice who works to best effects to make sure that the person who is being given the formal mentoring remains on track and is guaranteed to receive the benefits of mentoring in the long run scheme of things. The formal mentoring happens through a professional development process, where formal communication hierarchies are embedded and the information is passed across a number of different significant channels. This formal mentoring is therefore very elusive and takes care of the areas which are not covered by informal mentoring regimes in place. One must comprehend the fact that formal mentoring requires face to face conversation and linkage, helping towar ds building the long-term credibility of the protege and indeed the organization from a strategic perspective. The difference between formal and informal mentoring lies in the fact that since formal mentoring takes care of the employees from a very formal setting, the latter comes about in a haphazard and random manner. What this means is the philosophy that informal mentoring can be held anywhere within the domains of the organization and it basically takes care of the employees on a very one to one level, where the legal codes of inviting employees over for the mentoring programs and activities are not held as such.

The Chicago Police Department Essay Example for Free

The Chicago Police Department Essay The organizational situation that will be the focus of this paper is the recent appointment of a civilian Superintendent of Police at the Chicago Police Department. It has been over fifty years since a civilian was appointed as â€Å"top cop’ in the City of Chicago. Unfortunately, three of the last four police superintendents have left their position under scrutiny or an ensuing scandal. In 2006, the mayor of the City of Chicago Richard M. Daley publicly announced that a nationwide search for the next Chicago Police Superintendent will be conducted. After a seven month search, the front runner was a 35 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Mayor Daley’s decision to re-evaluate the participants and continue the nationwide search for the position of superintendent proved to be a major blow to police morale. Ultimately, the mayor appointed retired FBI Director Jody Weis as Superintendent of Police. The Superintendent is the commanding officer for the CPD. Under the direction of the Superintendent, the CPD is organized into the First Deputy’s Office and five bureaus each commanded by a Deputy Superintendent. The five bureaus are Investigative Services, Patrol Division, Strategic Deployment, Crime Strategy and Accountability and Administrative Services. Within each of these major operating units are patrol officers, investigative staff, support staff and administrative staff. There are approximately 120 subunits which work under these six operating units. There are approximately 13,400 sworn personnel and 1,850 civilians employed by the CPD (Chicago Police. org n. d). The Chicago Police Department’s patrol and investigative geographical area are broken down into five Investigative Areas (1-5) and each area is broken down into 25 local police districts (1-25). Each district is broken down into beats numbering anywhere from 12-15 beats per district. The CPD is entering a new era of police administration and will undergo major restructuring as a result of police corruption and misconduct, political pressures, and a loss of community trust. According to Bolman and Deal (2003), â€Å"restructuring is a challenging process that consumes time and resources with no guarantee of success† (p. 83). Organizations usually embark on a path to change when they feel compelled to respond to major problems or opportunities (Bolman Deal, 2003). Unfortunately in the case of the CPD, major problems are the cause for change. Reorganization is often the first step a new leader makes to leave his stamp on the organization. The CPD is an old fashioned public bureaucracy that has remained stagnant in its operation for over fifty years of â€Å"insider† control. Promotion from within the ranks is expected. The appointment of an â€Å"outsider† is an effort by the mayor to shake things up with a focus of weeding out misconduct and corruption. Holloway (2002), defined police corruption â€Å"as the abuse of police authority for personal or organizational gain† (p. 1). The CPD has had its fair share of corruption and official misconduct. Externally, acts of police misconduct can be reported by those affected to a civilian investigative organization or to an internal police unit known as Internal Affairs. Internally, acts of police misconduct and corruption may be dramatically under-reported if reported at all. According to Ivkovic (2003, when a police administrator engages in reform and invests resources for the purposes of corruption control without having all the necessary information regarding the extent and nature of the corruption, the administrator will most likely be fighting a â€Å"losing battle† (p. 594). This losing battle in fighting corruption is the main issue that Jody Weis will encounter in his new position. Weis is seen as an â€Å"outsider† and even worse, an ex-federal employee. When a police officer is accused of committing acts of misconduct or corruption, the officer is likely to face federal charges and placed under arrest by a Federal Agent. Weis is considered an enemy, and unless he is part of the inside police culture, he will never have full access to internal police information on the existence of misconduct or corruption. The complex phenomenon of police corruption needs to be addressed from an ethical and moral standpoint. To truly address the problem, it is necessary to work not only with the officers and the community, but also with professional policing organizations† (Johnson Cox, 2004 p. 67). The lack of community trust is a major factor in restructuring the CPD. Community policing was the first major step in forming a collaborative partnership with the community. It allowed the police and community to work side by side to help each other to save neighborhoods from crime and disorder. Ethics, morals, and professionalism are just a few ways in which the communities trust can be gained. Johnson and Cox (2004), defined â€Å"ethics as the moral behavior of an individual or group in its surrounding† (p. 69). Northouse (2007) further added that â€Å"ethics concerns itself with the morals and values that the society or an individual finds appropriate† (p. 342). A 1996 study by Delattre, (as cited in Johnson Cox, 2004) contends that those who maintain a position of public authority and trust should prescribe to a higher level of moral standards than civilians. The community deserves the right to feel safe and protected. The community is a powerful force that can organize and demand change by putting pressure on the elected officials. Political pressure is the last of the four factors that affected the change needed in the CPD. The appointment of the Superintendent of Police was orchestrated by the mayor of the City of Chicago. The mayor stated that the CPD was in desperate need of a â€Å"change agent. † The mayor was looking for someone that was going to restore the communities trust in the CPD and institute organizational change. The â€Å"politicos† were not happy with an â€Å"insider† being promoted to Superintendent of Police. Political pressures dictated that the search for a Superintendent of Police continue. Following the appointment of Jody Weis, major organizational and personnel changes were instituted. One of the most critical factors that affected the actual implementation of the change was the change of personnel. After approximately two months of being on the job, Weis removed and appointed 21 of 25 new District Commanders and replaced numerous exempt rank Deputies and Chiefs of units. Never in the history of the CPD had anyone made such drastic and unpopular changes. The changes in personnel were made by use of the Chicago Police Department’s meritorious promotion system. This system had for a long time been associated with political clout and nepotism rather than true merit. According to Boseman (2008), leaders are given the opportunity to lead not because they are merely appointed by managers, but because they are seen as leaders. On the contrary, Leonard (2003) contends that many employees select future leadership primarily for their technical skills rather than their interpersonal or people leadership skills. Faced with the current status of the CPD, change was inevitable. With change comes resistance to change. The leader must have a plan to institute change and remedies to quell the fears of change (Kouzes Posner, 2002). Conclusion A basic assumption throughout this analysis has been that the CPD is in need of major policy, procedures, programs, and organizational change. A strong argument in favor of this point is the low police morale and community distrust of the CPD. Adhering to the basic principles of the police code of ethics and moral values, police can create a service based on consent and participation. Overall, the transformational leader must create a vision, get subordinates to buy in, and manifest honesty and integrity. The problems that affect the CPD are not situations that can be easily fixed. Over time, hard work and a dedicated collaborative effort between an enthusiastic leader and the community can bring about change. Further research is needed in the area of the complex phenomenon of police corruption. Change can be a good thing.

School Improvement Plan: The UAE

School Improvement Plan: The UAE School planning, organization and management is directly related to human and physical resources. The foundation behind it is that schools should be capable of utilizing the entire resources in a way that help them in performing their obligations successfully. All schools need their students to succeed and prosper. But schools can simply create a lifelong change when they have emphasis on specific goals and strategies for change. School improvement planning (SIP) is a process through which schools set goals for improvement, and make decisions about how and when these goals will be attained. The definitive purpose of the process is to promote student achievement by improving the way curriculum is provided, by building an advantageous environment for learning, and by increasing the parental involvement in their childrens learning at school and in the home. In this assignment, the investigator will develop SIP focusing on the common problem affecting the private and public schools in the United Arab Emirates. An action plan will be developed to help in improving schools and consequently increasing student achievement. What is a school improvement plan? A SIP is a road map that undertakes the changes required by a school to increase student achievement, and indicates how and when these changes will be constructed. SIPsare selective: they help principals, teachers, and school councils answer the questions What will we focus on now? and What will we leave until later? They boost staff and parents to follow on student achievement and other issues, such as the school environment,that are known to impact student success. schools will able to respond to the needs of students, teachers, and parents when updated and trustworthy information are provided on student performance. Moreover, a SIP is a mechanism by which the community can hold schools responsible for student success and through which it can evaluateprogress. One of the first steps-a critical one-in establishing an improvement plan includes teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members working together to collect and examine data concerning the school and its students, therefore they can decide what needs to be enhanced in their school. As the strategy is implemented, schools keep ongathering this type of information. By comparing the novelinformation to the primarydata on which the plan was grounded, they- and the public-can assess the accomplishment of their improvement plans. Authentic change takes time. It is essentialto keep all partners involved in theSIPinformed. Gradual improvements are significant, and they should be distinguished, but they do not comprisepermanent change. Therefore,SIPs are best designed over three years: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 1 the planning process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 2 the implementation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 3 -continue the implementation. During initial discussions, or as time goes on, schools may need to expand their plan for additional years to make sure that they maintain their focus and attain their targets. Anyway,SIPs should beconsidered working documents that can beutilized tocheck their development over time andto make revisions when necessary to ensure that the plans stay on course. In developing SIP, the principal, staff, school council, parents, and other community members actthrough a diversity of activitiesconcentrated uponthreedomains of priority: curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. For all these areas, schools set up the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A goal statement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Performance targets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Areas of focus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Implementation strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Indicators of success à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time lines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Responsibility for implementing strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Checkpoints for status updates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Opportunities for revisions. Appendix B contains a sample school improvement plan. All school partners must be involved in the SIP to guarantee its success. Schools represent the whole school community. The principal, who has the responsibility of school administration and delivering instructional leadership, is ultimately accountable for SIP. However,all school community should be actively engaged in all stages of the process: planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating progress. Purpose To identify effective strategies for developing school improvement plans that lead to enhanced student achievement and increased parental involvement in education Background According to KHDA (2009), there are 220 schools in Dubai; 189 schools were inspected between 2008 and 2009. The remaining 31 schools which use the Indian, Pakistani and Iranian curricula will be evaluated later. These 189 schools are composed of 109 private schools and 80 public schools. Among the private schools ; 49 schools follow the UK National Curriculum, 30 offering a US curriculum, 16 schools using the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum, 6 schools follow the International Baccalaureate (IB), 4 schools follow the French curriculum and a further 4schools provide unique curricula (German, Russian, Japanese and Philippine). All public schools in Dubai were checked, including Madares Al Ghad (MAG) schools and Model schools. The purpose of schools evacuation was to improve the delivery of education to students in Dubai and to help parents know that their children are being learned and are in safe, skillful, and caring hands. The overall findings of schools performance in Dubai were shocking as there are around 20,000 students in Dubai receives unsatisfactory quality of education, more than half the schools are presently delivering an education that is not yet of the good quality anticipated of all schools in Dubai.Additionally,9 out of 10 schools provide acceptable quality of education. None of the public schools got outstanding but 50% of them achieved good.As for the private section, 4 schools offering the UK curriculum attained outstanding, 50% of private schools achieved 50% while 75% were unsatisfactory. As for the students performance, the results were generally disappointed. Students progress in the key subjects, are not yet making sufficient progress in speaking and writing Arabic and English. In public schools, where English is taught as a second language, students English language skills are insufficient and expectations, chiefly in connection with writing and speaking, are not satisfactorily high. The students capability of using mathematics to solve problems is poor. In private schools, students skills in Arabic need improvement. Nearly 20% of students make unacceptable progress. In Islamic Studies, students progress in the public schools is better than the private schools. The majority of the students have good attitudes to learning. They are motivated, attentive and hard worker. Economic and environmental understanding is developing in most schools. Students are often unattended except in class. Different forms of bullying are noticed. The teaching and learning methods were not useful for the students as the majority of the teachers dominate the lesson discussion in the public schools and poorly performing private schools. Assessment in more 25% of all schools is unsatisfactory. Consequently, many students are not aware of their strengths and weaknesses. In schools delivering the MOE curriculum, and US curriculum, students are not prepared well for higher education or employment. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in nearby 20% of private schools and in a similar proportion of boys public schools. Almost all schools do not have self-appraisal system to assess their own work. Finally, many schools have comprehensive connections with parents but they are unsatisfactory to some parents. What Areas Should Be Considered for Improvement? The main goal of SIP is to increase the level of student achievement. To achievegenuine change, nevertheless, the process needs to focus on specific priorities. Student performance becomes better when teachers use curriculum-delivery strategies that purposely address the studentsneeds, when the school environment is supportive, and when parents are effectively involved in the education of their children. To improve the process of planning, therefore, schools should institute one priority in each of these three components-curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. Basically, the planning process involves answering the crucial questions: What will we focus on now? and What will we leave until later? Curriculum delivery in the United Arab Emirates Curriculum is considered the foundation of the educational system. It incorporates the principles, underlying educational philosophy, goals, content and actual operation of the instructional program in the class, besides the written and other materials required to reinforce the educational system (Farah.S. Ridge.N. 2009).There are two new approaches presently being executed on a trial foundation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-a new standards-based curriculum in Abu Dhabi schools and a new English-medium curriculum in particular governmental schools, the Madares Al Ghad, over the UAE. Curriculum as a concept can be divided into three main components: intended curriculum, implemented curriculum and attained curriculum. The intended curriculum typically embraces the directorial documents shaped by the UAE-Ministry of Education (MOE) or other education authorities which command how much, how frequent and what should be taught in schools. The implemented curriculum is what really occur s in the class, how successfully teachers offer the material, how long they pass on a topic and what resources they need to deliver the content. Lastly, the attained curriculum is what students practically learn in the class, what skillsand values they grasp, and what content they assimilate and retain (Table 1). The focus of the MOE curriculum upon the buildup of factual knowledge rather than critical thinking limits students learning. Facts are learned in isolation and students are incapable of applying their knowledge in real life situations. This is proved evidently in the findings of the 2007 TIMSS survey, which examined students performance in the application of mathematics and science in many countries. The MOE curricula in mathematics and science give slight attention to practical investigation and the use of mathematical and scientific knowledge to solving problems (KHDA 2009). Consequently, students are not well equipped for the courses and careers they will study. Public school students have to choose either a scientific or literary arts for their last two years of school-based study. Both of these options have narrow scope, heavy content and do not prepare students for university. Curriculum Policy brief: The MOE (2008) has issued curriculum policy documents that set out standards, activities, strategies, expected outcomes and tools for teaching and assessment for student learning in all grades and subject areas. The policy documents also encompass achievement charts that assist teachers in assessingstudents achievement in respect to the expectations. Assessment strategies must focus on how the students integrate theory into practice to encourage independent thinking and enhance problem solving abilities. To set a goal for improving the delivery of the curriculum, principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members participating in the SIP must understand the expectations emerged by the MOE and how well the those expectations are going to be achieved by the students. Main Findings Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau Annual Report(DSIB) will be used as groundwork for this investigation. According to DSIB(2009), the majority of the schools achieved an acceptable level in meeting the students educational needs in relation to their curriculum. Yet, in schools delivering curriculum of the MOE, and in many schools providing a USA curriculum, students are not equipped well to vie globally. Moreover,in these schools, wherethe mainstream of students are native Arabicspeakers, have limited selection of subjects and their physical, creative and analytical skills are developing. These curricula are not operated effectively to satisfy the prerequisites of students, including those with learning difficulties as well as the potentially highest achiever. Furthermore, curricular weaknesses in public schools hinder the progress of many students and limit their achievement. The ill prepared English curriculum and the reduced demands of the text books fail to sufficiently meet the requirements of students for English proficiency.The students are learning English as a second language where opportunities for using it in conversation are limited. Additionally, the curriculumprepares the students to use only a few vocabularies. The range of students reading and writing is alsoimperfect. Extended writing is rarely a feature in most public and poorly performing private schools. Students are customarilyneeded to give only short written answers to questions present in textbooks and English teaching is miserable. As a result, non-native speakers are often unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas confidently even in Grade 12. These limitationsalter thestudentspreparation for university. The curricula in mathematics and science dedicateminimal attention to implementing mathematical and scientific knowledge in investigating and solving problems of daily life. In private schools, a high number of the older students fail or do not complete courses, particularly in mathematics and science subjects a situation not helped by the lack of independent information, advice and guidance for students prior to their admission to courses. The ICT curriculum focuses barely on performing skills. In addition,it is taught in English and many students do not get it adequately. All schools physical education, art and music have low status in MOE curriculum anda plenty of the ill performing private schools. The time allocated to these subjects to beneficially effect students physical and cultural growth is not sufficient. Music and art is taught to only a few students after Grade6 and 9 respectively. These restrictions hamper thestudents opportunities to develop their capabilities for independent learning through such activities as team working. All schools provision for students with exceptional educational needs is poor overall.The governmental schools offer some support, mainly in separate classes, in Grades 1 to 3 School environment Environmental factors are the most influential on studentsachievement and success.Creating a well-fit school environment calls the involvement of, principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members to make effective and relaxing placesfor learning. WHO defines a health-promoting school as one that constantly strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working.The American Academy of Pediatrics (1993) defines a healthful school environment as one that protects students and staff against immediate injury or disease and promotes prevention activities and attitudes against known risk factors that might lead to future disease or disability. A schools environment is the thread that linkstremendous activities on a campus. In many situations this thread is nearly invisible; however each person experiences its effect. Positive social relations and attitudes about school are as significant to the environment as are safe and well-maintained buildings and grounds. The quality of the school-good or bad is reflected by the environment of the school. A safe, clean, and well-Kept school with a positive psychosocial setting and culture can nurture school connectedness, which in turn improves student and staff well-being as well as students educational achievement. A schools physical environment includes the school building and the surrounding grounds, such as noise, temperature, and lighting as well as physical, biological, or chemical agents. The disturbing increase in the number of asthmatic students is a unique problem that can, in part, be influenced by negative physical conditions in schools. The psychosocial school environment incorporates the attitudes, feelings, and values of students and staff. Physical and psychological safety, positive interpersonal relationships, recognition of the needs and success of the individual, and provision for learning are all part of the psychosocial environment. Other factors encompass: the economy; social, cultural, and religious influences; geography; socioeconomic status of students families; tax bases; and legal, political, and social institutions. Main Findings The quality of health care is good or outstanding in a majority both public and private schools. School nurses, doctors and social workers presentobviously in the schools to support the students and their families. Medical records are arranged properly and routine follow-up are difficult. The role of the social worker is to have positive relations with families and monitor students attendance carefully. In the majority of the public schools, however, social workers work in isolation and do not communicate properly with other staff in the school to provide a rounded view of students performance. Comparatively little healthy food is sold in school canteens in most public schools; students in these schools often eat crisps and sweets throughout the day. Safety issues including transport measures, fire safety procedures, supervision and security, affect some public and private schools. Students are frequently unsupervised except when in class. School transport is occasionally organized with few considerations for the safety of students in pedestrian areas and on board buses, where working seat belts are not always provided. In a minority of schools there are events of unsuitableusage of physical punishment in response to negative behavior. Different forms of bullying range from kicking, spitting, malicious teasing, taunting, making threats to spreading rumors, engaging in social exclusion, extortion and intimidation. Generalizations cannot be made to understand why bullying occurs; but it should be recognized in all its forms and not tolerated. A survey conducted by ADEC in 2009 involving 1728 students (grades 3 to 6). The findings revealed that young children have various concerns about bullying in the schools; more than 47% considered that students at the school are often endangered or bullied; and more than 63% favor remaining at home because it is more safer than the school. The procedures for student safety are feeble in most private schools excluding those categorized as the best performing. According to KHDA (2009) most private schools have effectual policies to handle bullying and other kinds of upsetting behavior, and students report such events as uncommon. Moreover, whilst the best performing private schools have well-defined procedures for bullying, in many others do not. Students in the schools that were identified to be lacking bullying policy have no person to tell to if there is mistreatment inside or outside the school putting them at risk. Sana, A. A., MOE psychology advisor in Dubai, states that the ministry admits bullying in schools and is trying to overcome it. Some students dont have sufficient information and competency to recognize and contend with the behavior of aggressors (Khaleej, T 2010). According to the head of KHDA, an attention should be given to new forms of bullying, such as cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying has clearly increased in recent years and it can be more harmful and risky than other forms of bullying, (Samineh I. Undated). She cautioned of increasing incidence bullycide where children accustomed to escape to their homes to protect themselves from being intimidated at school, yet, through cyber-bullying there is no escape which give rise to many cases of bullycide ( bully associated suicides), Shaheem said (Gulf,N 2010). When the bully feels they cant express out their hostility on the school grounds, they will yell at either on the way home, on the bus or through text messages, chat rooms or Facebook. Speaking of one of the cases that came to Dubai Psychologist Dr. Singh, D., said that the plight of a small girl came to light only after her friend found her petrified at the sight of an older student and reported the incident. Her friend said that she was literally shaking at the sight of the older student, which led to an investigation that brought to light how the child was being bullied using social networking sites. Parental involvement Research found that parental involvement is one of the essential factorsleading to students success in school. Keeping the parents informed and involved in their childrens education will increase student achievement. Students attend school more frequently, finished more homework in a reliable manner, and exhibit more positive attitudes towards school. They also are more likely to complete high school. Parental involvement helps a child succeed in school and later in life. To ensure parents are informed about and involved in their childrens education, schools must foster partnerships with parents. Because parental involvement is one of the most significant factors in a childs success, it is crucial that all schools set a goal in their SIP for increasing it. Links with parents Many schools have comprehensive connections with parents but they are not continuously as effective as they want to be and some parents are unsatisfied withthe information givenabout their childs progress by the school. However,links with parents are usually good or outstanding in the best performing private schools. A small number of public schools have very good links with the local community and local businesses, which lead to enhanced outcomes for students. This is particularly true of schools in low economic status areas. The ADEC (2009) survey 1429 teachers in public schools and asked them about the number of times they met the parent personally and the degree of parents support to teachers .The result showed 6.9% have never met parents, 28.9% have met them once or twice a semester, 36.7% have met them once or twice a month, while 27.4% meet parents once a week. Regarding parents supporting the teachers teaching efforts, 55.5%feels some; while 13.5% feel never. More than 56.1% of teachers believe that only some parents make considerable effort to help their children learn; while only 5.6% do not at all. As for trust and confidence in parents as being partners in the teachers mission of educating the children, 19.3 % said no. Who Are the Partners in School Improvement Planning? Everybody involved in or interested in the operation of schools has a role to play in the SIP. District school boards and superintendents of education play vital roles in setting guidelines and in supporting and monitoring SIP. The most significantoperation, nevertheless, occurs within the school community itself. An effective SIParises when principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community participants work as a team to identify priorities, set goals for enhancement, apply strategies to reach those aims, and evaluate progress.Generally, principals responsibilities in SIP fall into three main categories:Communication, Leadership, Professional development. How Do We Begin? The first step of the SIP process is: Creating a SIP team; collecting and assessing data about student achievement, the school environment, and parental participation; and setting priorities for improvement through a sequence of activities. Principals play a fundamental role in these early platforms. They ease the creation of a planning team, which will be accountable for establishing priorities, and they ensure that the information needed for effective planning-such as report card marks, the results of assessments. Forming a school improvement planning team Principals should enlighten teachers, school council members, parents, and other community partners about the progressof SIP in a manner that appreciates their participation. In elementary schools, all the participants in the SIPconstitute a part ofthe planning process. Secondary schools, which usually comprise large teaching personnel, should guarantee that at least one representative from each section is part of the planning team, with the school council, parents, and other community affiliates who wish to share. In addition to expressing their preciousviewpoints and skills, teachers will alsofacilitate understanding ofinformation on students achievement as well as the expected value of and challenges implicated in a range of improvement suggestionsto other teammembers. It is imperative that the team be representative of the schools community. Principals should make hard effort to convince parents who correspond to a range of the school communitys demographic profile to play a part in the planning work out. Other communitymembers may offer worthinsights and perspectives, and their input should also be encouraged and vigorously sought out. Principals in the French-language systems will want to include leaders from the local francophone community. Finally, secondary school students should also contribute in the planning team. Principals should give confidenceto their involvement in the process, and possiblylook for those who are student leaders, motivating them to play a role. Principals in elementary schools may desire to engage interested Grade 7 and 8 with the teams work. All participants should have a positive attitude towards the process and realize that they have toact as a team. Scheduling meeting times for the planning team that are suitable to both staff and parents may be challenging. This issue can be solved by arranging parallel processes, whereby staff meets during school time whereas parents meet in the evening. The benefit of this organization is that it allows maximumparents participation. To insure consistency regarding decision makingbetween both groups, selected teachers could volunteer or be delegated to join both meetings. The SIPteam holds the role of analyzing data on student achievement in the school, the efficiency of the school environment, and parental involvement in their childrens education. Established on the results, team limbs make decisions about subjects that must be improved in priority. As figure 1 indicates, the planning work should take place between September and January of year 1. Understanding the context Before beginning a SIP, the planning team, together with parents, must be aware of and be familiar with particular types of information that school boards pass to staff and the public such as boards vision statement, national tests, and boards strategic plan, which includes short- and long-term goals for the district. In addition, members of the planning team should understand the nature and characteristics of the school and its community. Many schools create a school profile that sets out these characteristics in a simple way. Reviewing the school profile and debating each topic facilitate understanding of the school, and it places a context for the improvement strategy. A school profile could include information about the following: Student demographics Enrolment trends Languages spoken in the home The schools mission statement The schools program priorities Programs and services offered by the school (for example, guidance and library services) School facilities Class sizes Rate of student turnover or transfer Other relevant information. Schools in all systems should have other relevant information that will guide the readers of the profile obtain a realistic and full picture of their school. After acquiring an understanding of the boards targets and the schools characteristics, the planning team is prepared to start setting priorities for a SIP. Setting priorities SIPs are structured around three components: curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. The planning team must set up one priority in each of these three domains. The following activities will facilitate planning teams create these priorities: Priority for Enhancing Curriculum Delivery Collecting information The principal need to make sure that the planning team has the required data to identify which curriculum component (for instance, mathematics, science, reading, or writing) has the highest priority for improvement. Principal must also verify that the gathered information is reliable-that is, that it was collected according to the expectations and achievement outlined by the MOE. All teachers have to understand the MOEs policy obligations. The principal should therefore collect the following information for the planning team: Results of the annual assessments of students. Report card marks. Class profiles. Results of board-administered, national, and international tests. Discussing the information An open discussion, utilizing all the data collected about student achievement, allows all associates on the planning team to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in providing the curriculum, and identifies a priority for improvement in this regard. Deciding on a priority The facilitator distributes red dot stickers to the team members. Each associate obtains a number of dots equal to one third the number of weaknesses. All team members vote, using the stickers, for the subject of curriculum weakness that they think should be called first. Members must use all their dots, but they may not use more than one dot per weakness. The weakness with the most dots becomes the priority for enhancing curriculum delivery. Priority for Improving the School Environment Collecting information The principal need to collect information that will help the planning team define a priority subject for improving the school environment, such as school layout, students behavior and health condition. Discussing the information Before the meeting starts, the facilitator should collect the responses to the parent survey, transcribe the strengths and weaknesses of the school as sensed by parents Deciding on a priority The facilitator allots red dot stickers to team members. Each person receives a number of dots equal to one third the number of weaknesses. All members vote, using the stickers, for the ranges of weakness that they suppose should be handled first. Participants must get through all their dots, but they may not use more than one dot per weakness. The weakness rank high dots becomes the priority for enhancing the school environment. Priority for Increasing Parental Involvement Collecting information To help the planning team arrive at an endorsed priority for improving parental involvement, the principal should supply them with duplicates of: the school profile, a summary of the information collected in the parent survey. Discussi

Heart of Darkness in Relation to its Title Essays -- essays research p

The Parallel meaning of the novella with its title- Heart of Darkness The title, Heart of Darkness, aptly chosen, can be very strongly linked to the novel. IT can be used to describe Joseph Conrad’s views on civilization, the individual mind and the land into which he ventures. These sum up his opinions on the bourgeoise society, uncivilized society and the faults of human nature, linking them to the land under one common theme and thus establishing the title. ‘Heart of Darkness’ can most noticeably describe Marlow’s journey into the heart of the land. A dominant symbol in the novel is of the river- the snake- â€Å"But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled with its head to the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of a land† (71). This river brings him into what has become a ‘dark’ place- â€Å"It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery- a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness† (71). As in snakes and ladders, you start at the head and go towards the tail. This leads him into evil (snake symbolism), danger (uncoiled), and deeper towards Kurtz, whom the snake has swallowed towards the tail. As he travels along, just as the snake’s body grows thinner, so do the tolerance levels of those who thin k they are civilized. First Fresleven clubs a black village chief, then a brawl breaks out, and this progresses to all-out insanity, where cannibals, primitives, Inca-like natives and, eventually, Kurtz, reside, where he loses any control he had of his life, doing anything for more ivory, and realizes this in his dying moments. Marlow again mentions headin... ...ke hell break loose. Voyage into the land increases the themes of death and chaos. However, with the trek into the heart of the land, the other two concepts significantly grow- civilization becomes more and more edacious, and the dark heart of each individual is more likely to burst free. This may very well explain how when with his aunt, Marlow is so resisting that he states that the company is totally profit-oriented. By the time he has been at the station for a period of time and reads Kurtz’s book, he actually considers his views on the inferiority of the natives. Also note how the continent ‘got to’ Fresleven, causing him to go insane. The half-hidden, negative side in each concept becomes the ‘heart of darkness,’ both relating it to the title and a very unifying theme. Bibliography Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkeness. New York: Chelsea House, 1987.

Promotion of Effective Communication †Workbook Essay

Question  1 Look at your company’s policies and procedures on completing records and maintaining effective communication, what is your role? Answer: I browsed and read my organisation’s policy regarding the service user’s rights and those legislations which promotes equality, diversity, and discrimination. a. Each service user has a right to information regarding their care service that does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnic origin, creed, colour, religion, political affiliation, disability or impairments, marital status, parenthood, sexual gender or sexual orientation. b. Each service user has the right of access to their personal care records and to comment on them accordingly. Service users have the right to appoint an advocate to make their wishes and preferences known if they are unable to do so. c. Each service user has the right to be assured that no personal or confidential information concerning their affairs will be disclosed to a third party without their express permission. d. Each service user has the right to communicate using their preferred methods of communication and language. When completing records and reports look through your staff hand book or induction pack you were given at work and explain any rules and regulations or policies you need to follow when completing records and reports at work some of which might include: †¢ Records should be completed as soon as possible after the event †¢ Details should be accurate †¢ Details should be relevant †¢ Details should be legible †¢ Details should clearly indicate if it is a fact, opinion or hearsay. Opinions are acceptable as long as it is clearly stated as such. †¢ Always record as little as possible but detailed and as much as necessary. 2, 3, 10, 11 Describe ways that you provide support to individuals to communicate their needs. How might your communication alter with different individuals ? What aids might be used to support effective communication ? Answer: To support individuals and key people to communicate their needs you will need to: a. Arrange the individual’s environment to facilitate effective communication and promote understanding. This can be done by ensuring privacy going into a quiet room, if the area is noisy because of the volume of a radio or television it needs to be reduced. Poor lighting in the room needs to be changed and some more that you can think of. b. As a care worker you need to check that the individual have the appropriate support to communicate their views. This could be making sure the individual who uses glasses and an hearing aid is supported by making sure the glasses is at client’s reach or that hearing aids is switched on and working properly. c. Appropriate styles and methods of communication should be used with respect to the individual. Such as: Active listening – showing be gestures that you are listening, sitting or standing half turned away gives the message that you are not listening. Responding appropriately – nodding your head.  Good body language and maintaining eye contact – Leaning forwards can be used effectively when you want to emphasize your interest or support. The methods that can be used to communicate effectively are: a. Support equality and diversity †¢ This can be done by using appropriate language that the service user understands also using the appropriate register of language, for instance not using phrases that could be referred to as jargon. Another method is to use the appropriate way of speaking within a speech community. For instance communicating with young people may mean using their style of language e.g. what’s up with you, hello mate. †¢ Provision of communication aids and use of non-verbal communication if service user has hearing or vision impairments or learning and physical disabilities. b. Are effective when dealing with, and challenging discrimination †¢ Working with key people demands that you communicate in a language that they understand and also using simple words. For example the use of clinical words that is not commonly understood would not be necessary if you know they are not familiar with them. †¢ Sometimes we come across people who cannot understand us for one reason or the other instead of ignoring them it would be helpful to source a skilled interpreter but we still need to make effort to communicate with the person by learning some of the ways of communication or a few useful words from their language. The methods to support individuals to communicate are: Ensure environment is suitable (lighting, noise background) Provide interpreter if necessaryAllow sufficient time for individuals to understand the content of communication. Use relevant aids for communication (e.g. cards, symbols, hearing aids, large print) Provide advocate to speak for a service user Ensure written material is in suitable formats or language. Specific aids that may be used to support effective communication : Aided communication is communication supported or replaced by materials or equipment. There are simple materials or equipment used everyday such as a pen and paper to write messages, alphabet charts, pictures or symbols or photographs. Communication aids can be categorized into 3 broad groups: Symbolic Aids This is commonly the use of signs and symbols, it requires individuals to undertake a form of training on the correct forming of signs used and types of symbols: †¢ British Sign Language – used as a communication aid for individual with hearing loss. †¢ Makaton – used as an aid to support speech and not intended to replace it. †¢ Picture Exchange communication systems (PEC) – This aid helps individuals to be independent as they able to exchange a picture for what they want from a compiled album of pictures. †¢ Deaf – Blind manual alphabets – Slightly modified version of the BSL. Finger- spelling alphabet is used. Technical Aids †¢ Talking microwaves – usually for individuals with sight loss †¢ Computers – which read out the text on the screen. †¢ Light writer – this is a portable device into which the individual types in what they would want to say. Human Aids †¢ Interpreter – is a person who supports the communication between two people who do not have the same language. This also includes the sign language. †¢ Translator – is a person who changes the written word into an easier format for the individual to read. This could be into Braille or symbols. †¢ Advocate – This is someone who speaks on behalf of an individual when they are not able to do so. 4, 5, 19 In relation to the promotion of effective communication, give examples of what you do to maintain the following laws and guidelines: a) Data Protection Act b) Access to Health Records Act c) The General Social Care Council Code of Conduct d) Standard 37 National Minimum Standards for Care Homes e) Caldicott Report Answer: a) To maintain Data Protection Act it is necessary to complete the records as soon as possible after the event and always record as little as possible but detailed and as much as necessary; to make sure that the details are accurate, relevant and legible and that they clearly indicate if it’s a fact, opinion or hearsay. Another important thing is that opinions are acceptable as long as it is clearly stated as such. The information shared by the individuals must be confidential to ensure data protection. In case that the information suggests that the client is under risk, the consent of the individual needs to be obtained before passing the information to an appropriate member of the staff, and even when the consent is not given it becomes important to report. b) To maintain the Access to Health Records Act I have to make sure that the records are accurate, legibly written, shareable so that the information can be used to provide individuals with the support and care required. The  members of a care team are fully informed of new developments and changes in a client’s care plan and the evidence of the actions taken in specific circumstances are available if the need arises. I can access information and records about an individual by: talking to the service user, accessing previous records after permission has been sought from the appropriate person, talking to colleagues who know the individual, to family members or to other professionals c) To maintain The General Social Care Council Code of Conduct, as a social care worker, I must establish and ensure the confidence of service users and carers. This includes: communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way; respecting confidential information and clearly explaining agency policies about confidentiality to service users and carers. I must be accountable for the quality of my work, I have to maintain clear and accurate records required by procedures established for my work. 6,7 Where can you find out about an individuals communication and language needs, information about communication and language skills to improve your practice ? Answer: I can find out about an individuals communication and language needs by asking my manager or the service user, discussing with other care workers who know the individual, talking to family members, to a speech therapist or other professionals for advice, exploring the internet or consulting a library for more information. In order to improve my practice, I can find out about information, communication and language skills by asking my supervisor or manager, or colleagues who have confronted with similar cases. I can also consult the case notes of the individual, or relevant documents provided by the organization that will help me learn how to communicate effectively – for example the induction manuals, search for information via the internet or specialist organizations for the particular condition, attend relevant training courses to communication, supervision and appraisal sessions. 9  What factors may affect communication skills, abilities and behaviour of an individual ? How may they react as a result of these factors? Answer: Factors that can affect communication skills, abilities and behaviour of an individual are: – Physical Impairments – visual and hearing – Language barriers – accents, different language – Cognitive or sensory impairments – learning difficulties, memory loss, – Illness – dementia, stroke – Environmental problems – poor lighting, noisy environments If this happens, the individual in question becomes withdrawn from others around them, isolated from others. This may affect his self-esteem and self-confidence negatively. That individual may also become confused, angry and frustrated. 12  If you were trying to have a conversation with an individual how would you arrange the environment and position yourself to communicate effectively? Answer: First of all, I have to make sure that there isn’t any background noise that could make the communication difficult. Then, another important step to achieve effective communication with individuals is arranging the environment to aid communication. Here are some factors that can hinder or disturb good communication: – Poor lighting, because individuals with poor sight are unable to see you – Background noise from the radio, other individuals, TV and so on – Obstacles between me, the care worker, and the individual, for example furniture and household items – Insufficient distance to keep appropriate space within me and the individual to avoid encroaching or invading on their personal space 13, 14  Describe some conflicts that might occur as a result of communication difficulties. How would you deal with these conflicts? Answer: Some of the conflicts that might occur as a result of communication difficulties are: individuals can become frustrated and isolated when the  communication between themselves and their workers is encountering problems. These problems or dilemmas are sometimes the result of: – a difference in the language spoken by the service user and the worker – the service user has visual impairments or hearing difficulties – the individual might have a physical illness or disability – either physical disability or learning disability. There are many ways to solve the conflicts that might occur. It depends on the nature of the problem. For example, for: †¢ Language differences: If there are conflicts due to language differences, then an interpreter will be appropriate for any serious discussions or communications. Efforts should be made to learn a few important words to communicate with the individual or teach the individual some words in the workers language if they are willing to facilitate communication. Non verbal communication will be an effective method in solving this kind of conflict. †¢ Hearing difficulties: Individual with hearing difficulties need to be assisted to ensure their hearing aids are working and fitted properly. It would be necessary that a worker will assist the individual to clean the equipment, change the batteries when appropriate. Workers will also need to give the client the appropriate space and communication pace that would make communication effective. If the need arises words can be written down for clarity. The use of signs and telecommunication services such as type talk service are very useful. †¢ Visual difficulties: Individual with visual difficulties need to be provided with glasses or contact lenses so they can observe non verbal communication. This will prevent misunderstandings during communication with people. †¢ Physical disabilities: Communications with individuals in this category will be according to the type of physical disability or illness. If the illness has affected the individual’s ability to speak and understand, for instance a stroke then the use of short, simple sentences, gestures, writing and drawing or using flash cards, the use of closed questions which only need â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† should be useful. †¢ Some illness do not affect the client’s understanding, so there is no need to speak slowly but will need to be patient to receive a response as the client might have difficulty with their speech e.g. stroke. †¢ Learning disabilities: The method of communication will depend on the level of the disability. I will need to communicate at the pace and space suitable for the client. Physical contacts are of an advantage to be used along with  verbal communication. †¢ Cultural differences: People have different cultural backgrounds, therefore it is necessary to find out from the individuals their communication preferences or alternatively check their care plan records o r ask people such as their family, friends, colleagues or key people who have worked with them. 15, 16  When communicating difficult, sensitive or complex messages, how might your style of communication alter? What type of environment would be most appropriate for this sort of communication ? Answer: Communicating with individuals who are distressed or upset due to bereavement this could be sensitive, complex or difficult. In this situation, I will ask if the person would want to discuss any concerns with me or maybe another person of their choice. I can use non verbal communication while been a good listener such as making good eye contact with the individual as she talks, which will depict that I’m willing to listen. If the client is displaying a behaviour that dictates that they are able to put others or themselves at risk, then I might need to involve the attention of appropriate members of the care team. For this sort of communication, the environment must be comfortable and appropriate. I would come across times when I need to discuss matters with individuals that are referred to as sensitive issues. If an individual needs to discuss his personal needs with me, I have to ensure that he feels comfortable and encouraged to communicate these issues. On the other hand, I might want to discuss with the service user about their changing needs such as diet, incontinence, mobility and so on. Communicating bad news, like a bereavement of a spouse or close person to the individual will also require certain communication skills. The things that should take into account are: †¢ Remember individuals have a right to their privacy, therefore the immediate environment should be arranged to ensure privacy. For example a client’s bedroom or apartament should be free from visitors at the time. †¢ Individual’s preferred method of communication should be made available. †¢ Communication should be made at the pace of the individual, giving enough time for both of us to understand the content of the communication. †¢ Observe and respond appropriately to reactions fromà ‚  individuals. 17  Who do you need to gain permission from to access records and why ? Answer: I need to gain permission of my manager or client to access records. Accessing information will help me to improve my practice and also my responsibility. Within the organization there should be relevant documents to access information or if I work with individuals in their own home the care plan should contain useful information. 18  Define the following words: a) Fact b) Opinion c) Judgement Why is it important that you aware of the difference of these words when reporting and recording information about individuals ? Answer: a) A fact is a true statement that cannot be disputed, knowledge or information based on real occurrences; something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed. b) An opinion is a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty- it is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts, a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. c) A judgement is a cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions. Judgments are also personal and developed from experience; they differ from person to person. For example, if a client is dying and all the symptoms and signs show the evidence, reports and records should show these facts. On the other hand if the client only refused to talk, people might have different opinions and judgments to explain the reason. Records and reports will need to be verified to deduce the correct and most suitable reason. It is important to aware of the difference of these words when reporting and recording information about individuals because I have the responsabiliy to provide seamless services for individuals, and this thing can be done only if the  information is correct, precise.