David Maloufs Hero in Ransom - 1215 Words

The hero trope is used in many different genres in many different ways, but the genre in which this trope and the ‘hero’s quest’ appear in their traditional form is that of narrative heroic poetry. One such example being the eight century poem Beowulf. Which when tied and compared to a much more modern take on the traditional hero genre in the form of David Malouf’s â€Å"ransom† showcase the different ways in which the hero trope can be explored. Throughout both these texts, the author directs and challenges the readers ideas of heroism. Within Beowulf especially where the traditional ideals of being a hero are challenged and reformed, to create depth and interesting new ideas thus come into play that co-exist with traditional hero tropes and the unique genre to become a new thing. Also within David Malouf’s ‘Ransom’ the genre is challenged by modernising a familiar traditional hero tale and inter-textualising it. Creating a wh ole new form of telling the heroes quest, without relying heavily on the original tale for details and instead brings forth more attention to characters that are in the background or barely mentioned in the original text. Beowulf holds a key to understanding how the author can invoke a response from the reader through different narrative forms and the heroic/non heroic trope. The form of the epic poem is used to present the themes of power, war death and life itself in an enhanced way that allows the writer to arouse a particular response from theShow MoreRelatedRANSOM BY David Malouf Class Notes2751 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿ RANSOM BY David Malouf Characters Make brief notes in your workbook to describe who each character is Agamemnon Peleus Patroclus Achilles Priam Briseis Hermes Hector Hecuba Thetis Iris Somax/Idaeus Myrmidons Neoptelemus Polydamus Automedon Helenus Cassandra Background Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, first started as an oral storytelling tradition dating from about 1100 BC, after the Trojan war. It is part of the great oral tradition of storytelling

Reflection of the Chaffey College Music Department Benefit...

I attended the Chaffey College Music Department Benefit Concert on February 7 at the Chaffey College theatre. The visual and performance arts presents in concert Los Angeles Philharmonic String Quartet. The concert was lead by Vijay Gupta, LA Philharmonic first violins with Tao Ni on cello, and Michael Larco on violas. The theater was filled up with audience coming from all over the place waiting for the performance to start. The concert had become a trio because one of the performers could not make it to the concert. Brandon Bernstein, music theory instructor, introduced the trio, which has toured internationally and is one of the most renowned orchestra groups in the world. The lights dimmed and the trio came out, bowed, and began to play. This orchestra played all string instruments. They performed three songs that are â€Å"Hungarian String Trio†, â€Å"String Serenade†, and â€Å"Chaconne†. The first song was called the â€Å"Hungarian String Trio† co mposed by Gyà ¶rgy Ligeti. I heard all three string instruments played in this song. This piece has two movements that are andante and allegro. The tempo of the first movement was at a moderate pace and the tempo of the second movement was fast. Gyà ¶rgy Ligeti incorporated consonant harmonies into his work which means his songs have even major and minor triads. This song has a triple meter and I would say that this song was mostly polyphonic because there were three lines performed by three different performers. I think that the melody moved by

Against Bilingual Education Essay Example For Students

Against Bilingual Education Essay Is Bilingual Education an effective way for our students to be learning in our schools today? This is a question that has been asked in this country tort many years. It has been an Issue of controversy for many years. Many people believe that Bilingual Education Is a modern day Issue that has recently been a focus point In our country. Bilingual Education and all of its components has been a part of our education system for over 100 years and since then the battle of how to teach It and what the effects are on a child and the politics of It started. One of the biggest discussions has en what is the effect of each style of teaching, which Is best suited for a child to learn English fluently. Another topic that has had a big influence on Bilingual Education is the Politics surrounding all aspects of it. These Politics have played a role in how the standards and guidelines are set up for Bilingual Education in the schools. Also there are the different types of methods when teaching Bilingual Education in our school system and which works the best for the school, the teacher and the students. Finally there are several deferent benefits of having a bilingual aground that has helped people of Bilingual backgrounds grow both with education and professionalism. As the example shows there are many topics that go into play with Bilingual Education and the argument of, Will Bilingual Education ever be effective will continue as long as our country continues to expand, encourage the changing tot demographics and welcome people trot different parts tot the world. The melting pot that Is the united states continues to grow with people who bring the languages of their native countries with them. The effect of translation on a child who Is surrounded In a bilingual environment can be very challenging pending on the method practice in the classroom. There are three different methods that are currently used in our schools today. One method utilized In our schools Is English-only immersion. English-only Immersion Is a sink or swim style of learning that can actually hold a child back in their learning. The next style is quick- exit bilingual education that helps a child flow from their native language to English. This is a transitional style of learning where the student starts off at an all Spanish environment and transitions to an all English environment. Finally there is the late- exit bilingual education which helps the student develop English from a learning and social environment. With these three different styles of learning there has been a lot of debate over what style Is the most efficient method and the most accurate way to teach Bilingual Education in todays classroom environment. Politics of bilingual education in schools is proving that no child will be slowed down or held back in the process of learning English. This idea, which has led to many different types of facts and fallacies, continues to be discussed. There is a large belief in the educational oral that bilingual education has been a recently new issue due to all tot the media coverage surrounds the Immigration Issues In this country. In reality, bilingual education Is not new; It has been around since the early twentieth century when immigrants first started to migrate to this country from Italy, Ireland, Germany and other European countries. In 191 1, for example a federal commission accused groups of immigrants of failing to learn English when they arrived here from their home countries. (Crawford, z ) I mere NAS also Eden a way AT twinkling Tanat ten Engels engage is being threatened by more languages that are being brought to the United States. .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .postImageUrl , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:hover , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:visited , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:active { border:0!important; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:active , .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175 .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u98193ad6c544625897ac6fc201167175:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Symbolism In Native Son EssayThere is one thing that is rarely talked about is that English was not threatened then or now in any generation since this country began. In two or three generations of immigrants and indigenous minorities learned English and often lost their native languages. (NAVE. 2008) One of the biggest political stance taken was when congress passed the, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 which lead educational leaders to stress on high standards for all students, combined with enforceable requirements to meet those high standards. Crawford. 008) But this has not happened the way that it was set forth because the system cant distinguish between schools who are neglecting E. L. L. s ( English Language Learner) and those that are making improvements. (Crawford. 2008) So, as you can see politics will always have a play on Bilingual Education because there hasnt been one standard teaching styles which is causing the educational system to constantly coming up with ways to come up with a national standard. The different teaching standards leave a different effect on each student in our current educational system. With the Immersion style of teaching the student is put through an environment that is a sink or swim learning style which causes the student to learn at the levels of the classmates. This style makes the child learn with minimal use of their native language that makes the student dependent on a language that they are trying to learn. The Immersion style has shown that it is not effective to help students learn English effectively. The Quick Exit is a good learning style because it helps the student transition easily with the use of their native language. The main emphasis of quick exit bilingual education programs is to enable emitted English proficient students to become competent in all areas of English through the development of literacy and academic skills in their native language. (pillbox. VT. Du) One of the most effective ways to teach English is Late-Exit Bilingual Education because Late-Exit Bilingual programs provide students with instruction in their native language to facilitate understanding but with the goal of eventually being put into the mainstreaming with other students who are in English speaking classrooms. This has shown that learning in the Late Exit programs also helps the tuned be proficient in other subjects such as math and science. With these styles being taught in our class rooms each style will continue to have challenges and accomplishments in the class room that will lead to different standards. Coming from immigrant parents, I know the difficulty students go through when they do not know the language. Bilingual education is absolutely beneficial because it gives the student an additional advantage in different areas. The child increases their vocabulary, but increases their awareness of language. Students who are bilingual do not have difficulty learning nor processes information, although insist have noticed that there is reaching language milestones when the child is in a bilingual environment. Being bilingual opens doors that are not open to monolingual speakers. Speaking two languages is equivalent as having two people who speak one language. When the employer is in need of two languages in the work place, the employer prefers to pay one salary for the same work rather than two salaries. This will allow the employer open to a whole new demographic. Thus, the Lingual employee wall De parterre over two monolingual employees. I nà ©e employer is saving money and is now given the opportunity to offer the bilingual employees a lingual bonus. With this country growing more and more diverse, it is important to look at becoming bilingual and learning other languages as part of our basic education not only does this benefit the individual but will also add to the growing financial avenues. Our Nation has gotten by for more than 200 years with out adopting an official language, so why start now. (Crawford. 2006) As our history has shown our country has always had a second, third language tied into our culture. Although bilingual education is an effective way of learning, the transition on a child from a bilingual eating to all English environments can be a challenging process for various reasons. First, the politics of having bilingual education in schools is proving that no child should get held up in the process of learning English to become their first language. .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .postImageUrl , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:hover , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:visited , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:active { border:0!important; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:active , .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7ce8f2e3ab0501a7e3b3814b8637b72c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Analysis of Robert Frosts Departmental EssayWith the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act) the government has taken a step to have every child get an education no matter what language they speak. Additionally the benefits of having a second language has proven to be beneficial to our society as it opens up an additional avenues of advancement in a professional career as well as in a educational career. But most importantly, many children are not able to learn as quickly in the transition because of the type of teaching style that they receive early on in their development.

St. Augustine Confessions about Friendship

Table of Contents Friendship is for God Friendship towards God Augustine’s View Conclusion Works Cited St. Augustine is one of the most influential philosophers and teachers from ancient times. Much of what is known about him comes from his writings. The world will never be the same because of him and his masterpiece known all over this planet as The Confessions of St. Augustine. He was an ordained priest and later on became a Bishop of North Africa.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on St. Augustine: Confessions about Friendship – Term Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He may appear at fist glance as a deeply religious person who shuns the secular world and who pursued the spirit life using methods preferred by monks, but surprisingly St. Augustine believes in friendship. In his Confessions one will see that he considers friendship as an important part of the Christian life. St. Augustine did not only believes in the power, beauty, and significance of friendship in this earthly existence, he also sees friendship from a deeply spiritual and philosophical level. He believes that friendships formed in this world have an ultimate purpose and it is to prepare people for what is to come – a perfect relationship with God. First there is friendship with God and then there is friendship with man. According to one historian Augustine’s basic framework to understand friendship comes from a heavenly perspective. Augustine believes that the only true source of friendship is God and he adds that it is only through this God-man relationship that people can understand the ideal meaning of friendship (Hyatte, 1994, p.46). In addition, Augustine confesses that humans are not only supposed to tap this higher source for guidance when it comes to earthly relationship, this friendship, if done correctly will lead them to God (Hyatte, 1994, p.46). This is evident in his writi ngs most especially in the Confessions. Friendship is for God It has to be pointed out that Augustine is not merely giving lip service to religion and his spiritual beliefs in the same way that some people are prone to do. He is not only making a suggestion when he defined friendship from a spiritual standpoint. The context of his writings must be understood as not coming from the pen of a sociologist or a politician who merely attempted to say or write nice things that in turn will be warmly accepted by the general public. Augustine wrote from a deep conviction. This is a man of God who desires not to be misinterpreted when it comes to his teachings. There is a high level of orthodoxy in his teachings that says God is the center and the most important part of life. This understanding covers every aspect of his life including friendship. In Book IV of the Confessions Augustine makes an emphatic statement when it comes to judging who is a true friend or not.Advertising Looking f or term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Referring to a person whom he grew up with, and spent considerable time with as a school-fellow and as play-fellow, Augustine is blunt in his assessment of their relationship and he wrote: â€Å"But he was not yet my friend as afterwards, nor even then, as true friendship is; for true it cannot be, unless in such as Thou cementest together, cleaving unto thee, by that love which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us† (Augustine, Book IV). This mindset colors everything that he sees. Augustine did not casually mention the role that God played in friendship he meant something deeper and through the help of a commentary one can see a partial revelation of his worldview, that for Augustine: â€Å"there can be no consensus between men on earthly matters unless first they agree perfectly on divine or spiritual ones †¦ onl y those with orthodox religious beliefs can be true friends, and they agree on human matters because their taste and opinions are formed by those beliefs† (Hyatte, 1994 p.63). This is crucial component to Augustine’s understanding of what true friendship is. Once this particular belief system has been identified then it is now possible to take a closer look at friendship viewed from this perspective. Augustine vacillates between two extremes when it comes to describing friendship. On one hand he said that he as no friends except those who share in his beliefs. On the other hand he confesses that he used to have friends but they made him understand the weakness of the flesh. Augustine laments that in human friendship that is not anchored in God one can only expect frustrations and sorrows. Sorrow is inevitable in a relationship composed of frail human beings. Sorrow is also expected in a relationship governed with lust. Sorrow is the result of creating a relationship for the purpose of filling up the emptiness inside the soul of man. But there is nothing on this earth that can fill up that void. However, friends are unaware of this and so they keep on working on their relationship until it is no more or until one is hurt beyond repair. Sorrow comes when a friend is led by another friend into the path of destruction thinking wrongly that there lies the road to happiness. Augustine implies that it is normal for friends to make that mistake because in normal circumstances they are driven by their sinful nature. Frustration comes from the realization that there are high expectations that could not be met. This is especially true when it comes to a special friendship between man and woman, a type of relationship that Augustine is not ignorant about. Before he was converted or before he gave his life wholly for the service of God, Augustine knows what it means to fall in love.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on St. Augustine: Con fessions about Friendship – Term Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He has a son to one woman and then married another for the simple reason of satisfying the flesh and at the same time the purported benefits of a man-woman relationship. But at the end he said that there is nothing in this type of relationship that lasts and truly satisfies the soul. Augustine said that the friend is not only a friend – ready to serve, love, and protect – he is also a friend in need. There is that expectation to receive the love given. It is expected that there is reciprocity in that love. Augustine said that there are times when it is impossible to pay back what was given and the hope of love paid back in full can be sometimes suffocating. But there is more. Augustine said that this type of friendship that is not anchored in the Almighty is a friendship that will end in sadness especially when the other person dies and those who are left behind are left with a void that they cannot understand. Friendship towards God When he took on a new understanding of life, when he became a Christian, Augustine began to deplore the friendship that he had with the world and the people who are of the world. But this does not mean that he did not appreciate his friendship with them. In Book IV the reader is introduced to a friend whom Augustine truly loves because when he was near death Augustine was affected greatly and there were no words that could describe his feeling. Augustine is deeply religious but he is not a hermit. He is comparable to a pastor who longs to be with people and not like a holy man who prefers isolation and prefers to stay away from the crowd. When he became a Christian he all the more appreciated the power, beauty and significance of friendship especially the one he shared with like-minded people. But before going any further it is important to point out that Augustine owes his conversion to his friendship with others. It is through this friendship that he was able to see the error of his ways. It was his friend Alypius who led him to the path of righteousness and for that Augustine was so thankful. He wrote extensively about his friendship with Alypius and his impact on his life. He would continue to seek for this type of friends those who would make him a better Christian.Advertising Looking for term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Augustine’s method of acquiring friends and sustaining their relationship came first as the result of his ardent passion to know wisdom and truth. Thus, even at a young age he chose to associate with those who can lead him to a higher level of learning. When he became a Christian he still had the same passion but this time around his search for truth is made more complex by another desire, which is the knowledge of Christ. It is no wonder then that Augustine’s friendship has a distinctive characteristic in it and it can be best described as having the quality of evident in a teacher-disciple relationship. Thus, Augustine will take a student under his wings and he would teach this younger fellow and in the process of teaching he becomes a friend to this person. But Augustine is not always the teacher; there was a time when friendship was developed when he entered into a mentor-mentee relationship with Ambrose the Bishop of Milan. Obviously the relationship started from the standpoint of a teacher dispensing wisdom and truth to a hungry student but overtime they developed a special friendship that Augustine treasured for the rest of his life and he wrote: That man of God received me as a father, and showed me an Episcopal kindness of my coming. Thenceforth I began to love him at first indeed not as a teacher of the truth (which I utterly despaired of thy Church), but as a person kind towards myself (Augustine, Book V). It is important to note that Augustine was attracted to Ambrose not because of his eloquence and erudite thoughts but because of his kindness towards him. This is a revelation as to how Augustine perceived human behavior and how he is affected by it. This is significant because the first impression that one will have on Augustine is a scholar who loves nothing more than to read and study. This initial assessment of his character creates a wrong assumption that this man is willing to sacrifice the nuances of human relationships in ord er to immediately dive into knowledge and wisdom – to feast on ideas and conjectures without regard to human relationships. But this statement is proof that Augustine does not only have a powerful mind that has overpowered all his senses but it also shows that he is a sensitive man. He brought himself near to Ambrose not only because Ambrose can teach him great things but first of all because Ambrose demonstrated that he can be a friend to Augustine. He is also fond of Nebridius the friend who allowed him to experience life in a deeper way. This is the friend who allowed him to imbibe wisdom, and understand the depths of God. He was forever thankful for meeting Nebridius, Alypius, and Ambrose. His friendship with them allows us to see the context of his declaration that true friendship is from and must be used to propel each one into the knowledge and intimate relationship with the Almighty. Augustine’s View At first Augustine felt despair because his friends are dear to him but they lead him to the paths of destruction. It is difficult for him to reconcile what he is feeling and what he knows. It has become clear after reading the Confessions that Augustine is a sensitive man who may have the mind of a philosopher but he also posses the heart of an ordinary fellow who is mindful of his need for companionship. It tore his heart and his soul thinking about his desire to be with them especially to his lady friend. But he had to choose the path less traveled. It was clear that he suffered in his decision to pursue a life dedicated to spiritual pursuits but at the end he was rewarded because he believed that God gave him true friends. It has to be reiterated that in the latter stages of his life especially after his conversion to Christianity and his clear understanding of the truth Augustine appreciated friendship in the context of a student and teacher relationship. For Augustine this type of relationship is not the same as the way modern people co me to perceive a teacher-student dynamic. In ancient times students and teachers can live in the same house and they are not limited by the four walls of the classrooms. In other words they can experience a deep level of connectedness that is not possible in today’s world. It is through these relationships that Augustine was able to prove that he can become a better Christian if he has these types of friends as opposed to engaging in a spiritual journey without companions. It can even be said that without his friends, especially when it comes to Alpius, Nebridius, and Ambrose he could not have written his masterpiece. This is because he was able to distill the lessons of life through his interaction with his friends. This is perhaps the reason why Augustine influenced the Christian church in such a profound way – he gave people access to lofty truths by way of earthly examples of human relationships. This may also explain why Augustine is popular to students especially the adolescents because of the way he can connect with them as he exposed his inner-struggles as a young man and therefore can easily establish a connection with today’s teenagers and college students (Henninger, 1989, p.32). This is the legacy of Augustine. Conclusion The secret of Augustine’s success and the reason why he is so popular even in the 21st century is that he did not discuss theology using words that are difficult to grasp. He did not use concepts that require a genius to appreciate. He used his experience and understanding of friendship as a vehicle for communicating deep spiritual truths and this is the reason why it resonates in the hearts of his readers. His idea that God is the source of true friendship and that God allows friendship to occur in preparation for an eternal relationship with him is profound but easily accessible by young and old. Augustine’s assertion that true friendship must lead people to God has become a standard of living. He was able to articulate these things because he too suffered and rejoiced greatly in his quest to find truth via the interaction with his friends. Works Cited Augustine of Hippo. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Trans. Edward Bouverie Pusey. Henninger, M. â€Å"The Adolescent’s Making of Meaing: The Pedagogy of Augustine’s Confessions.† Journal of Moral Education. 18(1989): 32-44. Hyatte, Reginald. The Arts of Friendship: The Idealization of Friendship in Medieval and  Early Renaissance Literature. MA: E.J. Brill, 1994. This term paper on St. Augustine: Confessions about Friendship was written and submitted by user Aurora N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

HYPERTENSION Essays - Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Free Essays

HYPERTENSION Essays - Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Free Essays HYPERTENSION ************************************************************** Blood pressure "Blood pressure" is the force with which your heart pumps blood through the body. Occasional increases in blood pressure levels are not unusual. Hypertension Hypertension is high blood pressure. When heart beats (contracts and relaxes) it pumps out a certain volume of blood. The maximum arterial pressure, measured in mm Hg, determines the systolic reading and the lowest reading of this pressure is called the diastolic pressure. It is widely accepted that a person having a reading of a systolic pressure of greater than/equal to 140 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure of greater than/equal to 90 mm Hg is considered to have high blood pressure. When such a reading is sustained over a period of time, it is diagnosed as hypertension. Causes There are two types of hypertension. One is primary hypertension and the other is secondary hypertension. The cause of primary hypertension is unknown. It just happens but however, there are certain risk factors or associations such as hereditary factors, race, age, environmental and life-style factors (where you live, salt and other chemicals, weight, stress, alcohol, lack of exercise). The difference between primary and secondary hypertension is that we know the causes of secondary hypertension. Usually, the causes of secondary hypertension include renal artery stenosis (or other cause of increased plasma renin), renal parenchymal disease (glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic disease, obstructive uropathy), drugs (oral contraceptives, steroids), and increased levels of catecholamines (pheochromocytoma), glucocorticoids (Cushing's disease), or mineralcorticoids. Symptoms Hypertension is referred to as "the silent killer" since those afflicted seem to experience few, if any, symptoms. However, hypertension may be associated with fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, chest pains, visual and speech disturbances, shortness of breath, and nose bleeds. Treatments We do not know what causes "essential" hypertension but we have proof that there are many factors associated with its development, such as age, race, and family history. Many of these cannot be controlled or prevented; however, weight, diet, and life-style can be controlled to a great extent, and their control may help prevent or reduce your high blood pressure. Hypertension is controllable and one of the simplest treatment is taking medication. There are a wide variety of medication available for patients. Diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, alpha blockers, central agents, and vasodilators are just some drugs used to treat high blood pressure. ********************************************************************************** High blood pressure is dangerous because if it is not treated and controlled it can damage important organs of the body: the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. When blood pressure remains abnormally high for a long time, usually years, the increased force against the walls of the arteries causes them to become thicker and crooked, decreasing the flow of blood to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. Cardiovascular disease is the NO. 1 cause of death. Death rates are higher when high blood pressure is also present and even higher when the high blood pressure is associated with other risk factors such as cigarette smoking and high blood cholesterol. Target Organs Heart - enlargement of the heart and increased hardening, thickening, and blockage of the coronary arteries. These changes can lead to chest pain, heart attacks, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats. Brain- high blood pressure is the most common cause of strokes, which also called cerebrocascular accidents (CVAs). Strokes are usually the result of a clot in a blood vessel or a bursting of a blood vessel in the brain. This cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients, so that a portion of the brain gets sick and dies. Kidneys - your kidneys filter waste substances out of the blood into the urine. if your kidneys do not function properly, these waste substances build up in the blood and, beyond a certain level, begin to poison your body. As in the heart, the blood vessels in your kidneys can become hardened and thickened as a result of high blood pressure, and they cannot carry enough blood to nourish these organs and aid in eliminating waste. The result is kidney renal failure. Eyes- long-standing high blood pressure can cause serious eye problems, such as bleeding or clots in the small eye vessels or tearing away of the lining of the inner eye.

Definition and Examples of Online Writing

Definition and Examples of Online Writing Online writing refers to any text created with (and usually intended for viewing on) a computer, smartphone, or similar digital device. Also called digital writing. Online writing formats include texting, instant messaging, emailing, blogging, tweeting, and posting comments on social media sites such as Facebook. See Examples and Observations 12 Tips for Improving Online WritingColloquializationComposing Online: Social Is Sexy but Email Still Rules in the WorkplaceConversationalization and InformalizationEmoji and EmoticonInformal StyleInternet SlangOnline ReadingParagraph LengthPractice in Cutting the Clutter10 Tips on How to Write a Professional EmailTextingTextspeakTop 10 Editing Tips for Business WritersWriting Examples and Observations The main difference between offline and online writing techniques is that while people buy newspapers and magazines intending to read them, on the Internet people generally browse. You must grab their attention and hold it if they are to read on. This means that, on the whole, online writing is more concise and pithy and should offer the reader greater interactivity.(Brendan Hennessy, Writing Feature Articles, 4th ed. Focal Press, 2006) Digital writing is not simply a matter of learning about and integrating new digital tools into an unchanged repertoire of writing processes, practices, skills, and habits of mind. Digital writing is about the dramatic changes in the ecology of writing and communication and, indeed, what it means to write- to create and compose and share.(National Writing Project, Because Digital Writing Matters: Improving Student Writing in Online and Multimedia Environments. Jossey-Bass, 2010) Structuring Online Writing Because online readers tend to scan, a Web page or e-mail message should be visibly structured; it should have what [Jakob] Nielsen calls a scannable layout. He found that frequent use of headings and bullets can increase readability by 47 percent. And since his study found that only about 10 percent of online readers scroll below the text initially visible on the screen, online writing should be fronted, with the most important information placed at the beginning. Unless you have a good reason otherwiseas in a bad news message, for examplestructure your Web pages and e-mail messages like newspaper articles, with the most important information in the headline (or subject line) and the first paragraph.(Kenneth W. Davis, The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2010) Blogging Blogs are usually written by one person in their own individual language. This, therefore, presents you with the ideal opportunity to present the human face and personality of your business.You can be: - conversational- enthusiastic- engaging- intimate (but not overly so)- informal. All of this is possible without stopping beyond the limits of what would be considered as the acceptable voice of the company.However, other styles may be required owing to the nature of your business or your readership.On the latter, as with other forms of online writing, its important to know your reader and their expectations before you begin writing a blog.(David Mill, Content Is King: Writing and Editing Online. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005) Single Sourcing Single sourcing describes the set of skills related to the conversion, updating, remediating, and reuse of content across multiple platforms, products, and media. . . . Creating reusable content is an important skill in Internet writing for a variety of reasons. It saves the writing team time, effort, and resources by writing content once and reusing it multiple times. It also creates flexible content that can be adapted and published in a variety of formats and media, such as web pages, videos, podcasts, advertisements, and printed literature.(Craig Baehr and Bob Schaller, Writing for the Internet: A Guide to Real Communication in Virtual Space. Greenwood Press, 2010)

American History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

American History - Assignment Example The Spanish also had knowledge of metals such as iron and bronze which allowed them superior weaponry and armor/shields. But the Indians had the advantage of knowing how to live off the land, and its topography, more so than the Spanish. They had natural superior knowledge of the topography and survival on smaller amounts of supplies than the Spanish. If the Indians could have gotten the Spanish out of their comfort zone, they could have resisted Spanish encroachment much more easily. Part B. It was a good point that the Incan Indians were susceptible to European diseases such as small pox and measles. Many Indians were wiped out because of Spanish disease. The Spanish weapons were far superior (more high tech) than those of the Indians, which was a huge advantage. Although the Indians had more numbers of people, the Spanish nullified that with their superior technology and weaponry. Also not mentioned was the Spanish desire to convert and conquer native Indians and convert them to C hristianity. That was a wave of conversion which the Indians were powerless to survive, as the Spanish did so all over the world. Part C. This answer is almost unintelligible.

The American Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American Congress - Essay Example This research paper aims to show the possible improvements within the public policy making process of the legislation under the condition when the federal legislative terms of the members of the Congress are limited. This study will first narrate a short background of the American Congress. It will discuss the specifications of the offices held by the members of the Congress – both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It will then discuss the positive and negative effects when the office terms of the members of the Congress are shortened. The American Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate The legislative branch of the American Federal government consists of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislation’s primary task is to create Congressional bills that are subject to executive review and Congressional votes – those of which pass as state laws afterwards. The legislature also has the power to approve executive de cisions through two-thirds vote of the chamber. Petitions for impeachment are deliberated by the House of Representatives which are then elevated for trials in the Senate. ... The Senate comprises of 100 members - two senators from each state, regardless of population (â€Å"Art & History†). The members of the House of Representatives are elected to serve for two years while the members of the Senate are elected to serve for six years (Smith, Roberts and Vander Wielen 87-121). The American Congress Under a Limited Federal Legislative Term Under the circumstance where the federal legislative terms of the members of the Congress are put to a limit, there are several positive and negative effects to the policy making process of the legislative branch as a whole. The positive aspect about limiting the terms of service of the members of the Congress is the sense of inevitable competitiveness of each of the newly elected individuals into office. The shorter the term of service of the politicians, the more determined they become to out-wit the previous legislative set. Indeed, a sense of competition is naturally established amongst every new set of congres smen/congresswomen. In light with this mentality, it can be assumed that the members of the Congress could produce better policies – policies that would garner the most satisfaction from their constituents and would put the public interest in the forefront. Efficiency in public service is also another positive effect under the condition of limited federal legislative term. Due to the influence of competitiveness, the newly elected sets of congressmen/congresswomen would be forced to produce a more efficient quality of service because they would want their short time in office to be remembered by their constituents. In this case, the American Congress would obviously become more aggressive in terms of

Data-collection in Qualitative Research Essay Example for Free

Data-collection in Qualitative Research Essay This Chapter is about methods and techniques in data-collection during a qualitative research. We mentioned earlier that qualitative research is eclectic. That is, the choice of techniques is dependent on the needs of the research. Although this should be true for almost all social research, it is particularly so with qualitative research in that the appropriate method or techniques is often identified and adopted during the research. Qualitative research is also multi-modal. The researcher may adopt a variety of research techniques, or a combination of such, as long as they are justified by the needs. The discussion below is therefore not to identify a set of techniques unique to qualitative research, but rather, to introduce the methods and techniques most commonly used in qualitative research, and the issues related to such use. We shall introduce the methods and techniques in three broad categories: observations, interviews and study of documents. These are also the basic methods used in cultural anthropology (Bernard, 1988:62). Indeed, the discussions about qualitative research in education can be viewed as a particular case in cultural anthropology. Observations Observation usually means the researchers act to find out what people do (Bernard, 1988:62). It is different from other methods in that data occur not necessarily in response to the researchers stimulus. Observation may be obtrusive or unobtrusive. A researcher may simply sit in the corner of a school playground and observe how students behave during breaks. He may also stand by the school gate and observe how students behave at the school gate. Such cases of observation may be seen as unobtrusive. In other cases, the researchers may not apply any stimuli, but their presence per se may have some influence on the scene. The most common example in this category is classroom observation. Although the researcher may just sit quietly at the corner of a classroom, the presence of the researcher may  change the classroom climate. It is, nonetheless, still observation. Observation is a basic technique used in almost all qualitative research. Even if other methods or techniques are used, the researcher remains the most essential sensor or instrument and hence observation always counts (McCracken, 1988:18-20). For example, when interviewing is used, a qualitative researcher also takes into account the tonic or facial expressions of the informant, because they help interpret the verbal responses. Such expressions are only sensed by observation. If the interview is done in the field, then the surroundings of the interview site also provide meaningful data for the research. The surroundings can only be depicted through observation. Hence observation is indispensable in almost all occasions of qualitative research. However, the term observation may sometimes go beyond what is seen. It also pertains to what is heard, and even sometimes what is smelled. Case 4.1 provides one of such examples. Case 4.1: Classroom Observation Scheme In the IIEP project on basic education, Leung designed for the Chinese research a scheme for classroom observation. Classroom was taken as one of the environmental factors affecting students learning. The scheme was designed after Leung stayed in local schools for two days. The scheme did not confine itself to the performance of the teacher, although that was a part. The figure on the next page shows one of the six sections of the scheme. Different writers have different ways of classifying observations. Without running into juggling of definitions, we shall briefly introduce observations as participant observations and non-participant observations. More detailed classification of observations can be found in Bernard (1988), Goetz and LeCompte (1984) and Patton (1990). Participant Observation Participant observation is perhaps the most typical of qualitative research.  Some authors even use participant observation as a synonym for ethnographic research. Different writers may have slightly different definitions of participant observation. The following description by Fetterman is perhaps the most agreeable to most researchers. Participant observation is immersion in a culture. Ideally, the ethnographer lives and works in the community for six months to a year or more, learning the language and seeing patterns of behaviour over time. Long-term residence helps the researcher internalize the basic beliefs, fears, hopes and expectations of the people under study. (1989:45) Immersion of the participant can either be continuous or noncontinuous. The three classical cases we quoted in Chapter 1 all include participation in the continuous mode. Lis study of classroom sociology (Cases 3.8 and 3.9) involved one years continuous residence. In the second and third year she went to the school three days a week. She combined continuous with noncontinuous participant observations. Fetterman used noncontinuous participation when he was doing qualitative evaluation of educational programmes. Case 4.2: Noncontinuous Visits In two ethnographic studies, of dropouts and of gifted children, Fetterman visited the programmes for only a few weeks every couple of months over a three-year period. The visits were intensive. They included classroom observation, informal interviews, occasional substitute teaching,interaction with community members, and the use of various other research techniques, including long-distance phone-calls, dinner with students families, and time spent hanging out in the hallways and parking lot with students cutting classes. (Fetterman, 1989:46-7) II. Environment of the classroom 1. The classroom is on the _____ floor of the school building. 2. The classroom is near ( ) residential area ( ) factories ( ) road(s) ( ) field ( ) marketplace ( ) others _______________________________________ 3. The number of windows which provide lighting and ventilation to the classroom: ( ) satisfies the required standard ( ) is below the required standard 4. The main artificial lighting facility in the classroom is: ( ) florescent tubes total no.__________________ ( ) light bulbs total no.__________________ 5. Condition of lighting during the lesson : ( ) bright ( ) dim ( ) dark 6. Ventilation in the classroom: ( ) well ventilated ( ) stuffy ( ) suffocating 7. Quality of air in the classroom: ( ) refreshing ( ) a bit smelly ( ) stingy 8. Environments for listening: ( ) very quiet ( ) occasional noise ( ) noisy 9. Classrooms floor structure: ( ) concrete ( ) log ( ) mud ( ) carpet 10. Classrooms floor condition: ( ) clean ( ) some litter ( ) full of rubbish 11. Classrooms wall conditions: ( ) smooth clean ( ) some stains ( ) dirty damaged 12. Classrooms area: _____________m2; area/person: _____ m2. 13. Space use in classroom: ( ) looks spatial ( ) fairly crowded ( ) very crowded 14. Furniture and other article arrangements in the classroom: ( ) orderly and tidy ( ) messy 1Figure 1 Classroom Observation Scheme (Designed by Leung Yat-ming) Whytes experience in the Italian slum (Case 2) is perhaps the nearest to ideal in participant observation. He stayed in the community for two years. He experienced the life of a member of the Italian slum. In Whytes case, native membership allows the researcher the highest level of participant observation. Most researchers are denied such an opportunity, often because of constraints in time and resources, as we have discussed at length in Chapter 3. Under all sorts of constraints, at best the researcher lives as much as possible with and in the same manner as the individuals under investigation (Goetz and LeCompte, 1984: 109). In these circumstances, the researchers may not claim that they was doing ethnography, but it is legitimate to apply ethnographic approach and techniques to the study (Fetterman, 1989:47). Participant observation in its broad sense therefore tolerates different lengths of time and different degrees of depth. There is a full range of possible modes of participant observation, what Wolcott calls ethnographer sans[1] ethnography (Wolcott, 1984: 177). The most frequent case in education is that a researcher may stay in a school and become a teacher in that school. The researcher identity may or may not be disguised. The researcher may then, as a participant, observe teachers behaviours in teaching, in meetings, in conversations, and so forth. Sometimes, the researcher is readily a member of the community (say, a school) and may still carry out research as a participant observer. However, in this case, the researcher should be aware of his/her knowledge of the community and should be cautious that such knowledge would not lead to preoccupations about the school under research. In cases where the researchers have successfully gained membership (as Whyte did in the Italian  slum), the distinction between a native member and the researcher-as-participant begins to blur. This insider-outsider dialectics will be further discussed later. Nonparticipant Observation Strictly speaking, nonparticipant observation involves merely watching what is happening and recording events on the spot. In the qualitative orientation, because of the non-intervention principle, strict nonparticipant observation should involve no interaction between the observer and the observed. Goetz and LeCompte assert that in the strict sense nonparticipant observation exists only where interactions are viewed through hidden camera and recorder or through one-way mirror (1984: 143). Dabbs (1982:41), for example, used hidden camera in Atlanta at a plaza in Georgia State University, and studied an informal group that frequently gathered during the morning break. There are examples of using hidden video-cameras in school toilets to study drug problem among students, or to use unnoticed audio recording device to study student interactions. The use of audio or video recording device often invites concern in ethnical considerations. Such problems are similar to those arising in using one-way mirrors in interviews or psychological experiments. Such cases are rare in policy-related research. Another case of nonparticipant observation with ethical problem is disguised observation, or covert observation. A typical example is Humphreys (1975) study on homosexual activities. He did not participate in such activities, but offered to act as watch queen, warning his informants when someone approached the toilet. Another famous example is Van Maanens covert study of police. He became practically a police recruit. Over more than a decade, he slipped in and out of the police in various research roles (Van Maanen, 1982). Covert observations are again rare in research which is related to educational decision-making. Hidden camera or recorder and covert observation occur only exceptionally.  Most author would accept the watching of audience behaviour during a basketball game (Fetterman, 1989:47) or the watching of pedestrian behaviour over a street as acceptable examples of nonparticipant observations. Interaction between the researcher and the social community under study is often unavoidable. We have again discussed this at length in Chapter 3 under the notion of researcher intervention. If we perceive the problem of intervention as a matter of degrees, then the distinction between participant observation and nonparticipant observation begins to blur. The general principle across the board is that the researchers should minimize their interactions with the informants and focus attention unobtrusively on the stream of events (Goetz and LeCompte, 1984:143). Wolcotts study of school principal (Case 3) was perhaps the most intensive type of nonparticipant observation that one could find in the realm of education. (He also used other supplementary methods as mentioned in Case 3). He did live with the school for two years, but he did not participate as a school principal which was his subject of study. He saw his role as one of participant-as-observer (Wolcott, 1984:7). So was Lis study (Case 3.8) of classroom sociology in her first year. She did stay with the school as a teacher but she never became a student which was her subject of study. The following two years of her study, however, was not nonparticipant observation because she applied experimental measures. During the UNICEF research in Liaoning, the basic method I used was interviewing and not nonparticipant observation, but I did have, at times, nonparticipant observation when debates occurred between the local planners and the provincial planners (Case 3.7), or when planners chat among themselves about their past experience in the field. The most frequently employed nonparticipant observation which is relevant to educational decision-making is perhaps observation at meetings. Typically, the researcher attends a meeting as an observer. The researcher tries to be as unobtrusive as possible and records everything that happens during the meeting. When Wolcott did his study on the school principal, he was present at all meetings unless he was told otherwise (Wolcott, 1984:4). The following was my experience of a non-participant observation in China. Case 4.3: A Validation Seminar I realized during the UNICEF research in Liaoning (Case 4) that one essential step in the planning for basic education in China was validation. When drafting of an education plan was complete, the draft plan had to undergo scrutiny in what is known as a validation seminar. In essence, all those related to the plan, including leaders at all levels, representatives of all relevant government departments, experts from all areas are invited to discuss. Relevant documents are sent to the participants well in advance. They are then asked to comment on the plan during the validation exercise. Only validated plans are submitted to relevant machinery for legislation. The validation seminar for Liaoning was unfortunately held before the UNICEF research. I got an opportunity, however, a year after in 1988, when the Shanghai educational plan was to undergo validation. The host of the meeting agreed to send me an invitation. I attended the meeting in the name of an external expert, although I made clear to the host that my major task was not to contribute. They agreed. During the meeting, I was able to observe the roles of the various actors during the meeting. I was also able to talk to individual participants during tea breaks and meals to understand their background and their general views about educational planning. I was able to do a number of things over the two-day meeting: (a) to classify the over 40 participants into technocrats, bureaucrats, policy-makers and academics; (b) to understand the different extents in which the participants contributed to the modification of the plan; (c) the disparity in capacity among participants in terms of information and expertise; (d) the inter-relations between the different categories of actors and (e) the function of the validation exercise. In the end, I concluded that validation was a way of legitim ation, which employed both technical (expert judgement) and political (participation) means to increase the acceptability of the plan before it went for legal endorsement. The political aspect came to me as a surprise. It indicated a change in the notion of rationality among Chinese planners and policy-makers. Interviewing Interviewing is widely used in qualitative research. Compared with observation, it is more economical in time, but may achieve less in understanding the culture. The economy in time, however, makes ethnographic interviewing almost the most widely used technique in policy-related research. Interviewing is trying to understand what people think through their speech. There are different types of interviews, often classified by the degrees of control over the interview. Along this line, we shall briefly introduce three types of interviewing: informal interviewing, unstructured interviewing, semi-structured interviewing, and formally structured interviewing. We shall also briefly introduce key-informant interviewing and focus groups which are specific types of ethnographic interviewing. Qualitative research of course has no monopoly over interviewing. Interviewing is also frequently used in research of other traditions. The difference between ethnographic interviewing and interviewing in other traditions lies mainly in two areas: the interviewer-interviewee relationship and the aims of interviews. Ethnographic interviewees, or informants, are teachers rather than subjects to the researcher, they are leaders rather than followers in the interview. The major aim of the interview should not be seeking responses to specific questions, but initiating the informant to unfold data. Readers may find more detailed discussions about ethnographic interviewing in Spradley (1979) who provides perhaps the most insightful account of the subject. In-depth discussions about ethnographic interviewing can also be found in Bernard (1988), Patton (1990), Fetterman (1989) and Powney and Watts (1987). Informal Interviewing Informal interviewing entails no control. It is usually conversations that the researcher recall after staying in the field. It is different from  observation in that it is interactive. That is, the informant speaks to the researcher. By its own nature, informal interviewing is the most ethnographic in the sense that it is not responding to any formal question. It is part of the self-unfolding process.

Mastering Takeaway Leadership :: essays research papers

Mastering "Takeaway Leadership" Effective managers remove obstacles for employees -- and then step aside to let them do their jobs The recent flurry of CEO firings (Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Carly Fiorina, Merck's (MRK) Raymond Gilmartin, Boeing's (BA) Harry Stonecipher) has again raised the issue of leadership. It's tempting to ask: Has the job of CEO for a megacompany become too complex to handle? Is it asking too much of just one person to expect him or her to build fruitful relationships throughout an industry and the financial community, deliver revenues and earnings that excite the stock market, launch ambitious initiatives for the long term, and avoid product, financial, and sexual scandals -- all while presenting a perennially pleasant personality? The answer is no, it isn't expecting too much, in part because all of that comes second to a CEO's paramount responsibility. That should be to shape the organization's goals, to communicate them through many levels to the people who are charged with getting the work done, and to demand -- and reward -- behaviors that demonstrate the company's ethical values and standards. This is one of those "simple, but not easy" tasks, and it's a critical one to master. Often, CEOs get credit for everything good that happens in a company when, in fact, their greatest impact comes from influencing the people who report to them. OBSTACLE REMOVER. I had a boss, John, who understood this well. I haven't heard a better description of leadership than the one he shared with his team at an offsite meeting. He said: "As your president, I'm here to help you be successful. You already know the company's goals and how your job fits into that picture. If any of that is unclear, I'll expect to hear from you. My job is to take away any obstacles that keep you from succeeding. Then, it's just you and the goal line. If there's an obstacle between you and any of our targets, I need to know about it." What sorts of obstacles was John referring to? Things like red tape, office politics, hierarchical nonsense (a vice-president won't return a director's phone call, for instance), disagreement about direction, territorial disputes, and so on. John's speech was short, but it left three critical impressions: 1 Everyone knew that the usual complaints and excuses (the guy wouldn't call me, I couldn't get the information, I was held up by HR) wouldn't fly in John's organization.

Children With Sickle Cell Disease Health And Social Care Essay

Transcranial Doppler scanning ( TCD ) is a critical technique which can place kids with reaping hook cell disease at high hazard for shot ( Deane et al. , 2007 ) .This non-invasive imagination technique uses an ultrasound investigation, that produces high frequence sound waves to mensurate intellectual blood flow. In this survey, cubic decimeter will be looking at the undermentioned everyday hematologic and biochemical research lab trials, hemoglobin, reticulocytes, white count, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and creatinine in 250 reaping hook cell disease ( SCD ) affected kids with in the age group of 3-16years who attend the Brent Sickle and Thalassaemia Clinic at Central Middlesex Hospital in May 2010 to May 2011. My purpose is to utilize the above listed research lab trials to place all kids who are at hazard of enduring from the complications of SCD like vaso-occlusive hurting crisis, acute chest syndrome, infections, stroke to multi organ failure. TCD is perf ormed one time a twelvemonth at one-year reappraisal assignments on all kids with reaping hook cell disease to find if they are at hazard of developing any SCD complications. During this survey any kid identified to hold unnatural hematologic and biochemical research lab trials listed supra will hold a TCD regardless of whenever it was done. If the TCD identifies that any kid with those unnatural hematologic and biochemical parametric quantities is at a high hazard of developing complications of SCD particularly stroke, so the current National Health Service ( NHS ) intervention program for kids with SCD must be changed to supply an even more robust intervention plan.The significance of this survey hence is to better hereafter pattern and attention for kids with SCD. This will intend that any SCD affected kid with those unnatural hematologic and biochemical parametric quantities will be referred for TCD regardless of whether they have had their annual scan in a pursuit to better the ir wellness and wellness attention direction. Prevention is better than remedy.2. IntroductionHemoglobinopathies are a broad group of diseases impacting the production and or the maps of hemoglobin. ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . They are one of the most common familial upsets worldwide and can be really terrible, if non fatal. They are classed into two groups: Haemoglobin discrepancies which arise from an change in the hematohiston concatenation, for illustration, Sickle hemoglobin ( Hb S ) Thalassaemias which arise from reduced production of the normal hematohiston concatenation. ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) SCD is one of the most common familial upsets impacting the hemoglobin molecule of ruddy blood cells ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . SCD is an autosomal recessionary disease, intending a individual needs two faulty cistrons to hold the disease ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . There are several reaping hooks cell diseases: homozygous reaping hook cell anemia or disease ( HbSS ) and heterozygote conditions including Hb SC and Hb S? thalassemia ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . HbSS is responsible for the most terrible complications seen in reaping hook cell disease ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . The prevalence of SCD is highest among people of African, Afro-Caribbean, Arab and Mediterranean lineage ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) It is widespread in the United States, impacting over 70,000 Afro- Americans and impacting about 12,500 people in the UK ( Howard et Al ; Kirkham et al. , 2007 ) . Sickle cell is progressively going common in the UK as a effect of migration ( Howard et al.,2007 ) . The life anticipation in SCD is between 42 and 53 old ages for work forces and 48 and 58 old ages for adult females. This low life anticipation is likely to increase as the wellness service have put in topographic point national showing programmes, instruction for parents and wellness professionals and better directions attention. Complications SCD is a multi-organ upset with a assortment of complications. The most common complications include, vaso-occlusive hurting crisis, acute chest syndrome, infections, shot, priapism, leg ulcers, cholecystitis, acute splenic or hepatic segregation to multi organ failure. ( Gladwin et al, 2008 ) . Vaso-occlusine hurting crises is due to sickle cells blockading vass in the microcirculation taking to ischemic harm in the castanetss, the lung, the kidneys and in the tegument ( leg ulcers ) , ( Gladwin et al, 2008 ) . Stroke is an of import complication as it is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in SCD kids. ( NHS Standard and Guidance, March 2009 ) . It has been reported as a taking cause of decease in both kids and grownups. Infarctive shot is seen chiefly in kids whereas hemorrhagic shot is normally seen in the 20-29 age groups, ( Ohene-frempong et Al, 1998 ) . The grounds for this age division are non good understood. ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . By the age of 10, about 6 % of SCD kids are affected by ischemic shot ( .Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . It is caused by the progressive narrowing of the center, distal and anterior carotid arterias providing blood to the encephalon consequences in shot ( Deane et al, 2007 ) . However, grounds for this progressive narrowing are yet to be established ( Deane et al, 2007 ) , but recent surveies suggest an association between high degrees of plasma free hemoglobin ( PTH ) from hemolysis, quickly devouring azotic oxide ( NO ) , which may ensue in events suppressing blood flow. ( Nelson et al, 2006 ) . Even though it is a really serious complication in SCD kids, it can be preventable. ( Quinn et al 2004 ) , if these kids are identified. Transcranial Doppler scanning ( TCD ) has been shown to place patients at high hazard of shot ( Deane et al, 2007 ) . TCD is an ultrasound that measures blood flow speed in the intracerebral vass. ( Bulas et al, 2000 ) . It is non invasive, reasonably expensive and a painless process that is good tolerated in kids. ( Bulas et al, 2000 ) . This high hazard of shot brought approximately by The Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anaemia ( STOP ) survey. This survey was perfomed by a group of scientist in 1996. It showed that high blood speeds as measured by TCD in the in-between intellectual arteria ( MCA ) , the distal internal arteria ( dICA ) and the bifurcation were associated with an increased hazard of shot. . ( Bulas et al, 2000 ) . These kids with high blood flow speeds were so on a regular basis transfused to cut down the hazard of shot [ new ref Adams RJ. , 1998 ] . The STOP survey has has proven important consequences on TCD as an valuable wellness technique in forestalling shot hazard in kids. ( Adams RJ. , 1998 ) given Furthermore, an experimental survey by Fullerton et Al, 2004 on SCD kids in California showed that there was a diminution in shot after the debut of TCD with contraceptive transfusion preventative steps were taken. . ( Rees et al, 2008 ) . Many surveies have shown the benefits of mensurating high blood speeds on TCD and subsequent transfusion to cut down hemoglobin S can cut down the hazard of shot. ( ) . Based on these surveies, National counsel from the NHS Sickle and Thalassaemia testing programmes recommended the usage of TCD scans all over the state. The guidelines proposed that by 2010, 99 % of reaping hook cell Centres in England should offer one-year TCD scans to kids with SCD from age 2 to 16 old ages. The scan consequences are classed into classs depending on the clip averaged maximum average speed ( TAMMV ) of the in-between intellectual arteria or the intracranial internal carotid arterias or the bifurcation of the two arterias, ( Standard and Guidance, March 2008 ) . TAMMV values & A ; lt ; 170 cm/s are normal, 170-199cm/s are conditional and & A ; gt ; 200cm/s are important forecasters of shot. ( Standard and Guidance, March 2008 ) . However, studies in the UK have shown that many kids do non hold entree to TCD scans ( Rees et al 2008 ) . Therefore it is imperative to place kids at high hazard for shot so that effectual preventative steps are taken. In this survey, based on cardinal hematologic and biochemical modus operandi trials we aim to happen research lab parametric quantities which can be used as showing tools for shot and be used in placing those kids most likely to hold an unnatural TCD scan. If these labaoratory paramaters can place SCD kids at increased hazard for shot it may take to recommendations for future pattern to include precedence for TCD scans to be given to these kids.TreatmentIn the UK, the National Health Service ( NHS ) has developed local guidelines for the intervention and direction of SCD, including: a combination of antibiotics, hurting slayers, fluids and ruddy cell transfusion when required. ( Kirkham F.J, 2007 ) . Hydroxyurea, an unwritten anticancer drug is besides used in some SC D patients to forestall painful crises ( Frenette et al, 2007 ) . Hydroxyurea works by increasing fetal hemoglobin F ( Hb F ) degrees which prevents the polymerization of the deoxygenated HbS in ruddy cells, therefore diminishing the frequence of painful crises ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) . Reports from Howard et al 2007 and Frenate et Al 2007 besides explain that Hydroxyurea improves ruddy cell hydration, diminishing the adhesion of reaping hook cells to the endothelium and act as a azotic oxide giver, doing this drug rather good to utilize. A multi-centre survey of hydroyurea ( MSH ) in 299 grownups with SCD showed important benefits of utilizing this drug as patients had less one-year painful crises ( Charache et al.,1995 ) . A follow-up survey nine old ages on showed that these patients had a better quality of life ( Steinberg et al. , 2003 ) . Despite its clinical benefits, many patients are disbelieving about it being a chemotherapeutic drug and are hence disquieted about the lo ng term side effects ( Frennete et al. , 2007 ) . Bone marrow organ transplant can bring around SCD. About 175 HLA matched sibling grafts have been reported with greater than 80 % disease free patients holding a quality life ( Howard et al. , 2007 ) , nevertheless, troubles lie in happening a blood-donor lucifer and there is a hazard of decease associated with this procedure due to high doses of chemotherapy and radiation ( Frenette et al, 2007 ) . A possible remedy for SCD is cistron therapy, where infixing a normal cistron will convey about production a normal hemoglobin or shift of the faulty cistron. This is presently being investigated in research surveies as there are frights over the safety of genomic interpolation ( Sadelain et al, 2006 ) . Present surveies have shown that prenatal and neonatal showing for hemoglobinopathies in England has led to early sensing of affected kids, therefore, cut downing the post-natal and childhood morbidity and mortality ( Old J M 2007 ) .3. HistoryHaemoglobin ( Hb ) is an Fe incorporating protein, which carries O from the lungs to the organic structure ‘s cells and tissues ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) . After 3-6months of age Hb A is the dominant hemoglobin, with little measures of hemoglobins F and A2 ( Hofbrand et el, 2001 ) . Normal hemoglobins in grownup human blood are as follows: HbA: ?2 I?2 ( 96-98 % ) HbF: ?2?2 ( 0.5-0.8 % ) Hb A2: ?2?2 ( 1.5-3.2 % ) Sickle cell disease is caused by a permutation at place 6 of a individual amino acid in the DNA sequence of the ? hematohiston concatenation ( fig. 1 ) . The minor alteration of glutamic acid for valine, as illustrated in figure 1, consequences in an altered hemoglobin discrepancy known as the Sickle Hb ( Hb S ) ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) , which reduces the endurance of ruddy cells and causes irreversible sickling of ruddy cells at low O conditions ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) . Consequently SCD patients endure a assortment of symptoms runing from anemia, terrible bone hurting ( referred to as sickle crisis ) , stroke, acute thorax hurting, to multi organ harm ( Gladwin et al, 2008 ) .Amino acidproglugluNormal ?- concatenationBase composing CCT Joke Joke Base composing CCT GTG JokeSickle concatenationprovalgluFig 1. Showing a individual base alteration in the he DNA sequence, where A ( A ) is replaced by T ( T ) . This permutation consequences in an amino acid alteration from glutamic acid to valine in the 6th place. ( Adapted from Hoffbrand et Al, 2001 ) . Normal ruddy blood cells are flexible and round in form. Their flexibleness and form allows them to go freely through little blood vass, known as capillaries ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) . ) . Hb S is indissoluble when exposed to low O environments and may organize polymers which may change the ruddy cell membrane from a biconcave form to a sickle form. In oxygenated environments, sickled molded cells can alter back to the biconcave form ; nevertheless frequent form alterations may do lasting harm doing some cells to stay sickled. ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) . Furthermore, these sickled cells circulate at a slower rate compared to normal ruddy cells and tend to go stuck, therefore barricading vass in the microcirculation and doing infarcts of assorted variety meats ( Hoffbrand et al, 2001 ) .DiscussionSurveies in the last two decennaries were more focused on direction of the return of cerebrovascular diseases ( CVA ) . Recently the focal point is now on forestalling the happening of a fir st CVA ( Ohene-frempong et Al, 1998 ) . Hemolytic anemia is associated to many complications of SCD ( Lezcano et al, 2006 ) . Assorted surveies have linked low Hb, and hemolytic markers such as Retics, LDH, AST and creatinine to cerebrovascicar diseases such as shot. ( Kato et al, 2007 ) . Incidence of ischemic shot is higher in SCD kids impacting about 6 % by the age of 10years ( Howard et al, 2007, Deane et Al, 2008 ) . It is associated with an occlusive vasculopathy impacting the distal, proximal and anterior arterias ( Bulas et al, 2000 ) . The narrowing of these vass may develop over months to old ages before symptoms of a Stroke may happen ( Adams et al. , 1997 ; Bulas et Al, 2000 ) . Designation of hazard factors for shot is of import because it offers the possibilities of forestalling it. Clinical surveies have identified some research lab trials as hazard factors for shot. ( Kirkham et al, 2007 ) , but none has strong anticipation when compared to TCD ( Ohene-frempong et Al, 1998 ) . Surveies by Adams et al 1998 and Lezacano et Al 2006 have shown that the disposal of regular blood transfusion therapy in kids with unnatural TCD measurings reduces both plasma hemoglobin and serum LDH degrees. LDH has long been associated as a marker of intravascular hemolysis by Neely et Al, 1969. Surveies by Ballas et Al, 1991 and Kato et Al, 2006 found serum LDH the dominant biomarker in intravascular hemolysis and besides strong correlativities of LDH with hemolytic markers such as hemoglobin, retics and AST in grownups with SCD. A recent survey by O'driscoll and co-workers done at King ‘s College Hospital in London in 2007 reported that high serum LDH in kids with SCD correlatives to abnormal TCD measurings. This determination suggests that LDH can be a important biomarker or a hazard factor for shot in kids with SCD. They besides reported important correlativities between LDH, Hb, Retics and AST. Furthermore, Rees et Al in 2008 found important correlativities between unnatural TCD consequences and Hb, Retics, AST and age. These happening were used to develop an index which can be used to place kids with SCD probably to hold unnatural TCD values. The survey by O'driscoll and co-workers is the first survey which demonstrates that a high serum LDH degree in SCD kids has strong correlativities with unnatural TCD measurings. Therefore in this survey we aim to utilize LDH as one of the research lab parametric quantities and farther validate the survey at Kings in the patient population at CMH. Extra showing factors for shot are hence needed. With this attack in head, Hb F, Hb S and WBC will besides be analysed in this survey. The importance of WBC arise from observations that high leucocytes is associated to terrible complications of SCD and from findings by Platt et al.,1994 that leucocytosis is a hazard factor in clinically open shot and in acute thorax syndrome ( Ohene-frempong et Al, 1998 ; Mark et al. , 2008 ) . High WBC is reported to correlate significantly with shot ( Frenette et al, 2007 ) , therefore a good parametric quantity to mensurate in this survey. Hb F is said to cut down the hemolysis, thereby cut downing the hazard of shot in kids ( Kato et al, 2007 ) . The genotypes, HBSS and HBSC kids will be assessed to see which group is more at hazard for shot. The current theories of complications of SCD particularly with respects to cerebrovascular disease are largely focussed on hemolysis and the bioavailability of NO. ( Kato et al, 2007 ) . Chronic hemolysis leads to the release of plasma Hb which sucks up NO. NO is a vasodilative, hence less NO in the microcirculation upsets the balance between vasoconstriction and vasodilation which consequence in endothelial disfunction ( Kato et al, 2007 ) . More surveies in understanding hemolysis and the function played by NO will assist in understanding SCD complications and cut down its badness in the hereafter. ( Kato et al. , 2007 ) . Several surveies has suggested that, there is a nexus between shot and hemolysis and that shot is associated with low hemoglobin and compensatory reticulocytes. ( Kato et al.,2007 ) . With that attack, we aim to mensurate the undermentioned research lab parametric quantities: Hb, Retic, AST, Creatinine and LDH and correlate them to abnormal TCD measurings.Future PROSPECTSRecommendations for future pattern to include precedence for TCD scan given to kids who have been identified with these research lab parametric quantities so that primary stroke can be avoided and preventative steps such as, transfusion or exchange transfusion is given. This will so better their attention.

Importance to the performance of the business Essay

Identify aspects of the business training and development programme and explain its importance to the performance of the business? What is training? Training is the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills, which can be applied to a particular job. Training includes all forms of planned learning experiences and activities designed to make positive changes to performance in a job. The benefits of training There are number of major benefits that flow from training: It increases productivity of workers within a business. It helps achieve the businesses objectivities by having more knowledge within the business. Improved efficiency results from saving from material costs due to reduced wastage, improved delivery performance, improved delivery performance, reliability and range of products or services to customers. At Haydon this means less wasted teaching time lessons starting on time lessons planned and run efficiently. Creates a more flexible work force. At Haydon this could help when a teacher is off sick and another teacher has the ability to teach another subject for example an Ict teacher who can also teach economics. If effective should improve the competitiveness of an organisation. As well as improving its productivity and service to customers. At Haydon this mean’s improved student grades. Retaining staff, surveys have shown that training costs less in the long run than recruiting full trained workers from outside the organisation. Recruited, fully trained employees tend to leave much sooner than employees the organisation has trained itself. Haydon should try to train staff already at the school to do jobs rather than hire some one from outside. Improves image of a business. As it will be able to keep staff and have well trained staff where parents will want their children to go to school.l Training adds to competitiveness In a ‘knowledge economy’ training & development take on a greater importance than ever before. The company that trains and develops its staff is best placed to have better educated students and therefore gain competitive advantage. What is development? Development approaches the individual and his or her motivation from a different angle from that of training. While training is typically concerned with enabling the employee to contribute to meeting the objectives of Haydon better, personal development is more concerned with enabling individuals to develop themselves in the way that best suits individual needs. The two will come together. By helping individuals to develop themselves, they will be more inclined and better able to contribute to helping Haydon meet its objectives. Why adopt training and development? Haydon & other organisations organise training and development programmes for many reasons. Training and development programmes may be introduced to: Motivate employees and increase job satisfaction, thereby reducing absentees and student leaning Establish the most effective and efficient working methods in order to maximise the education of students and remain competitive The resources needed for Haydon training can generate significant costs. It is important that training needs are correctly identified and the required standard of skill is established. The training programme needs to be administered efficiently and evaluated, so the results achieved by the Haydon teachers that have received training should be compared with the standard of performance it was hoped to achieve How does a business know if training is needed? The business could ask the employees to see if they need or want any training. When filling a vacancy they could use the job description to find skills and knowledge required for the job. Also look at the performance of the school e.g. exam results Induction training Induction is the process of introducing new employees to their place of works new surroundings and the people they will be working with. Induction also provides information to help new employees start work and generally fit in. This induction programme enables Haydon to introduce new employees to the business and tell them about the many achievements and procedures it has produced over the years. The induction programme is supposed to make the new employee feel more aware of the different functions of the business as a whole, so they can know what the business is about instead of the specific job he/she has to take on in the future. The induction usually contains information about the organisation’s policies and objectives, future career opportunities Pay, training and fringe benefits Health and safety, the requirements of the job. Good induction programmes can successfully balance the amount of information that needs to be conveyed with the length of time, so employees can ma intain their concentration. In house training courses This is where employers run courses inside their own organisation the courses might be held in an office or in a smart training centre owned by the business. The main benefits of in house training are: > They are cheap to run > Course content is made to suit the business > Examples can be related to the business work > Everyone knows each other. External Training courses These are more expensive because they include fairly luxurious accommodation in lavish surroundings and the guest speakers are highly paid. This means employers have to think very seriously about the value of the courses to the business. Mentoring Mentoring involves a trainee being ‘paired’ with a more experienced employee. The trainee carries out the job but uses the ‘mentor’ to discuss problems that may occur and how best to solve them. Often trainee teachers work with a mentor who is responsible for their early training and development. The student teacher will watch the mentor teach before starting his/her own teaching. The mentor will then give an ongoing guidance to the student teacher on how best to improve his/her performance and the trainee will take any problems and difficulties he/she is facing to the mentor to seek advice. Coaching This is rather similar to mentoring but the difference is that the coaching involves helping the young employee to acquire high quality skills in a number of specific management areas. These skills include communication with staff, budgeting, how to appraise and how to carry out disciplinary procedures. Vocational Courses These provide training in job related skills for example office skills: the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) took over the role of the NCVQ (National council for Vocational Qualifications, set standards for workplace competences which can be assessed both in the workplace and at college by examining bodies such as Edexcel, OCR and AQA. Job Rotation Is giving staff a range of jobs in rotation, which widened their experiences and increases their skills Job enlargement Is where staff is given extra tasks to do this gives management a better idea of the employees true capacity and ability. Job enrichment Adding more interesting and difficult tasks to the job to motivate and tro see how capable they are. Types of training at Haydon Induction Training The induction training takes place in July, which can be up to 3 weeks long this will include > Assessment > Reports > Behaviour management > Child protection > Special needs > Being a form tutor > Administration > Health and safety > Contracts > Classes > Syllabus > Courses Training days All employees have to attend this as it is where school issues are disused and they are trained on things like equal opportunities within the school. The 1996 Educational Act legally requires these training days. Specialised Courses Some courses which Haydon have done are: > Use of fire extinguishers: a specialised trainer came in to school to train the staff how to use them. > Man handling courses: is for staff looking after disabled students so they no how to look after the student and what they are and aren’t allowed to do. > Web design: this needed to be taught because of the new syllabus this was run by miss Boorman. Mentoring Every newly qualified teacher has a mentor at Haydon within the same subject the mentor has to do weekly meetings to review progress, observe their teaching skills and give feed back, and need to be their for support and motivation. On the Job training This is when a trainee at Haydon will work along side a qualified employer and observe teachers to gain experience. This means the trainee acquires their training st the school. This is known as job shadowing. External Training Haydons staff have gone on courses such as first aid which are done out side the business. Haydon also have to do external training for changes in the syllabus for example how to mark the coursework. I have shown why Haydon should train its employees and how it can be identified. Ive shown different types of training used how Haydon benefits from it and how the employees benefit from it.

Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism

Abstract It’s extremely important to develop belonging and affiliation in general education classrooms for students with autism. Students with autism have difficulty with social skills and friendships. Teachers may use different types of strategies to promote membership for students with autism in the general education classroom. The primary focus of these strategies are used for students in the primary grades, kindergarten through third. Introduction Though the classroom environment can be a helpful aspect into promoting friendship, sometimes other children aren’t so accepting. With the absence of friendship and good social relationships many things can happen. Among them a decreased likelihood of one day obtaining employment. A decreased likelihood of living independently, and a decreased life expectancy (Strain, 2001a). Children with autism have difficulty engaging in social activities, and social interactions. Amid them, language, social cues, physical contact, and nature of pretending (Clark & Smith, 1999). To avoid these problems teachers must do a number of things. They must promote positive interactions, reinforce positive interactions, limit the amount of adult interaction, and educate everyone about diversity. Teachers must also give choices. By giving choices positive antecedent intervention will help. Children with autism will interact more with peers. This will also be a naturalistic intervention, and is an i mportant variable for a student with autism (Carter, 2001). Teachers must also use peers as social models, by direct instruction, and by developing social skills. This can be done by developing friendships, and playing with children who have a variety of disabilities. Teachers can also teach children to engage in social play with children with autism (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Leal, 1995) Environment To promote friendship, affiliation, and belonging in a general education classroom, for a child with ... Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism Free Essays on Promoting Friendships For Children With Autism Abstract It’s extremely important to develop belonging and affiliation in general education classrooms for students with autism. Students with autism have difficulty with social skills and friendships. Teachers may use different types of strategies to promote membership for students with autism in the general education classroom. The primary focus of these strategies are used for students in the primary grades, kindergarten through third. Introduction Though the classroom environment can be a helpful aspect into promoting friendship, sometimes other children aren’t so accepting. With the absence of friendship and good social relationships many things can happen. Among them a decreased likelihood of one day obtaining employment. A decreased likelihood of living independently, and a decreased life expectancy (Strain, 2001a). Children with autism have difficulty engaging in social activities, and social interactions. Amid them, language, social cues, physical contact, and nature of pretending (Clark & Smith, 1999). To avoid these problems teachers must do a number of things. They must promote positive interactions, reinforce positive interactions, limit the amount of adult interaction, and educate everyone about diversity. Teachers must also give choices. By giving choices positive antecedent intervention will help. Children with autism will interact more with peers. This will also be a naturalistic intervention, and is an i mportant variable for a student with autism (Carter, 2001). Teachers must also use peers as social models, by direct instruction, and by developing social skills. This can be done by developing friendships, and playing with children who have a variety of disabilities. Teachers can also teach children to engage in social play with children with autism (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Leal, 1995) Environment To promote friendship, affiliation, and belonging in a general education classroom, for a child with ...

Amtrak Announces Half Price Fares for Students

Amtrak Announces Half Price Fares for Students Since 2003, Amtrak, the nations passenger rail service,  has offered 50% discount fares to high school juniors and seniors traveling to prospective college campuses. With the start of a new school year just around the corner, millions of American high school students visit colleges throughout the nation trying to decide where to continue their education. Amtrak hopes their Campus Visit Discount Coupon program will help make those often stressful trips more convenient and economical. Available to high school juniors and seniors traveling to prospective college campuses, the coupons provide a 50 percent discount on coach class travel for the student and up to two parents or legal guardians. The coupons are good for travel on most Amtrak trains nationwide. Choosing a university is a major decision, and a visit is an ideal way to sample college life and see a campus up-close, stated Barbara J. Richardson, Amtraks vice president of marketing and sales, in and Amtrak press release. Whether its a nearby state university or a parents alma mater thousands of miles away, chances are the school is near one of the more than 500 destinations served by Amtrak. With Amtraks Campus Visit Discount Coupon, high school juniors and seniors may visit a college or university and receive 50 percent off the best available fare on Amtrak. The coupon may be used with tickets purchased now through December 8, 2003 for travel through December 15, 2003. How to Get the Coupons To get a Campus Visit Discount Coupon, simply visit the Amtrak Campus Visit website, click on the Amtrak coupon link on the home page, download the file and print a coupon. Original copies of the Campus Visit Discount Coupon must be presented at the time reservations are ticketed. No copies will be accepted. After printing a coupon, students need to simply obtain their high school counselors signature on the coupon and make a train reservation by calling Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL. When making a reservation, students should tell the agent that they are using a Campus Visit Discount Coupon and mention discount code H178. Reservations for travel purchased with the coupon may not be made online. To ticket a reservation, visit any staffed Amtrak station or a local travel agent with the signed coupon. Complete instructions on redeeming an Amtrak Campus Visit Discount Coupon may be found at http:// www.campusvisit.com or by calling 1-781-431-7755. The coupon is also available from: bostonvisit.comhttp:// www.onebigcampus.com; andthecollegecity.com The Fine Print Reservations are required at least seven days prior to travel, and the student and parents or guardians must travel together on the same itinerary. Tickets may be upgraded to business class or to include sleeping accommodations upon payment of the applicable charges. The special fares are not available on Acela Express, Metroliner, Auto Train, Downeaster, peak departures of Amtraks Regional service in the Northeast or any departure requiring the purchase of a peak or unrestricted fare. Blackout dates and other restrictions do apply. The coupon may not be used in conjunction with any other discounts or promotions. Tickets are non-refundable once purchased, and no changes to the itinerary may be made once travel has begun.