Abstract Somnambulism

Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, is a parasomnia that has six diagnostic criteria that must be met according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. It is marked by inappropriate physical behaviors that disrupt sleep. Upon awakening the individual is confused and has no memory of the episode. Sleepwalking peaks in childhood and usually resolves itself in adolescence. Adults that experience sleepwalking are more likely to have had episodes as children. The disorder is most prevalent in females during childhood and men in adulthood.Individuals with mood disorders such as anxiety or depression are more likely to present symptoms of somnambulism. Genetic predispositions are very important when determining whether an individual will develop the disorder. However, it is essential to remember that environmental influences like stressful events are usually needed to galvanize the genetic predisposition. The use of medications can both trigger and correct somnambulism. Along with medications, hypnosis, and anticipatory awakening have also been shown to relieve the symptoms of sleepwalking. Somnambulism can be a dangerous disorder.While asleep individuals have been known to put their own lives, as well as the lives of others at risk. There have even been reports of a people who suffer from somnambulism committing murder while asleep. Courts have acknowledged the excuse of somnambulism to declare an individual innocent of their crime. However, this proposes several dangers. How are we supposed to control these individuals from committing another crime? Also, there have not been enough studies on successful treatment, so how will we know that these individuals will be corrected with treatment?It seems as though the consequences for crimes committed while sleepwalking are inadequate. Somnambulism and the Dangers Sleep disorders are separated into two categories, parasomnias or dyssomnias. Dyssomnias are those that produce extreme sleepi ness or difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. Parasomnias are those inappropriate physical behaviors that happen during sleep. Somnambulism, or more commonly sleepwalking, is a parasomnia. What do you picture when you think of a person sleepwalking? Waking up in the middle of the night and aimlessly without consequence aimlessly walking around their room?I bet you didn’t think of a person committing murder. The latter is the least known aspect of somnambulism. This paper will address the dangers, and consequences of somnambulism and whether these consequences are appropriate. According to the authors of the DSM IV, to be diagnosed with somnambulism the patient must meet six specific criterions. The individual must have multiple episodes of rising from bed during sleep. Since sleep walking episodes occur during slow-wave sleep, the somnambulism must take place during the first third of the night (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).During the incident the individu al will have reduced alertness and responsiveness (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). They will also don a blank stare and be unresponsive to the efforts of others to wake them up (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Upon awakening the individual will not remember the events from the night before and will suffer from confusion and disorientation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). However, after the confusion and disorientation the individual will regain full cognitive processes (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).Most importantly, the sleepwalking must cause some sort of distress and or impairment in different aspects of their life (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Sleepwalking cannot be diagnosed as the formal diagnosis if it is due to substance use or medical conditions (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The individual must meet all of the criteria above to be properly diagnosed as an individual with somnambulism. ree because they were sleepwa lking. More precautions need to be taken before somnambulism can be used as an excuse for murder.

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy â€Å"Duke† Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader. Duke Ellington was thought to be one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music. After his death in 1974, he became even more popular. He even received a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board. Ellington called his music â€Å"American Music† rather than jazz. He liked to describe those who impressed him as â€Å"beyond category†. Those belonging to this group included many of the musicians who served with his orchestra. Some of his band members were among the giants of jazz and performed with Ellington's orchestra for decades. It was Duke Ellington, however, who melded them into one of the most well-known orchestral units in the history of jazz. He often composed specifically for the style and skills of these individuals. Some of these songs included â€Å"Jeep's Blues† for Johnny Hodges, â€Å"Concerto for Cootie† (â€Å"Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me†) for Cootie Williams and â€Å"The Mooche† for Tricky Sam Nanton. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's â€Å"Caravan† and â€Å"Perdido† which brought the â€Å"Spanish Tinge† to big-band jazz. After 1941, he began to collaborate with composer-arranger Billy Strayhorn. Ellington often referred to Billy Strayhorn as his â€Å"alter-ego†. Duke Ellington is considered one of the 20th century's best-known artists. He also recorded for many American record companies, and appeared in several films. Ellington and his orchestra toured the United States and Europe regularly before and after World War II. He led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974. His son, Mercer Ellington, continued touring with the band until his death from cancer in 1996. Paul Ellington, Mercer's youngest son, took over the orchestra in 1996. After his mother's passing, Paul Ellington took over the estate of Duke and Mercer Ellington. Duke Ellington

Gender Stratification & Women

Gender stratification and women in developing nations is a serious issue women struggle to overcome. They are not respected by their own husbands let alone others within their communities. Women are forced to work in deplorable conditions with no financial rewards. They are denied jobs, education, healthcare and resources to provide good healthy homes for their children. Even in the United States where women are independent and hold many male-dominated professions there are still situation of gender discrimination. Developing† nation is a word often used to describe underdeveloped, peripheral, or less developed countries. Women constantly struggle to hold their own in these developing nations. The responsibility to care for and support their families along with the added burden of finding the resources to accomplish it makes life hard on women in these countries. In 1960 The Modernization Theory was introduced to these countries encouraging the change from traditional, technologically simple to the modern industrialized nation. The theory was to provide these nations with the technological knowledge to develop â€Å"Western-style institutions and market-based economies. † Policymakers based their theory on statistic from Europe and the United States as a basis for establishing standard economic and political policies. The developing nations found the theory to have little association with the experiences of their countries. In response to the push for modernization theory, the development of the dependency theory came about. Clearly this push for development was to come at the expense of the host country. These countries began producing their own goods so they were not dependent on the developed nations. The view of the dependency theory was that developed nations found it beneficial for these countries to remain underdeveloped. Whereas big corporations often relied on the natural resources and cheap labor, found in these countries, to maximize their profits (Wermuth & Monges, 2002). The role that women play in developing nations, such as Africa, is very important. However, women are not given credit for their contribution to the development taking place. Unrecognized as full partners either in the family or in society, women have been denied equal access to education, job training, employment, health care, ownership and political power† (Anunobi, 2003, p. 62). The effects of economical and political problems in Africa make life difficult for men and women. The societal concerns of their community include the lack of opportunity, poverty, and inequality within their countries. The female is generally the main supporter of the family, she is responsible for the children and making sure they are fed and cared for. The increased establishment of commercialized agriculture has added to the burden of these women. The men were provided with commercial opportunities by selling their crops for money, and acting on their rights to land and the labor of their wives for their own benefit. In some areas men have many wives to work their land as free labor, and they are not obligated to share their profits with the family. â€Å"Gender bias is especially pernicious in African nations where most of women’s activity takes place in the non-wage economy† (Anunobi, 2003, p. 9). Womens’ work was basically for survival and not wage earning therefore they were not seen as being economically productive. The men used their wives and children as laborers in their family fields to produce crops taken into town and sold from money. The wife was forced to perform the domestic duties for her husband and yet she was not able to claim any share of his income. This gave further opportunity for men to expand their land ownership and financial stability. However, the burden of caring for the family was placed on the female. Unable to obtain jobs of their own many women resorted to selling sex, food, or other domestic services to other men to support their families. â€Å"In parts of the region, rural tribal authorities were given the right to prevent unmarried women and children from moving to the towns, and urban authorities had the power to send those who defied such restrictions back to the villages† (Anunobi, 2003, p. 67). This left women virtually helpless against the stronger more powerful men of their nation. Unable to own property or be a part of decision making for their families, these women themselves have become a orm of property to be controlled. It was purely a survival tactic for women to stay with their husbands because, if divorced, they had no rights to the wealth that she helped her husband to obtain thus further compounding her economic vulnerability. â€Å"Gender bias or gender discrimination is thus a fundamental cause of poverty in its various forms it prevents hundreds of millions of women from obtaining the education, training, health services, childcare, and legal status needed to escape from poverty† (Anunobi, 2003, p. 69). This bias against women is a major contributor to the high birth rates in the developing nations. Unable to control their family income or have access to productive resources, the children are forms of social status and economic security for these women. To reduce the number of children being born into poverty is to increase the womans’ productivity and give her control over resources. â€Å"In poor households, women and girls are generally allocated less food than men and boys; two thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women. Women tend to be more malnourished, less educated and less involved in public decision making than men† (Alvarez-Castillo & Feinholz, 2006, p. 115). It is clear to see that women in poor developing countries have very little command over productive resources. Women are not able to obtain title to land in their own name and have no legal right to the land of their husbands. Even upon the death of a husband, the widow has no legal right to the marital property. It is the combination of all these disadvantages against women in developing nations that keep them from gaining independence and self control. Women were seen and not heard, as they did not complain or disagree with their husband as they were oftentimes beaten. In an effort to combat these inequalities the poor and peasant women formed self help groups to aid one another in their efforts toward equality. It is these groups that provid economic assistance, credit for farming, childcare and, assistance toward business ventures. The husbands were powerless over these groups of women, unlike the power they hold over their wives. The women’s groups made huge strides in improving the lives of women and the welfare of their families and communities. The greatest problem for these groups was the lack of challenging the gender roles that kept them subordinate to males, and because of the gender division the wealth and power remained primarily to the men. â€Å"Development should encourage more cooperation between the sexes with the goal of ending poverty, reducing fertility, and securing the environment† (Anunobi, 2003, p. 74). Improving the status of women and allowing them to be a vital part of improving the economic and industrial aspects of their nation will benefit and establish an environment in which women and men can prosper together. The front line in the struggle for women’s rights appears to lie in the poorest, most patriarchal, least democratic nations† (Walker, 2005, p. 32). The Women’s rights campaign focus mainly on the underdeveloped nations. Women are beaten in the Middle East for not adorning the traditional Islamic clothing. In Afghanistan women are abused and deprived of their legal rights with or without the Taliban. The Pakistani women endure domestic violence and â€Å"honour crimes† in which they are attacked with acid. (Walker, 2005) This is a continuous struggle to establish universal women’s rights within these poor developing countries. The sad truth is â€Å"developed countries hardly offer a good example in their treatment of women – in fact they help make things worse† (Walker, 2005, p. 32). In Japan, pornography and its display is a common site in the mainstream of their society. Men are known to frequent bars offering expensive sexual service of women. These women are typically being trafficked from the Philippine nations in hopes of alleviating the poverty of their families at home. The control of men over women’s sexuality goes beyond that of social behavior and employment. Contraception was not legal for women until the availability of the pill in 1999, and still many physicians refuse to prescribe it. The Japanese nation may be a technical pioneer and one of the biggest global aid contributors but the treatment shown to the women in this nation is far less advanced (Walker, 2005). Examining the United States and its support of human rights; the United States is labeled as the world leader in this area. Women represent two thirds of poor Americans, and the majority of households living below poverty level are headed by females. Many American women are deprived of healthcare and those who do have coverage are 68% more likely to pay more out-of-pocket expense (Walker, 2005). â€Å"According to Amnesty USA, guns in American homes increase the risk of someone in a household being murdered by 41%, but for women the risk increases by 272%† (Walker, 2005, p. 33). These statistics are not that surprising as 85% of women in the United States are victims of domestic violence (Walker, 2005). Unfortunately, these instances of abuse on women’s ights are generally seen as isolated instances in the United States, unlike the widespread abuse of women’s rights in developing countries. The unbalanced relationship seen between women themselves is somewhat disturbing. This is displayed when women hire cheap foreign nannies to care for their children or buy clothing made in sweatshops. If women play a role in the gender-bias system they are just as capable of fighting to change it. The familiar image of poor women is seen as very similar, yet approached somewhat differently. The women who live in the third world are seen as victims of poverty in a developing country. The other women live in America and are referred to as the â€Å"welfare queen† (Mehta, 2009). These images both portray women of poverty and powerlessness, yet each images paints a different picture of their lives. The United States foreign policy makers and international development institutions strive to remedy this image of Third World women by encouraging them through empowerment; so they can be an asset to their families and community. Development policies have supported women’s rights and increasing their economic and educational opportunities. Local community centers were developed to provide poor women with education and job skills to start their own business. On the other hand, a completely different message is sent about the image of the welfare queen. She is seen as being lazy and unwilling to work and a burden on her family and community. The reform laws did little to build their level of education, or potential to be leaders within their communities. Instead there were limits on the single mother’s receipt of aid, family caps on additional children born while on welfare, and taking away benefits from those mothers who are attending school. The goal was to get these women into work, and it did not matter if it was a low paying dead end job, at least they were working (Mehta, 2009). It seems in the developed nation more attention should be given to pushing for higher education and building of work skills so that these women could be a beneficial part of the growing economy. â€Å"U. S. policy evinces skepticism that U. S. women could be affected by the same kinds of oppressive economic and cultural forces that keep women in poverty in the developing world† (Mehta, 2009, p. 68). American poor women are denied the potential of becoming strong leaders within their communities, unlike the opportunities for success given to their sisters in developing countries (Mehta, 2009). The negative image of the welfare queen has stunted the U. S. Welfare Policy to create laws that punish poor women. â€Å"The United States loses out on the positive effects of women’s empowerment that are already accepted and highlighted by the United States as sound policy abroad† (Mehta, 2009, p. 69). The potential that the developing nations have by empowering their women is very beneficial to their economic growth. Women always have been the strongest contributing influence on the family unit. Future development should encourage cooperation between men and women with the ultimate goal to end poverty, reduce population growth, and secure the environment. It seems obvious that not capitalizing on the talent and skills of women to protect men’s privileges is a waste of human resources (Anunobi, 2003). Hillary Rodham Clinton said, â€Å"Supporting women is a high-yield investment, resulting in stronger economies, more vibrant civil societies, healthier communities, and greater peace and stability† (USAID, 2009).

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Management - Essay Example on lies with the management in procuring funds from economic sources, it is also necessary to consider the effects of such acquisitions from the company’s point of view. Therefore, the financial sagacity of any business imply in how economically such funds are procured. It includes administration and maintenance of financial assets. From the point of view of the organisation financial management is the processes associated with the mobilization of funds from the various sources when needed at an acceptable cost which is called Financing Decision through banks and other financial institutions, and control the fund flow by monitoring their use to ensure the procurement and deployment of funds according to the plan. (Financial Management). Northern PLC is a manufacturing company which has sub-divisions globally. The company is facing deficiency of funds. There are many sources for financing the company through Capital market (through Shares, Debt Securities, and Venture Capital). Capital market is the place where government, institutions and individuals trade financial securities for funds. Two major capital markets are stock and bond market. Some of the examples of the capital are New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX). It provides economic efficiency by channelling money from those who have no immediate productive use. In capital market the cash or savings which is risk free are converted into risky assets for the benefit in the future. If the company is not performing well then there will be decrease in the share price of the company which would result in the dissatisfaction of the shareholders like the suppliers, customers and other stakeholders of the company. If the company is performing well, the share price increases and because of this the shareholder gets the benefit as dividends. The company that is giving the regular dividend has a slight edge. (Woepking). 1. Weak form efficiency- In this the share price reflects the

Consumer Behaviour consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer Behaviour consumption - Essay Example 1). The innovative ways of using mass-production goods are conceptualized as 'styles' which are expressive of the individualities/identities of the users. In the construction of lifestyles, the use-value of an object of consumption is secondary to the object's signifying effects, to its 'sign-value', organized around what Hebdige calls, 'a theology of appearances' (1993:89, p.1). Within this cultural politics, beyond the individual styles, social collectives are deemed to be constituted of a 'series of narrowly defined markets, targets, consumption, taste and status groups' (Hebdige 1999, p. 1). The concept of identity is useful for conceptualizing interrelations between tastes, social and organizational factors, and consumption. Anthony Giddens (1991, p.37) pointed out that in typical societies, lifestyles, social roles, relationships, and daily activities were monitored by religion, ascribed status, and accepted practices. Post-modernism created more scope for people to establish their own identities by adopting lifestyles, self-manifestations, and self-concepts that have symbols, pleasures, and values significant to them. In this situation, consumption plays a crucial and defining role: given the fragmentation of socioeconomic life, observable aspects such as clothing, the type of vehicle, place of residence, and eating and drinking habits provide compact signals of how one wants to be seen, what resources one commands, and what one's values are. (Dolfsma 1999, 1993:88). SHOPPING AS A CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY The retail sector as a whole has been studied through analyses of 'shopping' as a social, cultural and economic activity (Falk and Campbell 1997), of shopping mall as a location of consumption of dreams and hopes, helped by architectural designs and display technologies, and of the interactions between the sales-person and customers in closing the sale (Peretz 1995). Consumer desires have been prompted by exposure to the possessions and lifestyles of a reference group. The reference group is a comparison group located nearby in the social hierarchy. In Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, the Pierre Bourdieu discovered a striking regularity in French consumer patterns in the 1960s and 1970s. Bourdieu discovered that a person's educational level and father's occupation revealed much about that individual's taste in music and art, what kinds of shops they patronized, and the type of cooking they did. In the

TLMT312 WEEK 5 FORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TLMT312 WEEK 5 FORUM - Assignment Example They have a definite or regular shape that facilitates their easy storage and handling as opposed to non rigid containers which do not hold their shape. Non rigid containers have an indefinite shape because of lack of supporting structures. ii. Nonrigid containers in most cases will take the shape of its contents. This is opposed to the rigid containers, of which its contents, especially, fluids and gases take the shape of the container. This is vital in the determination of the type of container to be used during packaging by the organization. In the cost reduction strategy, it is required that appropriate container be selected as per the volume of the load. iii. Ordinarily, rigid containers will take more storage space as opposed to non rigid containers which can be folded to occupy less space. Nonrigid containers in the long run save the storage cost accrued from usage of less space. In the supply and procurement department this is important so as to strategies to ensure that the organization still makes profits. iv. Rigid containers have more storage and maintenance costs as opposed to non rigid containers. This is due to labor used for cleaning and storing the rigid containers. Most non rigid containers are non reusable, thus do not attract the costs. (Donald J. Bowersox, 2009) v. In most cases rigid containers are durable and reusable as opposed to non rigid containers. This is vital in the cost benefit analysis 2of the firm to ensure that it is making profits. The usage of rigid containers saves costs that would emanate from frequently container purchases. Oftenly, rigid containers are usually highly priced than the non rigid containers because of their durability and reusability. vi. In rigid container the manufacturers must give instructions and provide documentation for the evaluation, purchase, processing, and effective use of containers as opposed to non rigid where the is no much

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 19

Reaction paper - Essay Example This was a bunker designed for war yet Germans managed to creatively put a semblance of home. On a larger scale, this can be reflected in the products that they make which reflects utmost creativity. There is a famous saying in German that goes "Wenn schon, denn schon". It meant that if there is something that is worth doing, it is worth doing right. In short, Germans are perfectionist with work and do not do half baked and half hazard jobs and this complements their creativity that led them to produce cars that is a symbol of luxury and creativity. There is another German clichà © that goes "Ordnung muß sein!" It meant order and everything should be done by the rules. As a result, they are conscious about time that being late among Germans is unthinkable and this reflects how they put value to orderliness. In a way Americans share the same creativity, thoroughness and orderliness with Germans but not on the same level. Gleaning on the example given about cars, Americans has Ford and General Motors which is not really at par with German Mercedez Benz and

DisussionQuestions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DisussionQuestions - Essay Example Obedience is an ability to follow commands of others. This can be illustrated by teenagers’ behavior of their leader who may tell them to jump off the bridge or try drugs. In case a teenager is obedient to his group leader, he would follow this path. Conformity is not always desirable as well. For example, at a workplace very often conformity may prevent an individual from a further career growth. On the one hand, once an individual rejects to conform, he may fall of the society. On the other hand, an individual’s ability to stay out of the crowd is his desire to become a leader. Thus if a company suggests to wear black ties, once an employee comes in a yellow tie he can be strictly criticized. But the matter is to reach high performance at a workplace and no matter what the color of his tie is. This is an example when conformity may be preventive for further performance in a company. I think that dress code turns employees into a mindless crow following others. In real ity, if a dress code is uncomfortable for employees, it is better to talk to CEO and explain to him that for the better performance people in a company should feel themselves comfortable. The same principle works in case children have to obey their parents and to enter the University chosen for them by their family.

Nutrition Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nutrition Paper - Essay Example They believe that they are inadequate. People who view themselves critically are more prone to develop anorexia. Research on the biological causes of anorexia suggests that people with high levels of cortisol and low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine have a tendency towards anorexia since these hormones control stress and general well-being of a person. Also some people are genetically prone towards the disease if it runs in the family (Shepphird, 58). The first stage of Anorexia as identified by research is when a person loses a good amount of weight in a relatively short time period. This is then followed by praises from friends, families and acquaintances. The patient gives too much worth to these praises and starts fearing an increase in weight. This then develops an obsession among the patient to limit or reduce weight. From herein begins, the disease process. In the early stages, the patient develops a compulsion towards physical exercise. Exercise starts taking up most of the patient’s time and he ignores his social life. At the same time, the patient starts obsessing about food. They start researching about food, calories and diets. They even try to implement these in their own diet and often try to hide these details from their friends and family. In the second stage, the patient becomes preoccupied with his body image. He starts focusing on individual parts of his body where he assumes that he needs to lose weight. The person feels basically fine in his stage but starvation is becoming quite common in the second stage. The third stage occurs when the patient starts to starve himself. He starts wearing warmer clothes as starvation leads to cold. The patient also displays many other emotions as a direct result of starvation. These include depression, anxiety, paranoia, irritability, insomnia and exhaustion. It is difficult for immediate friends and families to ignore Anorexia Nervosa. The symptoms appear on the

The Urban Political Machine Essay Example for Free

The Urban Political Machine Essay Basically, an urban political machine is a system which was born around the end of the 19th and the early part of the 20th century. This system was formulated to cater to the needs of immigrants and other urban dwellers because they have become part of the majority of the population around this time. The system served as a guarantor of the delivery of the basic needs of people, due to the fact that the state has started to face difficulties in promoting the said needs and services. (Urban Political Machine) Take note that these urban political machines are unique to the United States, and these systems are constructed in the pursuit of the two most important things in politics, money and power. Their roles extended beyond what the state offered; they provided things such as aid for immigrants in finding tangible things such as houses, to the intangibles such as jobs. These machines also helped distribute food in the forms of groceries to families that are deep in need. One of the most surprising things that these urban political machines did was help families that have members in jail, mostly in the form of bail. (Urban Political Machine) According to Jane Addams, an urban political machine, the Alderman, â€Å"bails out his constituents when they are arrested, or says a good word to the police justice when they appear before him for trial†. (Urban Political Machines) This is one way that the urban political machine garnered the negative image that was associated with it. In exchange for these forms of aid, one important thing needed by any political machine is the trust and loyalty by its members, most importantly the people’s votes. Looking at the urban political machine at a non-moralist point of view, one can see that it has indeed become effective in aiding the people especially immigrants because it was able to cater to some of the constituent’s most basic needs, but when looked at from the other side, it can be seen as a very ripe instrument which could lead to things like corruption and tyranny. Bibliography Urban Political Machine. Radford University Home Page. Retrieved May 6, 2009 from http://www. runet. edu/~shepburn/urban_political_machine. htm Urban Political Machines. University of Houston Digital History. Retrieved May 6, 2009 from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/

The Effects Of Deforestation On The Atmosphere Environmental Sciences Essay

The Effects Of Deforestation On The Atmosphere Environmental Sciences Essay Deforestation had been a sounding issue since the past decade. Not because of its contribution to human and urban development but to it brings many effects to the earth as a whole. This article will be focusing on two main effects that is caused by deforestation, which is damage on the atmosphere and biodiversity. The effects of deforestation on the atmosphere is the increase of carbon dioxide gases, gradually leading to the greenhouse effect and the global warming. The carbon cycle is also disrupted due to the reduction of trees for carbon dioxide absorption. The effect of deforestation on the biodiversity that humans, plants and animals are all harm without us noticing. Endangered animals and plants are facing extinction everyday as we speak. Humans health are also affected by the increasing level of carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere. Introduction Deforestation is simply defined as the removal of forest for land usage in a large scale, mainly conducted by humans. Deforestation had been very active in the past decades. As mentioned by Apan and Anderson (1998) Deforestation of tropical lands has become an issue of worldwide signi ¬Ã‚ cance. At the global level, the loss of biological diversity and the issue of arti ¬Ã‚ cial greenhouse effect are the major concerns, frequently the subject of international debates. (p. 137) Developers in the past decades had no conscious of the effects of uncontrolled deforestation, resulting in a serious lack of forest in this decade. There are many effects of deforestation which includes, drought, climate change, flora and fauna extinction, reduction of water yields, global warming, emission of greenhouse gases and many more. These effects of deforestation can bring severe harm in a local, regional and global scale. This article will be mainly focusing on the effects of deforestation on the atmosphere and biodiversity. The main question of the article is, whether deforestation will cause the climate to change and affects the biodiversity. There is a closely related link between deforestation, the earths atmosphere and biodiversity. The alteration of forest brings a huge impact on both the atmosphere and wildlife. Biodiversity is the to the term to describe all living things on this planet which involves faunas, floras, food chains and basically the whole ecosystem. The importance of biodiversity is far important than what we imagine. The reduction of biodiversities will surely disrupt the balance of this planet, as all these species are also part of the human food chain. The atmosphere refers to the layer of gas surrounding the earth. The atmosphere is very influential to the earths weather and consequently the temperature. As heat is transmitted from the sun, through the layers of atmosphere, then reaching to the earths surface, the atmosphere can be a shield or a magnifying glass depending on how we, humans manage our forest. Human development and increasing of population is a main contribution to deforestation. In order to save the world from deforestation, the root of the happening of deforestation must be discovered and solve. More land is required to support to growth of population, as a result, more deforestation will occur. However, if the rate of human development from an intellectual aspect increase, the actions that are brought out to handle population growth and deforestation will be handled in a more wise way. Effects on the atmosphere The carbon cycle is the transaction of oxygen and carbon dioxide between animals (humans) and plants. Humans produces carbon dioxide through respiration, while plants produces oxygen during photosynthesis. In the opposite, humans need oxygen to survive while plants need carbon dioxide to carry out photosynthesis for food. (Ragsdale, 2007) This is a perfect cycle which is able to maintain an equal volume of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere. If deforestation occurs, the amount of trees will decrease. As a result, the rate of carbon dioxide absorption will gradually decrease as photosynthesis occurrence has decrease. This phenomenon will cause the volume of carbon dioxide to increase in the atmosphere. When the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, these excessive carbon dioxide will be considered as greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are entrapment agents that contribute to the rising of temperature in atmosphere. Greenhouse gases is a layer of gases between the surface of the earth and the earths atmosphere. When sunlight is directed to the surface of the earth, without the greenhouse gases, the sunlight will be reflected back to the sun without any obstacles. However, with the existence of the greenhouse gases in a layer form, when sunlight is directed onto the earths surface, the sunlight will be reflected back to the earths surface due to the entrapment by the greenhouse gases. As a result, when the energy from the sun has no place to escape, it will make the earths temperature increase. The volume of carbon dioxide is not only existed in a excessive manner, it is also emitted in an uncontrollable manner. When deforestation happens, trees falls and degrades for a period of time. The outcome of this degradation process is also known as forest biomass. As mentioned by Fearnside and Lawrence (2004) , forest biomass is the one of the main source of carbon dioxide emission when trees were burnt after they were chopped down. The forest also acts as a filter for carbon dioxide and air pollutants which in other words, the forest can provide us a cleaner and fresher air. However, inconsiderate farmers and agriculturalist would burn the whole deforested area for the sake of their own convenience. As mentioned that greenhouse gases will cause an increase in the atmospheres temperature, thus, global warming and deforestation is interrelated. When the volume of carbon dioxide increases, the temperature in the atmosphere increases as well, resulting in global warming. The main danger of global warming is that, when the earth heats up, glaciers in the north pole will melt and gradually more floods ad tsunamis will happen. Effects on the biodiversity Biodiversity is defined as all living things on earth which includes plants and animals, the entire ecosystem and basically the whole planet. Sofie (2007) said human dominance of the biosphere has signi ¬Ã‚ cantly changed ecosystems, thereby often impairing their capacity to provide ecosystem services crucial for our survival. (p. 2753) When deforestation occurs, animals will lose their habitat and plants will be removed for good. Many animals gain their food from their own habitat and their habitat would be the only place for them to find for their suitable food. When the animals habitat is destroyed, many animals would starve to death and gradually leads to extinction for some rare and endangered animals. The same thing that will occur to the floras, when deforestation occurs, tall trees with will be chopped off, while plants that grows on the ground would be also remove during the loading process of the tree trunks. Rare and endangered plants will be extinct during the process of deforestation. Forest canopy blocks the sunlight from entering the forest surface. Some plants that are sensitive to sunlight will wilt when the forest canopy is removed. Biodiversity is not only about plants and animals, it also involves humans. When the volume of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere due to deforestation, humans health will be affected. Carbon dioxide gas itself is an acidic gas, excessive inhalation will cause many side effects such as dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, increase in heartbeat rate and blood pressure, suffocation and unconsciousness if the concentration of carbon dioxide gas is high. Besides, the roots of the trees holds the ground of the forest together. If deforestation happens, the forest ground will be loose and eventually causes the happening of landslides and flash flood. Who will be the main victims of these following event? Humans. Solution to deforestation Many methods are used to solve deforestation all over the globe. Reforestation is the best method to solve deforestation. The concept of reforestation is saving what was damaged. Planting one tree after chopping one tree is not enough to reduce the rate of deforestation. At least three trees should be planted at the same time when one tree is chopped down in order to keep the number of trees increasing. (Galan, Matias, Rivas Bastante, 2009) In a local view, farmers and agriculturist should be considerate and aware of the importance of the forest and the serious emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. The main reason why deforestation occurs is because of ignorance and lack of knowledge on environment issues. As mentioned by Koop and Tole (2001), when the rate of human development is high, the rate of deforestation will be low. The human development rate is obtained through a countrys education quality, intellectual level, income level and life quality. In other words, when the majority of a country hare a high intellectual level, they would be aware of the importance of the forest and try their best to preserve the remaining forest and conduct reforestation. Governments and education ministries should start to instill the importance of forest to the country to primary, secondary and tertiary students. For they are the future leaders, they would be aware of the serious deforestation occurring in their country if they have the acknowledgement of this issue. Besides, the government should also play their role to reinforce the laws and regulations on environmental issues. The government has the responsibility to preserve the remaining forest and conduct reforestation as the effects of deforestation is drastic especially to the people in the country. Penalties should be charged on deforestation offenders such as illegal lumberjacks, ruthless developers, ignorant agriculturist and so on. Discussion All in all, deforestations effect is devastating no matter in a local, regional or a global scale. The victims of deforestation are commonly animals, plants and we, humans. The atmosphere is already facing critical problems, especially the carbon dioxide issue. Excessive carbon dioxide is bad to both humans and the climate. Actions must be carried out by all human race to save the earths atmosphere. With the reduction of paper usage, the demand for trees will be decreased and this would surely paralyze the increasing rate of deforestation. Extinction is also a worrying issue nowadays and the main cause of this event is because of loss of habitat. Animals need their habitat in order to survive and reproduce. Food and water supply is easily obtained from their original habitat. Animals that lost their habitat will either starve to death or killed by humans for trespassing in to residential areas. We would not want our next generation to miss all these beautiful creation due to our irre sponsibility in preserving the environment. Conclusion The reason why I am interested in this topic is because, the forest is a wonderful creation of God, there are many fascinating creatures in the forest waiting to be discovered. Deforestation prevents scientists and zoologists from doing so. Besides, I am aware that the reduction of forests will not only affect our current generation, but also our following generation. I truly hope that governments can start to act before it is too late. Educate the people on environmental issues, reinforce laws and regulations regarding environmental issues and preserve the forest before deforestation outruns the efforts of reforestation.

Rosa Parks :: essays research papers

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks is an extraordinary person because she stood up against racism and stood up for herself. It was even harder for her because she is a woman, and in those days, things were much harder for woman. Rosa Parks hated the ways of her life. She had always dreamed of having freedom in her life. As she grew up, she went through different experiences that gave her courage and strength. One day, Rosa Parks had so much courage and strength that when her bus arrived to pick her up, she got on the bus, put her money in the slot, and sat in the front of the bus. Black people were supposed to sit in the back. The bus driver told her to move to the back, but she just sat there and refused to move. The driver called the police and they arrested Rosa Parks. The next day, Raymond Parks went to pick up Rosa from jail. When they got home, Rosa spoke about her time in jail. She had stood up to get a drink of water and the guard told her the drinking fountain was only for white people. This made her furious. On December 5, 1955 Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and JoAnn Robinson looked out of their windows, and stood on street corners watching all of the yellow buses drive by. There were hardly any black riders since Rosa Park's arrest. It was a miracle. People stopped riding the buses all because of Rosa Parks. Soon, the police were informed of the people standing on the street corners watching the buses drive by. The police watched the streets to make sure that the black people were not bothering the other bus riders. They tried guarding the bus stops. The police failed and the boycott was a success. A few months later, Rosa Parks once again started to climb aboard a bus. She stopped when she noticed a sign that read, "People don't ride the bus today. Don't ride the bus for freedom." Finally the rules for riding the buses were changed. 1. Black and white people could sit wherever they wanted to sit. 2. Bus drivers were to respect all riders. 3. Black people were now allowed to apply for driver positions. A lot of people wrote hate mail to Rosa Parks.

Clouds Essay -- essays research papers

Cloud formations have always been observed by people, many centuries before our time. People were always fond of clouds. They always wondered why some clouds were dark and others were white and fluffy, and why some clouds are so up high and others were so low that they looked reachable by the human hands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most recent classification of clouds was accomplished by the World Meteorological Organization in 1956. This organization lists 10 basic kinds of clouds that are subdivided into species according to their outer shape and inner structure. In addition, cloud varieties are discussed according to arrangement and transparency. There is a height classification which are called high, middle, and low altitudes. The different kinds of clouds are found in these three divisions according to the clouds' altitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, we have the high clouds that range in altitude from 16,500 to 45,000 feet. In this division we have the cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus clouds. A cirrus cloud appears in delicate, feather-like bands that are not attached to each other, and is usually white with no shading. Cirrocumulus clouds appear like very small round balls or flakes. The cirrocumulus clouds sometimes form a pattern of a buttermilk sky. The cirrostratus clouds sometimes form tangled webs or thin whitish sheets. A large ring or halo is sometimes seen around the sun or moon when the cirrostratus covers the sky.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &...

Angelas Ashes Essay -- essays research papers

Angela’s Ashes Title:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title of this book is Angela’s Ashes. The title doesn’t make a lot of sense because the story about Angela’s cremation and her lost ashes is found in part two of the book. However, ashes do appear in the book in relation to Angela. An example of this would be the ashes from Angela’s Woodbine cigarettes. And another example would be Angela sitting next to the ashes from the fireplace during hard times. Author:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frank McCourt was born in depression-era Brooklyn and remained there until the age of four when he left with his family to his native country, Ireland. He came face too face with many hardships but managed to make it back to New York city at age nineteen. Upon his arrival Frank worked as a high school English teacher for forty-five years. After retiring from teaching, Frank, along with his brother, Malachy, performed a two man show called â€Å"A couple of Blaguards.† Frank won the Pulitzer Prize for his book Angela’s Ashes in 1997. Major Characters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character of the book is Frank McCourt himself. The entire book is written in first person. He describes his life as a â€Å"miserable Irish Catholic childhood.† And he certainly has the right to. His family was forced to move out of the United States, and move to their native country, Ireland. There Frank came upon many hardships such as the loss of his twin brothers, Eugene and Oliver, and his drunken father who couldn’t get a job for very long and only making matters worse. Frank is a very smart and diligent student. His classmates however show no respect for him because he is poor. He then quits school to begin working at the young age of fourteen. And when he leaves his job at the post office to write threatening letters and deliver and manage a Protestant newspaper he is criticized. He has plenty of adventures in both jobs. He even falls in love with a seventeen year old girl, Theresa Carmody, who is dying of consumption. Frank earns p lenty of money from his work, and he has plenty of dreams about escaping poverty and returing to America and sending the rest of his family to later join him. His dream of returning to America does in fact come true, but before that Frank is very worried about how he will be punished in the afterlife and whether or not he would make it into heaven. He f... ...rank thinks that what he’s seeing is something you could only see in the movies like a beautiful scene. And he makes it sound like he’s in a movie theater. Frank’s dream of returning to New York came true. Relevance of the Work to the Present Time:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This work has a lot of relevance to today; for one thing, there is still poverty. Poverty is a hardship that millions of people must face everyday. And relating to poverty, there is still discrimination between social classes. Hunger is very prominent today. This is another problem that millions must face. Also, in relation to the book, many people have problems with alcohol. And many people still make fun of one another, and succumb to incestuous pleasure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is however one universal affair mentioned in the book which everyone experiences. And that affair happens to be dreams. Everyone has dreams and everyone dreams of something and no one ever questions it. The power of dreaming is not just a state of mentality but rather a force within everyone that no one can control. Frankie shows the power of dreams and proves that they can come true. He returns to America doesn’t he?

Stream of consciousness for Frankenstein’s monster

One heart, was adequately strong to withstand the pain, the pressure, the grief. Inside hatred, vengeance, and long nights with only me, a candle and a bottle of wine. Alone again, you and l. Edited the way you enshrouded my companion, under your white sheets, as if she never lived. She was alive- until that cruel and ruthless Elizabeth destroyed her, without humanity. So I wasn't able to take this, It was too much! I roared, I raged, with all my might Then I got my renewable Revenge! Revenge! Renewable Hal Hal Hal Selfish!Selflessness's You didn't think about me, did you? You left me, without asking what I thought about it. You didn't ask me if I would be alright without you. You won't understand, how I felt. Would you? The years I bore the anguish, the years I ‘eve suffered pain, I was helpless, hopeless, I felt the shame. All I wanted was a companion, love and comfort, that's all. Then, I would have left you alone -Oh years ago, of course, I would have went to the wilderness , and many other places, to explore the world. And I am not alright. I'm hurt. I am wounded, the people see me and they run away reified.In horror, in disgust. When I try to talk to them, they betray me. My heart cries out In sorrow and agonizing pain. How easy It would be to let me take It. To close my eyes, to give up. It Is enough! I have had ENOUGH I'm sorry, I ‘II have to die, Fraternities. Alone again, you and l. ‘hated the way you enshrouded my companion, under your it was too much! Then I got my rearrange! Revenge! Revenge!

Give a Boy a Gun

The Characters Gary Searle – one of the shooters main character * Brendan Lawlor – the other shooter Ryan Clancy – a friend of both Gary’s and Brendan’s Allison Findley – Gary’s on-and-off girlfriend and Brendan's friend at Middletown High School Terminx – Brendan’s screen-name * Blkchokr – Allison’s screen-name Rebooto – Ryan’s screen-name Cynthia Searle – Gary’s mother Emily Kirsch – a former friend of Brendan’s Brett Betzig – a friend of Brendan’s from Springfield Julie Shore – a friend of Brendan’s from Springfield Beth Bender – Middletown High School counselorPaul Burns – a football player at Middletown High School Sam Flach – a football player at Middletown High School Deidre Bunson – a ‘popular’ girl at Middletown High School Ruth Hollington – Gary’s fourth-grade teacher at Midd letown Elementary School Stuart McEvoy – Gary’s sixth-grade teacher at Middletown Middle School Katherine Sullivan – Brendan’s sixth-grade teacher at Springfield Middle School Kit Conner – a neighbor of the Lawlors’ in Springfield Dick Flanagan – Brendan’s ninth-grade English teacher at Middletown High School F.Douglas Ellin – a biology teacher at Middletown High School Allen Curry – principal of Middletown High School Jack Phillips – a neighbor of Brendan’s Chelsea Baker – a transfer student to Middletown High School Denise Shipley – Gary’s older stepsister Chelsea Baker – new student on the Middletown high schoolCitation: It’s like, are you in the popular crowd or not? Beth Bender – teacher on the Middletown high school. Brendan was called in her office one day.He says just about â€Å"yes, ma’amed† and â€Å"no, ma’amed†. Yes ma ’am, everything is fine. No ma’am, I don’t have a problem with anyone. But you could see the pain and anger in his eyes. Citation: What Brendan and Gary did was terribly, horribly, inexcusably wrong. I have no interest in defending them. But deep in my heart there is a little piece of me that at least understands what might have driven them to such a horrendous, evil undertaking. But what those boys id was equally inexcusable and evil. Brett Betzig – Brendan’s friend in Springfield. Citation: One thing about Brendan: He hated injustice (Page 22)Deidre Bunson – student on the Middletown high schoolPaul Burns – Football player. Citation: One day in class we were talking about morality, and Brendan said there was no God. He didn’t say that he didn’t believe in God. He just said there was no God. (Because of the injustice in the world, he thinks that a God can’t exist) (Page 56)Brandan Lowlor:He is a sporty, skinny gu y with glasses. His parents are very friendly and they can? t understand their son’s behavior. Brandan is highly intelligent, a litte bit excited (aufgeregt? Man kann in einer bestimmten Situation aufgeregt sein, aber fur eine Charaktereigenschaft brauchst du hier einen anderen Begriff. Was genau meinst du? ) and distrustful. He loves sports and videogames like â€Å"Doom†. He doesn’t want to move to Middletown, that’s the reason why he has problems at school.

Christmas party Essay

The dorm that I am supposed to live in was a terrible sight. At least that was my initial reaction during my â€Å"college move in day†. Countless staircases, smelly and scary corridors, a room that is so small and a chatty roommate gave me such a negative first impression of where I am to be stuck in throughout college life. An impression that fortunately is not going to last†¦ Countless Staircases and Odd-Smelling Corridors The seemingly countless staircases and endless climbing to the third floor of the dormitory made it excruciatingly difficult for my feet to move on. The corridors that lead to my room are quite dark and wood-smelling making it more creepy and intolerable to walk through. Miniature Room The room is exceedingly small that there is almost no space in between those two sets of twin bunk beds and one king size foldout bed that may be turned out into a sofa during daytime. In spite of its size though, it holds a private bath with shower. It also has a cable television, coffeemaker, DVD player, microwave oven, as well as, refrigerator. Conversational Roommate The dorm room is made lively by an exceedingly talkative roommate. We are four in the room: one is a senior, another is a sophomore and two of us are freshmen. Our roommate who is already in the senior year greeted me by bombarding me with countless questions including: â€Å"What course are you enrolled in? Are you going to take up BS Biology as well? Do you know the scientific name of spider? What is your favorite animal? Do you have the courage to hold large frogs, remove the skin of a cat, and dissect a horse? † When I responded â€Å"yes† to the first two questions and â€Å"no† to the third and last question, she was quick to comment and suggest that I should be prepared with college life and that even it is only the first day the following day, our professors are sure to already give us excruciating quizzes. Dwellers’ Relationship Our room in the dormitory though it looks and smells very old is still exceptionally lively because of the dwellers’ relationship with each other. Sometimes, we do not bother to go to the mess hall and eat or to the mini library and study room to browse through our lessons. We just stay in our room no matter how cramped or inadequate the space is. We bond together in our room when â€Å"working out, eating, and even studying† (Xplore.. n. p. ). Sleeping Difficulties Since the dorm room is designed to hold all beds close to each other and no dividers were made available, I had troubles resting or sleeping because two of my roommates have been engaged in non-stop snoring especially at night. Enjoyable Dorm Room There are other pleasant things or descriptions that go along with our dorm room in spite of all the aforementioned complaints and negative adjectives mentioned though. First of all is when there are social events, for instance, â€Å"open house†, â€Å"Christmas party†, â€Å"valentine’s day celebration† etc. During these days/events, the dorm room, especially ours is full of life. During â€Å"open house† days, the room is full of decoration, sandwiches, donuts, as well as, fruits are set on the table, the coffeemaker is continuously switched on; while during â€Å"Christmas party†, even the corridors are spray painted with green and red, the walls of the room are newly painted with Christmas designs as well, then gold-colored balls and multi-colored lights are placed after also, miniature trees are placed in a corner along with small socks and gifts beside and around it; during â€Å"valentine’s day† however, red hearts of all sizes may be seen, either they are glued on to the walls or hanging from all over the ceiling. The decorated dorm room at the time of social events uphold the emotions of an individual that even if loved ones are not living with you in that room, you are bound to feel that you are at home and they will be there for you no matter what (Xplore.. n. d. ). Second, we have our own lockers outsized enough for our backpacks. The hassle of packing before leaving and unpacking after arrival is avoided because we can just place our things there when we get to the dorm and we can just pick it up the next time we leave for school again. Third, folded study tables are provided to us to make studying more interesting and motivating. These study tables have several drawers wherein we can place our school supplies including our books, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. there are other small compartments as well for any school-related material that needs to be placed where it can be taken speedily and conveniently. Fourth, the dorm room is also provided with an â€Å"exterior patio† where you can enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning while watching the ever bright rising sun. It is also the perfect area for making abstract paintings during a lazy afternoon. In addition to that, it is wonderful to just sit there and observe the slowly setting of the sun and even the moon and stars in the middle of the night. A place that is just right for students who wanted to relax, reminisce, or just stare into blank space while passing the time. Finally, the dorm room is full of life because of the things that are in it. These include shining gold and silver medals, as well as, elevated & soaring trophies. All these are bagged by our higher level roommates during the previous semesters. The gold and silver medals were typically acquired from academic contests like science, math, and history quiz bees; while the trophies were obtained from soccer championships. The room seemed to be very much alive because it has gotten hold of such awards. The room is radiating with brilliance, sport-mindedness, determination, intelligence, competence, and excellence as it exhibits the recognitions, prizes, and rewards of the people that it houses. Reference Xplor Communications. On- Versus Off- Campus: Part 1. 2004. n. a. 22 January 2008 http://getouttoday. com/collegelife/living/apartment/aptvdorm. htm

The Effects and Implication of Mentoring for Beginning Teachers in the Philippines

Research Problem:The Effects and Implications of Mentoring for Beginning In-service teachers in Western Mindanao State University – Philippines Statement of the problem Teachers face many challenges during the first years of teaching, such as planning and implementing curriculum and instruction, conducting assessments, motivating students, managing student differences and behaviour, and generally feeling overwhelmed (Roehrig et. al. 2006).They are being asked to teach technological and analytical skills to students from a broad range of backgrounds, prepare them to read and write scholarly, to think critically, and to apply their knowledge to solving real-world problems. In other words, the skills teachers need to develop are both complex and demanding (Borko & Livingston, 1989). To reduce the challenges that new teachers face and to improve the quality of their teaching a popular approach was introduced purposely to provide support via mentoring which is prevalent in the US ( Roehrig et. l. 2006). In fact, beginning teachers are being required to participate in mentoring programmes, often as part of the process for permanent certification in some states in America. Unlike in some developing countries, like the Philippines wherein its department of education has been under-performing for years, and has no clear cut policy on mentoring program, professional advancement and in-service training to improve the teachers’ competence once hired (Luz, 2008).Hobson (2008) defines mentoring as the one-to-one support of a novice or less experienced practitioner (mentee) by a more experienced practitioner (mentor), designed primarily to assist the development of the mentee’s expertise and to facilitate their induction into the culture of the profession. Mentoring can have a variety of purpose or goals, can involve a variety of practices and strategies to achieve these purpose and goals, and can take place at different stages of a mentee’s profess ional development and over different durations.Based on this assumptions and preconception of mentoring, the primary purpose of this research is to determine the possible effects and implications of mentoring to novice teachers in my institution. Research Questions: This research project aims to develop insights into the mentoring process and seeks to explore how mentoring can assist beginning in-service teachers in my home institution in developing their confidence, teaching competencies , skills in motivating students as well as classroom management. Moreover, it seeks to examine my own lived experiences as a mentee.Furthermore, it aims to answer the following research questions below. ?As a mentee, what were my experiences that made me recognized the worth of mentoring scheme provided by senior teachers. ?How did these experiences assist me in becoming a more reflective and dynamic teacher? ?How can these experiences assist me in mentoring new teachers? Methodology: This research is an auto-ethnography that focuses on my own lived experiences as a teacher and as a mentee and the connection of my life story with the experiences of other teachers from my home institution.According to Ellis and Bochner (2000), an auto-ethnography is a form of study that makes the researcher’s own experience a topic of investigation in its own right. It utilizes data about self and its context to gain an understanding of the connectivity between self and others within the same context (Ngunjiri, et. al. 2010). The intended purpose of this study is to provide a detailed, in-depth description of my mentoring experiences, its effect and implication on my practice as a teacher. This methodology is suitable for this research because, according to Chang (2007), auto-ethnography is a qualitative research.As a research methodology, it takes a systematic approach in data collection, analysis, and interpretation about self and social phenomena involving self. This systematic and i ntentional approach to the socio-cultural understanding of self sets auto-ethnography apart from other self-narrative writings such as memoir and autobiography. Moreover, Ngunjiri (2010) explicitly emphasized that auto-ethnography is distinctive from other research because it is self-focused and context-conscious. The esearcher is at the centre of the investigation as a â€Å"subject† (the researcher who performs the investigation) and an â€Å"object† (a participant who is investigated). Auto-ethnographic data provide the researcher a window through which the external world is understood. Although the blurred distinction between the researcher-participant relationship has become the source of criticism challenging the scientific credibility of the methodology (Anderson, 2006), access to sensitive issues and inner-most thoughts makes this research method a powerful and unique tool for individual and social understanding (Ellis, 2009).Lastly, auto-ethnography is context -conscious, which means it intends to connect self with others, self with the social, and self with the context (Wolcott, 2004). The focus on self does not necessarily mean â€Å"self in a vacuum. † A variety of others, â€Å"others of similarity† (those with similar values and experiences to self), â€Å"others of difference† (those with different values and experiences from self), and â€Å"others of opposition† (those with values and experiences seemingly irreconcilable to self), are often present in stories about self (Chang, 2007).This multiplicity of others exist in the context where a self inhabits; therefore, collecting data about self ultimately converges with the exploration of how the context surrounding self has influenced and shaped the make-up of self and how the self has responded to, reacted to, or resisted forces innate to the context. Research methods To answer my first two research questions, I will use personal reflection and narrative inquiry as my research methods. Personal ReflectionPersonal Reflection as define by John (2004), is being mindful of self, either within or after experience’, as though looking through a window which will enable the practitioner ‘to view and focus self within the context of a particular experience, in order to confront, understand and move toward resolving contradiction between one’s vision and actual practice’. It is a process of examining and evaluating the impact of personal values, culture and beliefs in relation to certain issue.My own retrospection allows me to recount the support, assistance and emotional as well as intellectual guidance that were provided to me from my senior colleagues and how these support made me traverse the obstacles that were on my path during the first few years of my teaching. In addition, my personal reflection will enable me to envision the possible mentoring that I will provide when my opportunity to become a mentor com es. Advantages/Strength As it is about you it requires you to be honest and open about your life and feelings about a specific thing ?It is often used by the person researching and writing to explain how they have felt during the process and their reaction to the topic ?Allows people to learn from experience Limitations ?Should be used in conjunction with others ?Very difficult or Impossible to quantify ?Some topics could cause friction within the family Narrative Inquiry Narrative inquiry is my main methods to represent my voice and engage readers in my text.This method focuses on studying a single person, gathering data through the collections of stories, reporting individual experiences, and discussing the meaning of those experiences for the individual (Creswell, 2008). The use of stories, discourse and my personal history will be my way of describing my mentoring experiences as a teacher and as a mentee and critically reflect on its effect and implications in my teaching practi ces. Although my personal narratives will be the major component of my data, other individuals’ life experiences and stories will be also considered (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990).Strengths ?No need of comprehensive procedure to follow for it is just my own experiences. This means no standard formality involved. It is a matter of my availability of time and retrospective mood. ?Ability to present data accurately as I have a good long term memory. Limitations ?Risk of missing information due to memory fatigue. ?Some experiences may not be presented as it may have harm to third party. Although the stories are my experiences, by telling them may have an impact on the life of a third party. Thus to be ethical I may not be able to tell every story (Cohen et al, 2000). Limited ability to present emotional stories. I am not a confident writer, therefore my limited writing skills will be a limitation. Quality standards Any educational paper regardless of which paradigm the researcher p osition himself should have some quality standards associated with it. In the context of auto-ethnographic research, the standard use in judging the quality of any research needs to be considered carefully. Member checking Is basically what the term implies – an opportunity for members (participants) to check (approve) particular aspects of the interpretation of the data they provided (Doyle, 2007).It is a â€Å"way of finding out whether the data analysis is congruent with the participants’ experiences† (Curtin & Fossey, 2007). The usual practice is that participants are given transcripts or particles from the narratives or written stories they contributed and are asked to verify their accuracy. Participants may be asked to edit, clarify, elaborate, and at times, delete their own words from the narratives; although Creswell (2008) stressed that member checking is best done with â€Å"polished† interpreted pieces such as themes and patterns emerging from the data rather than the actual transcripts.Member checking can be an individual process or can take place with more than one person at a time, such as in focus group settings, as a discussion with the researcher (Doyle, 2007). Member checking is often a single event that takes place only with the verification of transcripts or early interpretations. Sometimes though, it is done at a few key points throughout the research process with some scholars recommending it be done continuously (Doyle, 2007). As the researcher I will regularly provide my other participants with their nterpretations of the narratives for the purpose of verifying plausibility (Curtin & Fossey, 2007) and asking: Am I on the right track? Did I understand this in the same way you meant it? Authenticity Refers to the reliability and verifiability with which the account of the event corresponds to the â€Å"real† details of the event (date, time, place, people, and words spoken). Truth claims can be made only if certain procedure has been followed to guarantee to the greatest extent possible that the researcher’s account matches or corresponds to the event.A study is authentic when the strategies used are appropriate for the true reporting of the participants’ ideas, when the study is fair, and when it helps participants and similar groups to understand their world and improve it. It means that there is new insight into the phenomenon under study (Holloway & Wheeler, 2002). I can only achieve this in my research through member checking. The data should be continually revisited and scrutinized for accuracy of interpretation and for meaningful, coherent conveyance of the participant’s narrative contributions (Creswell, 2008).Moreover, fairness is one of the standards under authenticity to make sure different constructions are presented, clarified, checked, and taken into account in a balance manner (Cohen et al, 2000). To ensure fairness, I will certainly involve all stakeholders in constructions and interpretations of data. I will make sure that the data collected are accurate in terms of a vis-a-vis agreement with participants. Transparency Is the benchmark for the presentation and dissemination of findings, the need to be explicit, clear and open about the assumptions made and the methods and procedures used.Seale, et. al (2004) recognizes the researcher’s need to be transparent and reflexive about conduct, theoretical perspective and values. The credibility of any qualitative study lies in the transparency of its specific paradigm assumptions. In planning, designing, and carrying out qualitative research there must be a conscious examination of research strategies, selection of participants, and decisions made in collecting and interpreting the data (Duarte, 2007). Methods of inquiry, which includes he procedures of data collection and data analysis and interpretation must be clear enough for others to replicate, and therefore must be transparent. This is possibly the important difference between qualitative and quantitative inquiry, the emphasis is on the procedures being replicable, and not the findings (Sparkes, 2001). Qualitative inquiry requires a thorough critical self-exploration of the researcher’s assumptions, presuppositions, decisions, and self-interests. It is important to stress that reflexivity must be applied to the entire research process, and is not merely a consideration of potential sources of bias.The researcher has a crucial participatory role in any inquiry. Transparency and reflexivity therefore go hand in hand, since without transparency, reflexivity is impotent, and in return, reflexivity effectively promotes transparency (Bruce , 2007).

Duc de Saint-Simon forum 14 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Duc de Saint-Simon forum 14 - Essay Example Saint-Simon describes the opulence of the royal life of the king while at Versailles. He begins by describing the large and infinite number of rooms at the place and the comfort the palace provided the king. He explains that the King’s life changed while in Versailles as he became increasingly sensitive. He developed interest on the operations of the palace and would always seek to note any cases of absenteeism. Additionally, whoever visited the palace needed reasons to see him. However, Louis XIV maintained his composure and demeanor magnificence and splendor. Versailles offered him the peace to maintain such a lifestyle. He therefore lived in Versailles to his death. The article is a reliable historical document. The author uses descriptive and simple sentences coupled with timeline record of events features that enhance the comprehension of the topical issue. Furthermore, the author uses appropriate intent citations that show the sources from where he borrows some of his major

James Irwin and the history of Colorado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

James Irwin and the history of Colorado - Essay Example Irwin together with other crew members made three different excursions that helped them in writing the history of astronauts. They surveyed the impressive landing site on the moon surface known as Hadley Rille (Irwin 2004). The landing at Hadley Rille was a historical event in the world of astronauts and scientists. He was also highly recognized for his many achievements as an astronaut. Apart from impacting the science world he also influenced the Christianity world. He was involved with Christianity and created a path that awed many people. After his Apollo 15 mission, Irwin came back with renewed religious beliefs, and he admitted that the assignment had changed his spiritual beliefs. â€Å"To Church groups around the State, Mr. Irwin often talked of the moon mission as an epiphany†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wilford n.d). He admitted that the mission allowed him to feel the power of God. He established the High Flight Foundation, which was aimed at changing people’s perspective of sci ence. In his mission, he emphasized on assisting the Colorado community in realizing that science supported creation defying the claims that it supported evolution. He was also a staunch believer in the great mission of Jesus. He believed that Jesus walking on earth was more significant than a man walking on the moon. He also helped people believe in God the creator and embrace the creation. In his mission of spreading Christianity, he admitted that God was the creator of the laws of science that made it possible for people to travel to space.

Exercise and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exercise and Health - Essay Example Particularly vivid instances of extremely fit individuals prevailing over severe medical conditions are Lance Armstrong's astounding recovery from cancer to detain the Tour de France, and Magic Johnson's enduring retention of his extremely active lifestyle, including playing basketball, even with HIV positive. An active lifestyle reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. In the college alumni study, above seventeen thousand men reported their stair climbing, walking, leisure activities, and sports play. Estimations done throughout two periods, more than eleven years apart, signified that those who had been extremely active were much less prone to develop colon cancer than were their comparatively sedentary counterparts. In another research project with approximately forty eight-thousand male health care professionals, those frequently engaging in forceful pursuits had a fifty percent lower risk of developing colon cancer than did their sedentary peers. Additionally, men who were l ean and active, exercising one to two hours a day, were approximately five times less likely to develop colon cancer than those who were both obese and inactive. Findings from many studies signify that regular exercise throughout adolescence and early adulthood lessens the risk of breast cancer. Among women, those who gradually participated 3.8 or more hours weekly in active leisure-time pursuits after menarche was much less likely to develop breast cancer than were those who had been inactive. Exercise and physical activity is, of course, strongly linked to age. Among men less than 40, 17 per cent asserted to have done some running or jogging in 'the last fortnight', and 20 per cent of women of the same age said that they had affianced in some exercise activity. Only three per cent of women more than sixty did so. The more dynamic sporting pursuits and keep-fit activities were also, among those less than sixty, much more likely to be part of the lifestyle of those with higher educational qualifications and those in non-manual than manual households. For example, among those aged 18-40 years, 42 per cent (male) and 51 per cent (female) in manual households supposed that they took part in no sporting or keep-fit activities at all, though they might have done some walking or gardening, evaluated with 30 per cent (male) and 38 per cent (female) in non-manual households. This pattern of participation matches well with that which researchers have reported in other surveys of th e British population. Exercise not only essentially for adults but it is also extremely important for children. Exercise and food are the main topics identified by children as health promoting. More than 70 per cent rated curricular exercise as good, but only 57 per cent rated the opportunities for play that highly. It seems likely that respondents considered that the provision of curricular exercise somewhat within the control of staff and this may account for higher ratings. Rating of both curricular exercise and play opportunities strongly reflected the ratings of the playground and the play equipment. Literature Review Researchers found that regular exercise assists to retain health and role identities that confer meaning and significance to past behavior and give direction for future behavior. The regular exercise routine was developed to

Government 1 Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Government 1 - Dissertation Example Thus, if I discover that the government might be monitoring my e-mail and internet security, I would not only reduce the information I reveal on the internet, but I would also reduce the frequency at which I make use of the internet and try other means of communication. Freedom of expression should be allowed on the internet and there should not be any restriction on this (Atallah, 2010). This is due the fact that the internet has now become the main medium that people air their views, hence telling people that there is a limit to the way they can express themselves is like a violation on their fundamental human right. However, when the issue of the restriction of freedom of expression arises, there would be serious problems on the types of expression that should be restricted. There would be no standard yardstick as to the kind of things that people should be expected to talk about on the internet. Thus, it is not in any way desirable to restrict freedom of expression in any instanc e as people should be free to say anything they like on the internet. Reference Atallah, M. (2010). Privacy Enhancing Technologies: 10th International Symposium, PETS 2010, July 21-23, 2010, Berlin, Germany, Proceedings. New York: Springer.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management Coursework

Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Coursework Example A critical analysis and comparison of the supply chain networks of both the companies is done using the case studies provided to us. The analysis of the two cases has been done in line with the literature review. The final part of the document deals with two more companies in the fast fashion industry and compares their supply chain strategies with the strategies of H&M and Benetton whose case has been provided to us. The analysis of the two case studies provides us with an insight in to the importance of supply chain for the success of a firm. Supply chain is no longer considered just another element but is considered by many firms to be as important as marketing. It can drastically reduce the cost of the firm and give a strong competitive advantage to the firm which is hard and difficult to duplicate. Benetton was established in Italy in 1965.It has it presence in 120 countires.12 of its 18 factories are located in Italy. It sells its good through a network of 6500 retailers. It's positioning in the international market is that the company sells good quality garments which are moderately priced. With the analysis of the case we will critically analyse how Benetton has increased its supply chain by utilizing the "Dual Supply Chain" system. We will see how this system takes advantages of both the push and pull factors of the supply chain and increases the performance objectives for the company. H & M H &M case H & M is a well known Swedish company and has been a leader both in terms of market share and financial performance of the company. The company's strategy has been continuous expansion to search for the most promising markets available, to produce goods in a cost effective and fast manner and to reduce lead times drastically in order to reach the retailers quickly and capture changes in customer moods and preferences and provide longer shelf life for its products. H&M is also an example of how e-business solutions can be used to obtain competitive advantage in the supply chain of a company. Procurement and logistics can easily track the sales as they share a common IT platform with the retailers. This allows the company to react quickly to any changes in the trends prevalent in the market. H&M also has an efficient inventory management system which reduces the lead times for the firm and ensures efficient stock management. Literature Review Operation Strategy of a firm may be defined as set of principals adopted by the organization for decision making to achieve at a reconciliation of the market demand and the operational resources available to the

An economic analysis of hanger film movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An economic analysis of hanger film movie - Essay Example The movie that is of interest in this case is entitled Hunger Games. It is a movie produced by Gary Ross and was released in March 2012. With this particular movie in perspective the issues that are to be looked at revolve around the production budget, the expenses incurred thereafter, sat in marketing together with the revenue that is generated upon its release and thereafter. The estimated budget for the production of the movie was in the region of $78 million. Quite a large budget it was but the fact that the global reception of the movie was not a letdown is something worth writing home about. A movie is considered a success in economic terms if the revenue generated from its sales in cinemas and individuals surpasses the breakeven point to the extent that the revenue gotten from sales is able to cover all the expenses incurred in the development and at the same time generate a profit. The revenue that was generated from the movie puts the movie in the same league as some of the mentionable movies that have been produced over the years. Upon the first weekend after its release, the movie was able to rake in a total of $152.5 million dollars in the U.S. alone. This was just but the United States only. Further afield in a country like Denmark the movie was able to rake in close to $4.5 million. These figures are only in relation to the showing of the movie in theatres and does not necessarily reflect the actual amount that is to be realized after considering even the individual purchases. What this points out is that the reception of the movie on a global level was quite positive. So far in the U.S. alone the movie has had a gross domestic total of close to $340 million dollars. The financial statistics also speak a lot about the movie. The fact that it has been able to topple the list when put side by side with other big movies such as Titanic in 3-D is something quite commendable. In the weekend of 14th April 2012 the

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising Essay

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising - Essay Example A harmonious and catchy tune ensures that the brand remains synonymous with people’s wishes and desires of the product that is being discussed. It also guarantees that it remains close to their heart and thus associations are built with the brand whenever there is some form of linkage with the brand in one way or the other. Another effect that can be had from these messages is that they build a solid and heart warming relationship with the consumers and the rapport is rock solid when it comes to the potential users of the brand. The message is a significant milestone in the marketing communications philosophy. This dissertation aims to investigate the basis of the research aspects related with fear messages that are incorporated into the advertising world of today and how they connect with the target and potential audiences on a one to one level. It will study the shock form of advertising and thus would look to manifest the basis for its plus points as well as the downsides. This is done so as to find a common ground that needs to be reached in order to meet a point of significance for the fear messages that are being published in different media vehicles and types. This would assist everyone related with the research of such messages on a global level and hence a lot of incentives could be drawn up for brands and/or organizations. These brands and/or organizations are the ones considering these people are thinking on the lines of investing on fear form of messages for the particular brands and/or organizations. Also, the ethical and moral constructs would be discussed so as to give the other side of the picture – a side taken by the societal norms, values and belief hierarchy. The conclusions and recommendations that could be drawn from the analysis of the research done on the fear aspect of messages in advertising is that they are beneficial for the brands and/or

Performance Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Performance Management - Assignment Example Job description is a statement of the overall purpose and scope of a job together with its details of a task and duties. It is a written statement of what the employee does how he does it and what the job working conditions are. In general, a job description sets out the purpose of the job where it fits into the organization structure, the context in which the job holds a function and the principles of the job accountability of the jobholder. The content includes Job identification, job summary, responsibilities, standard of performance and job specification (Said & Munap, 2010). The retail staff shall achieve optimum sales profitability, business growth and accounts penetration within a market segment or territory by selling the products of the retail shop effectively. The retail sale staff shall secure as well as contact customers and new business accounts in the market. The organizational behaviour management (OBM) involves the application of the science of human behaviour. OBM relates to the behaviour of people in a workplace, in addition, OBM is guided by a theory of human behaviour that is emphasised on identification and modification of environmental factors that affect employees performance. OBM is anchored in the work of B.F Skinner who postulated that an employee’s behaviour is inferred by his needs. In that, an employee may perform poorly in work because of poor job satisfaction or reduced rewards when he makes much profit to a company. Therefore, the OBM process identifies behaviours related to performance, study their instances and occurrences, identifies the major triggers, come up with interventions strategy, applies the postulated strategy and maintains the optimal performance through appropriate rewards to the employees. OBM embraces a three contingency model that is antecedent-behaviour-consequence. An antecedent is the stimulus that precedes behaviour and encourages the practice of that behaviour.

Interco Case Essay Example for Free

Interco Case Essay Interco On August 8, 1988, Interco’s board of directors met to discuss, among other matters, a merger proposal from City Capital Associates Limited Partnership. City Capital had offered $64 per common share of Interco on July 28, 1988, and had raised that offer to $70 per share on the morning of August 8. At this board meeting Interco’s financial advisors, Wasserstein, Perella Co., established a valuation range of $68-$80 per common share of Interco and presented their evaluation of the offer. Given their valuation, Wasserstein Perella advised the Interco board (see Exhibit 1) that the $70 per share offer was inadequate and not in the best interests of the company and its shareholders. The board of directors voted to reject the City Capital offer. The Company Founded in December 1911, the International Shoe Company was established as a footwear manufacturing concern and remained so until the early 1960s. In 1966, the company was renamed Interco to reflect the changing character of its business. It had grown, into a major manufacturer and retailer of a wide variety of consumer products and services. Among the most well-known of the brands Interco made were Converse and Florsheim shoes, Ethan Allen furniture, and London Fog rain gear. Interco’s various operations were substantially autonomous and were supported by a corporate management staff in St. Louis, Missouri. The company’s philosophy had historically been to acquire companies in related fields and to provide their existing management teams with the incentives to expand their businesses while relieving them of such routine support functions as financial and legal requirements. Nearly half of Interco’s growth had come through acquisition. The company continually sought entities that would complement the existing Interco companies. Additional criteria used in  screening and selecting acquisition candidates included the presence of highly skilled managers and products that had established leadership positions in their respective markets. Equity analysts viewed Interco as a conservative company that was financially â€Å"overcapitalized.† With a current ratio of 3.6 to 1 and a debt-to-capitalization ratio, including capitalized leases, of 19.3% on February 29, 1988, Interco had ample financial flexibility. This flexibility had allowed the company to repurchase its common shares and make acquisitions as opportunities arose. Research Associate Susan L. Roth prepared this case under the supervision of Professor Scott P. Mason as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 1991 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. Within these four operating divisions were numerous independent companies as listed in Exhibit 2. Apparel Manufacturing This group consisted of 11 apparel companies that designed, manufactured, and distributed a full range of branded and private-label sportswear, casual apparel, outer garments, and headwear for men and women. Apparel brands included Le Tigre, Sergio Valente, and Abe Schrader. Distribution was national in scope to department stores, specialty shops, and other retail units, including discount chains. General Retail Merchandising This group operated 201 retail locations in 15 states. General retailing included large do-it-yourself home improvement centers, general merchandise discount stores, men’s specialty apparel shops, and specialty department stores. Over the prior few years, general retail had been greatly scaled back and was now dominated largely by Central Hardware, a do-it-yourself home improvement chain that emphasized customer service and a broad selection of products. Footwear Manufacturing and Retailing This division designed, manufactured, and distributed men’s and women’s footwear principally in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. The group operated 778 retail shoe stores and leased shoe departments in 42 states and in Australia. Interco’s two major footwear operations, Converse Inc. and the Florsheim Shoe Co., commanded leading positions in their respective markets: athletic shoes and men’s traditional footwear. Furniture and Home Furnishings This group manufactured, distributed, and retailed quality wood and upholstered furniture and home furnishings. Furniture brands included Broyhill, Lane, Ethan Allen, and Hickory Chair. In recent years, furniture had expanded through acquisitions and increasing profitability to dominate Interco’s net income. At the end of fiscal year 1988, Interco was the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. Strategic Repositioning Program Interco’s goals included long-term sales and earnings growth, increased  return on corporate assets, and most important, improved return on shareholders’ equity. To achieve these goals, Interco took a four-pronged approach that included improving the profitability of existing operations and divesting underperforming assets, making acquisitions that had the potential for better than average returns and growth, and employing opportunistic financial strategies such as share repurchases and the prudent use of borrowing capacity. With these goals established, Interco, in 1984, began a strategic repositioning program aimed at improving overall corporate performance. As part of this initiative, Interco accelerated its efforts to divest underperforming assets and reposition itself in markets offering superior growth opportunities and profitability. The program resulted in a substantial change in Interco’s mix of sales as shown in Table A below. In fiscal 1988 the furniture and footwear groups together accounted for 60% of corporate sales, with apparel and general retail accounting for the rest. This was a reversal of the sales distribution in fiscal 1984.

Some Of The Models And Frameworks For Reflection Education Essay

Some Of The Models And Frameworks For Reflection Education Essay Having established the need for experiential knowledge that arises out of reflection, this handout is exploring some of the models structures and frameworks that can facilitate the reflective process. However, before we explore these frameworks some important distinctions are needed to be made about different types of reflection. Edgar Schon, an influential writer on reflection, described reflection in two main ways: reflection in action and reflection on action. Reflection on action is looking back after the event whilst reflection in action is happening during the event. To complicate matters there are different interpretations of reflection on action. Lets now explore these terms. Reflection in action means To think about what one is doing whilst one is doing it; it is typically stimulated by surprise, by something which puzzled the practitioner concerned(Greenwood, 1993). Reflection in action allows the practitioner to redesign what he/ she is doing whilst he/she is doing it. This is commonly associated with experienced practitioners. However, it is much neglected. Reflection on action is defined as: The retrospective contemplation of practice undertaken in order to uncover the knowledge used in practical situations, by analysing and interpreting the information recalled (Fitzgerald, 1994pp67) We can see here that reflection on action involves turning information into knowledge, by conducting a cognitive post mortem. Alternatively Boyd Fales suggest reflection on action is: The process of creating and clarifying the meanings of experiences in terms of self in relation to both self and world. The outcome of this process is changed conceptual perspectives (Boyd Fales, 1983pp101) We see here that Boyd and Fales focus more on self development. Here refection does not only add to our knowledge but challenges the concepts and theories we hold. Furthermore as a result we dont see more, we see differently. Atkins and Murphy (1994) take this idea one step further and suggest that for reflection to make a real difference to practice we follow this with a commitment to action as a result. The problems with these views of reflection on action are that they do not take account of the importance of reflection before action. This is when we plan out before we act what we want to do. So what have we learnt about reflection? It can best be seen as: Reflection before action Reflection in action Reflection after action. Now lets see which frameworks best support these approaches. Gibbs Framework for Reflection (Linked with the core skills of reflection) Stage 1: Description of the event Describe in detail the event you are reflecting on. Include e.g. where were you; who else was there; why were you there; what were you doing; what were other people doing; what was the context of the event; what happened; what was your part in this; what parts did the other people play; what was the result. Stage 2: Feelings and Thoughts (Self awareness) At this stage, try to recall and explore those things that were going on inside your head. Include: How you were feeling when the event started? What you were thinking about at the time? How did it make you feel? How did other people make you feel? How did you feel about the outcome of the event? What do you think about it now? Stage 3: Evaluation Try to evaluate or make a judgement about what has happened. Consider what was good about the experience and what was bad about the experience or what did or didnt go so well Stage 4: Analysis Break the event down into its component parts so they can be explored separately. You may need to ask more detailed questions about the answers to the last stage. Include: What went well? What did you do well? What did others do well? What went wrong or did not turn out how it should have done? In what way did you or others contribute to this? Stage 5: Conclusion (Synthesis) This differs from the evaluation stage in that now you have explored the issue from different angles and have a lot of information to base your judgement. It is here that you are likely to develop insight into you own and other peoples behaviour in terms of how they contributed to the outcome of the event. Remember the purpose of reflection is to learn from an experience. Without detailed analysis and honest exploration that occurs during all the previous stages, it is unlikely that all aspects of the event will be taken into account and therefore valuable opportunities for learning can be missed. During this stage you should ask yourself what you could have done differently. Stage 6: Action Plan During this stage you should think yourself forward into encountering the event again and to plan what you would do would you act differently or would you be likely to do the same? Here the cycle is tentatively completed and suggests that should the event occur again it will be the focus of another reflective cycle Gibbs model incorporates all the core skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused on reflection on action, but with practice it could be used to focus on reflection in and before action. Bortons` (1970) Framework Guiding Reflective Activities What? So What? Now what? This is the descriptionand self awarenesslevel and all questions start with the word what This is the level of analysisand evaluation when we look deeper at what was behind the experience. This is the level of synthesis.Here we build on the previous levels these questions to enable us to consider alternative courses of action and choose what we are going to do next. Examples What happened? What did I do? What did other do? What was I trying to achieve? What was good or bad about the experiences Examples So what is the importance of this? So what more do I need to know about this? So what have I learnt about this Examples Now what could I do? Now what do I need to do? Now what might I do? Now what might be the consequences of this action? Bortons model incorporates all the core skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused on reflection on action, but with practice it could be used to focus on reflection in and before action. Johns Model of Structured Refection Chris Johns (1994; 1995) model arose from his work in the Burford Nursing Development Unit in the early 1990s. He envisaged this model as being used within a process of guided reflection. His focus was about uncovering and making explicit the knowledge that we use in our practice. He adopted some earlier work by Carper (1978) who looked at ways of knowing in nursing. Ways of knowing Cues Aesthetics the art of what we do, our own experiences What was I trying to achieve? Why did I respond as I did? What were the consequences of that for the patient? Others? Myself? How was this person (people) feeling? How did I Know this? Personal self awareness How did I feel in this situation? What internal factors were influencing me? Ethics moral knowledge How did my actions match my beliefs? What factors made me act in an incongruent way? Empirics scientific What knowledge did or should have informed me? The framework uses five cue questions which are then divided into more focuses to promote detailed reflection. Cue Questions 1. Description of the experience Phenomenon describe the here and now experience Casual what essential factors contributed to this experience? Context what are the significant background factors to this experience? Clarifying what are the key processes for reflection in this experience? 2. Reflection What was I trying to achieve? Why did I intervene as I did? What were the consequences of my actions for: Myself? The patient / family? The people I work with? How did I feel about this experience when it was happening? How did the patient feel about it? How do I know how the patient felt about it? 3. Influencing factors What internal factors influenced my decision making? What external factors influenced my decision making? What sources of knowledge did / should have influenced my decision making? 4. Evaluation: Could I have dealt with the situation better? What other choices did I have? What would be the consequences of these choices? 5. Learning How do I now feel about this experience? How have I made sense of this experience in light of past experiences and future practice? How has this experience changed my ways of knowing Empirics scientific Ethics moral knowledge Personal self awareness Aesthetics the art of what we do, our own experiences Smyths Framework for Reflection on Action Activity Cues Describe What did I do? Inform (Analysis) What does this mean? Confront (Self awareness) How did I come to be like this? Reconstruct (Evaluation and Synthesis) What do my practices say about my assumptions, values and beliefs? Where did these ideas come from? What social practices are expressed in these ideas? What is it that causes me to maintain my theories What views of power do they embody? Whose interests seem to be served by my practices? What is it that acts to constrain my views of what is possible in my practice? We can see with a number of models they go through, some, or all of the following phases. Descriptive phase Reflective phase Emancipator phase Processes Description of practice events Reflective analysis against espoused theories Critique of practice regarding conflicts distortions and inconsistencies Examination of descriptions for genuiness and comprehensiveness Reflective analysis of the situations Reflective analysis of intentions Engagement in emancipatory change process Products Descriptive accounts/narrative Knowledge about practice processes and applications Learning and change in practice Self awareness Self critique and emancipation Phases in critical reflective inquiry Kim 1999