Movie Critique of Mean Girls

Developmental Psychology Film Critique Number Two I believe the main character in the film to be Cady Heron who is played by Lindsay Lohan and is a sixteen year old girl. She was homeschooled her entire life until now. I would place Cady in the Adolescence stage of Erikson’s theory of development. It is described that the basic conflict in this stage is identity vs. role confusion. In this stage teens need to develop a personal sense of self and personal identity. If one is able to succeed it will lead them with the ability to stay true to their self.Failure to do so leads the individual to role confusion and a weak sense of self. In the beginning of the film it shows Cady as a nice young shy and naive girl who is tries her best to fit in. She is nice to everyone around her and has a hard time finding someone who will accept her. She ends up meeting two other people who are like minded as herself. She is dared by one of her new friends to change in order to get back at a girl who she wants to get revenge on from the 8th grade.Cady does such a good job at changing who she is that she begins to lose her sense of self and her personal identity. She realizes one day that she ditched her real friends for her new fake ones and it reminds her that she has developed a weak sense of self. At the end of the movie she is able to regain her true self and become friends with her original friends again. Yes the character named Cady did experience changes in the social role they occupied over the course of the film. When she first came to the school she wasn’t really accepted and nobody paid any attention or respect to her.Once she sold out and joined the fake group of girls called the plastics she was only then able to gain popularity and respect from her classmates. When she became part of the plastics she lost her first and only true friends as well. Like I said earlier she did leave the plastics and became friends with her first friends again. I would place Cady in level 2: conventional mortality. Views of other people matter to the individual at this level. People at this level also try to avoid blame and seek approval.I would also put Cady at stage 3 of this level. In this stage people have good intentions. They want to behave in a way that is considered â€Å"good behavior†. Cady definitely cares about how other people view her and it really matters to her. She changes a lot in this film just so people accept her. She joins a group of people that gets attention. People really don’t like the group of girls she joins but they continue to look up and respect them. She lies to her old friends to avoid blame several times throughout the film.She also tries to get approval from her original friends for her to join the plastics but they do not approve. She leaves the group because she doesn’t have good intentions of being in it. The only reason why she joined the group was to help her friend get the inside on her in or der to get revenge. I would say that the easiest indication of identity issues within the main character comes from her level of self –esteem. She feels bad at first that she can’t find friends. She comes home from school on the first day and doesn’t even speak to her parents because she got picked on so bad.She also joined the plastics and became so popular but she knew it wasn’t her and she still had low self-esteem. It wasn’t until she left the plastics became friends again with her original ones was she able to gain her self-esteem back. She learned to accept everyone for who they were. I would say that in the end of the movie it does show that Cady experiences a sense of life satisfaction. She is able to find out who she truly is and is able to help others do the same as well. She destroys the prom queen tiara that she receives at the beginning of the school’s prom dance.She breaks it into pieces and gives it to all of the students tell ing them that they are all special. I think that this part of the movie really shows best the sense of life satisfaction of Cady and also her classmates. I believe that this film is more of a chick flick but it does have an impression that can be perceived by anyone who watches it. It shows real life events that go on everyday throughout the high schools across the world. Students are at a time in life where they need to decide who they are and what they want to become.I believe that it does portray the adolescence stage of Erikson’s very well in a positive way. I think it shines light on what it is really like for both the group of classmates who gets picked on and also the people who are doing the picking. It shows that people who used to not get along can learn how they can accept each other and live much happier lives. I think that the overall message the film sends about adolescence is that it isn’t an easy road to travel down and that it may take several attempts at trying new things to help someone truly find out who they really are.

Public School Essay

The Perfect Public School will be established with the vision to provide the quality education to the students of the Fateh Muhammad Jatoi and to enable them to compete at the national and international level. To achieve this vision the school will have the very well experienced and well groomed faculty that will provide the education on modern lines that will inculcate the students as well as their parents for the betterment of their children career development. The quality education that provide in our school is at low price as compared to our major competitors Beacon house, Frobels, roots and City school etc. The Perfect school is developed in order to facilitate the Pakistanis to get education as good and excellent as the students in Perfect school Pakistan. The Perfect school is located in Pakistan and is well renowned in all over the world for its Excellency in education field. Students from far flung countries go there with the aim to study and to get benefit from their quality education system. The Perfect school of Pakistan is also ranked among the top ten schools of the world. Moreover the Sindhi students also go abroad to study in this school and they score quite well as compared to other fellow students. The only difficulty that the Pakistani students face while going abroad is that they have to pay a huge sum of money for visa and passport requirements. The Perfect public school is going to be established to provide quality education as did other schools of Pakistan. The Perfect public school will be affiliated with the B. I. S. E Sukkur. The educational industry that provide these types of services includes the competitors like beacon house, Frobels, Roots and City school. These institutions are established with the purpose of providing the quality education but initially they have done their job quite well in providing excellent education, and with the passage of time they start diverting from their core mission of providing quality education. Now their focus shifts to provide the luxurious environments to the students and not to provide the quality education. The students living in the luxurious environments are used to enjoy the beauties or luxuries of life and are not willing to hard work, normally student involves in other activities which lead them to depression and illegal works. The Perfect staff is well trained to guide the student about their career development. The Perfect school is one of the prestigious students and established in the capital of Pakistan in F-10 Islamabad. The reason behind choosing this location that is capital of Pakistan is that we can get attention to the people. Secondly the people living in that part are very well aware of the educational needs and they fully know the importance of good education. Thirdly there are a reasonable number of foreigners living and they want to get their children to get a quality education. Fourthly there are mostly living the elite class of people in Islamabad and our business is mostly targeted to the elite class. The Perfect public school comprises of an elegant building, three grounds for outdoor sports activities of the students and one sports complex for indoor activities like table tennis, badminton, squash etc. The school will consist of almost 5-7 class rooms, 1 staff room and one principal office. The class rooms will be very well decorated and well furnished. The male and female staff will be hired for better education. As principal, I will regularly visit the classes, our progress towards implementing the strategies within the Business Plan, as well as the achievement of milestones and targets. Our values Success for every student. Diversity Ideal Customer The ideal customer for the Perfect Public School’s foreign language programs falls into one of two categories. The first is a middle class working person who feels the need to learn a foreign language either for a pressing work-related need, a desire to have more options in career, or a wish to travel to a foreign country and enjoy the experience more. These individuals, however, feel they cannot afford one-on-one tutoring, but are too social to be able to be content with a book, online program, or software to learn the language. They desire a classroom experience both as a structured approach to force them to make a commitment to the language learning and as a means to have extensive social interaction through the process. Market Description Perfect Public School targets customers with the following characteristics: 05 to 15 years of age Locals Male and Female Situation Analysis The Perfect Public School will be in the first year of business as a start-up operation. The School believes that the market demand for their services will be great and are convinced that a cohesive marketing strategy is required for The School. Market Summary The Perfect Public School possesses good information regarding their market and the target segments that they wish to serve. The School will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how The School can better serve them. Market Needs The Perfect Public School will provide the education with a source of knowledge. This market need is important as many parents’ are faced with the dilemma of using their limited income on education. Pricing: The Perfect Public School’s fees will be noticeably better than local schools. Market Trends The market trend for schools reinforces consolidation. Market Growth In 2012, the global educational system/industry as a whole was 897 Million industry. The education system is forecasted to continue its record growth. Pakistani society in particular has become increasingly reliant on education. This conclusion seems to be fairly intuitive as many individuals have a vested interest in living longer and more educated. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strength and weaknesses within  the area, and describes the opportunities and threats facing The Perfect Public School. Strengths †¢A unique, current business-environment-appropriate business model. †¢Excellent staff who are highly trained and very competent. †¢Games. Weaknesses †¢The lack of visibility and brand equity of a start-up business. †¢Lack of true experience. †¢Government intervention/regulation into education is possible. Opportunities †¢Outside pressure on students. †¢The constant growth of the number of students taking education. †¢Newly formed alliances of school systems. Threats. †¢The entry into the market by an established school. †¢Some event that cripples education. Competition Competition takes many different forms in the education industry. †¢Chain of schools: These are private national chains such as City School. Keys to Success The keys to success are: Male and female students. Low overhead and operating costs. Normal prices and services. Financial Objectives A double digit growth rate for the first three years. Reduce the variable costs associated with servicing each student order by 4% a year. Profitability by the end of year. Sales Forecast. Sales Forecast 2013 2014 2015 Sales Walk-in customers (students) 83,056 243,778 343,540 New & Old customers 76,994 976,543 1,234,654 Total Sales 360,050 1,720,321 2,078,194 Direct Cost of Sales 2001 2002 2003 Walk-in customers 111,664 453,705 514,559 New & Old customers 79,647 439,444 555,594 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales 191,311 893,149 1,070,154 Expense Forecast Marketing expenses are to be budgeted so they ramp up quarterly. These intervals are chosen because they are the common intervals that students who are getting several types of courses in same school. Controls. The purpose of the marketing plan is to serve as a guide to the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: Revenue: monthly and annual. Expenses: monthly and annual. Repeat business. Students’ satisfaction. Contingency Planning Difficulties and risks: Problems generating visibility. Difficulty developing sufficient talent. An entry into the education market from an already established, larger schools like City and Grammar School. Worst case risks include: Determining that the business cannot support itself. Having to lab equipment to cover liabilities. Competition.

Professional learning community Essay

The role of a principal has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades (Levine, 2005). It wasn’t too long ago that a principal’s primary tasks were limited to making sure that the buses ran on time, ordering supplies, and addressing personnel issues (Usdan, McCloud and Podmostko 2000). Now an affective principal’s main responsibility is student learning (The Wallace Foundation 2012, Usdan, McCloud and Podmostko 2000). The typical principal now puts in over 10 hours a day in order to get everything done. (Usdan, McCloud and Podmostko 2000). The key elements of effective leadership: principal as an instructional leader, winning by developing relationships, safe and caring learning environment, hiring of staff, always put students first, vision should be shared and focused, communication in the building, excellence in teaching and learning, principals build/reinforce professional development, principals share leadership, and time management. Principal as an Instructional Leader The principal is an instructional leader, a teacher of all teachers. Instructional leadership can be broken into two categories: direct and indirect instructional leadership. Examples of direct instructional leadership that a principal should provide are staff development, teacher observations/evaluations, and supervision. Also providing subordinate’s instructions about their tasks and including what is expected of each staff member. (Northouse, 2013). As the descriptor â€Å"direct instructional leadership† implies, this is instruction that the principal is providing directly to an individual or a group. Direct instructional leadership is focused on the quality of teacher practice, including the quality of the curriculum, teaching and assessments, and the quality of teacher inquiry and teacher learning. Indirect instructional leadership requires the principal to play more of a supportive role to teachers. The indirect leadership is focused on creating the conditions for an optimal teaching and learning environment. Indirect instructional leadership creates the conditions for good teaching and teacher learning by ensuring that school policies, routines, resourcing and other management decisions support and require high-quality learning, teaching and teacher learning (Bendikson, Hattie, and Robinson, 2012). Examples of indirect instructional leadership might include instructional facilitation, hiring qualified staff, resource acquisition, building maintenance and student problem resolution. Both direct and indirect instructional leadership are key roles of a principal. If principals practice instructional leadership daily, then they are successful in coaching and empowering teachers/staff members to improve student achievement. For many years, school principals were viewed as managers who ordered materials, handled discipline, and focused on keeping things in the school running smoothly so teachers could do the job of educating. Now, however, as principal’s most significant role is that of a learning leader. Current research shows that school leaders are a critical component to improving learning in schools (Educational Leadership Policy Standard: ISLLC, 2008,p. 9). As the learning leader in a school, the principal can influence learning through the formal process of planned observations, supervision and mentoring of staff. However, the principal can have even more influence in many other ways. Luneberg(2010) says there are five key tasks a principal must do as a learning leader: have a focus on learning, encourage collaboration, use data to improve learning, provide support, and align curriculum, instruction, and assessment (p. 1). Winning by developing relationships School leadership often involves difficult decisions and uncertainty. As schools are constantly changing to meet the new mandates: APPR, Common Core State Standards, RTTT, and DASA laws, student learning is still in jeopardy. Students are experiencing more problems, having a leader who can navigate through these difficult times is essential. No matter how outstanding the leader is he/she cannot navigate alone. It is critical that an effective principal immediately and consistently works on developing and maintaining relationships with students, staff, and the community. Building positive relationships with all stakeholders in the school is a time-consuming task, but the effort will pay great dividends. An educational building leader makes an effort to talk with and listen to all members of the school community. Kelly Sajnog, a successful middle school principal, notes the importance of relationships (personal communication, February 4, 2013). She says the time she spent cultivating relationships and building trust during her first year as principal was her most important job. Since then she has been able to bring new initiatives to the school, work with the community members, and rely on teacher-leaders to help improve the teaching and learning in her building. Building relationships will enhance a positive school culture, thereby making it easier to work together toward common goals. â€Å"Schools cannot sustain excellence in the absence of trust† (Uebbing & Ford, 2011). A leader who spends time on these relationships is in a much stronger position to help improve student achievement in a school. Many students come to school with various needs and circumstances. Establishing relationships with families and community services will allow a principal to provide the best possible learning environment for all students. Some ways in which a principal may accomplish this are: holding parent coffee hours once a month, reaching out to local social workers and psychologists, participating in an established parent group, and spending time at community events held in places other than the school. Alvy and Robbins (2005) cited building strong relationships as being one of the most important things that new principals do. The people who make up a school – students, teachers, classified staff, families, and the greater community – will either unite around a common cause or function as independent components going in different directions. Principals who build trusting relationships go a long way toward establishing a healthy school culture in which everyone works together. Principals do not gain trust because of the title on their office door. They must earn trust. And to earn trust, they must give it – that is, they must demonstrate faith in the independent skills and decisions of other (p. 52). The trust that principals need is a two-way street that comes from building relationships and treating every person with respect, every day. Another aspect of building positive relationships is communication. School leaders must consistently communicate with all members of the school and community. When people know and understand what work is being done in our schools, they are more likely to support our school and students. A focus of this communication should focus on student success. Students in schools accomplish amazing things each day, school leaders must ensure the success is shared consistently and celebrated regularly in order to maintain a positive school culture. Communication, in the form of newsletters, websites, phone calls, and meetings further enhances the trusting relationships the principal has taken the time to build. Although written communication is important, person contact is equally vital. Effective principals must be visible, accessible, approachable and responsive to the needs of students, staff, and community members. It is critical that a leader follows through on any conversation he/she has so others know he/she is committed, interested and dependable. A leader, who builds relationships, treats others with respect and acts ethically in all situations will be able to lead a school to a higher level of achievement. Safe and Caring Learning Environment An important part of leadership is the creation and maintenance of a safe and caring learning environment. Effective principals involve others, including students, to set high standards for student behavior. The principal can communicate high expectations for behavior, and these apply rules consistently from day to day and from student to student. They expect teachers to handle most disciplinary matters and they provide in-school suspension with support for seriously disruptive students. A principal should foster a sense of responsibility in students for appropriate behavior and work to create an environment that encourages such behavior. A successful principal should take on the responsibility of encouraging an orderly learning environment by organizing strategies to assist in minimizing distractions. Immersing the entire school community in the use of behavior prevention strategy plans can aid in preventing discipline referrals, as stated in one article we read on student management. This calls for the entire school community to take responsibility in sending a consistent message to students regarding expectations for behavior. An example of a preventive measure might include teachers integrating character education into their daily lessons and interactions with students. Although the intent of character education is to prevent disciplinary issues from occurring, a principal needs to be prepared if unacceptable behavior does  occur. Effective principals should center their ideas, days, and job on enhancing student learning by providing a safe and orderly learning environment with minimal distractions. Successful principals create this environment by sending clear and consistent messages regarding expectations of students and staff, hiring quality teachers, and presenting an encouraging demeanor, a principal sets a motivating tone for his/her school. Successful principals set a positive tone for their school with an unwavering focus on student learning. They do not tolerate distractions and act in the best interests of their students and the learning environment. Hiring of Staff Another important factor that a principal has control over is hiring. A principal’s single most precious commodity is an opening in the teaching staff (Whitaker, 2012). The quickest way to improve your school is to hire great teachers at every opportunity. Just as the only way to improve your average grade is to turn in a better-than-your average assignment each time, the most significant way to rapidly improve a school is to add teachers who are better than the ones who leave. Great principals know this and work diligently to hire the best possible teachers. Not only is it important to hire great teachers but also to support them. This is reinforced by the idea that successful principals focus on students-by focusing on teachers (Whitaker, 2012). Great principals celebrate the successes of their students and staff, instilling a sense of value in their achievements. If the principal is successful in creating a positive school culture and climate and praises student and staff performance at all levels, self-esteem is enhanced, and people feel that their time and work is valued and appreciated (p.41). Always put students first If schools are about teaching and learning, then students are the customers. Educators are responsible for meeting our customers’ needs and ensuring that each student is given a high-quality experience in school. Therefore, an effective leader keeps students at the heart of every decision. Alvy & Robbins (2005) say school leaders mush â€Å"get in the habit of asking themselves student-centered questions whenever they make decisions or take actions concerning school policy, district initiatives, or the everyday activities of schools† (p. 50). In order to create a culture and climate where students fell valued, Harris & Lowery (2002) identified three things effective principals always focus on: respecting students, communicating with students, and supporting students. Students want to be treated fairly and equally. An effective principal knows this and makes sure students are always respected. For example, dealing with discipline issues privately rather than in from of others and making sure consequences are equitable makes students feel respected (Harris & Lowery, 2002, p. 64). Students notice when a principal is interacting with students in the halls of the school each day. The communication lets students know the principal is there to help each student reach their goals and dreams. Lastly, supporting students means the principal â€Å"can be accessible to students; reward them, be an advocate for them, and provide them with a safe, secure learning environment† (Harris & Lowery, 2002). An effective principal, who respects, communicates with and supports students creates a safe learning environment where individual students can flourish. Vision should be shared and focused The successful principal has a vision of what education should be. He or she shares their vision with others by articulating it; however, an effective principal also models his/her vision through daily actions. A successful principal is committed to implementing and developing his/her vision. Consequently, in addition to articulating their vision, visionaries have an action plan that lists the key players and steps needed in executing their vision (Reeves, 2002). Implementing a vision, which oftentimes means implementing a change, can be risky. Leadership, however, entails risk taking and standing for beliefs, even when the odds are not in the leader’s favor. As our guest speakers have stated in one sense or another, â€Å"Communicating with clarity and direction should be the district’s vision. When making a decision, an effective principal asks himself/herself how the decision will impact student learning and proceeds with that thought as his/her focus. If the principal is clear in articulating and sharing his/her vision then the school community understands where he/she stands and where the school is headed. Communication in the building. Communication is critical in a principal’s job. Clear, consistent communication with students, staff members, parents, and the community is imperative to the role of a principal. Similar to the teaching and reinforcement of math and reading skills, policies, procedures, and expectations need to be taught, practiced, and reinforced to students and staff members. Successful principals indicate taking the time to teach the students, talk with them, and show them their expectations. Successful principals review over the student handbook and code of conduct to ensure that both student and parent have understood these policies. These discussions regarding their purpose also help in communicating expectations with students. When communicating with staff members, technology provides principals with the tools and ease to communicate with the staff members on a daily basis. DeBarbieri and Williams believe that communication is a critical feature of any endeavor in which people work in close proximity for a common purpose (personal commications, February, 2013). As stated by DeBarbieri, communication is crucial at faculty meetings, in emails to staff members, and on the parent webpage. He also stated that his belief is the theory of communication is moving in the direction of technology and the use of Facebook and Twitter software. Williams, she stated that communication is just as important. A principal should know themselves first and then get to know their staff members. (personal communication, March, 2013). However, these notes or quick emails do not take the place of friendly conversations, nor do they decrease the value of faculty meetings. Communication with parents and community is also imperative to a principal’s position. Communication via monthly newsletters or individual teacher webpage’s, help to disseminate â€Å"need-to-know† information to parents. Principals build/reinforce Professional Development Effective principals are knowledgeable about best practices and share these practices during faculty meetings, professional learning communities and conversations with individual and teams of teachers. A successful leader is often seen in the classroom and in discussions with teachers about the instruction being used. He/she also shares the success he/she sees happening in the school. A successful educational leader stays current with readings to ensure that best instructional practices are being employed for all students. For example, if ELA scores are a concern for a school, it is the leader’s responsibility to research best practices on reading and writing instruction and then share best practices with staff. Also, an effective leader uses data to hold him/her and the staff members accountable. By collecting data often, a leader is able to make informed decisions about teaching and learning to ensure all teachers strive for continual student achievement. The principal knows what professional development his/her staff needs and participates in the trainings. This unwavering focus on learning reminds everyone in the school community that academic success for all students is the purpose of schools. An effective principal can impact the culture of learning in his/her school when he/she makes decisions about scheduling. For example, teachers need to be given time to collaborate regularly. Scheduling common planning time for teachers sends the message that collaboration to improve student learning is important. During these times of collaboration, principals can provide support by attending meetings and participating in the professional learning community. Teachers need to know the principal does not have all the answers but is willing to work with the teachers to find the keys to helping each student achieve his/her best. Finding the keys to help each students may not lie within the school building; a principal may need to work with other districts, a regional BOCES, local colleges or other institutions to find what each student needs to achieve his/her potential. Collaborating with others allows a principal to maximize all his/her resources in a quest to do what is best for students. If schools are about learning, then the curriculum, instruction and assessments are the most important tools schools use on a daily basis. An effective principal is a part of the ongoing, cyclical nature of curriculum development. He/she ensures that assessment are rigorous and aligned to the curriculum, common core state standards, that data-driven instruction is used regularly, and that the curriculum is detailed enough so teachers know exactly what needs to be taught. However, the principal does not just oversee these processes; he/she is an active participant in all aspects of teaching and learning. The principal should be running faculty meeting where he/she will introduce common formative assessments, professional learning communities, common online areas for staff resources, and units to cover new Common Core State Standards. A principal may have teacher leaders to host mini lessons in the morning, where teachers could collaborate on 21st century learning skills, and to compare student data. An effective principal acting as a learning leader develops a school where excitement about learning and celebration of achievement is evident on a daily basis. â€Å"When learning becomes the preoccupation of the school, when all the school’s educators examine their efforts and initiatives of the school through the lens of their impact on learning, the structure and culture of the school begin to change in substantive ways† (DuFour,2002). As the principal shifts a culture to a focus on learning, he/she can then begin to recognize and grow teacher-leaders. These teacher-leaders act as ambassadors for the principal’s vision and assist in the learning culture for all teachers and students. Michael Fullan(2010) gives a clear view of what a principal as a learning leader looks like. Powerful principals are obsessed with the instructional core of personalized learning and getting results for each and every student. They make instruction a priority. They deal effectively with distracters. They create a culture of job-embedded learning. They help the school focus on a small number of core priorities they resolutely pursue while avoiding innovation overload (p. 14). This is an exciting time for exceptional teachers who love the classroom to use their expertise about teaching and learning in the role of building leader. When summarizing the area of professional development for instructional leadership, good principals: †¢ Hold frequent discussions about curriculum and instruction (ASCD, 1999); †¢ Encourage collaboration among teachers (ASCD, 1999); †¢ Provide opportunities for professional development both outside the school and within the school between colleagues (ASCD, 1999); and, †¢ Actively participate in staff development (Cotton, 2003). Principals share leadership Although the principal is ultimately responsible for building decisions, successful principals delegate, consult, and collaborate with staff members. With an overabundance of duties to manage, it is imperative for principals to trust their employees (assistant principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, clerical staff, and custodians) and to create committees to take on responsibilities for some of these tasks. In addition to making the principal’s job more manageable, shared decision making also helps in empowering teachers and creating a â€Å"buy in† for implementing change. Effective principals not only collaborate with staff members on decision making, but also encourage staff members to work together on instruction and curriculum best practices. If principals can be effective in creating a collaborative school with professional learning communities, then risk taking and learning takes place at all levels, thereby improving instructional practices. (DuFour, 2010) Time Management Considering the demands of the job of principal and the various roles that the principal is expected to play, it seems that prioritizing, time management, and organization skills are critical in helping the principal find a balance. The principal who prioritizes does not get buried by the demands of paperwork but instead uses the time when school is in session to visit with the students in school. The principal that continues to spend his/her time management skills might multitask by returning phone calls while driving between buildings and/or to the district office for meetings. The principal who is organized leaves his/her office with a clean desk every day. In addition to juggling duties during the school day, balancing the many hours needed to attend school and community functions with a family can be a challenge as well. To manage well, a principal must actively prepare, plan, organize, direct, model, evaluate, and improve (Speck, 1998, p. 20). Management duties of a principal include ensuring a safe and orderly school environment, having a working knowledge of the law, shaping a schedule and prioritizing a budget in a way that will help communicate his/her vision and goals, and managing the daily activities in the building (ASCD, 1999). A principal must have a hand in all of these duties, but the degree to which he/she is involved in each depends on a perception of the job (Mawhinney, n. d. ). The principal who enlists more help, and thus creates more personal choice in the area of management, will enjoy more opportunities in the critical area of educational leadership (Mawhinney, n. d. ). A principal’s job is not a 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. job. Consequently, a principal needs to be passionate about his/her work but also needs to find a balance between work and home. The role of the principal requires one to be active and think on his/her feet. This requires a fit mind and body. Reflecting on daily actions, keeping abreast with professional development, reading and engaging in a stress relieving activity, such as exercise, are all activities that can help the principal manage his/her workload (personal communication March,2013). It is important to remember that the principalship should not define the person but rather the person defines the principalship role. If the principal reflects often, then he/she will learn to find a healthy balance by prioritizing and managing his/her time. Conclusion: Effective Principals Make a True Difference â€Å"School leaders are critical to helping improve student performance. Research now shows that leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors that influence student outcomes† (Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC, 2008, p. 9). Principalship requires flexibility in juggling the many roles that requires the principal to play. In reflecting on the information retrieved from guest speakers, class presentations, interviews, books, journal articles and observations, the following conclusion can be drawn: If the principal is able to balance being an instructional leader, a manager, the creator of a positive climate and culture, a visionary, an ambassador, a communicator, a collaborator, and a real person, then I he/she is likely to be a successful principal. When a principal learns to build good relationships, becomes a good listener, learns to plan his/her actions before reacting, has good mentors and trustworthy friends in his/her corner, and continues to have a solid plan of action, students will learn! References Alvy, H. , & Robbins, P. (2005, May). Growing Into leadership. Educational Leadership, 62, 50-54. Bergman, D. and Jorgensen, M (2013, February 4). [EAD610 class article share presentation]. Blankstein, A. M. (2004). Failure is not an option: Six principles that guide student achievement in high-performing schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Cavino, D. and Nower, C. (2013, March 11). [EAD610 class article share presentation]. DeBarbieri, J. (2013, February 25). [Personal interview]. Determining/confirming eligibility for McKinney Vento [Fact sheet]. (2012). Retrieved March 13, 2013, from National Center for Homeless Education website: http://center. serve. org/nche/ibt/sc_eligibility. php Dolson, K. and Regan, K. (2013, February 11). [EAD610 class article share presentation]. DuFour, R., DuFour, R. , Eaker, R. , & Karhanek, G. (2006, 2010). Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Harris, S. L. , & Lowery, S. (2002, May). A View from the Classroom. Educational Leadership, 59, 64-69 Keim, J. and Nephew, J (2013, February 25). [EAD610 class article share presentation]. Lunenburg, F. C. (2010, Summer). The Principal as Instructional Leader. National Forum of Educational and Supervision Journal, 27,1-6. Luthouser, E. (2012, May). [Personal interview]. Marzano, R. J. , Waters, T. , & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision & Curriculum Development. Mawhinney, H. B. (n. d. ). A Framework for Reflection on the Principal’s Domain: Choices, Constraints and Demands. EAD 610 School Principalship Reading Packet. Reeves, D. R. (2007). The daily disciplines of leadership: How to improve student achievement, staff motivation, and personal organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Renfrew, E. (2013, March 4). [Personal interview]. Salopek, J. J. (2011). Make parents you partners. Education Update, 52(2). Sajnog, K. (2013, February 11). [Personal interview]. Silvia, H. and Pawlewicz, D. (2013, March 4). [EAD610 class article share presentation]. The principal perspective: full report. (April 2012). Retrieved March 12, 2013, from The Center for Public Education is an initiative of the National School Boards Association. website: http://www. centerforpubliceducation. org/principal-perspective Wallace Foundation. (2013, January). The School Principal as Leader: Guiding Schools to Better Teaching and Learning. The Wallace foundation, 1, 1-18. Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://www. wallacefoundation. org/knowledge-center/school-leadership/effective-principal-leadership/Pages/The-School-Principal-as-Leader-Guiding-Schools-to-Better-Teaching-and-Learning. aspx Whitaker, T. (2012). What Great Principals Do Differently: Eighteen Things That Matter Most. Larchmont, NY: Eye on.

LLI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LLI - Research Paper Example One of my major strengths lies on my ability to innovate. Innovation is a very important skill that an individual must have. This is because an innovative person will have the capability to come up with products and services which can satisfy the needs and requirements of a customer. From the score card, I was able to gather a score of more than number 6 (NCHL, 2010). From the performance evaluation matrix, this indicates that I am competent and very capable when it comes to issues dealing with innovation. My other strength lies on my capability to gather information concerning the various health care needs of customers. Research skills are a very important element that a health care individual must possess. This is because information collected can help an individual to make good decisions that are of benefit to himself, the customer and the organization that he or she works for (Jarvis, 2004). From the performance evaluation matrix, my information gathering skills lies on an average of 7.8 (NCHL, 2010). This proves that ability to gather information is one of my major strengths. A skill that goes hand in hand with information gathering is ability to collaborate with other stakeholders in the health and medical field (Jarvis, 2004). Through collaboration, I am able to acquire knowledge that was not within my possession. I can also use this type of knowledge to advance my career, and improve on the quality of services that I give to my customers. From the lifelong evaluation score card, I managed to garner a score of between numbers 7 to 9 (NCHL, 2010). This score card denotes that I have excellent collaborative skills, and it is one of my strengths. It is within my belief that collaboration does not only entail gathering information, but also sharing of resources for purposes of achieving a common good. In as much as I have these stronger points, I also have numerous weaknesses. I am unable to

Factors that Lead to Hyperinflations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Factors that Lead to Hyperinflations - Essay Example To provide an empirical verification of hyperinflation phenomenon, a more focused study on the ravaging hyperinflation and its impacts on Zimbabwe are attempted in section 4. Some of the course correction that a country such as Zimbabwe requires to embark on to arrest its hyperinflation is presented in section 5, before section 6 concludes this essay. A number of economists have attempted to define inflation, in their own terminology. For professor Crowther, inflation is marked by declining value of money, and conversely the rising level of prices (197). Pigou observed that inflation occurs when money income expands more than proportionately to income earning activity (439). In general, inflation is associated with a state of abnormal increase in the quantity of money. Inflation is linked to the issue of too much currency in the economy (Hawtrey 60). For Coulborn, inflation is a monetary phenomenon where "too much money chases too few goods" (356). According to Keynes, inflation is caused by an excess of effective demand over supply (296). For Friedman, inflation is a process of steady and sustained increase in prices. Inflation, thus, is a monetary phenomenon characterized by high prices, and conversely falling values of money (17). Hyperinflation is a typical case of an extremely rapid growth in the general level of prices, las ting for a number of years. Although a rise in the general prices of more than 50 per cent is treated as hyperinflation, there is no well-defined threshold. All these definitions point to one basic point: When the quantity of money in circulation exceeds the total amount of goods and services in the economy, it results in extraordinary increase in prices which we define as hyperinflation. It may be noted that hyperinflation is also called a "runaway" or "galloping" inflation, where the quantum of money increases to an extent that its value declines to an incomprehensible level. Historically, hyperinflation has occurred in China, Greece, Taiwan, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Russia. In recent years, countries such as Chile, Argentina and Bolivia experienced hyperinflation. At present, hyperinflation in Zimbabwe is a great cause of concern for the economists as it continues to threaten the livelihood of its people. 3. Causes of Hyperinflation: 1According to Prof. Fisher, other things remaining constant, as the quantity of money in circulation increases, the price level also increases in the same proportion and the value of money decreases, correspondingly (45). 1In its rigid form, the quantity theory of money defends a strict proportionality between changes in the stock of money and the general level of prices. If M = stock of money in circulation, V = velocity, P = general price level, the theory states that the level of P depends on MV. Since V is assumed to be constant in the short-run, P and M are proportional to each other. Thus, if P represents the general price level, then 1/P captures the purchasing power of money. The implication is that when the stock of money increases, the value of money decreases, which reflects proportionately on the increase in general level of

Physical education lesson plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Physical education lesson plan - Essay Example Teaching and Learning Materials: Ropes, Flexaform (a very wide mattress for landing where there is no sand or snow pit); Two standing posts (poles) for rope height adjustment; Tape measure; Charts showing the fields. (a) perform the warm up exercises with 100% accuracy; (b) increase their level of fitness by running while carrying their friends or something on their backs; (c) participate in lead-up games and activities to prepare them to dance Ballet; (d) master the rules of playing ballet; (e) dance ballet in response to music; (f) demonstrate cooperation by dancing uniformly with others. in preparation for a Mini Ballet dance competition. The students get into groups and positions and play the game while the teacher observes, records performance and helps those who are still having difficulties. (a) perform the warm up exercises with 100% accuracy; (b) increase their level of fitness by sprinting one lap around the field track without stopping; (c) participate in lead-up activities to prepare them for playing football; (d) dodge opponents actively; (e) pass the basket ball to others; (f) shoot the basket ball correctly; (g) and run actively all through the game. (a) perform the warm up and cool down exercises with 100% accura... Teaching and Learning Materials: Ropes, Flexaform (a very wide mattress for landing where there is no sand or snow pit); Two standing posts (poles) for rope height adjustment; Tape measure; Charts showing the fields. Presentation (Lesson Procedure) (a) Introduction (Warm up Activities) (5 minutes) > Jogging at the spot; Press ups (Push ups); Ascending and Descending Stairs orhighland whilst running; (b) Development (Main Activity) (40 minutes) Step 1: The teacher explains rules of performing long and high jumps, with simple demonstrations. Students listen, take down the points. Step 2: The teachers demonstrates how to perform long jump. Students listen, watch and later line up to practice. Step 3: The teacher demonstrates how to perform high jump. Students listen, watch and line up to practice. Step 4: The teacher sets a Long Jump mini competition in which every student participates. As they jump, he observes and takes down the lengths of the jumps for each student. He also pays close attention to the performance of those with health problems. (c) Conclusion (Cool down) (5 minutes) > Foot rotating; Waist bending and rotating; Chin ups and downs Lesson #3: Physical Education: Gymnastics: Ballet Dance. Number of Students: 20 Specific Objectives (Short Term): By the end of this lesson, students will (a) perform the warm up exercises with 100% accuracy; (b) increase their level of fitness by running while carrying their friends or something on their backs; (c) participate in lead-up games and activities to prepare them to dance Ballet; (d) master the rules of playing ballet; (e) dance

Should Military be mandatory after high school in the U.S Essay

Should Military be mandatory after high school in the U.S - Essay Example In the age of globalization and quick growth in professional management, America demands efficiency and professionalism from the young professionals. Above all, The U.S Military Selective Service Act (War Resisters International) addresses the need of mandatory military service for citizen. So, controversial discussions about the implementation of mandatory military service have caught the attention of public and media in recent years. Generally, people expects proper enrichment in patriotism, proper awareness about rights, duties and responsibilities of a civilian, training, mental and physical fitness among their after high school education. One can find a number of factors which hold up mandatory military service for young people after their high school education. At the initial stage we can see that the country faces severe challenges from international terrorism and economic depression. International community observes the political, cultural and socio-economic changes which happened in the United States. In this juncture, government needs or look forward strong citizens having patriotism and professional skills. Most of the countries have followed either conscription model or universal military training as a part of their national security. Paul Ruschmann rightly informs that; â€Å"America’s twentieth century drafts have followed the conscription model† (Ruschmann 22). Here, selected young men from a special category of those who are eligible and selected to serve the nation. However, young people can use this opportunity to hand round the nation after their high school education. Military service helps the people to comprehend the actual rights and responsibilities of a civilian towards his nation. It offers a precious opportunity for youth to be a part of the process of constructing a nation. At present, people are not aware of their rights and responsibilities towards the

An Election of Monumental Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Election of Monumental Change - Essay Example A "hot button" issue for many in the United States is the ongoing Us-led conflict in Iraq which has been going on since March 2003. This is one of the areas which Senator Obama has wished to distinguish himself from his other Senators in that unlike Senator's Clinton and McCain, Obama has not given as much leeway in the form of senatorial votes in favor of President Bush's defense budget, while on the other hand both Senator Clinton, as well as Senator McCain, have voted in both sides of the issue. In an era where the American people are looking for hope and this year looking to elect a new President, the two candidates to observe are Senator Barak Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US has taken it upon itself to adopt a pre-emptive measure as it comes to defending itself, as well as defending its role in international relations with the rest of the world. ... from the start, he says there is "no military solution" to the situation in Iraq," Adding that, "In January 2007, Obama proposed the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, which would reverse the troop surge and redeploy U.S. troops to Afghanistan and other locations in phases. He favors more funds for U.S. military equipment like night-vision goggles and reinforced Humvees, though his recent refusal to sign a war funding bill came under criticism from presidential aspirant John McCain (R-AZ), who, among other things, accused the senator of misspelling "flak jacket." Under Obama's plan, there may be a residual troop presence (NYT) in Iraq for security and training purposes. His bill has not yet been voted on," (CFR 3/18/2008). In regards to Senator Clinton, her candidacy comes with the inevitable comparison, as well as what some would call "baggage", from the 8 years in office which her husband spent. "Sen. Clinton (D-NY) supported the invasion of Iraq at its advent, but now opposes it and claims that as president, she would end the war. Clinton opposed the 2007 escalation of the war. In early 2007, Clinton proposed the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act. That bill, which would have prevented an increase in troops in Iraq above the level of January 1, 2007, had no cosponsors and never reached a vote," Elaborating further that, "Clinton also opposes the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq, although she, like Biden, does expect there to be a need for a "reduced residual force," perhaps stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan, even after troop redeployment. Clinton cosponsored Sen. Joe Biden's Iraq War Policy resolution in January 2007. In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq, and has been widely criticized for her refusal to apologize for that

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 22

None - Essay Example his brother. Gothic literature is used to bring about an atmosphere of gloom and terror with an aim of passing messages to the reader. To begin with, it is set in out-of-date times and uses mysterious, dark and evil tone to pass the message. All the gothic characteristics in literature come together to give emphasis to the sagacity of evil. Most writers utilize Epiphany. It bring about a moment in which one sees something in a different perspective. It is triggered by a new piece of information that is crucial to the audience. This characteristic plays a significant role in literature to draw the attention of readers and the interest to know what happens in the piece (Bell, 2087). Bildungsroman is a piece of literature that narrates development of a youthful character this person matures in the process. It depicts the changes that go through an individual as they grow to adulthood. Whitman brought about a new orientation in the American poetry. Free verse poetry did not exist in the industry yet. In fact, in the 19th-century poetry had to be rhymed, and anything that was to the contrary was regarded to be a normal person’s gobbly-gook. However, Whitman changed that notion in the American society; he made people believe that a poet did not have to elevate him or herself above the commoners. Above all, a poet did not have to identify himself or herself with Europe, but be an American. Whitman’s was sceptical of religion, he believes that all religions were equal, and none of the religions was superior to the other. Despite the fact that he was born a quark, he did not live to be a quark in his adulthood He appreciated the old accounts of all religions like the Bible, and genealogies to be true without any exception. Despite the fact that he accepted all, he believed in none of them ( Luzi ,115). Dickinson rarely used titles in her poems since she believed that they were just customary. She argued that a title is not the only way

Week 3 discussion questions and summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 3 discussion questions and summary - Essay Example Strategic planning highlights its importance both for domestic and international markets. Although there are some differences between the strategic planning of the two but they are almost the same. The only major difference is that in an international market a business finds tougher competition and a more radical environment. Brand loyalty is less; customers look for better quality at cheaper rates, hence strategic planning for international market needs more research and critical thinking. Strategic planning should vary country to country it is important for a country to alter its strategic planning according to its customers. In the same way different countries should adopt different strategic planning. Another reason for varying strategic planning is the competition that prevails in the international market. Every firm is competing to be the best hence they keep an eye on the strategies of their competitors. Adaptation is an ongoing process that has been observed in the history and is still carrying on. An adaptation is a process in which every new aspect of a thing is taken up in order to peak its performance. Adaptation is applicable in international market in different scenarios for example the hand knitting method was replaced by the knitting machine that was more effective but a little less in quality at that time. The early adapters took the advantage and later a more advance machine updated the quality as well. Well adaptation can have different results depending on the scenario; diminishing returns can result due to adaptation. A perfect example is when the demand of a product is less and an organization adapts to a better technology resulting in excess production that in turn results in diminishing returns. But its not always this way, Adaptation if done with proper planning and strategy will always give positive results. Adaptation is a very important phase in a business and

The Story of an Hour (short story) Research Paper

The Story of an Hour (short story) - Research Paper Example It is only when she retires to her room that the reader realizes the state of the mixed emotions of Mrs. Millard, as she feels both joy and sorrow at the death of her husband. One can infer that she had not been treated well by her husband because trivial misunderstandings do not cause one to rejoice in someone’s death. For the death of a person to cause someone such bliss the reason must be substantial. Later on when Mrs. Millard finds out that her husband is actually alive, she is unable to endure the news and instantly passes away. The plot of the story is very engaging and resonates with the reader on some level. The mood of the story is not the ordinary way in which the story of someone’s death is told; that is the tone of the story sways from sorrow to joy and back again to sorrow. A particular point of interest in the story is when Mrs. Mallard retires into her room and confides in nature as opposed to her sister (Chopin 40). I feel this shows us the conflict between human beings and the social stigmas that exist in the society due to which even though Mrs. Millard felt plagued by her husband she still could not share her happiness over the much anticipated freedom which she finally could see coming. At that point it is revealed to the reader that Mrs. Millard is actually happy about her husband’s death, which twists the perspective by which the reader perceives the story. Later in the story, Mrs. Millard’s sister tries to get her out of her room thinking that she will fall sick alone. At that point, Chopin makes use of dramatic irony because the fact that Mrs. Millar d is happy is known to the reader but not to the character of Mrs. Millard’s sister (Prentice Hall 47). There has been extensive use of imagery in the story, particularly when Mrs. Millard is sitting by the window and certain elements of nature are described: â€Å"But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the

Changes in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Changes in the Workplace Essay I believe the work environments can be positive or negative on the psychology health and workplace. The work environment has many properties that can affect both psychological and physical well-being, which is important to understand those aspects of work environments as well as identifying psychosocial characteristics of the workplace, which can affect his or her health. The first step is to create a psychologically workplace, which takes commitment and time to develop a strategy to effect changes at the workplaces to improve the health of all employees. For example: the choices that each person makes and how the individual treats his or her bodies; not only affects the individual health but also the individual mental health, which can be carried over to the workplace causing unwanted stress. Also lack of sleep making it hard to concentrate, irritated with the employees, and unable to do his or her daily tasks that the job requires, which can make the workplace more difficult. Unhealthy diet can make the individual sick and unable to complete the job that’s needs to be done, as well as mental stress that can cause more health problems. Studies on relationships between health and psychology has become more establish in recent years because researchers have provided insight into how an individual’s psychology and health. Such as the individual personalities, personal relationships, and the individual mental and biological processes are all factor in relation to health psychology, which needs to be considered when trying to maintain or to balance his or her health, is to find the correct balance of treatment choices, such as circumstances or other alternative that may be adding to the cause of physical health issues. I believe that lifestyle choices that can affect psychology and health in the workplace can be poor diet. For example: When an individual chooses to skip breakfast in the morning can have a difficult time concentrating, or become ir ritable. The individual may also develop physical symptoms such as headache, dizziness, or nauseas. When the individual becomes irritable, this can lead to lack of communication with other employees as well as loss of production on everyone’s schedule. I also believe when making poor choices can develop problems that can affect the workplace, also leads to psychological, behavioral, and physical difficulties. To enhance health and prevent illness is to improve his or her allover health, even if the changes are  small; it can make a big difference by enhancing his or her health and to prevent illness. For example: having well-balance meals that includes breakfast and a healthy diet can provide energy, which will also lower the risk of certain disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and hypertension. To maintaining a healthy body, and a health weight, is to have a healthy diet and physical activity to decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease, and reducing the heart rate. However, taking care of our body is a big step toward emotional and mental health because the mind and the body are linked to each other, and when the individual improves his or her physical health, well the individual will experience greater mental and emotional well-being (Lifestyle to enhance Health and Prevent Illness).

A Critical Analysis Of The

A Critical Analysis Of The This essay will present a reflective account of communication skills in practice whist undertaking assessment and history taking of two Intensive Care patients with a similar condition. It will endeavour to explore all aspects of non verbal and verbal communication styles and reflect upon these areas using Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Scenario A Mrs James, 34, a passenger in a road traffic collision who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown through the windscreen resulting in multiple facial wounds with extensive facial swelling which required her to be intubated and sedated. She currently has cervical spine immobilisation and is awaiting a secondary trauma CT. Mr James was also involved in the accident. Scenario B Mr James, 37, husband of Mrs James, the driver of the car, was wearing his seat belt. He had minor superficial facial wounds, fractured ribs and a fractured right arm. He is alert and orientated but currently breathless and requiring high oxygen concentrations. Patients who are admitted to Intensive Care are typically admitted due to serious ill health or trauma that may also have a potential to develop life threatening complications (Udwadia, 2005). These patients are usually unconscious, have limited movement and have sensation deprivation due to sedation and/or disease processes. These critical conditions rely upon modern technical support and invasive procedures for the purpose of monitoring and regulation of physiological functions. Having the ability to effectively communicate with patients, colleagues and their close relatives is a fundamental clinical skill in Intensive Care and central to a skilful nursing practice. Communication in Intensive Care is therefore of high importance (Elliot, 1999) to provide information and support to the critically ill patient in order to reduce their anxieties, stresses and preserve self identity, self esteem and reduce social isolation (Joà £o: 2009, Alasad: 2004, Newmarch:2006). Effective communic ation is the key to the collection of patient information, delivering quality of care and ensuring patient safety. Gaining a patients history is one of the most important skills in medicine and is a foundation for both the diagnosis and patient clinician relationship, and is increasingly being undertaken by nurses (Crumbie, 2006). Commonly a patient may be critically ill and therefore the ability to perform a timely assessment whilst being prepared to administer life saving treatment is crucial (Carr, 2005). Often the patient is transferred from a ward or department within the hospital where a comprehensive history has been taken with documentation of a full examination; investigations, working diagnosis and the appropriate treatment taken. However, the patients history may not have been collected on this admission if it was not appropriate to do so. Where available patients medical notes can provide essential information. In relation to the scenarios where the patient is breathless or the patient had a reduced conscious level and requires sedation and intubation, effective communication is restricted and obtaining a comprehensive history would be inappropriate and almost certainly unsafe. The Nursing Midwifery Council promotes the importance of keeping clear and accurate records within the Code: Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2008). Therefore if taking a patients history is unsafe to do so, this required to be documented. Breathing is a fundamental life process that usually occurs without conscious thought and, for the healthy person is taken for granted (Booker, 2004). In Scenario A, Mrs Jamess arrived on Intensive care and was intubated following her facial wounds and localised swelling. Facial trauma by its self is not a life threatening injury, although it has often been accompanied with other injuries such as traumatic brain injury and complications such as airway obstruction. This may have been caused by further swelling, bleeding or bone structure damage (Parks, 2003). Without an artificial airway and ventilatory support Mrs James would have struggled to breathe adequately and the potential to become in respiratory arrest. Within scenario B, Mr James had suffered multiple rib fractures causing difficulty in expansion of his lungs. Fractured ribs are amongst the most frequent of injuries sustained to the chest, accounting for over half of the thoracic injuries from non-penetrating trauma (Middle ton, 2003). When ribs are fractured due to the nature and site of the injury there is potential for underlying organ contusions and damage. The consequence of having a flail chest is pain. Painful expansion of the chest would result in inadequate ventilation of the lungs resulting in hypoxia and retention of secretions and the inability to communicate effectively. These combined increase the risk of the patient developing a chest infection and possible respiratory failure and potential to require intubation (Middleton, 2003). The key issue of Intensive Care is to provide patients and relatives with effective communication at all times to ensure that a holistic nursing approach is achieved. Intensive care nurses care for patients predominantly with respiratory failure and over the years have taken on an extended role. They are expected to examine a patient and interpret their findings and results (Booker, 2004). In these situations patient requires supportive treatments as soon as possible. Intensive Care nurse should have the ability and competence to carry out a physical assessment and collect the patients history in a systemic, professional and sensitive approach. Effective communication skills are one of the many essential skills involved in this role. As an Intensive Care nurse, introducing yourself to the patient as soon as possible would be the first step in the history and assessment taking process (Outlined in Appendix A). Whilst introducing yourself there is also the aim to gaining consent for the assessment where possible, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008). Conducting a comprehensive clinical history is usually more helpful in making a provisional diagnosis than the physical examination (Ford, 2005). Within Intensive Care the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure/Examination (ABCDE) assessment process is widely used. It is essential for survival that the oxygen is delivered to blood cells and the oxygen cannot reach the lungs without a patent airway. With poor circulation, oxygen does not get transported away from the lungs to the cells (Carr, 2005). The ABCDE approach is a simple approach that all team members use and allows for rapid assessment, co ntinuity of care and the reduction of errors. Communication reflects our social world and helps us to construct it (Weinmann Giles et al 1988). Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts are transferred by different forms. Basic communication is achieved by speaking, sign language, body language touch and eye contact, as technology has developed communication has been achieved by media, such as emails, telephone and mobile technology (Aarti, 2010). There are two main ways of communication: Verbal and non verbal. Verbal communication is the simplest and quickest way of transferring information and interacting when face to face. It is usually a two way process where a message is sent, understood and feedback is given (Leigh, 2001). When effective communication is given, what the sender encodes is what the receiver decodes (Zastrow, 2001). Key verbal features of communication are made up of sounds, words, and language. Mr James was alert and orientated and had some ability to communicate; he was breathless due to painful fractured ribs which hindered his verbal communication. In order to help him to breath and communicate effectively, his pain must be controlled. Breathless patients may be only able to speak two or more words at a time, inhibiting conversation. The use of closed questions can allow breathless patients to communicate without exerting themselves. Closed questions such as is it painful when you breathe in? or is your breathing feeling worse? can be answered with non verbal communi cation such as a shake or nod of the head. Taking a patients history in this way can be time consuming and it is essential that the clinician do not make assumptions on behalf of the patient. Alternatively, encouraging patients to use other forms of communication can aid the process. Non verbal communication involves physical aspects such as written or visual of communication. Sign language and symbols are also included in non-verbal communication. Non verbal communication can be considered as gestures, body language, writing, drawing, physiological cues, using communication devices, mouthing words, head nods, and touch (Happ et al:2000, Alasad:2004). Body language, posture and physical contact is a form of non verbal communication. Body language can convey vast amounts of information. Slouched posture, or folded arms and crossed legs can portray negative signals. Facial gestures and expressions and eye contact are all different cues of communication. Although Mr. James could verbal ly communicate, being short of breath and in pain meant that he also needed to use both verbal and non verbal communication styles. A patients stay in Intensive Care can vary from days to months. Although this is a temporary situation and many patients will make a good recovery, the psychological impact may be longer lasting (MacAuley, 2010). When caring for the patient who may be unconscious or sedated and does not appear to be awake, hearing may be one of the last senses to fade when they become unconscious (Leigh, 2000). Sedation is used in Intensive Care units to enable patients to be tolerable of ventilation. It aims to allow comfort and synchrony between the patient and ventilator. Poor sedation can lead to ventilator asynchrony, patient stress and anxiety, and an increased risk of self extubation and hypoxia. Over sedation can lead to ventilator associated pneumonias, cardiac instability and prolonged ventilation and Intensive Care delirium. Delirium is found to be a predictor of death in Intensive Care patients (Page, 2008). Every day a patient spends in delirium has been associated with a 20% increase ri sk of intensive care bed days and a 10% increased risk of morbidity. The single most profound risk factor for delirium in Intensive Care is sedation (Page, 2008) Within this stage of sedation or delirium it is impossible to know what the patients have heard, understood or precessed. Ashworth (1980) recognised that nurses often failed to communicate with unconscious patients on the basis that they were unable to respond. Although, research (Lawrence, 1995) indicates that patients who are unconscious could hear and understand conversations around them and respond emotionally to verbal communication however could not respond physically. This emphasises the importance and the need for communication remains (Leigh, 2001). Neurological status would unavoidably have an effect on Mrs Jamess capacity to communicate in a usual way. It is therefore important to provide Mrs James with all information necessary to reduce her stress and anxieties via the different forms of communication. For the unconscious patient, both verbal communication and non verbal communication are of importance, verbal communication and touch being the most appropriate. There are two forms of touch (Aarti, 2010), firstly a task orientated touch when a patient is being moved, washed or having a dressing changed and secondly a caring touch holding Mrs James hand to explain where she was and why she was there is an example of this. This would enhance communication when informing and reassuring Mrs James that her husband was alive and doing well. Nurses may initially find the process of talking to an unconscious patient embarrassing, pointless or of low importance as it is a one way conversation (Ashworth, 1980) however as previously mentioned researched shows patients have the ability to hear. Barriers to communication may be caused by physical inabilities from the patients however there are many types of other communication barriers. A barrier of communication is where there is a breakdown in the communication process. This could happen if the message was not encoded or decoded as it should have been. If a patient is under sedation, delirious or hard of hearing verbal communication could be misinterpreted. However there could also be barriers in the transfer of communication process as the Intensive Care environment in itself can cause communication barriers. Intensive Care can be noisy environment (Newmarch, 2006). Other barriers can simply include language barriers, fatigue, stress, distractions and jargon. Communication aids can promote effective communication between patient and clinician. Pen and paper is the simplest form of non verbal communication for those with adequate strength (Newmarch, 2006). Weakness of patients can affect the movement of hands and arms making gestures and handwriting frustration and difficult. Patients may also be attached to monitors and infusions resulting in restricted movements which can lead to patients feeling trapped and disturbed (Ashw orth, 1980). MacAulay (2010) mentions that Intensive Care nurses are highly skilled at anticipating the communication needs of patients who are trying to communicate but find the interpretation of their communication time consuming and difficult. The University of Dundee (ICU-Talk, 2010) conducted a three year multi disciplinary study research project to develop and evaluate a computer based communication aid specifically designed for Intensive Care patients. The trial is currently ongoing, however this may become a breakthrough in quick and effective patient clinical and patient relative communication in future care. This assignment has explored communication within Intensive Care and reflected upon previous experiences. Communication involves both verbal and non verbal communication in order to communicate effectively in all situations. Researching this topic has highlighted areas in Intensive Care nursing which may be overlooked, for example ventilator alarms and general noise within a unit may feel like a normal environment for the clinians however for patients and relatives this may cause considerable amounts of concern. Simply giving explanations for such alarms will easily alleviate concerns and provide reassurance. From overall research (Alasad: 2004, Leigh: 2001, MacAuley, 2010: Craig, 2007) Intensive Care nurses believed communication with critically ill patients was an important part of their role however disappointedly some nurses perceived this as time consuming or of low importance when the conversation was one way (Ashworth, 1980). Further education within Intensive Care may be requ ired to improve communication and highlight the importance of communication at all times. Communication is key to ensuring patients receive quality high standard care from a multidisciplinary team, where all members appreciate the skills and contribution that others offer to improve patients care.

Designer Duties Arising from Health and Safety Legislation

Designer Duties Arising from Health and Safety Legislation Summary of designer duties determine any possible dangers that might arise when carrying out construction and maintenance in future find relevant solutions to deal with the hazards inform PSDP about significant control measures, design presumptions or remaining risks to ensure they are handled in the Safety and Health Plan collaborate with PSDP, PSCS and other designers responsible for existing safety and health plan or safety file follow the guidance from PSDP or PSCS remind client on the necessity of PSDP ensure project to be constructed is safe and will maintain safely besides fulfil the needs of health and safety legislation, according to the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 Defining design and designers Under the Regulations, design work includes the formation of drawings, particulars, specifications, calculations, the preambles and preliminaries of bills of quantities, where we can find specifications or other expressions of purpose from them, in accordance with which a project, or any part or component of a project, is to be carried out. The design process is the process of developing and preparing a design of a project from initial ideas up to a more precise specification, which often include different teams and fields at various stages throughout the project. Designers involve organisations or individuals who responsible for the design work of a project, including the design of temporary works. It is possible for them to make decisions that significantly reduce the hazards to safety and health when construction is on-going and during subsequent use and maintenance. Potential designers from various professions are: architects, civil and structural engineers, building services consultants, building surveyors, landscape architects and other design practices and individuals who assist or responsible for analysing, calculating, preparatory design work, designing, detailing, specifying and preparing bills of quantities for construction work; Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical and other related engineers who involved in the project; person who determine or modify a design, or who specify the application of certain work methods or specific materials, including client, temporary work designers, interior designers, specialist subcontractors who contribute to design work and construction materials selection Examples of temporary works are trench shoring, scaffolding, propping, working platforms, gangways and access stairs or ladders. Employers or the head of design team are designers. Areas of responsibility between various designers on a project should be outlined precisely to prevent any overlap or gaps, which cause confusion or even possible danger. The duties relating to safety and health of each designer can be formed after outlining scope of responsibility for designers. Duties of Designers According to Regulation 15(1), a designer is required to consider the general principles of prevention, relevant safety and health plan and safety file when working on design of a project. General Principles of Prevention Under Regulation 15(1), designers must consider the General Principles of Prevention that are found in Schedule 3 to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as well as other related Safety and Health Plan or Safety File. The Principles of Prevention are a hierarchy for reducing and eliminating risks. If applicable, the first thing to tackle in handling safety and health on construction projects at design stage is to reduce and eliminate risks. Designers should consider existing risks in certain areas of the project and relate any possible new hazards created by design process for workers in construction areas, end users and the public. General Principles of Prevention is used as a guide in reducing risks experienced during the construction process and after the project is completed. The measures in descending order of effectiveness are: risks prevention assessment of inevitable hazards dealing with risks on site adaptation of work to the person: working environment, equipment used for work, working systems, in order to prevent repetitive jobs and health risks adaptation of working place to technical development replacing risky elements, substances or working systems with those that less dangerous establishment of prevention policy related to safety, health and welfare at work that consider about technology, social factors, working organisation, environment and conditions prioritizing collective protective measures over individual protective measures providing appropriate training and guidance to employees Besides, designers should: identify any hazards in the design eliminate risks when applicable without introducing other higher risks evaluate and reduce residual hazards by using risk assessment process of the design and prioritizing collective protection supply relevant information so that other designers, contractors and the PSDP are aware of identified residual hazards and able to take action Designers should be aware of hazards that likely cause injury. They must assess design proposals critically at beginning, followed by throughout the design process, to identify the main construction safety and health issues, and include them into overall design process. The nature of risks varies depends on the type of project constructed. Designers should review the hazards before informing the PSDP when developing the design, especially for design and build contracts, where there is a large overlap in time between designing main elements of a project and the construction stage. Designers are recommended to participate in some safety and health meetings between the PSDP, PSCS, and contractor. Designers may have direct influence, and should consider other design considerations such as: choosing position and design of structures to prevent or minimise risks from known site hazards, e.g. buried services, traffic movements, contaminated ground minimise health hazards, e.g. use less hazardous materials, prevent activities that emit dangerous substances, use materials can be handled easily, design block paved areas and access areas minimise safety hazards, e.g. work at height, fragile roof site, public areas or on motorways, flammable materials; apply prefabrication to minimise dangerous work or in a controlled manner prevent hazardous aspects that cause falling or injury if work at height is unavoidable, e.g. install permanent access in the beginning; apply edge protection work on attempts that simplify the construction process, e.g. provide lifting points, weight and centre of gravity for heavy items on the items and drawings; consider temporary works needed; end bearings to slabs or beams that end-propping temporarily; design connections to ensure accuracy of assembly design to simplify maintenance and cleaning jobs in future, e.g. concern on safe permanent access; create access areas for future maintenance; utilise windows that can be cleaned from indoor; design safe plant rooms; create safe access for roof Providing Information According to Regulation 15(b), a designer requires to supply all related information in written form to project supervisors in order for them to conduct their duties. The details provided should be up-to-date so that the PSDP able to coordinate activities of designers involved in the project besides ensure the effectiveness of communication between PSCS and other duty-holders. Moreover, designers should provide relevant information on the design features that might cause risks in future construction work or maintenance. It will then be included into the Safety File by the PSDP. Completing design certificates is a way of recording agreement with these duties and keeping record of different stages throughout the design process. This ensure the safety of works carried out at different stages, besides help in design examination and communication of design assumptions between various designers. Other method can also be used as an alternative for communication, record and verification of information related to the project. This will help the PSDP to fulfil his or her co-ordination role, and will also demonstrate the designers compliance with the legislation. It is recommended that a permanent works designer should complete a permanent works design certificate with respect to the adequacy, in the context of safety and health, of their design. A permanent works designer is recommended to complete a permanent works design certificate related to the adequacy, in line with safety and health, of their design. Temporary works designers and contractors should locate their temporary works design according to the assumptions made in loadings and construction sequence. The temporary works designer is recommended to complete a temporary works design certificate in order to supply sufficient information to all parties and ensure the structure can be built safely. Completed forms are handed over to the PSDP for verification in coordinating various designers. The forms are passed to the PSCS and other relevant person afterwards. Designer Co-operation Under the Regulation 15(2), designer is required to cooperate with the project supervisors for both design process and construction stage as well as other designers, to allow them to comply with these Regulations. This can be done in terms of supplying relevant information, attending meetings or reviewing designs in order to improve the features of safety and health on site. Besides, designers ought to supply information for the PSDP to compose a Safety File. The information provided include details about plants or materials specified in the building, design assumptions, and relative calculations for the functioning, maintenance, and possible extension of the building. Designers should also determine demolition risks to the PSDP for inclusion in the Safety and Health File, these include: substantial stored energy sources, including pre- or post-tensioned members stability demands; adjustments that altered the original structure Complying with Directions According to Regulation 15(c), designers should agree with all commands from the project supervisor for both design process and construction stage, which are expressed as stated in Regulation 14 or 20, when applicable. It is possible for the PSDP or PSCS to request any designer to achieve Designers duties, so that the Project Supervisor may accomplish own duties under Construction Regulations 2006. Designers have to fulfil any reasonable requests from the PSDP or PSCS, including issues related to General Principles of Prevention or coordinating design activities among different designers. However, it is not reasonable for designers to comply with directions that they not capable of doing, or not related and controlled by them, or legally constrained from doing. If a designer failed to carry out a direction from project supervisor, the project supervisor must issue the direction in written form. When PSDP considers the designer failed to complete a confirmed written direction, they need to inform the Health and Safety Authority, Client and the person who failed to comply with the direction, by including a copy of the written direction and relevant response from the person in accordance with the direction. Once the Health and Safety Authority carry out investigation, it usually determines whether the parties involved have complied with their legal duties, before any enforcement actions are taken. The Authority will not conduct any negotiation or judgement between the parties. When an investigation commences, a designer or Project Supervisor may express any additional responses to the instruction so that consideration is given to all relevant sides in the matter. Detailed Provision of information Under Regulation 15(3), a designer has to provide relevant information in written form to project supervisor immediately when working on design of a project. This information is: hazards to the safety, health and welfare of workers related to the project, including those stated in Schedule 1 to the Regulations The significant risks are: dangerous or flammable substances involved in the design (epoxy grouts, fungicidal paints, isocyanates materials) particular problems and solutions structures that affect accessibility huge, heavy or cumbersome prefabricated objects which are difficult and risky to handle works that cannot be achieved by normal methods of tying scaffolds aspects of design and sequences of constructing or disassembling that need to be noticeable at the design stage and significant to work safely unusual stability approaches includes the type and areas to be covered by the project to allow project supervisor complies with the Regulations relevant details for project supervisor to include in the safety file aware by the designer and the safe construction of design for the project Information given should be limited to project. In the context of structural stability, design is based on: particular erection or construction sequence setting up and removal of false work, interim propping or formwork as well as the arrangement loading restrictions during construction if contractor is not aware of the factors, designers (temporary or permanent works, specialist designers) should inform the PSCS, PSDP and contractors, to ensure construction proceeds safely according to the design intent If a structure became unstable due to certain reason, the temporary works to ensure stability during the construction, alteration, or demolition of any part of the structure will be the pertinent information. Other relevant designers should be informed as well in order for them to take appropriate measures in their design to accommodate safety, health and welfare. Making Clients Aware of their Duties Under Regulation 15(4), designers should provide information to a contractor if there is no appointed project supervisor for the project according to the Regulation 15(3). Regarding to the duties of Client, a Client has no legal obligation to assign Project Supervisors in some circumstances. In this context, a designer has to provide information required under Regulation 15(3) to the appropriate contractor. According to Regulation 15(5), designers should immediately inform the client of the clients duties under Regulation 6 when they are not aware of the appointment of project supervisor in design process. Does any other Legislation Apply? Any other duty-holders who responsible to oversee a work place have to ensure the preservation of the safety, health and welfare of workers at working site, as well as others who affected by the on-going work on site. Designers may have other responsibilities besides those stated in the Construction Regulations. Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and other related legal provisions will also apply. Section 17 (2) of the Act also requires a designer of construction work to ensure that the project: is designed and qualified to be constructed safely without risking ones health can be maintained safely without risking ones health when in use obeys all respects, as appropriate, of the relevant statutory provisions.

Birth Of Communication Essay -- essays research papers fc

Outline I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to reflect one’s own national and cultural identity to understand what is different among people of different nations. History teaches us that culture always changes because of internal or external influences, even our own cultures and values change over time. Our world today is a world in which people from different nations and cultures are getting closer and closer because of economical and political reasons. Because cultures are becoming closer, communication is the most important quality for anyone to work on if they want to work in the international society. The history of communication and the relationships that were formed in the early part of worldwide communication still reflect the relationships held between nations today. The question is how have cultural differences evolved as technology increased? Although many things have indeed changed in individual cultures and values, the knowledge of how communications work today can only be learned from studying communications of yesterday. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the turn of the century, Asia seemed very close because of â€Å"great modern inventions. However, the close feeling was only on communication terms. Culturally the effect of communication was a very complicated process. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although international communication was non-existent between distant countries only a few hundred years ago, cultural differences are accentuated today as an effect of communication technology. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Development of International Communication A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19th century Asian Culture B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19th century American Culture V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America meets new countries A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Talking to Asia B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thoughts of the world about the new player called America IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tensions A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Countries who became stronger or weaker (politically and economically) because of communication B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How did those who became stronger use communication to their advantage? (Politically) C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How the weaker countries reacted, and exposed themselves to the world as a culture. (If they did) V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ben... ...c: An Inner History of American-East Relations. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, 1967. Koester, Jolene, and Myron Lustig. Intercultural Communication and Competence. Vol 17.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  California: Sage Publications, 1993 Mancall, Mark. China at the Center: 300 Years of Foreign Policy. New York: The Free Press, 1984. Pong, David, and Edmund S.K. Fung, eds. Ideal and Reality: Social and Political Change in Modern China. Lanham: University press of America, 1985. Bibliography Fogel, Joshua A. The Cultural Dimension of Sino-Japanese Relations: Essays on the nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. NewYork: M.E. Sharpe, 1995. Chang, Gordon H. Friends and Enemies: The United States, China, and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1990. Carbaugh, Donal, ed. Cultural Communication and Intercultural Contact. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1990. Hart, Robert. The Eccentric Tradition: American Diplomacy in the Far East. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976. Fischer, Heinz-Dietrich, and John Calhoun Merrill, eds. International and Intercultural Communication. New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1970.

Sodium :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life could not exist without compounds of sodium. These compounds hold water in body tissues, and a severe deficiency of sodium can cause death. Blood contains sodium compounds in solution. Sodium compounds are used in industry in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, in metallurgy, in sodium vapor lamps, and in the production of hundreds of every day products. One of the most common sodium compounds is table salt, or sodium chloride. In its pure form sodium is a silver-white, soft and waxy metallic element. It is the sixth most abundant element on Earth and occurs in more that trace amounts in the stars and sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The secret that led to low-cost production was learned in 1789, when the French chemist Nicolas Leblanc discovered how to make soda out of common salt. The compound called soda is sodium carbonate. Crude sodium carbonate is called soda ash. The carbonate also combines with water in crystals known as washing soda, or sal soda. Soda is used in manufacturing soap, glass, dyestuffs, and explosives and as the basis for making other sodium compounds. Other sodium compounds, with some of their uses, are: baking soda(sodium bicarbonate), an ingredient of baking powder; borax (sodium borate), a food preservative; and caustic soda, or lye (sodium hydroxide), used in soapmaking. Some properties of sodium are: Symbol Na, Atomic Number 11, Atomic Weight 22.9898, Boiling Point 1,621.2 F, and Melting Point 208.06 F.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sodium belongs to the group of elements known as alkali metals. It is never found uncombined in nature and was first isolated by the English scientist Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. Lighter than water, pure sodium can be cut with a knife at room temperature and is brittle at low temperatures. It conducts heat and electricity easily and exhibits a photoelectric effect, that is, it emits electrons when exposed to light. In its pure form, sodium oxidizes