Denzel Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Denzel Washington - Essay Example hington is an inspiring figure to me as an African-American fan of his movies, because he shows just how much anybody can achieve if they work hard and are passionate about their work. One of the most inspiring things about Denzel Washingtons career is the story of his early childhood. When he was only 14, his parents got a divorce and he and his sister had to be sent to a boarding school for the rest of their education. Obviously, this must have had a big effect on the young mans life, but he did not let it bother him and he then went on to Fordham University, where he studied Journalism for a while (â€Å"Denzel Washington,† 2012). Beyond his parents problems, Denzel Washington also had some of his own, although they were not major. Basically, he could not decide what he wanted to do, and even dropped out of school for a semester because of being on academic probation (Washington, 2006, p16). However, after he worked as a camp counsellor over the summer at a YMCA camp and from a friends comment there â€Å"became as passionate about drama and acting as [he] had ever been† about anything else (Washingon, 2006, p18). Many people might have been satisfied with completing a bachelors degree in drama, but Denzel Washington did not stop there. Instead, he went to the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, even winning a scholarship which allowed him to continue his studies further (â€Å"Denzel Washington,† 2012). No doubt this extra education played a big part in his later success, but it also shows that he was already accepted as a skilled actor, or he would not have gotten a scholarship for such an important school. Because of his ability to â€Å"disappear into a role and mesmerize audiences† (â€Å"Denzel Washington,† 2012 ) which probably comes from this time and education, he has been able to win several Oscars and Golden Globes, and also play in theatrical parts of all sorts. One of the most important things to take away from this story of Denzel

Understanding Organisations and the role of HR Essay Example for Free

Understanding Organisations and the role of HR Essay Good afternoon guys. Before I have my speech begun, please let me introduce myself to you guys. Sculpture is what I major in. I feel a little bit nervous upon my first speech in front of you now, but I am going to try my best. Since 21st century, we have seen a lot of creativity on every field. Every one emphasizes the creative power. As we see that Apple, which always stresses innovation and creativity, is a one of the biggest companies around the world, creativity is a key to success these days. To me, Creativity is an abstract idea. Maybe it is to you people as well. Anyway, everyone probably has different thoughts of what is creative. But I think creativity comes from how it looks in a way, I mean artistic fgures. Lets compare ones we use with ones we used to use. Take cell phones for example, when cell phone was firstly shown up to the public they were literally a sensation. Who could think they would take a call outside with a wireless phone, even though they looked like a tank or something at that time. As we know, those cell phones at the beginning were technically amazingly convenient at the very moment. However, as time goes by, people have tended to find ore creative ones than ones that are even much better in hardware. Actually, I have heard a lot that many people like iPhones instead of others because iPhones look more beautiful than others so it seems to be more creative. As a result, their beautiful-looking makes themselves more creative to people. What if iPhone or other Apples products had the same function and hardware with an ugly shape, people would still think they are creative? I dont think so. Nowadays, not only the industrial products but also cultural industrial like movies or books also need creativity to succeed. Actually, according to some statistics a creative book cover helps its sales whether the contents of the book is good or bad. When we see those books in a bookstore, what we see first is the book cover and we get the first impression of it from the cover. So people annually make a new version of old ones which have old cover that we would feel corny now. The most important thing of a good movie is definitely its plot, and l, personally, think the secondly important thing of it is creative visual aspects. The way of shooting every scene and brand-new visual effects, they all ake a movie as a good movie. All in all, now we live in a creative life. Everything has evolved day by day. We can find and enjoy creativity everywhere. There are thousands of same thing, but what makes one of them standing-out is creativity. For me, what make one of them looking creative are artistic figures. It is, for sure, much better to buy something looking better and looking more creative than others, even if they are a little bit more expensive than others. So I think we need to pay more attention to these creative idea and artistic fgures to geta success. Thank you for your listening. Understanding Organisations and the role of By cdonaldson TASK 1 Santander UK plc is one of the leading personal financial services companies in the United Kingdom with more than 15 million customers serviced by a network of 1200 branches and with approximately 24,000 employees. It is the third largest bank in the I-JK with reference to the value of deposits and the 2nd largest in terms of mortgage accounts held. Santander boast an award-winning, innovative range of products and services for both personal and business customers. Personal banking customers can choose from a range of Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Credit Cards, Un-secured Personal Loans, Mortgages and Insurance products. To enable customers to access their accounts whenever they need and manage them more effectively, Santander offer internet and mobile banking as well as telephone banking for the majority of accounts not forgetting any of the 1200 high street branches! Business and Corporate customers have access to a similar product range current and savings accounts, loans (secured and un-secured) and insurance products.

Political Spectrum Project Essay -- Politics Magazine Articles Essays

Political Spectrum Project Introduction I have gathered four articles from the New York Times newspaper, which is a Liberal newspaper, and broken them down into a summary and a short understanding of what makes the article Liberal. The four articles include a political cartoon, an editorial piece, a national article, and an additional article. Gun Battle Halts Mideast Cease-fire International / additional article. During the daylight hours of October 2, the cease-fire between Israel and Palestinians came to a sudden and violent standstill. The Gaza Strip and several Arab towns inside of Israel was the scene for this horrible event. Gunfire sent hundreds of Palestinians civilians running off the streets and seeking shelter and safety from guns and other arms fire. Israeli military officers began firing their yesterday. This event was triggered by Arab protesters who claimed that the Israelis had provoked the by failing to pull back there armored vehicles and riot officers from key junctions in the Gaza Strip. By the evening, three more Arabs had been killed bringing the total death count to fifty-four people. In this article as you read, you can start to get the since there are two sides to the conflict. One the Palestinians and Israeli. The article gives a bias to favor the Palestinians people over the Israeli government. The Palestinians were marching against the Israeli police who were supposed to pull back from the Arab community last week. Armed military tanks and helicopters met the protesters. Most of the protesters on had only had rocks and small arms to protect themselves. This article is a wonderful example of Liberalism. The utter disdain, which the article shows for the Israelis, is evident, â€Å"After failing to secure concessions from us at the peace table, Barak has decided to negotiate with bullets† says the article. The pursuit of happiness, this is a common liberal view. The Palestinians were only pursuing happiness and freedom from the Israelis military when they fired upon them. The Arab people are persecuted in the Israeli run Gaza Strip for their religion. Th is pursuit for happiness is a fundamental part of Liberalism. Gore Vs. Bush. Round 1 Editorial / Opinion piece This opinion piece about how Gore and Bush are perceived after last Tuesdays debate. A writer explains why Gore won round one of the debates. The... ...to look like night and day against each other. Of all the contentious issues in their debate Tuesday night, none underscored the differences between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush more than taxes. Repeating himself relentlessly, Gore asserted that the Texas governor's proposed tax cuts would award more money to the wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers than the amounts Bush would set aside for education, health and defense combined. Bushes tax cut looks like something a monarch would give to his nobles. This overwhelmingly show Bush as a conservative Bush accused the vice president of using "fuzzy numbers," but never refuted the basic charge. In fact, â€Å"Gore's formula was on target, illustrating a stark choice between the two candidates' approaches on the tax issue.† Supporting Gore and showing the fact the Bush has a very high tax cut of the wealthy is would show the liberal thinking for the writer. Gore the understood liberal was praised for pointing that figure out. Politics have not changed very much since the 19th century but the faces of opinion have changed, now liberal and conservative try to convince the people that they are working in your best interest.

Childhood and Physical Contact Essay

3.4 Explain how practitioners can take steps to protect themselves within their everyday practice in the work setting and on off site visits. Many jobs within children’s workforce require physical contact with children as part of their role. There are also occasions when it is entirely appropriate for other adults to have some physical contact with a child or young person with whom they are working with. However it is crucial that in all circumstances, adults should only touch children or young people in ways which are appropriate to their professionals or agreed roles and responsibilities Practitioners need to be aware that even well intentioned physical contact may be seen as inappropriate by the child, other adults or by anyone to whom this action may be viewed by, also never touch a child in a way which may be considered indecent. Always be prepared to report and explain actions and accept that all physical contact, but understand that physical contact in some circumstances can be easily misinterpreted because of the state of mind of the child or the adult. Be aware of all cultural and religious views about touching and always be sensitive to issues of gender and always encourage children, where possible, to undertake self-care tasks independently e.g. changing and use of the bathroom. As an adult working with children always pre –empt situations that may put you in a vulnerable position and plan to avoid them such as concealed one to one contact with a child or young person. Where possible always leave a record of a planned visit which may have the potential to be problematic e.g. where, when and why and take to follow up any incidents/ accidents or concerning behaviour.

What can David do about his position in relation to the other partners?

Introduction In considering what rights David has in respect of the other partners, it will first need to be determined whether a partnership has actually been created. For a partnership to be created two or more persons must conduct business with a view to profit. Partnerships are defined under s. 1(1) Partnership Act (PA) 1890 as a â€Å"relation subsisting between persons carrying on business in common with a view of profit†. Since David, Clive and Jane have all started a business in advertising with a view to profit; it is evident that a partnership has been created. As a partnership agreement has not been created by the partners, the partnership will be governed by the PA 1890. David will thus be able to rely on the PA 1890 in order to establish his rights and duties. It is contained within s. 19 PA 1890 that â€Å"the mutual rights and duties of partners whether ascertained by agreement or defined by this Act may be varied by the consent of all of the partners, and such consent may be either express or inferred from a course of dealing†.[1] Therefore, the rights and duties of David will have been capable of being varied with the mutual consent of all the partners. As the partners do not have a partnership agreement in place, it is clear that they have not varied the terms of their rights and duties that are contained under the Act. Given that a partnership is based upon the mutual trust of all the partners, they each owe a duty of good faith. This has been exemplified in the case of Const v Harris[2] when it was held by Lord Eldon that; â€Å"in all partnerships, whether it is expressed in the deed or not, the partners are bound to be true and faithful to each other†. Therefore, each partner must be required to act in the interests of the partnership as a whole and not in the interests of themselves. As Jane is a director of a company that runs corporate events, called Eventbright Ltd, which has been regularly used by the partners, it is questionable whether Jane is acting in the interests of the partnership. This is because Jane may only be using Eventbright Ltd in order to increase profits in her own company. This can be seen in Trimble v Goldberg[3] where it was made clear that all partners must act in good faith for the benefit of the partnership. There are three requirements that must be fulfilled by the partners when acting in good faith of the partnership. These are; 1) the duty to disclose information, 2) the duty to account for benefits received, and 3) the duty in respect of competing business.[4] Whether the latter two duties are being fulfilled by Jane is debatable. This is because Jane may be benefiting from using her company to which she is a director in order to gain profits (s. 29 PA 1890) and her company may be considered a competing business (s. 30 PA 1890). If this is the case, Jane will be required to disclose this information to the other partners and must account for and pay over to the firm all profits made by her. In respect of the restrictions Jane and Clive want to impose upon David’s work, it is likely that David will be able to assert his rights contained under s. 24 PA 1890. Here, it provided that; every partner may take part in the business (24(5)) and that decisions are to be taken by a majority but unanimity is required to change the nature of the business (24(8)). David may therefore take part in the business, yet because Jane and Clive have suggested he take a more administrative role, it is arguable whether this will be sufficient. This is because Clive and Jane will be capable of making a majority decision as to how the business is being run, although they cannot change the nature o f the business without David’s consent. In effect, David may not be able to oppose the decision that is being made by Clive and Jane as they will be able to take a majority vote as to how they think the business should be run. And, if they feel that it is in the best interests of the business, then David may not have any right to argue against this unless they acted in bad faith or attempted to change the nature of the business. If David is not happy with the new arrangements, he may be capable of bringing the partnership to an end. This can be done by giving notice to the other partners (s. 26 and 32 PA 1890). If David decides to bring the partnership to an end, any partner will have the right to publicly notify the dissolution (s. 37 PA 1890). After the partnership has been dissolved, each partner will be entitled to have the partnership property applied so that the debts and liabilities can be discharged. Once this has been done, any surplus will be distributed equally between the partners. Because not all property is partnership property, a distinction will have to be made between personal and partnership property as personal property will not be able to help meet partnership debts (s. 20 PA 1890). Overall, it seems as though David may not be able to oppose the decision of Clive and Jane to restrict his work to more clerical and administrative matters. If David is not happy with this decision he may be able to bring the partnership to an end by giving notice to the partners. Once this has been done, the partnership property will be distributed equally between all three partners. What is the partnership propertyWhy does it matter? The amount of money and property the partners have contributed to the partnership to use in the enterprise is known as partnership capital.[5] This represents the partner’s equity in the partnership and has noted in Reed v Young[6]; â€Å"The capital of a partnership is the aggregate of the contributions made by the partners. It is important to distinguish between the capital of a partnership, a fixed sum, on the one hand and its assets, which may vary from day to day and include everything belonging to the firm having any money value, on the other.† Partnership capital is thereby distinguished from partnership property which is the property that has been acquired by the partnership. This includes a transfer of property to; a) the partnership in its name, b) one of the partners in their capacity as partnership, or c) one of the partners indicating their capacity as a partner.[7] It is vital that partners indicate their intent as to whether the property is to be consider ed capital or property as this will determine who is entitled to the property once the partnership is dissolved. If the property is partnership capital, then the individuals will be entitled to take their share of the property.[8] If the property is partnership property, then the property will be distributed equally between the partners. As pointed out by Lord Andrews LCJ in McClelland v Hyde[9]; â€Å"the capital of a partnership is something different from its property or its assets†. 20(1) PA 1890 states that partnership property includes â€Å"property originally brought into the partnership stock or acquired for the purposes and in the course of the partnership business†. It is important for partners to specify what property belongs to whom in order to avoid any undesirable consequences. The original owners of the property may not be entitled to recover the property in the event that the partnership comes to an end.[10] On the insolvency or bankruptcy of a partnership, there are two sets of creditors; joint and separate. The partnerships assets are referred to as the â€Å"joint estate† in the Insolvency Act 1986 (as amended by the Insolvent Partnerships Order 1994 (SI 1994 2421)) and are used in the first instance to pay the partnerships creditors. If an asset increases in value, the increase will belong to the firm if the asset is partnership property. If the asset is owned by the individual partner, then the increase will belong to the individu al.[11] As a partnership does not have its own separate legal entity, partnerships cannot own property in its own name. Instead, partnership property will be held in the names of the individual partners who will be deemed to be holding the property in their names as agents for the purposes of, and as trustees for, the partnership as shown in Burdick v Garrick[12] where property held on trust for the partners was considered partnership property. There is also a presumption, unless expressly stated otherwise, that partnership property is held by partners as tenants’ in common and not as joint tenants (except for land; s. 39(4) Law of Property Act 1925). This was evidenced in Bathhurst v Scarborough[14] when it was noted that the general rule is that property bought with partnership money belongs to the partnership and will be held by the partners as tenants in common. The accounts of the partnership will usually make it clear which assets are to be considered partnership property and which assets are merely individual property that is to be used by the partnership as in Barton v Morris[15] where it was clear from the partnership’s accounts which assets were to be treated as partnership and individual property. In the instant scenario it would appear as though the office equipment and stationary is partnership property, whilst the rest of the partner’s assets are personal property. However, because there i s no partnership agreement in place that specifies which separates the assets between ‘partnership property’ and ‘partnership capital’ it seems as though s. 20(1) PA 1890 will apply. This means that all of the property that has been brought into the partnership stock will also be called partnership property. This has been recognised by Deards who stated that; â€Å"property brought into the partnership stock will cover property brought in as capital by a partner†.[16] Nevertheless, because s.21 of PA 1890 provides that property brought with the partnership’s money is presumed to have been brought for the partnership, any property that is itemised in the partnerships accounts will be deemed partnership property. This suggests that if the property is not itemised in the partnerships accounts and is merely being used by the partnership, then in the absence of any agreement by the partners, the use of any property by the partners will not be regar ded as partnership property.[17] Consequently, if any of the assets are not itemised in the partnerships accounts it cannot be said that they will be classed as partnership property. In Waterer v Waterer[18], however, the use of land was considered partnership property because of the nature of the partnership. In effect, unless David’s assets are itemised in the partnerships accounts, they will not be considered partnership property. The premises by which the company operates will most likely be considered partnership property in light of the Waterer v Waterer[19] case, whilst the use of Eventbright Ltd will not be. Any assets that are considered partnership property will be shared equally between the partners. Bibliography Books E Deards., Practice Notes on Partnership Law, (Cavendish Publishing, Business & Economics, 1999). E MacIntyre., Business Law, (Essex: Pearson, 6th Edition, 2012). R Mann., Essentials of Business Law and the Legal Environment, (London: Cengage Learning, Business & Economics, 2009). Journals K Killington., ‘Partnerships – All Are Equal?’ (2008) Tax Journal, Issue 916, 14-16. P Beasang., ‘Partnerships: Legal Issues’ (2008) Tax Journal, Issue 916, 13-14. T M Lewin., ‘What is Partnership Property?’ (2011) [25 July, 2014]. Legislation Partnership Act 1890 Case Law Barton v Morris [1985] 1 WLR 1257 Bathhurst v Scarborough [2004] EWCA Civ 411 Brown v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1965] AC 244 Burdick v Garrick (1869-1870) LR 5 Ch App 233 Const v Harris (1924) Turn & R 496 McClelland v Hyde [1997] 3 All ER 800, CA Reed v Young [1984] STC 38, 57-58 Trimble v Goldberg [1906] AC 494, PC Waterer v Waterer (1872-73) 15 LR Eq 402

Gore vs. Bush essays

Gore vs. Bush essays Who will be our next president? Vice President Al Gore or Governor George W. Bush. The two politics squared off to gain a political advantage over the other, in hope to gain an advantage and coming one step closer to being the next president. The first article about the political debate is called, Taxes, health care dominant debate. This article was published in The Spokesman-Review. In Boston around 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Al Gore and George W. Bush squared off to debate issues that may change the history of our country. In the first of three debates that could change the course of a tight presidential election, Vice President Al Gore repeatedly criticized one of the centerpieces of George W. Bushs campaign as a tax cut for the wealthy and Bush struck back by accusing Gore time and again of skewing facts. As the two debated which candidate has the best plan for prescription drug coverage, Gore accused Bush of providing coverage to only 5% of seniors, while Gore said he would cover 100 percent. The five percent of Bushs plan are the wealthy. Gore claimed that Bushs plan would take 4 to 5 years to cover the average to poor people on Medicare. Bush argued this point claiming that Gore was lying. One of the strongest clashes occurred over Gores oft stated charge that the bulk of Bushs tax cut would disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Gore and Bush fought back and fourth exchanging arguments after arguments, but the jabs and counter jabs occurred most frequently over the competing tax plans. Why is that the wealthiest 1 percent get their tax cuts the first year, but 95 percent of seniors have to wait four or five years before they get a single penny? Gore asked. Bush replied, The mans running on Mediscare, trying to frighten people in the voting booth. ...

Anarchists and the Spanish Civil War essays

Anarchists and the Spanish Civil War essays The Spanish Civil War laid the groundwork for the mass destruction and turmoil that was to come with World War II. The Civil war was a battle among the left, pitting communism versus fascism. There were many different groups fighting for each side, the most important, anarchists. Anarchists believe in a classless society. It is their ideas that oppose capitalism as a system that profits the small minority and not the majority. Government, army, and police, are seen through their eyes as an institution whose purpose is to enforce the ways of these minority groups. Instaed of letting these small minority groups lead, they feel that the workers have the power and strength, in numbers, to change society. It is through their ability to organize and fight that the anarchists made the biggest impact on the war. Collectivization and industrialization were ideas shared by the CNT (Condeferacion Nacional de Trabajo), and were extensive. The peasants had come together in order to gain control of the land that they had worked on. Ronald Fraser states, that the anarchists would go to a large village and clean it up in the name of the CNT(60). The clean-up would take place by any means necessary, and force and terror were tactics that were used. It was through the terror that many villagers joined the side of the anarchists in their views for collectivization. It is through the collectives that production greatly increased the yield of the lands, in some cases as much as a 50% increase. Workplaces were taken over to increase the production of materials needed to aid the revolution. Often these factories were abandoned by the owners in order to sabotage the revolution. The biggest contribution that the anarchists made was in the form of their militia. The militia was guerilla-like there were no uniforms, or officers just a group of revolutionaries. It was this revolutionary army that took the country by s...

The Fallacy of Division

The Fallacy of Division In critical thinking, we often come across statements that fall victim to the fallacy of division. This common logical fallacy refers to an attribution placed onto an entire class, assuming that each part has the same property as the whole. These can be physical objects, concepts, or groups of people.   By grouping elements of a whole together and assuming that every piece automatically has a certain attribute, we are often stating a false argument. This falls into the category of a fallacy of grammatical analogy. It can apply to many arguments and statements we make, including the debate over religious beliefs. Explanation The fallacy of division is similar to the fallacy of composition  but in reverse. This fallacy involves someone taking an attribute of a whole or a class and assuming that it must also necessarily be true of each part or member. The fallacy of division takes the form of: X has property P. Therefore, all parts (or members) of X have this property P. Examples and Observations Here are some obvious examples of the Fallacy of Division: The United States is the richest country in the world. Therefore, everyone in the United States must be rich and live well.Because professional sports players are paid outrageous salaries, every professional sports player must be rich.The American judicial system is a fair system. Therefore, the defendant got a fair trial and was not executed unfairly. Just as with the fallacy of composition, it is possible to create similar arguments which are valid. Here are some examples: All dogs are from the canidae family. Therefore, my Doberman is from the canidae family.All men are mortal. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. Why are these last examples valid arguments? The difference is between distributive and collective attributes. Attributes which are shared by all members of a class are called distributive because the attribute is distributed among all members by virtue of being a member. Attributes which are created only by bringing together the right parts in the right way are called collective.  This is because it is an attribute of a collection, rather than of the individuals. These examples will illustrate the difference: Stars are large.Stars are numerous. Each statement modifies the word stars with an attribute. In the first, the attribute large is distributive. It is a quality held by each star individually, regardless of whether it is in a group or not. In the second sentence, the attribute numerous is collective. It is an attribute of the entire group of stars and only exists because of the collection. No individual star can have the attribute numerous. This demonstrates a primary reason why so many arguments like this are fallacious. When we bring things together, they can often result in a whole which has new properties unavailable to the parts individually. This is what is often meant by the phrase the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Just because atoms put together in a certain way constitutes a living dog does not mean that all atoms are living - or that the atoms are themselves dogs, either. In Religion Atheists often encounter the fallacy of division when debating religion and science. Sometimes, they may be guilty of using it themselves: Christianity has done many evil things in its history. Therefore, all Christians are evil and nasty. One common way of using the fallacy of division is known as guilt by association. This is clearly illustrated in the example above. Some nasty characteristic is attributed to an entire group of people - political, ethnic, religious, etc. It is then concluded that some particular member of that group (or every member) should be held responsible for whatever nasty things we have come up with. They are, therefore, labeled guilty due to their association with that group. While its uncommon for atheists to state this particular argument in such a direct manner, many atheists have made similar arguments. If not spoken, its not unusual for atheists to behave as if they believed this argument was true. Here is a slightly more complicated example of the fallacy of division which is often used by creationists: Unless each cell in your brain is capable of consciousness and thinking, then the consciousness and thinking in your brain cannot be explained by matter alone. It doesnt look like the other examples, but it is still the fallacy of division - its just been hidden. We can see it better if we more clearly state the hidden premise: If your (material) brain is capable of consciousness, then each cell of your brain must be capable of consciousness. But we know that each cell of your brain does not possess consciousness. Therefore, your (material) brain itself cannot be the source of your consciousness. This argument presumes that if something is true of the whole, then it must be true of the parts. Because it is not true that each cell in your brain is individually capable of consciousness, the argument concludes that there must be something more involved - something other than material cells.   Consciousness, therefore, must come from something other than the material brain. Otherwise, the argument would lead to a true conclusion. Yet, once we realize that the argument contains a fallacy, we no longer have a reason to assume that consciousness is caused by something else. It would be like using this argument: Unless each part of a car is capable of self-propulsion, then self-propulsion in a car cannot be explained by the material car-parts alone. No intelligent person would ever think to use or accept this argument, but its structurally similar to the consciousness example.

Interviewing a Member of a Hospital-Based Ethics Committee Essay

Interviewing a Member of a Hospital-Based Ethics Committee - Essay Example The questions asked in the interview require the following information; name and credentials of the interviewee, purpose and mission of the committee, general composition of the committee. Moreover, the interview found out the number of times meeting were adjourned, the typical meeting agenda, number of committee members and their roles, and lastly how emergent issues were handled. Introduction Hospital-Base Ethics Committee is a system in medical centers that controls the behaviors and characters of health workers in providing services to patients by applying moral principles. The ethics committees vary in diverse forms such as research-based committees that determine whether intended researches are ethically sound and safe. Case-oriented committees’ role involves giving advice on issues disturbing tranquility in medical centers (Derr, 2009). I conducted an interview to a member of the Ethical Committee in Yale-New Hospital on issues concerning the committee. Interview I conducted an interrogation with one of the members of Hospital-Base Ethics Committee, Dr. Kelvin Smith, a senior and esteemed doctor in Yale-New Haven Hospital situated in US. He is also the chairman of the Hospital-Base Ethics Committee, and has apt information for my answers. Dr. Smith is an enthusiastic and friendly individual who welcomed me comfortably and in a relaxed manner. The interview was conducted in his office at around ten o’clock in the morning. I had previously asked him to put forward 1 hour of his busy schedule for my interview, which he fortunately accepted. The following were the questions I asked and answers he replied; 1. What is your name and credentials? My name is Dr. Kelvin Smith, and I have admirable credentials because of my hard work I put in everything I carry out. I have a PhD in Medical Science from Harvard Medical University and two masters in Public Health and Business Administration. Moreover, I have a degree in Information Technology (IT) that I learnt earlier in my youthful years. One of the achievements I have made is being the best and influential doctor in Yale-New Haven Hospital. I also came second as the most successful doctor in the whole country in medical career. The above mentioned accomplishments are the esteemed achievements I have made, though there are other minor attainments since I started my career. 2. What is the purpose and mission of the committee? The purpose of the Hospital-Based Ethics Committee is to vet all the researches conducted in the hospital by ensuring that they are secure for the health workers and patients. The Ethical Committee also ensures that hospital programs and services are run ethically. This ensures that an intimate relationship exists between patients and health workers (Derr, 2009). The mission of the Ethical Committee states that â€Å"The Hospital-Based Ethics Committee aims at protecting the rights of the health workers and patients by implementing relevant ethical pri nciples.’ 3. How often does the committee meet? The Hospital-Based Ethics Committee holds meeting 2 times in a month. The first meeting is held in the first week while the second meeting is held at the last week of the month. The Hospital-Based Committee members’ ensure that all the issues affecting the hospital progression are discussed and handled amicably. 4. What is the typical meeting agenda? The typical meeting agenda of the meeting involves reshaping ethics structures in the hospital. The agenda always aims at improving and implementing the ethical principles in running the Yale-New Haven Hospital programs. The basis of the agenda is to ensure that health officers, workers, and patients understand the significance of

Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example (57 percent), Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (21 percent), Asia and the Pacific (13 percent), and Latin America (7 percent). Citibank is a major force in international finance, its consumer segment offers banking, lending, insurance, and investment services through a network of 8,110 branches, approximately 18,800 automated teller machines, 809 automated lending machines, and the Internet. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment provides various investment and commercial banking services and products, which comprise investment banking and advisory services, debt and equity trading, institutional brokerage, foreign exchange, structured products, derivatives, and lending. It also offers cash management and trade finance for corporations and financial institutions; custody and fund services to insurance companies and pension funds; clearing services to intermediaries; and depository and agency/trust services to multinational corporations and government. The Global Wealth Management of Citigroup provides investment advisory services, financial planning, and brokerage services to wealthy individuals, companies, and non-profits organizations. Other services include investment management, such as investment funds management, capital markets solutions, trust, fiduciary, and custody services; investment finance that comprises credit services, such as real estate financing, commitments, and letters of credit; and banking services that consist of deposit, checking, and savings accounts, as well as cash management and other banking services. Today Citigroup is the finest financial services company, with approximately 200 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries. In a news report / press release issued by the Citigroup that it has completed the purchase of Egg Banking plc (Egg), the world's largest pure online bank and one of the UK's leading online financial services providers, from Prudential PLC. In another press release, Citigroup on April 26th 2007 announced its successful completion of tender offer to become the majority shareholder of Nikko Cordial Corporation. Citigroup will own in excess of 60% ownership in Nikko Cordial. Nikko Cordial is a premier Japanese financial institution based out of Tokyo. J. P Morgan Chase A constituent of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase has its corporate headquarters in New York and its U.S. retail financial services and commercial banking headquarters in Chicago. Under its JPMorgan and Chase brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. The company operates through six segments: Investment Bank, Retail Financial Services, Card Services, Commercial Banking, Treasury and Securities Services, and Asset Management. The Investment Bank segment offers investment banking products and services, such as advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and research. It also serves corporations, financial institutions, governments, and institutional investors. The Retail Financial Services provides regional banking services, including co nsumer and business banking, home equity lending, and education lending, as well as offers mortgage banking and auto finance services. The Card

Marriage in Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marriage in Crisis - Essay Example After this, the next step is to analyze the families based on the multi-generational transmission concept. Since it is generally accepted that those who were abused generally repeat the cycle by becoming abusers, this is probably the case with Luis. By allowing him to understand this and reviewing his own feelings as a child, he can develop empathy for what he is putting his children through. Furthermore, some of the issues Jessica is causing also need to be addressed. Jessica's relationship is unstable, as Bowen argued that many two-person relationships are. Therefore, to bring about stability, she tends to involve her older son. This is unhealthy for her son, since he is too young to understand fully the repercussions of what is going on. Therefore, this situation needs to be addressed, and Jessica needs to be taught alternate methods for handling her issues. Genograms cam be a very helpful tool in a number of situations. In the situation of Jessica and Luis, it can provide a helpful visiual chart that may help to make them more aware of their bad situation. Jessica and Luis are undergoing many relationship issues, and genograms can be helpful in providing awareness in issues like this. The genogram itself "is a visual representation of an individual's family of origin and is similar in concept to a family tree" (Daughhetee, 2001, p. 21). It has been used for many decades in family therapy and was initially created by Murray Bowen. The genogram allows the counselor and the family to take a look at the relationships, roles, patterns, and functions that are common within the family. This can therefore allow the counselor to gather important data, cover levels of functioning, create hypothesis, and increase the awareness of the family regarding the emotional processes and repercussions their family structure may be undergoing (Daughhetee, 2 001). Genograms can be quite helpful as far as many theoretical models are concerned. Genograms have been seen as a very effective way to analyze marriage and family relations. However, genograms have also been healthy in other areas as well; health care being one, and addictions treatment being another. Genograms can be useful for people of all ages and across the lifespan, and therefore can also be used with all ages. In this case, it can be used for Jessica, Luis, and the children (Daughhetee, 2001). The genogram, with its emphasis on patterns and relationships, is therefore a relevant and appropriate intervention tool for use with a struggling family. When a genogram is used in counseling, the counselor gains a abundance of information concerning systemic patterns within the client's family of origin. Although a genogram is advantageous simply as a method of gathering and analyzing information, it is also capable of deepening client awareness and insight. The family history that comes alive on a genogram can often explain disturbing or confusing behaviors of family members, and the insight and understanding that are realized through discussion of these insights can promote healing and growth. As the client perceives the connection between systemic patterns and behavior, the tendency to same is diminished, and healing can begin (Daughhetee, 2001). In the case of Luis and Jessica, the genogram can be used to track the

Nursing Care Plans in the Textile Industry Assignment

Nursing Care Plans in the Textile Industry - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that general body malaise and dizziness are the major presentations of inadequate oxygen supply. Since this is a factory interested in high output, precautionary measures should be taken to protect the employees. The reasons presented in the study  justify why respiratory problems should be the first priority. The program will target the secondary level of disease prevention. The primary level would require sophisticated technology to prevent the generation of the tiny textile particles and also eliminate the ones already produced. Such technologies are very expensive hence unattainable to install with the limited resources. The initial purchase and installation aside, technicians who operate the technology will have to be employed. This will make the labor costs skyrocket to unimaginable levels. An approach that would protect the workers from respiratory problems at an affordable cost would be preferable. The perfect approach that can be e mployed is the cellulose nose filter. The filters are cheap and easy to use since only a demonstration is required to ensure maximum protection from the devices hence the decision to approach it. The factory can purchase them in large scale, which will further reduce the costs incurred. Although the filters seem to be very simple, they can help prevent most of the respiratory problems. This program may not be the perfect one, but it will save the company a lot of time lost due to sick leaves. Furthermore, the implementation of the program will be a lower financial burden to the company. This is because the large-scale purchase of the filters is required. The program also has tremendous benefits to the employees in terms of their health and general quality of life. For one their respiratory systems will be protected from the tiny textile particles, therefore reducing their probability of contracting chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.  

Introduction to Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to Terrorism - Research Paper Example The question then becomes what constitutes the best means of fighting terrorism. This essay considers the recruitment and financing of operatives by Al Qaeda and argues that the pivotal element in stopping terrorism is to follow the financing. Recruitment can be argued to represent the backbone of Al Qaeda operations. In considering recruitment processes, it’s argued that Al Qaeda recruits are not simply restricted to a regional area, but are rather united through the Muslim struggle against Western dominance. It follows that recruitment practices span the globe. Indeed, Blake states, â€Å"Pennsylvania professor Marc Sageman discovered 70 percent of terrorists were recruited outside their native country† (Blake, pg. 9). Within this spectrum of understanding, there are a number of elements implemented as means of recruiting displaced individuals. Among these elements indicate that training camps within Afghanistan and Pakistan represent crucial areas where individuals c an become involved with Al Qaeda operations. ... It is no surprise then that in fighting terrorism, it is critical to track and stop this flow of money. Funding to Al Qaeda comes from a variety of sources. Among these include, â€Å"charitable donations, businesses, and just about any illegal activity such as drug, weapon and immigrant trafficking, counterfeiting, forgery, kidnapping, etc† (Ward, pg. 17). Some of the major such income sources include Saudi charities. David Farley (2003) argues that if these sources could be shutdown Al Qaeda operations would suffer perhaps a critical blow. Bin Laden’s connections to wealthy contacts constituted a highly important element in procuring a large amount of this funding. While these charitable donations are given for a variety of reasons, the primary reason seems to be a religious affiliation with the political aims of the Al Qaeda terrorist effort. In addition to charitable donations, Al Qaeda business interests constitute other important elements of financing. In these re gards, investments in a variety of sources functions as important avenues of income. Like the mafia, Al Qaeda business operations function through fronts that operate for the nefarious terrorist purposes underneath. For instance, Bin Laden was able to generate income through secretly selling freight ships for a period. Within all of these operations the laundering and movement of funding to different organizational elements also constitute essential elements of the terrorist organizations operations. It’s clear that funding constitutes a major element of Al Qaeda operations. In conclusion, while it may be possible to eliminate leaders in the terrorist movement, or shutdown training facilities, the essential element in limiting terrorism is through tracing the funding that Al Qaeda

Nursing Care Plans in the Textile Industry Assignment

Nursing Care Plans in the Textile Industry - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that general body malaise and dizziness are the major presentations of inadequate oxygen supply. Since this is a factory interested in high output, precautionary measures should be taken to protect the employees. The reasons presented in the study  justify why respiratory problems should be the first priority. The program will target the secondary level of disease prevention. The primary level would require sophisticated technology to prevent the generation of the tiny textile particles and also eliminate the ones already produced. Such technologies are very expensive hence unattainable to install with the limited resources. The initial purchase and installation aside, technicians who operate the technology will have to be employed. This will make the labor costs skyrocket to unimaginable levels. An approach that would protect the workers from respiratory problems at an affordable cost would be preferable. The perfect approach that can be e mployed is the cellulose nose filter. The filters are cheap and easy to use since only a demonstration is required to ensure maximum protection from the devices hence the decision to approach it. The factory can purchase them in large scale, which will further reduce the costs incurred. Although the filters seem to be very simple, they can help prevent most of the respiratory problems. This program may not be the perfect one, but it will save the company a lot of time lost due to sick leaves. Furthermore, the implementation of the program will be a lower financial burden to the company. This is because the large-scale purchase of the filters is required. The program also has tremendous benefits to the employees in terms of their health and general quality of life. For one their respiratory systems will be protected from the tiny textile particles, therefore reducing their probability of contracting chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.  

Rene Descartes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rene Descartes - Assignment Example The skeptical method as conceptualized by Descartes is a definite criteria or procedure through which truth can be found (Descartes 148). It abhors and condemns the tendency to merely believe things without any doubt faulting as a flawed method of digging into reality. Skeptical method involves unveiling the truth by first disbelieving and, thereafter, soberly researching and rationalizing them. The weight of thorough reasoning and evaluation on the skeptically pre-perceived objects and events determines the accuracy of the results. Descartes’ argument about truth finding through skeptical method is undoubtedly genuine and accurate as people who do not doubt end up believing without thorough consideration. Doubt breeds research and further evaluation. His definition of human beings as thinking beings is as well true since what differentiates humans from other animals is the thinking capacity (Descartes 154). If it is the physical body, even some animals would be much better than us. This is why if a person behaves in abnormal manner, this can be termed as inhuman as humans act on the basis of reasoning. The argument is, therefore,

How Technology Affects Library Referencing Essay Example for Free

How Technology Affects Library Referencing Essay It is indeed obvious and true how technology generates most of the things that humans deal with today. The global economy as for example is being controlled by massive computer programs for the sake of considerable advancements for the human society. Alongside with this particular advancement, educational sectors also take advantage of the major innovations made through the use of science and technology. As for this matter, it could be noted that library referencing have also been recreated to be able to support the needs of the present generation from referencing the books that are available through the libraries. How is this possible? The existence of numerous technology-based systems that are primarily made to ease the problems of file-fixing in the field of library-based jobs entirely makes the jobs of the Librarians quite easy to deal with today. As it could be noticed, years before, librarians are expected to type in several details with regards a certain book in card catalogs. Not to mention, alphabetizing them and in tall and long ended cabinets is not that easy to do. The procedure indeed takes time and the filing up takes so much space form the library. Seeing this situation, it could be observed that the technological changes that are appreciated by the libraries of the present generation are now able to increase the capabilities of the libraries to hold more students in terms of space and enhance the skills of the librarian in meeting the issues that concern the students in terms of library-based queries since they already have time for this unlike that of the past years? Furthermore, the question: â€Å"How is this possible† points out to one particular focus of discussion; knowing that technology causes changes to the system of cataloging in the libraries, how do these procedures of filing the book-informations so far helpful both to the students and the librarian as well regardless of the obvious disadvantages mentioned earlier? How are the students able to benefit from the technology-fixed files and informations of books? Does technology really affect the procedures of referencing in the future? These questions are the primary discussions that shall be tackled within the context of this paper. Library and Technology Cataloging is an olden time procedure that is made to arrange the collection of books within libraries. Of course, since libraries are considered to have a large collection of reading materials, arranging them into categories helps in the process of researching for the students or plain readers alone. However, this procedure of arranging the files and taking notes of the information with regards a certain book takes much time and effort from the librarians that they are already incapable of doing the primary responsibility that they should be addressing in their profession, assisting the readers. Today, the development of technology aides in libraries have created a radical change within the systems of arranging the files as well as redefined the role of librarians in completing the tasks appointed for them to finish. Several operating systems are created to be bale to assist the librarians and the readers in browsing the books that are collected by a certain library. What is an operating system, and how does it help in the procedure of making cataloging much easier for librarians? What are Operating Systems? Every computer system is controlled by an operating system. A pre-programmed system controls the operations that the computer system is supposed to perform. This mainly pertains to the responsibilities of the computer and how it is able to complete the tasks that are further addressed to its performance. At present, the operating systems are referred to as computer programs that are supposed to manage both the hardware and software systems of the entire computer facilities. There are . five main tasks that the OS performs as a program: †¢Controlling and Allocating Memory This task mainly focuses on the capability of the computer programs to assimilate the memory priorities of the entire computer system. To allocate the memory means designating the memory priorities on which its performance is most needed. †¢Prioritizing System Requests Most of the time, the system follows a â€Å"first Come First Serve† arrangement. As a result, in multi tasking systems the operations are carried on basing on what request came first, and what has been allocated by the system to come in priority. †¢Controlling Input and Output Devices The input devices are the ones used to enter information within the computer memory while the output devices are the ones used to produce hardcopy of the informations entered within the system. The operating systems that is present within the computer makes it possible for the computer device to perform well and do as it is programmed to. †¢Facilitating Networking To be able to connect to others, networking the systems is needed. Once an operating system is programmed to perform such tasks, it would be able to connect two different systems together to be able to have a connected exchange of information and communication as well. †¢Managing Files To manage files means to arrange them on what part of the memory should be utilized by the files. It also sorts out the files with the necessary section of the computer memory should it be stored in. (Source: Warford, J. Stanley. (2005). Computer Systems. Jones Bartlett Publishers; 3rd edition.. )

Poverty Effects On Student Performance

Poverty Effects On Student Performance America is a country founded on the idea of acceptance; a relatively new country, only 230 years old, but in a short time has risen to become the most powerful empire that the world has ever known. Labeled as a melting pot, America was created by the blending together of many cultures. From the beginning of immigration in New Orleans to the famous port of Ellis Island, America has been an ever expanding pot of culture brewing to the top. Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty are the words Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. This message of acceptance is the backbone of American ideals. Its ever growing population expands each day with different peoples from different backgrounds. Immigrant culture is adopted and implemented at all levels. Why the need to understand culture and does it really make a difference in the classroom? In order to be an effective educator, you must understand where your students are coming from. If your students do not feel that they can relate to you, they will not trust you. If they do not trust you they will not learn from you. It is essential to gain an understanding of their beliefs, traditions, heritage, and overall way of life before you can really start to make a difference. I have chosen to look at how poverty affects education. I will look at how generational poverty affects the importance of education. The family values that are instilled regarding education, and the behaviors that accompany poverty. I have undergone a change in my own beliefs after having my eyes opened to the devastating affects that poverty has on the importance of education. I hope to paint a better picture to the culturally unaware. Why do high poverty urban areas have such problems with schooling outcomes? This was a question that I went into my current job wondering. Again, how can poverty affect the outcomes of student performance? I used to think that the only thing that someone needed to do would be to try hard and pay attention and their academic performance would fall into place. Blind assumptions from an inexperienced educator. My ideas were so far from the truth that I was almost walking into this situation blind. Urban Poverty and Educational Outcome is research focused on the relocation of families from high poverty neighborhoods to low poverty areas and the outcomes of their childrens academics. The achievement gap is commonly defined as the difference between the academic performance of poor students and wealthier students and between minority students and their non-minority peers. The achievement gap is a perennial topic in U. S. educational policy and research. The gap has persisted through a variety of policies intended to close it, but Americans show no signs of abandoning the effort to do so. A substantial majority of Americans believe that closing the gap is both important and possible. Results of the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Publics Attitudes Toward the Public Schools (Rose Gallup, 2006) show that fully 88% of the public view the African-American/European-American and Hispanic/European-American gap as either very important (67%) or somewhat important (21%). Eighty-one percent replied yes to the question, Do you believe that the achievement gap can be narrowed substantially while maintaining high standards for all children? (McCall 2006) Why do students quit school? There are a number of factors involved. Poor academic performance, lack of interest, economic reasons, health, and lack of family support are just to name a few. All of these can be tied back to one common factor, poverty. Poverty is responsible for the majority of high school dropouts in the United States. Povertys grip can influence the very factors that can over come it. The main factor being education itself. Only through a quality education can one overcome the bounds of poverty. (Patterson) High school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed. They will earn less money when and if employed. Their rate of incarceration is higher than those with diplomas. They have a greater chance of being on public assistance than a graduate. On the other hand a high school graduate is more likely to have job security, earn more money than those with no diploma or even a GED. (Patterson) Underprivileged children living in poverty are unaware of this fact. Even if they have heard this before, it is up to them to believe it and overcome, or disregard and succomb. (Patterson) High dropout and low graduation rates have unfortunately become standard in many urban high schools. Programs have been put into place to prevent this, but poor and minority students continue to leave schools in relatively high numbers. For many youth, dropping out represents the final chapter of dis involvement that has been going on since elementary school. (Patterson) Between 1970 and 1990, the number of people in the United States living in high-poverty census tracts (with poverty rates of 40 percent or more) nearly doubled, from 4.1 to 8.0 million. Children who live in poor urban neighborhoods are disproportionately likely to be members of racial and ethnic minority groups and are also at greater risk for school failure. For example, only 11 percent of fourth graders attending high-poverty schools in Washington, D.C., scored at or above basic level on the governments National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math test, far lower than the national average of 62 percent. Dropout rates in Washington remain on the order of 30 to 40 percent, many times higher than the national average. (Ludwig) Sociologists believe that the prevalence within neighborhoods of social problems such as a high percent of joblessness and and poverty affect the chances of educational success of its residents. The theory was that policies that reduce the degree of economic residential segregation would improve the educational outcomes of the youth. (Ludwig) The study was composed of low income families living in public or section-8 project housing in Maryland. Families volunteered for this survey and were split up into three groups. The first was an experimental group which was relocated to a low poverty area with assistance and counseling programs. The second was offered relocation, but it was not mandatory. They were not offered any other benefits. This group was called the section-8 group. The third was a control group which did not relocate and was offered no assistance. (Ludwig) Their study measures childrens educational outcomes using data from administrative school records in Maryland. Outcomes measured include student performance on standardized academic tests, school absences, disciplinary actions, special education placements, grade retentions, and dropout rates. They were hoping to prove that when placed into a different environment that economically deprived children would excel in school. The idea behind the study was to prove that it is not the students, but rather the environment of poverty that causes educational failure. The study was composed over six years. The students were both elementary and middle school students. (Ludwig) The control group children on average score near the fortieth percentile in the national distribution on the reading and math tests at age six, but by age 13 the average score is only at about the twentieth percentile. We also see that the proportion of students who receive special education services increases steadily over time. Grade retentions, school absences, and disciplinary problems all peak in the early or mid-teen years. The subsequent decline is presumably due to the increase in dropout rates at older ages. This is in correlation with low income students. The same cycle that has repeated itself time and again is shown in the control group that was offered no assistance. (Ludwig) The experimental and Section 8 groups show a significant rate of improvement. These groups seem to slow the rate of relative decline in student test scores as they age, at least for younger children, but it also appears to increase the rate of grade retention among adolescents. Compared with young children in the control group, those assigned to the experimental group experience substantial gains in academic achievement as measured by standardized test scores. Experimental group children are nearly 18 percentage points more likely than controls to pass the state reading test, which means that the experimental pass rate on this test is nearly double that of the control group. The reading and math scores of experimental children are about 7 percent points higher than those of the control group. This is equal to around 29 and 26 percent of the control group means on these tests. (Ludwig) Assignment to the Section 8 group appears to improve young students reading scores by about 6 percentage points relative to controls. Although the difference across groups in math scores is relatively small but it is a positive improvement. The Section 8 group also appears to pass the state reading test at a rate that is around 6 percentage points higher than that of controls. (Ludwig) The data for younger children in elementary schools has a higher percentage increase than middle school or high school children. This could be because the longer that a child lives in high poverty neighborhood, the more the lifestyle consumes them. This will cause education to be pushed further back on their priority list thus increasing the chance of failure in school. One conclusion that can be made is that the younger a child living in an risk section, the more likely it is that educational importance is instilled into their values. The more that they are exposed to the elements of poverty, the more likely it is that they will lose their value of education. (Ludwig) The findings presented in this study seem to suggest that the offer to relocate families in public housing from high to low poverty neighborhoods improves standardized achievement test scores among young children. While they have subjected their findings to a variety of sensitivity tests, there remains the possibility that the program effects may be due in part to problems of the missing data that they have not thought of. The effects of the program on teens are more difficult to determine because their measures of in school problem behavior confound changes in the behaviors of teens with differences across schools in standards and because the measures of academic achievement available for teens are quite limited in the Maryland education data. (Ludwig) Article two, Fixing Urban Schools takes a look into the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that was passed to help ramp up education in America. This article investigates if NCLB has helped minority students. Most middle class families with children have moved out of the urban environments and into the suburbs. This leaves todays urban schools overwhelmingly populated by low income African American and Hispanic students. These schools are not making the grade, even with falling standards of the rest of the country. According to Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, 71 percent of eighth graders are not reading at grade level. This number shoots up to between 80 and 90 percent for students of color. He goes on to tell us that of the approximately 15,000 high schools in the United States there are 2,000 of them, mostly in cities, account for half of the nations school dropouts. To me this was a shocking statistic that I could not believe. (Clemmitt) This was the reason for the creation of NCLB under the Bush administration. The focus was to have states report achievement scores for all student groups. This ensured that lagging scores of low income and minority students wont be masked by having only state or district overall average scores reported. NCLB is requiring states to take accountability for academic performance from all student groups, not just the affluent students. (Clemmitt) Has forcing schools to take responsibility by unmasking their data improved the achievement of low income and minority students? There are two sides to this argument. Former President Bush said in 2007 that NCLB has done more than just improve data gathering, even arguing that the law itself has pushed achievement upward. Fourth graders are reading better. Theyve made more progress in five years than in the previous 28 years combined, he said on March 2. The other side to this argument is that NCLB hasnt had the desired effect once hoped. Of the non-achieving schools in New York state, for example, 90 percent are in cities and 80 percent in the states five biggest cities, says David Hursh, an associate professor of teaching and curriculum at the University of Rochesters Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education. (Clemmitt) The gap between average reading scores of African American and white fourth graders narrowed by only one point on the 500-point National Assessment of Educational Progress test (NAEP) between 2002 and 2005. Also this narrowing appears to be part of a normal long term trend and can not be attributed to NCLB. Between 1998 and 2005 the reading score gap narrowed by three points. However the reading score gap between African American and white students actually widened from 25 to 28 points between 2002 and 2005. This side of the coin suggests the impact of NCLB is not as successful as it was hoped. (Clemmitt) Has NCLB helped students in urban schools? NCLB was intended to improve overall academic achievement and raise achievement for minority and low income students mainly by requiring more student testing, forcing schools to report data separately for student groups including economically disadvantaged and minority students, and by employing better quality teachers to help bridge the gap. NCLB has seen improvement in student performance. Student scores, while still far from on grade level have showed improvement. The law has benefited urban schools by raising reading scores for African American and Hispanic fourth and eighth graders and math scores for African American and Hispanic fourth graders. Achievement gaps in reading and math between white fourth-graders and African-American and Hispanic fourth-graders also have diminished slightly since NCLB. The Bush administration may have been over ambitious with their original expectations, but gains are measured on all levels and any positi ve improvement is a good thing. Fig. 2 (Clemmitt) The laws pronouncement that 100 percent of U.S. students will test at the proficient level is simply unrealistic. That is an opinion, but I will call it a fact. The funding and resources are just not there to achieve that result. When it comes to underprivileged student resources, the biggest one is sometimes the most overlooked, the teacher. The cornerstone of any gain in student achievement comes from an effective teacher. Teachers are the most under appreciated, yet most element to student performance. (Clemmitt) The theory seems simple enough. Get effective teachers into economically disadvantaged urban schools and the scores will take care of themselves right? Wrong, and nothing could be further from the truth. When NCLB first came about city school districts, including Pittsburgh Public, revamped their lowest achieving schools. They brought in effective teachers and increased the resources available to them and most importantly, a larger paycheck for working in these schools. Well, in the beginning, this seemed like a win win. Schools got to have the best teachers, and the teachers were getting better resources and better pay. There was one thing that wasnt taken into consideration on a great of scale as it should have been, culture. (Clemmitt) Teachers left their jobs in schools that they knew inside and out to come into this new environment and shake the dust off of the failing scores. The problem is that by the end of the first year almost half will leave. By the second almost 70 percent and after four or five years, you would be lucky to find two or three teachers still around. The turnover of teachers is so high that any sense of normal routine is hard to get established. When students finally open up and form a relationship with a teacher, the next year that person has gone on and the children are left scratching their heads. Was it me? Did I cause them to leave or did they abandon me? The work in these schools is trying to say the least, and it is very difficult, even with an extra 7 or 10 thousand dollars a year to keep effective teachers in these situations. It is a difficult scenario and most do not want to put up with the culture that comes along with it. Teachers simply get burnt out. The attached graph shows th at as minority students increase, the number of effective teachers decreases to the point where when either one is near 100 percent the other is near zero. Fig 2 (Clemmitt) Differences in the academic performance of children appear early. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and many children of color consistently achieve below the national average in mathematics and language skills. This number increases as students become older in the upper grades. The longer these at risk children stay in school, the greater the gap between their educational performance and that of white and middle class students. Gradually the chances for academic success diminish for poor and minority students as they continue on their academic careers. Early childhood is a critical time for intervention in the education of at risk children if different outcomes are to occur. (Bowman) What is is that causes at risk children to do poorly in school? The answer is not that there is something wrong with their genes or families, but rather the deprivations they inherit from living in poverty. The explanation for the gap in academic performance can also be attributed to the life experiences between middle class students and low income students. The culture in which a risk children live does not promote the attention to education that is seen in the middle class. The beliefs and attitudes seen in poverty are also not in parallel with the middle class. The problem is that we are trying to teach all children in the same way. This simply will not work. In order to educate at risk minority students, we must first understand their culture and interests before education can take shape. If their traditional practices are not taken into account schools will limit their ability to educate these children. (Bowman) One model of development of this article talks about is to incorporate a full understanding of the role that culture plays in a students ability including a capacity to learn, categorize objects, develop interpersonal relationships and to learn a language. These characteristics of culture will be used to help maximize learning in the classroom. It is almost impossible to teach a child without a full understanding of the culture that they come from. Learning styles, interest, social behavior are all things vital to the educational process without which we could not fully be effective educators. (Bowman) One final piece of the puzzle is not only learning about the culture of those you are teaching, but unlearning some of what you have already learned. We have all had bad experiences in the classroom that cause us to categorize certain students. Teachers must unlearn what they have experienced in the past so that they can fully take in what is in front of them. How teachers have been taught to view the cultures of students is similar to how students have been taught to view the culture of their teachers. Both student and teacher must remain on the same page and keep their minds open to change to be considered truly effective. The academic achievement of a culturally diverse student depends on an understanding and acceptance of their beliefs and traditions. Without this the learning gap in the classroom will not be bridged. (Bowman) I work in one of the worst schools in Pittsburgh. I classify it as being one of the worst by our notably low PSSA scores and constant behavior problems. We are located in the largest project section on the north side of the city. The school is directly in the middle of the community and most of our students are not bussed in from the surrounding area. My first day on the job, I was in shock at what I saw. Fights were as common as high fives, the language was worse than I have heard living in my fraternity house in college, and the lack of interest from the staff was unbelievable. After a fight which resulted in a broken nose, I witnessed a second grade student screaming at two city police officers that he was going to bring in a gun and shoot his classmates the following day. I was in utter disbelief hearing that someone so young and small could even think, let alone say this to police officials. During transition is when 80% of the problems occur. The problem is that when the children are walking in a line, the teacher can only be half the distance of the line away from any one student at a time. So when left with a few feet of space to act up, our kids do. In my room during a prep I would hear a fight happening in the hallway and rush out to offer assistance to the teacher to gain control, but I was always the only one who would come out to help. My chivalry seems to be the result of the teachers mentality is much like that of this mismannered students. This was hard for me to take in at first, but after working there for a year I can now see how tiring of a job teaching in an underprivileged environment really is. In order to make it back year after year you have to have a love of teaching and a true passion to inspire where others would pack up and quit. This is what separates those who have been there for long periods of time from those who are just bumps in the road. It is a tiring job to be an educator in a low socioeconomic school. We make the assumptions as teachers that our jobs are so difficult and the kids themselves are so hard to deal with. What we do not understand is that our jobs may be hard, but they are nothing compared to the lives our students live each and every day. Poverty is a vicious cycle that repeats itself because of the culture involved. You only know what you see every day from your parents and schools. Dropping out is not only normal, in many cases it is expected of disadvantaged students. This is hard for many middle class citizens to grasp but it is because of their lack of culture of their lives. Poverty is a cycle that will only be overcome through education. The problem is keeping underprivileged and minority students in urban schools enrolled long enough to see the fruits of what education has to offer. This is the challenge that NCLB was hoping to bring to the surface. Success is measured in small gains. Many smal l gains can be perceived as accomplishments, and many accomplishments can then be viewed as success. A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. Making that first step is always the hardest. We have made it, now it is time to start making a difference. Figure 1 Figure 2

How to Successfully Skip a Day of School :: essays research papers

Every kid in high school is always trying to think of new ways to skip class. This is where I come into play. I missed forty-two days of high school my senior year and didn't get caught once. If executed correctly, almost anyone can pull this off. I've been told many times that Ferris Bueller didn't have anything on me. Maybe one day I'll get my own movie. I was not a fan of class in high school, and it was well known. I was what most would call the class clown and tended to stay in trouble. If I wasn?t skipping school I was usually suspended. So when I was there, I had to be prepared for anything and everything thrown my way. Missing so many days I had to be an expert at forging doctor?s notes. But for one day you will only need one forged note from your parents. All materials needed to pull this off can be found around the house. The most important thing needed to pull this off is a functioning brain. Some other materials you may need are soup, Kleenex, and ibuprofen. All these materials will be vital to your success. To successfully skip a day of school requires two very important things, practice and execution. To begin, this cannot be a spur of the moment thing, it must be thought out and practiced. Don?t come out right away and say you do not feel well. Act so sick your parents have to ask if you are feeling well. The best thing to tell them is that you have a terrible headache and can?t see straight. This cannot be proven wrong. The next morning, stay in bed until they come tell you that you are going to be late. This is when you tell them you are so sick you can?t make it to class. When they finally depart for work stay put for at least an hour. People have been known to get caught because they are too anxious. Patience is a virtue. When you go to shower, take a minute to look around and memorize where everything is, then when you are finished put everything back the way it was before you got in. Now leaving the house is the tough part. Be very cautious of noisy neighbors.

The Need to Study English as a Foreign Language

WHY DO WE STUDY ENGLISH It is necessary to study at least one foreign language today. That’s why pupils have got such subject as a foreign language at school. The problem of learning foreign languages is very important today. Foreign languages are socially demanded especially at the present time. We know that the progress in science and technology has led to an explosion of knowledge and has contributed to an overflow of information. The total knowledge of mankind is known to double every seven years. Foreign languages are needed as the main and the most efficient means of information exchange of the people of our planet. Today English is the language of the world. English isn’t only the national or official language of some thirty states, which represent different cultures, but it is also the major international language of communication in such areas as science, technology, business and mass entrainment. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations. It is the language of literature, education, modern music and international tourism. I learn English because I understand that I can use it. As I’m going to work in the sphere of management in Electronic Equipment Trade, I think that it is very important for a specialist of high qualification to speak at least one foreign language. English is extremely necessary as it is the most popular language of international business communication. I learn English because I want to read foreign literature in the original. Besides, the English language is the language of the great literature. A lot of modern literature and many new films in English come out every year. If you know English, you can understand them without translation. No wonder that most educated people speak English fluently. I like to travel, but it is difficult to visit new places, when you don’t know the language of these countries. And it is much easier to travel when you know the language. If I want to ask something, I can do it in English. Today, one person in seven of the world’s population either knows English or learns it. So a modern and a cultured person must learn foreign languages.

A Lesson of Being Cautious

I learned a valuable lesson when I lost my mobile phone. On that day, I had an appointment with my friends and I took the bus to go out as usual. But that day was Sunday and the bus was more crowded because a lot of people didn't need to work, and they came out to play. Because there was no pocket on my trousers, I had to put my phone in the shallow coat pocket which resulted in the coming tragedy.After ore than ten minutes, the bus reached the destination, I clenched my fists and elbowed my way through the crowd and got off with difficulty. When I touched the ground, I suddenly thought that someone bumped into me in doorway earlier, and then I touched my coat pocket and found that my mobile phone was gone. Immediately, I looked back at the bus and glanced at the people around, but everything was very strange and it made me feel a little afraid.I walked hastily to the eating place to meet my friends, borrowed a phone of theirs to call my number, but I was unable to get through. Afte r a few seconds of hesitation, I dejectedly gave my dad a call to tell him my mobile phone was stolen. He comforted me that it didn't matter and warned me to be cautious outside and come back home as soon as possible. Even today, it is still an important lesson, to always be careful and cautious, because you never know where bad guys are and what will happen the next second.

My Dream Essay

There is a saying that failure is the greatest teacher. I know in order to pursue my dream, I will face failure. This cannot be stopped. Even Albert Einstein and Sir Isaacs Newton faced failure when they are trying to create a great formula that is remained to be used till today. I got influence when I watched a drama titled ‘Brain’. It is a very great drama. To me, brain is most powerful thing in this world. The human brain is the center of the human nervous system. It has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is larger than expected on the basis of body size among other primates. It controls everything that we do. Brain is a very interesting and unique thing to study about. I would like to perform a surgery on brain. It will be hard, but I am ready because I always am. I will make a lot of money. I will buy my parents a house and they can rest comfortably in the house without doing any difficult works. They had gone through a lot in order to raise me and my sisters. I can always make a research on how to make a good but affordable surgery. It is very crucial because nowadays, the surgery especially on brain is costly. Not all people can afford this. There is not much brain surgery in conducted in Malaysia because there are not many specialists here. If someone need to undergone neurosurgery, they will fly overseas where the facilities is said to be more perfect. In 10 years from now, Malaysia will change to well develop country. So the facilities here will be more perfect. More brain surgery can be conducted here. Like I said before, it is very important to have a big dream. It is not wrong. Even if you cannot achieve if, just make it as your vision. Dream can help you to prepare to face this challenging world. What am I going through now is just the start. I just find the keys. I am still trying to open the door. When I finally did, I will not hesitate.

Transcendentalism and Into the Wile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transcendentalism and Into the Wile - Essay Example These elements include political parties and religious systems that a person is exposed to. The religion advocates for independence and self-dependence among persons, as opposed to interdependence and communal participation in a person’s life. It is one of their beliefs that only from such a setup can a truly functioning community be formed. Chris McCandless was truly a transcendentalist because he lived many of the religion’s beliefs. These included non-conformity to the other religions, appreciation of nature and upholding the teachings of Thoreau and Emerson of a non-materialistic lifestyle, which include living a simplistic and contented life (Krakauer 174). He lived the lifestyle of a transcendentalist and practised their teachings. His appreciation of nature is well encapsulated by his adventure especially the adventure into the wilderness and his formal procedure of passage ascertained an understanding of his personal growth. During his life, Chris exhibited a remarkable independence coupled with his ideas and actions that directly link him to the transcendentalist movement (Krakauer 67). There are many benefits linked to transcendentalism. One of the core things emphasized by transcendentalism is reflective practice and meditation. This helps a lot in a person’s health as they help reduce stress, anxiety, hyperactivity, effects of depression, attention deficiency. It also helps improve a person’s critical thinking skills thus helping in problem-solving and ensuring a more positive and clear outlook on life. Meditation plays a major role in improving a person’s memory, thus developing decision-making and imaginative thinking. There are varieties of benefits that apply to children too. These include restoring balance and calmness, enhancing memory, increasing confidence, developing creativity, and increasing learning capability. The religion helps in the conservation of nature

Consumer behavior & Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer behavior & Market Segmentation - Essay Example This model suggests that consumers have some unsatisfied needs and wants whose recognition is the first step in the process. This need can be stimulated by internal or external stimuli. Upon need identification consumers search for information and evaluate the alternatives arising out of that search. Finally the purchase is made in favor of the best-liked brand. Consumers also display post purchase behavior; it is a phase that decides how satisfied the consumer is with the decision and will shape consumer’s re-purchase or recommendation decisions. This whole process is influenced by many factors (Kotler’s Marketing Essentials and cited in Lee [31]) which include social influences, marketing influences, situational influences and psychological influences. According to Stanton (66) â€Å"Marketing segmentation consists of taking the total heterogeneous market for a product and dividing it into several sub-markets or segments each of which tends to be homogenous in all significant aspects.† Consumer buying behavior and market segmentation are related in that segments in a market are formed on four common bases which include geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral. Hence behavior is one of the four major bases for segmentation. Segmentation on the bases of geographic (region), demographic (age, gender, religion, education) and/or psychographic (lifestyle or social class) is obvious however considering behavior while segmenting a market for a product is tough since it involves segmenting on the basis of usage, loyalty and other similar attributes which vary from person to person. Segmentation on behavioral basis not only focuses on the consumers traits but is also concerned with what consumers do and then forming a s egment of consumers showing similar behavior/feelings towards a brand. Hence identifying a segment which displays similar behavior/feelings towards a product is

To analyze Michael Sandel's argument in The Case against Perfection Essay

To analyze Michael Sandel's argument in The Case against Perfection and make and argue a claim about it - Essay Example Enhancements are furthermore self-defeating to the human appreciation of natural abilities and the cultivation of talents in his view. Sandel argues that human appreciation of life comes from the fact that there is an unequal, apparently random gift of talents, advantages, and disadvantages in the social context that makes life meaningful through patterns of difference. He holds that inequalities in natural ability and skill that make some unfortunate and others lucky allow people to be compassionate, as there is an equally likely chance that they would have had the same fate. When genetic enhancements diminish the differences in talent, Sandel states that the individual’s success depends solely on whether or not the person has made the right decision ethically, and through this personal â€Å"responsibility expands to daunting proportions.† (Sandel, 87) In criticism, it is difficult to reconcile the arguments of Sandel against genetic engineering when deconstructing th e logic he uses with regard to pharmaceutical medications such as the use of Ritalin to improve academic performance. Since Ritalin does not affect the apparent telos of academic performance and focuses all of one’s learning ability, reducing contingencies unrelated to education or healing the mind of ADD, it is not clear why does Sandel not regard it in the same manner as he does running shoes. Furthermore, in his â€Å"Chariots of Fire† example, even Sandel concedes that finding the exact telos for personal interpretation within a complex system of competing philosophies is sometimes difficult for the individual and subjective. Thus, the telos of an action may be very different in the views of different people. In this example, Sandel is rejecting Ritalin not on the logic of telos as related to healing but on the preservation of inequality as he defines the morality. Because, in his view, only the differences among people allow them to appreciate life, and due to the ambiguity of telos as he defines it with subjective bias and interpretation at its root, Sandel’s argument against genetic engineering is less about telos and perfection and more a case against equality in society when assisted by technology. The logic of this argument is not consistent with the evolutionary changes of human consciousness, nor does it represent the new paradigm of human civilization represented by the Information Age. Sandel titles his book â€Å"The Case Against Perfection† in order to show his stance against the â€Å"Promethean aspiration to remake† human nature. (Sandel, 26) He argues for a concept of the giftedness of life opposed to genetic enhancements by stating that as people begin to enhance themselves to the limits of engineering, the variability in human talents decrease collectively and the playing field is leveled. Though it is important to note that differences between the choices that people make still exist, â€Å"we [would] a ttribute less to chance and more to choice,† and personal responsibility would increase to daunting proportions as people become ethically and morally responsible for every aspect of their lives. (Sandel, 87) Yet even though he fears that genetic enhancements would position too much pressure on the individual’s decisions, Sandel is fully in support of healing the unfortunate. The problem lies in that allowing the healing of the unfortunate implies that same normalization of abilities that enhancement does. Once Tiger Woods has the same perfect eyesight as other golfers

Explain how the author's writing techniques help to explain the Essay

Explain how the author's writing techniques help to explain the meaning in Oedipus the King - Essay Example as been shown that Oedipus was a man who was known for his rapid speed action as well as a person who possessed a great deal of intellect and fore vision. He could actually look into the future and suggest for others as to what is going to happen next and he was quite good at that. Thus these qualities say a thing or two of him becoming an excellent ruler who foresaw his subjects’ needs and desires. As has been the case during the while of this story, we see that the relation between the different themes, the style and the tone employed have huge roles to play in actually detailing the readers about the story itself. The extent of easiness and calm found in the thematic discussions leads us into thinking that the writer really did the trick while showcasing the virtues, abilities and the like of the central characters in the play and more than that, Oedipus the King himself. The tone with which he has expressed the innate qualities with the help of beautifully chosen words just gives the right amount of tonic for the perfect blend that is so much needed to gel this piece of writing on the part of the writer. Furthermore, the essence of the general flow within the play has been charismatic to say the least, where different events and occasions are passing by without any sense of drag at any point in time. Oedipus’s habit with fast speed movement as concerns to decisions has been well documented in the story itself. The same has been portrayed courtesy the story attached with the King in the related context. Oedipus is doomed by his very own temperament. â€Å"I shall shrink from nothing in my search to find the murderer of Laius†. It was at the time when Creon brings news of Laius’s death that Oedipus does not even let him share what he has come to account for. In its place, Oedipus is on the run to find more and more questions as to what Creon actually knows. Similarly, Oedipus is so twisted on determining the real truth that he starts to threaten the old

Critically analyse the impacts that mega events have on a tourism Essay

Critically analyse the impacts that mega events have on a tourism destination - Essay Example It shall also discuss the strategies that the Chinese government used in order to enhance positive impacts and reduce the negative impacts of these mega events on Beijing, China, and on the Chinese people. The 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China is the most recent Olympics conducted. China won the bid in 2001 to hold the 2008 Olympics after two rounds of voting by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was China’s second bid to host the international games after it failed in its first bid 8 years before to Sydney, Australia (Longman, 2001). The games were declared a success by the IOC during the 13th Olympic Congress last October. The Olympic Games featured participants from 204 IOC member countries with about 80 heads of state attending (Xinhua News Agency, 2008). The city welcomed thousands of tourists who participated, watched the games, and took in the many sites around the country. It was the biggest influx of tourists the country has ever seen; and considering its closed-door policy for so many years, the Beijing Olympics opened China, on so many levels, to the rest of the world. Mega events have the potential of bringing various economic benefits to the place where the event is to be held. Economic analysts claim that they bring macroeconomic benefits which ultimately mean higher economic growth to the country due to increased spending in relation to the mega event. Economics Help.org (2008) also points out that the extra spending seen in mega events helps fuel inflation and boosts the economy of the country in general. With the increased influx of tourists into China, the exchange rate was also expected to increase. CNN’s Nick Hopkins (2001) also points out how the Beijing Olympics would potentially trigger the entry of major international investments into China. The entry of multinational corporations like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Eastman Kodak into China is already a given because these