My Life, My Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Life, My Religion - Essay Example The Bible or the hymn book was my only choices so I choose the storybook. My parents decided to allow me to read, I suppose because it kept me from sleeping or fidgeting. My interest in this very long and difficult to comprehend book grew over time as did the time invested in exploring it. I began reading at home during episodes of boredom. This experience during my early teen years changed my outlook and shaped my philosophy of life. As I read, what I thought was important became rather meaningless. I began to develop a much different set of values than my friends, neighbors, and family. What fascinated me the most were the first four books of the New Testament. I found the words of Christ simple, to the point and ultimately a path to inner contentment. The Bible gave me the foundation of what I have built upon since my youth. Since then, I have read other philosophical and religious books and found they do not contradict, in fact, they support the tenets found in the Bible. Though the roots of my viewpoint begin with the Bible, I do not consider myself Christian, far from it. Most religions I know including and especially Christianity teach that ‘we are the right path to God’ therefore no other belief system is valid. My interpretation of Christ’s words leads me to believe the division is ultimately destructive for the individual and society. Rather, I concluded that inclusion and finding the similarities help bind us all together. The words of Christ allowed me to develop a new viewpoint which teaches the path to real happiness. In my case, this involves thinking in ways that bolster my self-respect, what makes me proud of me. Others, of course, have different views on what makes them happy such as ‘if I make more money, I’d be higher on the social ladder’ or ‘if I had more control over my life, I’d be happy then.’Â  

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay This essay will outline and explain why inter professional collaborative practice in social work is important. It will also examine key factors that help or hinder effective inter professional collaborative practice. It will explain why it is important that professionals work together and effectively as a team and the consequences that can occur when professionals fail to collaborate successfully. There has been a great deal of political and professional pressures for the development of inter professional collaborative practice. From the late 1990s onwards there were vast amounts of official documents to promote the importance of collaborative working within the health and social care sector. The 1998 social services White Paper Modernising Social Services (DoH, 1998) and The NHS Plan (2000) devoted entire chapters to the subject. It has been argued that inter professional working has advanced further in relation to services for older people than it has in relation to children and families. The Green Paper Every Child Matters (DfES 2003) recognised this and one of the main elements of this paper focused that improved collaboration was required so as not to repeat the tragic events of the Victoria Climbie case (this case will be discussed in further detail later in the essay). Government recognition suggests that many social problems cannot be effectively addressed by any given organisation acting in isolation from others. That is, when professionals work together effectively they provide a better service to the complex needs of the most vulnerable people in society. Inter professional collaborative practice involves complex interactions between a range of different professionals and is when professionals work together as a team to reach mutually negotiated goals through agreed plans. It is a partnership that can be defined as a formal agreement between the different professions who agree to work together in pursuit of common goals. Collaborative is defined as putting that partnership into operation or into practice. It involves the different professions working together and using their own individual skills instead of working in opposite directions to meet the needs of particular service users. It is suggested that when social workers and other professions work collaboratively the service user gets a better deal. Willing participation (Henneman et al, 19 95, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.19) and a high level of motivation (Molyneux, 2001, cited in Barrett et al, p.19) have been stated as vital aspects of effective inter professional collaboration. Social workers have certain ethical obligations to society that they must follow and this comes in the form of The British Association of Social Work (BASW) Code of Ethics and the National Occupational Standards for social workers. The Code of Ethics follow five basic values, Human Dignity and Worth, Social Justice, Service to Humanity, Integrity and Competence whilst the National Occupational Standards outline the standards of conduct and practice to which all social workers should adhere to. Whilst working in collaboration with other professionals, social workers should follow these Codes and Standards to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for the service user. In the past inter professional collaborative practice has been difficult with many disadvantages and that this has caused problems between the different professions involved. This has in the past led to catastrophic tragedies as in the case of Victoria Climbie. Shared accountability is important for effective collaboration and all professionals should be accountable. Each profession should support one another, not be seen as self interested and that no one profession is higher than another. Some of the problems that can occur are when there is not a logical distribution of power. Unequal power distribution can be oppressive (Payne, 2000, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) and can limit participation for some group members. Struggles for power are rooted in professional tradition and social difference. It is believed by some critics of social work that social workers have often been located in settings where they were considered as subordinate to other more established professional g roups (Brewer and Lait, 1980, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.401). Traditionally there have been difficulties within the medical profession and Cooke et al, (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) suggests that general practitioners felt threatened by a redistribution of power and had problems letting go of their traditionally held power base. Social work in the past has been described as a semi profession and similar to nursing and teaching and not comparable to the learned profession of medicine or law as it does not have the required features of those professions (Freidson 1994). Payne (2000 cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) identifies this as peoples capacity to get what they want. Power in inter professional collaborative practice should be shared and distributed and no hierarchy of power should exist. If some professionals see themselves as more powerful than another they are not meeting the needs of the service user. Being territorial and not sharing information and know ledge has long been a problem in inter professional collaborative practice. Molyneux (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p20) found that professionals who were confident in their own role were able to work flexibly across professional boundaries without feeling jealous or threatened. Professional adulthood was an expression used by Laidler (1991, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.20) to describe professionals who were confident in their own role to share information and communicate effectively with other professionals. These professionals do not feel territorial about relinquishing their knowledge and understanding to further enhance good inter professional collaborative practice. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.20) suggests that a combination of personal and professional confidence enables individuals to assert their own perspectives and challenge the viewpoints of others. Open and honest communication is a vital and probably one of the most important aspects of inter professional collaborative practice. It requires professionals to take into account each others views, be respectful, dignified and to listen to each other without being highly critical of one another. Constructive criticism needs to be undertaken alongside constructive suggestions and encouragement and should take place at a time when other professionals are receptive. Active listening is an important skill. To be able to recognise and respond to what is being communicated is a fundamental skill. Professionals working collaboratively should demonstrate this verbally and non-verbally to each other. This is greatly helped if all concerned put aside the typical stereotyping of each others professions in order to hear and listen to what the speaker is saying. Keeping good eye contact and having good body language is just as important. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of communic ation is non-verbal, i.e. something is communicated through body language by a body movement, a posture, an inflection in the voice (Birdwhistell, 1970, cited in Wilson, 2008, p.297). A breakdown in communication and the lack of sharing of information between the professions in the past have been major failings in inter professional collaborative practice for example in high profile child protection inquiries and this has led to tragic consequences. Effective systems of communication and knowing what information should be shared are essential not just between the professions but also between the service users. Trust, mutual respect and support are key features to inter professional collaborative practice. Trust was highlighted by many professionals as one of the most important factors in successful collaboration. When trust is absent professionals may feel uncomfortable and insecure in their role and this in turn can lead to defensive behaviour to counteract their insecurities. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.22) suggests that trust develops through repeated positive inter professional experience and develops gradually over a period of time. Trust cannot be gained overnight so it is important for professionals working collaboratively to give one another time for trust to develop. When professionals feel valued, they feel respected. This can be achieved by actively listening to each other and having an insight into one anothers professions. Conflict between the professions can have a huge impact on the different professionals and service users. Loxley (1997, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.24) suggests that conflict is interwoven with collaborative practice. To counteract some of the problems associated with conflict it may be beneficial to all concerned to form ground rules. These ground rules could go some way to prevent and help the management of conflict and could include; open discussion and the obligation to be able to give each other honest feedback. Most importantly these ground rules need to benefit all parties involved. A great deal of emphasis is placed on social workers to critically reflect their practice. It literally means that social workers reflect on their practice before, during and after, thinking through tasks carefully. Other professionals may not do this in line with social workers beliefs of critical reflection or in the same way or see that reflection on their own practice is an important aspect of successful inter professional collaborative practice. To illustrate the above points a practice example will now be explained. The inquiry into the death of ten year old Victoria Climbie highlights the disastrous consequences when communication in inter professional collaborative practice fails. This child death case was fraught with communication breakdowns across the range of professionals associated with the case. In Lord Lamings report (2003) he draws attention to and illustrates lack of communication as one of the key issues. Victoria Climbie was failed by a system that was put into place to protect her. Professionals failed in this protection by not communicating with each other or with Victoria herself. One of the criticisms in the Laming Report (2003) was that none of the professionals involved in the case spoke to Victoria about her life or how she was feeling and suggests that even basic service user involvement was absent. There was an opportunity which is highlighted in his report that a social worker missed an opportunity t o communicate with Victoria by deciding not to see or speak to her while she was in hospital. It could be argued that if basic levels of communication with Victoria herself had been implemented, then more could have been achieved to protect her. It was not only a lack of communication with Victoria herself but a lack of communication between the professions that were investigated in the Laming Report (2003). Communication is equally important between the service user and the different professional bodies. Professionals are less effective on their clients behalf if they cannot communicate precisely and persuasively. (Clark, 2000, cited in Trevithick, 2009, p.117). For successful inter professional collaborative practice to work a combination of personal and professional skills are required, together with competent communications skills to enable the different professions to challenge the views of others. Recommendation 37 of the Laming Report (2003) states The training of social work ers must equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs of the child. On at least one occasion, this did not happen when a social worker did not challenge a medical statement which turned out to be professionally incorrect which in turn led to the tragic eventual death of Victoria. Had the social worker challenged the medical opinion in this instance then it could be argued that more efficient communication and less confusion in the case may have saved Victoria. Alan Milburn (Hansard 28 January 2003, column 740, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.474), the then Secretary of State commented when introducing the Children Bill in the Commons that Victoria needs services that worked together and that down the years inquiry after inquiry has called for better communication and better co-ordination. Communication lies at the heart of high quality and successful inter professional practice and Victoria is just one case of when there is a lack of communication between the professionals and the devastating consequences that can arise. In conclusion, successful inter professional collaborative practice has many elements and all these different elements require that the different professions adopt them. Although inter professional working practice has been around for many years and is not new, it still needs to be continued, developed and incorporated into the daily work of all professions. When health and social care professionals from different disciplines truly understand each others roles, responsibilities and challenges, the potential of inter professional collaborative practice could be fully realised and many of the barriers alleviated, giving a more successful outcome to the service user.

Baldwins My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew Essay -- Baldwin Dun

Baldwin's My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew Does the American Dream belong to every one or does it exclude some individuals? The American Dream is a very powerful force that molds America. It has existed for many generations but has it changed over time? The foundation of the Dream tends to stay the same that is the pursuit of happiness, hope, freedom, justice and equality. The concepts within the American Dream should alter to fit the changes of society. The breakthroughs and obstacles that America overcomes should shift the American Dream. Society may see the American Dream as a dangerous power causing them to be scared to challenge the concepts of the traditional American Dream. Will society become dysfunctional if someone challenges the American Dream or will it make our country stronger and more diverse? According to James Baldwin’s â€Å"My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to My Nephew† African Americans cannot obtain their piece of the American Dream. Baldwin wrote a letter to his nephew in hope of guiding him through life. Baldwin had many words of wisdom to share, mostly words provoked by pain and anger. Baldwin wanted to teach his nephew about the cruelty of society. His main point was to teach his nephew not to believe the white man and his words. He wanted to encourage his nephew to succeed in life but not to expect the unassailable. By believing the white man one can not succeed but by knowing where one comes from will lead to success was the foundation of Baldwin’s message (243-246). When reading â€Å"My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew†, it was clear that Baldwin was not just writing a letter to his nephew but to society by interacting personal thoughts with public awareness. Although Baldwin’s letter was addressed to his nephew, he intended for society as a whole to be affected by it. â€Å"This innocent country set you down in a getto in which, in fact, it intended that you should parish†(Baldwin 244). This is an innocent country, innocent only because they know not what they do. They discriminate the African American by expecting them to be worthless, by not giving them a chance to prove their credibility. Today African Americans are considered to be disesteemed in society. They are placed in this class before they are even born just like Royalty obtains their class before they are even conceived. We may think that this is a paradox but when d... ...ow by forgiving the people who hurt him and Baldwin is trying to redeem Jesus’ example by forgiving the people who hurt him. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the chains that embodies mankind. Forgiveness could be thought of as the potion that unites America and brings equality to the redeemed world. Although the American Dream is considered to be the link that binds society, there are some individuals that do not posses link to unit. The African Americans have been struggling for many years to obtain the piece of the American Dream, their place in America. Joseph Kennedy has frustration and anger built up while trying to find his place in America, â€Å"Goddamn it! I was born in this country! My children were born in this country! What the hell does someone have to do to become an American† (qtd. In Harris 369)? If someone challenges the concepts of the American Dream then maybe our country can unite. Do not fear the American Dream, yes it is a powerful force that molds society but each individual controls the power. If one does not believe in the American Dream then the power of the Dream is weakened. Would America unite and become equal if someone challenges the American Dream?

Paulo Freire Essay

In â€Å"Pedagogy of the Oppressed†, Paulo Freire presents two concepts of education, banking and problem-posing. Specifically, Freire argues that in banking, teachers assume students are passive, take all control, determine what will be learned, and â€Å"fill† students with pre-selected information. Problem-posing education allows people to develop their human natures fully because it depends on dialogue, recognizes the relationship between people and the world, encourages discovery and creativity, and leads to transformation. Freire criticizes the banking method throughout the essay and clearly praises problem- posing in more than just an educational settings. For instance, narration sickness is a term used when the teacher talks about a subject as if it were â€Å"motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. † In addition, necrophilia is another one of Freire’s exaggerated imagery, comparing the banking concept and oppression to the love for the dead. Freire supports the problem-posing method as being the only educational concept needed. His essay is well laid out with examples and supporting details, but is this practical for public education? Freire says that to be truly committed to ending banking the students must reject it all together. I have mixed feelings. It’s not that I do or don’t support this statement, but I do believe both concepts are necessary at some point in education. Some information presented to students can only be taught through repetition, memorization, and narration. For example, math and science equations are concepts needed to be memorized in order to complete problems. The way a student memorizes it can be creative and active, but it still falls under the banking category for needing to be told how to perform it.

Advancing the Nursing Profession

â€Å"When you're a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours†.   This is a famous saying from an unknown source that has touched my inner soul as I perform my nursing duties to my patients.For many years, the advancement in the field of science, medicine, technology and research has lessened hospital stay, reduced medical cost and improved the lives of people.   Professionals in various fields of medicine continue to explore the human body in their attempt to prevent sickness and diseases, discover cures, reduce the number of death and injuries and alleviate pains.The remarkable discoveries have given rise to better medicines, sophisticated medical apparatus and equipments that contributed to a large extent towards early detection and non-invasive surgical procedures.   So much of these discoveries are made and the advancement in medicine will never cease.In the field of nursing, I have witnessed the role of technology and medicine t owards the improvement of quality of life of many patients.   Some patients may thank the wonders of miracle drugs and others are thankful for the new lease of life that technology has given them.Yet, there are still countless of patients who need a human touch and listening professionals to reduce their anxieties and to regularly visit them in their sickbed.   Such is a vital role of a nurse that I intend to explore as I work towards the advancement of my profession.As a student nurse, I was given the opportunity to be assigned in all the units in the hospital.   I directly work under the supervision of a clinical instructor and professional nurses in various units.   In many instances, I also had the chance to assist physicians and surgeons as they perform medical treatments and surgical procedures to their patients.   Every learning opportunity is an important experience for me.  As I approach my final year in my studies, I cannot help but think of the field that I wa nt to specialize in and how I intend to advance my nursing profession.   My trainings have allowed me to work under a lot of pressure in the emergency department where every second counts to save the lives and alleviate the sufferings of those who are in distress.I have been part of the team that has witnessed the birth of a new creation in the delivery room.   From orthopedic, aesthetic, cardiology to neurology related surgeries, I have assisted doctors and nurses in the pre-operative and post-operative procedures.It was challenging to be assigned in the nursery and pediatric department to monitor the health conditions of the infants and children who were prone to many illnesses due to their low resistance.   I have felt the joy of seeing a patient wake up after days of being in a coma in the intensive units.I have also witnessed miracles and many sufferings from patients in the oncology unit.   There are intrinsic rewards and challenges that nurses like me has experienced in our day-to-day practice.As one of the forefronts in promoting the quality of life from birth to the end of life of every person, nurses can do so much in touching the lives of people and in giving hope to those who refused to believe that there may still be a faint of light at the end of the tunnel.   This is the task that I have decided to explore in the advancement of my nursing profession.In my trainings and experience in the hospital, I have had a mixture of good and painful experiences.   Although these are expected in any medical related profession, I still feel that nurses make a difference in the lives of others.   We can affect our patients positively and make them hold on even to the blink of hope that can change their lives.I felt a strong calling to work on a nursing profession that specialized in the field of oncology when I was assigned in the oncology unit.     Ã‚  Although there are researches, good drugs and advanced therapy for the detection, intervent ion, and treatment of cancer, nothing could replace the support, human touch and care that nurses could extend to patients who are in need of an assurance that we would be with them and their families as they endure their treatments and pains.Nothing could equal the anxiety and stress of going through chemo or cobalt therapy knowing that the treatment could provide a long term positive effect, a short-term remission or unfavorable result although these days treatments tend to prolong and enhance lives.   Research has provided us with more hope and more people who are afflicted with cancer tend to resume normal lives after regular treatments.Although my professional nursing practice may begin after I secure my credentials, I always believe that I have already began to practice my calling on the first day of my clinical experience.   Nursing is the career that I have chosen not only because of my desire to help the sick and make them feel better but I have felt so much fulfillment as I touch their lives in many ways that I have been touched.Working either in the oncology unit or in the hospice care is a field that I am most drawn to.   I intend to learn as much as I can from my work and from the experience that I will gain from caring my patients.   My concept in advancing nursing comes not from doing research to cure diseases but from the golden rule, â€Å"do unto others as you would have them do unto you†.I lived by the Bible verse found in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, that reminds me to â€Å"Encourage those who are weak and afraid†.   I believe that this is a good reminder for all the nurses.   It is not enough that we extend physical care to our patients.We also need to spiritually and emotionally lift them up to help them cope with their illnesses and to have a positive outlook in life.   Let us not lose sight of what our profession is all about.   Just like those days when Florence Nightingale rendered her dedicated services, we sh ould always offer a lending hand instead of waiting for our patients to ask for them.

Okonkwo Essay Example

Okonkwo Essay Example Okonkwo Essay Okonkwo Essay Definition of hero: a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Things Fall Apart takes place in the sass where Ginkgos life was very violent, always surrounded with fire. One could argue his major actions were heroic because he was in fact a hero; he was admired by his tribe, who also had outstanding achievements, qualities of a hero. Ever since his early life, Awoken was driven to such an violent person because of he wanted to be everything opposite of his father was. He couldnt stand being lazy poor and in debt like his father. Ever since Awoken was young he had a mind set to be as successful as possible and has done some memorable things for his tribe starting early, His fame rested on solid personal achievements. Brought honor to his village by throwing Emailing the Cat. (Pl) That was the main part to his success as a hero was his war-like characteristic. But there are many other things that make an impact to him heroism Other than his action of throwing the Cat, Awoken had big family, and lots of aims to support them with which made his family look up to him as a hero. Ginkgos fierce actions makes him a hero also because for the kids to not end up like their grandfather Awoken had to constantly make them work and scold them harshly for any laziness. Aside from his war side of things, killing five men during wars, he was a leader to his tribe. He wanted the best for the tribe when things were going wrong He mourned for the clan. He mourned for the warlike men of Comfit who had unaccountably become soft like women. (Pl 83) His major action to want to ill the white men was heroic but was brought down upon his tribe. Before the destruction of the church, they had listened to him with respect. It was like the good old days again, when a warrior was a warrior (IPPP) Awoken was happy for the first time in a while with the decision to destruct the church and he brought pride to his clan again. But all heroes fall in the end, Schnooks fall as a hero was sad, he had spent all his life wanting to be a leader with lots of titles but near the end he knew it wouldnt happen when he sighed Worth men are no more (IPPP).

How to Fill Out a Genealogy Pedigree Chart

How to Fill Out a Genealogy Pedigree Chart The two most basic forms used by genealogists to record ancestral information are the pedigree chart and the family group sheet. They help you keep track of what you find on your family in a standard, easy-to-read format - recognized by genealogists around the world. Even if you use your computer to enter information, almost all genealogy software programs will print out or display the information in these standard formats. Pedigree Chart The chart most people begin with is a pedigree chart. This chart begins with you and branches back in time, displaying the line of your direct ancestors. Most pedigree charts cover four generations, including space to include names plus dates and places of birth, marriage, and death for each individual. Larger pedigree charts, sometimes referred to as ancestral charts, are also available with room for more generations, but these are used less often as they generally are larger than the standard 8 1/2 x 11 format. The standard pedigree chart always begins with you, or the individual whose ancestry you are tracing, on the first line - number 1 on the chart. Information on your father (or ancestor #1s father) is entered as number 2 on the chart, while your mother is number 3. The male line follows the upper track, while the female line follows the bottom track. As in an ahnentafel chart, men are assigned even numbers, and the numbers for women are odd. After youve traced your family tree back more than 4 generations, you will need to create additional pedigree charts for each of the individuals included in the fourth generation on your first chart. Each individual will become ancestor #1 on a new chart, with a reference to their number on the original chart so you can easily follow the family through the generations. Each new chart you create will also be given its own individual number (chart #2, chart #3, etc.). For example, your fathers fathers father will be ancestor #8 on the original chart. As you follow his particular family line further back in history, you will need to create a new chart (chart #2), listing him in the #1 position. To make it easy to follow the family from chart to chart you record the numbers of the continuation charts next to each individual in the fourth generation on your original chart. On each new chart you will also include a note referring back to the original chart (Person #1 on this chart is the same as Person #___ on Chart #___). Family Group Sheet The other commonly used form encountered in genealogy is the  family group sheet. Focusing on the family unit, rather than ancestors, the family group sheet includes space for a couple and their children, along with fields to record birth, death, marriage and  burial places  for each. Many family group sheets also include a line to record the name of each childs spouse, as well as a section for comments and source citations. Family Group sheets are an important genealogy tool because they allow room to include information on the children of your ancestors, along with their spouses. These collateral lines often prove important when tracing your  family tree, providing another source of information on your ancestors. When you have difficulty locating a birth record for your own ancestor, for example, you may be able to learn the names of his parents through the birth record of his brother. Family group sheets and pedigree charts work hand in hand. For each marriage included on your Pedigree Chart, you will also complete a Family Group Sheet. The pedigree chart provides an easy at-a-glance look at your family tree, while the family group sheet provides additional details on each generation.

What to Expect From the ACT Math Section

What to Expect From the ACT Math Section Does algebra leave you confused? Does the thought of geometry giving you anxiety? Maybe math isnt your best subject, so the ACT Math section makes you want to leap into the nearest volcano. Youre not alone. The ACT Math section can seem  really frightening to someone who isnt an ACT Math expert, but it really isnt anything to stress out about. It simply tests you on math youve learned during your junior and senior years of high school. You can still do well on this test even if youd didnt pay a lot of attention in your trigonometry class.  Heres  what you need to know to master it.   ACT Math Details If you havent taken the time to read ACT 101,  you should do so. If you have, you know that the ACT Math section is set up like this: 60 multiple-choice questions – there are no grid-ins on this college admissions exam60 minutesGrades 9 through 11 math You can also use an approved calculator  on the test, so you dont have to try to figure out all those math questions on your own.   ACT Math Scores Just like the other multiple choice test  sections, the ACT Math section can earn you between 1 and 36 points. This score will be averaged with the scores from the other multiple-choice sections –English,  Science Reasoning  and Reading – to arrive at your Composite ACT score. The national ACT composite average tends to stay right around a 21, but youll have to do much better than that if you want to be accepted by a top university. Students attending the top colleges and universities in the country are scoring between 30 and 34 on the ACT Math section. Some, like those attending MIT, Harvard and Yale, are getting closer to 36 on the ACT Math test.   Youll also receive eight more ACT Math scores based on different ACT reporting categories, and a STEM score, which is the average of the ACT Math and Science Reasoning scores. ACT Math Question Content Is it imperative that you take an advanced math class before taking the ACT Math test? Youll probably fare better on the exam if youve taken some trigonometry, and you may have an easier time with the more advanced concepts if youve practiced a bit for the test. But basically, youll have to brush up your skills in the following categories.   Preparing for Higher Math (approximately 34 - 36 questions) Number and Quantity  (4 - 6 questions):  Here, you must demonstrate your knowledge of real and complex number systems. Youll have to understand and  reason  with number quantities in many different forms, such as integer and rational exponents, vectors, and matrices.  Algebra (7 - 9 questions):  These questions will ask you to solve, graph and model many different types of expressions. Youll solve equations with linear, polynomial, radical and exponential relationships, and youll find solutions to systems of equations, even when theyre represented by matrices.  Functions (7 - 9 questions):  These questions will test your skills with f(x). Questions may include – but are not necessarily limited to – linear, radical, piecewise, polynomial and logarithmic functions. You must manipulate and translate these functions, as well as apply features of graphs.  Geometry  (7 - 9 questions):  You will encounter shapes and solids, finding congruence or similarit ies on things such as surface area or volume. You will have to demonstrate your ability to solve for missing variables in circles, triangles and other figures using trigonometric ​rations and equations of conic sections.   Statistics Probability (5 - 7 questions):  These types of questions will showcase your ability to describe center and spread of distributions, and to understand and model bivariate data and calculate probabilities including related sample spaces.  Ã‚   Integrating Essential Skills (approximately 24 - 26 questions) According to ACT.org, these integrating essential skills questions are the types of problems youd probably tackle prior to 8th grade. Youll answer questions related to the following: rates and percentagesproportional relationshipsarea, surface area, and volumeaverage and medianexpressing numbers in different ways Although these seem pretty simple, the ACT warns that the problems will become increasingly complex as you combine skills in more and more varied contexts.   ACT Mathematics Practice There it is – the ACT Math section in brief. You can pass it if you take the time to prepare properly. Take an ACT Math Practice Quiz to gauge your readiness, like those offered by the Khan Academy. Then launch into these  5 Math Strategies to improve your score. Good luck!

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ASSESSMENT, CONSISTENCY, Essay

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ASSESSMENT, CONSISTENCY, SENTENCING AND PROSECUTION - Essay Example er only 48% believed that criminal justice system is effective to bring criminals to justice; fewer still believed that the system was able to deal with cases efficiently, and only 26 % believed that the needs of the victims were met by people. 2 So overall, these findings show that people perceive that Justice System treats suspects well yet, it is not always capable to protect the rights of victims. Ethnical minorities however are more confident that their rights can be protected by current criminal justice system, though they perceive that the legal system might be prejudiced to them if they are suspects or witnesses in the case. 3One of the most serious conclusions that can be drawn from British Crime Survey is that the confidence of the victims decreases once they have contacted the police. In order to evaluate the level of confidence of the population in current legal system, BCS of 2000, asked respondents how good the job of various agencies was performed. According to the finding all agencies mentioned in the report had received high rankings, however there was sharp decrease in the level of confidence in the police, whereas the level of confidence in al other agencies decreased less sharply. 4 Apart from evaluating the level of confidence, the survey also provided some insight in the factors that contributed to the decline of confidence. The survey found that men were less confident in criminal justice system than women; those of middle aged were less confident than young men and women. The more educated the person is the less confident he is in the justice and efficiency of the system. However, there was almost unanimous agreement among all groups of people that legal system protected the rights of accused and suspects. 5In spite of the fact that there was some variations in the perception of efficiency of the justice legal system among various groups of population as Black and Asian respondents treat criminal justice system better than white

Literature 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature 4 - Essay Example ading as well as for their recreation on the one hand, and for the character building and moral uplift of the innocent minds on the other, the writers take it as their moral obligation and professional duty to create such theme which portrays dutiful, honest and chaste as the follower of good, while liars, dishonest and trouble-creating characters as the representatives of evil. The writers also cite the fate of the transgressors and disobedient to the ways of the Creator, by which they look after keeping the children far away from the wrong-doing and evil. The same can be witnessed by going through the novel under analysis. Renowned fantasy writer Nancy Veglahn in her work has posed the question ‘who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Women know – and likewise men know what evil lurks in the hearts of women’ (2003, p.114). By her proposition, she simply views that both male and female are can assess and comprehend with the negative and evil thoughts growing in the hearts of the members of their opposite gender; it is therefore, they portray each other as monsters and evils in their works because of the very reality that they are actually fearful of the hidden emotions prevailing in the breast of each other. Hence, the writers of both the sexes are psychologically aware of the flaws and faults of the individuals belonging to opposite gender; consequently, they project, promote and highlight these negative traits and characteristics in such an astounding way that it creates the same image in the innocent minds of children while their reading the fantasy, so that they could im agine the evils in the same lines on which they have studied them. Here arises the question whether there exists or not any need for the specification of gender identity in the literature meant for children. The theorists are of the opinion that since children have to take various responsibilities on the foundation of their gender in future, so there must be established the

Critiquing a science article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiquing a science - Article Example Thus, the number of subjects were reduced to 70. The group was divided into two: ( High Glycemic Index) HGI and LGI ( Low Glycemic Index ) group. However, three members of the LGI group withdrew since two of them cannot comply with the nutritional intake while the other one gave birth. Therefore, the total number of subjects were reduced to sixty-seven. Towards the end, only sixty-two women completed the study. Considerably, this figure is statistically significant since this is composed of the pregnant women at that time. In fact, sample size is one of the strengths of this study which contributes to the studies’ reliability. Since obstetrics outcomes are the parameters for evaluation of the results, pregnant females were obviously used for this study. Considerations for inclusion in the study are the following: aged 21–40 y, had a singleton pregnancy, were between 12 and 16wk.gestation, were nonsmokers, and had no more than 1 alcoholic drink each day. All participants must fit into these requirements. Consent was properly sought before conducting the baseline trial. The study was done 5 times between 16 weeks gestation and delivery. Considerably, it is a long period of time since the women’s pregnancy were completely monitored until the time they gave birth. The whole study lasted for about 6 months since the women were at least 3 months pregnant at the time the study was conducted. Fetal size is the indicator in the principal findings, thus this meant that the study continued until the time the women gave birth. The study’s primary aim â€Å" was to assess effects of inclusion of high- or low-GI carbohydrate-rich foods on the outcomes of pregnancy. For this purpose the principal findings were indicators of fetal size†. In fact, the article mentioned that two studies on glucose intolerant women were done before but gave conflicting findings. This is the first study that

Advanced Financial Accounting (The FASB and IASB) Essay

Advanced Financial Accounting (The FASB and IASB) - Essay Example Overview of CSR reporting Corporate social responsibility has been an integral part of corporate functions since time immemorial. It is very difficult to trace the roots of the phenomenon or how it all started but one fact is clear that corporate social responsibility has come to stay with the corporate world. Perhaps the undeniable fact is that the benefits of undertaking corporate social responsibility cuts across several quarters of business functioning including to the ordinary customer or citizen who lives in the neighbourhood of a given company. A clear instance can be given as a multinational company that makes regular end of year donation to given Children’s Hospital in all countries where they have their branches. In such a situation, the ordinary citizen in the said country will benefit from the donations that are done to hospital but the benefit will not end there as the publicity that the company will receive from the media by way of broadcasting their donations as well as the good will that beneficiaries will develop will lead to the eventual expansion of the company in terms of the company’s customer base. ... Identifying the parties involved in corporate social responsibility as stakeholders, Haddija (2006) state that the only way that stakeholders can be assured that companies are interested in corporate social responsibility not just because of their share of the benefit is to implement and effective corporate social responsibility reporting system. The role of stakeholders in CSR Reporting There are three major stakeholders who can be identified as far as corporate social responsibility reporting are concerned. These stakeholders are staff and managers of companies, shareholders of companies and beneficiaries of corporate social responsibility. Each of these stakeholders have very important roles to play as far as corporate social responsibility reporting is concerned that cannot be compromised in anyway (Prempeh, 2008). Management and Staff In the first place, the staff and managers of various organisations who undertake corporate social responsibilities are enshrined to keep comprehe nsive data at three stages of any corporate social responsibility project. These three stages are pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation stages. Before any corporate social responsibility project is undertaken, the leadership of the institution is expected to set a budget and planning team whose responsibility will be to estimate how much the company wishes to spend on the entire project. The planning and budget are integrated in such a way that the entire plan of what is expected to be achieved in the course of the corporate social responsibility project but have an even allocation of funding. The role of the planning and budget team and by extension the role of the staff and

Thatcherism in British Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thatcherism in British Politics - Essay Example The measures laid down by her continue to be in place even up to the time of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Major and even David Cameron. Her determination in politics and the changes that she accomplished made her be respected and be viewed as being influential in many parts of the world. She is considered one of the most dynamic and plain-spoken leaders of Britain. Ideologies of Thatcherism At the time of her election, Britain was in an economic crisis and was faced with political tumult. Most trade unions at that time had engaged in strikes, and the country was at the verge of collapsing. In fact, the country was nearly bankrupt when she got elected. Thatcher made efforts to sweep polices and laws that had been set at the time of World War II. The ideas that were proposed by Margret Thatcher can be compared to ideologies that she advocated for during her reign as prime minister. Research has shown that her ideas were not original in any way within her regime. Moreover, her ideas w ere not consistent within during her reign, and that she established a culture of rampant materialism within the British history. In fact, it has been identified that her policies and ideas were conservative, and she in most cases contracted herself in regard to her own values. For instances, she advocated for less government intervention in various issues, and at the same time, this required a strong state. In an effort to make changes during her reign, Margret Thatcher put forward a number of principles that would serve to guide her in task execution. For instance, she proposed and implemented reduced power of trade unions within her state (Knight, 2010, 59). This was aimed at averting strikes and related activities within Britain. The other issue was that of encouraging individuals to be entrepreneurs so that they would create employment opportunities for themselves and others. This would serve to maintain economic stability and apart from contributing to economic development and improving the living standards of those involved in business activities (Burch & Moran, 1987, 168). Thatcher’s other ideology was the issue of imposing of lower taxes than those that were prevailing within the state. This would encourage business activities and promote private investments within the state. It would also serve to encourage foreign investors, and the result would be stability in the economy and creation of employment opportunities for the citizens. In addition to the above tenets, stated that there would be reduced government interference in the daily life of people within Britain. This would serve to promote freedom to carry out activities within the state. It would also enable individuals to carry out their activities without fear of being disturbed by the government. Finally, she was for the idea of restoring national pride within Britain during her regime. This was to be achieved through having a sturdy foreign strategy and defense system. Research has con firmed that these tenets were the core components of Thatcher's ideologies within her regime that served to eliminate the gradual processes within the country. She tried to move the country rapidly in a conservative direction. This made her acquire the title of a revolutionary, conservative leader during her

Unit 4 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Unit 4 Discussion Board - Essay Example Mount Sinai NYU Health is an example of a healthcare organization – a holding company – that has a multi-corporate entity. The health organization has several subsidiaries or healthcare divisions serving the greater New York City area. The hospital is listed in the book, Jonas and Kovner’s Health Care Delivery in the United States (2002), as a conglomerate with subsidiaries in ambulatory care, hospitals, and employed and affiliated physician groups. Other subsidiary-companies provide traditional home health services for Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and self-payers and other services not covered by federal programs. The organization is centralized, as mission, plans, and CEO financial and acquisition powers are reserved as the parent company’s while local units have separate boards with their strategic authority being limited. (Kovner & Jonas 2002, p. 163). The advantages of a multi-corporate structure in the administration of a healthcare organization such as Mount Sinai NYU Health could be seen in two main areas: profitability and quality of service. In terms of profitability, the multi-corporate structure offers an increase in volume, cost savings, and greater leverage in bargaining with managed care organizations. When it comes to the quality of service, a multi-corporate healthcare organization is said to have improved quality of care that results from standardization and specialized expertise. (p. 164) Another important and obvious aspect about multiple-corporate structure is that it allows for greater flexibility in operations because each division or agency within the whole healthcare organization may assume its own separate legal entity. Therefore, as more services are provided or more subsidiaries are added, the other subsidiaries are less likely to be disturbed. There are critics who argue

Thatcherism in British Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thatcherism in British Politics - Essay Example The measures laid down by her continue to be in place even up to the time of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Major and even David Cameron. Her determination in politics and the changes that she accomplished made her be respected and be viewed as being influential in many parts of the world. She is considered one of the most dynamic and plain-spoken leaders of Britain. Ideologies of Thatcherism At the time of her election, Britain was in an economic crisis and was faced with political tumult. Most trade unions at that time had engaged in strikes, and the country was at the verge of collapsing. In fact, the country was nearly bankrupt when she got elected. Thatcher made efforts to sweep polices and laws that had been set at the time of World War II. The ideas that were proposed by Margret Thatcher can be compared to ideologies that she advocated for during her reign as prime minister. Research has shown that her ideas were not original in any way within her regime. Moreover, her ideas w ere not consistent within during her reign, and that she established a culture of rampant materialism within the British history. In fact, it has been identified that her policies and ideas were conservative, and she in most cases contracted herself in regard to her own values. For instances, she advocated for less government intervention in various issues, and at the same time, this required a strong state. In an effort to make changes during her reign, Margret Thatcher put forward a number of principles that would serve to guide her in task execution. For instance, she proposed and implemented reduced power of trade unions within her state (Knight, 2010, 59). This was aimed at averting strikes and related activities within Britain. The other issue was that of encouraging individuals to be entrepreneurs so that they would create employment opportunities for themselves and others. This would serve to maintain economic stability and apart from contributing to economic development and improving the living standards of those involved in business activities (Burch & Moran, 1987, 168). Thatcher’s other ideology was the issue of imposing of lower taxes than those that were prevailing within the state. This would encourage business activities and promote private investments within the state. It would also serve to encourage foreign investors, and the result would be stability in the economy and creation of employment opportunities for the citizens. In addition to the above tenets, stated that there would be reduced government interference in the daily life of people within Britain. This would serve to promote freedom to carry out activities within the state. It would also enable individuals to carry out their activities without fear of being disturbed by the government. Finally, she was for the idea of restoring national pride within Britain during her regime. This was to be achieved through having a sturdy foreign strategy and defense system. Research has con firmed that these tenets were the core components of Thatcher's ideologies within her regime that served to eliminate the gradual processes within the country. She tried to move the country rapidly in a conservative direction. This made her acquire the title of a revolutionary, conservative leader during her

OUTSOURCING HUMAN RESOURCES FOR BOROUGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

OUTSOURCING HUMAN RESOURCES FOR BOROUGE - Essay Example The highlighted objectives of the research that led to the research include; examining the advantages for outsourcing human resource as compared to increasing the number of employees in the company, to determine some outsourcing models for worldwide competitive organizations as well as the local competitive organizations, obtain systems that use the models of outsourcing in determining the objectives as well as the aims of the business Other objectives are to examine the use of the models in both global and local competitive organizations and recommend the best and suitable strategies that the human resource need to employ in the organization to reduce the cost and increase the production and the profits of the business. The paper gives report of the research conducted to determine and obtain various objectives of the research. The report will cover the survey as well as the analysis of the information collected. One of the major aims of this research was to determine the significant, outcomes and the importance of outsourcing human resource in the organization. In the report, the advantages and the benefits of the strategy to the organization are expected to be more than the disadvantages. Clearly the research to obtain numerous objectives related to outsourcing human resource. This strategy has both benefits and shortcomings. Although the strategy has disadvantages, the benefits are more than the advantages. Comparing the method to other options such as hiring more employees, the outsourcing model appear to be more beneficial to the organization. Therefore, it is advisable that the human resource department use and adopt the models of outsourcing strategies in the businesses. The human resource department has various functions in the company. They handle the payroll of the employees as well as the filing of tax. The department is also responsible for ensuring health and the benefits of the

Effect Of Family Background To Students Academic Achievement Education Essay

Effect Of Family Background To Students Academic Achievement Education Essay 1.1 Introduction The U.S. Bureau of Census in 2000 (2001) defines a family as two or more persons related by birth, marriage or adoption who reside in the same household. This is a legal definition, relying solely on relationships determined by blood or contract. Families are important to provide safe, nurturing environments in which children can learn to function in society. While families in the past worked hard to ensure their childrens health and physical survival, todays parents include in their concerns the childrens emotional health as well. David Olson (1983) discusses the findings of numerous research studies on the characteristics of functional families. Members of good families show unity and loyalty, are cooperative and deal problems in positive ways. They also provide love and understanding to their members. Healthy families are flexible and are able to compromise and communicate well. The parents become role models in the family to demonstrate good values. Student achievement is measured using grades. Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters (for example, A, B, C, D, E or F), as a range (for example 1.0-4.0), as descriptors (excellent, great, satisfactory, needs improvement), in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary institutions in some countries, as a Grade Point Average (Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia). The home process variables that have been found to be the best predictors of school learning were classified by Kellaghan et.al. (1993) as follows: Work habits of the family: The degree of routine in the management of the home, the emphasis on regularity in the use of space and time, and the priority given to schoolwork over other pleasure activities. Academic guidance and support: The availability and quality of the help and encouragement that parents give their children in their schoolwork and the conditions they provide to support schoolwork. Stimulation to explore and discuss ideas and events: Opportunities provided by the home to explore ideas, events and larger environment. Language environment: Opportunities in the home for the development of the correct and efficient use of language. Academic aspirations and expectations: Parents aspirations for their children, the standards they set for childrens school achievement and their interest in and knowledge of childrens school experiences. Children bring their family experiences with them to school, so teachers need to have a better understanding of their students families and how they function. Teachers putting more effort in understanding their students problems will lead to a good academic achievement of students. Hendersons research (1987) provides the rationale of this need. First, because educators efforts at school correspond with those of the parents in the students home, educators need to know about their students families to be maximally effective. Second, by understanding those responsible for children at home, educators can work with parents to help children to be safe and move comfortably into society. Thirdly, this understanding will help to produce better teachers. Many researches began to look at home process variables, such as behaviors and conditions in the house, irrespective of social status, that are related to academic achievement. They include such factors as parents expectations for the childs success in school, availability in the home of books and other reading material and the amount of attention the family gives to the childs schoolwork (Chall et.al., 1990). 1.2 Problem Statement It is known that language problem limits childrens learning on key subjects areas. As the language of assessments and instruction is different from the language that is spoken at home, children hardly improve their new language skills. The language barriers persist over Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Tse for years. This problem is inherent as the students come from a community in which the majority of them are Thais and Malays and the language spoken at home is their mother tongues. Even the Chinese in this community mostly speak in these languages. Parental involvement is considered an important influence on academic progress. Parental involvement has been positively linked to indicators of student achievement, including teacher ratings of student competence, student grades and achievement test scores (Deslandes et.al., 1999). Parent involvement has also been associated with other indicators of school success, including lower rates of retention in grades, lower dropout rates, higher on-time high school graduation rates, and higher rates of participation in advanced courses (Barnard, 2004). Families with many children will have limited time to supervise each and every childs homework. In cases where both parents work, the responsibility is passed on to the grandparents. A local study on early primary school children showed a weak but significant association between poor nutritional intake and academic achievement (Zalilah MS et.al., 2000). These children were from low socioeconomic areas and of a single ethnic origin. As single parents need to work hard to earn more money, their children are left at home by themselves or with their grandparents. As a result, some students come to school with dirty uniform and without breakfast, while some have disciplinary problems at school. Students academic achievement in Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Tse has long been a concern of the local community because of their poor academic performance. School achievement in the nation is classified into two categories: Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi (SPT) and Sekolah Berprestasi Rendah (SPR). Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Tse is classified as Sekolah Berprestasi Rendah (SPR) because the percentages of passing in all subjects of Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) do not achieve 50% continuously in the last 7 years from 2003-2009, so there is a need to study the factors such as family structure, familys socioeconomic status, parental expectation, home environment and home language that are affecting the students academic achievement. 1.3 Research Questions The main purpose of the study is to examine the effect of family background to students academic achievement. The research questions of this study are as follows: What are the demographic profiles of the students in this school? What is the academic achievement among students in Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English? Is there any significance different between students academic achievement and family backgrounds such as family structure, familys socioeconomic status, parents attitude and expectation, home environment and home language? Objectives of the study The objectives of this study are specifically: To determine the demographic profiles of students in terms of age, gender and ethnic group, number of siblings, marital status, parents income, parents highest level of education and parents monthly income. To determine students achievement in Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English. To determine the relationship between students academic achievement and family backgrounds such as family structure, familys socioeconomic status, parents attitude and expectation, home environment and home language. To validate previous research. Scope of research This study is conducted at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Tse in Tumpat, Kelantan. The respondents in this study are chosen from all the students from year 1 till year 6 and the study is based on the Mid Term Examinations results for Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English in year 2010. These three subjects are chosen because their average scores for the last ten years (2000-2009) are below 70%. The average scores of each other subjects such as Chinese Essay, Malay Essay, Mathematics and Science is above 70%. In addition, this study only focuses on five family background variables which are family structure, familys socioeconomic status, parents attitude and expectation, home environment and home language. Organization This chapter describes and gives an overview on the problem statement, research questions, objectives and scope of research in this study. The next chapter contains a review of the literature on relationship between family background and students academic achievement. Finally, Chapter 3 will describe the theory used and the ways in conducting this study. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction There are many works in the literature which deal with the effects of family background in students academic achievement. In the view of Ajila and Olutola (2007), the state of the home affects the individual since the parents are the first socializing agents in an individuals life. This is because the family background and context of a child affect his reaction to life situations and his level of performance. Although, the school is responsible for the experiences that make up the individuals life during school periods, yet parents and the individuals experiences at home play tremendous roles in building the personality of the child and making the child what he is. Researchers have shown that students and family characteristics affect levels of parental involvement. Different factors of family background are capable of influencing the academic performance of the students. The factors are such as parental occupation status, parents educational attainment, family structure and home lan guage. Coleman (1966) concluded in his report schools dont matter, and stated that students achievement is more strongly associated to their families social class than a function of the schools they attend. 2.2 Family Structure Analyses of the relations between families and academic achievement also need to consider childrens family structures. The absence of one parent in the students life, because of divorce, separation, abandonment can affect students achievement levels (Dronkers, 2003). Nzewunwah (1995) said that there is a significant difference between students from single parent families and those from two-parent families in terms of attitude to examination malpractices, attitude to studies and academic performance. This finding could be explained by the fact that life in a single-parent family can be traumatic and children brought up in such family structure often suffer some emotional problems such as lack of warmth, love and disciplinary problems, which may hinder their academic performance. On the other hand, children raised in two-parent family structure are often stable emotionally and they suffer less emotional problems thereby making them less anxious in the pursuit of their academic work. Furthermore, siblings variables are related to the quality and quantity of parent-child interaction in families. Taubman and Behrman (1986) found that differences in children with many siblings and those with fewer siblings may be a result of the amount of monetary and temporal resources available to each child decreasing with each successive child. The greater the numbers of children in a family, the more those children have to share family resources. As a result, children have lower scores on those academic outcomes affected by the diluted family influences. 2.3 Familys Socioeconomic Status Parents socioeconomic status is an international educational indicator. It is a very important factor in students adjustment to and performance in school. In the literature of education policy research and social science research in general indicators of socioeconomic status typically represent any or all of three constructs: education attainment, occupation status, and income or wealth (Buchmann, 2002; Powers, 1982). The income can be measured indirectly through home possessions items. Students from lower income, lower educated families are less likely to succeed academically in high school (Chubb and Moe, 1990; Honan, 1996; Noble et al., 1992; Noble, et al., 1999; Noble and McNabb, 1989). Some of the researches also show that families with high socioeconomic status have more success in preparing their children for schools. They are able to provide their children with books, stationeries, tuitions and others. 2.4 Parents Attitude and Expectation Parents involvement is highly related to their children success in education. Students whose parents are more involved with their schooling are more likely to be motivated and have good achievement in school. Parents attitudes towards the education of their children are such as frequency of helping with homework, frequency of supervision childrens homework; times spent interacting with children, frequency of praising with children and provide enough stationary. Parents have high educational expectation also tends to motivate their children in their academic achievement. They take good care of their children either both in or out of schools (reward or punish due the childrens behavior). Pandey (1985) concluded that if proper system of reward and punishment is followed, children shall certainly perform well in school. 2.5 Home Environment Even though family background does have a strong relationship to achievement, it may be how parents bring up their childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and not the parents occupation, income or education that really make the difference (K.R.White, 1982, p.471). Families influence is very important in socializing children. Children need their familys support and psychological stimulation of the childrens academic development by parents and other persons in the home environment. Students home environments such as reading materials are available in their house and place for doing homework. Some researchers suggest that home environment influences not only academic readiness for school, but also the level of achievement throughout students careers (Cooper et.al., 1998). 2.6 Home Language Students success in school depends upon their being proficient in academic language, the language of classroom instruction. The literature review suggested that students who use the school language at home achieve better at school than those who use another language (Moegiadi et al, 1979; Cooksey, 1981). The ways in which children communicate in their home cultures are critical to the development of written language models of reading and writing. The home language of students provides the foundation for the emergence of reading and writing behaviors. If there is a mismatch between the structures, values, and expectations of the home language and school language, children may be at a disadvantage for success in early reading tasks, and thus spend their entire school careers attempting to catch up (Gay, 1988; Snow, 1992). Research shows that language-minority students face many challenges in school. For example, they are 1.5 times more likely to drop out of school than native speakers (Cardenas, Robledo, Waggoner, 1988) and received lower grade (Moss Puma, 1995). The dominant language of a student at home can examine through the language speak most often by people at home and type of language most of the print material he/she receives at home. 2.7 Summary The education system lays an important foundation for the future civil, social, and economic opportunities of citizens. Parents need to understand the implications and consequences of family background affect the students academic achievement. As Ichado (1998) concluded that the environment in which the student comes from can greatly influence his or her performance at school. Family lay the psychosocial, moral and spiritual foundations in the overall development of the child. In conclusion, it is very important to enlighten all the family members to cooperate and ensure the total development of the children in a family. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction All students in Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Tse will be recruited into this study. Their scores for Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English in the Mid Term Examination year 2010 will be used to determine their academic performance. These three subjects are part of the main subjects in the UPSR for Primary Chinese School. A student was considered to be a poor achiever if he or she failed in these subjects, i.e. obtained a score of less that 40% in a subject. Student who did not sit for this examination or had moved to another school were excluded from the study. In proposing a school-based research, a careful and through planning is important to meet the objectives and to make it successful. This chapter outlined the methodology employed in the research. The research design population and sampling, research instruments, data collections procedure and data analysis procedure are the factors that the researchers must consider during the research. 3.2 Research Design In this exploratory research design, the researcher will follow a series of steps in order to determine family variables which affect the students academic achievement. Firstly, the scores for the Mid Term Examination for year 2010 will be recorded, compiled and analyzed. Then, the students will be given the questionnaires to obtain the information about their background and their results. Descriptive statistics such as the mean, standard deviation, percentages, t-test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis will be used to describe and analyze the data in this study. Research Setting 3.3.1 Sampling and sample SJKC Yuk Tse, Tumpat, Kelantan is located in a rural area and it is the only Chinese primary school in Tumpat district. The sample for this study will comprise all students (n=377) from each level. Their ages range from 7 12 years old. Academic achievement (Dependent Variables) In this study, the researcher will use the students scores (percentage) in three subjects (Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English) of the Mid Term Examination to determine their academic achievement. Academic achievement is the dependent variable which is the sum of these three subjects. Family backgrounds variables (Independent Variables) Family structure Family socioeconomic status Parents attitude and expectation Home environment Home language 3.4 Research Instruments Questionnaires The research instrument that will be used is the student questionnaire, which contains five sections and 23 items. Before answering the questions, students need to write out their personal details (age, gender, ethnic group) and their results (Chinese Comprehension, Malay Comprehension and English) in Mid Term Exam Year 2010. Section A contains 2 items and it asks about students family structure; Section B contains 6 items and it asks about socioeconomic status of the students families; and Section C contains 9 items and it asks about their parents attitudes and expectation. The questions were graded using Likert 5-Scale as described below: Table 1: Likert 5-Scale Scale Grade 1 Strongly Agree 2 Agree 3 No Opinion 4 Disagree 5 Strongly Disagree Sections D contains 4 items and asks about the students home environment. Lastly, Section E contains 3 items and asks about students home language. The questions in Section E are adapted from Home Language Survey (Ortiz., Alta A., Special Project in Bilingual Special Education, Department of Special Education. College of Education, the University of Texas, Austin, 2008) There are two types of questionnaires, one is the Malay version and the other is the English version. Three hundred seventy seven students are given the English Version and Malay version questionnaire. They can use either questionnaire and they are asked to complete it in the classroom during normal class hour. For those who do not understand the Malay language or English language, Chinese language is used orally by the researcher so that the students understand the items given. 3.5 Reporting Statistics 3.6 Investigating Relationships 3.7 Summary This chapter explains the methodology used in the present research, which include the research design, research setting, research instruments and method of data analysis. The data were analyzed to examine the effect of family background on students academic achievement. CHAPTER 4 EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Research methods Essay -- essays research papers fc

Research method To gain my secondary information I used such sources as the Internet, books and midwifery journals. My secondary information will consist of the benefits of breast-feeding for the mother and baby, the benefits of bottle-feeding for the mother and baby as well as statistics on breast-feeding. All information that I have gained for my secondary data is all reliable, because it has come from recommended sites, books and journals that have been approved from the Government or from hospitals and doctors themselves. There are many research methods used to gain information, but it is important to use the right one to ensure that you get the best results possible. One method that is used is experiment; this is where you play an active part in an experiment over a period of time. The advantages of this are that it is a powerful research method and that it establishes a cause and an effect and it can be replicated easily. The disadvantages are that it can take a lot of time, it is difficult to find willing participants and there is a bigger risk of human error. I chose not to use this as my research method, because to do an experiment to would take anything from 2-6 months, which is time I do not have. It could also be classed as being intrusive watching a mother breast feed, which may be a big ethical problem, and because of that it will be hard to find willing participants. Another method of research is direct observation; this is where you are in a setting and you observe what is going on and you do not partake init. There are many good advantages to direct observing, such as, it enables you to see and hear everything that is going on, it can be easy to record, and you do not have a physical effect on the observation. The disadvantages are it can be very time consuming, your presence may have a physiological effect on the people/person being observed and you do not get reliable information. It is hard to get valid results because it is hard to replicate and different people may interrupt things differently to yourself. I did not chose this method because it would be hard and time consuming to get people’s permission to observe them this may be due to ethical issues surrounding my chosen topic. People may feel it is wrong to observe a mother breast-feeding her baby. Participant observation is another of the research methods used, this is where you... ...tionnaires will be left on show at the entrance of the ward for people to pick up. A box will be left in the staff room where the finished questionnaires will be kept until I pick them up. Hopefully by handing out questionnaires and leaving them for people to take I will get a big response rate and it will be very generalised. While conducting my research I will have to consider certain ethical issues, such as confidentiality. Every questionnaire will have a note highlighted on it explaining that every questionnaire that is filled in is kept completely confidential, hopefully by stating this fact it will reassure people to fill one in. I also have to be sensitive to people’s feelings and beliefs, and to ensure that I do not offend anyone. I will have to show that I understand that my topic area can be a sensitive topic for people to talk about or read about, I can do this by not forcing people to do my questionnaire if they feel it is not something they want to participate in. It is important that I stay non-judgemental, as this may affect people’s answers or may affect the participation Bibliography Aspects of reserach, S.D Smith, 2003, Pecan How to!, K.T Haper, 2000, Lonsdale

The Arab Conquest of the Central Asia Essay -- History, Muslim Populat

The Arab Conquest of the Central Asia was a significant event which impacted on the whole region at the beginning of the eighth century. Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Tabari was one of the historians who described this conquest for the Muslim population later in ninth century by using different accounts (p. 16). His text is useful for the evaluation of Qutayba’s conquests of Central Asia and can be compared with the same century’s Persian historian al-Baladhuri (p. 11) and his description of the Arab Conquest. This excerpt can be regarded as relevant to the Silk Roads Survey due to the fact that it reflects in detail all aspects of past events, and emphasizes their historical importance. Firstly, the author refers to accounts from various sources (p.16) and describes in detail what happened during the seizure of Sogda. Secondly, when al-Tabari narrates about the events occurred in this region he uses direct quotations of the Arab conquerors and Sogdian defenders. For instance, when Sogdians asked Fergana kings for the support (p.17) al-Tabari demonstrates the full reflection of things happ...

Modifications to the National School Lunch Program Essay

Introduction Recent modifications made to the National School Lunch Program menu have caused controversy all across the nation. In last year The National School Lunch program have been under scrutiny and major changes have been made to the ingredients and preparation of school lunches. The USDA reports that the all the modifications to the school lunches are focus towards improving the health of all school age children, contributing to the fight against childhood obesity and succinctly to improve the health of all children across the nation. This research would explore the history of the different federal agencies involve in the national nutritional services, the most comprehensive changes in the school nutritional environment , the old and new menus choices and how changes are impacting students (National School Lunch Program,[NSLP] 2012). Research Statement According to the Unites States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service the recent changes to the National School Lunch program have been an important aid in the fight against childhood obesity and to help change student eating habits towards a healthier approach. In the last 4 years the Senate of the United Stated has proposed different legislature changes to the National School Lunch menu allowing millions of dollars to contribute towards a healthier approach modifying what student age children are consuming during school hours. The most comprehensive changes have been oriented towards reducing fat, sugar and sodium, and including more vegetable as part of the daily school cafeteria menu (United States Department of Agriculture, [USDA] 2012). Initial Research Question How the recent changes to the national school lunch program can improve the student’s health? By analyzing the recent changes to the national school lunch program we will be able to compare some of the differences between some the new and improve school lunch menu and how these changes are impacting students across the nation. Review of literature The National School Lunch Act was a law established under the administration of President Harry Truman in 1946. The original purpose of the act was to help local farmers with surplus produce and using these foods to feed school age children. After reviewing the principles of the act, members of the senate requested the establishment of a national program that under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Act, would oversee all operations associated with school lunch meals, reason for the creation of the National School Lunch program. The National School lunch program manages one of the largest federally assisted meal programs that provides nutritionally balanced meals free or at low cost to school age children. The national school lunch program takes cash subsides and foods provided by the U.S Department of Agriculture, in return the national school lunch program must meet nutritional federal requirements and most important must offer meals free or at low cost to all student age children. According to reported statistics from the U.S Department of Agriculture the National School Lunch feeds over 30 million students each day (NSLP, 2012) There is no doubt that the student nutrition subject has been an important topic of national concern in the history of our country. In 1966, The Child Nutrition Act was a law signed by President Lyndon B Johnson, encouraged by a national concern over nutrition in school age children. The Child Nutrition Act became to be an instrument to facilitate the process of meeting nutritional needs of children under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program. The act also helped established the school based breakfast program providing free breakfast for children in public and nonprofit schools, during the signing of this act president Johnson use a famous phrase that would change forever the futures of national school lunches â€Å"Good food is essential to good learning† (USDA, 2012) U.S Department of Agriculture is a federal funded division who is responsible to all operations in the nation pertaining to farming agriculture and food. Better known as the USDA the department not only promotes and helps farming and agriculture issues but ensures food safety across the nation. The USDA is one of the oldest federally department created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The USDA oversees a vast amount of operative units in the united states including the USDA Food and Nutritional Services who major goal is to provide healthy food to families in need, the department also collaborate closely with the National School Lunch program providing foods that are of nutritional value (USDA, 2012) On December 13th, 2010 President Obama sign into a law the Healthy, Hunger –Free Act of 2010. This act was creating to combat the alarming rates of childhood obesity cases in the U.S. The now law came to update the school meals standards who reflected very little changes in nutrition in the last 15 years, the HHFK Act also had an impact on the USDA, changing the foods providing to the National School lunch program and succinctly reflecting changes in meal nutritional standards in schools across the nation. In the 2009 a review from the Institute of Medicine recommended several updates to the National School lunch menus, the review found that the school cafeteria menus were not meeting the dietary guidelines for school age children stated by the U.S Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services (Healthy Hunger-Free Act, [HHFA] 2012) In 2011 the USDA proposed new regulations based on the finding of the Institute of Medicine of the United States. The process of modification of the school cafeteria menus begin slowly but steady on schools across the nation, the changes included whole grain servings on all meals; reduce saturated fat sugar and sodium, and more fresh fruit and vegetables. Elizabeth Ippel, executive director of The Academy of Global Citizenship in Chicago, talks about the important of nutrition’s â€Å"good nutrition is essential and a very integral component to effective learning†. The changes are significant and according to Mrs. Ippel the students are responding positive to the modifications (Leamy, 2012) Here’s an example of a before and after lunch menu: BeforeAfter Breaded beef patty on a white roll Baked Fish Nuggets Fruit popsicleWhole wheat roll Low fat milkMashed potatoes Broccoli Peaches Skim Milk Discussion On December 13, 2010 president Obama signed into law 111-296 the Healthy Hunger –Free Act of 2010. The act is one of the most comprehensive proposals in the school nutritional environment in over 15 years; the main goal of this law is to update school meals nutritional standards to help combat childhood obesity and help students achieve healthy eating habits. Beginning in July 2012 the new lunch meal pattern will be in effect changing what students will be consuming during lunch in the school year 2012-2013.The new proposed meal components includes key changes for children K and above, these changes requires that school lunches offer a daily variety of whole grains, fruit and vegetables. In the fruit category, each meal provided by school cafeterias must include  ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits, prepared or compound with water and not syrup.  ½ of vegetables on each meal is another requirement in the daily school lunch menus; the new regulations required a variety of vegetable groups including: dark green, red/orange, legumes, starchy and other vegetables. On the area of whole grains, breads and cereals are required on each meal as long as the food item includes more than 8 grams of grains. The act has also limit the amount of flavored milks opting for only low fat milk during meals. Calories are also under a scope view limiting the calorie ranges according to age groups. Trans-fat is banned completely from school cafeteria menus and the act has also a plan to limit sodium gradually over the next decade, to reach the goal of keeping sodium at a no more than 600 mg per meal, equal to a diet frozen meal (HHFKA, 2012). The changes in the cafeteria school menu are impacting students and teachers equally, besides of more nutritional value, the new menus now offered more quantity amounts of healthier foods, satisfying the hunger of millions of students and reflecting healthier attitudes in the classrooms. LuAnn Coenen from Appleton Central High School in Wisconsin cheers the new regulations in the cafeteria menus and states† Since the introductions of the new food program, I have noticed and enormous difference in the behavior of my students in the classroom,†Ã¢â‚¬ I can say without hesitation that it’s changed my job as principal†. It seems that less sugary foods and drinks are impacting student’s behavior. An associate professor of education at the Lehigh university conducted a study of over 2000 lunchrooms across the nations, the conclusions indicated that healthier and less sugary meals carries a calmer atmosphere in the classroom this calmer demeanor is reflects when students go back to the classrooms creating a trickling effect. Taylor a student from Appleton High commented about the changes she felt since the cafeteria menus changed â€Å"I’d say being able to concentrate better†. Susan Graham principal from Melrose Elementary in Tampa Florida confirms that her discipline referrals have decreased 50 % â€Å"We get a lot more done, I think it’s a lot more efficient work environment for all of us,† Grahams said (abcnews,2012). Berger (2005) wrote about the importance of a well balanced meal for the proper development of children’s brain development, and how school meal programs played an important rolled in children’s brain development, by providing a well balanced meal while in school children can achieve proper brain development a subsequently their ability to learn will be maximized (Berger, 2005). The changes happening in schools cafeterias might seem insignificant, but replacing extra-cheese pizza, deep fried chicken for whole wheat pizza and baked fish nuggets, represent a huge step towards making students healthy. Some modifications to the school lunch menu have happened slowly and some hidden from students, like replacing full fat cheese with a low fat mozzarella cheese in the pizzas, as well as using whole wheat bread on grill cheese sandwiches. Dr. Saira Jan a Rutgers University Professor (2006) comments on children obesity and diabetes rising numbers â€Å"Kids choose from what they are offered. They are hungry, they will eat. You can offer carrots or French fries. We have a big health-care problem. We can’t just talk about it† (Weekly Reader, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion the overall national concern over childhood obesity and the rising rate of diseases in children related to overweight issues is currently being addressed by different entities in charge of school nutrition. The National School lunch program has and will make modification on the students’ lunch menu to feed students healthier foods in the effort to fight childhood obesity. Even though there has been mixed opinions about the effectiveness of the lunch menu modifications, the HHFKA guidelines demonstrate how References About USDA. (2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ABOUT_USDA Berger, Kathleen. (2005).The Developing Person Throughout the Lifespan. 6th ed.Worth. 140-142 Child Nutritional Act.(2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf Food Fight! Should School Lunches be healthier? Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication,17 Feb.(2006) Retrieved from Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. (2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/cnr_2010.htm Questions & Answers on the Final Rule, â€Å"Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs†(2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Policy-Memos/2012/SP10-2012osr2.pdf Lazor, K., Chapman, N., & Levine, E. (2010).No.80. Vol.4. 200-206 Soy Goes to School: Acceptance of Healthful, Vegetarian Options in Maryland Middle School Lunches. Journal Of School Health. Leamy, Elizabeth.(2011). Exclusive: USDA to Announce Healthier New School Lunch Guidelines. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ConsumerNews/usda-announce-school-lunch-guidelines/story?id=12603193 Mary Bruce. (2010). Coming Soon? Healthier School Lunches. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/healthier-school-lunches-senate-approves-45-billion-bill/story?id=11345256 Mcginn, D., & Popescu, R. (2007).No 150. Vol.17. Unlucky Charms At Lunch. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://mediacast.usw.edu:8045/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA169875850&v=2.1&u=nm _a_elin&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w National School Lunch Program.(2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/ Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, No 17, Vol.77. (2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf Students behave better with healthy lunches. (2012). Abc. go. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmericanFamily/story?id=125404&page=1

Common Types of Viruses Essay

âž ¢ Trojan Horses – A Trojan Horse are computer viruses that hide inside non-executable files such as compressed or document files and executable files and try to avoid detection by anti-virus programs such as Norton or McAfee. Trojan Horses usually appear to be useful computer files/programs such as computer game or data library. Famous Trojan Horse Programs o Back Orifice Latest Trojan Horses News o Trojan.Pgpcoder – unique new kind of threat – Install itself on vulnerable computer after user visit a certain website. âž ¢ Polymorphic Viruses A polymorphic virus is an encrypted virus that hides itself from anti-virus trough encrypted (scrambled) data and then decrypted itself to be able to spread trough the computer. The thing that makes it hard for anti-virus software to detect polymorphic viruses is that the virus generates an entirely new decryption routine each time it infects a new executable file making the virus signature different in each signature. âž ¢ Stealth Viruses A stealth virus hides the modifications made to file and boot records by modifying and forging the result of calls to function, therefore programs believe they are reading the original file and not the modified file. A good anti-virus software will probably detect stealth virus due to the fact that a stealth virus attempts to hide itself in memory when anti-virus software is launched. âž ¢ Slow Viruses A Slow virus is a difficult virus to detect due to the fact it only modifies and infects files when they are been modified and copied. Therefore the original file will not be infected by the actual copied file. A good way to protect yourself against slow viruses is by using an integrity checker or shell. âž ¢ Retro Viruses A Retro virus attacks the anti-virus software designed to delete it. The retro virus usually attempts to attack the anti-virus data files such as the virus signature store which disable the ability of the anti-virus software to detect and delete viruses. Otherwise the retro virus attempts to alter the operation of the anti-virus software. âž ¢ Multipartite Viruses A multipartite virus attempts to attack and infect both the boot sector and executable files at the same time. âž ¢ Armored Viruses An Armored virus attempts to protect itself from anti-virus software by trying to make anti-virus software believe it is located somewhere else. Therefore the Armored virus has made itself more difficult to0 trace, disassemble and understand. âž ¢ Companion Viruses A Companion virus creates a companion file for each executable file the virus infects. Therefore a companion virus may save itself as scandisk.com and every time a user executes scandisk.exe, the computer will load scandisk.com and therefore infects the system. âž ¢ Phage Viruses A Phage virus is a very destructive virus that re-writes an executable program with it’s own code, rather than just attaching itself to a file. Therefore a Page virus will usually attempt to delete or destroy every program it infects. âž ¢ Revisiting Viruses A Revisiting virus is a worm virus and attempts to copy itself within the computers memory and then copy itself to another linked computer using TCP/IP protocols. The Morris worm virus in the late 1980’s was the first major virus threat to hit the Internet.