Search and seizures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Search and seizures - Essay Example Constitution are meant to protect the citizens from any act that may infringe on their privacy and therefore every person is protected from any form of unreasonable search or seizure by the state or its federal agencies at the time of enforcement of the law. However, the Fourth amendment also allows searches and seizures in some instances especially when it is considered reasonable and for the interest of the public. This means that law enforcement agencies may at times put aside a person’s concern about his privacy or that of his property and conduct a search or a seizure without a warrant. For this to be qualified, it must be proven that the agency has a probable cause to have a strong conviction that they may find from you may point to the commission of a crime or that certain circumstances have justified that a search or a seizure should be conducted without a warrant. Mapp vs Ohio (1961) The facts of this case are that the police stormed into Ms Mapp’s house believ ing that a bombing suspect was hiding in there despite her protests. The police carried a piece of paper to her that they claimed to have been a warrant of search when she demanded that a search warrant be presented to her before the search is carried out. It later turned out that the paper the police waved to her was not a search warrant neither was the bombing suspect hiding in the house. However, the police found sexually explicit books and photographs in her home and she was later convicted for possession of obscene items under the Ohio state law. She appealed her conviction on the basis of the First Amendment but the court quashed the conviction on the basis that she could not be convicted on the basis of items obtained without a search warrant as it violated her right as enshrined in the Fourth amendment of the United States constitution. The court based its ruling on the exclusionary rule that forms an important part of the Fourth Amendment that prohibits any state from depri ving any person the right to life, liberty or property without following the due process of the law (Stocks, 73). Katz vs United States, 389 U.S.347 (1967) This case affirmed that wiretapping of conversations in public payphones without a warrant grossly violated the protections against unreasonable search and seizure as enshrined in the Fourth Amendment. The petitioner Katz was charged in a court of law for being engaged in gambling through state telephone lines that was deemed to be illegal by the authorities. State enforcement agencies used warrantless wiretaps to listen and track his conversations on matters that touched on the illegal gambling transactions. Through an almost unanimous vote of 7-1, the U.S Supreme Court held that the placing of a warrantless wiretap on public payphones is a violation of the rights that citizens enjoy under the Fourth Amendment (Stephens and Richard, 335). There was a test on the constitutionality of private conversations done in public places th at has been applied by numerous courts thereafter. These include whether the person under charge has exhibited an expectation of want of privacy and that the larger public as that which is reasonable can recognize the expectation. Chimel vs California (1969) The question that the court was faced with in this case is what constitutes an unreasonable search as compared with the rights enshrined in the Fourth Amendment of the United States. This was an evaluation of those instances that a police officer may conduct what can be

Food Irradiation Essay Example for Free

Food Irradiation Essay Food irradiation has the longest history, more than 40 years, of scientific research and testing of any food technology before approval. Research has been comprehensive, and has included wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation. Worldwide, 38 countries permit irradiation of food, and more than 28 billion lb of food is irradiated annually in Europe. It is important to note that food irradiation has a pretty remarkable list of national and international endorsements: ADA, American Council on Science and Health, American Medical Association, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Food Technologists, Scientific Committee of the European Union, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the US food supply has achieved a high level of safety, microbiological hazards exist. Because foods may contain pathogens, mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in food-born illness. Irradiation has been identified as one solution that enhances food safety through the reduction of potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive program to enhance food safety. However, food irradiation does not replace proper food handling. So the handling of foods processed by irradiation should be governed by the same food safety precautions as all other foods. Food irradiation cannot enhance the quality of a food that is not fresh, or prevent contamination that occurs after irradiation during storage or preparation. But, treating foods with the irradiation of gamma rays offers benefits to consumers, retailers, and food manufacturers such as improved microbiological quality, replacement of chemical treatments, and extended shelf life. The spices and fumigant sprays used on fruits can be limited and eliminated through the use of irradiation. This improves the quality of the fruit. Pathogens in raw poultry or meat can be reduced by a dose of radiation. Also, smaller doses can disinfest grain and produce and can slow down the natural aging of fruit and vegetables. This all results in the reduced use or elimination of chemical treatments and proves that irradiated foods closely resemble foods in their fresh state. Irradiation has been compared with pasteurization because it destroys pathogenic bacteria. Because irradiation does not greatly raise the temperature of the food being processed, nutrient losses are small and are often much less than nutrient losses associated with other methods of preservation, such as canning, drying, and heat pasteurization and sterilization. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are not notably affected by irradiation. But certain vitamins are sensitive to food irradiation. Yet, nutrient losses can be minimized by irradiating food in an oxygen-free environment or in a frozen state. According to the Ames, Iowa Council for Agriculture Science and Technology Task Force Report No. 115, consumers consistently rate irradiated fruit as equal or better than non-irradiated fruits in appearance, freshness, and taste. With all of the facts listed above, it is obvious that irradiated foods are the best option instead of harmful chemical products. These chemicals usage and harm are a result of not using food irradiation to benefit consumers. And in an era of increasing concern about food safety, consumers must understand that irradiation is one method of enhancing an already safe food supply.

Student Teaching Paper :: essays research papers

Student Teaching Graduate Paper Spring 2004 As the time approached, my attitude toward student-teaching was one of confidence and in some ways overconfidence. I believed that I was equipped with all of the tools necessary to be a superior teacher. Little did I know what truly goes on behind the scenes of a teacher. Between grading papers, attending meetings, and preparing lessons, I would often feel overwhelmed. Still, student teaching would prove to be much more valuable than I anticipated. It would teach me to appreciate the wisdom of mentors and experienced teachers, value or being organized and prepared, and lastly the resilience of students. Student teaching has taught me to appreciate the wisdom of mentors and experienced teachers. There were several times when my field based supervisors pointed my in the right direction when faced with challenges. I recall a student that I suspected to have copied his homework from other students. I stressed that we figure out how he did it but I could not some up with any definite facts to prove he had did so. Ms. Darling insisted that I not worry about it and if he did cheat then it would be revealed on his exam. Surely enough, the student failed his exam miserably. During a teacher/parent conference, I asked him how he managed to receive an A on all of his homework and fail his exam so poorly. To my astonishment the student confessed to having copied his homework from other students. His mother immediately addressed both issues with her child and needless to say I did not have the problems form the student anymore. During my computer Information technology Course, discipline problem s plagued me during the first two weeks of student teaching. Mr. Washington, another field based supervisor told me to began calling parents immediately after class. He told me to call everyday if I had to. Surely after a few phone calls to parents, behaviors adjusted quickly. By the end of my student teaching time period, in my opinion I had a model classroom as far as classroom behavior goes. Additionally, student teaching has taught me that organization and preparedness are keys to having success. With advice from other student teachers bell ringers became a subtle reason for my success in improving my classroom management skills. I learned that by occupying the students immediately with work it seemed to have a calming affect upon then.

Learning strategies Essay

Learning or instructional strategies determine the approach for achieving the learning objectives and are included in the pre-instructional activities, information presentation, learner activities, testing, and follow-through. The strategies are usually tied to the needs and interests of students to enhance learning and are based on many types of learning styles (Ekwensi, Moranski, &Townsend-Sweet, 2006). Thus the learning objectives point you towards the instructional strategies, while the instructional strategies will point you to the medium that will actually deliver the instruction, such as elearning, self-study, classroom, or OJT. However, do not fall into the trap of using only one medium when designing your course. . . use a blended approach. Although some people use the terms interchangeably, objectives, strategies, and media, all have separate meanings. For example, your learning objective might be â€Å"Pull the correct items for a customer order;† the instructional strategies are a demonstration, have a question and answer period, and then receive hands-on practice by actually performing the job, while the media might be a combination of elearning and OJT. The Instructional Strategy Selection Chart shown below is a general guideline for selecting the learning strategy. It is based on Bloom’s Taxonomy (Learning Domains). The matrix generally runs from the passive learning methods (top rows) to the more active participation methods (bottom rows. Bloom’s Taxonomy (the right three columns) runs from top to bottom, with the lower level behaviors being on top and the higher behaviors being on the bottom. That is, there is a direct correlation in learning: Lower levels of performance can normally be taught using the more passive learning methods. Higher levels of performance usually require some sort of action or involvement by the learners. Instructional Strategy Selection Chart Instructional Strategy Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956) Affective Domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, & Masia, 1973) Psychomotor Domain (Simpson, 1972) Lecture, reading, audio/visual, demonstration, or guided observations, question and answer period 1. Knowledge 1. Receiving phenomena 1. Perception 2. Set Discussions, multimedia CBT, Socratic didactic method, reflection. Activities such as surveys, role playing, case studies, fishbowls, etc. 2. Comprehension 3. Application 2. Responding to phenomena 3. Guided response 4. Mechanism On-the-Job-Training (OJT), practice by doing (some direction or coaching is required), simulated job settings (to include CBT simulations) 4. Analysis 3. Valuing 5. Complex response Use in real situations. Also may be trained by using several high level activities coupled with OJT. 5. Synthesis 4. Organize values into priorities 6. Adaptation Normally developed on own (informal learning) through self-study or learning through mistakes, but mentoring and coaching can speed the process. 6. Evaluation 5. Internalizing values 7. Origination The chart does not cover all possibilities, but most activities should fit in. For example, self-study could fall under reading, audio visual, and/or activities, depending upon the type of program you design Instructional Skills: What are Instructional Skills? Instructional skills are the most specific category of teaching behaviors. They are necessary for procedural purposes and for structuring appropriate learning experiences for students. A variety of instructional skills and processes exist. Explaining Demonstrating Questioning Questioning Techniques Levels of Questions Wait Time Explaining The teacher spends much classroom time explaining or demonstrating something to the whole class, a small group, or an individual. Student resource materials typically do not provide extensive explanations of concepts, and students often need a demonstration in order to understand procedures. Demonstrating The teacher spends much classroom time explaining or demonstrating something to the whole class, a small group, or an individual. Student resource materials typically do not provide extensive explanations of concepts, and students often need a demonstration in order to understand procedures. Questioning Among the instructional skills, questioning holds a place of prominence in many classrooms. When questioning is used well: a high degree of student participation occurs as questions are widely distributed; an appropriate mix of low and high level cognitive questions is used; student understanding is increased; student thinking is stimulated, directed, and extended; feedback and appropriate reinforcement occur;students’ critical thinking abilities are honed; and, student creativity is fostered. Questioning Technique The teacher should begin by obtaining the attention of the students before the question is asked. The question should be addressed to the entire class before a specific student is asked to respond. Calls for responses should be distributed among volunteers and non-volunteers, and the teacher should encourage students to speak to the whole class when responding. However, the teacher must be sensitive to each student’s willingness to speak publically and never put a student on the spot. Levels of Questions While the need for factual recall or comprehension must be recognized, teachers also need to challenge students with higher level questions requiring analysis, synthesis, or evaluation. The consideration of level is applicable at all grade levels and in all subject areas. All students need the opportunity to think about and respond to all levels of questions. Teacher probes or requests for clarification may be required to move students to higher levels of thinking and deeper levels of understanding. Wait Time  Wait time is defined as the pause between asking the question and soliciting a response. Providing additional wait time after a student response also allows all students to reflect on the response prior to further discussion. Increased wait time results in longer student responses, more appropriate unsolicited responses, more student questions, and increased higher order responses. It should be noted that increased wait time is beneficial for students who speak English as a second language or English as a second dialect. Instructional Strategies: 1. Direct instruction 2. Indirect instruction 3. Interactive instruction 4. Independent study 5. Experiential learning 1. What is Direct Instruction? The Direct instruction strategy is highly teacher-directed and is among the most commonly used. This strategy is effective for providing information or developing step-by-step skills. It also works well for introducing other teaching methods, or actively involving students in knowledge construction. Possible Methods Structured Overview Lecture Explicit Teaching Drill & Practice Compare & Contrast Didactic Questions. Demonstrations Guided & Shared – reading, listening, viewing, thinking What is Structured Overview? Structured Overview is verbal, visual or written summary or outline of a topic. It can occur at the beginning of a unit, module or new concept, or it may be used to help relate a learned idea to the big picture. A Structured Overview distills difficult or complex idea into simple definitions or explanation, and then shows how all the information relates. It is the process of â€Å"organizing and arranging topics† to make them more meaningful. What is Lecture? Lecture is a valuable part of a teacher’s instructional repertoire if it is not used when other methods would be more effective. If the presenter is knowledgeable, perceptive, engaging, and motivating, then lecture can stimulate reflection, challenge the imagination, and develop curiosity and a sense of inquiry. Criteria for the selection of the lecture method should include the types of experiences students will be afforded and the kinds of learning outcomes expected. Because lecture is teacher-centred and student activity is mainly passive, the attention span of students may be limited. Many students, because of learning style preferences, may not readily assimilate lecture content. In addition, lectured content is often rapidly forgotten. What is Explicit Teaching? Explicit teaching involves directing student attention toward specific learning in a highly structured environment. It is teaching that is focused on producing specific learning outcomes. Topics and contents are broken down into small parts and taught individually. It involves explanation, demonstration and practise. Children are provided with guidance and structured frameworks. Topics are taught in a logical order and directed by the teacher. Another important characteristic of explicit teaching involves modeling skills and behaviours and modelling thinking. This involves the teacher thinking out loud when working through problems and demonstrating processes for students. The attention of students is important and listening and observation are key to success. What is Drill & Practice? As an instructional strategy, drill & practice is familiar to all educators. It â€Å"promotes the acquisition of knowledge or skill through repetitive practice. † It refers to small tasks such as the memorization of spelling or vocabulary words, or the practicing of arithmetic facts and may also be found in more supplicated learning tasks or physical education games and sports. Drill-and-practice, like memorization, involves repetition of specific skills, such as addition and subtraction, or spelling. To be meaningful to learners, the skills built through drill-and-practice should become the building blocks for more meaningful learning. What is Compare & Contrast? Compare and Contrast is used to highlight similarities and differences between to things. It is a process where the act of classification is practiced. It is effectively used in conjunction with indirect instructional methods, but can also be used directly to teach vocabulary signals, classification, nomenclature and key characteristics. It is often presented in either written text paragraphs or a chart. Its most common use is as a graphic organizer of content. What are Didactic Questions? Didactic questioning offers the teacher a way to structure the learning process (McNeil & Wiles, 1990). Didactic questions tend to be convergent, factual, and often begin with â€Å"what,† â€Å"where,† â€Å"when,† and â€Å"how. † They can be effectively used to diagnose recall and comprehension skills, to draw on prior learning experiences, to determine the extent to which lesson objectives were achieved, to provide practice, and to aid retention of information or processes. Teachers should remember that didactic questions can be simplistic, can encourage guessing, and can discourage insightful answers or creativity. However, effectiveness of this method can be increased by the appropriate addition of â€Å"why† questions, and the occasional use of â€Å"what if† questions. What is Demonstration? A method of teaching by example rather than simple explanation What are Guided and Share? Prioritizes intrinsic motivation and helps students to become more engaged in learning experiences through connecting their beliefs and life goals to curricular requirements 2. What is Indirect Instruction? In contrast to the direct instruction strategy, indirect instruction is mainly student-centered, although the two strategies can complement each other. Indirect instruction seeks a high level of student involvement in observing, investigating, drawing inferences from data, or forming hypotheses. It takes advantage of students’ interest and curiosity, often encouraging them to generate alternatives or solve problems. In indirect instruction, the role of the teacher shifts from lecturer/director to that of facilitator, supporter, and resource person. The teacher arranges the learning environment, provides opportunity for student involvement, and, when appropriate, provides feedback to students while they conduct the inquiry (Martin, 1983). Possible Methods Problem Solving Case Studies Reading for Meaning Inquiry Reflective Discussion Writing to Inform Concept Formation Concept Mapping. Concept Attainment Cloze Procedure What is Problem Solving? There are two major types of problem solving – reflective and creative. Regardless of the type of problem solving a class uses, problem solving focuses on knowing the issues, considering all possible factor and finding a solution. Because all ideas are accepted initially, problem solving allows for finding the best possible solution as opposed to the easiest solution or the first solution proposed. What are Case Studies? Case studies are stories or scenarios, often in narrative form, created and used as a tool for analysis and discussion. They have a long tradition of use in higher education particularly in business and law. Cases are often based on actual events which adds a sense of urgency or reality. Case studies have elements of simulations but the students are observers rather than participants. A good case has sufficient detail to necessitate research and to stimulate analysis from a variety of viewpoints or perspectives. They place the learner in the position of problem solver. Students become actively engaged in the materials discovering underlying issues, dilemmas and conflict issues. What is Reading for Meaning? Children become curious about printed symbols once they recognize that print, like talk, conveys meaningful messages that direct, inform or entertain people. By school age, many children are eager to continue their exploration of print. One goal of this curriculum is to develop fluent and proficient readers who are knowledgeable about the reading process. What is Inquiry? Inquiry learning provides opportunities for students to experience and acquire processes through which they can gather information about the world. This requires a high level of interaction among the learner, the teacher,the area of study, available resources, and the learning environment. Students become actively involved in the learning process as they: act upon their curiosity and interests; develop questions; think their way through controversies or dilemmas; look at problems analytically; inquire into their preconceptions and what they already know; develop, clarify, and test hypotheses; and, draw inferences and generate possible solutions. Questioning is the heart of inquiry learning. Students must ask relevant questions and develop ways to search for answers and generate explanations. Emphasis is placed upon the process of thinking as this applies to student interaction with issues, data, topics, concepts, materials, and problems. What is Reflective Discussion ? Reflective discussions encourage students to think and talk about what they have observed, heard or read. The teacher or student initiates the discussion by asking a question that requires students to reflect upon and interpret films, experiences, read or recorded stories, or illustrations. As students question and recreate information and events in a film or story, they clarify their thoughts and feelings. The questions posed should encourage students to relate story content to life experiences and to other stories. These questions will elicit personal interpretations and feelings. Interpretations will vary, but such variances demonstrate that differences of opinion are valuable. What is Writing to Inform? Writing that reports information to others can vary greatly in content and format. Many learning experiences culminate in expository or informative writing activities. Students must have opportunities to read a variety of resources and printed materials for information. During writing, students can apply their knowledge of the structures and formats of these materials to organize and convey information. What is Concept Formation ? Concept formation provides students with an opportunity to explore ideas by making connections and seeing relationships between items of information. This method can help students develop and refine their ability to recall and discriminate among key ideas, to see commonalities and identify relationships, to formulate concepts and generalizations, to explain how they have organized data, and to present evidence to support their organization of the data involved. What are Concept Maps? A concept map is a special form of a web diagram for exploring knowledge and gathering and sharing information. Concept mapping is the strategy employed to develop a concept map. A concept map consists of nodes or cells that contain a concept, item or question and links. The links are labeled and denote direction with an arrow symbol. The labeled links explain the relationship between the nodes. The arrow describes the direction of the relationship and reads like a sentence. What is Concept Attainment? Concept Attainment is an indirect instructional strategy that uses a structured inquiry process. It is based on the work of Jerome Bruner. In concept attainment, students figure out the attributes of a group or category that has already been formed by the teacher. To do so, students compare and contrast examples that contain the attributes of the concept with examples that do not contain those attributes. They then separate them into two groups. Concept attainment, then, is the search for and identification of attributes that can be used to distinguish examples of a given group or category from non-examples. What is Cloze Procedure? Cloze procedure is a technique in which words are deleted from a passage according to a word-count formula or various other criteria. The passage is presented to students, who insert words as they read to complete and construct meaning from the text. This procedure can be used as a diagnostic reading assessment technique. It is used: to identify students’ knowledge and understanding of the reading process to determine which cueing systems readers effectively employ to construct meaning from print to assess the extent of students’ vocabularies and knowledge of a subject to encourage students to monitor for meaning while reading  to encourage students to think critically and analytically about text and content 3. What is Experiential Learning? Experiential learning is inductive, learner centered, and activity oriented. Personalized reflection about an experience and the formulation of plans to apply learning to other contexts are critical factors in effective experiential learning. The emphasis in experiential learning is on the process of learning and not on the product. Experiential learning can be viewed as a cycle consisting of five phases, all of which are necessary: experiencing (an activity occurs);sharing or publishing (reactions and observations are shared); analysing or processing (patterns and dynamics are determined);inferring or generalizing (principles are derived); and, applying (plans are made to use learning in new situations). Possible Methods Field Trips Narratives Conducting Experiments Simulations Games Storytelling Focused Imaging Field Observations Role-playing Model Building Surveys What are Field Trips? A field trip is a structured activity that occurs outside the classroom. It can be a brief observational activity or a longer more sustained investigation or project. While field trips take considerable organization, it is important to: be clear about what the field trip will accomplish prepare students for the learning have a debriefing session for students to share their learning when they return to the classroom What are Narratives? Narrative essays are told from a defined point of view, often the author’s, so there is feeling as well as specific and often sensory details provided to get the reader involved in the elements and sequence of the story. What are Conducting Experiments? Is an orderly procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, refuting, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a particular factor is manipulated. What are Simulations? A simulation is a form of experiential learning. Simulations are instructional scenarios where the learner is placed in a â€Å"world† defined by the teacher. They represent a reality within which students interact. The teacher controls the parameters of this â€Å"world† and uses it to achieve the desired instructional results. Simulations are in way, a lab experiment where the students themselves are the test subjects. They experience the reality of the scenario and gather meaning from it. It is a strategy that fits well with the principles of constructivism. Simulations promote the use of critical and evaluative thinking. The ambiguous or open ended nature of a simulation encourages students to contemplate the implications of a scenario. The situation feels real and thus leads to more engaging interaction by learners. They are motivating activities enjoyed by students of all ages. What are Games? Is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as  an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements. What is Storytelling? Is the conveying of events in words, and images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view. What is Focused Imaging? Imaging, the process of internally visualizing an object, event, or situation, has the potential to nurture and enhance a student’s creativity (Bagley & Hess, 1987). Imaging enables students to relax and allow their imaginations to take them on journeys, to â€Å"experience† situations first hand, and to respond with their senses to the mental images formed. What are Field Observations? The process of filtering sensory information through the thought process. Input is received via hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch and then analyzed through either rational or irrational thought. What is Role Playing? In role playing, students act out characters in a predefined â€Å"situation†. Role playing allows students to take risk-free positions by acting out characters in hypothetical situations. It can help them understand the range of concerns, values, and positions held by other people. Role playing is an enlightening and interesting way to help students see a problem from another perspective. What is Model Building? What is Survey? is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal that publishes papers related to the development and application of survey techniques. 4. What is Independent Study? Independent study refers to the range of instructional methods which are purposefully provided to foster the development of individual student initiative, self-reliance, and self-improvement. While independent study may be initiated by student or teacher, the focus here will be on planned independent study by students under the guidance or supervision of a classroom teacher. In addition, independent study can include learning in partnership with another individual or as part of a small group. Possible Methods Essays Computer Assisted Instruction. Journals Learning Logs Reports Learning Activity Packages Correspondence Lessons Learning Contracts Homework Research Projects Assigned Questions Learning Centers What is Essay? is generally a short piece of writing written from an author’s personal point of view, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article and a short story. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. What is Computer Assisted Instruction? Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) refers to instruction or remediation presented on a computer. Computer programs can allow students to progress at their own pace and work individually or problem solve in a group. Computers provide immediate feedback, letting students know whether their answer is correct. If the answer is not correct, the program shows students how to correctly answer the question. Computers offer a different type of activity and a change of pace from teacher-led or group instruction. Also, computer-assisted instruction moves at the students’ pace and usually does  not move ahead until they have mastered the skill. What is Journal Writing? Journal writing is a learning tool based on the ideas that students write to learn. Students use the journals to write about topics of personal interest, to note their observations, to imagine, to wonder and to connect new information with things they already know. What are Learning Logs ? Learning logs are a simple and straightforward way to help students integrate content, process, and personal feelings. Learning logs operate from the stance that students learn from writing rather than writing what they have learned. The common application is to have students make entries in their logs during the last five minutes of class or after each completed week of class. The message here is that short, frequent bursts of writing are more productive over time than are infrequent, longer assignments. What are Reports ? Written reports are documents which present focused, salient content to a specific audience. Reports are often used to display the result of an experiment, investigation, or inquiry. The audience may be public or private, an individual or the public in general. Reports are used in government, business, education, science, and other fields. Learning Activity Packages Correspondence Lessons What are Learning Contracts ? Learning contracts provide a method of individualizing instruction and developing student responsibility. They permit individual pacing so that students may learn at the rate at which they are able to master the material. Learning contracts can be designed so that students function at the academic levels most suitable to them and work with resource materials containing concepts and knowledge that are appropriate to their abilities and experiences. Although this method focuses on the individual, learning contracts also provide an opportunity for students to work in small groups. The teacher may select this approach for some students to support them as they learn to work independently. What are Homeworks ? Refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the class. Common homework assignments may include a quantity or period of reading to be performed, writing or typing to be completed, problems to be solved, a school project to be built (such as a diorama or display), or other skills to be practiced. What is Researching? Research projects are very effective for developing and extending language arts skills as students learn in all subject areas. While doing research, students practice reading for specific purposes, recording information, sequencing and organizing ideas, and using language to inform others. A research model provides students with a framework for organizing information about a topic. Research projects frequently include these four steps: 1. determining the purpose and topic 2. gathering the information 3. organizing the information. 4. sharing knowledge. What are Assigned Questions ? Assigned questions are those prepared by the teacher to be answered by individuals or small groups of students. Students discuss their responses among one another or with the teacher. Particular positions or points-of-view should be supported by evidence. In some instances, it may be desirable for students to generate their own set of questions. What is Learning Center? There are eight basic learning centers in an early childhood/elementary classroom, according to the Stephen F. Austin State University Charter School program, each structured to expand the students’ experiences in a variety of meaningful and effective ways. Each center is constructed to encompass numerous objectives, including state and federal standards, school standards, and community standards. The learning centers approach focuses on student autonomy and learning style by giving each student an opportunity to explore his learning environment hands-on in a developmentally appropriate classroom 5. What is Interactive Instruction? Interactive instruction relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. Students can learn from peers and teachers to develop social skills and abilities, to organize their thoughts, and to develop rational arguments. The interactive instruction strategy allows for a range of groupings and interactive methods. It is important for the teacher to outline the topic, the amount of discussion time, the composition and size of the groups, and reporting or sharing techniques. Interactive instruction requires the refinement of observation, listening, interpersonal, and intervention skills and abilities by both teacher and students. The success of the interactive instruction strategy and its many methods is heavily dependent upon the expertise of the teacher in structuring and developing the dynamics of the group. Possible Methods Debates Role Playing Panels Brainstorming Peer Partner Learning Discussion Laboratory Groups Think, Pair, Share Cooperative Learning Jigsaw Problem Solving Structured Controversy Tutorial Groups Interviewing Conferencing What is Debating? Debating is a structured contest of argumentation in which two opposing individuals or teams defend and attack a given proposition. The procedure is bound by rules that vary based on location and participants. The process is adjudicated and a winner is declared. What is Role Playing? In role playing, students act out characters in a predefined â€Å"situation†. Role playing allows students to take risk-free positions by acting out characters in hypothetical situations. It can help them understand the range of concerns, values, and positions held by other people. Role playing is an enlightening and interesting way to help students see a problem from another perspective. What is Panelling? Panel discussions, however, differ from team presentations. Their purpose is different. In a team presentation, the group presents agreed-upon views; in a panel discussion, the purpose is to present different views. Also in a team presentations, usually speakers stand as they speak; in panel discussions, usually speakers sit the whole time. In panel discussion each speaker prepares separately, the other speakers here one another for the time at the session itself. What is Brainstorming? Brainstorming is a large or small group activity which encourages children to focus on a topic and contribute to the free flow of ideas. The teacher may begin by posing a question or a problem, or by introducing a topic. Students then express possible answers, relevant words and ideas. Contributions are accepted without criticism or judgement. Initially, some students may be reluctant to speak out in a group setting but brainstorming is an open sharing activity which encourages all children to participate. By expressing ideas and listening to what others say, students adjust their previous knowledge or understanding, accommodate new information and increase their levels of awareness. What is Peer Partner Learning? Peer partner learning is a collaborative experience in which students learn from and with each other for individual purposes. Students reflect upon previously taught material by helping peers to learn and, at the same time, develop and hone their social skills. What is Discussion ? A discussion is an oral exploration of a topic, object, concept or experience. All learners need frequent opportunities to generate and share their questions and ideas in small and whole class settings. Teachers who encourage and accept students’ questions and comments without judgement and clarify understandings by paraphrasing difficult terms stimulate the exchange of ideas. What is Laboratory Groups? What is Think, Pair, Share? Think-Pair-Share is a strategy designed to provide students with â€Å"food for thought† on a given topics enabling them to formulate individual ideas and share these ideas with another student. It is a learning strategy developed by Lyman and associates to encourage student classroom participation. Rather than using a basic recitation method in which a teacher poses a question and one student offers.

Dreams In Of Mice and Men Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was written by John Steinbeck in 1937. He wrote many other books such as Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row and The Pearl. His most famous was the Grapes of Wrath. At the time Steinbeck wrote the novel, men were the main workers on farms and ranches but during the 1930’s machinery began to take over and by 1938 Combines harvested half of America’s grain. George and Lennie, the two main characters in the story, are examples of migrant workers who farmed 800 miles across the state planes. All ranch workers travelled around America looking for jobs. They worked in very poor conditions and were paid two to three dollars a day plus very basic food. Everyone had their own dream but many people came from other countries to live the â€Å"American Dream† all believing that through hard work they would have the opportunity to live a comfortable life. It is possible that Steinbeck wrote the novel based on his own experience as he used to work on a ranch. He knew what these workers had to go through and had the desire and belief to show other people what was actually happening at the time. It could be argued that Steinbeck focused on ranch life for a storyline as he lived near a ranch and he recognised the loneliness and pain of the workers and what they had to do to keep themselves occupied. Steinbeck uses an arrangement of techniques to form a feeling of reality for the reader by using similes e.g. † A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope†. This is a good example as it shows Steinbeck’s imagery that he uses to describe the scenery and surroundings. This particular simile is symbolic for the reality of life for animals and humans. The snake is on the look out for food whilst at the same time being wary of any potential attackers. George and Lennie’s life is a constant battle for survival, the same as the snake. Steinbeck structured the novel like a play so that the reader isn’t distracted by other things happening around in that particular scene. The story is spread over about three to four days during which George and Lennie travel to the new ranch until the ending in which George kills Lennie. This helps us to focus on the various aspects of the book where we are able to concentrate on one character at a time or an event at a time. Steinbeck can describe more thoroughly the event or character instead of telling a long story. This is a very effective method of writing and keeps the readers interest who is able to build a clear image of the character. At the start of chapter six Steinbeck’s description is almost poetic â€Å"The deep green pool of Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen†. This is an intense description of the setting that the characters are in and enables the reader to develop a clear image of the surroundings. It is an example of Steinbeck’s imagery. Steinbeck uses a lot of Colloquial language and dialogue as the ranchmen speak a lot during the story and it is often grammatically incorrect with slang or swearing. This adds vividness and colour to the description. There is a lot of characterisation through dialogue as each character speaks differently. Steinbeck also uses dialogue to inject humour e.g. â€Å"His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, he looked kindly at the two in the bunkhouse. It’s brighter’n a bitch outside†. Steinbeck also uses intense descriptions in the novel, for example â€Å"The Dream†, Lennie and George’s dream of a small farm, a little bit of land and independence, is the same for all the ranch workers. The â€Å"American Dream† can be seen to be interwoven and the hope of being free and being themselves. We should realise that Steinbeck is trying to illustrate a universal truth and that most people wish to have better lives which gives them freedom, rights and personal fulfillment. Similes and Metaphors are used very often and they are usually describing nature. The book is rich in unusual imagery as Steinbeck describes very thoroughly. As well as Similes and Metaphors, Onomatopoeia is used e.g. â€Å"The red light dimmed on the coals. Up the hill a coyote yammered, and a dog answered from the other side of the stream. The sycamore leaves whispered in a little night breeze†. The best example of a metaphor is â€Å"On the Sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as gray, sculptured stones†. Emphasising again animals constant waryness of all around it Animal imagery is used to describe Lennie e.g. â€Å"Lennie dabbled his paw in the water and wiggled his fingers†. This shows us Lennie’s build and the way his body moves as bears have paws and they move steadily with slow large movements. Lennie always talks about rabbits and this relates back to Lennie being described as an animal. Steinbeck uses sound well in his descriptions adding a further level of imagery for the reader. † Clang of horseshoes in yard, far off shouts of Lennie’s pursuers† help us to feel that we are witnessing events not just reading them. Light is also used effectively in descriptive passages and the light on the Gabilan Mountains is a recurrent image to give the idea of vastness and timelessness. Every ranch worker has his own dream but most are very similar as they want to have freedom and to be an individual. Lennie’s dream is to† Live off the fatta the lan an hav rabbits† These dreams are part of the â€Å"American Dream† and ranch workers think that that some day it might come true. The phrase â€Å"The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft aglay.† is from the poem by Robert Burns and this is the moral of the story. This is translated into modern English as â€Å"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry† meaning in George and Lennie’s case that no matter how hard they try to plan ahead and work for their dream something can always go wrong and in this case, it does. In the novel Steinbeck writes about many different issues that still exist today, one of which is racial prejudice. This is illustrated in Crooks as he is denied human companionship because of the colour of his skin and this is part of the larger theme of loneliness. Another issue is Ageism. This is illustrated by Candy who has outlived his usefulness. This is also a part of loneliness and is emphasised by his relationship with his dog and the way in which he is upset when it is shot. The final and main issue is loneliness. George and Lennie are able to get away from loneliness with their relationship but there are many people who cannot fend it off such as Crooks and Candy as they become cynical and bitter. It ends up killing Curley’s wife as she cannot stand being on her own any longer. Steinbeck uses imagery to illustrate many reasons such as realism to symbolise deeper meanings and to portray society. He portrays loneliness as a human condition that we either succumb to or fight. Steinbeck doesn’t state a way of fighting loneliness but just illustrates the problem as we begin to realise that we may never find a solution.

Small Company Y2K Report essays

Small Company Y2K Report essays 3. Hardware and Software Compliance It is a problem resulting from the common programming practice of using only two-digits to store the year in software. The practice dates back to the 1950's when computers began to be used for business purposes. Using two digits for dates is benign and causes no harm so long as the next year is a larger number than the current year. For example software applications that use dates have no problem with the sequence of 95,96,97,98 and 99. However, when the century ends, the year 2000 will be stored as 00. Calculations or decisions, based on dates or time periods, can go seriously wrong. Inregard to personal and small business computers, the problem is three fold. Firstly, the computer hardware must report the current date correctly. Many computers, especially early Pentiums, 486, 386 and 286 based machines, will on the 1st January 2000 Revert back to 1 April 1980 or some other date. Thus creating a potential problem until the correct date is re-entered - provided of course that the computer can be set manually to a date beyond 311299. Calculation of Leap Year dates may also be incorrect on some computers. Secondly, the computer software must carry out the correct calculations based on a four-digit year (e.g. 1999 or 2000 etc) rather than just using the last two digits. The supplier or manufacturer of the software should be approached to ascertain the compliance of their code, or their schedule to have it corrected and distributed. Thirdly, your data must be in the correct format - namely year described as a four-digit number. If your dates have been entered as described above (that is 15th Feb 1955 entered as 150255), then you have a data conversion to be carried out. To determine if Windows NT 4.0 ,Win95 and would roll to the appropriate date, the control panel applet "DATE&TIME"(d&t) was used to change the dates. The machines d&t were set to the day before each date outlined in the ...

The Role of the Government

The Role of the Government Free Online Research Papers Many believe that our government has absolutely no ethics in decision making at all. With so many government issues that are going on right now, it is clear that there is a lack of ethics being applied in the decision making. One of the reasons why many people feel that our government has no ethics is due to the lack of understanding of it. The true meaning of ethics is the study of right and wrong. In other words, â€Å"ethics is a descriptive discipline, involving the collection and interpretation of data on what people from various cultures believe, without any consideration for the appropriateness or reasonableness of those beliefs† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 5). The laws and ethics work together to set forth guidelines by which the American people shall adhere to. Many people of society believe that there is not a need for ethics because of the law system that is in place. They believe that the law system fully covers and protect the rights of the people. People need to understand that our laws are â€Å"not possible without ethics† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 4). Before the law can be enacted a decision of whether an act was right or wrong needs to be made and this is where ethics comes along. All situations need to be observed so that a conclusion can be made to form a better moral perspective before a reasonable judgment can be made. Ethical decisions must be made on a daily basis in all areas to include: â€Å"Education, Media and the Arts, Sex, Government, Law, Business, Medicine, Science, and War† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 149). Governmental officials can play an important role in nurturing ethical conduct in American democracy. Society should have trust and confidence in the governments’ ability to protect the public interest. They are responsible for implementing and enforcing high ethical standards. The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) was established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. It later became its’ own agency as part of the Office of Government Ethics Reauthorization Act of 1988, on 1 October 1989. This agency exercises â€Å"leadership in the executive branch to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of Government employees and to resolve those conflicts of interest that do occur.† Our laws, regulations, and ethical principles are implemented and enforced by the government. Appointed leaders must ensure that their arguments include a quality of evidence to support the decisions that are being made. The American people expect all leaders and officials to be competent and abide by the same standards that are set for them. All undesirable behaviors or actions are to be regulated by the provisions of the ethics codes. Unbecoming actions or violations will be dealt with in accordance with the laws, policies, and regulations that are in place. â€Å"Effective codes are directed at prevention, providing guidelines for ethical behavior and eliminating opportunities for unethical practices† (1998, March, p. 5). As part of ensuring the resolution of such issues is enforced, the government officials are expected to set a higher standard by which they live. The Executive Order 12674 (of April 12, 1989) clearly defines the objective of the Principles of Ethical Conduct by which all government officials are ordered to adhere to. Section 101, of the Executive Order 12674 (of April 12, 1989), says that the government officials are â€Å"to ensure that every citizen can have complete confidence in the integrity of the Federal Government† (1989, April, p. 1). The people of America cannot have such confidence unless their government officials are also adhering to the standards of conduct set forth for their office. The integrity, honesty, and loyalty that the government portrays will have a positive effect on the American people who are looking to them for guidance and structure. The confidence of the American people can only be enhanced by the strength, wisdom, and respect of the leaders which are appointed above them. According to a 1997 Peter Hart/Robert Teeter poll taken for the Council for Excellence In Government, â€Å"citizens have more confidence in their local governments than in the state or federal governments† (see chart above) (1998, March, p. 14). These findings may be due to the lack of ethical standards that some leaders may possess. The government is responsible for providing leaders who are competent and portray the principles by which they are obligated to fulfill. Leaders must strive to avoid any action that would create the appearance that they are violating the law or ethical standards. In doing this they will increase the level of confidence and respect that the American people currently have towards the governments and their ability to handle any ethical issues that may be at hand in the future. Individuals are encouraged to report any suspected cases of illegal, unethical, or immoral misconduct that may be occurring. â€Å"Internal disclosure policies/procedures (IDPP’’s) have been recommended as on e way to encourage such communication† (Barnette, T., Cochran, D., Taylor, G., 1993, p.1). Although these policies/procedures may be in place, employees can often deal with possible repercussions such as â€Å"blacklisting, transfer, and harassment† (Bowman, J., Elliston, F., 1998, p. 3). Such techniques can result in the possible dismissal of the individual reporting possible violations. Reprisals are not unheard of during times when accusations are being made. Some common methods used are ostracism, demotion, and termination of employment. Other consequences that may be suffered may include divorce, stress, hardship, and even taking ones’ own life. People who try to do the right thing and are faced with this type of treatment often do not know how to deal with the possible effects and lose their dignity. Efforts to protect conscientious employees against reprisals need to be emphasized. Those with knowledge of misconduct need to provide specific facts and details concerning the incident. Appropriate actions, consistent with law and policy, can then be determined for the suspected misconduct. They must take into careful consideration whether or not the conduct is of threat to the public and society. Many employees are not aware of the policies and laws that have been adopted to protect them from any retaliation for the employer. The Whistleblower Protection Act protects employees who call attention to violations, help with enforcement proceedings, or refuse to obey unlawful directions. This act is defined as: â€Å"The disclosure by organization members (former or current) of illegal, immoral or illegitimate practices under the control of their employers, to persons or organizations that may be able to effect action† or â€Å"A dissenting act of public accusation against an organization, which necessities being disloyal to that organization† (Bather, A. Kelly, M., 2005, p. 4). These concerns can be handled either internally or externally. Most can be handled internally if they have good policies in place. If the internal system is lacking the power to resolve the reported incident, they can seek to take the report to an external agency for further investigation. The importance of consequences and penalties for violators of laws, policies, and regulations is imperative. People tend to do things and behave in ways that are unpredictable or dangerous. To come to a fair judgment â€Å"all significant consequences must be identified-the indirect as well as the direct, the subtle as well as the obvious, the unintended as well as the intended, the delayed as well as the immediate, the emotional and intellectual as well as the physical† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 119-120). Making quick judgments or decisions without giving a proper analysis could cause you to come to a conclusion that is not just. Without the enactment of our laws, policies, and regulations the public would become corrupt. Society, as we know it, would become more interested in what is in the best interest of the individual and not the greater good of the people as a whole. The crime rate would increase dramatically due to the fact that they would not be persecuted for their wrong doings. In order for our public officials to be competent in their position and able to determine how to resolve complex situations, they must first be educated and properly trained. Training is made available on the Internet through an interactive ethics training game entitled Quandaries. â€Å"California law requires that Members of the Legislature, legislative employees and registered lobbyists take an ethics training course once every two years† (1998, March). It is imperative that our public officials have an understanding of and know the laws that coincide with the important decisions they have to make. Ethics Education Offered by California Cities and Counties | Cities Offering Ethics Classes | Counties Offering Ethics Classes | For elected officials – 4 | For elected officials – 3 | For city staff – 6 | For city staff – 3 | Cities with Ethics Handbooks – 6 | Counties with Ethics Handbooks – 1| Source: CRB Survey Sample, 1996-97 | Although our public officials are required such training, there are still few jurisdictions who do not offer such an opportunity to their employees or officials. â€Å"Lack of training leaves agency officials at risk of unintentionally violating ethics standards, thereby undermining the agency’s substantive work and exposing officials to bad publicity, investigation and possible prosecution† (1998, March). Making mistakes like this due to the lack of training can be frustrating to the official and they can be faced with moral dilemmas. Moral dilemmas are â€Å"any predicament that arises from the impossibility of honoring all the moral values that deserve honoring† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 124-125). Without the proper education of ethics or training that is related, a person cannot fully comprehend the situation at hand. People would then make decisions based on their own personal or religious beliefs, instead of the way that is more acceptable. Our leaders need to know the importance of any obligation, value, or consequence that should be considered when determining the dilemma they care dealing with. Our leaders are faced with many dilemmas which raise the issue of ethical standards. They are entrusted to make difficult decisions with regard to the greater good of the people. Officials must consider behavior in various situations to determine the actual intent was to act ethically or unethically. When they are evaluating these dilemmas, they should â€Å"consider first whether it can be avoided altogether; in other words, whether it is a true dilemma or only an apparent one† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 125). The decision-making process of the individuals faced with choices involving ethical issues is complex. The decisions are based on whether one alternative is of the greater good than the other or the lesser of evil. Each situation should be dealt with fairness and justice. When addressing any issue that may or may not be an ethical situation you must use a tactful approach to give a proper analysis and make an appropriate decision. First, a person needs to study all information and details related to the issue. If there are some details that are unavailable you must consider what may have been or what the possibility may or may have not been. Secondly, you must decide what information may be relevant to the issue at hand. Considering any obligations that may be tied to the criteria can give you information that may have been overlooked. Any ideals related to the issue can help you to have a better understanding of the situation and how to handle it better. All consequences must be considered when giving a through analysis of the issue. Third, you have to come up with a possible course of action. Look at the alternatives that may have been there or alternative responses that could have been enacted in the situation. Keep an open mind to all situations s o that you are not making a biased decision. Last but not least, you must decide whether or not one action is more ethical than the other. You must look at all the information, evidence, and other criteria related to the situation and decide which alternative is ethically preferable. â€Å"If two actions produce good or two produce harm, choose the one that produces the greater good or the lesser harm† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 151). If you follow these steps every time you are faced with a dilemma you can feel assured that you have made a sound judgment and it is justifiable. Although many of the American people believe that the government has no ethics in decision-making, they do not see the bigger picture. Our government officials are ultimately responsible for the fair and impartial resolutions to the dilemmas they are faced with on a daily basis. The government offers ethics education and training to give employees an understanding of what may or may not be an ethical act or behavior. This will enable those individuals with a more clear view of the situations they may be faced with so that they can have sound judgment when making their decisions. The laws and ethics work together to set forth guidelines by which the American people shall adhere to. Without them, society as we know it could become chaotic and without moral values. We must â€Å"keep speculating, keep examining, keep questioning† (Ruggiero, 2008, p. 147) in order to make progress in our understanding of ethics. References Barnett, T., Cochran, D. Taylor, G. (1993, February). The Internal Disclosure Policies of Private-Sector Employers: An Initial Look at Their Relationship to Employee Whistleblowing. Journal of Business Ethics, 12 (2). Retrieved April 25, 2010, from http://springerlink.com/content/x265q448h0406874/ Bather, A. Kelly, M. (2005). Whistleblowing: The advantages of self-regulation. (Department of Accounting Working Paper Series, Number 82). Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato. Bowman, J. Elliston, F. (Eds.) (1998). Ethics, Government, and Public Policy: A Reference Guide. New York: Greenwood Press. California Research Bureau, California State Library. (1998, March). Local Government Ethics Ordinances in California. Retrieved April, 2010, from library.ca.gov/crb/98/02/98002.pdf Ruggiero, V. (2008). Thinking critically about ethical issues. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. United States Office of Government Ethics (usoge.gov/common_ethics_issues/general_principles.aspx) United States Office of Government Ethics. (1989, April) Executive Order 12674. Retrieved April 24, 2010, from usoge.gov/laws_regs/exec_orders/eo12674.pdf Research Papers on The Role of the GovernmentMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)PETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceBringing Democracy to AfricaQuebec and CanadaCapital Punishment19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Citing Conference Proceedings - Harvard Style

Citing Conference Proceedings - Harvard Style Citing Conference Proceedings – Harvard Style Every now and then, intellectuals climb down from their ivory towers and gather to swap ideas and discuss research. These are known as academic conferences and often serve as the ground from which new ideas grow. As such, you may need to cite conference proceedings – the collected presentations given at a conference in published form – when writing a paper. Most referencing systems have a format for how to cite this kind of source, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the rules. Herein we provide details of how to cite conference proceedings using Harvard style referencing. There are other referencing systems available, though, so remember to check which system your college or school prefers. Published Proceedings The papers presented at a conference are often published as a collection known as the conference proceedings. If you need to cite the entire proceedings of a conference, the format to use is: Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Full Title of Conference Proceedings. Conference Location, Date. City of Publication, Publisher. So, for example, if you were citing the proceedings of the Third Annual Proofed Conference as a whole, it would appear in your reference list as: Proofed (2015). Proceedings of the Third Annual Proofed Conference. Cambridge, May 24-27, 2015. Cambridge, PMP Publications. More commonly, you’ll want to cite one paper from published conference proceedings. In this case, your reference should include the specific paper you’re citing followed by where it can be found: Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of Paper, Full Title of Conference. Location, Date. City of Publication, Publisher, page range. If, then, you wanted to cite Alan Presenter’s paper from the Third Annual Proofed Conference, it would appear in your reference list as: Presenter, A. (2015) The Glory of Conferences, Proceedings of the Third Annual Proofed Conference. Cambridge, May 24-27, 2015. Cambridge, PMP Publications, pp. 105-127. You may also need to include access details for papers found online (e.g., a URL and a date of access). Unpublished Presentations More occasionally, you may want to cite a presentation you saw at a conference, but which isn’t available in published form. In these cases, you’ll need to provide the following details in your reference list: Contributor’s Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of Presentation, paper presented at Title of Conference. Location, Date. If you were to cite Alan Presenter’s paper before it was published, the reference list entry would therefore look like this: Presenter, A. (2015) The Glory of Conferences, paper presented at Proceedings of the Third Annual Proofed Conference. Cambridge, MA, May 24-27, 2015.

Prevention of Medical Errors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prevention of Medical Errors - Essay Example At whatever cost, appropriate preventive measures should be prevented to avoid the numerous adverse effects associated with medical errors. Indeed, medical errors have been noted to have adverse effects on the patient, the hospital and community at large. First, medical errors cause what the American Society of Registered Nurses, ASRN (2008) refers to as adverse medical events which basically include death and disability. The institution gives an example of a lawsuit in which Beverly Health Care centre in West Virginia was sued for causing the death of Edward Wilson’s wife through a medical error. It was alleged that the claimant’s wife died as a result of acute pneumonia contracted from multiple bacterial infections which developed because of the poor infection control measures while the patient was under assisted breathing. It was also noted that the nurse ignored routine safety checks conducted during assisted breathing. Other than such adverse effects and reputational damage, medical errors also have adverse economic implications to individuals and the government at large. As documented by Andel, et al . (2012), such errors cost the US government $19.5 billion in 2008. Of these, $17 billion was directly spent on additional medical cost. As such, proper measures should be undertaken to prevent medical errors. Understanding the causes of these medical errors would play a critical role in ensuring that appropriate preventive measures are adopted. A majority of these errors occur because of non-adherence to safety measures at the point of care. As such, ASRN (2008) observes that medical errors occur due to incorrectly computing drug calculations, fatigue, time pressures, understaffing, design deficiencies, inexperience, inadequate equipment and failure to follow or lack of knowledge on established protocol. Such factors cause errors involving infusion of high-risk

Critically discuss the arguments for and against the use of fair Essay - 1

Critically discuss the arguments for and against the use of fair values in the preparation and presentation of financial statements. Cite literature to support your answer - Essay Example As the report explores financial statements need to be comparable from one year to the next and between one company and another. However, even though fair values may be said to be current and therefore more comparable, the fact that judgement need to be exercised brings subjectivity into play. In addition to that, those judgements on which investors and other stakeholders depend have their own agenda. In some cases they may exercise their judgement in such a way as to manipulate the accounts. This therefore brings us back to the reliability of the figures in the financial statements. This essay stresses that the arguments against fair value accounting appear to outnumber those in favour. Most of the arguments against essentially relate to the classification of financial instruments the fair value hierarchy. According to Ernest and Young the 2008 amendment of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) requires that the classification of financial instruments be recorded at fair value in a hierarchy consisting of three levels. The first levelrelates to quoted prices that have not been adjusted for identical assets and liabilities in active markets. The second level relates to input prices but excludes quoted prices which are included in the first level and which can be observed directly for assets and liabilities, in the form of prices or in the form of derived prices indirectly. The third level relates to both assets and liabilities that are not based on market data that can be observed.

GLOBAL HEALTH CARE PAPER & PRESENTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GLOBAL HEALTH CARE PAPER & PRESENTATION - Essay Example By then, these efforts helped China achieve better results than those countries that they share the same level of economic development. One of the most remarkable health care reforms is patient-centered, which was introduced in 1997; the same reform agenda has formed the basis for hospital management reforms that have been introduced in China from 2005. This patient-centered approach has been promoted by improving the relationship between the doctor and the patient. Although the health care reforms in China have seen many positive results, it has also resulted to some negative impacts, which has threatened the country’s preventive health programs. Even the recent introduction of limited health insurance for preventative services and charges for immunization has not helped salvage the situation. The money that has been gotten from these schemes have proved insufficient to finance a preventative program, which currently uses 15 percent of the Ministry of Public Health’s r esources and barely 2 percent of the total health costs (Hillier & Shen, 2012). The main reason for introduction of reforms in China’s health care system was to relieve the government of some health care burden, which could be achieved by encouraging hospitals to make enough income to sustain their budgets. In this arrangement, the hospital fee is paid by labor insurance or the patients themselves through a straight fee-for-service program. The hospitals have, therefore, been forced to raise their prices in order to cover their charges and costs. In addition, the volume of healthcare services increased in the 1980s when the insurance increased their spending by 16 percent (Hillier & Shen, 2012). The health care in China has become ‘provider-led’ due to the self-financing system by the hospitals. This system has several shortcomings, including high cost of drugs and polypharmacy, longer in-patient waits for those who have an insurance cover, and inapt application of costly technology. The other major challenge of Chinese health care system is the inequalities that is introduced as a result of the reduced investment in township hospitals and the disintegration of rural health cooperatives. However, this system encourages CT scans such as the one belonging to those who have taken insurance cover for their health. In addition, this system ensures a detailed payment that encourages antibiotic injections, and infusion of intravenous vitamin among other forms of treatments (Hillier & Shen, 2012). Compare & contrast China’s health system with the American System before & after the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act. In a bid to make healthcare affordable to the poor, who makes eighty percent of its population, China has made efforts to give them basic health facilities through a national strategy; even before the introduction of affordability policy. Unlike in the U.S., in China the accessibility of affordable healthcare has be en regarded as an essential human right and hence should be availed to the whole society. This shows that the Chinese healthcare is more equal than that of the U.S. especially considering that the cost of treatment is less than that of the U.S., although the GDP of America is larger than that of China by a large margin, China has experienced a greater growth in the rate of

Thornton Dial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thornton Dial - Essay Example In 1940 Thornton relocated to Bessemer, Alabama. In Alabama he was exposed to various forms of art and artworks that inspired to create his own pieces of art. After having been employed at the Pullman Company for close to 30 years, the factory was closed in 1981. This prompted Thornton to dedicate more of his time, creativity and thinking to developing and expressing his artistic capabilities. In 1987 he met Bill Arnett, a local but very influential art collector who helped Thornton and his works gain prominence (Thornton & Herman 59). According to Thornton & Herman (16), Thornton Dial’s work mainly focuses on pressing issues that can be found within the realm of American history and politics. These include racism, homelessness, war and bigotry. Using discarded items ranging from buckets to bones to ropes, he constructs assemblages on a large scale. He combines whatever materials he has found with paint and in the process creates an interesting interpretation of politics and history in the United States. Thornton has participated in many exhibitions and his works can be found in many well-known private and public collections. These include the Indianapolis Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the High Museum of Art, the American Folk Art Museum, New York; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Thornton & Herman

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey Essay

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey - Essay Example Most of these countries (particularly Turkey) have issues with the formation of an autonomous Kurdish region for several reasons which will be discussed within this paper. The Kurds have their own unique culture, language and religious beliefs that set them apart from the general population of the countries in which Kurdistan is currently politically part of, and have been persecuted by these nations throughout history. One of the main issues in Kurdistan is the struggle to form an autonomous nation that recognizes the rights and rich history of these people. Interestingly, the Iraqi government recognized the state as early as 1970 (Houston, 2008), giving the Kurdish people within Iraq autonomous rule, but the other governments, in particular Turkey, have not recognized the area as separate and autonomous and this is a constant source of tension within the area today. Within Turkey, the Kurds are the largest non-Turkish ethnic group (Barkey & Fuller, 1998), a fact which the Turkish p eople perceive as the main reason why the Kurds are the biggest threat to Turkish national identity and perhaps why these people struggle within Turkey. This essay will focus primarily on the Kurdish people within Turkey and identify some of the key issues and solutions in this situation. Current events will be utilized to show the troubles within the area and highlight the positives and negatives of being a Kurd in modern Turkey. History of Kurdistan To properly understand the struggles of the Kurdish people in Turkey, it is necessary to have a complete historical background of the area and discuss how the language and culture of these people has developed over time. Not only is this an interesting standalone topic, it highlights some of the differences between the people of Kurdistan and the Turkish population, a source of great tension between the two cultures. Kurdish culture can be traced back to ancient history. It has been suggested that the ancient Kingdom of Corduene is ana lagous to the modern-day Kurdistan (Houston, 2008), and may of the ancient districts of this area correspond well to modern district. The first reference to Kurdistan (or Land of the Kurds) is found in a Christian document which describes the Christian Saints of the area, people who were driven out of the area by Pagans (Barkey & Fuller, 1998). The Kurdish language is believed to have developed from a dialect of Iran in the early centuries of the Common Era (Houston, 2008). From here on, there is a clearer history of the area. The Middle Ages saw the development of several Kurdish provinces such as Shaddadid, Marwanid and Rawadid (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), all fairly autonomous regions which can be likened to modern-day emirates. They were under religious and political control of Khalifs, but this was indirect and not particularly forceful, allowing the Kurdish culture to begin to develop into something recognizable today. Islam was first brought to the area in 641CE by an Arab leader known as Utba ibn farqad (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), and was followed by a number of uprisings, revolutions and conquests by Muslim leaders. It was the loss of power from the Byzantine and Sasanian empire by these Muslim caliphates that led to the Kurdish people being allowed to identify mountain administrators and set up independent states in the eastern Taurus mountain ranges, where Kurdish people can still be found today (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997). The modern history of Kurdistan is also fascinating. The 16th century brought many wars to the area and eventually the modern area of Kurdistan was split between the Safavid and Ottoman empires. Most Kurds lived in the Ottoman empire until World War I, when the Allied troops tried to split the area into several distinct

Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Assessment - Essay Example guidance and management of the school principal whose participation influences the level of school efficiency through aligning individual teacher instructions with student achievement. My participation in instructional collaboration would be to intensify my relationship with colleagues, offer my opinion towards a student-centered school, gain proficiency in curriculum goals, raise my expectations and that of other teachers, become part of an aggressive and engaged community of teacher-learners, and reinforces the entire school program. I would hesitate to collaborate to avoid over-dependence on my colleagues, and to gain more confidence my decisions. I would also not collaborate to pursue issues geared towards personal goals that conflict with student-centered learning. In my opinion, successful collaboration must improve my reflective abilities and promote individual professional growth. Additionally, partners have to demonstrate strong self-esteem and motivation, sense of security hence a common goal, shared studying and peer observation, open and rich professional dialogues, instructional variety in teaching, elevated risk taking, planning and preparation, and improved of levels self-confidence. Through increased participation in of teachers curriculum delivery, collaboration makes it possible to evaluate the outcomes of both the teachers and the students. Yes, I have previously participated in instructional collaboration. I engaged in consultation collaboration for a topic I did not know how to deliver effectively. The experience made me to realize that not all teachers feel secure when engaging in collaboration and they would turn you away claiming they are busy. However, most teachers are willing to assist newly employed colleagues in effort to promote consistent student learning. I felt incompetent and did not want to jeopardize the learning of my students. I would look for a partner who is trustworthy and who seeks equitable distribution of

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey Essay

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey - Essay Example Most of these countries (particularly Turkey) have issues with the formation of an autonomous Kurdish region for several reasons which will be discussed within this paper. The Kurds have their own unique culture, language and religious beliefs that set them apart from the general population of the countries in which Kurdistan is currently politically part of, and have been persecuted by these nations throughout history. One of the main issues in Kurdistan is the struggle to form an autonomous nation that recognizes the rights and rich history of these people. Interestingly, the Iraqi government recognized the state as early as 1970 (Houston, 2008), giving the Kurdish people within Iraq autonomous rule, but the other governments, in particular Turkey, have not recognized the area as separate and autonomous and this is a constant source of tension within the area today. Within Turkey, the Kurds are the largest non-Turkish ethnic group (Barkey & Fuller, 1998), a fact which the Turkish p eople perceive as the main reason why the Kurds are the biggest threat to Turkish national identity and perhaps why these people struggle within Turkey. This essay will focus primarily on the Kurdish people within Turkey and identify some of the key issues and solutions in this situation. Current events will be utilized to show the troubles within the area and highlight the positives and negatives of being a Kurd in modern Turkey. History of Kurdistan To properly understand the struggles of the Kurdish people in Turkey, it is necessary to have a complete historical background of the area and discuss how the language and culture of these people has developed over time. Not only is this an interesting standalone topic, it highlights some of the differences between the people of Kurdistan and the Turkish population, a source of great tension between the two cultures. Kurdish culture can be traced back to ancient history. It has been suggested that the ancient Kingdom of Corduene is ana lagous to the modern-day Kurdistan (Houston, 2008), and may of the ancient districts of this area correspond well to modern district. The first reference to Kurdistan (or Land of the Kurds) is found in a Christian document which describes the Christian Saints of the area, people who were driven out of the area by Pagans (Barkey & Fuller, 1998). The Kurdish language is believed to have developed from a dialect of Iran in the early centuries of the Common Era (Houston, 2008). From here on, there is a clearer history of the area. The Middle Ages saw the development of several Kurdish provinces such as Shaddadid, Marwanid and Rawadid (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), all fairly autonomous regions which can be likened to modern-day emirates. They were under religious and political control of Khalifs, but this was indirect and not particularly forceful, allowing the Kurdish culture to begin to develop into something recognizable today. Islam was first brought to the area in 641CE by an Arab leader known as Utba ibn farqad (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), and was followed by a number of uprisings, revolutions and conquests by Muslim leaders. It was the loss of power from the Byzantine and Sasanian empire by these Muslim caliphates that led to the Kurdish people being allowed to identify mountain administrators and set up independent states in the eastern Taurus mountain ranges, where Kurdish people can still be found today (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997). The modern history of Kurdistan is also fascinating. The 16th century brought many wars to the area and eventually the modern area of Kurdistan was split between the Safavid and Ottoman empires. Most Kurds lived in the Ottoman empire until World War I, when the Allied troops tried to split the area into several distinct

Ethical and Social Responsibility at Hyundai Motor Company Essay

Ethical and Social Responsibility at Hyundai Motor Company - Essay Example By being ethically and socially responsible, the company ensures that it maximizes positive impact on the society, while reducing negative societal impact. Accordingly, a company is supposed to ensure legal, economic and charitable humanitarian responsibilities (Ihlen, Bartlett & May, 2011). The Hyundai motor company is an automobiles manufacturing and distribution company, of South Korean origin. This company has dealings in many other world regions including; Europe, America as well as the Middle East. According to Lansbury et al. (2007), among the company’s main concerns is, corporate social responsibility via corporate citizenship, through which, the company makes its contribution to the global society. For Hyundai motor company, ethical responsibility encompasses social contribution, environmental management and trust-based administration. As far as social contribution is concerned, the company has enlarged its capacity and obtained expertise for effective global projects (Kaslow, 2006). Hyundai also participates in charitable initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the lives of the local population. Trust-based administration focuses on the improvement of labor dealings, mutual benefit between them and their suppliers, as well as transparent management. Lastly, environmental management deals with responding to global tendencies, as well as environmentally related laws. It recognizes that the environment is an essential element in any business, therefore, promotes the manufacturing and supply of environmentally safe goods. The Hyundai Company also ensures the reduction of pollutants, while preserving sources of energy, from product manufacture to its disposal. Needle (2010) states that, this is achieved through training programs offered to all employees on international laws and regulations concerning the environment. Generally, the company aims at gaining trust from both the public and the government and pursuing qualitative and quantitat ive growth. In addition, Hyundai seeks to lead the industry in sustainable management, improve corporate competitiveness and grow as a revered company. Hyundai concerns itself with communities suffering the aftermaths of natural disasters, by providing quick and effective assistance. In the summer of 2005, Austria was hit by unusual floods on the Alps. In response, the Hyundai Motor Company sent financial help and provided vehicular support to help in the evacuation efforts. According to Hyundai worldwide (2010), this gesture was well received by Austria and served to solidify the Hyundai presence in that region. Through its subsidiary company in America, Hyundai has positively impacted on the society, especially through its â€Å"hope on wheels† foundation that has funded the field of pediatric cancer study and treatment. Hyundai is also an ardent supporter of the American society against cancer, to whose end; it has given financial aid since 2001. Hyundai is also a corporat e sponsor of the association that calls for equal rights for all Americans, thus ensuring political, social, educational and economic rights of the minority in the American system. These activities have helped Hyundai gain many accolades globally. The Hyundai Motor

Symbolic Interaction in the movie ‘None stop’ Essay Example for Free

Symbolic Interaction in the movie ‘None stop’ Essay Symbolic Interaction in the movie ‘None stop’ Introduction            Symbolic interaction pertains to the social perspective on oneself and the society. The core idea in this is that humans live in what is known as a symbolic domain. The symbols here are objects which are culturally derived socially with shared meanings which are brought up and maintained through social interaction. Through communication, thought and language, symbols put forward the means for reality construction. What is referred as reality is a social product that is primarily humanly consequential. Culture mind, self and society is dependent on symbolic interaction for its existence and emerges from the same. Even the physical environment that we are living in is taken as being relevant to the conduct of humans, mainly the main reason being it is all interpreted through symbols and the way it interacts with the ones who live in it. There are three key pillars of symbolic interaction. These consist of, the meaning which is the construction of social reality, language which is used to bring up the meaning and thought which are used to internalize the languages to come up with a certain meaning. To show symbolic interaction, I will base my argument on the movie ‘non stop’ by Bill Marks.            In the Jaume Collet-Serra‘s most recent film, Non-Stop, clearly brings out the concept of symbolic interaction in that its hero receives a chain of mysterious text messages. Here symbolic interaction portrays itself as this hero has to think, internalize and come up with the meaning of what the person in the other end. Liam Neeson, who plays Bill Marks is a United States Air Marshal and he brings with him baggage both factual and symbolic. While he is on a trans-Atlantic flight ending in London, he receives a text message directing that a sum of $150MM be deposited into a bank account. One thing that is put clear in this demand is, if it is not met, one passenger will die. Mark is confused on what to do as he is trying to figure out things, hence this is a clear show of symbolic interaction in this film. After the occurrence of one death, Mark who is helped by a flight attendant and one passenger tries to unravel this misery by trying to find who was making s uch threats. They do not want to face more deaths and so they must know what these people want so that more deaths cannot be experienced. As mark tries to think what was the meaning of all that, he tries the elimination method where he tries to eliminate the passengers one by one as the possible suspects. One by one, Marks attempts to eliminate each of the passengers as a possible suspect. Nevertheless, the table gradually turns on the marshal, who is suspected of hijacking the plane for ransom money and not the only savior. This becomes even worse after the discovery of a bomb in the other marshal’s briefcase. This also is a big show of symbolic interaction as Mark is confused about want the society rely demands from him.            The other show of this aspect of this movie is when one is unable to clearly tell who the villain here is as all the characters are straining to achieve two dimensions of the story. There are many suspects ranging from the suspicious bald man with attitude complications, the middle-eastern doctor the unassuming woman insisting on window seats and the black man who won’t let off his sunglasses. There are many questions crossing one’s mind as trying to know who the bad guy is for sure. Mark goes through most scenes in the movie with an air suspicion concerning him.            He is portrayed as a heavy drinker, not only because he is seen mixing booze with tea before entering the airport, but also his habit of stirring it with his toothbrush. His drinking becomes ultimately how people define him and not something that defines himself. By this language that this movie maker tries to bring up the thoughts which ultimately make people to conclude mark’s drinking problem. This also shows an instance of symbolic interaction in this movie.            Finally, an aspect of symbolic interaction is seen when it is revealed that the terrorist mastermind was trying to manipulate matters so that Neeson’s marshal appears to be the hijacker. The waving of his gun and roughing up the passengers does not seem to help. As the passengers were really ready to rise against their fake captor, Neeson offers everyone a free international travel for one year. References   Friedkin, William (2014-03-02).  NON-STOP is a great action suspense movie. I highly recommend it.. Retrieved 2014-03-28.   Chitwood, Adam (November 8, 2012).  First Synopsis for Director Jaume Collet-Serra’s NON-STOP Starring Liam Neeson. Collider.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012. Source document

Alternate Ways of Measuring Performance Essay -- Essays Papers

Balanced Scorecard Alternate Ways of Measuring Performance Abstract Many organizations are usefully viewed as a web of relationships between and among various stakeholder groups. An organization may be defined as a "nexus of contracts," where said "contracts" are relationships that are marked by contributions from the various stakeholders in return for inducements provided by the organization. Over the long haul, the success of an organization is a function of the extent to which the needs and requirements of its various stakeholders can be integrated and balanced, without sacrificing any one to the other. There is, in this arrangement, mutual influence and accountability. It is the main thesis of this paper that many organizations would be well served by making use of the Balanced Scorecard as an alternate way of evaluating a company’s performance. Introduction Since its introduction in the Harvard Business Review in 1992, many corporate executives and information technology (IT) professionals have found the concept of Balanced Scorecard it to be a key strategic measuring stick of corporate success. Robert Kaplan and David Norton created balanced Scorecard, often referred to as BSC, in the early 1990’s. Today many large consulting firms like Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Earnst and Young have adopted the balanced scorecard concept. A balanced scorecard is a framework for translating strategic goals and visions into measurable results for the entire enterprise. The balanced scorecard starts with corporate strategies and objectives, and then uses financial and non-financial measures from across the company to create positive and negative indicators of corporate success for all levels of the organization (Kaplan and Norton, 1992). These indicators provide an in depth snap shot of corporate performance that managers and executives can use to clearly manage the company for success on a daily basis. Since the scorecard is based on key performance indicators (KPIs) that are directly linked to corporate goals, it provides a true measure of corporate success. These KPIs consist not just of financial indicators, but also of performance measures in customer satisfaction, internal process, and innovation and improvement (Kaplan Norton, 1992). The breadth and diversity provided by all four perspectives give managers an ideal cross-func... ...to a system of performance measurements that effectively communicate a powerful, forward-looking, strategic focus to the entire organization. This balanced concept allows an organization to evaluate its performance in different aspects other than financially acceptable balance sheets or income statements. Bibliography 1.) Atkinson A. A., Waterhouse, J.H., and Wells, R.B. (1997). â€Å"A Stakeholder Approach to Strategic Performance Measurement.† Sloan Management Review (Spring, 1997, pp25- 37): Cambridge. 2.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1992). â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance.† Harvard Business Review (January-February 1992): 71-79. 3.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1996a). â€Å"Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy.† California Management Review (Vol. 39 No.1, Fall, 1996): 53-77. 4.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1996b). â€Å"Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System.† Harvard Business Review (January-February 1996): 75- 85. 5.) 5.) Nickols, Fred (1999). â€Å"Reconciling and Integrating Stakeholder Needs and Requirements.† COG News (Spring 1999)