Mr essays

Mr essays Many children suffer at the hands of adults - often their own parents. They are beaten, kicked, thrown into walls, and/or burned with cigarettes. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls, are scalded by hot water or they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. A child could be stuffed into running washing machines or sexually molested, suffer from neglect in the forms of starvation and lack of medical attention, and still go unnoticed by outsiders. In fact, it is estimated that three children die every day in the U.S. alone from one form of child abuse or another. It is a sickening practice that has no set standard of rules to finish off the persisting problem. Different states have different methods and agencies to help prevent abuse in the home, some work quite well while others bomb - a dangerous gamble when it comes to the life or mental state of a child. The precise number of deaths each year is not known because of the extent of most fatal ity investigations that could be suspected as child abuse but are seen as open and shut death cases. A report from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, however, depicts more than three million reports of alleged child maltreatment practices in the year of 1995 alone. Many more children are living with abuse rather than dying from it, too. So what steps are being taken to protect our nation's children? All states have a Child Protective Services (or CPS) system. This is the governmental system responsible for investigating reports of child abuse or neglect. In state after state, the CPS agency lacks the resources to respond adequately to the overwhelming number of reports it is legislatively mandated to investigate. All fifty states have child abuse reporting laws requiring reports of suspected abuse to be made by specified professionals and others whose work brings them into regular contact with children. Any citizen may report suspected abuse as...

How Empress Agrippina the Younger Scandalized Rome

How Empress Agrippina the Younger Scandalized Rome Roman Empress Julia Agrippina, also known as Agrippina the Younger, lived from A.D. 15 to 59. The daughter of Germanicus Caesar and Vipsania Agrippina, Julia Agrippina was the sister of Emperor Caligula or Gaius. Her influential family members made Agrippina the Younger a force to be reckoned with, but her life was plagued by controversy and she would die in a scandalous manner as well. Marriage Woes In A.D. 28, Agrippina married Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. He died in A.D. 40, but before his death, Agrippina bore him a son, the now notorious Emperor Nero. After a short time as a widow, she married her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus, in A.D. 41, only to be accused of fatally poisoning him eight years later. That same year, A.D. 49, Julia Agrippina married her uncle, Emperor Claudius. The union may not have been the first time Agrippina was involved in an incestuous relationship. She is also rumored to have had sexual relations with Caligula when he served as emperor. Historical sources on Agrippina the Younger include Tacitus, Suetonius, and  Dio Cassius. Historians indicated that Agrippina and Caligula might have been lovers as well as enemies, with Caligula exiling his sister from Rome for allegedly conspiring against him. She wasn’t banished forever but returned to Rome two years later. Thirst for Power It’s unlikely that Julia Agrippina, described as power hungry, married Claudius for love.  A year after they wed, she persuaded Claudius to adopt her son, Nero, as his heir. He agreed, but that proved to be a fatal move. Early historians argued that Agrippina poisoned Claudius. She certainly profited after his death, as it led to Nero, then roughly 16 or 17 years old, assuming power, with Julia Agrippina as regent and Augusta, an honorary title given to women in imperial families to highlight their status and influence. Unexpected Turn of Events Under Nero’s reign, Agrippina did not end up exerting more influence over the Roman Empire. Instead, her power waned. Because of her son’s young age, Agrippina tried to rule on his behalf, but events did not turn out as she’d planned. Nero eventually exiled Agrippina. He is said to have considered his mother overbearing and wanted to distance himself from her. Their relationship grew especially strained when she objected to his romance with his friend’s wife, Poppaea Sabina. His mother also challenged his right to rule, arguing that her stepson Brittanicus was the real heir to the throne, the History Channel notes. Brittanicus later died in mysterious circumstances likely orchestrated by Nero. The young emperor also plotted to kill his mother by arranging for her to board a boat designed to sink, but that ploy failed when Agrippina swam safely back to shore. Still determined to commit matricide, Nero later ordered his mother to be assassinated in her home. Nero would rule Rome until his suicide in A.D. 68. Debauchery and religious persecution characterized his reign.   Sources https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Agrippina history.com/topics/ancient-history/nero

Use of Quick Response Codes in Health Care Essay

Use of Quick Response Codes in Health Care - Essay Example QR technology is a smartphone enabled technology that uses smartphone applications to smart scan quick response (QR) codes of any range. However, concerns raised about the reliability of the use of QR codes by the public have questioned the credibility as to whether its main purpose is providing information about a patient during emergency cases or whether it is a government plan of gaining private information about its citizens (Samwald & Adlassnig, 2013). Defined as a matrix barcode readable by use of a Smartphone with an enabled right barcode reading applications, the technology’s applicability in the health care contains health information about a patient that can be used during emergencies (Bassendowski, 2012). Despite the high potential that this technology holds in attending patients during emergency cases, ethical and privacy concerns have been raised that make the public and healthcare institutions shy from adopting it. In demystifying the use of QR codes in healthcare, this paper will look at its background, advantages and disadvantages and give answers as to whether the technology is safe for adoption by the public. Quick Response Codes (QR) is the trademark technology for either a matrix barcode or two-dimensional code that holds information about a particular item, product or a person. Initially designed for the automotive industry in Japan by the â€Å"Denso Wave Corporation† in 1994, the technology has found a myriad of other uses due to its success. Original designers of QR Codes intended it to aid in tracking Toyota vehicles and their parts during the manufacturing process. Increasingly though, other businesses and corporations especially the packaging companies have adopted the technology. Finding its way to the United States as a an advertiser’s strategy of providing potential customers with information and URLs containing information about the company and product specifications, the technology has cross boarders and healthcare now is embracing it more and more, and recommending it to patients (Samwald, & Adlassnig, 2013). Healthcare’s exploitation of the technology seeks to use it in different ways for example a woman scheduling a mammogram by reading a QR Code that provides access to a website. They can offer patients with directions to online libraries for health information and educational videos as well as providing access to components of electronic health recor ds (EHRs). The simplicity and the ease of use of the technology have been cited by some scholars as the biggest reason for its recommendation to the healthcare. QR Codes do not require any specialized tags as (Samwald & Adlassnig, 2013) observes. It is a 2D technology, easily generated and printable on numerous surfaces without the use of any specialized equipment. People can develop these codes easily and embed their personal information that are of great help to the medical teams when treating them in an emergency case. the process of scanning and obtaining all the information, both personal and medical helps in saving a lot of time for the patient in case of an emergency. Learning the process of developing and using this technology by people takes a short while, whilst it has the potential of saving their lives in the long run (Bassendowski, 2012). Scanning and decoding of the information from the most obvious devices that are easily accessible such as Smartphones and iPhones sav es time for the doctors and nurses (Baum, Top of Form2013). The barcode, containing crucial information about the patient when scanned saves time of running preliminary tests or

Marketing survey Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing survey - Assignment Example Inappropriate drug intake or when dosages are not properly monitored may have also resulted to this figure so it remains safe to claim that it is alright to try the drug provided that prescriptions followed with regular checkups and consultation to a reliable specialist are held in cautious regard. Q2: A new cancer drug was released on the market, 2,400 people out of 3000 died and the remaining 600 were cured shortly after the drug was administered. How likely are you to take the drug. 1-9 is absolutely Not. 10 is give the drug. In this case, I would most probably be on the 1-9 scale and doubt many aspects of the newly released drug. Since 2,400 is quite an alarming poll out of 3,000 then people may be inclined to think of the drug’s adverse effects besides issues on inefficiency and incompatibility. The remainder of those who recovered may have used the drug only up to a certain extent and might have had other means of medication. So, more extensive studies and research must be taken into account in analyzing the properties of the cancer drug from this phase prior to further

To the Lighthouse Essay Example for Free

To the Lighthouse Essay The novel To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf published in 1927 is a milestone of high modernism and experiments the stream-of-consciousness style. There are three sections in the book and the text revolves around the Ramsay family during their visit to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 1nd 1920. The fundamental theme of the novel is the universal contradiction of feminine and masculine opinions. The two leading characters in the novel represent the two contradictory themes. Mrs. Ramsey is highly sensitive and emotional in her outlook and she represents female attitude, while Mr. Ramsey is egotistical theorist and represents male attitude with lucid exposition. Both are bound in their restricted boundary and therefore lack impartial, liberal and rational viewpoint. Lily Briscoe, a painter and house guest of the Ramsey, is Woolf’s vision of the genderless artist who typifies the perfect combination of female and male qualities. She successfully completes a painting on which she concentrates from the beginning is symbolical of female and male combination. The first part of the novel, the window, opens with Ramsey’s in their summer house at Hebrides. We see a new day starts with the promise of Mrs. Ramsey to take her son, James to the lighthouse but Mr. Ramsey interrupts and says Mukherjee 2 that the weather will not allow it. Small James feels very angry with his father for scorning his mother. Here the psychological factor â€Å"oedipal complex† propounded by Freud can be recollected. James hates his father while he considers his mother â€Å"ten thousand times better in every way† (chp-1). The relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey is also emphasized in this section of the novel. They are quite the opposite to each other. Mr. Ramsey is peculiar and unconventional in attitude while Mrs. Ramsey fights at every stage to maintain a congruent atmosphere. We watch the drama as if through a window and can hear their internal thoughts and feelings speak. The most dramatic scene of Mrs. Ramsay’s dinner party is the nucleus of the novel. The party begins with a catastrophe. The guests come late and Mr. Ramsey behaves rudely towards them (chp-xvii). The opening of the chapter shifts from one party goers’ observation to the other. Each is seen to be â€Å"remote† and like Tansley they all feel â€Å"rough and isolated and lonely†. The connection of Lily and Mrs. Ramsey deepens in chapter xvii and she feels she acts in the same way in her mockery with Tansley. She concludes all women even those in conventional position feel the control of tradition. The section of the novel gives the impression of the time passing and the feeling of absence and death. Woolf wrote that her purpose of writing this section was â€Å"an interesting experiment (that gave) the sense of ten years passing. It’s the time when Britain got involved and finished fighting the World War I. A number of changes take place. Mrs. Ramsey passes away, Pru dies in childbirth. Mr. Ramsey is left alone, no one is there to praise and comfort him in times of his frustration when he doubts the long term existence of his philosophical work. Woolf’s works closely observe men and their perceptions rather than concentrating on the objects of vision. There is much allusion to autobiography of Woolf throughout the novel. Mukherjee 3 Works Cited Woolf, Virginia, To The Lighthouse (1927) www. googlescholar. com Reference articles and journals on To The Lighthouse.

Social Identity in the Breakfast Club :: Movie Film Breakfast Club Identities Essays

Social Identity in the Breakfast Club Breakfast Club film contained a wide variety of behavior and stereotypes. Each person had their on personality and taste at the beginning of the film. I believe that communication played the biggest part in the movie. It shows the way that people from totally different backgrounds can communicate and even agree on issues. The various types of communication and behaviors within the film will be discussed. Key terms will be pointed out and highlighted, as well as described in relation to the examples extracted from the film. To begin with the film started out with a communication climate that was both tense and without verbal communication. This was mainly due to the variance in membership constructs of the characters involved. The character's included the brain Brian, Andrew the athlete, the criminal Bender, the princess Claire, and the basket case Allison. There was a great deal of interesting nonverbal communication taking place between these people. Their reactions and responses to each other demonstrated perceptual errors, which would be shown as the story progressed. The gender conflict styles also played a role. The girls both tended to listen, rather than hold the attention of the others. This was especially true in Allison's case, whom never spoke. Allison was introduced in the movie as the basket case. Allison showed that she was obviously insecure, seating herself facing away from the rest of the room (avoidance). She would not speak out. She was non-assertive, when asked what she wanted she would not respond (impervious response). She would only sit and smile to herself. You could categorize her in to the passive aggressive label perfectly. She didn't like herself (low self-esteem), or others. She was both futile and helpless. The only way she displayed her anger was by giving a whimper. She obviously had a lot of pent up feeling, for she reveals a lot later in the movie through self-disclosure. Allison obviously lacked the respect of others, for she had no friends whatsoever prior to her time spent in this detention. She also has nervous ticks, such chewing her nails, and played with her hair. Brian was another case of insecurity. The influence of self-concept was strong with Brian Johnson for he had no sense of self. He could not meet the standards of his desired self and was therefore unhappy with himself as a person.

Principles of Physical Security Essay

Physical security is the wide phenomena that are taken for the prevention or determent of attackers from a possible access of a resource, information that is stored within physical media and facilities. Physical security is viewed under three fundamental aspects. These are; †¢ Responding adequately to the measures of security that would repel or catch the possible attackers in the event of detection. †¢ Using gadgets and implements that are forthwith important in the control of secure atmosphere. This could include cameras, security lighting and use of alarms, patrols by security guards that provide easy noticing of attacks. †¢ Facilitation of obstacles that are aimed at frustrating any possible attackers and delaying the serious security cases. A proper set of security designs has the compliment of all these structures that work cohesively with one another. A good physical security design is a compliment of four important factors which are intrusion detection, electronic and mechanical access controls, environmental design and video monitoring. Physical security is based on various principles that are applied to solve various security concerns at varied depths. (Walter, 1997). These include; Building security:   Buildings are the source of residence for human beings. However, their structural planning and establishments is compromised by various security threat factors that make the life of those living in them unsafe. Building security therefore implies all the fundamental components of architectural and construction concerns that make buildings safe places for living and hostage. It is the compound of all structures that provide authenticity in the physical structures that provides the safest levels for the habitation. The guarantee for this security is well accorded during the designing phase of the building. The aspect of this security is inclusive of both the internal and the external environments that are occupied by the building. The physical structure of the building should be designed in the most appropriate manner that provides the highest levels of security measures for its inhabitants. It should include a coordinated design in the roofs, walls outlet such as doors, windows and locks (Donald, 1997) Ground security: This is the protective aspect that is attached to airports and its surrounding environment. It includes all aspects that are attached to the physical structure of an airport that makes it a safe place for the various activities that goes on within their contemporaries. It incorporates adequate placement of the structures such as runways, surveillance services, communication systems and all aspects that are endowed within the structures of an airport. Due to the delicacy of the airport operations, high importance should be attached in the highest levels of security for the activities and processes of the airport (Azari, 2003) Access control systems: These are systems of control that are applied in securing adequate security towards information and other facets of information systems. This is the provisions of providing the legitimate users with the principles with which they should apply in assessing stored data. Information is deemed as an essential aspect and a resource aspect within any organization. Access control systems should therefore address the fundamentals with which the information should be mined, shared and made into use. Improper and illegitimate use of data and information may lead to comparative disadvantages for the organization. Improper and inappropriate use of information is subject to huge loses to an organization through misuse of the data and information that leaves the organization at a competitive disadvantage when its information is used by its competitors to develop business strengths. Importantly, the aspects of corporate intelligence as well as industrial espionage are two important aspects that define the rationality for data security. The current business environment and the expanding technological advancement have seen this process fully acknowledged. Various tools have been used to safeguard the organization information and their respective systems. Substantially therefore, physical security on information and their systems remains implicit for the success of the organization (Harold, 2003) Perimeter security: This is the broad components of techniques and methods that are used in providing an outer bounder security of premises. This is essential in preventing possible access of unauthorized persons within the premises. These may keep off trespassers, thieves, unauthorized persons and others persons. It can be secured using physically constructed walls and fences. Perimeter security is made to advance the most optimal security prospects that would help to safeguard the internal structures that are endowed within premises. Perimeter security should be advanced therefore as protective measures that safeguard the internal prospects of the premises. Technological advances security: This is the security protection for innovations, technological advancements, designs and process improvements. This should be protected to avoid losses through comparative disadvantages occurring form business competitors. It includes intellectual property security that can be provided through trademarks. Innovations come as the process of advancement in specific lines of production and manufacturing or personal production of his/her intellectual work. Security on these productions providing the environment with which the producer or the copyright owners can be safeguarded form any possible activities of misuse of the product that may make the profit motive of the technology to be unmet. (Peter, 2000)

Background of the Study Essay

In the recent years, mobile phone usage has been in its rapid growth. 80% of the world’s population now has a mobile phone. Based on the statistics, there are 5 billion mobile phones in the world out of which only 1. 08 billion are smartphones. According to the research compiled by GfK Asia, smartphones have taken over the market for mobile handsets in Southeast Asia. Also GfK Asia says that in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia, growth in smartphone use year over year ranged from 40% to as high as 400%. The smartphones market in the Philippines grew the fastest among Southeast Asian countries over the past year, which also recorded the fastest increase in market share versus feature phones. Most of the mobile phones nowadays are addressed as â€Å"Smartphone†; because they just not only provide original telephone features, but also various functions that can be done with other devices, such as PDAs or computers. Along with the smartphone fundamental capabilities to make voice call, video call, SMS, and MMS, smartphone have been repositioned as a ? new information medium (May & Hearn, 2005). These new functions make smartphones different from regular feature phones. Therefore, the society has slowly moved their cell phone purchasing decision to smartphone (Min, et al. , 2012). Smartphone technology is inevitably changing peoples’ behaviors; especially young adults using smartphone frequently today. CourseSmart, which is the world‘s largest provider of digital course materials and eTextbooks, found that university students can‘t go long without checking their digital devices, including smartphone, laptop and more (CourseSmart, 2011) University students are very in to checking their accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even sending emails etc. using smartphone with their web connection feature. Today, students are using their smartphones for nearly everything and they consume mobile information almost everywhere that allows them. Therefore, consumers are highly concern with technologies that they might change their devices from time to time. In other words, due to the advancement of technology devices can be easily replaced. Hence, for the smartphone manufacturers it is essential to know what factors that actually affecting purchase intention of smartphone among young adults.

How to Determine Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years

How to Determine Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years Have you ever been in an interview, or an annual performance review, and found yourself a little stymied by the very simple question, â€Å"where do you see yourself in 5 years?† It’s a question right out of the Interviewing 101 handbook, and the asker is probably more interested in making sure that your answer isn’t â€Å"following Phish around the country† than in hearing the nitty-gritty of your next 10  career steps. But that doesn’t make it any easier to answer, if you haven’t put much thought or energy beyond your next step. And it also doesn’t mean you should phone it in. 1. Why Have a Career Plan?2.  Okay, I Need a Plan- Now What?3. How Do I Figure Out What I Want to Do?4. Setting Your Goals5.  How Do I Come Up With a Strategy?6.  Be Ready to ReviseWhy Have a Career Plan?Even if you haven’t been called out on your long-term career plans directly, it’s an exercise worth doing for your own sake. What do you want out of your career? It can be so easy to get caught up in what’s happening now, or what’s happening immediately next. If you don’t have a career plan, no one’s going to blackball you as a slacker. Still, here are five irrefutable (okay, not easy to refute) reasons you should consider making a career plan for yourself.1. It gives you a foundation for your career.It’s good to have a base to come back to- a sense of what your purpose is. Coming up with a career plan lets you put specific goals around ones that might be a little on the vague side. â€Å"Become a manager† or â€Å"get promoted to VP† are great goals, but they’re short on specifics. The career plan can help you figure out the milestones you need to hit in the interim. This is especially true if you’re looking for a job, or are trying to break into a particular field. Knowing what you want ahead of time can help you figure out what the best opportunities a re.2. It’s not set in stone.A career plan can seem like a commitment, especially if you’re relatively new to your field. But this isn’t about putting a ring on it for good- it’s about sketching out your preferred outcomes, so that you can make your current and near-future actions more productive. You can change it up later, if you decide this career isn’t for you after all, or you want to take a totally different approach.3. Strategy puts you in more control of your own success. If you have an upcoming fantasy football draft, or you’re into hunting Pokemon, these hobbies have something in common: you have a strategy for success. Maybe you’ve obsessed over stats, injury reports, and sports gossip sites checking to see if that quarterback is going to bounce back from his rehab stint. Or you got a hot tip about where that rare Flareon is hanging out, and you want to figure out the best time to go hunting. Either way, you’re making a plan for success. Think of yourself as the general here. Are you guaranteed a specific outcome? Nope. But does your plan give you better odds of succeeding than wandering (or drafting) aimlessly would? Absolutely.4. You’ll learn more about yourself.Your values and priorities change over time- so assumptions and decisions you made way back when might not even be close to accurate anymore. If you put in the time to take stock of where you are now and where you truly want to go, it puts you in touch with your current self, rather than the self who was making career decisions years ago.5. All the cool kids are doing it.That reason never stops being valid, right?Okay, I Need a Plan- Now What?Here’s where the great idea of planning your career starts getting down and dirty- you need to start doing the actual work. According to Quora, this process can be broken down into a series of steps:Step 1: Conduct a self-assessment.What do you value most? What are your strengths and weaknesses as an employee? What skills and experience do you bring to the table?Step 2: Decide your career options based on the interests and strengths from that self-assessment.Once you have that snapshot of you as a professional person, the next part is hard: finding jobs that line up with your wants and needs. (More on that below.)Step 3: Name your career goals.What do you want to achieve at different points throughout your career? What about six months from now, a year from now, two years from now? You can spin this out as long as you want. (Bonus points if you pass Go.)Step 4: Develop your career strategy. How do you get to those goals? What smaller goals do you need to hit in the meantime to reach those larger ones?Step 5: Review and adjust that strategy as necessary.How does your career outlook change as your life changes? Remember, this is not a one-and-done exercise- you can change it as much as you want.How Do I Figure Out What I Want to Do?Some careers have very specific milestones, if The Sims taught me anything. For example, if you want to become a tenured teacher, first you have to get your degree, be a student teacher, possibly get your Master’s, get certified/licensed, and find a full-time teaching job. That’s pretty straightforward. If your goal is to be a VP of marketing somewhere, it’s less straightforward. Which industry are you marketing in? There may not be a direct line in your field, but rather a ladder of experience that you can gather from different places. If you know what you want to do but are a little unclear on the steps to get there, then internet searches are your best friend. Look for professionalRemember: Passion is Not a PlanWhen you’re making your plan (or even figuring out how to start), it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t need to use this planning process as an altar to your professional passion.Terri Trespicio, a branding strategist and life coach, talks about rejectin g the idea that you have one passion job or career in your life. Your career plan doesn’t have to be a tunnel vision view of your abiding passion in life- it can be as simple as an outline of the kind of experience you want to gain over the next few years. It’s not about limiting yourself to one track, it’s about giving yourself a lifeline you can follow even when things get rough (if you lose your job, if you hate your job, etc.). Think of this as a problem-solving exercise: what problems need to be solved for you to get to the next level?Quiz Your Way to a PlanThe self-assessment may be more than just your strengths and values- it might be even more basic: â€Å"What do I want to do when I grow up?† (If you’re anything like me, you ask yourself that question long after the point when no one would mistake you for not yet grown up.) There are lots of great resources out there that can help you narrow the wide world of careers into a manageable numb er of potential paths for yourself. These are tests, quizzes, and surveys online that you can do at your leisure, and not only offer insight, but recommendations on what you can do with your newfound (or newly confirmed) info.The Myers-Briggs Type IndicatorTruityPymetricsThe Johnson-O’Connor Career Aptitude TestThe MAPP Career Assessment TestThe O*Net Interest Profiler These resources (some free, some premium) can help you get a better snapshot of what you’re well-suited to do. The soul-searching about values and priorities has to come from within, but you can definitely get some outside help on how to translate your skills and abilities into a fulfilling career path, and a set of goals you can meet along the way.Setting Your GoalsAfter you figure out your strengths and what you’d like to do (in general), the next step is figuring out your goals. When you’re thinking about these goals, they should be:SpecificMeasurableAchievableRelevantTime-bound If you m ake your goals as specific and reasonable, and put a schedule around it (approximate is fine), you’re more likely to hit them. Goals that are vague or too difficult will quickly get left behind as you concentrate on other things.How Do I Come Up With a Strategy?The strategic plan is the result of that round of asking yourself questions (or using one of the online self-assessments as an oracle). And it involves†¦more questions.What additional skills/experience do I need to hit my goals?What kind of network will I need?What jobs or companies would help me achieve those goals?What weaknesses can I fix to meet these goals?What kind of experience would be most helpful to me?But at this point, your questions are getting more refined, and more centered around what you want to be doing. You’re ready to start writing down milestones (goals) and a few bullet points for each that provide more information.Be Ready to ReviseRemember, this plan is not an all-or-nothing document , which shall not be changed. You will change, your circumstances might change, and your field might change. All of the potential for shifts in your plan mean you need to be ready to keep thinking about your career plan, and whether it still works for you. Maybe it’s an annual check-in with yourself, with a yearly reminder set for a quiet Sunday. But once you’ve gotten in touch with where you want to be at various points in your career, it’ll be easier to keep the plan in your mind as you move forward with opportunities and make decisions.

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom One of the biggest issues facing schools and teachers today is overcrowding. A combination of an increasing population and a decrease in funding has caused class sizes to soar. In an ideal world, class sizes would be capped at 15 to 20 students. Unfortunately, many classrooms now regularly exceed 30 students, and it is not uncommon for there to be more than 40 students in a single class. Classroom overcrowding has sadly become the new normal. The issue is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so schools and teachers must create workable solutions to make the best out of a bad situation. Problems Created by Overcrowded Classrooms Teaching in an overcrowded classroom can be frustrating, overwhelming and stressful. An overcrowded classroom presents challenges that can feel nearly impossible to overcome, even to the  most effective teachers. Increasing class sizes is a sacrifice many schools have to make in order to keep their doors open in an era where schools are underfunded. Overcrowded classrooms create a number of problems for modern school systems, including: There is not enough of the teacher to go around. Students perform better when the teacher is able to give one-on-one or small-group instruction on a regular basis. As classroom size increases, this becomes increasingly difficult to do. Overcrowding increases classroom discipline issues. Large classes packed with students provide more opportunities for personality conflicts, tension, and general disruptive behavior. Even the best teachers find it difficult to manage an overcrowded classroom successfully and can find themselves spending more time managing their classroom than they do teaching. Struggling students fall further behind. Average and below-average students will struggle to advance in an overcrowded classroom. These students need more direct instruction, one-on-one instructional time and minimal distractions to maximize their learning potential. Standardized test scores suffer. While many teachers would argue that there is an overemphasis placed on test scores especially in America’s public schools, the chance of successfully improving proficiency on a standardized test decreases as the number of students in the classroom increases. The overall noise level is increased. This is an expected result when you increase the number of students in the classroom. Louder classrooms translate to distractions making it more difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Teacher stress is increased often leading to teacher burnout. More students translate to more stress. Many excellent teachers are opting to leave the profession because it is not worth the stresses they deal with on a daily basis. Overcrowding leads to less access to equipment and technology. Space is already at a premium for many schools and there often is not enough room to accommodate specialties such as science or a computer lab. District Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Increasing class sizes should be the last resort for any school district. It should never be a starting point. There are many other ways to trim a budget. If all other options are exhausted, then schools may be forced to enact what is known as a reduction in force, where teachers and staff are laid off for budgetary reasons and class sizes subsequently increase. Even with tight budgets, districts can take certain actions to ease overcrowding issues: Take advantage of ability grouping. Schools should use benchmark assessments to determine student placement. Class sizes should be kept relatively small for those who perform unsatisfactorily. Students who are strong academically have less to lose in an overcrowded classroom. Provide teachers with an aide. Providing a teacher with an aide can help decrease the burden on the teacher. Aides receive a lower salary, so placing them in overcrowded classrooms would improve the student/teacher ratios while keeping costs low. Lobby for more funding. Schools administrators and teachers should regularly lobby their state and local representatives for more funding. They should keep them apprised of issues overcrowding is causing. Administrators can also invite them to spend time at their school so that they can see the impact of overcrowding. Solicit local donations. Private schools are able to keep their doors open due to tuition and to a large extent by soliciting donations. In tough financial times, public school administrators should not be afraid to solicit donations either. Teachers across the country have sought and used public donations for everything from technology upgrades to classroom basics like notebooks and paper. Every dollar counts and even garnering enough donations to hire an extra teacher or two each year can make a significant difference. Apply for grants. There are thousands of grant opportunities made available to schools each year. Grants exist for almost everything including technology, supplies, professional development and even teachers themselves. Teacher Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Teachers in an overcrowded classroom must be exceptionally organized. They have to be well prepared every day. They must develop a fluid system through trial and error to maximize the time they have with their students. Teachers can generate solutions for overcrowded classrooms by: Creating energetic and engaging lessons: Every lesson must be enticing, energetic and fun. It is easy for students in any class to be distracted and lose interest, but this is especially true in a large classroom. Lessons must be fast-paced, unique and full of attention grabbers. Tutoring struggling students who need more time after school: There simply is not enough time to provide struggling students with the one-on-one time that they need. Tutoring these students two to three times a week after school gives them a better shot at being successful. Assigning seats and rotating when necessary: With a large class, teachers must be structured, and this starts with strategically placed assigned seats. Students who are low academically and/or are behavior issues should be assigned seats toward the front. Students who are high academically and/or are well behaved should be provided seats toward the back. Understanding that the dynamics in an overcrowded classroom will be different: It is essential that teachers understand that there are significant differences in a classroom of 20 students compared to a classroom of 30 or 40. Teachers have no control over how many students are in their classes, so they cannot allow themselves to become stressed due to things that are out of their control. Teachers should understand that they are not going to be able to spend time with each student every day. They should understand that they will not get to know each student on a personal level. That is simply the reality in an overcrowded classroom. Lastly, structure is very important in any classroom but especially so in a classroom with lots of students. Teachers need to establish clear rules and expectations on day one, and then follow through as the year progresses. Clear rules and expectations will help create a much more manageable class- where students know what they are required to do and when- especially an overcrowded one.

Drugstore Cowboy Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drugstore Cowboy Film Analysis - Essay Example In â€Å"Drugstore Cowboy† the weakness of the hero is drugs. The film as the title indicates is on drug abuse, but is not a â€Å"say no to drug† sort of a slogan mongering publicity campaign film. The film tells us about the generation of the early seventies who took to drugs. But the film produced in late eighties tells the story of the life of that generation of the seventies when America was almost obsessed with anti drug sentiment bordering on the verge of hysteria. The late eighties were the times of the winners. Only they counted. But this film is telling us about the losers belonging to the generation just earlier, who got lost in drugs and unreal hallucinatory lives. The film tries to understand that generation, while showing how comically meaningless and desperate the life of the addicts were. The border between medicine and drug is wafer thin. The change of meaning is only in how the human beings relate to it. Like drug abuse there is abuse of medicines; thi s is an issue raised by the traditional medical practitioners like the Ayurvedic doctors against Allopathic practices. To quote Angus Bancroft: A drug is a substance used in a drug-like way, a medicine is the substance applied to cure, and a poison the substance used to kill. The end point is that any object or relationship to an object is only formed by the way humans relate to it. Psychoactive substances become ‘drug’ only when they take on socially active characteristics, which incorporate human agency. (Drug Intoxication & Society, PP.176) PERSONEL BUT IMPASSIONATE: The film is based on the unpublished novel by James Fogle. This writer is one who had served imprisonment for drug abuse crimes. Thus the account of the life of the drug addict depicted here is very intimate and personal. It is something like an insider story. But the positive feature of the film’s handling of the issue is that it is not romanticizing drug addiction, in spite of it being an insider narrative. At the same

Policy recommendations in counter-terrorism Essay

Policy recommendations in counter-terrorism - Essay Example Second, all terrorists are treated as criminals (Global Focus 2010). Third, the United States can and does apply considerable political, economic, and military pressure on the states that are known to be supporting terrorism (Global Focus 2010). Based on these principles are the four rules on which U.S. counter-terrorism strategy currently builds. First, there should be no concessions or deals made with terrorists (Global Focus 2010). U.S. government will never make any concessions or deals with the foreign terrorists taking American hostages. Second, the U.S. will always seek to bring terrorists to justice for the crimes they have committed (Global Focus 2010). No matter how long it takes, America will track down, catch, and convict all terrorists who have ever attacked the American state, an American citizen, or their interests (Global Focus 2010). Third, the United States works hard to force the states that sponsor terrorists to change their attitudes and behaviors (Global Focus 2 010). Fourth, the U.S. believes that it can bolster its allies to work individually or cooperatively against terrorists (Global Focus 2010). Needless to say, the current counter-terrorism strategy demands huge financial and intellectual investments. Simultaneously, while President Obama claims his counter-terrorism strategy to rely on cooperation, collaboration, and resilience, the scope of violence and military efforts applied against domestic and international terrorism cannot be ignored (Obama 2011). These are not the only problems facing the United States in its fight against terrorism. To begin with, most, if not all, counter-terrorism efforts developed in the U.S. rely on an implicit assumption that global terrorist organizations have narrow support and can be... U.S. government will never make any concessions or deals with the foreign terrorists taking American hostages. Second, the U.S. will always seek to bring terrorists to justice for the crimes they have committed (Global Focus 2010). No matter how long it takes, America will track down, catch, and convict all terrorists who have ever attacked the American state, an American citizen, or their interests (Global Focus 2010). Third, the United States works hard to force the states that sponsor terrorists to change their attitudes and behaviors (Global Focus 2010). Fourth, the U.S. believes that it can bolster its allies to work individually or cooperatively against terrorists (Global Focus 2010). Needless to say, the current counter-terrorism strategy demands huge financial and intellectual investments. Simultaneously, while President Obama claims his counter-terrorism strategy to rely on cooperation, collaboration, and resilience, the scope of violence and military efforts applied against domestic and international terrorism cannot be ignored (Obama 2011). These are not the only problems facing the United States in its fight against terrorism.  To begin with, most, if not all, counter-terrorism efforts developed in the U.S. rely on an implicit assumption that global terrorist organizations have narrow support and can be easily eliminated (Lempert et al. 2008). In reality, terrorist organizations originating from the Islamic world have already gained broad support across a number of Islamic states.