Explain Arisotles Virtue Ethics

Dominance is a state of action as opposed to inaction and an individual must work hard in order to achieve it. To reach Dominance you must reason and be a thinker as this is unique to humans, it is the final cause for humanity as it is the most fulfilling position to be in. Reaching such a superior end goal requires hard work and effort: â€Å"man is a political and social animal† – the greatest good for a person is for them to actively participate in the politics of society and to interact with other humans, morality can only arise once these activities have been performed.A riotous life is an ongoing task and can only be achieved through practice and education. â€Å"Dominance is an end in itself' and is merely pursued for its own virtues rather than as a means to an end. A virtue, for Aristotle, is a trait that contributes to a person functioning well as a human being such as bravery and generosity. A virtue is not doing one action on one given occasion such as givi ng to charity once and then never again, it is not ‘feeling virtuous as you are not brave if you feel brave and do not act upon it and it is also not a natural inclination as someone who has been born that way has not worked to become virtuous.Aristotle concludes that a virtue is a learned nature/tendency to reason and act in a certain way. We are each responsible for the choices that we make based on personal vice and virtue, how virtuous a person may be is entirely dependent on how they will intend to act in any given situation. The doctrine of the mean/the golden mean is a central concept in Aristotle virtue ethics. According to the doctrine of the mean, a virtue is a mean state between two extremes: one of excess and one of deficiency.To be virtuous, one virtue must connect with another. Virtues will only fully develop in a minority of people and the doctrine of the mean can be used to guide you; however you must be educated to use this. And so, an element of elitism can b e seen here. For example: it is good to be courageous, however you can have too much or, even, too little courage. Aristotle did not explicitly declare what the midpoint was, and so it is clearly not of numerical value and so it must be more about acting at the right time.Although virtue ethics does not give you a clear answer to an ethical dilemma, it allows each individual to respond to each different situation they face. Aristotle believed that there were 4 different groups of people. There are vicious people who are those that do not attempt to be virtuous. There are incontinent people who face moral conflict but usually choose a vice. Continent people do the virtuous thing most of the time but still have to overcome a moral dilemma, and virtuous people enjoy doing good actions, and so they face no moral dilemmas in life.Choices are important as every human has an aim in life. Such aims are then split into either superior or subordinate aims and, according to Aristotle; the supe rior aim of an individual is Dominance as this is the final purpose of a human. In society, some people re hedonists and seek pleasure, some serve the community and seek honor (politicians) and some are philosophers and live in a state of contemplation. Aristotle believes philosophers to be the best as they possess the ability to exercise key intellectual virtues which allow them to steer themselves towards Dominance.Virtues are either moral or intellectual in which there are 5 intellectual virtues according to Aristotle: prudence/practical wisdom, intuitive intelligence, wisdom, scientific knowledge and craft/art. Of the 5 virtues, Aristotle considers practical wisdom to be the most important in Virtue Ethics as it imply describes moral behavior, and does not require people to do something different to what they already do.You may do a string of good actions, but unless you know the direction you are to go then you may end up on the wrong path. Since people act differently in every situation there are no inherently bad actions. Anyone who is virtuous should, theoretically, always make the correct decision. Aristotle Virtue Ethics is person rather than action based; it looks at the moral character of the person carrying out an action. Good character traits must be cultivated and developed in order for people to truly achieve Dominance.

“Hamlet” by Shakespeare and the ultimate measure Essay

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. This powerful quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. is by far a very accurate statement that I believe to be true. A man cannot be judged his worth based on what he does during serene times, but rather he must be judged based on his actions during times of hardship. The literary work that proves this true is the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. In the play, the main character, Hamlet is often found in conflicts and predicaments that he necessarily cannot solve. One of Hamlets main dilemmas is that he is forced into getting revenge on his uncle for killing his father, marrying his mother, and ultimately becoming king. However, due to Hamlets inability to turn his action into thoughts, this revenge was severely delayed. This inability is a result of his conflict between his physical and inner self, the former being thoughtful and contemplative, while the latter is rash and impulsive. The clash between his personalities often results in the accomplishment of nothing. Although this uncertainty is the main theme of the play, it also portrays Hamlet as a man incapable of making decisions in times of need. Another thing that judges Hamlets measure as a man is his madness. Whether his madness is deliberate or actual is questionable. Hamlet believes that his madness is just a faà §ade to deter the others of his real intentions. Somewhere in the middle of the play, the readers are confused of whether Hamlet is truly crazy or just acting. It is understandable for a person to take risks to get things done, but there are also times where it is too much and has the opposite effect. In this case, Hamlet tries his best to get revenge on Claudius but due to his implied insanity, he is responsible for the death of Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes and Gertrude. If Hamlet had just killed Claudius at the first chance he got, then he could have spared the other six lives. Polonius dies because he was spying on Hamlets madness, while Ophelia drowns due to Hamlets madness. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern dies because of Hamlets madness that made Claudius fear his own life. Gertrude entangles with all of this because she is Hamlets mother and is worries about him. Hamlets madness is unnecessary  to his goal and is a completely bad choice on his behalf. Throughout the play, Hamlet has faced problems that nobody would ever want to encounter. Although Hamlet eventually gets his revenge on Claudius by killing him, many lives were wasted in the process. His inaction and his supposed madness interfere with his plans and often make his plans haywire. During his problems, the reader can see that Hamlet is determined to carry out his thoughts, but never actually does so until the end. This hesitant idiosyncrasy of Hamlet also one of the reasons why Hamlet goes mad. Only in challenge and controversy, do we see what Hamlet really is, an immature young boy.

Distinguish among the five types of customer markets Essay

Distinguish among the five types of customer markets - Essay Example Consumer durables are another subtype. Converse to the characteristics of FMCGs, these goods have low volume but high unit value. This can further be categorized into white goods and brown goods. Refrigerators, pressure cookers, dishwashers, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc are primary examples of white goods. Electronic items such as personal computers, video game consoles, multi-media players, etc are good examples of brown goods. Consumer Market is characterized by aggressive marketing campaigns, for consumers tend to be disloyal to brands and can easily switch from one to another. Also, competing companies are focused on innovating and improvising their products and production models to garner greater market share. *Business Markets â€Å"buy goods and services for further processing or for use in their production process, whereas Reseller Markets buy goods and services to sell at a profit.† (Part 2, p.66) The metals industry is a good example of Business Market. Her e, raw metals (sometimes in the form of ores) are bought by private companies from government agencies. The former then go on to process and add value to the metal before selling it to other industries or end consumers. A good example of Reseller Market is the retail industry, which comprises of Supermarket chains, Specialty stores, Chemists, and other retail dispensaries.

Learning Organization and Human Motivation Essay - 1

Learning Organization and Human Motivation - Essay Example By focusing on the performance measures, the companies have received knowledge of the processes. If the knowledge is used properly, improved goods and services and lower costs of rejection will be attained. Process improvement has often been accomplished through an integrated approach, using problem-solving techniques such as total quality management (TQM) tools and classic statistical analysis (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115, b: pp. 434- 443). Aspects related to the knowledge transformation where important approaches such as training and practice in the personal working situation have been discussed frequently (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115). Another aspect is how the company should change and act when disseminating methods and support quality improvement, where the structure of the company, strategies and education performance and content are considered essential factors for a successful implementation. An interesting question is how an improvement programme should be designed to support changed attitudes and result in changed behaviour and learning, which is a central necessity, among others, in such an implementation process. Six Sigma as an improvement programme has received considerable attention in the literature during the last few years (e.g. Bergman & Kroslid, 2000: pp. 260- 266; Breyfogle, 1999: p. 21-42; Harry, 1994: pp. 112-131, 1998: pp. 60- 64; Hellsten & Klefsjo , 2000: pp. 238- 244, Hoerl, 1998: pp. 35- 42; Klefsjo et al., 2001: pp. 31-35). Motorola launched Six Sigma in 1987 and was also the first to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in 1988. Today, companies like Motorola, Texas Instruments, ABB, Allied Signal, General Electric (GE) and 3M have been striving to achieve Six Sigma quality, and as a result they have become known internationally as best-in-class companies (e.g. Fuller, 2000: pp. 311- 315; Sanders & Hild, 2000: , pp. 303-309). Although many success stories have been reported in the literature, the ultimate objective is to understand Six Sigma and place it in an appropriate context to reap the benefits. Well-known statistician and quality consultant Ron Snee (2000: pp. ix- xiv) has indicated that Six Sigma should be a strategic approach that works across all processes, products, company functions and industries'' and Bajaria (1999: n/a, 2000: pp. 15- 17) reinforces this idea as a nuts and bolts' point counterpoint discussion of each of 14 key Six Sigma ideas. In these papers by Bajaria an examination is made of the heads and tails of the Six Sigma concept and some warnings are also given against limitations and misuses. The technical aim of Six Sigma is to keep the distance between the process average and the nearest tolerance limit to at least six standard deviations and thus reduce variability in products and processes in order to prevent defects. The original motivation for Six Sigma at Motorola was centred on manufacturing improvement, and this was also how Six Sigma was introduced in many other organizations. To meet this aim, Six Sigma methods have been based heavily on the use of statistical methods to understand product and process performance.

The Volatile Social Upheavals of the Stormy Sixties Essay

The Volatile Social Upheavals of the Stormy Sixties - Essay Example   The third, precipitated by default into the presidency, grappled boldly with the unrest and turmoil through a second term only to surrender the battle to highly entangled political dissolution shortly before the sixties gave way to the seventies.   Martin Luther King Jr., distinctively honored in 1964 with the Nobel Peace Prize as its youngest laureate, had entered a civil rights movement already in progress, to take the forefront as an advocate for non-violence in one of the most momentous and far-reaching social upheavals of the decade. Yet, paradoxically, the civil rights leader's appalling assassination on April 4, 1968, unleashed an unfortunate surge of violence in major cities across the nation.   Martin Luther King's mission reached beyond black civil rights into associated issues of inner-city poverty. In 1965 in Selma, Alabama, his voter-registration crusade culminated in the Selma-to-Montgomery Freedom March. The civil-rights leader later took on Chicago where he pushed programs to clean up the slums and secure affordable housing. There King encountered young blacks heady with the concept of Black Power who gave little heed to his appeals for nonviolent protest. The impasse led to his adoption of stronger support for an end to the war in Vietnam along with the predominant thrust for civil-rights, a move that some felt spread the movement too thin. Nonetheless, the well-timed shift drew new blood into the crusade in response to the fresh bid for peace.   As King went on to tackle domestic issues of urban poverty, proposing national boycotts and nonviolent camp-ins, he envisioned a huge march of the poor on Washington, with a show of such power and size that Congress would be forced to deal with the enormous numbers of destitute and exploited Americans, but at the age of 39 the bullet of an unabashed mercenary silenced those plans. Posterity, left to speculate what might have been, was nonetheless to profit greatly from the enduring legacy of his all-too-abrupt loss.   

Personality Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Personality Disorders - Essay Example It is this special trait of living beings which sets them apart as a class having emotions, personality, behavior, etiquettes etc. Whenever something conflicting strikes the emotional behavior of the individual, the overall personality gets affected. Once the personality disorder starts appearing in the individual and no cognizance is taken of the change in behavior, it gradually takes the shape of long term patterns, if there's no Personality disorders take the shape of long-term patterns, thus causing serious problems in relations at home and at work. Under normal circumstances, we as human beings often come across many stressful situations which results in tension like situations. As normal human beings we start taking such situations in our stride and try to come out with appropriate solutions, but a person with personality disorder finds the situation difficult to deal with. This often reflects in their relationship with people around them. Personality disorders as such do not come up suddenly like some other diseases, or due to malfunctioning of some body organs, but it is a gradual process. A major incident or accident can at times be a major reason for personality disorders, but in general such disorders start affecting the human behavior over a period of time. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines personality disorder as, "An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that differs markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment" (Bienenfeld, 2008). This manual of APA considers personality disorders to be categorically distinct entities. Emotions can act as positive or negative stimulant for the personality of an individual. Dyck et al (2006) state that, 'human personality is a complex system, affected by positive emotional attractors (PEA) and negative emotional attractors (NEA)'. It is further stated that personality style is not determined by a single behavioral event; instead a pattern of behavior over a period of time indicates the personality of the human being. The personality traits form the basis of the five factor model ( FFM) propounded by the APA. McCrae and Costa (1990) defined personality traits as, "dimensions of individual differences in tendencies to show consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions". The basis five dimensions of FFM are defined as N, E, O, A and C (Costa and Widiger, 2002); i. Neuroticism (N): It refers to the chronic level of emotional adjustment and instability. If an individual is having high N, that signifies higher psychological distress. N includes the facet scales for anxiety, angry hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsivity, and vulnerability. ii. Extraversion (E): It refers to the quantity and intensity of preferred interpersonal interactions, activity level, need for stimulation, and capacity for joy. A person with this trait is found to be sociable, active, talkative, person oriented, optimistic, fun loving, and affectionate. But on the other hand if a deficiency of this dimension

Ethics in research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in research - Essay Example Two: Do voluntary participation, informed consent, risk of harm, confidentiality, and anonymity (Trochim) pretty much cover the bases for ethical research on human subjects? Whether quantitative or qualitative research approaches are employed to study human phenomena, the knowledge quest rests on the thing of the quest--the object of study. Whether researchers, ethics committees, the public, or others like it or not, human subjects become objects in the service of discovering, confirming, or advancing knowledge. Objectification comes with all that is the research enterprise. If, however, in a clinical or confidential study, a subject, or we can now say object, is not treated per proper procedure and respect, there may be cause for complaint. Any ethics violation may then have to be determined by those closest to what was actually proposed and done. Davidsons question seems more philosophical than practical. It may not be nice or politically correct to objectify people in some ideal world or in some contexts, but in the end for research we do it, just as we do it elsewhere in our lives (e.g., picture the finals in a body building competition). Voluntary participation, informed consent, risk of harm, confidentiality, and anonymity are not the only matters for care in planning and conducting research involving human subjects. No doubt any ethics committee or listing of standards, rules, or procedures would specify these and others, and in some detail. However, there is at least one additional base to cover regardless of the group to be satisfied or the expectations to be met. The expectation or standard should be articulated that ethics should be addressed whenever researching human subjects. This may seem redundant, but if not stated in whatever fashion the governing or advisory body wishes to, not having some self-referential language about the

Ectopic pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ectopic pregnancy - Essay Example Ectopic pregnancy is an important gynecological disorder which has many underlying causes and it is a condition that can be diagnosed by different techniques. This pathology can be treated and therefore early diagnosis is important to prevent the fatalities that result due to this condition. Etiology: Ectopic pregnancy is led to by many causes. Invasion of the pelvis by infective microorganisms which include Chlamydia results in infection of the pelvis and this Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is classified as an underlying cause of ectopic pregnancy in approximately 40 percent of the cases. A pregnant woman who has a history of ectopic pregnancies has a higher risk of developing the same disorder again. Appendicitis, leiomyomas as well as endometriosis may result in the sticking together of the fallopian tubes. This also increases the susceptibility of ectopic pregnancy. Intrauterine devices that are used for contraception also result in a raised chance of developing ectopic pregnancies. An important characteristic that has been identified is that ectopic pregnancy may develop in a female who does not present with any prior history of risk factors and has normal tubal structures (Robbins et al 2005; Monga et al 2005). It has also been seen that women who resort to in vitro fertilization techniques for conceiving also have an increased risk of developing ectopic pregnancies. The improper development of the fallopian tubes by birth is also associated with ectopic pregnancy as it obstructs the movement of the fertilized ovum towards the uterine lining (Sher et al 2005). Site of Ectopic Pregnancy: The normal site for the attachment of the embryo is the endometrium of the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy ensues due to deviation of the embryo from its normal place of attachment and the attachment occurs in abnormal locations. These locations include the fallopian tubes where 95 percent of the ectopic pregnancies occur. Seventy four percent of the tubal pregnancies are found in the ampulla. Three percent of the ectopic pregnancies may occur in the ovary whereas one percent may be present in the cavity of the peritoneum. The remaining one percent may be seen in the cervix or on the scar tissue that may have formed following a caesarean section (Monga et al 2011; Smeltzer et al 2009). Signs and Symptoms: The patient may present with alteration in the normal menstrual cycle and complain of the postponement of the period from the normal date by approximately 2 weeks. She may complain of the passage of a small amount of blood after the time period of these two weeks. These symptoms explain of the presence of ectopic pregnancy. The patient may experience pain in the abdomen relative to the sight of implantation. The pain may be mild initially but may progress to become severe with time. This may be accompanied by abnormal bleeding which varies from the normal menstrual cycle. The patient may be lethargic and complain of fainting episodes. The patient may also complain of blood discharge from the vagina which would be dark red in color suggestive of the fact that the blood is not fresh. The patient may present with pain in the iliac fossa. In patients who may have presence of

Short analysis and response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short analysis and response paper - Essay Example Again, the photo was created for the chapel, honoring Cardinal Francesco Vendramin. This shows that the photo was positively received as it was liked to the extend of keeping it in the chapel (church) for the remembrance of the cardinal. My initial response about this art is that, the photo is great as it portrays a high level of creativity shown in designing it. However, when compared with other photos that could portray the same massage as this one, for instance, the virgin and child in the small garden by Trellis Circa, it is evident that this photo has much exposed features and raises more speculations from the illustrations used. I was drawn to this work by the presentation of illustrations. I can see the Virgin Mary holding a child (Christ), whose image affects the meaning that he has come to save those under barbaric bondage. It also reminds me of church teachings about the humility of the Virgin Mary. What I like about this photo is that, its illustrations are easily understood, hence the designer’s massage is quickly

Skype Reseach Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Skype Reseach - Research Paper Example The business world has also not been left at the rear in the technological advancements and more and more businessmen are willing to venture into the world, in search of potential international markets. No longer is one required to physically attend a conference or a meeting. One can simply log in to their specific business website and chat with those who are online as well, where they can discuss business issues from the comfort of their residences or wherever else they might be (Fulmer & Bleak 2008). The Internet has also made it possible for people to call their loved ones or fellow businessmen in whichever division of the nation they may be, at whatever time of day. Skype is one such company that has embraced technological advancements and enabled people to share, communicate and transact with each other irrespective of where they may be in the world. Skype is a company that was established in the year 2003 by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis (Ferrell & Hartline 2010). These 2 individuals created a little piece of software that eases communication between individuals, making it fun. This particular software also allows people to video-call and make voice calls using the Internet (Fulmer & Bleak 2008). The company generates its revenue via its premium offerings which are offered in making and receiving calls to and from mobile and landline phones, together with call forwarding and voice mail (Ferrell & Hartline 2010).... Skype’s mission and vision statement is to be the fabric of real-time communication on the web (Ferrell & Hartline 2010). In the world of business, Skype is responsible for enabling employers to bring their entire workforce, partners and customers together to fulfill the company’s goals and objectives (Fulmer & Bleak 2008). A mission and vision statement tells everyone reading a company’s business plan or researching it a little bit about the company in summary. That is why it is important for any given company to have a strong and catchy mission and vision statement so as to attract potential clientele. A strong mission and vision provides shareholders, supporters and employees with a clear perspective of the company’s reason for existing (Ferrell & Hartline 2010). This should also be short enough for people to remember it as well as share it with the rest of the world. Businesses should carry out their transactions with the aim outlined in their vision a nd mission statements. With this in mind, I choose to propose a vision and mission for Skype. The firm’s proposed vision and mission statement is: To bring together cultures and businesses of the world and share the fun! The reason why I have chosen this particular vision and mission statement is because I have considered the fact that, Skype is not only a firm that uses innovative technology but also one that enables other businesses and individuals in general to communicate, transact and catch up. It enables people to learn a language, hold a meeting, celebrate a birthday, all while using text, video and voice, making it simple to share experiences, and ideas with people who matter the most (Fulmer & Bleak 2008). In this day and age where competitive business environment is present, the

Drug Abuse Essay Example for Free

Drug Abuse Essay An estimated 12. 8 million Americans, about 6 percent of the household population aged twelve and older, use illegal drugs on a current basis (www. ncjrs. gov). Over the years the abuse of psychoactive drugs has become a persistent issue effecting individuals worldwide. Psychoactive Drugs are substances that change a person’s mood, perception, mental functioning and behavior (Understanding Psychology pg 142). These drugs are often ingested to alter an individuals feelings or to help them cope with their problems. However the â€Å"high† that they receive does not remain long, resulting in the continuous use of the drug to remain feeling that â€Å"high†. Nevertheless the ongoing abuse of these drugs may lead to these individuals developing a tolerance for the drug. This results to the individual becoming dependant upon the drug. This dependence is known as addiction. Nicotine, â€Å"Crack† Cocaine and Alcohol, are the most dangerous and addictive psychoactive drugs. Other commonly abused drugs are Amphetamines, Prescription Medication, Heroin, Ecstasy, and Marijuana. In the movie Rain substance abuse was seen numerous of times. Rain’s mother, and her best friend all showed signs of substance abuse or dependency. The movie showed how Drug abuse and addiction affects the society at large. However once a person becomes addicted there are ways to help them so that they can recover and be productive in society. Before I discuss the various ways to help a substance abuse recover, I will elaborate on how the addict harms themselves, as well as their families and the society.

Evaluation of Human Development Theories

Evaluation of Human Development Theories This essay is going to give a critical reflection of human development theories. It will compare and contrast human development theories, linking the theories to the events observed of a child aged three and a half years in a nursery setting, over six weeks. It will also evaluate the recording method used and what I have learnt relevant to the social work practice. For the purpose of maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), (2012), Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students, the child has been named under the pseudonym of Eva. Eva is a three and a half year old girl of black African origin and lives with her parents. She is the youngest in a family of three and has a sister and a brother. Both her parents work full time and she attends nursery full time. The nursery offers a wide range of activities and encourages free play. Observation Log 1 Cognitive Development I conducted six observations on Eva, over a period of six week in a nursery setting and one of the theories I was able to link to the observations, is the cognitive development theory. This theory is associated with the work of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and his work focused on understanding how children view the world. Piaget believed that from infancy, we have the basic mental structure on which all subsequent knowledge and learning are based and due to biological maturation and environmental experience, the mental processes will have a progressive reorganization. Piagets assumption was that children are active participates in the development of knowledge and they adapt to the environment through actively seeking to understand their environment. He suggested that cognitive development happens in four stages, 0 to 2 years being the sensori motor, 2 years to 7 years the preoperational, 7 to 12 years the concrete operations, and 12 years and above the formal operations. (Beckett and Tayl or 2010) According to Crawford and Walker (2008), Piaget assumed that in the preoperational stages, (the stage Eva is) children have not yet mastered the ability to apprehend, offer judgment, inference or think actions through. He believed that children in this stage are considered to be egocentric by showing difficulty in seeing things from a point of view other that their own. They also engage in monologues, in which they will be talking, but not interacting with each other. During my observation, this was really evident and I noticed it on several occasions on Eva and the other children during free play. (Appendix ..) They also focus their attention on one aspect of the situation and have difficulty seeing that a situation may have a number of dimensions. Piaget called this centration and this was also shown in Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. They also lack reversibility by failing to understand that working backwards can restore whatever existed before. Piaget also believed that children build their understanding of the world through activities for example dramatic play. This was evident when the nursery class was rehearsing for the Christmas concert. She showed an understanding that a baby needs feeding and also talking to. At the preoperational stage they also learn skills like drawing, language and sort objects in groups. This was demonstrated in Appendix .. and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. . This showed that she understand the concept of shapes, objects and drawing skills. However, Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), also did a study on cognitive growth and did not see children as individual explorers of knowledge, but as learners from social interactions. He emphasised the role of language and the importance of relationships and interactions between children and adults. He believed that the members of the culture, for example teacher, parents or siblings, construct the childs learning. While Piaget believed that children should not be presented with problems and materials beyond their developmental ability, Vygotsky believed that a knowledgeable adult can help them achieve the skills through what he termed as scaffolding. He referred this period of scaffolding as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). For example during my observation Eva was playing with wooden blocks and was supposed to fit them through holes. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The teacher helped her to fit in one of the blocks and later she managed to fit in the rest. Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children build their knowledge through experiences. However, Piaget believed this happened through exploration with hands on activities. In contrast, Vygotsky believed that learning was not limited by stage or maturation. He believed that children move forward in their cognitive development with the right social interaction and guided learning. He argued that they learn through interactions, social and cultural experiences and interactions with adults. Vygotsky saw the adult as vital to the process of scaffolding the childs learning. Piagets concept have been criticised of denying other aspects of thinking such as intuition and creativity and also not examining and explaining individual differences in children. Vygotskys theory draws attention to the role of social and culture interaction and identifies the principle of scaffolding in the childrens learning. Nevertheless, Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that the children actively participant in their intellectual development. Observation Log 2 Play and Learning As I was doing my observations, I noticed that Eva was engaging in play when I was observing her for other developmental theories. According to Szarkowicz (), this is because play can be used in many different ways by children and it is an authentic way for them to demonstrate their competence in a range of developmental areas. Szarkowicz () states that, children engage in play either from a social perspective or from a cognitive perspective. When interpreting how Eva engaged in play, I can use Partens (1932) social stages of play. Partens theory looked at the social aspects of play, particularly the way play develops from being an individual solitary activity into a cooperative social experience. Parten (1932), categorised childrens play into six stages, unoccupied play, solitary play where a child plays alone and onlooker play (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) where the child watches others play and this is to about 2 years. The other stages that can be seen from the age of 4 are parallel play (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), where the child plays with similar toys next to another child or children, associative play where the child plays near others and share the same toys and cooperative play where the children who play together with the same toys (Appendix..). Bee and Boyd () states that, the ability to join groups of other children, and the desire to do so begins, at an early age and progresses through a developmental sequence. Parten discovered that children of different ages actually played together differently. They engage in different levels or categories of social play. However the stages of play are not in sequence and children may often engage in different stages of social pla y depending on factors such as the childs familiarity with the situation, temperament, or playmates. This was evident in Evas play and what surprised me was that she actually played in all the stages.( Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) According to Piaget (1972) play promotes mental and social abilities and helps children learn how to express and manage their feelings. Piaget argued that for children to think things through they need to play and by doing so, play facilitates and transforms the childrens thought processes. He categorised play into sensory motor, symbolic and games with rules. He proposed that when in infancy up to about to 2 years, a child is in the sensory motor stage and uses motor skill and senses to explore objects and their environment. During the preoperational stage, children engage in imaginary games and fantasy role play which he called symbolic play. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) And finally in the concrete operations stage, children are capable to play games following rules of games. Piaget saw play as assimilation of new materials into existing cognitive structures and in his analysis he saw play as relaxed practice time rather than time for learning and grasping in new information. (Casper and Theilheimer 2009) I also looked at other theories and Smilansky (1968) proposed three stages of play based her work with Piagets but expanded to include functional play which takes place in the first two years. Smilansky (1968) identified four types of play thus, functional play, constructive play, dramatic play, and games with rules. However, his work emphasised the importance of considering the childs cognitive development when exploring the childs levels of play. (Casper and Theilheimer 2009) According to Sheridan (), children discover the world through play and they use their senses and movements. Play is a way of constructing knowledge, developing intellectual abilities and building social skills. Piaget believed that a child could use play to mirror obnoxious experiences or experiences where he or she had no power. He believed that children often imitate and role play an adult who has power for example a teacher who is ferocious because they can imagine themselves in the position of power and this facilitates them to deal with being powerless. This is also common with children witnessing or involved in violent households. Observation Log 2 Language Development The next theory I considered in my observation is the language developmental theory and I looked at the theories Chomsky, Piaget and Vygotsky. I believe language is an important part in human development because it a major medium of social interaction. According to Beckett and Taylor (), the vocabulary of children between the ages of 3 to 6 expands from 2 word sentence to more complex sentences. They believe that as the childrens vocabulary increase, they learn the rules of grammar and they become able to use different forms of words. Whilst I was observing Eva, I noticed that most of her conversation and responses were two or three word sentences and it made me more interested on language development. Chomsky (1957) believed that sentences are routinely created practically every time. He believed that we have internal rules that enable us to decide which sentences are grammatical correct and convey our intended meanings. Chomsky believed that children have innate abilities, a genetic program to learn language and once they begin to hear language around them, they automatically understand the structure of that language. He argued that this is because of the biological dispositions, brain development and cognitive readiness. His theory emphasises the need for language in the environment to stimulate childrens innate abilities. (Crain 2005) According to Piagets theory, children are born with basic action schemas and during the sensory-motor period (birth to 2 years) they use these action schemas to assimilate information about the world. Piagets theory suggested that during the preoperational stage childrens language rapidly progress due to the development of their mental schemas, which allow them to accommodate new words and build simple sentences. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Piagets theory describes childrens language as symbolic, allowing them to venture beyond what is termed as here and now. During this stage children engage in small talks about things as the past, the future, people, feelings and events. They begin to build sentences of three or more words and their grammar becomes complex. They start to use Where, What, Why, for example, What is that? (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Piaget proposed that, during the sensory-motor period, childrens language is egocentric and they talk either for themselves or for amusement. During this period, their language often shows instances of what Piaget termed animism and egocentrism. Animism refers to childrens tendency to consider everything to be alive, including non-living objects. Since they see things entirely from their own perspective, their language suggests their egocentrism. Vygotskys theory of language development suggests that children begin by realising that words are symbols for objects and they develop curiosity to what objects are called. It is then followed by the egocentric or private speech stage from 4 to 7 years, where they often talk aloud to themselves as they perform tasks or solve problems. Finally the private speech wanes and speech becomes more internalised. Piaget and Chomsky both agreed that children are not moulded by the external environment but they create mental structures on their own accord. Chomsky proposed that children automatically create grammatical forms according to the genetic design and in contrast, Piaget proposed that cognitive structures emerge from the childs own effort. Chomsky also believed that language is a highly specialised mental faculty that progresses independently and children learn entirely on their own. However, Piaget viewed language as more closely related to general cognitive development. Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children are active learners and they contribute to their own development. They both believed that children build ways of understanding and knowledge of the world through their activities. However, Piaget believes it happens primarily through physical manipulation of objects around them and Vygotsky that it is socially mediated. Language development deals with how a child develops his/her language skills during their growth period. Nativists (Chomsky) believe that language is innate and unique to humans. Cognitive theorists (Piaget) believe language is not innate but a product of cognitive development. Finally, social interactionists (Vygotsky) believe that language acquisition is a result of both biological and environmental factors. Evaluation of the observation process (how I managed the process and as an observer how may have affected the process) Evaluation of recording method Reflection (feelings, attitudes, beliefs and professional values, anti oppressive) Ruch (2009) states that, reflective practice enables the practitioners to acknowledge the actual or potential emotional impact of the observation and be able to transfer the awareness to practice. What I learnt McKinnon (2009), states that child observation is a process which enable the worker to be responsive rather than intrusive through watching and listening in an alert and informed way that raises awareness and sharpens understanding. It involves learning how to monitor feelings and reactions and how they can provide information. The observation process provided me with an opportunity to focus on the vulnerability, resilience and the relative powerless of children in a nursery setting. It also provides me with knowledge and skills on how to conduct an observation and according to McKinnon (2009), well developed observational skills can act as a safeguard. It also provided me with an opportunity to discover and have a deeper understanding of how children communicate, play, engage with adults and most importantly about their development. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE As a social worker student I need to have knowledge on human life course development in order to understand their use in practice as the practice requires me to take a holistic approach and understanding of an individuals circumstances. Social work practice involves interactions between people, which are influenced by each persons life course and their experience and perceptions about their own life. As a social worker student I need to have and understanding of how people develop and place peoples life situations in the context of the expectations of normal life course development. This will enable me to appreciate that a persons experience, their growth and life experiences have a direct impact on who they are and how they see their world. The social work profession is based on the supposition that people can be helped and supported to change and grow as a result of their experiences. Therefore, in order for me to be sensitive and appropriate in my communications with people and in the services I offer and provide, I need to appreciate and understand their life course and what makes them who they are. Understanding how people grow and develop is central to the role and task of a professional social worker. Crawfor d and Walker (2007) Evaluation As you examine different theories of development, you will find that some (such as Erikson and Piaget) are criticised for being too committed to identifying stages, ignoring the diversity which is found in psychosocial experience and behaviour -while others are criticised for failing to take account of the sequence in which changes occur, not being clear enough about which changes become possible at which stage, and which changes are ruled out until a certain level of maturity is reached. According to Moffatt (1996) argued that some models of human development are cultural biased and they did not include some aspect for example persons experience, race, class, gender and sexual orientation. All of these theories have their own way of interpreting language development, and to some extent, they all seem to be highly convincing. However, out of the four theories, the social interactionist view appeals to me the most; so my theory of language development is definitely the social interactionist view. Unlike Piaget, Vygotski considered language to be key to development. Although Piaget acknowledged language with development with terms such as egocentric speech, he did not believe it predominant, saying it was due to the childs inability to think from another perspective. Vygotski however, believed talking out loud gives the child a way to organize their thoughts and guide their actions.

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom George Washington Carver said that education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom (n.d. in BrainyQuote, 2010) and nowhere is this more true than for those who experience learning difficulties. In every educational environment it is important that the students feel valued; no matter what their learning difficulties they need to feel included as a part of the school community where any barriers to learning are removed in order to optimise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦learning and participation (Booth, Ainscow, Black-Hawkins, Vaughan and Shaw, 2000, P. 13) and that they are bringing something valuable into the classroom where their efforts and achievement will be recognised (Ofsted, 2000, P. 4). The key to being able to support all students in their learning is first class assessment which identifies individual pupils strengths and weaknesses so that optimum provision can be made for them (Cross, 2004, P. 117) which is particularly important in protecting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦specialist provisio n for those who need it (Croll and Moses, 2000, P. 1). Sometimes teachers instruct or tell, serving as transmitters of information that students have to acquireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ at other times teachers show and demonstrate, acting as mentors and coaches rather than as instructorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Hargreaves, 2005, P. 5) the aim of this essay is to analyse behaviourist and cognitive approaches to learning for those who have learning difficulties identifying the strengths and weaknesses in each method when applied to the teaching. Historically children have been presented with a didactic model of learning: they were told when to come into school, what they were going to learn and were instructed about how they were going to learn it irrespective or their personal talents; students were all made to write with their right hand even if it did not come naturally to them much to their frustration my great grandmother for example. The education system became a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ process of learning to instructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by which children are expected to learn by intent participation in meaningful, useful occupations, with a factory model of education by assembly line instruction (Bruce, 2004, P. Xi). This followed very much the Behaviourist Model which argues that learning is initiated through our interaction with external stimuli which alters the way in which we tackle things (Glassman, 1995): the behaviourist school of thought grew from the pioneering work of Ivan Pavlov and his work with dogs; at the sound of a bell he was able to initiate salivation in the animals in anticipation of receiving food which continued long after the food was not delivered as expected this became known as Classical Conditioning. James Watson (who first used the term behaviourism) continued this work and attested that all human behaviour was the result of responding to stimuli in a conditioned manner he even went as far as to suggest that anyone, no matter what their social status or ability, could be schooled to fulfil any task or profession provided that they were healthy and applied themselves in their learning (Watson, 1924, P. 82) and that an adult carefully controlled the conditions for the stimuli and the responses (Keenan, 2002, P. 24). Experiments that were carried out with children to test this theory, notably by Watson and Rayner, illustrated that both fear and pleasure could be associated with particular objects or noises; this led them to theorise that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ rewards or reinforcement s could arise from the satisfaction of inner needs and could provide a motivation for learning (Tilstone, Layton, Anderson, Gerrish, Morgan and Williams, 2004, P. 45). Skinner further developed these ideas into what he called Operant Conditioning; he put forward the idea that all actions that were reinforced, either positively through reward or negatively through punishment, would be duplicated he actively encouraged teachers and educators in general to cement a childs success through the use of positive praise and reinforcement. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding correct behaviour or responses such as reading a sentence without error leading to a star being given, progressing to two lines followed by a paragraph and so on to gain the reward and encourage learning. He felt that children were led and could be shaped in their learning and parents and teachers needed to reinforce their learning whenever and wherever it occurred in other words, when a parent or carer shows enthusiasm for something a child tries to say, this should encourage the child to repeat the utterance (David, Goouch, Powell and Abbott 2003, P. 49). Skinner also believed that the acquisition of knowledge needed to be tackled in stages which built on the existing learning of the individual involved proposing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a technology of teaching whereby instruction is individualised, complex verbal behaviours gradually shaped, reinforcement for appropriate responses is consistent and immediate, and learned behaviours are maintained by intermittent reinforcement schedules. (Ormrod, 2004, Ps. 79-80). Having said that it is individualised it is mechanistic in nature following a set pattern of repetition, correction and praise following successful modification to embed the skills into the learner (Capel, 1997, P. 136); this sort of learning treats the child like a type of human sponge (Kirk, Macdonald and OSullivan, 2006, P. 295) they are often referred to as command or practice styles and are often seen in subjects such as Physical Education (Byra, 2006, in Kirk et al, 2006, P. 450). These theorists placed great emphasis on the linear nature of devel opment what we call development in this view, is really just a long series of individual learning experiences (Bee, 1989, P. 14) considering learning to be the same for all no matter what their age or stage in life (Tilstone, Layton, Anderson, Gerrish, Morgan and Williams, 2004, P. 50) reinforcing the need for educators to look at how students are acquiring their learning necessitating accurate and thorough record keeping in order to be able to properly assess and evaluate their work. This is crucial in order to fully cater for individuals who are experiencing difficulties in their learning. The word cognitive comes from the Latin cognoscere which means to know; all of the processes which are undertaken in thinking and knowing about anything are what is known as cognitive actions. Cognitive development is the study of how these processes develop in children and young people, and how they become more efficient and effective in their understanding of the world and in their mental processes (Oakley, 2004, P. 2). Every individual thinks and reasons in a different way, with a childs processes being different from that of an adult which is why cognitive approaches to education are both fascinating and complex in their make up. Jean Piaget was one of the first to look at how children learn as individuals in their own right and that their way of thinking and therefore learning was different to that of an adult. He argued that all children go through a series of stages in their development which are linear in nature which means that they take place at approximately the same time (Long, 2000, P. 32): they are sensori motor (birth to about eighteen months), the pre operational (eighteen months to about six years), the concrete operational (six to approximately eleven years) and the formal operational (eleven years onwards). Piaget contests that the way that individuals learn in their lives is different at each of these stages and that as a result à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the way children perceive the world, the way they process and respond to information, and the way they develop ideas and concepts (Moore, 2000, P. 9) will be different too. He believed that maturity affected the way that children thought and learned s aying that human beings are, from early childhood, active, independent meaning makers who construct knowledge rather than receive it (Moore, 2000, P. 7). He perceived children as being capable of constructing their own understanding of their experiences and the world around them as a result of their inbuilt curiosity and need for knowledge and understanding. Piaget put forward the idea that there are two distinct phases to the learning process; the first entails the child demonstrating their understanding of a particular experience or idea that they come across in the world by the way in which they integrate or assimilate this new data into it, for example a child using a large box as a house when they are playing; the other is known as accommodation which describes the learners ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ make sense of the new event occurring in the environment (Leonard, 2002, P. 1). Piaget believed that these two phases needed to be perfectly balanced if effective learning was goi ng to be able to take place as it is only by the simultaneous action of assimilation and accommodation[that] events are perceived as meaningful and at the same time generate changes in the interpretive procedures (Barnes, 1976, P. 22). Due to every single experience that people have in life their perceptions of and interaction with the world around them changes and Piaget regards this as part of the process of learning and cognitive development to understand is to discover, or reconstruct by rediscovery, and such conditions must be complied with if in the future individuals are to be formed who are capable of production and creativity and not simply repetition (1973). The cognitive structures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ adjust in response to challenges when incoming information cannot be accommodated within existing schemes, and modes of thinking develop with biological growth (Tilstone et al, 2004, P. 20). A similar route was followed by the work of Bruner who studied the processes behind learning and problem solving. Both stress the importance of engagement in problem solving activities which promote links with finding solutions (Wood, 1998) as well as there being stages through which learners acquire and develop their knowledge: Bruner describes them as enactive understanding is promoted in the learner through interaction with the world, iconic when images are more frequently used in order to remember knowledge and information and symbolic the use of complex systems of symbols, for example language, to convey understanding and abstract thought; these correspond to Piagets sensori-motor [enactive], pre-operational [iconic] and concrete and formal operational [symbolic] (Smith, 1999, P. 20). Bruner explains that the first stage is characterised by action on the part of the learner in that the recognition of objects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ seems to depend not so much on the objects themselve s but on the actions evoked by them (Bruner, 1966, P. 12). As the learner matures there is less need to interact physically with objects to understand them as they develop the capacity to see something in their mind (the iconic stage). The learner moves to the symbolic stage through interaction with the world and those around them in order to develop language and communication within the context of the culture to which they are exposed as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ learning, remembering, talking, imagining; all of them are made possible by participating in a culture (Bruner, 1996, P. xi). As a result he seems to equate learning issues or difficulties with an absence of culturally stimulating environments as opposed to deficiencies in any child (Tilstone, 2000 in Tilstone et al, 2004, P. 25) giving particular attention to three distinct areas or amplifiers motoric, sensory and reflective. Motoric covers physical extensions of human capabilities like knives and forks for eating, spears for hunt ing, tools for farming and cars to transport ourselves around more quickly and efficiently. Sensory involves the enhancement of the way that the world and people in it are perceived for example simple things like spectacles or magnifying glasses. Reflective encompasses the means through which communication skills are learnt, developed and shared with those around us; parents and carers initiate this process with both verbal and non verbal cues enabling them to scaffold communication through holding their attention while building on their responses (Tilstone, 2004, P. 26). Often this will mean that adults will challenge children to extend their abilities and skills through this which Bruner believes is the right thing to do as a teacher, you do not wait for readiness to happen; you foster or scaffold it by deepening the childs powers at the stage where you find him or her now (1996, P. 120). He believed that comprehensive development is possible through this sort of social/cultural interaction. Vygotsky furthered the idea that social interaction was the catalyst for the development of a child the entire history of a childs psychological development shows us that, from the very first days of development, its adaptation to the environment is achieved through social means, through the people surrounding it (Vygotsky and Luria, 1993, P. 116). Kozulin, Gindis, Ageyev and Millar (2003) inform us that at the heart of Vygotskys theory lies the understanding of human cognition and learning as social and cultural rather than individual phenomena (P. 1). He laid great stress on the socio cultural environments which shape the development of children (Kozulin et al, 2003, P. 2), believing that absolutely everything in the behaviour of the child is merged and rooted in social relations (Vygotski, 1932 in Ivic, 1989, P. 429) and their interactions with their peers, teachers, adults and the community as a whole. He in fact stressed that interaction, teaching and learning were integral to each other and that they could have no rigidly defined techniques ascribed to them (Popkevitz, 1998, P. 538). These ideas about cognitive development are referred to as social cognitive due to their being a mixture of social and cognitive theory; they centre round childrens dealings with the environment and those in it utilising the different communication skills that they have learnt. Vygotsky believes that children learn from watching and copying or modelling the different behaviours of those around them using a number of different cultural tools, for example a small child pointing a finger is seen initially as an inconsequential grasping action which changes into a significant one as people react to it (Vygotsky, 1978, P. 56). He emphasised two points in terms of learning, mediation and the expansion of psychological tools. Mediation can be seen as a learner using aids which are both human and symbolic to be able to understand the information that has to be learnt; at the start of the process something which needs to be learnt is modelled and observed by the learner who internalises it, m aking it part of their psyche having had time to reflect on it; this type of mediation can take countless different forms from simple guidance and encouragement to complex advice and scaffolding in order to achieve the understanding of a concept but rather than try to define mediation it is more important to understand that it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦provides a perspective on how to look at interpersonal engagements and arrangements (Rogoff, 1995, P. 146-147). Psychological tools are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ those symbolic systems specific for a given culture that when internalised by individual learners become their inner cognitive tools (Kozulin et al, 2003, P. 3) which aid them in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦mastering mental processes (Daniels, 2001, P. 15) and gives them the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦control the conditions of their future remembering (Bakhurst, 1996, P. 202). Vygotsky felt that the higher cognitive processes could only be accessed and developed by learners through copying or imitating adults or older more experienced people due to what he referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); he defined this as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ latent learning gap between what a child can do on his or her own and what can be done with the help of a more skilful other (Richardson, 1998, P. 163).  It is through following the lead of someone else that individuals are able to develop the skills and the cognitive ability to be able to accomplish tasks alone. Siegler believed that the linear way of regarding cognitive development did not paint a full enough picture of the facts that one could observe about learning, such as the anomaly of a variety of different skill levels within the same age group of children. He developed an overlapping waves theory in trying to better understand how children develop where the focus was on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the number of strategies that a child might use at any age rather than à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which specific strategy a child might use most during which stage (Calais, 2008, P. 3). Siegler made three assumptions on which he based his idea: children use a number of methods to address a problem, not just one; methods of thinking and strategies that are used remain with people for indefinite periods of time; children use the experiences that they have to enable them to build towards and move on to more complex strategic thinking. He states that variability is undeniable when one observes how an individual or g roup tackle a problem and that inconsistencies in approach can be seen in individuals who use different strategies to address the same issue on different days. Siegler highlights five stages in learning; acquisition of appealing strategies, mapping strategies onto new problems, strengthening strategies for consistent usage, refining choices and executing appealing strategies (Calais, 2008, P. 4). These stages are all evident in the development of childrens cognitive abilities although they might actually be going through a number of them at the same time. Similar to Piaget and Vygotsky, Siegler discovered that the ability of the learner to choose an appropriate strategy in order to address an issue got better the more mature and skilled they became thus possibly accounting for why individuals within a group might tackle a problem differently in spite of being from the same culture. The teaching techniques which are associated with these schools of thought are almost diametrically opposed to each other. The behaviourist model is one which is teacher focused and revolves around the pupils following instructions that they are given to achieve a specified end. It is a mechanical and unimaginative way of working but is one which is essential if children are to learn the basics of any skill. Unfortunately there is no substitute in a great many areas of the curriculum for instruction based teaching in order to ingrain the skills into students prior to moving on to more advanced skills. Examples of this can be readily seen in the mathematics classrooms where I myself sat through what seemed like endless practice of times tables either through chanting as a class or via targeted questioning of individuals to ensure that they had been learnt properly; the basic rules of algebra need to be learnt before attempting to work out equations or problems; Physical Education less ons are full of the command or practice style of lessons where instructions and demonstration of skills are given followed by practice of skills in isolation, feedback from the practitioner and peers followed by time for improvement and a short game to contextualise the newly learnt skill. The advantage of this type of learning environment is that it is very focused on specific learning goals, the lessons targeting those exclusively in bite size pieces which is ideal for those with learning issues; the disadvantage is that it does not allow for freedom of expression or for the individual strengths of students to be developed. Cognitive schools of thought would encourage teachers to contextualise any skills that students are learning at all times or at the very least whenever it is possible to do so. This would involve starting work on a subject by assessing what the student already knows and constructing a programme of work from that point. This would enable the students with learning difficulties to feel confident in their ability to make progress in that they are beginning with familiar territory making the prospect of what is to come less intimidating and potentially overwhelming. Classrooms following this sort of approach are much more creative in that they allow, as far as possible, for the pupils to direct the learning towards set goals allowing for them to be as imaginative as possible in the process. This child centred approach requires a high degree of organisation in and management of the classroom and necessitates a measured lay out of the classroom for its various functions. In the primary cla ssroom there would need to be specific areas for each different activity in order to maximise the learning potential of the environment for example a computer area, a construction area, a role play area, a carpet area and a reading or quiet area. The teachers work area could be placed in the middle of the classroom for ease of access for all with clear gangways to aid uninhibited movement around the room. The displays should be vibrant, colourful and current indicating to the class that their work is valuable and worthy of being displayed a particularly important point for those with learning difficulties who invariably have low self esteem. Topic based work allows cross curricular links to be forged which is a strength of this method of learning: for example a topic on the Great Fire of London could be tackled encompassing a number of different areas of the curriculum; history would clearly be covered as the foundation of the study alongside a study of how the buildings of the ti me were constructed, why they would have burnt so quickly and how they could have been constructed to make them safer; English and Literacy could be covered through the construction of fire safety posters and poems and the community could be involved through a visit from the local fire service personnel. The children would be encouraged to work both on their own and as members of a group for different parts of the study that they are undertaking using the adults as a resource from which to glean information or to aid them in their planning of how to approach part or parts of their work. The disadvantage of this method of approaching teaching is the huge amount of preparation which needs to be completed before the session to accommodate the creative talents within the group of children but the advantage is that pupils are motivated to complete work to a high standard which expresses their knowledge and understanding of the topic to its fullest extent irrespective of their relative ta lents or abilities. There is no easy or definitive way to teach the skill of reading to any child let alone those who experience learning difficulties. The current trends appear to be a blend of the behaviourist and the cognitive approaches which bring in the best of both worlds. Before implementing any programme it is important to understand the level at which children are operating when they enter the classroom. Some primary children will already have acquired the basics of letter recognition and even some reading skills. However it is important to establish where they are and how to go about reinforcing the basic skills which will allow them to access books and reading materials in the future. It is crucial to understand that the teaching of reading is designed to cover two areas the mechanical aspects of decoding words and the comprehension of them. Decoding is the means through which people are able to interpret written words on a page and make them into meaningful sounds; this involves providing them with the skills to be able to sound out letters and syllables in order to construct the words that appear on the page. It gives people the ability to read almost anything even if it is slowly through the decoding process initially this involves using words with which the learner is familiar followed by the introduction of increasingly more complex ones. The most popular method at present is that of phonics the use of letter/sound associations to recognise words. There are five basic skills which are required for reading and writing which are learning the sounds of the letters, learning the formation of the letters, blending, recognising sounds in words and spelling words that are different or difficult (Jolly Phonics, n.d.). The concept has been popularised by the development of a number of products for the use of both parents and schools to aid students of all ages and abilities with their reading. Phonics provides the learner with that which is readily accessible, easily produced and comprehensible to them sounds, which can then be linked to words. There are a number of different approaches in terms of structure but I will be focusing on one, that of Jolly Phonics. To begin with children are taught the forty two main sounds in English in seven distinct groups: (Jolly Phonics, n.d.) These are known as digraphs and are accompanied by a series of actions (encompassing a multi sensory approach, examples of which are below) which correspond to the letters to help the children to remember them which gradually become unnecessary as the learner gains in confidence. s Weave hand in an  s  shape, like a snake, and say  ssssss a Wiggle fingers above elbow as if ants crawling on you and say  a, a, a. t Turn head from side to side as if watching tennis and say  t, t, t. i Pretend to be a mouse by wriggling fingers at end of nose and squeak  i, i, i. p   Pretend to puff out candles and say  p, p, p. n Make a noise, as if you are a plane hold arms out and say  nnnnnn. (Jolly Phonics, n.d) They learn each letter by its sound, for example a is for ant which will help with blending later in the process. The first group of letter above are introduced at the outset as they provide the greatest amount of three letter words when combined with each other. The students are then taught how to hold a pencil correctly followed by how to form letters in an appropriate way. This is followed by blending which is the process of articulating the individual sounds within a word before running them together to produce the whole. All children need to learn this stage and get better with practice and encouragement. This is often the key with those who have special needs having the encouragement and the confidence to try and not fear making mistakes. It may need the adult to say the parts of the word first to ensure that the pupil can hear them before repeating them which could be seen as the adult providing the support or scaffolding in order for the child to progress to the next level ( Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development). Games can be played like I-Spy to encourage children to listen for the sounds in different parts of words and blending cards can be helpful in this process. Spelling is a different issue with a number of possibilities available to aid in this learning process for example Look, Cover, Write, Check or Mnemonics (the first letter in each word of a saying spelling a word, e.g. fish Frogs In Silly Hats). As we can see from the above example of the teaching of reading and from teaching techniques in general there are advantages and disadvantages in each teaching method. If one wishes to get a safety message across about crossing a road it would not be appropriate for the children to find out by playing chicken with the cars! They would need to be given specific instructions as to how to accomplish the objective safely and if necessary practice in the playground in a role play situation to ensure that the message has been taken in. The basics in reading need to be given through instruction and practice before words can be used creatively in the context of story writing, telling and reading. Lots of practice and exposure to words in and around the classroom through colourful displays with pictures combined with words will lead to a comfort and familiarity with reading and the written word which is particularly valuable for those with learning difficulties. Reading is a basic and necessa ry skill which one needs not only to access a curriculum to be able to pass exams but to be able to function in the most basic way in life. Those with learning difficulties have the right to be taught and to learn this skill of communication; there is no one all encompassing way to achieve this and practitioners have to develop a number of skills and techniques to accommodate the different needs of the personalities in their care. It would appear that there needs to be a blend of both the behaviourist and cognitive approaches to get the best from children as some aspects need to be specifically taught whereas others can be guided and discovered through shared activity with both their peers and adults alike.

A Man?s Vision Of Love: :: essays research papers fc

A Man’s Vision of Love: An Examination of William Broyles Jr.’s Esquire Article â€Å"Why Men Love War†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Men love war because it allows them to look serious. Because they imagine it is the one thing that stops women laughing at them. In it they can reduce women to the status of objects. This is the great distinction between the sexes. Men see objects, women see the relationship between objects. Whether the objects need each other, love each other, match each other. It is an extra dimension of feeling we men are without and one that makes war abhorrent to all real women - and absurd. I will tell you what war is. War is a psychosis caused by an inability to see relationships. Our relationship with our fellow men. Our relationship with out economic and historical situation. And above all our relationship to nothingness. To death.† John Fowles in The Magus A Man’s Vision of Love: An Examination of William Broyles Jr.’s Esquire Article â€Å"Why Men Love War†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fact that war is both beautiful as well as nauseating is a great ambiguity for men. In his article for Esquire magazine in 1985 William Broyles Jr attempts to articulate this ambiguity while being rather unclear himself. On the one hand Broyles says that men do not long for the classic male experience of going to war, while on the other hand he says that men who return know that they have delved into an area of their soul which most men are never able to. Broyles says that men love war for many reasons some obvious and some obviously disturbing. Many books support this notion while few stray far from the admission of love. I believe that most sources indicate that men do in fact love war in a general masculine way. I also believe that the sources that do not admit to this love of war do not because of the author’s unique, face-to-face experience with war’s most severe atrocities. I feel that the sources, while few in number can faithfully account for the average soldier in any war in the twentieth century, which Broyles applies his argument to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stories of combat provide a way of coping with a fundamental tension of war: although the act of killing another person in battle may invoke a wave of nauseous distress, it may also incite intense feelings of pleasure. William Broyles was one of many combat soldiers who articulated this ambiguity.

Clubfoot Essay -- essays research papers

CLUBFOOT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clubfoot is defined as a congenital foot deformity characterized by a kidney shaped foot that turns inward and points down. The forefoot is curved inward, the heel is bent inward, and the ankle is fixed in planter flexion with the toes pointing down. Shortened tendons on the inside of the lower leg, together with abnormally shaped bones that restrict movement outwards cause the foot to turn inwards. A tightened achilles tendon causes the foot to point downwards. The medical term for clubfoot is talipes equinovarus . It is the most common congenital disorder of the lower extremity. There are several variations, but talipes equinovarus being the most common. Clubfeet occurs in approximately 1 in every 800-1000 babies, being twice as common in boys than girls. One or both feet may be affected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of clubfeet began as far back as 400 B.C. Hipocrates was the first to describe it. He used bandages to treat it. As time progressed so did the treatment methods. In about 1743 gentle stretching was recommended. During that same century, a mechanical device resembling a turnbuckle was used to help stretch the tendons. By this time clubfoot was pretty well known around the world, using the typical stretching and splinting methods. In the 1800’s plaster of paris was first introduced, and later that same century, the introduction of aseptic technique and anasthesia diminished, but not eliminated infection. As...

Bram Stokers Dracula vs. Miyazakis Princess Mononoke :: essays research papers

Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, as well as, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature, Princess Mononoke, deal with the prevalent theme of good verses evil. On the surface, both stories seem like typical hero verses villain tales, but once their plots are more closely analyzed it is evident that there is not a bold line between the two extremes. Both pieces explore the idea of evil being in the eye of the beholder and being interpreted completely differently from contrasting perspectives. Princess Mononoke is the tale of a young prince, Ashitaka, who battles a demon bore, only to become possessed with its evil spirit. Ashitaka then travels to Irontown, seeking to find the reason for the bore’s anger and thus, a cure for himself. When he arrives, he finds that the citizens of the town, under the rule of Lady Eboshi, have been mining iron from nearby mountains and, in turn, disturbing the animal Gods of the forest. The animals and the humans have been in a constant battle over who has the right to the land and both have been lead to believe that the other species is purely evil. Ashitaka believes that the humans and the animals can get along peacefully through compromise and finds himself in the middle of their conflict. From each side’s perspective, the other seems inherently evil, but from Ashitaka’s perspective, and the perspective of the audience, neither side is truly corrupt and they are both just feeding off of each other’s anger. Alt hough the animals seem evil and barbaric to the humans, they are just being protective over their land and are acting off of their fear of the humans. On the other hand, the humans are seen as evil by the animals because of their selfish use of resources, but they are just trying to financially support their community. For example, Lady Eboshi, the leader of Irontown, is seen as evil for orchestrating this exploitation of resources from the animals, but the humans see her as a compassionate, God-like figure. She does many positive and kind things for the human community, such as taking in women from the streets and brothels and giving them a place to live and work. Even though she is, in essence, destroying the animal’s habitats, she is saving the lives of many humans while doing it. The animal characters are also portrayed as compassionate in many respects. For example, when the leader of the wolves finds an abandoned baby, she takes her in and raises her as if she were her own daughter. Bram Stoker's Dracula vs. Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke :: essays research papers Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, as well as, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature, Princess Mononoke, deal with the prevalent theme of good verses evil. On the surface, both stories seem like typical hero verses villain tales, but once their plots are more closely analyzed it is evident that there is not a bold line between the two extremes. Both pieces explore the idea of evil being in the eye of the beholder and being interpreted completely differently from contrasting perspectives. Princess Mononoke is the tale of a young prince, Ashitaka, who battles a demon bore, only to become possessed with its evil spirit. Ashitaka then travels to Irontown, seeking to find the reason for the bore’s anger and thus, a cure for himself. When he arrives, he finds that the citizens of the town, under the rule of Lady Eboshi, have been mining iron from nearby mountains and, in turn, disturbing the animal Gods of the forest. The animals and the humans have been in a constant battle over who has the right to the land and both have been lead to believe that the other species is purely evil. Ashitaka believes that the humans and the animals can get along peacefully through compromise and finds himself in the middle of their conflict. From each side’s perspective, the other seems inherently evil, but from Ashitaka’s perspective, and the perspective of the audience, neither side is truly corrupt and they are both just feeding off of each other’s anger. Alt hough the animals seem evil and barbaric to the humans, they are just being protective over their land and are acting off of their fear of the humans. On the other hand, the humans are seen as evil by the animals because of their selfish use of resources, but they are just trying to financially support their community. For example, Lady Eboshi, the leader of Irontown, is seen as evil for orchestrating this exploitation of resources from the animals, but the humans see her as a compassionate, God-like figure. She does many positive and kind things for the human community, such as taking in women from the streets and brothels and giving them a place to live and work. Even though she is, in essence, destroying the animal’s habitats, she is saving the lives of many humans while doing it. The animal characters are also portrayed as compassionate in many respects. For example, when the leader of the wolves finds an abandoned baby, she takes her in and raises her as if she were her own daughter.

Liberal ideology Essay

How important was new Liberal ideology in leading to the welfare reforms of 1905-11? In answering this essay it is probably best to understand what is meant by ideology. Ideology is defined as a set of beliefs and aims by a group or groups of individuals who share the same common views. The word ‘liberal’ means being ‘free.’ The Liberal party is seen as a party that has an open mind over issues and follows what the majority of people want. In this essay I will explain the key issues that might have led to the Liberal party implementing these welfare reforms in Britain between 1905-11. ‘New’ something ‘-ism’ is often just a name given by a party to show that their ideologies have evolved from previous, outdated times. ‘New’ Liberal ideology is looked at in the context of older Liberal beliefs. This idea of renaming the ideology of a party was seen as an attempt by a party to gain support by claiming to bring in new, unique policies (Simon Potter). However, these thoughts cannot be used when referring to ‘New Liberalism.’ Under the leadership of politicians such as Asquith, Churchill and Lloyd-George the Liberal party seemed to break away from its past. In fact, in 1906 after two decades of political failure, the Liberal party came to power. It introduced the biggest number of social reforms of its time in Britain. It is the reasons behind these reforms that I will be looking at. The main difference between ‘Old’ Liberal thinking and ‘New Liberalism’ was that more emphasis was put on collectivism rather than individualism, which had previously been preached. People began to change their minds from earlier thinking and began to believe that it was the government’s duty to improve life for the community. These ideas as well as those of positive liberty only seemed to appeal to a small minority of Liberal ministers. However, it did appeal to influential Liberals that were in power. This included the future Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. It is my belief that increased knowledge of poverty was more important than new Liberal ideology (aka New Liberlism). Many people in Britain were poverty stricken or in need for help. The government needed to find out exactly how people were getting into poverty. Seebohm Rowntree, a historian in the 19th-20th Century, carried out a survey into poverty in York. York was more typical of the whole country rather than the East End. Seebohm calculated a poverty line (minimum income necessary to stay out of poverty) based on scientific calculations. Those people that did not have the minimum income were in primary poverty and could not achieve physical efficiency. He discovered that those people who were in secondary poverty were there because they hadn’t spent their money well enough. Seebohm’s statistical figures and results opened the eyes of many in Britain. It made many people realise how poverty had come about and how The liberal party believed that welfare reforms would make Britain more competitive and efficient with foreign countries such as Germany and USA. Britain was less advanced than these two superpowers in their army, in industry and in education. Some believed that changes to the education system and administration would make Britain on a more equal level with the two above-mentioned countries. Others believed that sorting out poverty and health would improve Britain’s national efficiency. Liberals believed that welfare reforms would help improve the standard of living of the poorer classes. These people tended to be unfit and therefore were unable to join the army. It was also the poorer people who wanted to become soldiers. By improving the lives and health of poor people, then more would be accepted into the army. Therefore, this is one area that would become more efficient and competitive. Changes to health and child reforms would also make Britain more efficient. Children were Britain’s future prospects. By improving all aspects of their lives (especially those that were coming from poorer backgrounds), children would help Britain to become an all round superpower in 30-40 years to come. They were arguably the most needy of welfare reforms, which maybe explains why the Liberal party implemented many reforms regarding them between 1905-11. The need to win working class support and beat off challenges from the Labour party was the most important reason for the introduction of Welfare reforms between 1905-11. New Liberalism was based on political beliefs, but the need to resist the Labour parties potential challenge was based on political advantages. The 1903 Lib-Lab pact made Labour more of a threat on the political stage. They gained there most number of seats in Parliament in the 1906 elections and with the support of the majority of the working class and the Trade Unions; the labour party were proving to be capable opposition.

Collecting Cartoon Models

Collecting cartoon models One of my favorite hobby I enjoy is collecting cartoon models. Collecting cartoon models is an important thing in my life. I like plastic model and come in pieces, I have to put them together. Plastic model is easier to save, this is why I don’t like glass models. I know model is in my primary school. If I like a cartoon I will collect a model of it. I have spent a long time collecting models. I started to collect models when I was 12 years-old. Near my primary school there is a model shop, where you can see many types of models. The owner has more than 3000 models in the shop because he likes models too.He is my friend now. My first model was bought in this shop. I bought a small size, it’s not expensive, but that is my favorite one. Every models I will spend a lot of times to search it, which standing is my favorite, which size is the best one. If I want buy a model, maybe I will prepare a long time. For example, I love Doraemon, he look like a blue cat, but no ears, because a mouse ate his ears, he is a robot. He has a younger sister, and he has many friends, the best one name’s Da Xiong, is Doraemon’s owner, he is very timid boy, but Doraemon always help him.I have more than hundred models about this cartoon, I have Da Xiong, Jing Xiang, Pang Hu, Xiao Fu, and Doraemon’s younger sister Dorami. My mother knows this hobby when I am 14 years-old, because I told her I want bought a display case, so I have a very big display case, it’s a glass one. The case has 7 shelves, it is tall than me, I think it can put 6 person like me in my display case, it is very big. I put my models in the display case, it must be very carefully. Because if you not carefully the models maybe will break or change their standing.Collecting models is fun thing to do, it is interesting for me. I like to assembly them by myself. It makes me happy and calm, the reason is because I need pay attention when I do it. When you a ssembling models and at the same time you try to do another thing, your models maybe can’t do like you want, you will have error, and make your models break. I have more than a thousand models, the biggest one is tall 115cm, like a person; the middle size needs more time to assembly them, because the middle size is easier than other ize to assembly it, they are the most complex; and the smallest size, you can put them on desk or car dashboard. I can change models color or standing, some models you can paint them by yourself, when you buy the models, in the packing box maybe they give you tools to paint. I like paint my models, but I am not a good painter. Collecting cartoon models is a fun hobby for me, I really enjoy it, it’s not easy for a beginner. If you just a beginner, maybe you don’t know how to deal some part, which part put together and use which color. That is a big problem.But when you start to assembly models, I am sure you will love it, because you accomplish a model by yourself, it can give you a chance to help you build your confidence, maybe you will say, â€Å"Look! I am the winner, I can complete it by myself! † If you want buy a model you like, you need search for them in many model stores, because at that time, model isn’t very popular in China, you need ask other and find the model stores, maybe the shop is in some small road, you may spend a lot of time searching for models and the way, if you want to have as many models as me. But it’s still fun for me after all these years. [pic] Collecting Cartoon Models Collecting cartoon models One of my favorite hobby I enjoy is collecting cartoon models. Collecting cartoon models is an important thing in my life. I like plastic model and come in pieces, I have to put them together. Plastic model is easier to save, this is why I don’t like glass models. I know model is in my primary school. If I like a cartoon I will collect a model of it. I have spent a long time collecting models. I started to collect models when I was 12 years-old. Near my primary school there is a model shop, where you can see many types of models. The owner has more than 3000 models in the shop because he likes models too.He is my friend now. My first model was bought in this shop. I bought a small size, it’s not expensive, but that is my favorite one. Every models I will spend a lot of times to search it, which standing is my favorite, which size is the best one. If I want buy a model, maybe I will prepare a long time. For example, I love Doraemon, he look like a blue cat, but no ears, because a mouse ate his ears, he is a robot. He has a younger sister, and he has many friends, the best one name’s Da Xiong, is Doraemon’s owner, he is very timid boy, but Doraemon always help him.I have more than hundred models about this cartoon, I have Da Xiong, Jing Xiang, Pang Hu, Xiao Fu, and Doraemon’s younger sister Dorami. My mother knows this hobby when I am 14 years-old, because I told her I want bought a display case, so I have a very big display case, it’s a glass one. The case has 7 shelves, it is tall than me, I think it can put 6 person like me in my display case, it is very big. I put my models in the display case, it must be very carefully. Because if you not carefully the models maybe will break or change their standing.Collecting models is fun thing to do, it is interesting for me. I like to assembly them by myself. It makes me happy and calm, the reason is because I need pay attention when I do it. When you a ssembling models and at the same time you try to do another thing, your models maybe can’t do like you want, you will have error, and make your models break. I have more than a thousand models, the biggest one is tall 115cm, like a person; the middle size needs more time to assembly them, because the middle size is easier than other ize to assembly it, they are the most complex; and the smallest size, you can put them on desk or car dashboard. I can change models color or standing, some models you can paint them by yourself, when you buy the models, in the packing box maybe they give you tools to paint. I like paint my models, but I am not a good painter. Collecting cartoon models is a fun hobby for me, I really enjoy it, it’s not easy for a beginner. If you just a beginner, maybe you don’t know how to deal some part, which part put together and use which color. That is a big problem.But when you start to assembly models, I am sure you will love it, because you accomplish a model by yourself, it can give you a chance to help you build your confidence, maybe you will say, â€Å"Look! I am the winner, I can complete it by myself! † If you want buy a model you like, you need search for them in many model stores, because at that time, model isn’t very popular in China, you need ask other and find the model stores, maybe the shop is in some small road, you may spend a lot of time searching for models and the way, if you want to have as many models as me. But it’s still fun for me after all these years. [pic]

Global Nursing Shortage and Impact on Health Care Environment

In recent years international health care organizations are more and more recognizing the impact of nursing shortages in every aspect of health care delivery. Many health care delivery systems are increasingly recognizing the threat recurrent shortages of registered nurses impose on the health care system (Krall & Prus, 1995). This trend has become increasingly apparent from about the mid 1980s through the present, with concerns over nursing shortages leading many health care specialists to explore â€Å"the dynamics of the nursing labor market using neoclassical labor market analysis† (Krall & Prus, 67). Using this approach many suggest that chronic nursing shortages in the global market result from depressed wages and excess demand, and that hospitals tend to command â€Å"monopsonistic power† when it comes to nursing management (Krall & Prus, 1995). Under this line of thinking hospitals have traditionally resulted to substituting less skilled nursing personnel in place of RN's when the need arises to cope with nursing shortages, potentially decreasing the quality of care afforded patients and customers of the hospitals. One thing is certain; the future of the modern global health care organization is uncertain in light of chronic labor shortages among qualified nursing staff (Epstein, 1999). Many health care organizations are seeking alternative methods to provide patients with the quality care they need despite nursing shortages. Many are resorting to more emphasis on preventive care while others are branching out into the community in an attempt to identify community resources that may promote more support for patients in the health care environment (Epstein, 1999). Heirich (1998) notes that it is vital that health care organizations rethink the health care delivery system in order to provide the innovation necessary to accommodate the rapidly changing world economy and global health care environment. Old formulas for funding health care no longer work; health care costs continue to rise. Many organizations are focusing on cost control, which may include budget shortfalls when it comes to compensating nursing staff. More and more however health care organizations are also realizing the need to focus on adequate compensation and attention to nurses and nursing shortages. New business and health coalitions are forming in major metropolitan areas to help control costs and also attract more qualified personnel, stimulating physicians and nurses as well as other providers to work together to improve service delivery in light of new health care challenges (Heirich, 1998). Future of Workforce Design and Organization As health care organizations are changing in response to chronic nursing shortages so too are organizations re-evaluating workforce designs and organizational development within the health care setting. More and more the emphasis within the health care community and organization has been creating more flat organizational structures and global enterprises that encourage cross collaboration or multi-disciplinary approaches to health care delivery (Heirich, 1998). Chronic labor shortages of nurses in the global workplace have encouraged healthcare organizations to adopt new strategies for attracting qualified personnel. In Britain for example, long standing labor shortages among nurses has resulted in dire efforts to recruit migrant nurses from other countries (McGann & Mortimer, 2004). Other organization's including the Illinois State Association are considering recognizing various grades of nurses, including nurses with twelve months vs. urses with twenty seven or more months of training, in an effort to provide more and lower cost nursing care for patients (McGann & Mortimer, 2004). Nursing workforce design is increasingly taking on an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, with more nurses and health care staff trained in a diverse array of services (Clark & Drinka, 2000). More health care systems are developing teams that consist of a nurse, doctor, nurse practitioner, social worker and other community members that provide a mix of services to patients (Clark & Drinka, 2000). Such efforts may help relieve some of the burden associated with nursing shortages while still ensuring that patients are cared for and offered the highest quality services possible in the health care setting. Health care organizations are also working to involve nursing staff more in decision making processes in an attempt to increase job satisfaction and promote reduced turn over and greater loyalty among qualified staff, as many nursing shortages have been attributed to overworked nurses and lack of job satisfaction (Clark & Drinka, 2000). More and more workforces are designing systems that allow nurse practitioners to provide feedback and work in an environment that is more supportive even in light of chronic over scheduling or nursing shortages. Impact Nursing Shortage on Education and Training Educational facilities are increasingly realizing the need to cross train staff to work in a variety of settings to cope with nursing shortages. Additionally more and more educational institutions are promoting team building skills training to promote greater collaboration among nurses and among other health care professionals. The chronic global nursing shortage has affected the future of nursing education, encouraging more training program development with emphasis on training nurses in other skill areas including stress management to cope with increasing burdens associated with under staffing and increasing job demands (McGann & Mortimer, 2004). Mosley (1998) suggests that the health care delivery and training model is shifting to move from more individual patient care to care in an integrated environment or system that affords a continuum of services . In this environment accountability for the health and well being of patients moves from a single nurse or care provider to multiple members of the health care team. This wellness model is increasingly promoted in educational facilities where potential health care providers and nurse trainees are taught to include community organizations, family, physicians and individuals as part of the health care team working to promote the health and well being of patients. The new model for educating nurses includes more diversity training so nurses are capable of working with diverse patients from diverse backgrounds (Clark & Drinka, 2000). It also includes an interdisciplinary approach to training that cross-trains nurses and other health care staff members to work in various settings and under dynamic conditions. Despite these efforts chronic shortages still exist with regard to attracting and retaining competent staff. Many educational facilities are realizing decreased enrollment in nursing programs, in part because many perceive the field of nursing to be one that is over taxing (Clark & Drinka, 2000). Educators will have to work diligently at highlighting programs that provide potential nursing students with the skills necessary to face the new challenges associated with working in a global nursing environment.