Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Distance Learning

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Distance Learning In the world of  online education, often known as distance learning, classes can be asynchronous or synchronous. What do those terms mean?  Knowing the difference between synchronous and asynchronous distance learning can help you choose a program that works best for your schedule, your learning styles and your education. Synchronous Distance Learning Synchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and pupils interact in different places but during the same time. Students enrolled in synchronous courses are generally required to log on to their computer during a set time at least once a week. Synchronous distance learning may include multimedia components such as group chats, web seminars, video conferencing and phone call-ins. Synchronous learning generally works best for students who can schedule set days and times for their studies. People who like structured courses heavy on student interaction often prefer synchronous learning. Asynchronous Distance Learning Asynchronous distance learning occurs when the teacher and the pupils interact in different places and during different times. Students enrolled in asynchronous courses are able to complete their work whenever they please. Asynchronous distance learning often relies on technology such as email, e-courses, online forums, audio recordings and video recordings. Snail mail is another medium for asynchronous learning. Students with complicated schedules often prefer asynchronous distance learning. It also tends to work well for self-motivated learners who do not need direct guidance to complete their assignments. Choosing the Right Type of Learning When trying to decide between synchronous and asynchronous courses, take your learning style and schedule into consideration. If you get lonely studying independently or feel more comfortable working closely with your professors, synchronous courses may be a better choice. If you are unable to commit to specific class times due to work or family obligations, asynchronous distance learning may be the way to go. Look into more on the pros and cons of the different types of learning.  Ã‚   Teaching in the Multiple  Environments Whether the distance learning environment is synchronous or asynchronous, the teachers goal continues to be putting forth a strong presence, even in an online course. A teacher who relies  on synchronous, asynchronous or a combination of communication approaches must still communicate clearly, frequently and effectively for students to derive the most from the educational experience.

Make Your Own Sugar Crystals for Rock Candy

Make Your Own Sugar Crystals for Rock Candy Its easy to grow your own sugar crystals, which are also known as rock candy because the crystallized sucrose, also known as table sugar, resembles rock crystals and you can eat your finished product. You can grow clear, beautiful sugar crystals with sugar and water or you can add food coloring to get colored crystals. Its simple, safe, and fun. Boiling water is required to dissolve the sugar, so adult supervision is recommended for this project. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: A few days to a week Rock Candy Ingredients 1 cup water3 cups table sugar (sucrose)clean glass jarpencil or butter knifestringpan or bowl for boiling water and  making the solutionspoon or stirring rod How to Grow Rock Candy Gather your materials.You might want to grow a seed crystal, a small crystal to weight your string and provide a surface for larger crystals to grow on. A seed crystal isnt necessary as long as youre using a rough string or yarn.Tie the string to a pencil or butter knife. If you have made a seed crystal, tie it to the bottom of the string. Set the pencil or knife across the top of the glass jar and make sure that the string will hang into the jar without touching its sides or bottom. However, you want the string to hang nearly to the bottom. Adjust the length of the string, if necessary.Boil the water. If you boil your water in the microwave, be very careful removing it to avoid getting splashed.Stir in the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time. Keep adding sugar until it starts to accumulate at the bottom of the container and wont dissolve even with more stirring. This means your sugar solution is saturated. If you dont use a saturated solution, then your crystals wont grow quickly. On the other hand, if you add too much sugar, new crystals will grow on the undissolved sugar and not on your string. If you want colored crystals, stir in a few drops of food coloring.Pour your solution into the clear glass jar. If you have undissolved sugar at the bottom of your container, avoid getting it in the jar.Place the pencil over the jar and allow the string to dangle into the liquid.Set the jar where it can remain undisturbed. If you like, you can set a coffee filter or paper towel over the jar to prevent dust from falling into the jar.Check on your crystals after a day. You should be able to see the beginnings of crystal growth on the string or seed crystal.Let the crystals grow until they have reached the desired size or have stopped growing. At this point, you can pull out the string and allow the crystals to dry. You can eat them or keep them.If youre having trouble growing sugar crystals, here are some special techniques and a video tutorial. Tips: Crystals will form on a cotton or wool string or yarn, but not on a nylon line. If you use a nylon line, tie a seed crystal to it to stimulate crystal growth.If youre making the crystals to eat, dont use a fishing weight to hold your string down. The toxic lead from the weight will end up in the water. Paper clips are a better choice, but still not great.

Greece - National Technological Infastructure Step 2 Research Paper

Greece - National Technological Infastructure Step 2 - Research Paper Example According to the 2009 estimates, 6,779 barrels of oil were produced everyday in the country’s reserves. The oil in the reserves is estimated to be about 10 million barrels. Consumption of oil is high at 414,400 barrels per day. The country also imports 553, 000 barrels of oil every day (CIA World Factbook, 2010). Natural gas is also another source of the country’s energy and power, according to the World Factbook. There are several natural gas reserves in Greece which have an estimated 1.982 billion cu m of natural gas. The production rate of natural gas from these reserves is at 9 million cu m per year. The annual consumption of the same is at 3.528 billion cu m, which is way above the production level. This has made the Greek government to include the importation of 3.556 billion cu m of natural gas to take care of the deficit. Greece has also embarked on an ambitious program to increase the use of natural gas in different industries. One of the main energy development projects is the National Gas System (ESFA) which facilitates the transportation of natural gas in different regions in the country. Going by the present trends in the Greece energy and power sector, natural gas is increasingly becoming a common feature in industries, residential areas and in the commercial and public services sector. However, oil continues to account for more than half of all of the country’s energy and power usage. The transport and industry sector are the major consumers of oil in Greece. Electricity is also quite reliable in the commercial and public services sector as is the use of wind power in the smaller industries. There are plans to have wind power to account for about 15% of the country’s energy needs by the end of this year (World Factbook, 2010). The communications system in Greece is characterized by a network of landline telephones as well as mobile cellular communication. Greece has about 5.975 million main telephone lines which are in active

Contemporary ethical issues of Euthanasia Research Paper

Contemporary ethical issues of Euthanasia - Research Paper Example Abrahamic religion teaches us that God is the only person who can take life away. Meaning that God is the one who owns you and it is up to him to decide when you are going to die. Christians have no option than to painfully prolong their life until death occurs naturally. If the patient is a Christian, then his religion teaches him that he should fear God and should not consider Euthanasia as an option. The religion also teaches that life is a gift from God and therefore sustaining and terminating it is under his control. ‘Christians believe that life is more that the existence of biology and a human being has a soul t within his body and therefore, death releases his soul to eternal destiny. In Exodus 20: 13 and 1 John 3:15, they explain that life is by God’s choice and therefore, the cessation of life is also by his design. According to these scriptures we believe that it is morally wrong to take the life of another human being. However, the society is becoming more pe rverse in relation to the sacredness of life. With abortion being legalized, the ensuing view of life is also reaching at its low level, where by, the right to die option has come up, as well as dying with pride and other models dealing with value and quality of life are slowly dominating the thinking of our humanity. (Young, 2010). One debatable concept that has come is euthanasia, deliberately ending the life of an individual who is suffering from incurable or painful disease. The request for euthanasia can either be voluntary or non-voluntary. The person responsible for the patient can also make a decision on behalf of the patient. This is morally unacceptable and secondly it is murder. Passive euthanasia or withholding the life of a new born through starvation or similarly withholding the life of an extremely ill patient is also referred to as euthanasia (Rachels, 2005). From the acceptable medical related euthanasia, it is one of the step to eliminate the financial or social burden from individuals who are responsible for the terminally ill patient, such death is short of murder and should therefore, not be accepted in a society. Additionally, there are social implications of euthanasia for example, the elderly, sick, handicapped and above all the life in its own way. The study of Abrahamic religions explains that the disposition of every life is more than sacred and cannot be entrusted to the control of human beings. It should be left in the hands of the almighty, putting in mind that God is the doer of all things (Young, 2010). 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 state that human beings are the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in every human being, and has God and not their

In A Time Of War Poem Essay Example for Free

In A Time Of War Poem Essay The title of Rothenbergs poem In a Time of War seems to encapsulate the poems subject-matter, written with uncomplicated words of the English vocabulary makes the poem stand out in a stark manner. This method is used by Rothenberg to illustrate to readers exactly how he sees war, as it is. One outstanding feature of this poem is its structure. Rothenberg appears to want to isolate the first stanza from the rest of the poem. At a closer reading, the first stanza is concerned with the poets thoughts of war, while it is taking place, whereas the remaining stanzas talk about his feelings on the notion of war, irregardless of whether it is occurring or not. This distinction is further enhanced by the language and degree of imagery of the stanzas. Note that in stanza one, there is more emphasis on description, with the constant use of pastoral imagery, daisies wilt and the war sucks up the dew. The mood generated from it, is dark, gloomy and miserable. However, reading on, the mood apparently lightens up, especially from stanza three. The word love begins to appear. The pastoral imagery transforms to a more hopeful state, a love that floats like butterflies and flowers in the endless night. Rothenberg is probably telling the reader that all is not lost, even a year of war wont hide or tame [moon acacia water lily star]. There is hence, no predominant gloomy mood or atmosphere to this poem as there is a shift from a state of hopelessness to one with some optimism present. Even so, we cannot overlook the fact that Rothenberg is saying that since we can move on from the aftermath of war, we can then take war lightly. The poet, apart from telling readers not to lose faith when war comes, is also signaling to us that war [is] waiting in the gateway to the hive. The lesson Rothenberg is conveying to the readers that war may strike us anytime, and so we should prevent it at all costs if not things might return to how he describes it in stanza one. The structure of stanza one consists of many short lines, even a word alone  constitutes a line as seen in the tenth line nightingales. Rothenberg compels the reader to pay attention to each and every line. He wants us to feel, as closely as possible of the horrific experiences that war can bring out. Wars sometimes take decades before it ends and the literal length of the stanza symbolizes this. And yet, as we move on the next stanzas, lengthwise, they grow shorter and the lack of commas causes the reader to move from one stanza to the next rather swiftly until we approach stanza seven where Rothenberg cautions us of the unpredictability of war. And if we fail to take his advice in hand, we return to the state that stanza one illustrates. The poem may have ended with stanza seven, but Rothenberg has cleverly twisted it. A vicious cycle is formed, if humans refuse to prevent war, another war will always emerge. The poem is overall an excellent portrayal of the world in a time of war.

Redwall Book Report Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redwall is about a young mouse named Matthias. He lived in an abbey called Redwall. Redwall was a nice, peaceful place until a rat called Cluny the Scourge came with his horde and tried to take it over. The night before the citizens of Redwall knew that Cluny was coming, Matthias and Brother Alf had caught a giant fish that was big enough to feed all of the animals inside of Redwall so they had a big feast. When Matthias and Constance the badger were taking some of the animals who lived outside of the abbey home, they saw Cluny and his horde rolling past in a hay cart so they went back to the abbey to warn everyone. Cluny took one of the empty houses to use as his camp site until he took over the abbey. The Abbot agreed to meet with Cluny to see what he wanted but Cluny wanted Redwall to use as his fortress. Cluny said that the citizens of Redwall could surrender or die. The Abbot Refused to surrender and Cluny left to think of a way to capture the abbey. On his way out of the abbey, Cluny saw a tapestry of Martin the warrior. Cluny had a nightmare about Martin that night which made Cluny scared. Cluny had one of his men called Shadow try to sneak in to Redwall and try and steal the tapestry. Shadow is a half ferret, half rat and is completely black. Shadow snuck in without any problem but Matthias got in the way and ended up pushing Shadow off of the abbey wall. Cluny was waiting at the bottom and he got the tapestry of Martin and left Shadow to die. Matthias snuck out to steal the tapestry back from Cluny. On his way he met Basil the rabbit. Basil told Matthias he would help Matthias get the Tapestry back. Matthias snuck past the guards and Basil ran around the guards to get them away from the tents. Matthias heard someone calling for help in one of the tents so he went to find out who it was. It was the vole family. They had been missing since Cluny came. Matthias had to help them escape instead of finding the tapestry. While Matthias was out attempting to get the tapestry back, Cluny had launched his first attack against Redwall. Cluny’s horde tried attacking the abbey by slinging rocks at the mice on the wall and shooting arrows at them. The rats were losing horribly so Cluny came up with another plan. He had some of his army climb up a tree that was high enough for them to get up onto the wall. The oldest mouse in Redw... ...giving out meals to the soldiers on the wall, she saw the siege tower pop out of the forest right next to the wall. She was surprised and accidentally threw her lamp onto to the tower which sent it up into flames. All the rats ran back to their camp. Cluny had captured a family of field mice and sent the father in to unlock the abbey’s gates. If he refused, Cluny would kill his family. The guards let him in and later during the night, the father field mouse unlocked the gate. All of Cluny’s horde snuck into Redwall and tied everyone up. Just as Cluny was going to kill the Abbot, Matthias came back with one thousand sparrow warriors and five hundred of the Guerrilla Union of Shrews. Matthias fought with Cluny and ended up cutting the abbey’s big bell and it fell on Cluny. The sparrows and the Guerrilla Union of Shrews had more than enough animals to defeat the rats. Cluny had mortally wounded Abbot Mortimor and he was dying. Before he died he said that Brother Alf would become the next Abbot, Matthias would become the champion of Redwall and Matthias would marry Cornflower. All of those things happened and Matthias and Cornflower had a baby named Mattimeo. Kevin Frasier 4/17/05

Inclusive Learning

Contents Contents1 Introduction2 Findings3 What is Inclusive Learning? 3 Learning Environment4 Access for all4 Inclusive Learning in Initial Assessment6 Inclusive learning in the classroom6 Assessment9 Conclusion10 Bibliography12 ? A critical evaluation of the principles and practice of Inclusive Learning within XXXXXX XXXXXX. Introduction XXXXXX XXXXXX is a registered charity offering work based learning programmes to young adults.Within my role as Advanced Teaching Practitioner, I am responsible for curriculum design, monitoring teaching, staff training and mentoring, quality assurance and learner achievement in addition to my role as a Basic Skills Tutor. Before analysing current practices, I have gained the consent from those directly involved. In order to assess current inclusive learning principles and practices of the organisation, I need to increase my understanding of inclusive learning for my own Continued Professional Development (CPD).I need to reflect of my own practices and the practices of others and evaluate the service provided. Findings What is Inclusive Learning? Inclusive learning can be defined as ‘the greatest degree of match or fit between the individual learners’ requirements and the provision that is made for them’ (FEFC, 1996, p2). Inclusive teaching means recognising, accommodating and meeting the learning needs of all students and being aware of their individual needs. It is about identifying the reasonable adjustment that can be made without it having a negative impact of the teaching and learning of others.Open University Press (2006) defines inclusive learning as ‘acknowledging your students have a range of individual needs and are members of diverse communities. Inclusive teaching avoids pigeonholing students into specific groups with predictable and fixed approaches to learning’. It is important to consider the need to be proactive as opposed to being reactive. To practice inclusive learning, act ions need to be taken prior to students commencing the process.The Tomlinson report 1996 states: ‘Re-designing learning, assessment and organisations to fit objectives and learning styles may mean introducing new content to courses, adapting access or both. This approach is quite different from offering courses and then giving students with difficulties some additional human or physical aids to participate. ’ Under the Special Education Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) 2001, all educational establishments must not treat students less favourably than others and make reasonable adjustments to ensure that their learners are not substantially disadvantaged.Learning Environment An accessible and safe learning environment is vital for inclusive learning to take place. The premises that XXXXXX XXXXXX occupy are located on the second and third floor of a listed building. There are no lifts and there is a staircase leading up to the main reception. Under the Disability Discrimin ation Act, there is a requirement to make reasonable adjustment to be able to ensure those students with a mobility disability are not excluded. XXXXXXhave made contingency plans whereby they use the premises within a local college as and when required.SENDA 2001 states that students should be able to access all services provided for other students. In this case, the local college offers all the facilities and services we offer our students. Taking this into consideration, reasonable adjustments have been made. Access for all In order to give strategic direction to inclusive learning, Smith and Armstrong (2005, p1) state ‘providers need to adopt a co-ordinated approach to inclusive learning, working with different groups, genders and levels of learners’. These is achieved ongoing within XXXXXX XXXXX.There is no discrimination on the grounds of gender or sexual orientation within XXXXXX XXXXXX and therefore XXXXXXcomply with all aspects of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 . Our learners come from mixed race, religion and in order to ensure that we accommodate these learners, all staff receive multifaith calendars to ensure that they can manage their learning over religious or cultural holidays. As we are funded for a 14-19 age provision, we cannot offer learning to anyone outside this age range. This is a limitation by DCELLS.Should anyone outside this age range require the same type of education and training, there are other training providers where they can be signposted. McGivney (2003) guidelines suggest that people with disabilities, ex-offenders, low paid unqualified workers, male manual workers, unemployed groups, rural residents, women with young children, homeless and those from ethnic minority groups may have problems in participating in organised learning activities. (DCSF, 2008) states ‘9% of young people aged 16-19 are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).As part of the ‘Every Child Matters Agenda’ their aim is to break down the barriers to achievement and provide opportunities for those disengaged from learning. This agenda intends to ensure that programmes have been set up to identify children and young adults at risk and promote early intervention. According to the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper ‘those with learning difficulties are twice as likely to become NEET’. XXXXXX XXXXXX have recently established street based youth work teams; across communities in south Wales, working with partner organisations to engage some of the hardest to reach young people; nd to progress them onto positive development opportunities in their own communities. The current teams are a pilot and are hoping to expand the project into other geographic and sector communities. XXXXXX XXXXXX are also establishing links to deliver full and part time extended curriculum services in schools for 14-18 year olds across Wales, providing support for young people in the youth justice system; estab lishing a youth drop in facilities at many centres and expanding the street based youth work.XXXXXXare also in community cohesion work particularly in areas with a large European migrant youth communities and those with a migrant non-welsh speaking community within Welsh speaking indigenous communities. XXXXXXis piloting development of youth volunteering in under-represented groups. Taking all this into consideration, it shows the effort that is being made in order to provide inclusive learning to those students who are at risk of becoming NEET. Inclusive Learning in Initial Assessment According to Green and Bartram 1998, p7) ‘Early and effective assessment of students’ requirements is critical to the concept of inclusive learning.There are three stages to the initial assessment process within the organisation. Prior to a learner joining they go through an initial assessment process. This begins with an informal interview following an endorsement from Careers Wales. In this interview, it allows the organisation time to carry out an informal assessment and identify individual learning needs. On entry, basic skills initial assessments and a VARK learning styles questionnaire are completed. From this process, an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is written that is specific to the needs of the learner which will identify individual goals.Green and Bartram (1998. p10) outline that in order to achieve best practice; there should be ‘a common and shared understanding of the purpose of initial assessment’. Through discussion with staff and observations of the initial assessment process, it is evident that this there is a thorough initial assessment process which allows many opportunities to identify any individual needs and preferences. Following this process, if a learner is identified as having a literacy or numeracy need, diagnostic assessment is carried out.Learners have the opportunity to do these either by paper based methods or using Info rmation Technology (IT). The results of this assessment then produce an Individual Learning Plan that is specific to the learners literacy and/or numeracy needs and takes into consideration any special arrangements that may be required. Inclusive learning in the classroom If there has been an individual need identified through initial assessment, it is at this point XXXXXX XXXXXX are reactive as appose to being proactive. For those with physical disabilities, arrangements are made to support them.As previously discussed there is a lack of facilities within the centres to support learners with a disability affecting mobility and this is taken into consideration when careers signpost learners. Apart from this, Rooms are bright, well ventilated and are small enough to be able to accommodate those with minor hearing or visual impairments. When considering students who are deaf and hard of hearing, XXXXXXdo not have a strategy in place for dealing with those who require specialist suppor t including lip speakers, sign language interpreters and speech to text reporters.Although many learners who require this support often plan their own support requirements. To ensure inclusion in the classroom, it should be considered when planning lessons. Once the aims and objectives have been decided, it is then important to consider the needs and previous experiences of the learners’. At this stage, you can consider if there are any adjustments that can be made to ensure that the lesson is inclusive Open University Press (2006). This could be large print handouts, varied teaching strategies, practical tasks as appose to written, aural or visual methods and where possible, taking into account multi sensory learning.When carrying out questioning in the classroom, there was very good use of reinforcement techniques to consolidate learning. Although tutors encouraged all members of the group to participate, this was done in such a way that no learners felt uncomfortable. When this was necessary (e. g. a speaking and listening task) it was managed in a positive way to recognise individual needs. If learners need support with basic skills, subject specific tutors (NVQ, Key Skills) liaise with the Basic Skills Tutor to organise extra support in addition to their literacy and/or numeracy classes.If the learner has a learning difficulty that affects concentration, extra comfort breaks can be given and short activities should also be planned that vary in teaching strategy to keep learners engaged. At present, DCELLS are working towards converged basic and key skills. This initiative should have encourage a more standard approach as qualifications will be delivered in a different training and staff will be required to update their CPD. Practices vary depending on the experience of individual tutors within XXXXXX XXXXXX.When observing a key skills session, a tutor suggested to her group that it would be advantage to take notes whilst completing practical activi ties. On her lesson plan, she had shown inclusive practices by suggesting a Basic Skills Tutor could offer support with both reading and note taking if required. In terms of the use of classroom assistants or support workers, this is the only instance that in class support is offered due to staffing levels within the organisation. The majority of tutors promote equal opportunities practices by having notes available at the end of the lesson for all learners.Others show inclusive learning techniques by issuing gapped handouts at the beginning of the lesson to support those with individual needs. This later method allows those learners who have lack of confidence in groups, those with hearing difficulties or partial sight a greater chance of achieving the objectives set from the lesson. Experienced staff uses assistive technology in the classroom such as coloured acetate, worksheets on coloured paper or magnifying equipment to support learners when reading books, but once again staff training is needed to ensure consistency throughout the organisation.Smith and Armstrong (2005) suggest providers should make sure that CPD and staff training supports structures and systems implemented to deliver the inclusive learning agenda. Through discussion with staff, it is evident that staff members have little knowledge of how to support learners with Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and other learning and behavioural needs. Therefore staff CPD needs to be updated and staff training offered. Having observed a selection of basic skills sessions, I have seen differentiation being managed very well within the classroom.There are isolated cases where worksheets have been the main teaching strategy due to the diverse nature of the group but the main reason for this is the need for staff development and training. Within sessions, individuals show good inclusive learning techniques when giving feedback. They are constructive and give praise for what has been done well and avoid being negative to learners. For those who have physical disabilities, there is IT equipment available such as specialist mouse and the ability to increase the font size on the majority of programmes used.If there is a need for out of class support, this is also available from the training assessors responsible for the individual learners. Individual training assessors are encouraged to spend time with all learners to build a rapport and encourage them to discuss any individual learning needs. These persons are trained to signpost for guidance and counselling if required. Assessment Once learning has taken place, there are various methods of assessment that are used. Within basic skills, learners are given a choice of completing assignments which are paper based or tests that can be taken using IT.For those who have to submit a portfolio, they are given the option of using IT to produce their work. There are also dictaphones avai lable to record case studies, professional discussions or oral questioning as appose to written questions. These strategies in place show differentiation for individual needs are being considered. As well as the usual methods of assessment, learners also get a review which is carried out every four weeks. In this review, their progress is monitored and feedback is given on their performance.The Tomlinson Report (1996) shows us that monitoring progress and providing effective feedback contributes to effective inclusive teaching. Within their basic skills support sessions, further feedback is also given as part of their literacy/numeracy ILP. All learners at the end of their visits are given a Training And Support Log (TASL) which gives them feedback on any work produced. Conclusion Following this investigation, I have reached the conclusion that the organisation is reactive as appose to proactive with regard to inclusive learning.As a training provider, XXXXXX XXXXXX are genuinely no n-selective about the learners who complete a programme. Many of the learners face a number of obstacles to engaging in learning including low educational attainment, a lack of basic and/or personal skills, caring obligations, homelessness, lack of self belief, confidence and self worth. Despite this, over 70% of the young people that are supported leave with a positive outcome. The 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper state that 12. 5% of the NEET group have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.If XXXXXXtraining wishes to continue aiming to offer inclusive learning and reduce this NEET cohort, there is a need to train staff by offering CPD in inclusive learning and ways of developing an inclusive learning strategy within the learner process. There are different teaching approaches within the organisation. (Tilstone et al. ,1998, p. 6) states ‘a key issue in promoting inclusive practice must be a reappraisal of the training provided to teachers and other professionalsâ €™ From my observations, I feel that this is an accurate assumption to make.I have been able to observe many sessions over a period of time and have seen that tutors need training on how to incorporate inclusive learning strategies within their lesson plan. Smith and Armstrong (2005) also discuss how providers should establish a strategy for sharing best practice within an organisation. XXXXXXhave meetings for every subject route on a quarterly basis. Although this is an excellent way of sharing best practice, inclusive learning should be listed as an agenda item to ensure that it gets the attention it requires.Although everything is done during the learner process to ensure that equal opportunities and diversity are managed, XXXXXXhave a bullying and harassment procedure in place and also a grievance procedure that prospective, current and past learners can instigate if they wish. From carrying out research into inclusive learning within XXXXXX XXXXXX, it has been shown that on the whole, a lot of work goes in to meeting the individual needs of the learner and offering a positive learner experience.Having now completed this research, it has made me aware of the financial restraints of the organisation. I feel that I will carry out my role as ATP differently when training staff and mentoring. When working towards curriculum design, I will also ask myself the question â€Å" How can I make it more inclusive? † and from this, I feel that this has played a big part in my CPD. Bibliography †¢ACCESS UNIT. (2006, December 18). Access Unit – Making Information Accessible to Disabled Students. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from University of Bristol: http://www. ristol. ac. uk/accessunit/disabilityinfo/accessible33. html †¢ADAMS, M. , & BROWN, S. (2006). Towards Inclusive Learning in Higher Education. London: Routledge . †¢BLOOMER, M. , & HODKINSON, P. (1997). Moving into FE: The voice of the learner. London: Further Education Developmen t Agency (FEDA). †¢CLOUGH, P. (1998). Managing Inclusive Education. From Policy to Experience. London: Sage. †¢CSIE. (2008, April 30). About Inclusion. Retrieved December 15, 2008, from Centre For Studies On Inclusive Education: http://inclusion. uwe. ac. uk/csie/csiefaqs. htm †¢DCSF . 2008, July 02). Education, Training, Employment. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from Department for Children, Schools and Families. http://www. dcsf. gov. uk/14-19/index. cfm? go=home&sid=26 †¢Every Child Matters: (2008, July 02) Change for children: Retrieved December 15, 2008, from Every Child Matters http://www. everychildmatters. gov. uk/ete/ †¢FEFC. (1996). Inclusive FE: Report of the Further Education Funding Council Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities Committee CSIE Summary. Bristol: Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE). †¢GREEN, M. . (1998). Initial Assessment To Identify Learning Needs. London: Further Education Development Agency (FEDA). †¢L EARNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. (2002). Access For All. London: DFES. †¢MCGIVNEY, V. (2003). Working With Excluded Groups. Leicester: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. †¢OPEN UNIVERSITY PRESS . (2006, December 30). Inclusive Teaching. Retrieved December 12, 2008, from Open University Press: http://www. open. ac. uk/inclusiveteaching †¢SMITH, V. , & ARMSTRONG, A. (2005). Beyond Prejudice; Inclusive Learning in Practice.London: Learning and Skills Development Agency. †¢TILSTONE, C. , FLORIAN, L. , & ROSE, R. (1998). Promoting Inclusive Practice. London: Routledge Falmer. †¢WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT. (2008, September 29). Delivering Skills that Work for Wales: A new approach to adult community learning. Consultation Document 057/2008 . Caerphilly: Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. †¢What is SENDA 2001? (2007, January 22). Retrieved December 13, 2008, from Hobo: http://www. hobo-web. co. uk/tips/12. htm

Evolution of Management Thinking Essay

It was an era where so many alterations in the world Economy took place. In the closing decades of the 19th century there was a quest of seeking innovative ways to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The Scientific Management Theory initiated on the basis of that. In this period of time crafts production was substituted by large factories in which a lot of technical revolutions have been taking place. The owners and managers were not capable of coping to these challenges therefore they hunted for advanced techniques to overcome this situation. As a solution the concepts of Job Specialization and division of labour came about. In this scenario workers who specialized in their respective tasks became more skilled. The Scientific Management Theory Fredrick W. Taylor was the architecture of the concept Scientific Management, â€Å"The systematic study of relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process to increase efficiency†. It was believed that the most effective and efficient division of labour could best be determined by the concept of Scientific Management. There were four core principles in this concept. * Investigation and experimentation on organization performance * Codification of new methods/standards * Selection of employees according to codified standards * Establishing a level of performance and a pay system with rewards In 1910 most of the organizations were using this concept but selectively. Even though there was an increase in performance some disputes about this concept lead to an increase in trade union involvement. There were some major issues in this concept. * Availability of fewer jobs * Job dissatisfaction * Distrust among employees and employers. Some organizations redesigned the principles according to their vision. For example introduction of moving conveyer belts in Henry Ford’s factory can be taken in to consideration. However these approaches were not able to solve the emerged issues. Nevertheless Taylor’s work had a lasting effect on management production systems. Frank Gilbreth and Lillian Gilbreth who were the successors of Taylor studied how the working environment influences the performance of the employees. They made a heavy contribution in time-and-motion study. They demonstrated that by following arrangements organizations can solve their issues effectively. * Breaking up each job action into its components. * Finding better ways to perform the action. * Reorganizing each job action to be more efficient Administrative Management Theory Researchers attempted to discover how to create an organizational structure that leads to high efficiency and effectiveness. Theory of Bureaucracy was developed by Max Weber as a succession of these researches. Bureaucracy is basically a formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. There were several principles in this theory. Weber identified several factors there should be in a bureaucracy system. Simultaneously Henry Fayol identified 14 principles that should be vital to increasing the efficiency of the management process according to his perspective. These studies of Fayol and Weber laid the foundation of modern management theory. Behavioural Management Theory This is the study of how managers should behave in order to motivate employees and encourage them to strive towards high levels of performance as an organization. In the previous theory there wasn’t a major concern about the employee viewpoint. Thus Mary Farker Follett explained why it is important to think about the human side of management. According to the studies of Follett managers should behave as coaches and facilitators –not as monitors and supervisors and the importance of direct inter communication between managers of different departments to make speedy decisions. She also promoted the concept of â€Å"cross functioning† which has been used in a great scale at present. Hawthorne effect is the discovery that a manager’s behaviour and leadership approach can affect the level of performance of employees. From this study emerged the concept of human relations movement. It is basically how the supervisors should be behaviourally trained to spice up worker’s motivation, cooperation and increase their productivity. Informal organization is one of the implications of Hawthorne effect. This is the system of behavioural rules and norms that come out in a group. The study of factors that have an impact on how individuals and groups react to in organizations has been identified as the organizational behaviour. Apart from these mentioned here the most significant approach was developed by Douglas McGregor. He supposed two different sets of assumptions which were named as Theory X and Theory Y. Management Science Theory This is a modern extension of Scientific Management Theory in this approach describes how precise quantitative techniques can be used in order to make the best use of organizational resources. Quantitative management emphasises on how arithmetic can be manipulated to achieve best practises in inventory and financial capital control. Operations management presents a set of techniques that can be utilized to improve production efficiency Total quality management focuses on the art of how the whole can be managed to achieve excellence. Management information systems provide the managers with adequate information about internal and external events of an organization to effective decision making. Organizational Environment Theory This is the set of conditions and forces that functions externally to the organization but affect a manger’s capability to acquire and utilize resources. This clearly stresses on how important it is to study the environment. The open systems theory and contingency theory developed in 1960 ascertains the importance of the importance of studying the environment. The Open –Systems View This is a system where external resources are acquired and converted into goods and services then sent back to customers for purchasing. And the cycle carries on. This system is considered as an open system. Organizations which use a closed system are likely to experience entropy, the tendency of a system to lose its ability to control itself and thus to dissolve and collapse. Contigency Theory It discloses that there is no best way to organize therefore characteristics of the environment affect an organization’s ability to obtain resources. Types of structures Above describes the differences between the structures. In conclusion managers in a Mechanistic structure can obtain inputs at a lower cost preferably in a stable environment and managers in an organic environment can react more quickly in a rapidly changing environment. These contributions constructed the foundation of modern management theories. References: New Era of Management Concepts and Applications 2nd Edition Richard L. Daft, Vanderbilt University Contemporary Management fifth edition Gareth R. Jones, Texas A & M University Jennifer M. George, Rice University

Cómo renovar pasaporte americano para adultos y niños

Cà ³mo renovar pasaporte americano para adultos y nià ±os Los ciudadanos estadounidenses deben renovar a tiempo su pasaporte porque necesitan estar en posesià ³n de su vlido pasaporte para viajar al extranjero y regresar a EEUU,   salvo casos muy especiales  en los que se admiten otro tipo de documentos. Adems, para viajes de Canad, Mà ©xico, Bermudas hacia EEUU es suficiente para los ciudadanos tener una Tarjeta de pasaporte (Passport Card,) siempre y cuando la entrada se realice por tierra o por mar, no por aeropuerto. Los requisitos para renovarla son los mismos pero es ms econà ³mica. En este artà ­culo se informa sobre los tres posibles casos que se dan para renovar el pasaporte americano, de quà © debe saberse antes de solicitarla y de quà © documentos pueden utilizarse para acelerar el paso en los controles migratorios. 3 casos de renovacià ³n de pasaporte americano Hay que distinguir entre tres posibles situaciones y cada persona debe seguir las reglas que le aplican segà ºn lo siguiente: cuando la persona que renueva tiene ms de 16 aà ±os y puede renovar por correo,  tanto en USA como cuando se encuentra en otro paà ­s.Cuando no se puede renovar por correo y hay que personarse para la solicitud, aà ºn cuando se tiene ms de 16 aà ±os.Los casos de nià ±os menores de 16 aà ±os, para los que aplican reglas especiales, tanto dentro de Estados Unidos como fuera. Renovacià ³n del pasaporte americano por correo Para estar capacitado para solicitar la renovacià ³n por correo es necesario cumplir todas y cada una de las siguientes condiciones: El pasaporte actual està © en buen estado y puede ser enviado con la solicitudFue emitido cuando su titular era mayor de 16 aà ±osFue emitido hace menos de 15 aà ±osEl pasaporte actual est en buen estadoEst al nombre actual de su titular o puede demostrar con un documento legal su cambio de nombre El titular del pasaporte que solicita la renovacià ³n puede encontrarse en Estados Unidos o en el extranjero. En este à ºltimo caso, verificar con la pgina del consulado porque puede haber reglas distintas segà ºn el lugar. Para solicitar la renovacià ³n debe completarse el formulario DS-82 en la computadora o a a manualmente con tinta negra y asegurarse de firmarlo. Adems, una fotografà ­a de pasaporte tomada en los à ºltimos seis meses debe unirse al documento DS-82 en el espacio habilitado para ello. En el caso de encontrarse fuera de los Estados Unidos, asegurarse de cumplir las reglas de medidas de la foto que, en muchos casos, son diferentes a las que aplican en otros lugares. Es fundamental respetar las medidas que se piden en el formulario DS-82 y que aparecen claramente indicadas. Adems del formulario DS-82 debidamente cumplimentado, firmado y con fotografà ­a deben enviarse los siguientes documentos: El pasaporte ms reciente. Se regresar ms tarde en un paquete diferente al el que se envà ­a el pasaporte nuevo.Si el nombre del titular ha cambiado, una copia certificada del certificado de matrimonio o de la orden de la corte.El pago de las correspondientes tasas. Se debe pagar con una money order o con un cheque. Nunca envà ­e dinero. Si se est en el extranjero, leer detenidamente los tipos de cheque que se admiten y tambià ©n la cantidad exacta ya que puede estar cambiada a la moneda local. Tambià ©n fijarse en el nombre exacto que debe aparecer en la parte de a quià ©n es pagadero el cheque. Se recomienda enviar por correo certificado a la direccià ³n que aparece en el formulario y que es diferente segà ºn se trate de una tramitacià ³n ordinaria o urgente, si se est en el interior de Estados Unidos.Si se est en el exterior, se envà ­a a la Embajada o al Consulado que corresponda. En cuanto al tiempo de tramitacià ³n, generalmente se tarda entre 3 y seis semanas y ms pero puede pagarse una tarifa para acelerar el proceso  si se est dentro de Estados Unidos.  Si existiera una urgencia para obtener el pasaporte, se puede acudir a una Agencia autorizada. Cuando se est en el extranjero y existe una emergencia por la que es necesario viajar a Estados Unidos, es posible contactar con una embajada o consulado, demostrar la emergencia y recibir un documento para viajar que tiene una fecha limitada en el caso de tener el pasaporte expirado. En este caso, vez que se realiza el viaje, hay que solicitar un pasaporte regular bien dentro de Estados Unidos o en el extranjero. Cundo un adulto no puede solicitar la renovacià ³n del pasaporte por correo No se puede aplicar por correo para renovar el pasaporte americano cuando no cumplen con todos y cada uno de los los requisitos seà ±alados anteriormente. Por ejemplo, cuando se ha tenido un pasaporte pero emitido como nià ±o menor de 16 aà ±os. En estos casos en los que se pide por primera vez la renovacià ³n pero como adulto es necesario presentarse en persona en una agencia u oficina autorizada, si se est dentro de Estados Unidos o en la Embajada o consulado, si se est en otro paà ­s. Un caso comà ºn en el que no se puede solicitar por correo la renovacià ³n del pasaporte americano  de un adulto es el de supuesto de robo o extravà ­o del pasaporte. Puede ser un gran dolor de cabeza y esto  es lo que hay que hacer tan pronto como uno se dà © cuenta de que no tiene el pasaporte en su poder. En estos casos,  documento a llenar es el DS-11. Renovacià ³n de pasaporte de menores Los pasaporte de nià ±os tienen reglas especiales para evitar situaciones muy desafortunadas como el secuestro de un menor.   Para evitar esos tipos de problemas los menores de 16 aà ±os tienen pasaportes por sà ³lo 5 aà ±os y deben estar presentes junto con sus padres en el momento de solicitar la renovacià ³n del pasaporte. Esto aplica tanto en Estados Unidos como cuando se est fuera del paà ­s. El gobierno es consciente de que a veces es complicado o imposible que los dos padres està ©n presentes, por eso establece reglas sobre cundo no es necesaria la presencia de los dos progenitores y tambià ©n quà © se puede hacer cuando aà ºn siendo obligatoria la vida real hace que sea imposible o muy difà ­cil. Si se tiene un nià ±o que es ciudadano estadounidense es conveniente informarse sobre documentacià ³n que pueden necesitar si viajan solos en un viaje internacional o si lo hacen con solo uno de sus padres. De informacià ³n de interà ©s antes de solicitar la renovacià ³n En algunos casos, el  no estar al dà ­a en el pago de la pensià ³n de alimentos  es causa para que se deniegue la renovacià ³n del pasaporte. Otro punto de interà ©s es que si se viaja mucho es  posible pedir un libro de pasaporte con  ms pginas  que el regular. Ahora ya no es posible pedir que se aà ±adan ms hojas pero sà ­ que se entregue un pasaporte con ms pginas que el ordinario. Simplemente, marcar esa opcià ³n al rellenar el formulario de solicitud. Verificar avance de la gestià ³n Puede verificar el estado de la tramitacià ³n en la pgina oficial del Departamento de Estado para estos fines. Documentos para acelerar el paso de control migratorio Ingresar a Estados Unidos puede ser una labor que se demora mucho tiempo. Para acelerar los pases por la frontera se han creado diferentes programas para los que se puede aplicar. Por ejemplo, si se viaja por avià ³n y se llega a un aeropuerto  Global Entry y APC  pueden resolver. Por el contrario, si el cruce es terrestre entre  Canad y USA: Nexus  es el programa al que se puede aplicar. Y, finalmente, si se trata de un cruce terrestre o marà ­timo entre Estados Unidos y Mà ©xico  SENTRI  es el programa que puede ayudar a evitar las demoras que se producen en los puentes internacionales, particularmente en los dà ­as feriados. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

Genealogy of the Titans and Gods in Greek Mythology

Genealogy of the Titans and Gods in Greek Mythology The genealogy of the Greek gods is complicated. There was not one uniform story all the ancient Greeks and Romans believed. One poet could directly contradict another. Parts of stories dont make sense, seemingly happening in reverse order or contradicting something else that was just said. You shouldnt throw up your hands in despair, though. Familiarity with the genealogy doesnt mean your branches always go in one direction or that your tree looks like the one your neighbor prunes. However, since the ancient Greeks traced their ancestry and that of their heroes to the deities, you should have at least a passing acquaintance with the lineages. Further back in mythological time than even the gods and goddesses are their ancestors, the primordial powers. Other pages in this series look at some of the genealogical relationships among the primordial powers and their other descendants (Chaos and Its Descendants, Titans Descendants, and Descendants of the Sea). This page shows the generations referred to in the mythological genealogies. Generation 0 - Chaos, Gaia, Eros, and Tartaros In the beginning were primordial forces. Accounts differ as to how many there were, but Chaos was probably the first. The Ginnungagap of Norse mythology is similar to Chaos, a sort of nothingness, black hole, or chaotic, swirling disordered state of conflict. Gaia, the Earth, came next. Eros and Tartaros may also have sprung into existence at about the same time. This is not a numbered generation because these forces were not generated, born, created, or otherwise produced. Either they were always there or they materialized, but the idea of generation involves some sort of creation, so the forces of Chaos, the earth (Gaia), love (Eros), and Tartaros come  before the first generation. Generation 1 The earth (Gaia/Gaea) was the great mother, a creator. Gaia created and then mated with the heavens (Ouranos) and the sea (Pontos). She also produced  but did not mate with the mountains. Generation 2 From Gaias union with the heavens (Ouranos/Uranus [Caelus]) came the Hecatonchires (hundred-handers; by name, Kottos, Briareos, and Gyes), the three cyclops/cyclopes (Brontes, Sterope, and Arges), and the Titans who numbered as follows: Kronos (Cronus)Rheia (Rhea)Kreios (Crius)Koios (Coeus)Phoibe (Phoebe],Okeanos (Oceanus],TethysHyperionTheia (Thea)Iapetos (Iapetus)MnemosyneThemis Generation 3 From the Titan pair Kronos and his sister, Rhea, came the first Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia). Other Titans like Prometheus are also of this generation  and cousins of these early Olympians. Generation 4 From the mating of Zeus and Hera came: AresHebe the cup-bearerHephaestusEileithuia the goddess of childbirth There are other, conflicting genealogies. For instance, Eros is also called the son of Iris, instead of the more conventional Aphrodite, or the primeval and uncreated force Eros; Hephaestus may have been born to Hera without aid of a male. In case it is not completely clear where brothers marry sisters, Kronos (Cronos), Rheia (Rhea), Kreios, Koios, Phoibe (Phoebe), Okeanos (Oceanos), Tethys, Hyperion, Theia, Iapetos, Mnemosyne, and Themis are all offspring of Ouranos and Gaia. Likewise, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia are all offspring of Kronos and Rheia. Sources Timothy Gantz: Early Greek MythHesiod Theogony, translated by Norman O. Brown

Nuclear power is bad ( this is my position them) Essay

Nuclear power is bad ( this is my position them) - Essay Example Here the question comes forward whether there are enough good people around this world to rein nuclear power the betterment of humanity. In this regard Einstein says, â€Å"The splitting of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe† (Krieger). History itself asserts the negative aspects of human being. During the horror of the Second World War Humanity witnessed the destructive force of nuclear weapons with her utmost fear and pang. Even the famous scientist Einstein became remorseful –remembering its destruction- for inspiring the then US President Franklin Roosevelt to build nuclear weapons. A single â€Å"Fat man†- the bomb used against Japan- tolled about 67000 lives that died before they knew why they were dying. Another bomb ‘Little Boy’ tolled about 100000 of lives in another city of Japan. Since 1945 people of the world become aware of the curse of nuclear weapons that can put the lives of 600 billions of people of the world out at a blink of an eye. Peace-loving people raise their voice against this curse of Nuclear power. There is no doubt that nuclear power is the only violent power, which man has ever slaved. But as to its destructive force, it is certainly a curse for humanity. The document of â€Å"Russell-Einstein manifesto† begins with the line, â€Å"In the tragic situation that confronts humanity, we feel that scientists should assemble in conference to appraise the perils that have arisen as a result of the development of weapons of mass destruction, and to discuss a resolution in the spirit of the appended draft† (Krieger). These lines are sufficient to unveil the demonic face of nuclear power. There go controversies on whether nuclear power is a blessing or a curse. Though nuclear power has positive sides, its negative sides obviously outweigh them. When the world is panting

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Management - Essay Example ayo Clinic’s organizational culture and health care value chain are strengths that can be considered as long-term competitive advantages because they are rare, hard to imitate for competitors, and can be sustained. Its organizational culture is rare because of its strategic human resource management hiring and development policies and practices that ensure that the organization hires the right people who fit the values and strategic directions of the company (Niesen). Furthermore, Mayo Clinic has a well-coordinated, science-and-technology-centered, patient-oriented, user-relevant health care value chain that it has refined for more than 100 years that cannot be easily imitated by competitors. In addition, Mayo Clinic has a positioning strategy that merges cost and differentiation leadership. It is focused on reducing costs, but it also differentiates itself by being quality leader through research and development. Moreover, the basic meaning of the article is that it shows how difficult it is to become the best in a health care industry where costs are increasingly going up, but Mayo Clinic is succeeding because it has long-term competitive advantages, due to its dedicated, competent employees who have made a system that is not only cost-efficient, but also quality-centered. Mayo Clinic asserts that its success is a product of its systems and human resources. This is how its R&D works: â€Å"Our basic science and physician researchers are completely integrated into the Clinic and they work very closely with the physicians to understand the key questions that are out there, so that their work has real meaning† (Niesen). Its research is based on actual clinical problems. Moreover, Mayo Clinic underlines the value of its human resources to its success. For example, to drive efficiency, it hires and maintains competent engineers to focus on it: One of our secrets is weve had a very strong tradition of engineering at Mayo Clinic. We have 100s of engineers