The Effect of Music on the Mind and Leaning Abilities Essay

The Effect of Music on the Mind and Leaning Abilities - Essay Example Music is a stimulus perceived by hearing and had been described as the language of the soul on the basis of the properties believed to have effects on emotions and other aspects of a person’s well being such as the cognition, mental action and even leaning capabilities. Based on motivational and therapeutic studies, music can make a person achieve a relaxed feeling and accomplishment. Due to the said effects, music can help a person achieve volition or an â€Å"act of will† that helps in achieving a certain decision, which can be considered as a positive effect (Crowe 142). The effects of music on any form of problematic situation then can be considered as motivation and therapeutic. For that matter, such practice had been recognized to have positive and productive effects and referred to as the music therapy. Due to the observed effect of music, it had been explored and applied to different process to help conditions of the mind and emotion. The said interest then in r elation of the effects of music is the main connection of the study undertaken. That is to be able to concentrate on the research undertaken related to the functions of the mind and the performance of learners upon exposure to measurable and quantifiable musical input.

Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

Hybrid Cars Essay Are hybrid cars the answer? Author Jack R. Nerad explains to us in his book, â€Å"The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles† (Nerad, p. 5) that â€Å"With the rising cost in gasoline costs, the hybrid car has exploded into the fastest-growing segment of the American car industry. † With this important information we should all stop to ask ourselves why. Many individuals in our country feel that each person must do their part in protecting our environment. Not only has our population been more educated in recent years on environmental factors that can destroy our planet, but it’s clear that this impact has enlightened us to start making huge efforts in becoming a part of the solution to save our planet. By using hybrid cars for transportation, we are each showing respect and concern for this problem. We learn from Author’s Nick Yost and David Friedman (Yost; Friedman, p.4) in the book â€Å"The Essential Hybrid Car Handbook: A Buyer’s Guide† that hybrid cars were first introduced to Americans in our recent history of transportation. â€Å"When Japanese manufacturer Honda introduced its insight to the American motorists in December of 1999, it also ushered in a radically different concept in modern automotive transportation; the hybrid car. † Since this important date in history, hybrid cars are popping up in more and more places, everyday and are even becoming more popular with movie stars and those who are wealthy. This proves the importance of the utilization of hybrid cars since most of these people can afford luxury vehicles and are using the alternative hybrid cars in their daily lives. Not only are they proving that driving hybrid cars are necessary in changing our ideas about the way we participate in taking care of our environment but they are demonstrating that hybrid cars are attractive and just as useful as other cars on the road. Everyone in our country must take in as much information as possible about hybrid cars and spread the word that these vehicles should replace all other road vehicles. We can start by educating in our schools and communities where people can learn at an early age the incredible importance of changing our ways of thinking. Children will grow up with a better understanding of hybrid cars and be more apt to create and purchase them. With the education being spread and used by everyone in our country, it will be a sure way to express that we do care and our taking every single effort in changing over to hybrid cars. Although, it is virtually impossible to transform every American car over to hybrid in the next year, we can only take useful steps in making changes to better our own future and that of our descendents. Purchasing and driving hybrid cars are a wonderful sign that we are improving our ideas about the way we think about changing transportation and our environment to make things better. Hybrid cars are affordable and will even get cheaper in the future as we learn to manufacture them for higher demands. We will witness a growing number of people buying hybrid cars as we get used to the idea that they are popular and affordable to everyone in our country. Reference Page Nerad, Jack R. 2007. The Complete Idiots Guide to Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Alpha Publishers. P. 15. Yost, Nick; Friedman, David. 2006. The Essential Hybrid Car Handbook: A Buyer’s Guide. 2006. The Lyons Press. Edition 1. P.

re-introduction of wolves into maine :: essays research papers

Reentering the eastern timber wolf into northern Maine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the 20th century the eastern timber wolf lived and thrived in northern and central Maine. A combination of hunting and trapping however killed off most of the indigenous wolves and drove the rest into Canada.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The eastern timber wolf stands between 26†- 36† tall, and weighs between 65- 85 pounds for a female and 80- 95 pounds for a male. They stretch from between 5- 6.5 feet from nose to tale. The eastern timber wolf travels in packs of 2-8. The pack consists of the breeding male and female and their offspring it may also have subordinate adult wolves that recognize the breeding male’s leadership. Only the dominant male and female breed, the female has a litter of between 4-7 pups. A wolf pack has a territory that can be as big as 1,000 square miles, although it is generally less than this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people feel that since it was humans that drove the wolves away from the state of Maine it is our ethical duty to bring them back and see that they survive. I am now going to go over some of the pros and con’s of reintroducing the eastern timber wolf back into Maine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the wolves gone in Maine there was a predator vacuum created. This means that there was an over abundance of the animals the wolves used to prey upon. This in turn led to the increased number of coyotes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The eastern coyote is much larger then their western cousins and have a more powerful jaw for taking bigger game. They fit into the niche of the wolf perfectly. They have adapted until they can do just about anything a wolf could do; they are starting to travel in packs and are growing larger each generation. The eastern coyote is so well established in Maine and it is so closely related to the eastern timber wolf that if you wanted to reintroduce the wolf you would first have to greatly decrease the number of coyote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people say that if you reintroduce the wolf to Maine, big game hunting would have to be stopped. This is untrue. As long as the deer and moose population neither grows nor decreases hunting is doing its job. Wolves don’t have any great effect on the population of their prey. They take only sick and old animals and very rarely do they take an animal that has a likelihood of breeding.

The Theme of Madness Characterized by Ophelia and Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare :: Papers Hamlet Shakespeare Essays

The Theme of Madness Characterized by Ophelia and Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare In Hamlet, Shakespeare incorporates a theme of madness with two characters: one truly mad, and one only acting mad to serve a motive. The madness of Hamlet is frequently disputed. This paper argues that the contrapuntal character in the play, namely Ophelia, acts as a balancing argument to Hamlet's madness or sanity. Ophelia's breakdown and Hamlet's "north-north-west" brand of insanity argue for Hamlet having a method to his seeming insanity. The play offers a character on each side of sanity. While Shakespeare does not directly put Ophelia's insanity, or breakdown, against Hamlet's own madness, there is indeed a clear definitiveness in Ophelia's condition and a clear uncertainty in Hamlet's madness. Obviously, Hamlet's character offers more evidence, while Ophelia's breakdown is quick, but more conclusive in its precision. Shakespeare offers clear evidence pointing to Hamlet's sanity beginning with the first scene of the play. Hamlet begins with guards whose main importance in the play is to give credibility to the ghost. If Hamlet were to see his father's ghost in private, the argument for his madness would greatly improve. Yet, not one, but three men together witness the ghost before even thinking to notify Hamlet. As Hamlet says, "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt†¦" we can see that he is depressed and appalled, but it does not mean he is insane. As Horatio says, being the only one of the guards to play a significant role in the rest of the play, "Before my God, I might not this believe/ Without the sensible and true avouch/ Of mine own eyes." Horatio, who appears frequently throughout the play, acts as an unquestionably sane alibi to Hamlet again when framing the King with his reaction to the play. That Hamlet speaks to the ghost alone detracts somewhat from its credibility, but all the men were witness to the ghost demanding they speak alone. Horatio offers an insightful warning, "What if it tempts you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form. Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason, And draw you into madness? Think of it." Horatio's comment may be where Hamlet gets the idea to use a plea of insanity to work out his plan.

Ethnography

AN ETHNOGRAPHY â€Å"When used as a method, ethnography typically refers to fieldwork (alternatively, participant-observation) conducted by a single investigator who ‘lives with and lives like' those who are studied, usually for a year or more. † –John Van Maanen, 1996. â€Å"Ethnography literally means ‘a portrait of a people. ‘ An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture – the customs, beliefs, and behavior – based on information collected through fieldwork. † –Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, 2000. â€Å"Ethnography is the art and science of describing a group or culture.The description may be of a small tribal group in an exotic land or a classroom in middle-class suburbia. † –David M. Fetterman, 1998. Ethnography is a social science research method. It relies heavily on up-close, personal experience and possible participation, not just observation, by researchers trained in the art of et hnography. These ethnographers often work in multidisciplinary teams. The ethnographic focal point may include intensive language and culture learning, intensive study of a single field or domain, and a blend of historical, observational, and interview methods.Typical ethnographic research employs three kinds of data collection: interviews, observation, and documents. This in turn produces three kinds of data: quotations, descriptions, and excerpts of documents, resulting in one product: narrative description. This narrative often includes charts, diagrams and additional artifacts that help to tell â€Å"the story† (Hammersley, 1990). Ethnographic methods can give shape to new constructs or paradigms, and new variables, for further empirical testing in the field or through traditional, quantitative social science methods. Ethnography has it roots planted in the fields of anthropology and sociology.Present-day practitioners conduct ethnographies in organizations and communitie s of all kinds. Ethnographers study schooling, public health, rural and urban development, consumers and consumer goods, any human arena. While particularly suited to exploratory research, ethnography draws on a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, moving from â€Å"learning† to â€Å"testing† (Agar, 1996) while research problems, perspectives, and theories emerge and shift. Ethnographic methods are a means of tapping local points of view, households and community â€Å"funds of nowledge† (Moll & Greenberg, 1990), a means of identifying significant categories of human experience up close and personal. Ethnography enhances and widens top down views and enriches the inquiry process, taps both bottom-up insights and perspectives of powerful policy-makers â€Å"at the top,† and generates new analytic insights by engaging in interactive, team exploration of often subtle arenas of human difference and similarity. Through such findings ethnographers may inform others of their findings with an attempt to derive, for example, policy decisions or instructional innovations from such an analysis.VARIATIONS IN OBSERVATIONAL METHODS Observational research is not a single thing. The decision to employ field methods in gathering informational data is only the first step in a decision process that involves a large number of options and possibilities. Making the choice to employ field methods involves a commitment to get close to the subject being observed in its natural setting, to be factual and descriptive in reporting what is observed, and to find out the points of view of participants in the domain observed.Once these fundamental commitments have been made, it is necessary to make additional decisions about which particular observational approaches are appropriate for the research situation at hand. VARIATIONS IN OBSERVER INVOLVEMENT: PARTICIPANT OR ONLOOKER? The first and most fundamental distinction among observationa l strategies concerns the extent to which the observer is also a participant in the program activities being studied. This is not really a simple choice between participation and nonparticipation.The extent of participation is a continuum which varies from complete immersion in the program as full participant to complete separation from the activities observed, taking on a role as spectator; there is a great deal of variation along the continuum between these two extremes. Participant observation is an omnibus field strategy in that it â€Å"simultaneously combines document analysis, interviewing of respondents and informants, direct participation and observation, and introspection. In participant observation the researcher shares as intimately as possible in the life and activities of the people in the observed setting.The purpose of such participation is to develop an insider's view of what is happening. This means that the researcher not only sees what is happening but â€Å"fe els† what it is like to be part of the group. Experiencing an environment as an insider is what necessitates the participant part of participant observation. At the same time, however, there is clearly an observer side to this process. The challenge is to combine participation and observation so as to become capable of understanding the experience as an insider while describing the experience for outsiders.The extent to which it is possible for a researcher to become a full participant in an experience will depend partly on the nature of the setting being observed. For example, in human service and education programs that serve children, it is not possible for the researcher to become a student and therefore experience the setting as a child; it may be possible, however, for the research observer to participate as a volunteer, parent, or staff person in such a setting and thereby develop the perspective of an insider in one of these adult roles.It should be said, though, that many ethnographers do not believe that understanding requires that they become full members of the group(s) being studied. Indeed, many believe that this must not occur if a valid and useful account is to be produced. These researchers believe the ethnographer must try to be both outsider and insider, staying on the margins of the group both socially and intellectually. This is because what is required is both an outside and an inside view.For this reason it is sometimes emphasized that, besides seeking to â€Å"understand†, the ethnographer must also try to see familiar settings as â€Å"anthropologically strange†, as they would be seen by someone from another society, adopting what we might call the Martian perspective. METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES Following are three methodological principles that are used to provide the rationale for the specific features of the ethnographic method.They are also the basis for much of the criticism of quantitative research for failing to capture the true nature of human social behavior; because it relies on the study of artificial settings and/or on what people say rather than what they do; because it seeks to reduce meanings to what is observable; and because it reifies social phenomena by treating them as more clearly defined and static than they are, and as mechanical products of social and psychological factors (M. Hammersley, 1990). The three principles can be summarized under the headings of naturalism, understanding and discovery: 1.Naturalism. This is the view that the aim of social research is to capture the character of naturally occurring human behavior, and that this can only be achieved by first-hand contact with it, not by inferences from what people do in artificial settings like experiments or from what they say in interviews about what they do elsewhere. This is the reason that ethnographers carry out their research in â€Å"natural† settings, settings that exist independently of the resea rch process, rather than in those set up specifically for the purposes of research.Another important implication of naturalism is that in studying natural settings the researcher should seek to minimize her or his effects on the behavior of the people being studied. The aim of this is to increase the chances that what is discovered in the setting will be generalizable to other similar settings that have not been researched. Finally, the notion of naturalism implies that social events and processes must be explained in terms of their relationship to the context in which they occur. 2.Understanding. Central here is the argument that human actions differ from the behavior of physical objects, and even from that of other animals: they do not consist simply of fixed responses or even of learned responses to stimuli, but involve interpretation of stimuli and the construction of responses. Sometimes this argument reflects a complete rejection of the concept of causality as inapplicable to the social world, and an insistence on the freely constructed character of human actions and institutions.Others argue that causal relations are to be found in the social world, but that they differ from the â€Å"mechanical† causality typical of physical phenomena. From this point of view, if we are to be able to explain human actions effectively we must gain an understanding of the cultural perspectives on which they are based. That this is necessary is obvious when we are studying a society that is alien to us, since we shall find much of what we see and hear puzzling. However, ethnographers argue that it is just as important when we are studying more familiar settings.Indeed, when a setting is familiar the danger of misunderstanding is especially great. It is argued that we cannot assume that we already know others' perspectives, even in our own society, because particular groups and individuals develop distinctive worldviews. This is especially true in large complex soci eties. Ethnic, occupational, and small informal groups (even individual families or school classes) develop distinctive ways of orienting to the world that may need to be understood if their behavior is to be explained.Ethnographers argue, then, that it is necessary to learn the culture of the group one is studying before one can produce valid explanations for the behavior of its members. This is the reason for the centrality of participant observation and unstructured interviewing to ethnographic method. 3. Discovery. Another feature of ethnographic thinking is a conception of the research process as inductive or discovery-based; rather than as being limited to the testing of explicit hypotheses.It is argued that if one approaches a phenomenon with a set of hypotheses one may fail to discover the true nature of that phenomenon, being blinded by the assumptions built into the hypotheses. Rather, they have a general interest in some types of social phenomena and/or in some theoretica l issue or practical problem. The focus of the research is narrowed and sharpened, and perhaps even changed substantially, as it proceeds. Similarly, and in parallel, theoretical ideas that frame descriptions and explanations of what is observed are developed over the course of the research.Such ideas are regarded as a valuable outcome of, not a precondition for, research. ETHNOGRAPHY AS METHOD In terms of method, generally speaking, the term â€Å"ethnography† refers to social research that has most of the following features (M. Hammersley, 1990). (a) People's behavior is studied in everyday contexts, rather than under experimental conditions created by the researcher. (b) Data are gathered from a range of sources, but observation and/or relatively informal conversations are usually the main ones. c) The approach to data collection is â€Å"unstructured in the sense that it does not involve following through a detailed plan set up at the beginning; nor are the categories us ed for interpreting what people say and do pre-given or fixed. This does not mean that the research is unsystematic; simply that initially the data are collected in as raw a form, and on as wide a front, as feasible. (d) The focus is usually a single setting or group, of relatively small scale. In life history research the focus may even be a single individual. (e) The analysis of the data involves interpretation of the eanings and functions of human actions and mainly takes the form of verbal descriptions and explanations, with quantification and statistical analysis playing a subordinate role at most. As a set of methods, ethnography is not far removed from the sort of approach that we all use in everyday life to make sense of our surroundings. It is less specialized and less technically sophisticated than approaches like the experiment or the social survey; though all social research methods have their historical origins in the ways in which human beings gain information about th eir world in everyday life.SUMMARY GUIDELINES FOR FIELDWORK It is difficult, if not impossible, to provide a precise set of rules and procedures for conducting fieldwork. What you do depends on the situation, the purpose of the study, the nature of the setting, and the skills, interests, needs, and point of view of the observer. Following are some generic guidelines for conducting fieldwork: 1. Be descriptive in taking field notes. 2. Gather a variety of information from different perspectives. 3. Cross-validate and triangulate by gathering different kinds of data.Example: observations, interviews, program documentation, recordings, and photographs. 4. Use quotations; represent program participants in their own terms. Capture participants' views of their own experiences in their own words. 5. Select key informants wisely and use them carefully. Draw on the wisdom of their informed perspectives, but keep in mind that their perspectives are limited. 6. Be aware of and sensitive to the different stages of fieldwork. (a) Build trust and rapport at the entry stage. Remember that the researcher-observer is also being observed and evaluated. b) Stay alert and disciplined during the more routine middle-phase of fieldwork. (c) Focus on pulling together a useful synthesis as fieldwork draws to a close. (d) Be disciplined and conscientious in taking detailed field notes at all stages of fieldwork. (e) Be as involved as possible in experiencing the observed setting as fully as possible while maintaining an analytical perspective grounded in the purpose of the fieldwork: to conduct research. (f) Clearly separate description from interpretation and judgment. (g) Provide formative feedback as part of the verification process of fieldwork.Time that feedback carefully. Observe its impact. (h) Include in your field notes and observations reports of your own experiences, thoughts, and feelings. These are also field data. Fieldwork is a highly personal experience. The meshing of fieldwork procedures with individual capabilities and situational variation is what makes fieldwork a highly personal experience. The validity and meaningfulness of the results obtained depend directly on the observer's skill, discipline, and perspective. This is both the strength and weakness of observational methods. SUMMARY GUIDELINES FOR INTERVIEWINGThere is no one right way of interviewing, no single correct format that is appropriate for all situations, and no single way of wording questions that will always work. The particular evaluation situation, the needs of the interviewee, and the personal style of the interviewer all come together to create a unique situation for each interview. Therein lie the challenges of depth interviewing: situational responsiveness and sensitivity to get the best data possible. There is no recipe for effective interviewing, but there are some useful guidelines that can be considered.These guidelines are summarized below (Patton, 1987). 1. Through out all phases of interviewing, from planning through data collection to analysis, keep centered on the purpose of the research endeavor. Let that purpose guide the interviewing process. 2. The fundamental principle of qualitative interviewing is to provide a framework within which respondents can express their own understandings in their own terms. 3. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews: the informal conversational interview; the interview guide approach; and the standardized open-ended interview. . Select the type of interview (or combination of types) that is most appropriate to the purposes of the research effort. 5. Understand the different kinds of information one can collect through interviews: behavioral data; opinions; feelings; knowledge; sensory data; and background information. 6. Think about and plan how these different kinds of questions can be most appropriately sequenced for each interview topic, including past, present, and futur e questions. 7. Ask truly open-ended questions. 8. Ask clear questions, using understandable and appropriate language. . Ask one question at a time. 10. Use probes and follow-up questions to solicit depth and detail. 11. Communicate clearly what information is desired, why that information is important, and let the interviewee know how the interview is progressing. 12. Listen attentively and respond appropriately to let the person know he or she is being heard. 13. Avoid leading questions. 14. Understand the difference between a depth interview and an interrogation. Qualitative evaluators conduct depth interviews; police investigators and tax auditors conduct interrogations. 5. Establish personal rapport and a sense of mutual interest. 16. Maintain neutrality toward the specific content of responses. You are there to collect information not to make judgments about that person. 17. Observe while interviewing. Be aware of and sensitive to how the person is affected by and responds to different questions. 18. Maintain control of the interview. 19. Tape record whenever possible to capture full and exact quotations for analysis and reporting. 20. Take notes to capture and highlight major points as the interview progresses. 1. As soon as possible after the interview check the recording for malfunctions; review notes for clarity; elaborate where necessary; and record observations. 22. Take whatever steps are appropriate and necessary to gather valid and reliable information. 23. Treat the person being interviewed with respect. Keep in mind that it is a privilege and responsibility to peer into another person's experience. 24. Practice interviewing. Develop your skills. 25. Enjoy interviewing. Take the time along the way to stop and â€Å"hear† the roses. SITE DOCUMENTSIn addition to participant observation and interviews, ethnographers may also make use of various documents in answering guiding questions. When available, these documents can add additional insi ght or information to projects. Because ethnographic attention has been and continues to be focused on both literate and non-literate peoples, not all research projects will have site documents available. It is also possible that even research among a literate group will not have relevant site documents to consider; this could vary depending on the focus of the research.Thinking carefully about your participants and how they function and asking questions of your informants helps to decide what kinds of documents might be available. Possible documents include: budgets, advertisements, work descriptions, annual reports, memos, school records, correspondence, informational brochures, teaching materials, newsletters, websites, recruitment or orientation packets, contracts, records of court proceedings, posters, minutes of meetings, menus, and many other kinds of written items.For example, an ethnographer studying how limited-English proficient elementary school students learn to acquire English in a classroom setting might want to collect such things as the state or school mandated Bilingual/ESL curriculum for students in the school(s) where he or she does research, and examples of student work. Local school budget allocations to language minority education, specific teachers' lesson plans, and copies of age-appropriate ESL textbooks could also be relevant.It might also be useful to try finding subgroups of professional educators organizations which focus on teaching elementary school language arts and join their listservs, attend their meetings, or get copies of their newsletters. Review cumulative student records and school district policies for language minority education. All of these things could greatly enrich the participant observation and the interviews that an ethnographer does. Privacy or copyright issues may apply to the documents gathered, so it is important to inquire about this when you find or are given documents.If you are given permission to incl ude what you learn from these documents in your final paper, the documents should be cited appropriately and included in the bibliography of the final paper. If you are not given permission, do not use them in any way. ETHICS IN ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH Since ethnographic research takes place among real human beings, there are a number of special ethical concerns to be aware of before beginning. In a nutshell, researchers must make their research goals clear to the members of the community where they undertake their research and gain the informed consent of their consultants to the research beforehand.It is also important to learn whether the group would prefer to be named in the written report of the research or given a pseudonym and to offer the results of the research if informants would like to read it. Most of all, researchers must be sure that the research does not harm or exploit those among whom the research is done. ANALYZING, INTERPRETING AND REPORTING FINDINGS Remember that the researcher is the detective looking for trends and patterns that occur across the various groups or within individuals (Krueger, 1994).The process of analysis and interpretation involve disciplined examination, creative insight, and careful attention to the purposes of the research study. Analysis and interpretation are conceptually separate processes. The analysis process begins with assembling the raw materials and getting an overview or total picture of the entire process. The researcher's role in analysis covers a continuum with assembly of raw data on one extreme and interpretative comments on the other. Analysis is the process of bringing order to the data, organizing what is there into patterns, categories, and basic descriptive units.The analysis process involves consideration of words, tone, context, non-verbals, internal consistency, frequency, extensiveness, intensity, specificity of responses and big ideas. Data reduction strategies are essential in the analysis (Kru eger, 1994). Interpretation involves attaching meaning and significance to the analysis, explaining descriptive patterns, and looking for relationships and linkages among descriptive dimensions. Once these processes have been completed the researcher must report his or her interpretations and conclusions QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIONReports based on qualitative methods will include a great deal of pure description of the program and/or the experiences of people in the research environment. The purpose of this description is to let the reader know what happened in the environment under observation, what it was like from the participants' point of view to be in the setting, and what particular events or activities in the setting were like. In reading through field notes and interviews the researcher begins to look for those parts of the data that will be polished for presentation as pure description in the research report.What is included by way of description will depend on what questions the researcher is attempting to answer. Often an entire activity will be reported in detail and depth because it represents a typical experience. These descriptions are written in narrative form to provide a holistic picture of what has happened in the reported activity or event. REPORTING FINDINGS The actual content and format of a qualitative report will depend on the information needs of primary stakeholders and the purpose of the research. Even a comprehensive report will have to omit a great deal of the data collected by the researcher.Focus is essential. Analysts who try to include everything risk losing their readers in the sheer volume of the presentation. This process has been referred to as â€Å"the agony of omitting†. The agony of omitting on the part of the researcher is matched only by the readers' agony in having to read those things that were not omitted, but should have been. BALANCE BETWEEN DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS In considering what to omit, a decision has to be made about how much description to include. Detailed description and in-depth quotations are the essential qualities of qualitative accounts.Sufficient description and direct quotations should be included to allow readers to understand fully the research setting and the thoughts of the people represented in the narrative. Description should stop short, however, of becoming trivial and mundane. The reader does not have to know absolutely everything that was done or said. Again the problem of focus arises. Description is balanced by analysis and interpretation. Endless description becomes its own muddle. The purpose of analysis is to organize the description in a way that makes it manageable. Description is balanced by analysis and leads into interpretation.An interesting and readable final account provides sufficient description to allow the reader to understand the analysis and sufficient analysis to allow the reader to understand the interpretations and explanations presente d. Try It Yourself Why do people see things differently? The importance of ethnographic research Apple Example Thomas Kuhn suggests that what people see depends on what â€Å"previous visual and conceptual experience has taught† them. This suggests that what we look at and what we see are two different things. Anthropologists Anne Campbell of Washington State University and Patricia C.Rice of West Virginia University give an excellent example of how what we look at and what we see can be different things, depending on who perceives a situation or thing. Try this: * gather two to three people and mentally place an apple on a table in front of the group. * Without any prior discussion, each group member should take a moment to individually write down what it is he or she sees. * After a few minutes, compare notes. What do you find? Did everyone see the same thing? What color was the apple? Are there specific colors given to the apple?What about the type of apple on the table, d id anyone acknowledge if there was a difference between a golden delicious and a Macintosh? What about the size of the apple? Did anyone include size as a characteristic of the apple? What this example shows is that no two people see the same thing. We may understand what an apple is, but in terms of describing it and â€Å"seeing† it much of our sight comes from pervious â€Å"visual-conceptual† experiences. Someone knowledgeable in produce may know that there are many types of apples, just as someone interested in quantities of food may take note of the size of the apple.

The eNotes Blog How College Is Like That Juicy Hamburger You Just Dont Want toEnd

How College Is Like That Juicy Hamburger You Just Dont Want toEnd Just come with us on this one intern offers more advice on how to savor college and prep for the real world, which in foodie-terms can only be likened to that salad bar at the Souplantationa bottomless pit of just meh. So, now that weve livened your spirits Picture this. You’re at a restaurant, and it’s around 3 or 4 o’clock. You woke up late and didn’t have time to grab any breakfast, and you had class for a couple straight hours without a break. Essentially, you’ve gone all day without a single bite of food, and MAN you’re hungry. So hungry, in fact, that the moment the waiter brings you whatever it is you’ve ordered (probably something with french fries), you praise him for his good deed, nearly yank it from his hands, and devour the entire meal before you even realize it’s happening. The next time you look at your plate, you realize it’s just you and a couple crumbs left. You aren’t even sure what you just ate. Now, I didn’t just use this example because this is my life on a near regular basis†¦ I used it because it’s really applicable! Watch me go, I promise, this is totally going to resonate. That hamburger and french fries you just savagely took down in 2 minutes flat- that’s college (Oh my GOODNESS, what is that you say?). Chances are, you (you near graduate, you) feel like college â€Å"whoosh†ed past you in 2 minutes flat, or something close to that. You’re looking back at all those fragments of memories and experiences, and probably freaking out a little bit. Okay, maybe a lot-a-bit. I know I’ve spent the past couple nights rehearsing lines like these: â€Å"where’d all the time go?† and â€Å"I can’t believe it† and maybe some â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (that’s just some silent wall-staring). Fret no more, fellow sorry souls. We’re all in this together. We’re going to make it through. We’re going to savor all the best things about college while we still can. For those of you who aren’t as close to the end of the plank as us, pay heed to this list of top 10 things that are awesome about college (and maybe try to chew a little slower). When someone asks you what you’re doing with your life, you are allowed to answer â€Å"I’m a student,† and just like that, the â€Å"I now have to tell a stranger I have no idea what I’m doing with my life and I’m unemployed† conversational crisis is averted. Seriously, just like that. Enjoy this. Even if you have to awkwardly linger around people until they ask you that question, just do it. You essentially live in a weird village full of likeminded, crazy 18-22 year olds, and you’re friends with a ton of them- this is something that could only be crafted by a spirit above. Seriously†¦you live surrounded by your friends. Surrounded. This will likely never happen again in your life. Ever. Go hang out with your neighbors (and by neighbors I mean those that live: next door, across the street, down the street, and anywhere from 1-10 blocks away from you). This weird village you live in has its own set of moral codes and ethics. Close to 50% of the things you do in the little microcosm of a world that is your college town will never be accepted outside of that bubble. Revel in it. On the same vein, once you graduate, you will no longer be able to recount events of the past night or week and shrug it off with a smirk and the words, â€Å"college, man.† Self explanatory. The opportunities your university provides for you are endless. Clubs, events, speakers, concerts, special lectures, counselors, employment- the list goes on and on. You should participate as much as you can and take advantage of it all. Don’t be lazy, you’ll miss out on a lot of experiences you won’t be able to get anywhere else. You can cook like you’re a survivor on the series Lost, and no one will judge you. Pre-packaged foods, a microwave†¦who needs a stove or forks or knives? I mean, even if you wanted to have a dinner party, Trader Joes has some frozen meals that serve at least four people. You’re all set! Once you leave college, people actually may start expecting you to use fresh ingredients and things like spices (not the kind that comes inside your top ramen package- mmm, MSG). Eat as many microwavable chicken nuggets and taquitos as you can, while you still can. You get to learn the things you want to learn about. I know everyone complains about school because of all the work and studying and blah, blah, blah. But we all know, deep down, we like it at least a little bit. The fact that we get to fill our brains with new information on a daily basis, and that that information may lead us in one direction or other, building our interests and leading us to new ones†¦that’s just awesome. You know it, I know it. We just don’t like to really admit it all the time. College students are stubborn. You can wear sweatpants whenever you want because your day job isn’t really a job at all. Your job is to sit in a lecture and try to stay awake while learning things. Nowhere in that description are the words â€Å"business casual.† Pajamas are only pajamas if you’re in bed and sleeping- otherwise, they’re just clothes. Think about that. You’re allowed to dabble in things without being talked about as if you’re a lost soul searching for your way. Hey, it’s college. You’re encouraged to try new things, regardless of what they are. Literally, you can do anything and people (essentially by law) have to just nod and say, â€Å"that’s what college is for,† and they’re right. So explore, a lot, and do the weirdest things you can possibly think of because you never know what’ll stick. Soon it’ll be too late and your dreams of being a figure skater will be looked at a little more critically (Not that that should hinder you. You should always chase your dreams, even if people laugh at you, or think you’re nuts. I’m just saying, take advantage of the head start college is intended to give you). You are told, around three times a year, that you must stop doing schoolwork and instead, â€Å"relax.† Winter break, spring break, and summer vacation are some of the best inventions that have ever been created in the history of the world. Fire, the wheel- they pale in comparison. It’s mandated, enforced relaxation. This will most likely never be permitted at any other time in your life. Phew. Good luck. If all else fails, listen to some ‘90s music. Or to Hall and Oates (specifically, â€Å"You Make My Dreams†). You will feel like a kid at Disneyland who’s eating a churro (and we all know that’s the best feeling in the world).

Free Essays on Womens Role

We live in an age where women have gained access, and freedoms to explore a wide range of interest, and life styles more than they ever could in the past: freedoms to enter the man’s work force; freedom to hold bank accounts, and get mortgages and loans. In some states, they even have the freedom to marry the same sex. In this age of increasing change, there is one area that I feel women got confused and would need help to make a right decision in their lives whether to look after the family or to work outside the home. In this case I would mention that women in modern society who do not work are in the worst position then those who are occupied in some activity because of three reasons – working woman is independent, in majority of cases she has better education and she lives in better conditions, then that who doesn’t work. In my opinion, today the idea of having a good job and career makes women struggle for their great wishes in life and to achieve certain level of independence. It unavoidably affects their family status. If housewife is considered to be inferior to her husband because she doesn’t earn money and moreover lives on money of her husband, it is generally thought that the husband has a right to do with her whatever he pleased. It was until the recent times the great problem especially for Asian countries. On the contrary, if woman does work and has some stable income, the husband will never allow himself to â€Å"exercise† his power on her, because she is the same breadwinner as her husband, and their rights and liabilities in family are divided equally. The second argument of mine states that those women who work have better education and the level of development then those who stay at home. It is because those working at home do not have that experience and viewpoint as business women do, who work among other people, and can learn their views and accept their knowledge as well. At the same time interests ... Free Essays on Women's Role Free Essays on Women's Role We live in an age where women have gained access, and freedoms to explore a wide range of interest, and life styles more than they ever could in the past: freedoms to enter the man’s work force; freedom to hold bank accounts, and get mortgages and loans. In some states, they even have the freedom to marry the same sex. In this age of increasing change, there is one area that I feel women got confused and would need help to make a right decision in their lives whether to look after the family or to work outside the home. In this case I would mention that women in modern society who do not work are in the worst position then those who are occupied in some activity because of three reasons – working woman is independent, in majority of cases she has better education and she lives in better conditions, then that who doesn’t work. In my opinion, today the idea of having a good job and career makes women struggle for their great wishes in life and to achieve certain level of independence. It unavoidably affects their family status. If housewife is considered to be inferior to her husband because she doesn’t earn money and moreover lives on money of her husband, it is generally thought that the husband has a right to do with her whatever he pleased. It was until the recent times the great problem especially for Asian countries. On the contrary, if woman does work and has some stable income, the husband will never allow himself to â€Å"exercise† his power on her, because she is the same breadwinner as her husband, and their rights and liabilities in family are divided equally. The second argument of mine states that those women who work have better education and the level of development then those who stay at home. It is because those working at home do not have that experience and viewpoint as business women do, who work among other people, and can learn their views and accept their knowledge as well. At the same time interests ...

Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves

Douglass and Jacobs as Heroic Slaves The autobiographical stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs tell the stories of two strong willed characters who fight for their God-given right for freedom. â€Å"The man who would one day be known to the world as Frederick Douglass transcended the oppression of his childhood to become one of the most forward-thinking social reforms of his age. An intellectual and political leader, Douglass harnessed an ever-increasing public profile to promote and defend the causes of full civil rights for all men and women, be they black or white† (Kester-Shelton). In Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Douglass’ The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, they fight through the sexual, physical and mental harassment brought forth by slavery to dehumanize them and make them think and feel they were not equals to the white race. These heroic and courageous characters show that even when confronted with great adversity the human spirit can overcome. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass took many risks in writing their stories with the hope that it would help other slaves in similar situations. The horrid things that the characters had to witness and experience would hopefully disgust and anger the reader, causing them to want to take action. Despite the potential trouble it could bring upon them, Douglass and Jacobs included the names of their masters and mistresses in their stories. Douglass also used his own name, though Jacobs used the name Linda Brent, not so much to cloak her name for being a woman speaking publicly, but because of the â€Å"disclosure of her history of sexual harassment, seduction, and unwed motherhood† (Castronovo). At fifteen she was doing all she could to resist the persistent sexual advances of her master, Dr. Flint. â€Å"I wanted to keep myself pure†¦ but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon Slavery; and ... Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves Douglass and Jacobs as Heroic Slaves The autobiographical stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs tell the stories of two strong willed characters who fight for their God-given right for freedom. â€Å"The man who would one day be known to the world as Frederick Douglass transcended the oppression of his childhood to become one of the most forward-thinking social reforms of his age. An intellectual and political leader, Douglass harnessed an ever-increasing public profile to promote and defend the causes of full civil rights for all men and women, be they black or white† (Kester-Shelton). In Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Douglass’ The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, they fight through the sexual, physical and mental harassment brought forth by slavery to dehumanize them and make them think and feel they were not equals to the white race. These heroic and courageous characters show that even when confronted with great adversity the human spirit can overcome. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass took many risks in writing their stories with the hope that it would help other slaves in similar situations. The horrid things that the characters had to witness and experience would hopefully disgust and anger the reader, causing them to want to take action. Despite the potential trouble it could bring upon them, Douglass and Jacobs included the names of their masters and mistresses in their stories. Douglass also used his own name, though Jacobs used the name Linda Brent, not so much to cloak her name for being a woman speaking publicly, but because of the â€Å"disclosure of her history of sexual harassment, seduction, and unwed motherhood† (Castronovo). At fifteen she was doing all she could to resist the persistent sexual advances of her master, Dr. Flint. â€Å"I wanted to keep myself pure†¦ but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon Slavery; and ...

How Rifle Technology Changed the Civil War Essay

How Rifle Technology Changed the Civil War - Essay Example During the civil war, union forces used Gatling’s weapons on a limited basis (Shane Mountjoy). Its increased lethality and range undermined Napoleonic tactics. An infantryman with a rifled musket was a greater threat to artillerymen and cavalrymen (Moorehead). During the civil war, an infantry man with rifle was able to target an artilleryman before they were within the range of canister fire. With rifles, the infantry was able to attack the cavalry soldiers from a greater distance. So, the long range fire power of the rifle reduced the importance of artillery and cavalry. During the Napoleonic wars, they were the important forces. The changes in infantry fire power resulted in shifting emphasis from offence to defence. Napoleonic style warfare emphasised on strong offence for victory. The problem then was how to execute an offensive plan when the tactical defence was much stronger (Moorehead). Frontal attacks were usually avoided and attacked enemy’s flanks. The confederate forces, during the battle of Gettysburg, attacked the union flank at the Little Round Top. But, this operation resulted in heavy causalities for the offence. Offensive tactics were changed by the end of the war. Instead of massed lines, small groups were formed and fire and move tactics were used. When some men advanced, other men gave them protection. It was clear during the battle of Wilderness at Brock Road on 6 May 1864 and Laurel Hill on 8 May 1864, that defensive positions repelled attacks. So, for victory, it became necessary to attack the opponent before he establishes a

The reflection of the case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The reflection of the - Case Study Example Passion is another vital concept to bear when starting a business. A person with the passion to engage in a particular venture is often successful as opposed to an individual who does not engage in it passionately. This is because this passionate person is often optimistic and optimism is vital in business. This is as shown in the case where Vivek Khuller thought of the idea of combining SFX and the Ticketmaster (Wasserman, 1). One of the major points to understand with relation to entrepreneurship is the manner in which the market is developed and divided. In the contemporary business environment, this is referred to as market segmentation. Market segmentation refers to the manner in which a company focuses on a large group of people who are the target market and then figuring out the ones with similar needs and operating with each group differently. After carrying out market segmentation, different approaches are then incorporated to ensure that all the different needs of the various individuals are met. After the entrepreneur establishes in the market, it is vital to ensure that he increases the taskforce that he has. With the increase in the task force, the consequent of this is that the market will extend and every segment gets a manager. This in the case is after Khuller had joined forces with other 5 individuals and consequently had to share the market and profits with them (Wasserman, 9). Another point to consider is concerning the full life cycle in business. This involves carrying out of various steps that assist in determining the condition of the commodity. The first step normally involves the identification of the manners through which customers get to know the commodity. There is then the collection of information about how the consumers use the commodity. Moreover, there is the determination of the expected need of

Level of Unemployment in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Level of Unemployment in UK - Essay Example This change will lead to a change in standards for living while supporting different needs for individuals. The basic definition of unemployment is when an individual doesn’t have a job and is nonworking. This definition leads the individual into a specific status that defines them as unemployed because they don’t hold a regular job and have inactivity in terms of finding a job. However, there are different measurements that are used for the unemployed because of the level of activity that is defined as well as the conditions in which different individuals are under. When looking at the overall idea of unemployment, it is defined by including anyone who is not performing a series of activities in the labor field or through a job. However, there are different levels that are included in this, specifically which is measured by the frequency in which one is unemployed as well as the basic structure that they rely on to receive monetary needs over a period of time (Brandolini, et al, 153, 2006). The structure of unemployment through the basic definition is defined by measurements that determine the frequency in which an individual is out of a job. This is defined first by an unemployment cell, which is divided by the amount of time one is out of a job as well as the frequency in which this occurs. This is also measured through the region in which one is in, specifically because it provides a comparison in the economic levels and demands for employment. The first measurement is known as seasonal unemployment, in which demands change based on labor intensive markets for each time frame. Most levels of employment that are offered seasonally include outdoor jobs and labor intensive options. The second type of unemployment is frictional, also referred to as demand – deficient unemployment. When the economy begins to emerge, temporary employment becomes available. This

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example gained much coverage in the media these days and various supporting and contradicting views about the implementation of this theory in the business are arising. Economists do not deny the existence of corporate social responsibility, but different economists define the responsibility differently. Some economists like Miltion Frideman criticize the idea saying that business is most responsible when it makes profit efficiently not when it misapplies its energy on social projects. (Frideman, 1970). On the other hand, Ralph Nader, defined responsibilities as inclusive of measures necessary to safeguard the interests of society. â€Å"It is hard to imagine the rise of the modern consumer movement without the leadership, resourcefulness, and sheer persistence of Ralph Nader†. (Bollier, 2010). In this paper, I am going to write about the impact of incorporating the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into a corporation’s business and working system. The potential benefits of achieving the CSR through business ethics will be weighed against the financial losses incurred by the corporation and its share holders in way of fulfilling the CSR to evaluate the eligibility of CSR to be adopted in a corporation’s business. The business ethic theory requires corporations to consider it their ethical responsibility to greatly look after the wellbeing of their employees, stakeholders and the society besides focusing on making profits. According to (Agalgatti and Krishna, 2007), there are basically two theories namely the Teleological theory which analyses the results to judge if an action was right or wrong, and the Deontological theory, which classifies duty as a moral category that is not influenced by results. They also noted that the discussion on business ethics is conducted on either or both of them. Basically the business ethic theory necessitates the consideration of social benefits beside making money. On the other hand, (Leave this line as it is

Carbon Forestry in the Gola Rainforest in Sierra Leone Essay

Carbon Forestry in the Gola Rainforest in Sierra Leone - Essay Example WE will also examine drivers of deforestation and degradation in the Gola forest. Qualitative study using maps was used in Sierra Leone on developments of the REDD+ mechanism in helping address deforestation. While REDD+ carries potential benefits, the prospects for its successful implementation in a developing country like Sierra Leone faces multiple challenges to meeting both its objectives and opportunities to improve livelihood of the local communities. Global forests, particularly tropical rainforests, play a key role in climate regulation. They provide a range of other benefits such as rainfall for agriculture, flood prevention and biodiversity. However, human activities have significant impacts on forests which in turn affect climate and wider ecosystem services. Deforestation is a major contribution to climatic changes, deforestation alone has contributed to about 20 percent of global greenhouse gases (Gullison et al., 2007). In West Africa, the moist and semi deciduous forests that stretch across Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Cote D Ivoire and Ghana have attracted attention as the assumed remainder of a once Upper Guinea forest ecosystem has progressively reduced due to deforestation and degradation. In various ways, international climate change negotiations have created opportunities and attention to the task of how to effectively slow down deforestation in developing countries. It would not only reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but would also provide additional benefits to the climate system including preserving the net carbon sink that may be present in old growth tropical forests and protect the environment. The basic goal is to preserve trees that would otherwise be cut down and thus release carbon dioxide, the most commonly emitted greenhouse gas. The REDD document specifically encourages parties to explore a range of actions, identify options,

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example gained much coverage in the media these days and various supporting and contradicting views about the implementation of this theory in the business are arising. Economists do not deny the existence of corporate social responsibility, but different economists define the responsibility differently. Some economists like Miltion Frideman criticize the idea saying that business is most responsible when it makes profit efficiently not when it misapplies its energy on social projects. (Frideman, 1970). On the other hand, Ralph Nader, defined responsibilities as inclusive of measures necessary to safeguard the interests of society. â€Å"It is hard to imagine the rise of the modern consumer movement without the leadership, resourcefulness, and sheer persistence of Ralph Nader†. (Bollier, 2010). In this paper, I am going to write about the impact of incorporating the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into a corporation’s business and working system. The potential benefits of achieving the CSR through business ethics will be weighed against the financial losses incurred by the corporation and its share holders in way of fulfilling the CSR to evaluate the eligibility of CSR to be adopted in a corporation’s business. The business ethic theory requires corporations to consider it their ethical responsibility to greatly look after the wellbeing of their employees, stakeholders and the society besides focusing on making profits. According to (Agalgatti and Krishna, 2007), there are basically two theories namely the Teleological theory which analyses the results to judge if an action was right or wrong, and the Deontological theory, which classifies duty as a moral category that is not influenced by results. They also noted that the discussion on business ethics is conducted on either or both of them. Basically the business ethic theory necessitates the consideration of social benefits beside making money. On the other hand, (Leave this line as it is

Civil society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civil society - Essay Example Locke however, believes that rights and obligations are the main propellant of problems that civil society faces while working under a given government. Moreover, Locke provided wide analysis on the state of nature in his second treatise which had an impact on the civil government. His work was written in the year 1680, the time of exclusion crisis in England. He believed that the existing men are free to order the prevailing actions as well as disposing persons and their possessions (Edwards, 12-18). This argument was due to the bounds law of nature availed in England and he suggested that the possessions and actions taken could fit well in line with the law. Locke analyses the state of law in a very well understandable way. He maintained that the state of nature has a specific law of nature that governs it and the prevailing law leads to a specific reason. Moreover, his views on the state of nature went against the norms of Christian believes entitling unlike hobbies and dependent philosophy that was not underscoring prior to the theology norms. The first treatise of Locke tried to adventure the norm Anglicans and Protestants and he had a mind to establish and make people understand as to why two treatise governments should be allowed to overthrow monarchy personnel who were there to abuse the trust that had been set to the people believe. Good governance is what people needs. This is only through the provision civil rights based on the nature and labor at large. The problems and challenges that civil society faces as per Locke desire is the dissolution of government which makes governance hard to deliver its manifesto well. The rights and obligations are the main propellant of problems that civil society faces while working under a given government. Locke provided wide analysis on the state of nature in his second treatise which had an impact on the civil government. Other problems are the political society which nurtures inequality due to tribalism and nepo tism among the society groups. Poor governance, lack of democratization process that provides a link between citizens and the state are other problems faced by civil society. However, when a given state provide well established governance, employ democratization process and enhance preservation of the society’s records, then this will help to solve this civil society problems availing as per Locke observation. Drawing primarily on Rousseau and Madison on how existence of political factions threaten and undermine civil society we find that, a lot has to be done to eliminate this aspect. Rousseau proposed a specific subject of argument in his scholarly works suggesting that, man is born free and an aspect of slavery should not be a threatening statue that civil society has to be accounted to. Rousseau challenged the work analyzed by Locke basing his argument on the origin of hobbies. He claimed that taking people away from socialization and forcing them away from their society undermines the rights of civil society. In his writings he suggested that according to the nature people are neither good or bad and therefore modern society should be blamed on blemishing the pure people through threatening their lives. In addition, Rousseau suggested that the level of sovereignty is indivisible and this is a

Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay Example for Free

Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 3 A. Determine which level of measurement— nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio—is used in the following examples. 1. The Association of Accountants is conducting a survey to determine the ranking of the top 100 accounting firms in the world. Ordinal 2. How many years did it take you to earn your college degree? Ratio 3. On a questionnaire which asks for gender, males are coded as 1 and females are coded as 2. Nominal 4. Respondents are asked to rate a list of high-tech companies as excellent, good, fair, or poor in terms of their service delivery. Ordinal 5. Cereal brands are arranged in an ordered sequence in which an equal interval exists between each point. Interval 6. Jake Locker averages 350 yards per game passing. Interval 7. The length of time it takes the winner of a marathon to cross the finish line. Ratio 8. Students are asked to rank computer manufacturers. Ordinal 9. The brand of charge card used by a customer. Nominal B. Which sampling method—simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, convenience, judgment, quota, or snowball—is most appropriate for the following examples? Explain why. 1. The unemployment rate is calculated each month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey consists of 50,000 households in about 2,000 counties and cities in all 50 states. Stratified. Because you are dividing into subgroups prior to sampling. 2. A researcher for Kraft Foods selects five states randomly, and then selects 10 supermarkets chains within each state to call for a phone survey as test markets for a new cookie. Cluster. You are dividing into groups or cluster then taking a random sample. 3. A new product researcher would like to investigate the use of virtual teams. After conducting an interview with a manager, she asks for the names of other managers that use virtual teams. Snowball. You are using a small pool of subjects and generating more from them. 4. A news reporter asks people on the street their opinion about the president’s new bill. Convenience. There are some members of the population that have no chance of being selected and you are using readily available subjects. 5. Jamie select Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and San Diego, California as test markets for a potato chip line base on her experience with these markets. Judgment. Because Jamie has used his or her own judgment to select the appropriate sample. 6. A researcher instructs field interviewers to interview customers of different cell phone companies in a nearby shopping mall so that they each interview 10 ATT, 8 T Mobile, 6 Verizon, and 4 owners of other cell phone providers. Quota. Because there is a set requirement of the sampling pool. 7. The Consumer Price Index represents a sampling of 90,000 items from 364 categories, chosen from 20,000 retail stores in 85 geographically distributed areas that are chosen to be as similar as possible. Stratified. Because you are dividing into subgroups prior to sampling. 8. A finance professor wants to know how many MBA students would be willing to take a course in international finance this summer. She surveys students in the class she is currently teaching. Cluster because she is dividing all MBA students into a group and sampling her class. It could also be seen as Convenience because she is sampling a group that is on hand and there is a set that doesn’t have a chance to be selected (anyone not in her class).

Characterisation in 2D Animations

Characterisation in 2D Animations The main problem that animation faces is that it is an overtly fake diegetic form. The viewer is presented with a constructed reality of drawings and paintings, which may represent the real world, but unlike photographic film, does not look like it. The challenge therefore is to create characters that may believably inhabit their particular diegetic reality. Animators have strived to find a way to resolve this issue through their character design and an awareness of how to deliver narrative information through their characters. This essay will illustrate the solutions that animators have found to make their audiences believe what is put in front of them. In 1914 Winsor McCay took up the (self-imposed) challenge of making dinosaurs live again via animation. The result was Gertie the Dinosaur a semi-live act with McCay performing onstage with the projected film behind him. Gertie herself was obviously an animated projection and to make her believable she had to have a strong individual character. McCay achieved this through his own interactions with the character of Gertie. He talks to her and asks her to perform tricks, which she obliges to do. We are also drawn attention to the fact that she is thirsty and she drains a lake. The performance would climax with her picking up McCay (as he exits the stage.) and bounding of the screen with him on his back. Through this series of call and response between the live action McCay and the animated Gertie, McCay creates the illusion of human understanding within the animated dinosaur. There is also at one point a look of glee in her face after a fight scene when she throws the defeated mammoth into a lake. Through the human interaction and the animation McCay has anthropomorphically endowed the animated creature with human emotions: he has made her believable to the audience by giving her recognizable human traits. In his book Understanding Animation Paul Wells recognizes that the use of attributing animated animal characters anthropomorphic characteristics has become a mainstay of character development. It will be discussed in further detail later in the essay. The basic principles of characterization as a narrative strategy in animation have been summed up by Wells. The character may be understood through its costume or construction, its ability to gesture or move and the associative aspects of its design. It is pertinent at this point to discuss these aspects of character design. Regardless of if an animated character is an animal or human, animators rarely try to completely reproduce natural form. As such the problem is that they are presenting viewers with unnatural looking beings. If the viewer is to accept the characters shown before them, the characters themselves must be presented as believable. This is why animators rely on exaggeration of individual features to suggest certain character types. Halas and Manvelldescribe this in their book the technique of film Animation. Characterization is achieved by the distortion of shapes and forms big eyes, big mouth, big nose, large head small body etc. What is stressed by animators is the gesturing parts of the body, particularly the features of the head. The eyes, nose, mouth and ears are all vital in creating the illusion of human emotion. There is a general rule of thumb with regards to which shapes go with what characters: kind gentle characters tend to have soft rounded faces with wide smiles and large rounded eyes. Porky Pig is a great example of this principle. He is the embodiment of the jolly fat man. Villains on the other hand are much more angular. They often have a rather sharp chin and small eyes and a crooked mouth that somehow lends itself to a wicked smile. They are often presented as grotesque, much like the Evil queen in Snow White and her incarnation as the old crone. These generalizations serve as visual shorthand for the viewer; they optimise the impact of the character through economy and allow the viewer to make connections and process narrative information about the characters more quickly. In the words of W ells, animation manages to compress a high degree of narrative information into a limited period of time through a process of condensation. This method of economy and condensation was born out of functionality as much as anything. Partially it was due to the fact that cartoons are usually very short. As such narrative information has to be delivered with great speed. Also when television became the dominant domain of the animated short, characters had to be easily recognizable on the small screen. Its much easier to do this by recognizing one or two strong individual characteristics than several small ones. Most importantly however the simpler that a character is to draw, the quicker they become to reproduce. They rely on caricature and stereotype to relay narrative information quickly and succinctly. Halas and Manvell go on in their book to describe the visual style of Tom and Jerry in terms of the aesthetic principles of animation: The drawing and coloring have an economy and a visual impact that matches the overwhelming vitality and sometimes the crudity of the action and characterization. This highlights the importance of economy. Extraneous details can confuse the situation and detract from overall characterization. What is needed is a just a couple of well-chosen details. In 1917 Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope. This device allowed animators to successfully mimic natural movement by blowing up still frames of photography and allowing the animator to copy them exactly. Max and his brother Dave were both inspired by the work of Winsor McCay and between them were instrumental in the development of both technological and character development of animation. The rotoscope worked by using a drawing board with a frosted glass center. One frame of photography at a time was shone onto the glass and the image was traced. It provided an accurate reference of movement and articulation so that on screen movement could be replicated with a lot more fluidity. By doing this animators were able to draw more complicated figures in a believable and convincing way. Richard Willams has drawn examples of some of these more complicated characters in his book the animators survival kit. The examples that will be discussed here are the representation of the young and old woman as drawn by Williams. By taking two examples of opposing but similar characters, we can see how the rotoscope paved the way for the development of characterization in animation. The young woman is characterized mainly be her curvaceous figure. She has a strong convex curve along her back and an hourglass figure that extenuates her breast, slim waist and shoulders. She stands upright and tall. She also has sleek long legs and flowing long hair. This form communicates her youth vitality and energy. The old woman by contrast has a much rounder concave curve of the back, which seems to curve round into her body giving her a rounded torso. The breast is also molded into this rounded torso that desexualizes her. Her hair is also shorter. She is hunched forward making her look tired and weary. The lower body is also rounded and she wears a long skirt to cover the legs. In contrast we see only the ankles and feet of the old woman and she is given short dumpy legs. These two examples s how the importance of form and shape in delivering character information. These two figures could represent the same character at different ages but the presentation of form provides us with completely different information about the characters. Williams also stresses the importance of movement to illustrate character. As stated earlier this art of animation was greatly enhanced by the development of the rotoscope. The way that a character moves can be fluid and smooth which would suggest grace or elegance. Alternatively movements can be jerky or plodding, which will in turn infer characteristics of weakness or foolishness. Again he uses examples to discuss and illustrate the main differences between the masculine and feminine walk. The feminine walk is smooth and elegant. She keeps her legs close together and as such the footsteps run straight along the line of action. As a result there is very little up and down body movement. The feminine walk seems to glide along the line of action. The masculine walk however is much more aggressive. The feet are kept well apart, far out from the line of action. The masculine walk is a full on stride, which makes the character as wide as possible. There is much more up and down movement on the body. This makes the walk much more kinetic and at the same time suggests power and strength. Much like the generalizations about character form, these conventions can be subverted to comic effect or to deliver more information. For example a Masculine walk may become a drunken walk if the feet are allowed to cross the line of action. (I.E. if the right foot passes across the center of the body and steps down on the left and vice versa.) Through these examples it is clear that the way that the animator makes the character move is vital to characterization. The Fleischer brothers were also responsible for two of the most beloved cartoon characters of the thirties: Popeye and Betty Boop. These two characters are archetypes of hero and heroine character traits. It seems only fitting therefore to discuss how these characters are so distinct, and the methods used to give them such strong individual identities. Popeye originally appeared in Comic strip form some years before his screen debut in 1933. During this time of American economic depression he was a figure of aspiration for the workingman. As a navy man he had a career that stood for American strength and pride; this also made him stand out as the champion of the just causes. As such he was the embodiment of the strong everyman in times of hardship. He is identified as a sailor by the uniform that he wears with style and pride. He embodies the macho sailor stereotype by striding along with a sailors walk, feet apart rocking from side to side. He also has the iconic tattoo of an anchor on his arm; this marks him out as a man who figuratively wears his heart on his sleeve. His physical appearance is defined by the exaggeration of his muscle; importantly however Popeyes strength comes from eating spinach. Although he is always strong and muscular, it is not until he eats the spinach that he has the strength needed to defeat Bluto. After he has eaten the spinach his forearms are inflated to appear three times the normal size. As Wells points out Popeyes masculinity is predominantly defined by the association between his own organic expansion and the strength of hard metal or machines. As his muscles grow they either transform shape into anvils or air brakes or we see moving pictures of locomotives or battleships on his form arms. Po peyes physical strength therefore is amplified by the imagery but he also associated with American mechanical or military strength. Popeye is remembered for his fights with Bluto but the important thing to bear in mind is that he is not a troublemaker and is usually a very amiable character. He has the characteristic rounded face of the jolly fat man. He walks around with a smile making jokes to himself and being generally full of life. There is also his voice that characterizes him as a salty old piece of seaweed. It is only when his girlfriend Olive Oil is put in jeopardy that he is called into fight; thus he is characterized as a rescuer rather than a man of violence. Betty Boop first appeared in 1930 in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes. Her Face and body defined her femininity; she has a large head with huge childish doe eyes and full red lips. She also has the typical hourglass figure with a full bust that shows of a lot of cleavage. She was also a dancer and her movement and walk were characterized mainly by the feminine swing of the hips. After the first cartoon her skirts got smaller and smaller and she became much more overtly sexualized. She was an embodiment of femininity or at least the male fantasy of femininity. The blend of sexual charge and childlike innocence that came through mainly from her eyes and her distinctive voice disturbed the censors. Her raunchiness was toned down after the Hayes code of 1934. Now that the development of human characterization has been addressed; it is important at this point to addresses the role of anthropomorphism again. The rise and success of the animation of Walt Disney, Chuck Jones and Tex Avery are prime examples of how the lending of human characteristics to animals and vice versa has created some of the must vivid and enduring icons of animation. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck et al have become such fixed images in the popular psyche that it is important to understand what made these characters so memorable. When dealing with animals we must bear in mind the association that people already have with those particular beasts. Any given animal will have a mythology and literary tradition that comes with it; by being away of these traditions animators have been able to associate these ancient traditions with their own creations. For example foxes are sly and cunning; sharks are ferocious and unforgiving; horse and lions are heroic and noble creatures both ferocious yet majestic. When an animator is devising a character they tend to marry the preconceived ideas that people have about a particular beast with the traits they desire for their character. This is what wells calls associative relations and opens the form of animation into a narrative dialectic that requires an extra-textual understanding on behalf of the viewer. A good example of how the principle of associative relations works would be Kaa from The Jungle Book. The snake has a literary history that dates back to the story of Adam and Eve. It was the seductive yet untrustworthy snake that facilitated mans fall from paradise. The snake is sly; professing friendship but always has his own agenda. The snake glides along the flow in a smooth fluid motion, which is at once deadly and seductive. Kaa is attributed with these characteristics through legend and association. This is further illustrated by his ability of hypnotism, which is of course a human discipline. He talks to Mowgli and soothes him to sleep with soft words and hypnosis in order to eat him. In dealing with associations that are so deeply rooted in the common psyche the characters themselves become instantly memorable. Animal characteristics can also be applied to human characters. Heroes are often seen riding horses; the horse itself is a creature of nobility and heroism; and the tradition of the hero on horse back is one that has permeated every folklore around the globe. The human therefore basks in the reflective glory of its animal companion. The best way to summarize the use of anthropomorphism in characterization is to say that the human in the animal identifies the human character within. In turn the animal in the human illustrates and enriches the character of the human. Animators create artificial worlds and diegetic domains for characters to inhabit. As mentioned at the outset of this essay the problem is that the animated world we are presented with is so overtly fake that it is a challenge to make the characters believable. Animators exploit the fantasy element of their work; they draw attention to the fact that we are presented with talking pigs and indestructible heroes through comic exaggeration of their abilities and their follies. However what Animators do manage to do; is insert enough natural movement and recognizable human emotion into their creations that we except them fully as real believable characters within their own right. Bibliography Bordwell and Thompson. (2001) Film Art: An Introduction, New York: McGraw Hill. Canemaker, J. (ed.) (1988) Storytelling in Animation: The Art of the Animated Image Vol. 2, Los Angeles: AFI. Griffin, H. (2001) The Animators guide to 2D Computer Animation, Oxford: Focal Press, Halas, J and Manvell, R. (1968) The Technique of Film Animation, Norwich: Focal press Limited. Wells, P. (1998) Understanding Animation, New York: Routledge. Williams, R. (2001) The Animators Survival Kit, New York: Faber and Faber.

Child Trafficking Essay -- Legal Issues, Sexual Exploitation, Forced L

Child Trafficking â€Å"The global market of child trafficking is at over $12 billion a year with over 2 million child victims† (â€Å"Stop Child Trafficking Now† 1). This statement from the article â€Å"Stop Child Trafficking Now† describes how serious this crisis is nationwide. Child labor, illegal adoptions and child prostitution are the three forms child trafficking typically exists as (â€Å"Riverkids Project† 1). There has been a rising number of Cambodian children being trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor because of poverty, unemployment and lack of education; however organizations such as the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) are trying to raise awareness of this crisis. There is a rising number of Cambodian children being trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Human trafficking is a major crisis that is rapidly growing, affecting many young women of Cambodia. In just one year the number of young women involved in prostitution grew from 6,000 to 20,000 trafficking victims (â€Å"No Trafficking† 3). In 2006 it was estimated 30,000 Cambodian children had been exploited in the sex trade (â€Å"Global Crime Case: The Modern Slave Trade† 1). Studies have shown although not all sex workers are human trafficking victims 1 in 5 women and girls working in brothels have been trafficked (â€Å"SSF Cambodia† 1). It is estimated 50 percent of Cambodia’s population comprises children younger than 15 years of age (â€Å"No Trafficking† 4). End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) reports as many as one third of the trafficking victims in prostitution are children (â€Å"Human Trafficking† 2). There are around 158 million children aged 5-14 engaged i... ...n Trafficking Data Sheet† 2). There are many organizations within the nation that are gaining awareness for child trafficking. Child trafficking is a rapidly growing crisis forcing young women of Cambodia into sexual exploitation and child labor. This issue is cause by many factors including the lack of education and high levels of poverty; however, there are many organizations such as the Somaly Mam foundation trying to gain awareness of this crisis. Citizens of the United States can help bring awareness to child trafficking by teaching young women of this issue. As stated by the article â€Å"Child Labor-Killing the Age of Innocence,† â€Å"Thus, one should be careful when saying that the future of the country lies in the hands of children, for the very hands holding the key to growth are clamped down in the innocence phase† (â€Å"Child Labor-Killing the Age of Innocence† 2)

Separation of Church and State is Necessary for Freedom of Choice Essay

Separation of Church and State is Necessary for Freedom of Choice We in America have the right to be free, so why not listen to the words of Thomas Jefferson and build a â€Å"wall of separation between church and state?†Ã‚   The wall of separation was Jefferson’s interpretation of the first amendment; however, the idea was actually founder of Rhode Island Roger Williams’.   Jefferson’s belief was that religion was a personal relationship strictly between a man and his God and the government should not be allowed to restrict anyone from practicing their religion. With so many different religions in the United States, church and state must be separated to a certain extent because a close relationship between church and state puts constraints on the freedom of other religions. To begin with, creationism is a great example of an ongoing religious conflict which has caused a lot of discussion.   It is a lesson that all students should learn, whether in public school or private. The main concern is how teachers can teach creationism without crossing religious boundaries. Anderson addresses the importance of teaching creationism: Considerable care and effort are needed to help students understand the difference between the methodology of science, with its naturalistic operational assumptions, and the naturalism as a worldview. (Anderson 89)Schools should not neglect teaching creationism when students are able to benefit from being informed about both beliefs of evolution and creationism.   It is relevant as long as religious views are not infringed upon them.   Furthermore, school vouchers are unconstitutional and public funds should not be used to fund any kind of religious organization. Back in 1971 was the first time that the Sup... ...igious beliefs do affect the opinion of many voters. In conclusion, the separation of church and state remains a controversial issue. It is evident that church and state should be separate in some cases, such as in public schools and politics. Public schools are responsible for exposing students to diversity. Without the separation of church and state it would be practically impossible. Separation of church and state guarantees choice. Works Cited * Anderson, Ronald D. â€Å"Religion and Spirituality in the Public School Curriculum.† New York. Peter Lang Publishing. 2004. * Davis, Derek H. â€Å"The Separation of Church and State Defended.† Texas. 1995. * Doerr, Edd. â€Å"Gathering Storms.† The Humanist. Volume 64, number 6. Washington.American Humanist Association. November/December. 34-35. * Maddox, Robert L. â€Å"Separation of Church and State.† New York. 1987.

Individualized Education Program Essay

All children and young people have rights. Most references to rights are about what is recieved to children from others, particularly from their parents and the goverenment and its agencies. Children and young people with special educational needs have a unique knowledge of their own needs and circumstances and their own views about what sort of help they would like to help them make the most of their education. They should, where possible, participate in all the decision-making processes in education including the setting of learning targets and contributing to IEPs, discussions about choice of schools, contributing to the assessment of their needs and to the annual review and transition processes They should feel confident that they will be listened to and that their views are valued. Most schools now have written policies and parts of their mission statements specifically made for the inclusion and equality of SEN children. They must be in written form and should also be posted on the website for access to all who require it. There should also be policies which show the rights and responsibilities of those within the environment. The policies may be a number of separate ones or combined in one policy covering all the relevant areas. The policies should show how the school relates to the main policies affecting the special educational needs. These include:- * Disability and access * Gifted and talented pupils * Race and cultural diversity. * Special educational needs * Inclusion and equality of opportunity * Safeguarding and bullying â€Å"Special Needs† is such a massive topic that has different areas to make it complete. Children with special needs may have mild learning disabilities or profound impairment; food allergies or terminal illness; developmental delays that catch up quickly, occasional panic attacks or serious psychiatric problems. The designation is useful for getting needed services, setting appropriate goals, and gaining understanding for a child and stressed family. Children with special needs are children with a variety of different disabilities, health and mental health conditions that require special intervention, services, or support. Parenting a child with special needs can be particularly challenging. Fortunately, children with special needs and their families may be eligible for services to address their unique needs, many of which are free. Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they: a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age b) have a disability which prevents them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority c) are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would so do if special educational provision was not made for them. The overall aim is that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will have improved health, independence and wellbeing so that they will enjoy childhood, achieve their potential and make a positive contribution in their lives by having timely access to local support and local schools which meet their needs. Special educational provision means: a) for children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the local education authority, other than special schools, in the area. b) for children under two, educational provision of any kind. Some children may be able to catch up with their peers with extra help in the form of short term targeted interventions or a differentiated curriculum, but may not have a special educational need. It is when this support does not help a pupil to progress that he or she will need to be assessed further and support planned, in liaison with parents, carers and other professionals. The child should have a voice in this process. There is a graduated approach to identifying and providing support to meet these needs. The law says the child has special needs if their learning difficulties are caused by physcially disabilites mental emotional and behaviour problems difficulties in reading, writing maths etc†¦ speech diffiulities About 1 in 5 children have learning difficuties at the same time in thie school likfe. Most of these children end up going to a mainsteam school. Children with statement aften atten mainstram school. The Role of the SENCO Early education settings, except specialist SEN provision, will need to identify a memberof staff to act as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). In the case of accredited childminders who are part of an approved network, the SENCO role may be shared between individual childminders and the coordinator of the network. The SENCO should have responsibility for: ? ensuring liaison with parents and other professionals in respect of children with special educational needs ? advising and supporting other practitioners in the setting ? ensuring that appropriate Individual Education Plans are in place ? ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with special educational needs is collected, recorded and updated. The SENCO should take the lead in further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses; in planning future support for the child in discussion with colleagues and in monitoring and reviewing the action taken. The SENCO should also amke sure that appropriate records are kept including a record of children at school Action A and School Action Plus and those with statements. They usually responsible for the child should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme. Parents should always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child, and of the outcome of this action. STATEMENT A statement of special edcuaution needs is a legal document, it decsribes all the needs of the child. Also the special help they require. It takes into account the advice from speech therapist, gp, nurses, teacher councilors etc†¦. The law sasy that all state schhols must do their best, provide full proper education and give the best posible learning for them including inclusion. The law has dealt with special education needs 1993 ducation Act  which replaces the 1981 Act. The 1993 Act states and issues the â€Å"code of practice†. This was issues by the secreatary state and is still being used today. CODE OF PRACTICE Code of practice gives quidence and how to identfy and access special educational needs. In 1978 the warnock committee looked at the needs of the child and not at the handicap. In 1982 the educatio Act encouraged the intigration of the needs and the handicap, This resulted in the statementing process. The Code of Practice suggest 5 stages of action: 1. the class teachers, assistant identify the child SEN needs and takes ential action 2.the school SEN co ordinator takes the lead responsibility. 3. the school is supported by outside specialist 4. the lEA decides whesather a satuortory assessment is nesseccary 5. the LEA considers whether a statement is considered. SEN SPECIAL NEEDS STATEMENTING CODE OF PRACTICE IMPACT OF SEN ON SIBLING AND FAMILY SUPPORT FOR DISABILITY HEARING IMPAIRMENT AUTISM ADHD DOWN SYNDROME DYSLEXIA When a child is identified with a need they are places on a SEN registor withing the schools. Teachers, TA offer support through differenciation. They also support through planning IEPs in place with specific subject and cross cirrcular TARGETS. Targets need to be realistic short term, measurables, smart, achievable, time bound. When targets are set Smart language has to be used. example of smart language which can be easurale : MAKE CREATE WRITE DESIGN and words that are not considered as smart: UNDERSTAND KNOW SHOW Targets set in the IEP should be â€Å"SMART†, which stands for: S specific, so that it is clear what the child should be working towards Mmeasurable, so that it is clear when the target has been achieved Aachievable, for the individual child. Rrelevant, to the child’s needs and circumstances Ttime-bound, so that the targets are to be achieved by a specified time Class and subject teachers and TA support IEPs implementation. SENCO is responsibily for planning, monitoring, and reviewing the SEN provision and the student progress. Termly reviews of the progress are advisaby those on going minireviews are also very important. 1st step for children who have some special needs – SCHOOL ACTION A †¢ School action: the school is able to meet the pupil’s needs with in house interventions, staff and resources. Students can move off the school action A IEPs if sufficient progress is achieved. SCHOOL ACTION PLUS †¢ School action plus: the school is able to meet the pupil’s needs with in house resources but has support from outside agencies, for example, the local authority’s educational psychologist. It is a school responsibility to get support from external agencies. The students is placed on a SEN registor for school action plus. A new IEP is divised in conjuction with the external agencies. Class teachers and TA support the new IEP or implement it in the class or on a one to one basis. SENCO takes the lead monitoring reviewing, co ordinating. If there is progress made the pupil goes back into school action A. If there is progress in school action A then they will be taken off the SEN registor. However if after 2 school action plus reviews, progress is not statutory or has gone worse, the schoolnegoiates with the parent, request the ivolvement of the LEA, asking them to make an assessment. The assessment statutory : parents and school, the LEA to undertake a statutory on a child identifying with SEN. The LEA can take up to 6 weeks to consider whether to approve the application. Then the LEA will take 10 weeks to undertake a essay for the SEN child. Lea will request reports, evaluation, assessments from head teachers, teacher, nurses, gp, SENCO, parents and cares. Following the outcome of statutory assessment the LEA takes 2 weeks to notify to the parenst of their intentions whether they will issues a SA or suggest approriate. The statement of SEN is issued by the LEA only when the mainstream school are unable to meet the needs of a child with it exsisting resources and equipment. Parents then recieve a draft statement, then 8 weeks are given to be finanlized. A statementt is a legal document, procedures are put into place to monitor, review, evaluate the childs progress in a school that is fit for the child or purpose. They also support with transport need, dietery needs, aid needs. The statement LEA is then reviewed annually at which point it can be amended or seized according to the child progress. Statement of special educational needs: the pupil’s needs are severe or complex enough to require additional funding and resources to supplement the school’s support. Referrals for statutory assessment can be made by the child’s school or setting, a parent, or an agency such as a health is The Language of Disability Using the correct termonilogy when discussing the term DISABILITY is important, as use of bad language re enforces stereo types and influnences people attitude. Perhaps the best use of language is â€Å"deaf and dumb†. These words are extermly negative and makes acrossition between deaf and stupidity or having lack of inteligence. It also unlikely that the person is totally deaf. In the context of seacking most deaf people have some degree of speech, although this may be limited because of their inability to learn to say words which they can not hear. So they are not dumb. Eg: victim of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. person who has†¦. crippled by †¦.. person who has†¦. invilid †¦. person with†¦.. mental†¦.. person with†¦. disabled†¦ disabled person†¦ handicaped.. disabled person†¦ deaf and dumb.. person with hearing visual or speech mongoloid†¦. person with down symdrome abnormal†¦. different†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Disability, is a impairment that has a long term and substantial effect on a child’s ability may amount to a disability. This may include sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing, or hidden impairments such as dyslexia, autism, speech and language impairments, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 builds on the 1995 Act by requiring all schools to produce a Disability Equality Scheme (DES). The DES must set out ways that schools promote equality of opportunity and promote positive attitudes towards pupils, sta? and others with disabilities. In addition there must also be an Access Plan. This plan must identify how discriminatory barriers are removed. For example: ?an improvement to the physical environment, such as ramps, room layout, lighting ? providing information in di? erent ways for children with a disability, such as audio, pictorial, larger print. Children or young people with medical needs such as diabetes or epilepsy would also be considered to have impairment and therefore be disabled if he or she: a) relies on medical treatment or aid in order to able to be able to carry out normal day to day activities (except needing to wear glasses or contact lenses). b) has a progressive condition (such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or infection) or  c) has a severe disfigurement which affects normal day to day activities. Legal entitlements Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Protects the rights of all those with disabilities. It also places a duty on schools (and other organisations) to eliminate barriers to ensure that individuals can gain equal access to services. Disability Discrimination Act 2005 Places a duty for schools to produce a Disability Equality Scheme (DES) and an Access Plan. Schools must encourage participation in all aspects of school life and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination. The rights of children and young people with special educational needs and disability are set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 . This includes the right to have their needs met without having to wait for a diagnosis. Equally a diagnosis alone does not mean that a child is covered by the act. It is the effect on a child’s ability to carry out day to day activities that has to be considered. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 Makes it unlawful for educational providers to discriminate against pupils with a special educational need or a disability. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)11 strengthened the right of children and young people with special educational needs to equality of access to education, and in particular, to a mainstream school. A statutory duty on local authorities and schools: †¢ not to treat disabled pupils less favourably for a reason related to their disability. †¢ to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage to those who are not disabled. †¢ to plan strategically and make progress in improving accessibility for disabled pupils over time, by: – increasing access to the curriculum – making improvements to the physical environment of the school to increase access to education and associated services – making written information accessible in a range of different ways for disabled pupils, where it is provided in writing for non-disabled pupils. Race Relations Act 2000 Outlines the duty of organisations to promote good relationships between people from different races. Human Rights Act 1998 Sets out rights of all individuals and allows them to take action against authorities when their rights have been affected. Children Act 1989 Sets out the duty of local authorities (including schools) to provide services according to the needs of children and to ensure their safety and welfare Children Act 2004 Sets out the duty to provide effective and accessible services for all children and underpins the fi ve Every Child Matters outcomes Education Act 1996 Sets out the school’s responsibilities towards children with special educational needs. The Act also requires schools to provide additional resources, equipment and additional support to meet their needs Equality Act 2010. Sets out the legal responsibilities of public bodies, including schools, to provide equality of opportunity for all citizens. This brings together nine equality laws The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001 This outlines the statutory guidance for policy and the procedures and responsibilities towards children with special educational needs. It includes the levels of support which should be provided to children, depending upon their individual need. Local authorities and schools are required to develop accessibility strategies and plans to demonstrate this. Children and young people with special educational needs and disability also have a right to have their disability equality positively promoted. Local authorities, schools and educational settings have a duty to ‘take a more proactive approach to promoting disability equality and eliminating discrimination. With this came the requirement to publish disability equality schemes and measure their impact, engage disabled stakeholders, and audit the needs of disabled children and adults within the community. Children with disabilities have poorer outcomes across a range of indicators. These include lower educational attainment, poorer health, more difficult transitions to adulthood and poorer employment outcomes. Families of disabled children are less likely to have one or both parents in work, and are more likely to suffer family break up. Siblings of disabled children may be more likely to suffer from emotional and behavioural problems. WITHIN THE SCHOOL 6. The school must appoint a SEN co ordinator to run a special needs policy 7. By observing, reporting, target, work being set, the SEN co ordinator must keep records and reports of all the children with needs 8. SEN co ordinator has taken lead responsibilty to draw up plans for indiviual childrenthey have to be reviewed each term 9. From sept 1994 all schools were obligied to publish their special need policy. For all the above to work the following conditions within the school environment must exsist. 10. A strong management of head and staff that are committed to speial needs. 11. They need to have good commnication and all â€Å"need to know basis† nformation is showed. 12. A whole school approach with everyone following same procedures 13. Inservice training, SEN is esstenial (current legisalation, current issues, everything updated) 14. Provision of adaquates, children persecfic resources to support the childs needs, specific to their ability 15. High profile educational needs, teachers should be an important part of their school life However school must be careful not to discriminate against pupils with SEN or disablity. There is a difference between SEN and disability. Not all children with disability will have a special edcuatonal need or visa versa. SEN is a relative term and the need is some what dependant on the learning environment. The effectiveness of teaching and the task to be done. Early recognition and intervention Early intervention has lasting benefits, providing a sound foundation for future learning and development. It enables some children to catch up with their class mates and for those who need support on a continuing basis it means thatbhelp is available as early as possible, reducing the risk of long-term under achievement. However, there are a number of factors that get in the way, including poor co-ordination between education, health and social care leading to gaps in support, shortfalls in the availability of childcare for disabled children, dif?culties in refocusing funding to support earlier intervention: Improving support for children with special needs from birth. Children develop and learn from the moment they are born. The ? rst few years are a crucial developmental phase, which do much to shape a child’s life chances. The role of parents in supporting their child’s learning in the early years, more than any other phase, is absolutely critical. Improving childcare for children with SEN and disabilities. Parents of children with SEN and disabilities have more dif? culty than others in ?nding suitable childcare. Key points include: 16. promoting a co-ordinated approach to early education and childcare 17. improving information on the availability of suitable childcare locally through Children’s Information Services and Childcare Link, and through 18. helping families to meet the additional costs Improving SEN advice and support to early years settings Raising the skills and awareness of staff in early years settings Removing barriers to learning Inclusion is about much more than the type of school that children attend. It is about the quality of their experience; how they are helped to learn, achieve and participate fully in the life of the school. But we know that the reality does not always match this. Schools and early years settings still vary enormously in their experience in working with children with SEN, and in the specialist expertise and resources available to them from other schools, local authority education and social services, health, and voluntary organisations. Schools should have the con? dence to innovate and with the skills and specialist support they need to meet the needs of all pupils successfully. How do school complete this with the help of local authority, parents, teacher and other specialist is by many ways: †¢ special schools providing education for children with the most severe and complex needs and sharing their specialist skills and knowledge to support inclusion in mainstream schools †¢ schools working together to support the inclusion of all children from their local community, backed up by good quality specialist advice from the local authority and health services, working in multi-disciplinary teams †¢ parents with con?dence, that, in choosing a local mainstream school, their child will receive a good education and be a valued member of the school community. †¢ help schools to develop effective inclusive practice through a Inclusion Programme bringing together education, health, social care and the voluntary sector †¢ provide practical tools and materials for schools and local authorities to improve access for disabled pupils †¢ clarify the future role for special schools, giving a strong focus to high standards and partnership working with mainstream schools and encouragement to participation in full †¢ take steps to improve the quality of education for children with more severe behavioural, emotional and social dif? culties †¢ work with the SEN to improve planning †¢ develop practical guidance on reducing reliance on high cost placements in residential special schools †¢ set minimum standards for SEN advisory and support services, to achieve greater consistency in quality, availability and cost effectiveness. Widening opportunities in mainstream education is very important when removing barriers. Dif? culties in learning often comes from an unsuitable environment or inappropriate grouping of pupils, in? exible teaching styles, or inaccessible curriculum materials – as much as from individual children’s physical, sensory or cognitive impairments. Children’s emotional and mental health needs may also have a signi? cant impact on their ability to make the most of the opportunities in school. Schools are committed to removing the barriers to learning that many children encounter in school. The National Curriculum contains a statutory statement, Inclusion – providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils. All OFSTED inspections reports implementing this requirement. Schools need to become more effective at responding to the needs of individual pupils through a Inclusion Development Programme. The programme will support partnership projects involving education, health and social care, voluntary organisations, higher education institutions, special and mainstream schools, and early years settings to develop. The aim is to develop evidence base about what works and build about how to implement good practice most effectively. Focusing initially on: †¢ autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) †¢ behavioural, emotional and social dif? culties (BESD) †¢ speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and dyslexia †¢ moderate learning dif? culties (MLD). The Inclusion Development Programme will support schools and early years settings through: †¢ teaching and learning resources for teachers and early years practitioners †¢ training materials for, and advice on, effective deployment of learning support assistants †¢ guidance on effective classroom strategies †¢ models of good practice for working in multi-disciplinary teams †¢ information about where to go for more specialist advice and support Another great way when trying to remove barries is sharing expertise between special and mainstream schools. Breaking down the divide between mainstream and special schools to create a uni? ed system where all schools and their pupils are included within the wider community of schools. Educating children with the most severe and complex needs can be harder. However having strengthened parents that choose a mainstream place for their child, at the same time we recognise thatsome children have such severe and complex needs that they require more specialist provision than is currently available in most mainstream schools. Providing transport for children with SEN helps cutting back to cost, which enables children to be included and not at a disadvantage. Improving specialist advice and support for schools, parents, children and staff. Schools need access to specialist SEN advice and support to help them identify and meet children’s needs and to provide back-up when children’s needs suddenly change or crises occur. Raising expectations and achievement Schools provides education that brings out the best in every child, that builds on their strengths, enables them to develop a love of learning and helps them to grow into con? dent and independent. You can see great progress in the achievement of pupils in primary and secondary schools in recent years. But we need to do much more to help all children, including those with SEN to achieve as well as they can, not least if we are to reach the challenging national targets expected of all schools. All teachers should have the skills and con?dence – and access to specialist advicewhere and when necessary – to help children with SEN to reach their potential improved data giving parents and teachers a clearer picture of how well children working below age-related expectations are progressing young people able to follow courses which build on their interests and aptitudes and lead to recognised quali? cations young people with SEN actively involved in decisions about their education and options to have real opportunities for progression, training and work. Schools will: put children with SEN at the heart of personalised learning, helping schools to vary the pace and approach to learning to meet individual children’s needs deliver practical teaching and learning resources to raise the achievement of children with SEN strengthen the focus in Key Stage 3 on young people with SEN who are falling behind their peers Personalising learning for children with SEN embraces every aspect of school life including teaching and learning strategies, ICT, curriculum choice,organisation and timetabling, assessment arrangements and relationships with the local community. Supporting improvements in the quality of special school will help: †¢ promote leadership and management training for special school head teachers and managers †¢ increase access to diversity programmes in the special school sector to improve the curriculum †¢ develop tools to help local authorities to identify potentially failing special schools Its very imortant that schools Improve training and professional development opportunitie. Every teacher should expect to teach children with SEN and must ensure that they are equipped with the skills to do so effectively. This will require action at three levels of skills. Delivering improvements in partnership Schools are more consistency between local authorities in their strategic management of SEN, particularly in their use of statements, the level of delegated funding to schools. †¢ schools regularly reviewing the effectiveness of their SEN , with LEAs providing support and challenge where concerns are raised †¢ parents with greater con? Dence that their child’s SEN will be met in school, whether or not they have a statement †¢ greater integration of education, health and social care to meet the needs of children and families in line with the proposals set out Schools will promote more consistent practice through a team of expert, working closely with the Department for Education, who will provide support and challenge on key SEN issues including the use of statements, management of SEN resources, identifying and sharing good practice and tackling underperformance. The networking and collaboration facilitated by the SEN will support this work. They will make SEN Regional Partnerships directly accountable to the Department for Education and Skills for their work on the implementation of this strategy. Ensure that schools make inclusion an integral part of self-evaluation. Role of teaching assistants who work with children with SEN Teaching assistants who work with children with SEN and disabilities, often referred to as Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), play a valuable role, providing one-to-one support to children with SEN as well as wider support in the classroom. However, research suggests that individual support from an LSA can in some cases lead to less involvement by the teacher, leaving the LSA to deliver most of the curriculum. It is important that teachers and LSAs play complementary roles, avoiding over-dependence on the LSA and depriving the child of teacher attention. Similarly, whilst making due allowance for special needs, it is important that children do not rely excessively on the LSA or solely on one-to-one help. If they are supported to learn within peer groups, they will be better able to develop social and collaborative skills enabling them to move towards increasingly independent learning. Many schools have a mission statement which sets out the commitment of the school which focuses on inclusion and equality of opportunity. They are easily avaliable on their websites or can be asked for. There must also be written policies, designed to re? ect the rights and responsibilities of those within the school environment. Policies should also provide guidance for sta? and visitors to the school on ways to ensure inclusive practice. Schools have to conduct policies for many thing which leads to having many many policies. There may be a number of separate policies or they may be combined. Policies must include ways that schools work in relation to: ? race/cultural diversity ? equality of opportunity/inclusive practice ? safeguarding/bullying ? gi ed and talented pupils ? special educational needs ? disability and access. Policies are developed in response to legislation, codes of practice and statutory frameworks. The di? erent ways in which schools promote the rights and equality of opportunity for children and young people must be included in the policies. There is now a greater focus on the outcomes that is, the di? erence that legislation has made to individuals and groups within the school. Schools must monitor the strengths and any weaknesses in policy as they do with each indiviual student and staff. During school inspections, Ofsted also make judgements about the school’s inclusiveness. Legislation is frequently amended and changed in response to outcomes, so it is important that staff are familiar with up-to-date policies and procedures within your own setting. This help protect not only the pupils but staff and head of the school. The development of legislation, policies and practice should be seen as a cycle. The cycle goes like this: Legislation†¦. †¦. Practice and pr.