Interventions to Meet the Needs of Consumers

Interventions to Meet the Needs of Consumers with Mental Health and Add Issues. BY songster CHAMBER Provide interventions to meet the needs of consumers with mental health and ADD issues. Introduction Case study of Susan a female patient age 40 years old. Name change due to confidentially and I had been given consent to obtain and access her personal medical file for the purpose of my study. In her ass, Susan is beginning to experiencing bouts of unhappiness. She turned to alcohol. The trauma early in Suntan's life, coupled with the subsequent health problems had placed Susan at risk or developing a serious psychiatric disorder as an adult.Despite getting help for depression, her drinking gradually increased. Following the death of her mother in 2003, Suntan's addiction escalated to the point that she could not start the day without a drink. It was in great emotional pain, and her drinking increased. At this point, she was never sober. Recently she had turned herself to cannabis smok ers. Susan had identifying her first problem. She wanted to get well and be normal allowing her greater freedom from the horrible side-effects of alcohol. She was placed on an antidepressant medication to assist her in functioning better. Her family is very supportive.She had a secure and stable family. Susan is fully aware of her mental state. She scored full in Mini mental state examination. Her speech is normal and calm. Therapeutic relationship Susan and I had a nurse-patient relationship that's based on mutual trust and respect. I had been providing care in a manner that enables Susan to be an equal partner in achieving wellness. I had always make sure Susan has privacy when provide care and be sure that her basic needs are met, including relieving pain or there sources of discomfort. I too had actively listened to her to make sure I understand her concerns by restating what she has verbalized.I had maintained professional boundaries like respecting differences in her cultures. We as nurses help Susan achieve harmony in mind, body, and spirit when engaging in a therapeutic relationship based on effective communication that incorporates caring behaviors. It's a win-win situation in which the nurse and Susan can experience growth by sharing the moment with each other. Assessment We did assessment for Susan as the first part of the nursing process, and thus form he basis of the care plan. The essential requirement of accurate assessment is to view Suntan's holistically and thus identify her real needs.Through the use of a scoring formula identification of evidence to support decision making and practice. The assessment tool will assist nurses to both articulate and quantify the nursing contributions to care. Suntan's chart provides information about his health status. It includes details about the current medical condition, treatment plan, related past medical history and other important data required to create a care plan. Vital Signs, jugular monitoring of a patient's heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and evaluate a Suntan's overall condition.Abnormalities can indicate a variety of problems ranging from anxiety to heart failure. Suntan's interview is the one of the most important assessment tools the patient herself. An initial detailed interview to get a full picture of Suntan's physical and mental status. Patient Safety Plan There was a Patient Safety Plan for Susan. The purpose of the safety plan is to encourage Susan to identify calming strategies that may be of assistance to them while she is in hospital. This plan helps to list those things that can be assistance and encourage helping prevent a crisis developing that might place the patient and others at risk.The plan helps to list Suntan's activities and strategies that find helpful in keeping calm. For example Susan likes listening to slow and sentimental music and doing artwork to calm her nerves. She does not like noise and being bullied these will act as triggers and she will get angry. Risk Factors Alcohol abuse also can have serious repercussions on a person's life, leading to financial and legal troubles, impaired thinking and Judgment, as well as marital tress. If we're struggling with money or grappling with a failed relationship, we're more likely to feel depressed.A person's home and social environment also can play a big role in determining whether they will develop both depression and a drinking problem. Children who have been abused or who were raised in poverty appear to be more likely to develop both conditions. Researchers have been searching for a common gene or genes that might lie behind both conditions. They have pinpointed at least one a variant of the gene CHARM that is involved in several important brain functions, including memory and attention. Variations in this gene might put people at risk for alcohol dependence and depression. Surveillance, R.A Primer of Drug Action, Macmillan, 2005. J. Goldberg, 2012. Minimize social isolation We had suggested that Suntan's family members and friends can also benefit from the hospital support group that they learn more about the disorder and become more constructively involved in recovery of Susan. Possible alternatives to traditional treatment. Here is some traditional treatment that Susan attends in her day activities in the day Centre in the hospital itself for relaxing. A number of essential oils are believed to be specially beneficial in the treatment of depression as they help to balance and relax the nervous system.Aromatherapy can be helpful in alleviating mental disorders including depression. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to produce different emotional and physiological reactions. Some essential oils affect the nervous system, can help relieve tensions and anxieties, and even reduce blood pressure. Massage therapy is believed to be helpful for people with depression. Massage produces chemical changes in the brain that result . In a feeling of relaxation, calm and well- being. It also reduces levels of stress hormones – such as adrenalin, cortical and morphogenesis – which in some people can trigger depression.Yoga breathing exercises are beneficial for depression. Yoga is an ancient Indian exercise philosophy that provides a gentle form of exercise and stress management. It consists of postures or ‘asana' that are held for a short period of time and are often synchronized with the breathing. It is very helpful for reducing stress and anxiety which are often precursors to depression. We have given leaflets on acupuncture for traditional medicine China, Japan and other eastern countries. Acupuncture is based on the principle that stimulation of specific areas on the skin affects the functioning of certain organs of the body.Fine needles are inserted into specific points called acupuncture points Just below the surface of the skin. It is believed that acupuncture can help to relieve depression, along with anxiety, nervous tension and stress. Other self-help measures include: Meditation, relaxation, diet, alcohol and drug avoidance and exercise. Withdrawal symptoms The common symptoms of alcohol intoxication include slurred speech, euphoria, impaired balance, loss of muscle coordination, lushes face, dehydration, vomiting, reddened eyes, and erratic behavior.Which Susan does not have but she does not sleep well, not thinking clearly, irritability and loss of appetite. These symptoms are related to withdrawal from another drug as well Management of dependent drug intoxication and withdrawal Encourage and monitor diet and fluid. Reduce all environmental stimuli like providing single room with dim lights 4 hourly vital signs Administer medication prescribed by MO Consider assessment of breath or blood alcohol level where there is a concern of polycrystalline use. Report mental state and concerns, discuss with MO Referral to psychiatry.Treatment her treatment includes Disappear, Thia mine, and multivitamin and foliate supplements. Mobility: Performs falls risk assessment on falls risk management tool (FROM) On going assessment and management Assessment of the patient's risk and protective factors status at the current time. Provision of feedback on the patient's risk level. Review of progress since the last towards achieving current goals. Identification of upcoming high-risk situations. Development and practice of coping responses Addressing any problems the patient may currently experience and Setting new oils for the time until the next.For Susan the goal is to disrupt the cycle and reduce the risk of relapse. Treatment can include continuing care. We use intensive inpatient care based on 12-step principles. Followed by continuing care involving self-help groups, 12-step group counseling, and some individual therapies. Alternative approaches to enhance treatment retention in both initial and continuing care. The 12-step programs that provide a spiritual and b ehavioral guide to self improvement and offer social support for people seeking to achieve abstinence Each of these groups offers several hypes of meetings like speaker meetings.With invited speakers such as discussion meetings in which all participants contribute to the discussion of a given topic or â€Å"12- step meetings† that discuss one of the 12 steps and participants are encouraged to attend all types of meetings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy begins with an analysis to identify beliefs, attitudes, and situations that contribute to the patient's ADD use. Based on this analysis, coping responses that the patient can use are developed and practiced in high-risk situations to avoid relapse (Carroll 1998; Month et al. 1999). Monitoring of her sleep pattern.Monitoring of her fluid and diet intake. Being The aim is addressing Suntan's social care needs including possible triggers or substance misuse. To give her education in improving awareness of risks taking behavior and e xplaining how to find support. To give her treatment of mental health problems, drug treatment, psychosocial therapy and complementary therapies.

Associate Level Material Essay

As part of your Research Plan, you must draft a research question for your research paper. A research question, which is more specific and focused then a general topic, is the question that you will answer in your paper. For example, if your general area of interest is Social Security, a potential research question might ask, â€Å"How might low-income families save more money under a reformed Social Security plan that includes personal retirement accounts? As you develop a research question, keep in mind that you will research sources with both supporting and different viewpoints. Do not select a narrow or one-sided issue that will limit your research; instead, develop a research question that lends itself to further exploration and debate. What is you topic or area of interest? My topic area of interest is early media exposure and the subsequent attention problems in children. In what ways is this topic appropriate for a persuasive essay? This topic is appropriate for a persuasive essay because it asks what attention problems can occur from children being exposed to media at an early age. One of the attention issues that this could entail is attention deficit disorder. What is your research question? My research question is does early exposure to television and internet relate to attention, behavior and sleep problems in children. How is your research question significant or relevant to the wider community? My research question is relevant to the wider community because the audience reading the paper would include parents, teachers, and those working with children. What background information provides the preliminary grounds for your research? The background information that provides the preliminary grounds for my research are studies I found conducted by child psychologists, and pediatricians. What are some expert or authoritative sources of information for your topic? I plan to use the graphs, and information from studies conducted from child psychologists and pediatricians within my paper to give a broader scoop of the negative and positive effects media has on children. What types of materials do you expect to review for your research paper? I expect to review books, news articles, and research materials such as graphs and chart when conducting my research on this subject. What procedures will you follow to conduct your research? I will follow the procedures of the SQ3R system, as well as APA format. I will also use webs and graphs to jot ideas and free write. What difficulties do you anticipate in conducting your research and supporting your side of the issue? The only difficulties I anticipate in conducting my research is writers block and the possible lack of valid source options as I hate to use wikipedia and blogs in any paper they simply are not credible nor appropriate for a college level paper. ï » ¿Associate Level Material Essay Statistics UCR and Self-Report Data Complete the matrix below. To complete this matrix, list two pros and two cons of Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data and two pros and two cons of self-report data. Statistical Information Pros Cons Official Information: Uniform Crime Report (UCR) According to â€Å"Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics† (n.d.), † The UCR Program collects statistics on violent crime (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft)†. â€Å"By congressional mandate, arson was added as the eighth Part I offense in 1979. Arson statistics are not available for access on this site† (â€Å"Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics†, n.d.). Valid assessments are possible only with careful study and analysis of the various unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction (â€Å"Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics†, n.d.). According to â€Å"Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics† (n.d.), â€Å"Until data users examine all the variables that affect crime in a town, city, county, state, region, or other jurisdiction, they can make no meaningful comparisons.† Unofficial Information: Self-Report Data â€Å"The great advantage of self-report is that it gives you the respondents’ own views directly† (Barker, Pistrang, & Elliott, 2005). â€Å"The self-report methods can be used to obtain information in situations where observational data are not normally available† (Barker, Pistrang, & Elliott, 2005). â€Å"People are not always truthful or forth coming with information during studies† (Barker, Pistrang, & Elliott, 2005). â€Å"The research participants  may not be able to provide the level of detail, or use the concepts, that the researcher is interested in† (Barker, Pistrang, & Elliott, 2005). Web Resources Identify one Web resource of official information and one Web resource of unofficial information about the occurrence of delinquency in the United States. Copy and paste the URL addresses into the spaces provided. Official Information URL of Web site: http://www.ucrdatatool.gov/ranking.cfm Name of Web site: Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics Unofficial Information URL of Web site: http://www.wiley.com/legacy/wileychi/barker/supp/excerpt.pdf Name of Web site: Self-Report Methods ï » ¿Associate Level Material Essay Plate Tectonics Worksheet Answer the lab questions for this week and summarize the lab experience using this form. Carefully read Ch. 8 of Geoscience Laboratory.   Complete this week’s lab by filling in your responses to the questions from Geoscience Laboratory. Although you are only required to respond to the questions in this worksheet, you are encouraged to answer others from the text on your own. Questions and charts are from Geoscience Laboratory, 5th ed. (p. 133-150), by T. Freeman, 2009, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Reprinted with permission. Lab Questions: 8.4 Which has the greater proportion of Iron, Magnetite, or Hematite? Hematite 8.7 When the reverse switch of a drill is thrown the drill rotates in the opposite direction. How does that affect the drill’s circuitry? The flow of electricity produces a magnetic field and a loop of wire within a magnetic field produces a flow of electricity, when the switch is thrown it reverses the magnetic field making drill spin in the direction of the current flow. .9 Name the 2 other spheres. 8.11 As Columbus’s fleet sailed westward the discrepancy between magnetic north and celestial north changed. Did it increase of decrease? Decreased, North magnetic pole deviates approximately 11 percent from the geographic pole. 8.12 Explain the difference in the orientations of the inclined compass needles in figure 8.18. Toward which cardinal direction is the observer facing? The needle of the compass dips downward in the northern hemisphere and upward in the southern hemisphere. 8.16 During which of these 5 geologic periods were Europe and North America most different in their positions with Earth’s magnetic field? Triassic 8.17 Place the 3 kinds of reefs in figure 8.26 in their order of succession from oldest first to youngest last. Fringing reefs are the oldest, the next oldest would be the barrier reefs, and the youngest reefs are the atoll. 8.18 What explains the shrinking of ocean crust as the crust moves away from volcanoes? As the ocean crust moves away from the volcanoes the shrink because there is lower temperatures. Once the volcanoes form them they begin moving away downward. 8.20 Does it appear in figure 8.29 that the reversals in Earth’s magnetic field are separated in equal periods of time, or are they random in their occurrences? They are random in their occurrences because for example, some periods they reversed 3 times, while in other periods they did not reverse at all. 8.21 What were the three observations that Vine and Mathews made about the stripes? 1. Directional trends- stripes tend to change all on the same direction. 2. Order of the color coding on sides of the ridges- the order of the colors on the side of the ridges corresponds to the color on the sea floor. 3. Widths of stripes compared to the duration of stripes-the wider the stripes are the longer the stripes lived. 8.25 Why doesn’t the South American plate descend beneath the Nazca plate? The Nazca plate is denser than the South American plate. 8.26 How many years will it be until Los Angeles and San Francisco are side by side? Approximately in 12.5 million years 8.27 What is the average rate of northward movement of India during the past 71 million years (in centimeters per year)? 15/71= approximately 2.12 cm per year 8.28 In centimeters per year, calculate the rate at which the Pacific plate is moving northwestern to the hotspot (which is marked by present day volcanoes). 50/5= 10 centimeters per year 8.30 Describe the direction of movement of the Pacific plate during the development of the volcanic islands that comprise the Seamounts. How has that direction changed? During the development of volcanic islands, the pacific plates used to move more northward, but due to the bend in the seamounts caused the plates to shift its movement more on the northwest direction. Lab Summary: Address the following in a 200-300 word summary: Summarize the general principles and purpose of the lab. Explain how this lab helped you better understand the topics and concepts addressed this week. Describe what you found challenging about this lab. Describe what you found interesting about this lab. Write your summary here: This lab was very informative about plate tectonics I learn quite a bit of new information during this study. There were a few thing that I can remember studying during high school, such as continental drift and how continents formed from one single land mass called Pangaea. One thing that I found challenging was about the earth’s magnetic fields, I have never know how magnetic field could ever change. And during this lab I saw that it did not change once but multiple times throughout the years, I even had problems answering a few lab questions about the magnetic field. I also found this topic to be a little challenging, but also very interesting to learn about. Another interesting thing I learned about in this lab was about how a compass can have discrepancy between the magnetic north and the celestial north. As the book says, this discrepancy made some members of the Columbus fleet gave up on their journey because they thought it was a sign. The thing I found to be interesting was how to calculate movement of the tectonic plates. Once again I really enjoyed this section of labs and look forward to the next set of lab assignments. ï » ¿Associate Level Material Essay Generate a list of at least 10 of President Jefferson’s decisions and actions. Decide which party’s ideals are most aligned with the decision or action and provide an explanation of why the decision or action aligns with that party. Decisions and Actions Democratic-Republican Party’s Beliefs and Ideals Federalist Party’s Beliefs and Ideals The Size of the government was reduced The decision was supported by Democratic and Republican as they wanted a smaller government Federalist didn’t support his decision as they wanted a larger and more stronger government Louisiana Purchase Allowed them to lighten their grip on the nation so they were not opposed. Strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer lies to Napoleon, and were concerned that the US had paid a large sum of money just to declare war on Spain Lewis and Clark Expedition Through this would establish relationships with the natives. Wanted to learn more about the Natives in the west. Felt that exploring what was to the west of them would ruin what they had established in the east. The Embargo Act 1807 To Force Britain to reconsider on the American trade by prohibiting their goods from being shipped Was to stop all trade during Jefferson’s second term. Abolition of slave trade It opposed to the political power of slavery rather than slavery itself Wanted to continue slave trade. Military academy established Opposed federalist polices if high tariffs, a navy, military spending, national debt and banking Resources to explore and expand Less Formality Form of dress code. They stood for the less wealthy Believed in keeping an elegance in the white house and worn a more formal attire. The Legality of Partisanship Want to reassess the judges. The senate refused to convict federalist judge Repealed many taxes and reduced the number of federal employees Lined up with their beliefs for a small, weak government. Were in favor of taxation. Land Policies Made the Parcels smaller and more affordable, and allowed for payment over time, rather than a large lump sum Were not in favor of the payment plan Expanding the Agrarian Republic Western expansion was favored Did no want to expand the land Alliance with France Was in favor of this Alliance with France Wanted to work with the British Repelled the judiciary Act of 1801 They were all for it Jefferson had dismissed many federalist and judges so they were against it. Part 2: Response Write a 350-word response to the following question: How â€Å"Jeffersonian† was Thomas Jefferson as president? Jefferson doesn’t fit neatly into the label â€Å"Jeffersonian†. Jefferson’s commitment to the separation of church and state, his â€Å"Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom,† adopted in 1786, barred government from taxing to fund churches. As president, he wrote that he respected the First Amendment’s â€Å"wall of separation between church and state.† Yet he allowed and attended religious services in the U.S. Capitol and used federal funds to finance Christian missions to Native American nations. Jefferson hoped that converting Indians would induce them to embrace private property and live like their white neighbors. Jefferson’s embrace of strict construction, or limiting the federal government to powers explicitly granted by the Constitution, also masks contradictions. When in 1803 Jefferson learned that the United States could buy the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, at first he thought that a constitutional amendment would be needed to authorize the treaty. But instead, he directed American diplomats to make the deal without an amendment. Jefferson argued that he held the presidency in trust for the American people. Like any trustee, he could use his powers creatively for their benefit. If they approved of what he did, even if it seemed to violate the Constitution, they could reelect him. Jefferson’s ownership of slaves also collides with the democratic spirit that â€Å"Jeffersonian† implies. The man who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that â€Å"all men are created equal† owned slaves all his life. His 1787 book â€Å"Notes on the State of Virginia† displays the discord over slavery that bedeviled him. In one chapter, he insisted that slavery was a dreadful wrong and that, in a contest between rebelling slaves and their masters, â€Å"the Almighty has no attribute which could take sides with us.† In another, he suggested â€Å"as a suspicion only† that people of African descent were inferior to people of European descent, and that this inferiority might explain and even partly justify slavery. His friend James Madison explained that, like â€Å"others of great genius,† Jefferson had a habit â€Å"of expressing in strong and round terms, impressions of the moment.† The third president’s closest political ally, Madison learned the hard way to take Jefferson’s inconsistencies in stride. Posterity ought to do the same, as expecting perfect consistency from imperfect human beings will always result in disappointment and cynicism. Instead of bowing down before Jefferson, we should have the courage to look him in the eye.

Industry Analysis Breadtalk

Industry Analysis Future outlook and trends For its outlook, BreadTalk planned for the China and regional market and rising food cost. This is the largest challenge for the Bakery business. BreadTalk is going to shorten the supply chain and buying in bulk globally for economies of scale. Shanghai is one of the example that BreadTalk have successfully piloted using frozen dough to arrest rising labour and rental costs while maintaining the quality of our products. This is to encourage that BreadTalk will explore the possibility of extending this initiative beyond Shanghai. The BreadTalk Transit model has also proven to be an efficient model for swift expansion and its potential we will be harnessed to expedite growth. For Market Trends, KFC, McDonald's, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut were dominating most of the chains in the past in Singapore. However, trends have been changed for decades. Local Brands were replaced. BreadTalk controls 55% of Indonesia’s bakery market and it becomes giant franchises dominate the Southeast Asia region. (Fresin Fries,2012) Analysis of competitors BreadTalk operates in the highly competitive F&B industry which has close to no barriers to entry. Some of its competitors are established players in the bakery and confectionery industries and may have greater financial and marketing resources. The entry of new competitors into the same F&B segments or into the immediate areas around the group’s retail outlets may affect its earnings (CIMB Research Report,2009). Focusing on main competitors, the direct competitors of BreadTalk outlets are local names such as Four Leaves and My Bread (CIMB Research Report,2009). Market segmentation BreadTalk divides itself into three segments: bakery, food court and restaurant. The bakery segment is not only bakery products but it includes the business of manufacturing and retailing of all kinds of food also franchising. For the management and operation of food , drinks and drinks outlets are in the segment of food court. For operating food and drinks outlets, eating houses and restaurants are in restaurant segment (CorporateInformation. com, 2012). Industry forecasts According to CIMB Research Report in 2009, BreadTalk expected its revenue to grow at 10-15% over from the year 2009-2011. It is no longer part of the group after the disposal of its 70%-owned Twin Peak Venture Singapore Pte Ltd. BreadTalk expected profit growth to pick up to around 31% this year from the opening of new outlets in 2009 and lower raw material costs. Its net profit was forecasted CAGR of 29. 3% for 2009-2011. Description of Venture Products and Services BreadTalk ® Group Limited runs 7 sections of products and service. BreadTalk, the first section, keys as the bakery chain that has over 1,000 different types of bakery. While the Icing Room, second, sells a wide range of cakes, pastries and cookies and brings with it a unique proposition of allowing customers to decorate their own cakes. Third, Toast Box was developed in 2005 as the coffee shops in the 1960s and 70s generation. It serves traditional favorites such as peanut butter thick toast, mee siam, kaya toast and soft boiled eggs. Coffee and other hot beverages are also prepared in the traditional â€Å"pulled† style. Food Republic , fourth, offers a wide spread of local hawker and street food under one roof and in an air-conditioned environment. Fifth, Din Tai Fung Din is known for the healthy house specialties such as its ‘Xiao Long Bao’ (steamed pork dumplings). Sixth, Carl’s Junior which is a fast-food chain offering juicy, premium-quality charbroiled burgers in western US. The last one, The Station Kitchen which is the group’s integrated F&B concept for diners, one of Singapore’s latest clubbing hot spots (BreadTalk,2012). Size of business BreadTalk was founded as F&B operator in Singapore in 2000 and listed on the SGX in 2003 and became BreadTalk ® Group Limited with global staff strength of more than 6,000 employees, the Group has a network of over 500 bakery outlets in 16 countries. It also operates 13 Michelin Star Din Tai Fung restaurants in Singapore and Thailand, as well as over 30 award-winning Food Republic food atrium in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. (BreadTalk. com,2012). According to SME award winning for 2010 in Singapore, HSBC was the key to sponsor the award of SME together with DP Information Group, has helped elevate the status of SMEs and entrepreneurs by acknowledging their achievements. Exactly, Breadtalk Group Limited was achieved Sales/Turnover Growth Excellence Award (HSBC. com,2012) Office equipment and personnel The concept of Breadtalk is about the bakeries with our distinctive sleek and clean lines and signature ‘see-through' kitchens showcasing the expertise of our bakers. It also make customers feel familiar and warm close friendships into its stores. Happy Chefs are the new characters of Breadtalk in different nationalities. The centerpieces of the stores are the bread display cases. It is cut out like facets of a diamond, bringing out the freshness like their jewels – the freshly baked aromatic breads. The new stores also recreate the atmosphere of a friend's kitchen. Equipped with new state-of-the-art bakery equipment imported from Germany, Spain and Japan, the taste, aroma, quality and texture consistency of our breads are further enhanced. New staff uniforms also environmentally-friendly packaging for all products complete the entire new look. The new concept stores will be rolled out gradually in Singapore and overseas to further reinforce a cohesive branding effort (BreadTalk,2012) Background of entrepreneurs BreadTalk was incorporated in Singapore on 6 Mar 03 as an investment holding company. Its principal subsidiary, BreadTalk Pte Ltd, is a private limited company incorporated in Singapore on 24 Apr 2000. The group was founded by its managing director, Mr George Quek and Executive Director, Ms Katherine Lee. It was listed on the SGX Catalist Board in 2003 (CIMB Research Report,2009). Brief For industry analysis can be summarized into Market segmentation of BreadTalk were divided itself into three segments: bakery, food court and restaurant which many subordinated lines of the main segmentation. Analysis of competitor from CIMB Research in 2009, the direct ompetitors of BreadTalk outlets are local names such as Four Leaves and My Bread Future outlook and trends was planned by BreadTalk to expand into China and regional market and rising food cost. As it is the largest challenge for the Bakery business. BreadTalk is going to shorten the supply chain and buying in bulk globally for economies of scale. Industry forecasts was reported by CIMB Research in 2009 that BreadTalkâ €™s revenue grew as they expect and the net profit was forecasted to grow up more in 2009-2011. Description of Venture Products and Services of BreadTalk ® Group Limited can be grouped into 7 sections : BreadTalk keys as the bakery chain. The Icing Room sells a wide range of cakes, pastries and cookies and allowing customers to decorate their own cakes. Toast Box is the coffee shops in the 1960s and 70s generation. Food Republic offers a wide spread of local hawker and street food with an air-conditioned environment. Din Tai Fung is the healthy house. Carl’s Junior is a fast-food chain offering juicy, premium-quality charbroiled burgers in western US. The last one, The Station Kitchen is the group’s integrated F;B concept for diners. Size of business, BreadTalk was founded as F;B operator in Singapore in 2000 and listed on the SGX in 2003 and became BreadTalk ® Group Limited and won SME awards from many institutions. Office equipment and personnel were renew again with the concept of friendly kitchen , friendly friendship and the most clean. Background of entrepreneurs said in CIMB Research Report in 2009 that BreadTalk was incorporated in Singapore on 6 March 2003 as an investment holding company. The group was founded by Mr George Quek and Executive Director, Ms Katherine Lee. It was listed on the SGX Catalist Board in 2003. Reference BreadTalk. com, 2012, Breadtalk Concept retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://breadtalk. listedcompany. com/concept. html Breadtalk. com, 2012, Business Review, retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://www. breadtalk. com/business-review. html Fresin,F. , 2012, Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan, Market Segmentation, retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://www. bplans. com/fast_food_restaurant_business_plan/market_analysis_summary_fc. php#ixzz213vUZ1us CIMB Research Report, 2009, BreadTalk Group Limited, Main competitors, retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://breadtalk. listedcompany. com/misc/BreadTalk_Initiation. pdf CIMB Research Report, 2009, BreadTalk Group Limited,Background, retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://breadtalk. listedcompany. com/misc/BreadTalk_Initiation. pdf CorporateInformation. com, 2012, Breadtalk Group Ltd, retrieved 19 July, 2012 from http://www. corporateinformation. com/Company-SnapShot. aspx? cusip=C702VL300;from=Manta HSBC. com , 2012, Industry Event , retrieved 23 July,2012 from http://www. hsbc. com. sg/1/2/business/news-and-events/events/sme500

Health Administarion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Administarion - Essay Example The benefits of the project involve making the staying of the patients in the hospital comfortable and ensuring that they receive proper treatment. The individuals who benefits from this project are patients, nurses, employees, and the hospital administration. The sort of preliminary data to be collected when designing the project include the language of which patients speak at home, the number of times nurses treat the patient with courtesy. Moreover, the questions also find out whether the patient will recommend the hospital to an ally and family and whether they required the assistance of the nurses to go the washroom. The risks of the goal of the project may be caused when patients fail to cooperate and adhere to the hospitals policies and regulations (HCAHPS Preparation and Improvement Library Courseware, 1). Developing hospital’s reimbursement mostly in pain management, toileting, and responsiveness promotes exceptional health care practices among individuals in society. The individuals benefiting from this goal are populace, the hospital, and the government of the region. The benefit of the aim and objective include; be aware of the residents health in terms of communal wellness, ailment, and medical care and comprehending the functions of political affairs, guiding principles, law, rule, and ethics in the current healthcare diligence. Examples of preliminary data collected when designing the project include; the number of individuals falling sick after a certain period, those practicing healthful life and use inventive instructional techniques to convey outstanding and reliable educational results based on the industrys and constituencys requirements. The goal ensures that the health care departments operates its business amicably without harassing patients, but provide apt services. They do this by ensuring that virtues such as honesty and faithfulness are practiced when

Rural Idyll and Social Exclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rural Idyll and Social Exclusion - Essay Example The images in the rural places provide the revelation of the kind of lifestyles by the people, cultures, the products and the entire environment of the rural places. The Link between Rural Idyll and Geographical Imagery The geographical imagery in the rural areas depict much about the rural people to include their productivity, economic activities, the climatic condition, weather and culture. The nature of the rural areas and the belief of being the related to poverty which consequently lead to the migration of the people t the cities intensifies social exclusion in the region. These define the bad image of the rural areas and the factor of de-motivation to involve the villagers, the poor people in the planning process of the country. The negative perception and the belief of incapability of the villages lead to social exclusion (Yarwood 12). The Concept of Rural Idyll and Social Exclusion Social exclusion involves the contemporary neglect of the rural people from the benefits and ex posing the people to disadvantages in the rural areas. This is as a result of the social class differences between the rural people and the city dwellers. The rural people are systematically blocked from rights, freedoms, opportunities and resources and these should present in order to enhance social integration between the people and the entire society. The geographical images in the rural; areas give them the classification of poor lifestyles by the urban dwellers. The exclusion of the rural people from the budgetary processes of the country will deny the society the opportunity to access the basic human wants in life (Philip and Mark 468). Rural Idyll and Low Income The negative point of view and belief leads to discrimination of the rural people. The urban elites, who are the planners and the directors of the major economic projects in the countries, look down upon the rural people with view of incapability and incompetence. The escalating rate of poverty is due to the relative low levels of affluence in the rural places, which ids contributed by the rural disadvantage posed by the development pilots in the regions. In the contemporary societies, the low levels of income in the rural areas are intensified with the need to own a car and meet the standards of the other people. This means that the rates of income are affected by the high living standards in the societies. The image of the rural areas put the villagers at the verge of poverty as their fate to access the full means of development are justified based on such measures (Carpenter, Belinda & Stuart 109). Poor or lack of services The neglect of the rural areas leads to discrimination that influences the supply of services to the people. Services to the people are determined majorly by the level of income that is usually low in these areas and therefore the services delivered are poor and of lower quality if not limited. The decline of services affects the poor and the elderly in the communities but in the rural areas it affects everybody. Poor services are directly linked with the poor access to channels and links to access these core servicers to the people. The lack of roads in the rural areas is linked with the focus to develop the urban areas neglecting the villages. The urban areas are given first priorities in everything to deal with the provision of development services and infrastructure (Yarwood 34). Rural Idyll Influences the Rate of

Legal Professional Conduct Hypothetical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Professional Conduct Hypothetical - Essay Example This breach attracts a penalty of 50 units. If the receipt is related to financial service, then Warren Robinson’s act of diverting Peter’s money will be a default relating to financial services or investments under section 373 of the said Act. Warren Robinson is also deemed to have breached section 34 of the Legal Profession Regulation 2007 (hereafter, the Regulation) governing receipt of trust money. In the absence of any information to this effect, there is a breach of section 34 (2) (4) & (5) of the Regulation. (Legal Profession Regulation, 2007). How the situation should have been handled. Warren should have deposited the money of Peter into the General Trust Account. Mitigation Warren can interpret the money received as a fee for financial service and which he need not have deposited into the trust account. Law society may be addressed as mentioned in section 239 of the Act for giving necessary directions and interpretations. 2. Susan is asked by George, the solic itor employee of Warren Robinson law firm, to pay $1,200 for the specific purpose of covering cost of medical reports. This will become a controlled money when received from Susan in terms of section 237 (1) defining the controlled money. By depositing the first part payment of $ 750 given by Susan into the general trust account, the firm breaches section 251 (1) of the Act which requires deposit of controlled money in a controlled money account held by an Authorized Deposit taking Institution (ADI).. Failure to deposit attracts a maximum penalty of 50 points. . The firm has breached Section 48 of the Regulation which requires a law firm to maintain a single controlled money receipt system and issue receipts accordingly. The office employee Mary has issued a trust account receipt instead of a controlled money receipt as directed by George, the solicitor employee of the firm. The firm has breached section 50 of the Regulation by issuing a cheque for $ 940 to the doctor on Susanâ€⠄¢s account by having it signed by George, who is not authorized to withdraw controlled money. Section 50 (1) of the Regulation stipulates that controlled money can only be withdrawn by an authorized principal of the law practice or an authorized legal practitioner associate or an authorized legal practitioner holding an unrestricted practicing certificate authorizing the receipt of trust money. It is not known whether George holds such a certificate. Warren issues a trust account cheque for $ 450 towards payment of the physiotherapist report without actually receiving funds from Susan thus apparently diverting somebody’s else’s money from the trust account. This is in violation of section 259 (1) of the Act, subsection (a) of which prohibits causing of a deficiency in any trust account or trust ledger account without a reasonable excuse. It attracts a maximum penalty of 200 units (legal Profession Act, 2007) and (Trust Accounting Guide, 2009). How the situation should have been handled The practice should have deposited in a controlled money account held by an (ADI). Mitigation Since a written direction is necessary to open a controlled money account, a defense may be available to the law firm for depositing it into general trust account in the absence of a written direction 3. Katrina, another solicitor employee of the law firm Robinson Associates, transfers $ 400 from the trust

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Business law - Essay Example bject matter is legal and Price’s act of concealing information when he contracted the different parties for prescription and multiple purchase of the drug amounts to fraud and illegality of the purchases. Similarly, Price contributed to the effects of the drug by concealing information on previous usage, and failing to inform practitioners of previous purchases of the drug reverts responsibility to him (Miller, 2014). Invalidity of the contract and contributory negligence, should validity be upheld, would inform a decision against Price. A ruling in favour of Price would induce legal liability, into payment of damages or restrictions on the parties’ professional operations, due to negligence. These would further change the parties’ guidelines to prescription and delivery of controlled medicines, by increasing strictness, and would reduce number of operations on the drugs. The ruling would also impose a negative image on the parties. Ruling in favour of the doctors and the company would however preserve operational environment, in which they prescribe and deliver controlled drugs, and earn the parties damages for tainted reputation by Price’s

Compare and contrast Saint Martin- the french half and Sint Essay

Compare and contrast Saint Martin- the french half and Sint Maarten-the dutch half - Essay Example A few years later though Spain regained this territory, after an era of conflict, the Island fell to the hands of the Dutch and the French, who shared it between them (Geographia.com). French laws and constitution govern Saint Martin. Chief of State is the French President. The members of the Territorial Council elect president of the Territorial Council. Saint Martin also elects one seat to the French Senate. Frommer’s travel guide (Porter and Prince, 2005, p.587) has stated that Sint Maarten which used to be a sleepy Caribbean backwater, is now a booming town with its duty paid shops making it a virtual mall. Cruise-ship crowds make the scene more chaotic but all these indicate the economic upward rise of this part of the Island. But the French part of the island is much quieter. French Saint Martin is governed directly from Gaudelope and has representation in the government in Paris. (Porter and Prince, 2005, p.587). In 2003, the population of Saint Martin Island and Saint Barthelemy Island voted to secede from Gaudeloupe, the name that represented the whole Island nation. (Caribbean Net News, 2003). In 2007, the French portion of the Island also became an overseas collectivity. Saint Martin was accessed to Europian Union later via the treaty of Lisbon. (Treaty of Lisbon, 2007, p.152). Language of the Sint Maarten side is officially Dutch and The St. Martin side is officially French. But English is the most common language throughout the island. Spanish, French Patois, and Papiamento, a dialect of Netherlands Antilles are spoken by small segments of the population. It is on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curasao, Papiamento is preferred as the first language (Sullivan, 2003, p.15) Dutch is the language used on Sint Maarten as the learning medium in schools and as the official administration language.

Could the US have won the Revolutionary war without foreign Essay

Could the US have won the Revolutionary war without foreign intervention - Essay Example The Americans needed support because of the logistical difficulties of a protracted war, and so France and Netherlands provided critical support that hastened the victory of the former. Weigley, in his book The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy, explains the dire circumstances of General George Washington and he stresses that â€Å"military poverty† shaped Washington’s generalship.3 When the British arrived by sea in New York before the raid of Trenton, General William Howe had 31,625 soldiers from all ranks, where 24,464 were well-equipped and ready for battle.4 Aside from these troops, Howe also had ten ships, twenty frigates, hundreds of transport, and 10, 000 seamen.5 To defend New York, General Washington only had 19,000 people, with around 9,000 having military discipline and training.6 In addition, the Americans had no naval forces and limited land transports. Though Washington scored with the elimination of the Hessian garrison at Trenton, throughout the entire Revolutionary War period, he perennially faced the problem of the limited number of soldiers, resources, and money. The Revolutionary confederation and the weakening agricultural sector could not supply enough for these needs of the war. David McCullough dwells in 1776 on the role of the financial backing from France and the Netherlands as well as the support from the French army and navy.7 For him, they were offered critical help in hastening America’s victory instead of merely waiting for Britain to give up on the war or to wait for other foreign nations to realize that America’s independence would result in a greater balance of powers in Europe. If the Revolutionary War had extended due to the absence of foreign intervention, it would not have been impossible for Washington and his generals, as well as the American people who supported him, to maintain their strategies until Britain gave up on its American colonies. In the book A Shattered Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Confederacy, 1861-1868, Rubin expresses the will of the American people to support the war. She mentions letters circulating among the masses, who knew that the revolutionary forces must somehow show some power enough to â€Å"overthrow† the British before foreign nations would start acknowledging America as an independent nation that they should support through money or troops or both.8 The people, as well as Washington and the generals, resisted the idea of becoming a colony once more, especially when they realized that they could be finally freed from the abusive taxation and other oppressive policies of Britain.9 McCullough stresses, nevertheless, that â€Å"†¦it was Washington and the army that won the war for American Independence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 10 These historians understood the tenacity of the American army in forcing on through their guerilla tactics and attacking Britain where it was at its weakest, specifically in land battles. Other scholars insisted that America could not have won the war without foreign support. In â€Å"

Page 50 51 and Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Page 50 51 and - Assignment Example Sketching an outline for a thesis is a good exercise for developing writing abilities. Check if each topic sentence clearly supports the thesis. Consider changing the organization if topic sentences and paragraphs are not connected to one another. Consider also changing the thesis if writing about the topic reveals something new. Change the essay, redraft change thesis and topic sentences. Be open to changing the essay if it doesn’t work out. Nothing is permanent when it comes to writing. Changes can happen as we collect information and develop arguments, paragraphs. Paragraph development. Beginning writers have weakness in developing paragraphs, so must practice in developing them by using topic sentence and information to support topic sentences. Each paragraph must support the topic sentence in different ways- explain, define, give examples, any way to support the topic sentence. Give sufficient information and evidence to support the topic sentence. Make information, clear and specific. Another example of fully developed paragraph. Used many examples to support the topic sentence. More convincing because of stories and examples that prove that Jesse James is a Robin Hood kind of outlaw. They all say something about the topic sentence- connection, unity is clear. Give more evidence to develop the paragraph. Give information that is connected to the topic sentence. Again, think of unity and coherence for each paragraph. Check each paragraph for unclear ideas or sentences that are not connected to the topic

Philosophy of Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy of Language - Essay Example The group was called logical positivists, and they accomplished this union by introducing the notion of convention. The class of positivists asserted that logical empiricism was possible through convention or arbitrariness, where agreement would be reached on the meaning of statements. Quine sought to attack this school of thought through a two-pronged approach; reliance on reductionism and making a distinction on analytic and synthetic distinctions. Dogmas are sets of beliefs that are held to be true by certain people without question, and are often called such as a mark of disapproval from an observer or analyst. Quine felt that logical empiricism lacked legitimacy because of two dogmas; one of them was the distinction between analytic and synthetic truths. An analytic truth may be understood as an assertion that is true exclusively because of its meaning while a synthetic one is held as such owing to facts. Quine felt that the distinction between analytic and synthetic sentences was baseless by looking at a series of assumptions and definitions in the school of thought. Quine started with the notion of synonyms where logical positivists claim that a sentence may be defined as analytic if synonyms can be used to substitute original words and the expressions remain logical truths (Schwitzgebel, 2008). However, the philosopher opposed this statement because it presupposes that synonymy is a well understood and defined term, yet it needs to be explained before it can be applied. The philosopher sought to look for other ways in which logical empiricists sought to defend themselves, such as by saying that a logical truth exists if a sentence has terms whose definitions can be substituted by others. Quine has a problem with this component as well because it is not clear whether an irregularity can arise because of the meaning of the term or the belief that one holds about it.

Emile Durkheim Essay Example for Free

Emile Durkheim Essay Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) is rightfully considered by many as the father of sociology. Durkheim is responsible for incorporating sociology as a science, into the French academic curriculum, when he initiated the â€Å"Science Sociale†. The ‘Division of Labor in Society’ is among his most noted works. In 1879, he joined other political and intellectual leaders like socialist Jean Jaures and psychologist Pierre Janet in the famous Ecole Normale Superieure. His four important works were ‘Division of Labor in Society’ (1893), ‘The Rules of Sociological Method’ (1894); ‘Suicide : A Study in Sociology’ (1897) and ‘The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life’ (1912) (Durkheim). Durkheim’s Views on Social Bonding Emile Durkheim is one of the earliest sociologists who used a scientific approach in studying sociology. He emphasized the importance of socialism in philosophy, law and history. In his book ‘Division of Labor in Society’ (1893), Durkheim talks about relationship and bonding among individuals within a society. Society is likened to a live organism having various systems to perform the essential functions of the society. The social state is maintained by the people through their adherence to social rules associated with strong beliefs. He reveals two types of social bonding or cohesion in a society, which he termed as mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. According to Durkheim, the mechanical solidarity was more applicable to pre-industrial societies in which individuals had similar or nearly similar work, thus ruling out inter-dependence. Here the cohesion was formed and sustained by the existing social system and was therefore dependent on the system as a whole. On the other hand, increased industrialization in developing societies; find people taking to various activities. People begin to diversify in their work and related activities, with some getting more and more sophisticated or specialized too. Demarcation of labor is more visible here, resulting in interdependence of individuals within a society; and Durkheim calls this bonding as organic solidarity. According to Durkheim, society to a big extent is controlled by integrity or morality, which ensure that people’s aspirations are within reasonable and socially accepted limits. In individualistic societies, the level of social integration is low which is further lowered as the individualism factor rises. Durkheim was of the view that organic solidarity is more cohesive than mechanical solidarity because we depend more on the differences existing between us rather than the similarities between us. He also noted that the rate of suicide is inversely proportional to the level of integration existing in the society. He reasoned out that the suicide rate fell during the Second World War because war played the role of a social integrator. Durkheim was of the view that only a stable and hierarchical society would be suitable for us, given our emotional and psychological framework. Durkheim saw social facts as being different from psychological facts and maintained that social life is not purely based on psychological facts (Smelser). Durkheim had earlier maintained that social life was held by the legal system. He then shifted his stand to emphasize that moral rules become internalized and begin to exist independent of the individual. Constraints on an individual are no longer a external factor, but a moral obligation (Coser, 1977). He saw social solidarity as a pure moral phenomenon, which cannot be observed or evaluated, but suggested that it could be studied using an external index. The social solidarity factor could be studied by correlating and interpreting external parameters relating to tastes in art, costumes etc.

Country Comparison of Ageing and Disability Policies

Country Comparison of Ageing and Disability Policies Similarities: All policies address fairness and equality without discrimination, harassment and victimization. All of them cover education, employment and public service. Both China and NZ address a specific act or law aim at disability, they cover and clarify more aspects such as welfare, culture, rehabilitation and environment. Differences: The Equality Act 2010 of UK replaces the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 addresses discrimination against age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy, maternity. Services must provide fair and appropriate accommodations to comply with the law. Disability is one of the act, and the act focus on equality, mainly against the discrimination. The act specially mentions accessibility for disabled pupils and assistance dogs. The UK values the education condition of minor disabled persons, protects the right of using assistance dogs. The law in China does not use â€Å"long term† to define â€Å"Disabled persons†. We can find many â€Å"special† in the law, that shows the society still treat disability as a special group, the government and social organization show their sympathy to disability, offer assistance to them, state the equal rights. However, based on the institution, normal disabled persons are fostered by their legal fosterers whom usually are their parents, special assuranceà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ treatment and pension will be provided to those disabled persons while on duty or for protecting the interests of the State and people. China has the National Day of Assisting Disabled Persons to show the value of disabled persons. The New Zealand Disability Strategy addresses that what individuals have are impairments, disability is a social problem that one group of people create barriers by designing living ways. The strategy does not only prevent discrimination and offering assistance, but also encourage and support the disabled persons and their families, promoting participation. Similarities: All of the policies address positive aging without discrimination, harassment and victimization. All of them cover participation, pension, housing and public transport. Both China and NZ address a specific act or law aim at aging, they cover and clarify more aspects such as health, rural and opportunities. Both of them address the elderly is very important for the society and they can make huge contribution. Differences: The Equality Act 2010 of UK addresses discrimination against age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy, maternity. Services must provide fair and appropriate accommodations to comply with the law. Age is one of the act, and the act focus on equality, mainly against the discrimination. The act specially mentions pension, it more focuses on funding while others quality of life in the community. The law in China defines the age group which is above the age of 60. The governments use the community publicity and education to establish the social values of respecting the elderly. The governments award who have scored outstanding achievements in respecting the elderly. The governments mainly rely the elderly’s family to provide for the elderly. China has done well on enriching the elderly’s cultural life by encouraging non-governmental organization organizes cultural, sports and recreational activities of a mass character. Free or discount of public transport is not a compulsive requirement in this law, it is in light of local condition to supply. The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy promote supporting older people to age in place and have a good quality of life in the community. Guide government agencies to provide services for older people. It involves a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations, and the strategy is keep on developing. The governments modify and improve the strategy frequently to suit new circumstance. The strategy covers the most wide field of all the three acts or laws. Similarities: All service delivery policies address fairness and equality without discrimination, removing or minimizing disadvantages, fostering good relations and promoting understanding. All service delivery policies involve central governments, local governments and educational bodies. Both UK and NZ address the advance of opportunity, their service delivery policies also involve private agencies, hospitals and health services. Differences: UK involves armed forces and police in the service delivery. China does not involve the private agencies in the service delivery because of the institution. China only plans to establish medical rehabilitation departments in hospitals to help disabled persons to rehabilitate. Chinese governments, departments and CDPF rarely supply practical help, their assistance stay at very low levels such as contacts, representing and consultation. Most key services should be paid by the disabled persons. NZ’ services provided by district health boards, GPs and other agencies. And the authority of decision-making is wide span. territorial authorities and non-departmental public bodies are involved to make service delivery policies, it helps to improve the service delivery polices. The New Zealand Disability Strategy will be full reviewed after five and ten years to develop. Similarities: All service delivery policies address fairness and equality without discrimination, removing or minimizing disadvantages, all of them include voluntary service and pension schemes. All service delivery policies involve central governments, local governments, educational bodies, public hospitals and private facilities. Both China and NZ emphasize to increase opportunities of the elderly for their community participation and growth. Both of them value the cultural and spiritual life of the elderly and mainly rely non-governmental organization to achieve. Both UK and NZ have complete public medical security, funds government and community agencies to provide services for older people. Differences: Based on the condition, China only provides basic public medical security. The main pressure of the elderly’s health security is put on their family. The governments encourage that non-governmental organization provides variety of activities, and NGOs did, but mainly concentrates in urban areas, the service delivery in rural parts is poor. Most of services only consider the elderly’s demand, ignore young generation’s feeling, it begins to cause conflicts between some older persons and some young persons. The quality of elderly healthcare is irregular in China, there is no uniform standard and lack of monitor. The law always address in light of local condition. The governmental organization in China protecting the elderly’s rights is neighbourhood committees in city, villagers committees in rural areas NZ’ government funds community agencies to provide services for older people, the service delivery policy has clear key actions and standards, has strict third-party supervision to ensure the service delivery quality. There are specialized organizations such as age concern and Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services to help older persons. The strategy is reviewed frequently and is developed as well. That’s why the elderly and young generation can participate activities at the same time and get along so well. Zhen Chen

Analysis of Financial Performance

Analysis of Financial Performance Name: Anjeli d/o Panjalingam Questions Scenario: You have just been appointed for the job of finance executive of a company that is involved in the hypermarket industry, Tisku. Using the Tisku’s financial income and balance sheet provided here, you are required to analyze the financial performance and financial position using ration analysis. Based on the information given in the income statement and balance sheet, calculate the following ratio for both years 2012 and 2013 and compare them to access the financial performance of Tisku. As the finance executive, propose the TEN axioms if finance to your management that would affect their decision, in the relation and examples of hypermarket industry. Task 1 Scenario: You have just been appointed for the job of finance executive of a company that is involved in the hypermarket industry, Tisku. Using the Tisku’s financial income and balance sheet provided here, you are required to analyze the financial performance and financial position using ration analysis. Based on the information given in the income statement and balance sheet, calculate the following ratio for both years 2012 and 2013 and compare them to access the financial performance of Tisku. Introduction Ratio In mathematics, ration is a relationship between the numbers of the same kind. A financial ratio (or accounting ratio) is a relative magnitude of two selected numerical values taken from an enterprise’s financial statements. There are many standards of ration used to try to evaluate the overall financial condition of an corporation or other organization. Financial ratio may be used by mangers within a firm, potential shareholders (owner) of a firm and by a firm’s creditors. Financial ratio is also used to compare the strength and weakness in various companies. Values used in calculating financial ratio are taken from the balance sheet and income statement. The statements data is based on the accounting method and accounting standards used by the organization. Types of Ratio There are four basic types of financial ratio used to measure a company’s performance. They are:- Liquidity ratio This is the most common ratio of current assets to current liabilities. This ratio indicates a company’s ability to pay its short term bills. Current assets = currents asset/ current liability Acid test ratio= currents asset – inventory/ current liability Return of capital employed = net profit/capital employedÃâ€" 100 Profitability ratio Profitability ratio indicates management ability to convert sales dollars into profit and cash flow. Gross profit = gross profit/salesÃâ€"100 , net profit/salesÃâ€"100 Efficiency ratio Two common efficiency ratios are inventory turnover and receivable turnover. A high account receivable turnover means that the company is successful in collecting its outstanding credit balance. Inventory turnover = cost of sales/average inventory Market ratios Market ratios are used to understand how other investors value money. The current market price of a share of common stock versus an indicator of the company’s ability to generate profits or assets held by the company’s is evaluated. Calculations Gross profit margin Net profit margin Current ratio Quick ratio Net working capital Inventory turnover Return of equity Fixed assets turnover Average collection period Average payment period Debt ratio 2012 2013 Gross profit margin= Gross profit /Sales Ãâ€"100%  ­Ã‚ ­ = 7,047,000/31,437,000 Ãâ€"100% = 7,658,000/ 34,654,000 Ãâ€"100% = 22.42% = 22.10% Net profit margin= Net income/ Sales Ãâ€" 100% = 220,000/ 31,437,000 Ãâ€"100% =571,000/ 34,654,000 Ãâ€"100% = 0.70% = 1.65% Current ratio= Current Assents/ Current Liabilities = 8,198,000/ 3,602,000 =9,162,000/3,264,000 = 2.28 =2.81 Quick ratio = Current Assents- Inventory/ Current Liabilities = 8,198,000- 6,354,000/3,602,000 = 9,162,000/6,635,000/3,264,000 =0.511:1 = 0.774:1 Net working capital= Current Assents- Current Liabilities = 8,198,000-3,602,000 = 9,162,000-3,264,000 =RM 4,596,000 = RM 5,898,000 Inventory Turnover= Cost of goods sold/ Inventory = 24,390,000/ 6.354,000 = 26,996,000/ 6,635,000 =3.836 times/year = 4.069 times/year 2012 2013 Return on equity= Net income/ Shareholder’s equity = 220,000/ 6,072,000 = 571,000/ 5,280,000 = 0.0362 = 0.1081 = 3.62% = 10.81% Fixed assets turnover= Sales/ Net Fixed Assents = 31,437,000/ 6,553,000 = 34,654,000/ 6575,000 = 4.797 = 5.271 Average collection period= Accounts receivable/ Daily credit sales =N/A =N/A Average payment period= Accounts payment/ Daily credit purchases =2,009,000/ (24,390,000à ·365) =1,993,000/ (26,996,000à ·365) =30 days =27 days Debt ratio= Total debt( Total Liabilities)/ Total assets Ãâ€"100% = 31,437,000/ 6,553,000 Ãâ€"100% =10,457,000/ 15,737,000 Ãâ€"100% = 58.83% = 66.45% Task 2 As the finance executive, propose the TEN axioms if finance to your management that would affect their decision, in the relation and examples of hypermarket industry. Introduction Finance is the middle ground between the theoretical economics and the accounting world of numbers. Finance is applied economics. Financial implications are at the heart of every business transaction and decisions. Finance is also a valuable tool used to communicate, judge and monitor the result of business decisions. Axioms are the principle universally accepted within a practice or subject area on the basis of its self evident truth or intrinsic merit. The ten axioms used in financial management is the foundation of financial decision making. There are ten important axioms and almost all the industries do uses this uses it in making decision making in finance. How does the ten axioms of finance would affect decision in hypermarket industry? Main Body Axiom 1: The Risk-Return Tradeoff Additional risks will not be taken unless an additional return is expected. At some point, people will have some saved money. What will they do to it? The answer is simple, to expand future consumption activities. Savings are invested to earn more return. Investment alternative have different amount of risk and expected returns. Investors choose to put money in risky investments because investment offer higher expected returns because the more risky an investment, the higher will be its returns. This is a relationship between risk and unexpected returns. In hypermarket industry, for example a new hypermarket is opened, the investors have to invest a lot of money as hypermarket is an expensive retail facility selling a wide range of products under one roof. Thus hypermarket industry needs a lot of money. Investors do not know whether the hypermarket will go popular among the people as it’s newly open. This is creates a higher risk to them. As hypermarket such as Tesco, Giant an d EON is a big industry and not a small business, a big amount of money should be invested. This creates a very big risk which don’t have guarantee in return. Axiom 2: The Time Value of Money A dollar worth today worth more than dollar tomorrow. This is a fundamental concept in finance the money has a time value associated with it. A dollar received today worth more than a dollar received a year from now. Because we can earn interest on money received today, it is better to receive money earlier rather than later. If the benefits overweigh the cost the project creates wealth and it should be accepted. If the cost overweighs the benefit, it should be rejected. In hypermarket industry, when they investors invest money and get profit, they should wisely use the profit get from the business. For example, when get an amount of money after the sales of product, the money should be reinvested to get more profit such as bringing in more product inside the hypermarket. Axiom 3: Cash-Not Profit In measuring wealth, or value, cash flow will be used. Cash flow is received by firms and can be reinvested. A firm’s cash flow and accounting profit may not occur together. For example, capital expenses, such as purchase of new equipment or building are depreciated over several years, with the annual depreciation subtracted from profit. However, the cash flow associated with this expense generally occurs immediately. Therefore cash flow involving paying money out and cash flows that can be reinvested reflect the timing for the benefit of cost. In hypermarket industry, the cash received by the investors will be reinvested into the industry to make the hypermarket bigger and wider. The money that they get can be used for example to pay the dividends to the shop in the hypermarket. Besides, cash can also be used to double the products and sales in the hypermarket. Axiom 4: Incremental Cash Flow The incremental cash flow is the difference between the cash flow if the project is taken on versus what they will be if it is not taken on. Not all cash flow is incremental. The difference between revenues generated by introducing the new product maintaining the original series are the incremental cash flow. The difference reflects true impacts of decision. Guiding rule in deciding whether a cash flow is incremental is to look at the company with and without new product. In hypermarket industry, people should know the difference when there is a new product and their new product and the cash flow in their hypermarket whether it brings profits or not. Thus choosing a new product should be done wisely. Axiom 5: The Curse of Competitive Market Why is it hard to find exceptionally profitable projects? This question tells how competitive market operates and where to look for profitable projects. In competitive markets, extremely large profit cannot exist for so long. How can we find new projects that return more than the required rate of return? Although competitions make them difficult to find, investment should be invested in markets which is not perfectly competitive. Two ways to making less making competitive is to differentiate the products in some key ways to achieve a cost advantage over competitors. Thus, in hypermarket industry, the products being introduced or sold should be differ than the other hypermarkets. Variety kind of product which is hard to find in other hypermarkets can be sold. Besides, different types of services and advertising methods can be used. Cleanliness of the hypermarket should be considered such as toilets. Free parking and can be given to the members of the hypermarket to attract more custom ers. Axiom 6: Efficiency of Capital Market Goals of financial manger are to maximize the shareholder wealth. The markets are quick and prices are right. Information is incorporated into security prices at the speed of light. Assuming the information is correct, and then stock price will reflect all publicly available information regarding the value of the firm. In hypermarket industry, business should be done without wasting resources as they use capital that is invested by the shareholders to buy resources. When selling items, they have to have a target on the selling of a product such as age group, gender, trend and so on. Besides, selling of a product should be according demand, popularity, seasons and festivals to avoid wastage. The four resources which are land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship should be used wisely as it is very limited nowadays. All the resources should be well organized. Axiom 7: The Agency Problem The agency problem results from separation of management and ownership of the firm. Managers are not typically owners of the firms. Managers may make decisions that are in their best interest and not in the line with the long term best interest of the owners. For example, cutting research and development cost on new products to maximize current income and pay for performance. They also may approach less energetically and attempt benefits themselves in terms of salary and perquisites at the expense of the share holders. This produces conflict between two parties. Thus, in the hypermarket industry, managers might bring in a new product in the hypermarket to increase their income without asking any permission from the owner. This might increase the risk to the owner and might bring conflict between them. Besides, there will also be communication barrier because of the foreign workers. Axiom 8: Taxes Bias Business Decisions Any decision taken by financial manager will go impact on taxes. When a new project is evaluated, income taxes play a significant role. Because cash is king, after cash flow of an investment should be considered. The tax consequences of a business decision will impact (reduce) cash flow. Companies are given tax incentives by government to influence their decision. Besides, governments use this fact to shape the decision of a business for. In hypermarket industry, for example, investment tax credit reduces taxes. One of the best example is plastics will not be given and customers will be charged RM 0.20 for the plastics. This will reduce the pollution and it might tax them on the basis on pollution output. Axiom 9: All Risks are not equal Some risks can be diversified away and some cannot. Don’t put all eggs in one basket. Diversification allows good and bad events or observations to cancel each other out preferably reducing total variability without affecting expected return. Process of diversification can reduce risk and as result measuring a profit or an asset’s risk is very difficult. In hypermarket industry, investors can split money and invest in many hypermarkets. This will increase diversification and reduce risks. Resources such as land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship should be divided and cash should be equally spent as it can reduce overall risk. Needs and wants of customers are unlimited, so there should have no more or less stock. Stock should be balanced to reduce wastage. Estimation on the average should be done as early preparation. Axiom 10: Ethical Behavior Means Doing the Right Thing, Ethical Dilemmas are everywhere in Finance Ethical behaviors means is doing the right thing. A difficulty arises however in attempting in define doing the right thing, because each of us have own set of value which forms personal judgments about what is the right thing to do. This will create issues and disagreements in firms. Unethical dilemma eliminates trust and loss in public confidence. Shareholders values suffer and take a long time to recover. Firms have to responsible more than just on owners. In hypermarket industry, to avoid any dilemma all stakeholders should be considered when taking decisions. Some ethical dilemma might happen between the workers itself as each other can’t tolerate or do have some misunderstandings. Products sold in hypermarkets should be guaranteed with the expire date and also quality. Products that are being used should be safe. Ingredients should be checked before a product is being sold in a hypermarket. For products which is used by Muslims, ‘ Halal’ logo should be ensur ed. Besides, when customers were promised with promotional such as free gifts, discounts and so on it should be fulfilled without disappointments to make sure the hypermarket do not lose trust. It is very hard to catch back the trust when next promotion is done. Conclusion Axioms are much statement of common senses as they are the theoretical statements. These axioms of financial management provide logic behind what is to follow. It helps to build on them and attempt to draw out their implications on decision making. In the world of hypermarkets industry, the ten axioms helps to reduce risk on the business and increase the profit and also helps in making a wise decision in financial management. References Bibliography:TheFreeDictionary.com, (2014).axiom. [online] Available at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/axiom [Accessed 22 Jul. 2014]. Bibliography:Managementparadise.com, (2014).Ten Axioms of Financial Management. [online] Available at: http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/financial-management-fm/200960-ten-axioms-financial-management.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2014]. Bibliography:Mathsisfun.com, (2014).Ratios. [online] Available at: http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/ratio.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2014]. Bibliography:Investopedia, (2009).Uses and Limitations of Financial Ratios CFA Level 1 | Investopedia. [online] Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/exam-guide/cfa-level-1/financial-ratios/uses-limitations-ratios.asp [Accessed 22 Jul. 2014]. Bibliography:List4everything.com, (2014).Uses of Ratio Analysis | List4Everything. [online] Available at: http://www.list4everything.com/uses-of-ratio-analysis.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2014]. Introduction to FinancePage 1

Trail Of Tears :: American America History

Trail Of Tears On September 15, 1830, at Little Dancing Rabbit Creek, the Chiefs of the Choctaw Nation and representatives of the U.S. met to discuss the impact of a bill recently passed by the Congress of the U.S. This bill, with all the same good intentions of those today who believe they know better than we how to conduct our lives, allowed for the removal of all Indian peoples to the West of the Mississippi River. It had been made clear to the Choctaw, that the Whites in Washington cared little for our situation, that either we willingly moved, or by military force we would be moved. We were not ignorant savages, but industrious farmers, merchants, and businessmen of all types. We were educated people, many were Christians. We had an organized system of government and a codified body of law. Some of these people were not even Indians, many strangers and orphans had been taken in over the years. The Chiefs and Warriors signed the treaty, realizing they had no option. For doing this the government officials guaranteed, in the body of the treaty, safe conveyance to our new homes. (Do not forget for a moment that in this treaty, the Choctaw traded 10.3 million acres of land east of the Mississippi for 10.3 acres in Oklahoma and Arkansas that we already owned under previous treaties) Further, it included provisions and monetary annuities, to assist the people to make a new start. One half of the people were to depart almost immediately, the rest the next year. After the signing of the treaty, many saw their land and property sold before their own eyes. The "conveyances" promised turn out to be a forced march. At the point of a gun, the pace killed many of the old, exposure and bad food killed most. Rotten beef and vegetables are poor provisions, even for the idle. Many walked the entire distance without shoes, barely clothed. What supplies were given had been rejected by the whites. This cannot directly blamed on the government, nearly all of this was done by unscrupulous men, interested only in maximizing their profits. They government's fault lies in not being watchful of those taken into their charge. Many of the old and the children died on the road. At each allowed stop, the dead were buried. Hearing of this many escaped. They knew that as they signed the rolls, to be "removed", that this might as well be their death warrants.

Character Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: English Literature Essays

Character Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Depiction of a believable character has always been a difficult task for any writer. A true character must evoke emotions and make the readers want to learn more about him or her. The appearance, acts, words and nature of this character must be vivid and understandable by the audience. In medieval England, Arthurian literary works, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight or "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell," describe the character of Sir Gawain as a noble hero, having chivalrous and virtuous attributes. Sir Gawain is said to be the nephew of Arthur: "His parents are Lot of Orkney and Morgause (though his mother is said to be Anna in Geoffrey of Monmouth). Upon the death of Lot, be becomes the head of the Orkney clan, which includes in many sources his brothers Aggravain, Gaheris, and Gareth, and his half-brother Mordred" (Legends, online). He is also the youngest of the knights of the Round Table. Besides being the nephew of Arthur, he is one of his closest companions and an active participant in the numerous adventures which they encounter. Sir Gawain is a protagonist or a main hero in the earlier Arthurian legends, but he is often included in later stories of the fifteenth century as a confidant or a secondary character. For example in Morte Darthur, by Sir Thomas Malory, Gawain is a secondary character, and the main hero is Sir Lancelot. In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight written by an anonymous author, we are given a description of Sir Gawain's appearance, as he is preparing to go on a quest to find the Green Knight and complete the yearlong beheading game (Norton, 215). His armor, clothing and horse all suggest that he is not a poor knight. His helmet is decorated with gems and embroidered with parrots and turtledoves; his shield has image of Virgin Mary on the inside and an "endless knot"(Norton, 215) or a pentangle on the outside. This figure is a star with five points that is drawn in an unbroken line, which also happens to be a symbol of Gawain's five virtues.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice?

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice? By Jocelyn Smrekar and Andrea Hansen Teachers and parents are sometimes fooled into thinking that children must learn to read by age 5, usually in kindergarten. Consider this example: Jamie has trouble reading in kindergarten. Her teacher says it’s because she only played in preschool. In first grade, Jamie is called learning disabled because she still doesn’t read. By third grade though, Jamie is reading fluidly with her peers. Have teachers cured Jamie of a disability? No!Jamie’s reading development followed its own course and leveled into a lifelong skill and what teachers call â€Å"working at grade level. † Children develop at different rates in separate areas: physical, emotional, cognitive or intellectual, language, and social. Differences, including abilities and disabilities, affect the way and speed with which children develop skills. Genetic traits, temperaments, learning style, en vironment, cultural and racial expectations, and experiences influence learning. Some children learn to say words at 8 months, others not until they’re almost 2 or older.Many children learn to walk at 9 months, while others wait until they are 15 to 18 months. Charts of developmental milestones—walking, talking, running, or stacking three blocks, for example—are based on averages. Parents and teachers frequently worry when a child doesn’t have a skill at the targeted time. Most often, skills develop according to children’s interests and temperaments—that is, a child’s basic approach to people and events. Foundation for Further Learning Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is a term coined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.It describes teaching techniques that identify and foster the developmental needs of children, both individually and in groups (Bredekamp, 1987). DAP is a set of guidelines suggest ing curriculum content and practice serving children birth through age 8. Simply stated, these guidelines encourage early childhood programs to provide an educational environment that responds to the needs and interests of children. In that environment, trained teachers use observation to plan for the class and the individuals in it. In DAP classrooms, children’s play is the primary vehicle for learning.This article will focus on DAP in school settings, prekindergarten through third grade. DAP deals with all the levels and stages children grow through, building a strong foundation for future learning. Children remember, classify, repeat, and modify their experiences as they learn about the world and the people in it. For example, Zach, age 6, is eager to put together a puzzle with 100 pieces. He has experience with puzzles—first with five-piece wooden puzzles in a frame, then with cardboard floor puzzles, and finally with boxed 60-piece puzzles.He knows that the pictur e on the outside of the box will be a guide as he separates the straight-edged pieces from the curved ones. He locates the four corners, looks for matching colors, and after 45 minutes of concentrated effort, completes the puzzle. He has used his past experiences to build new ones that include abstract tasks like classifying, matching, counting, sorting, identifying, and experimenting. He has improved his small motor skills, increased his ability to concentrate on a complex task, and learned the virtue of tenacity, sticking to the task until completion.Zack’s alert teacher notes his success and plans new ways to challenge his skills and foster new interests. A teacher’s understanding and use of DAP are keys to educational success. Learning experiences in a DAP classroom Children are active learners—they need opportunities to investigate and explore with objects, materials, and equipment in order to construct a base of information about their world. Through first hand experiences, children are able to connect what they already know with new, more complex information.Teachers who use DAP in their classrooms provide opportunities for children to interact with a variety of materials. They offer uninterrupted time to actively explore not only intellectual skills, but also social, emotional, physical, and language skills. Specific teaching techniques include asking open-ended questions, modeling, demonstrating, exploring, coaching, and direct instruction. These techniques extend learning and guide children to skill mastery (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997). Young children learn best and most when they actively and playfully explore materials and activities, using all their senses.Developmentally appropriate classrooms are set up so individuals or groups of children can become directly involved with materials. Children move between free or spontaneous play and organized play. In free play, for example, a puppet show evolves into a performance by childr en in dress-up clothes. In organized play, children might chart the favorite fruits of class members. Role of Play A central issue in DAP is the role of play in the curriculum. Because adults don’t depend on play to learn, they tend to dismiss it as a pleasant time spent without profit. In children, however, play is an essential part of a child’s education.Sometimes called children’s work, play supports a child’s development by providing the tools, equipment, and interpersonal experiences that help children grow. Through play, children acquire information, master activities, use concrete materials as symbols, organize previous learning, learn perseverance and focus, solve problems, and develop creativity. Are Children Really Learning? While many teachers agree that DAP helps children develop cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills, parents often ask, â€Å"Is my child really learning? All I see is play. â€Å"Standardized tests given after second grade to children in both DAP and traditional classrooms have revealed little difference in general reading skills (Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren, 1993). Children in DAP classrooms scored significantly higher in tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, expressive language, and reading and writing mechanics in context. In standardized tests of math, the two groups showed similar scores in overall math skills, but the DAP children scored significantly higher in conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills than children in traditional classrooms.Children who had been in DAP classrooms for five years scored significantly higher in reasoning and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, children in DAP classrooms reported great enthusiasm for school and high involvement in the learning process. What Does a DAP Classroom Look Like? The physical setup of a DAP classroom indicates how learning takes place. The teacher’s desk is usually in an inconspicuous pl ace, not in the front of the room. Student desks, if provided at all, are clustered into learning centers. Most often, long tables replace individual desks, encouraging cooperative group work.Room arrangements and traffic patterns may change throughout the year as children grow and change intellectually, and they meet specific educational goals. Another difference in DAP classrooms is the way textbooks and worksheets are used. Often in traditional classrooms, printed materials are the primary source of instruction; teachers dictate the use of textbooks, worksheets, and other teaching materials. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children learn through materials that are concrete, real, and relevant to their lives.In a kindergarten class that is studying insects, for example, the classroom is rich with pictures, colorful field guides, and posters. It may also have an ant farm with magnifying glasses, a box of silk worms spinning cocoons, a tomato plant with resident praying mantis, and a butterfly house. Children are encouraged to collect insects and sort them by size, color, function, or benefits to humanity. They use math skills like counting, estimating, and graphing in the daily routine. They have opportunities to draw and paint their impressions of insects as well as to sing and act out the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly.In a DAP classroom textbooks are resources, not the primary source of information. All equipment and supplies—including manipulatives, construction materials, art music, and role-playing props—are accessible to the children as they explore and discover answers and new questions. Teachers support learning by setting up centers and providing the materials and guidance necessary for the children to learn. DAP as Best Practice Teachers who have adopted developmentally appropriate practices consider each child’s uniqueness and skill level when planning activities.Allowing children to progress through the stages of development at their own rates is the best way to build the foundation for future learning. This philosophy is reflected in the classroom environment and activities planned. Learning takes place naturally, because it is child-centered and relevant. Children are constantly learning, building on what they know to create new ways of thinking and seeing their world. Isenberg, J. and N. Quisenberry. â€Å"Play: A necessity for all children,† Childhood Education, 64 (3), 138-145, 1988. Statements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice Space and Furnishings 1. Indoor spaceChildren need sufficient space that is well lit and has a comfortable temperature for learning and playing. Indoor space that is well maintained and in good repair sends a message to the young child that is welcoming and inviting. 2. Furniture for routine care, play and learning Children need appropriate furnishings to meet the demands of their daily schedules. Basic furniture such as cots, tables and c hairs should be sturdy and appropriate to the size of the children in the group in order for children to be comfortable, have proper body support, and focus on learning, playing, and routine activities rather than their own discomfort.Caregivers need easy access to routine care furnishings, such as cots, in order to maintain proper supervision and provide smooth transitions between activities. 3. Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Children need space and opportunity to relax and rest. Soft furnishings and toys allow children opportunities for relaxation and comfort. Cozy areas provide a space for quiet activities to occur and should be protected from active play so children can snuggle, daydream and lounge. 4. Room arrangement Creative room arrangement promotes a child's positive self-image and encourages a wide variety of age appropriate activities.Well-defined interest centers where materials are accessible help children to understand about organization and returning materials to their proper place. 5. Space for privacy Some children experience unacceptably high levels of stress when exposed to constant activity and interaction. Places where children can escape from the pressures of group care promote positive self-esteem. Providing a child with opportunities, space, and time to be alone can contribute to positive classroom behavior. 6. Child related display Every child needs to know that others value his/her play or work.Artwork or other individual work that is created by the children should be displayed in the classroom at the child's eye-level. This promotes feelings of positive self-esteem and sends the message to the child that his/her work is valued and appreciated. 7. Gross motor play Children need daily opportunities to exercise large muscles, run in open spaces, and practice gross motor skills. (Safety is always a number one priority. ) Space to develop children's large muscles through a variety of play experiences should be made safe by providi ng adequate cushioning for fall zones.All play equipment should be safe and effective monitoring should be implemented to teach children safe play behavior and to safeguard against accidents. 8. Gross motor equipment Children need age appropriate stationary and portable equipment to promote a wide variety of skills that exercise large muscles while developing confidence and abilities. Equipment should be sound, sturdy, safe and accessible to children daily. Personal Care Routines 9. Greeting/Departing Parents and children need a warm, welcoming, and pleasant atmosphere to make the daily greeting and departing routine a happy one.Positive greetings help to promote the children's self-esteem and create a welcoming environment for parents. 10. Meals/Snacks Meals and snacks that follow USDA guidelines contribute to the health of children and provide a model for good nutritional habits for life-long practice. Proper hand washing along with careful food preparation teach children proper h ygiene and promotes sanitary conditions. 11. Nap/Rest Nap and/or rest time should be appropriately scheduled and supervised for the children in the group. Adequate separation of cots helps to prevent the spread of germs.Soft music or a soothing story helps to facilitate a peaceful rest time that is important in helping children to balance the day and renew their energy. 12. Toileting/Diapering Young children need appropriate supervision of the toileting process in order to care for basic needs and to teach the importance of good health habits. The schedule should be individualized. Provisions, such as soap and steps near the sink, should be convenient and accessible so that children can wash hands after toileting; this promotes self-help skills and good personal hygiene.Diapering should always be managed in a manner that promotes safety and good health practices. 13. Health practices Practicing preventive measures, such as washing hands after handling pets or wiping noses, help to e ducate children to achieve life-long health practices. Taking appropriate action when children are sick will minimize the spread of germs. 14. Safety practices Protecting children is critical in providing quality care, whether through adequate supervision or minimizing hazards both inside and outside. Caregivers should anticipate potential safety problems and demonstrate, model, and teach children safe practices.Language-Reasoning 15. Books and pictures The use of books and pictures is an important means of learning for children as they make sense of the world around them. Books, pictures, and language materials should be available in sufficient number both for independent use in a reading center and for use by a teacher with children in formal and informal settings. 16. Encouraging children to communicate Activities and materials that promote language development should be available for use throughout the classroom and the daily schedule. Teachers should establish an environment wh ere language exploration and usage is encouraged.17. Using language to develop reasoning skills Logical relationships and concepts should be presented in appropriate ways. Children learn through interaction with materials and people, both peers and adults, in the context of play and daily routines. Language provides the key tool for success and problem solving, as children are encouraged to talk through their thought processes. 18. Informal use of language Language is a way for children to expand understanding. Caregivers should engage children in give and take conversations for enjoyment and learning.They should support child-to-child conversations as well. Activities 19. Fine motor Children need a variety of age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate toys and materials that they can manipulate with their hands and play with at will. These activities strengthen fine motor control while encouraging skill development that contributes to academic readiness. 20. Art Children benef it from exposure to child-initiated art activities that are open-ended and process oriented. Children's art should be respected and appreciated as individual, creative expression.Materials and opportunities to create art projects at a beginning and more advanced level should be available as children are developmentally ready for them. 21. Music/movement Music and movement are valuable means of learning. Children need a supportive environment that includes a teacher and a variety of tools to encourage their self-expression through music and related activities. 22. Blocks Block play, with a variety of blocks and accessories, allows children the opportunity to explore spatial, mathematical, and role-play possibilities.Powerful block play requires sufficient space in a protected area and time to expand on concepts and ideas. 23. Sand/water Sand and water play gives children the opportunity to learn concepts through active exploration with their senses. The addition of interesting props extends the learning potential offered through sensory play. 24. Dramatic play Dramatic play gives children the opportunity to discover an array of roles and responsibilities. It provides a vehicle through which they make sense of their world. Dramatic play is enhanced by space, time, props, materials, and supportive teachers.25. Nature/science Science and nature activities and materials foster curiosity and experimentation benefiting the young learner through direct experience and application to other areas of learning. Concept and observation skills are strengthened through science procedures. 26. Math/number Math skills, when introduced through appropriate hands-on methods, form a foundation for school readiness and later academic success. Math skills can be taught effectively through routines, schedule, and play activities. 27. Use of TV, video, and/or computerTV/video viewing and computer use tend to be passive in comparison to active involvement with materials and people. The use of each should be confined to subject material that is age-appropriate and mentally stimulating. Time limits encourage more active learning. Participation should not be required. 28. Promoting acceptance of diversity Children need to be exposed to the similarities and differences of people in positive ways through books, pictures, toys, materials, and interaction. This exposure encourages respect for others and lessens misunderstandings. Interactions29. Supervision of gross motor activities Caregivers should use gross motor activities as learning opportunities to promote positive social interactions and to encourage the development of skills and new experiences Diligent supervision of gross motor activities, whether indoors or outdoors, is critical to preventing accidents and insuring safe, active play. 30. General supervision of children (other than gross motor) During activities, caregivers must balance the level of supervision and control based upon the ages, abilities, and i ndividual needs of the children.Adequate supervision and awareness of the whole group is required for children's health and safety and in the recognition of accomplishments, which is necessary for children's emotional well-being. 31. Discipline The set-up of the environment, teacher expectations, available materials and opportunities, and daily schedule significantly impacts children's behavior in childcare. A classroom and curriculum geared toward developmentally appropriate practice will lead to generally good behavior that is the product of self-motivation rather than the result of punishment and control. 32. Staff-child interactionsCaregivers, who are nurturing and responsive, promote the development of mutual respect between children and adults. Children, who trust adults to provide for their physical, psychological, and emotional needs, develop their own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. 33. Interactions among children Because self-regulation, proper emotional expression, a nd positive social relationships are such essential skills for later schooling and life, teachers must encourage children to develop acceptable behaviors by providing a setting that encourages real opportunities for initiative taking and competence building.Providing opportunities for children to work and play together, to solve conflicts in productive ways, and to participate in group activities are ways teachers promote positive social relationships. Program Structure 34. Schedule Children thrive on having a consistent routine that provides a balance of activities designed to meet individual needs and foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Best practice promotes a daily schedule with large amounts of time for play, smooth transitions between activities, and a balance between child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. 35. Free PlayWhen children are permitted to select materials and companions, and, as far as possible, manage play independently, they practic e making decisions and having control of their world. Caregiver intervention should be in response to children's needs, an invitation, or an opportunity to expand play activities. 36. Group Time In group-care situations, the focus needs to be on meeting individual needs and guiding children as they interact in small groups. Whole group activities should be kept to a minimum and limited to gatherings that follow the interests and involvement of the children. 37. Provisions for children with disabilitiesMeeting the needs of children with disabilities requires knowledge of routine care needs, developmental levels, individual assessments, and the integration of the children in ongoing classroom activities. It also requires the involvement and establishment of a partnership between the parents and staff in setting attainable goals that will assist the child in reaching his/her full potential. Rutter, M. â€Å"Family and school influences on cognitive development,† Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 683-704, 1985. Maybe little Janie can't read or count because her teacher can't teach.Or worse still, maybe the teacher doesn't know enough about English or math or history to teach the subject. Mischievous speculation? No. It happens, as a result of a historically flawed system in America of educating mostly average or below-average students to be public-school teachers. As evidence continues to pile up that American children are not learning the basics in school, critics are quick to blame the youngsters, their parents, the schools, television, or the curriculum. But increasingly, the focus has shifted to the teacher, the most vital link in the education process.Now, a four-month study at teachers colleges by The Washington Times indicates that the problem of unsatisfactory classroom learning is rooted in the early selection and education of students who say they want to be teachers. These students then are being taught by professors who differ wild ly on what teachers need to know. â€Å"Schools of education are cash cows to universities,† says Dean Edwin J. Delattre of the Boston University School of Education. â€Å"They admit and graduate students who have low levels of intellectual accomplishment, and these people are in turn visited on schoolchildren.They are well-intentioned, decent, nice people who by and large don't know what they're doing. † Mr. Delattre is one of the harshest critics of schools of education. â€Å"It would be possible in terms of the quality of their research, the significance of their research, and the quality of their instruction to give an intellectual justification for perhaps three dozen of them – certainly no more than 50,† he says. There are about 1,300 schools nationwide teaching students to be teachers. Roughly 2 1/2 million public-school teachers are responsible today for the education of 46 million children in kindergarten through high school.Although many teach ers perform well, a significant number are products of an entrenched training system that almost guarantees mediocrity in the classroom. New initiatives are under way in some of the preparatory schools and colleges, but, for the most part, the old ways and faddish new ways are still shaping the teachers of tomorrow. To become a public-school teacher, graduates have to be certified by the state. A college student must take required courses, do a stint at student teaching, and pass a series of general-knowledge examinations.The passing scores for these tests vary from state to state but tend to be fairly low. Curiously, many aspiring teachers never get in front of a classroom until their final days in college – an experience that sometimes persuades many to seek other careers. A major in education has long been considered an easy route to a college degree. Elementary education majors were especially easy to spot on any campus. They were the ones cutting out letters of the alpha bet to make posters while the English majors worried over a paper on Shakespeare's treatment of religious themes. Rigorous academic training was seldom demanded.â€Å"You just had to love kids to become a teacher,† says J. Michael Davis, dean of the School of Professional Studies at 105-year-old East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Thirteen years ago, it was possible to graduate from East Stroudsburg with a major in elementary education without ever taking a math class, Mr. Davis recalls. Twenty years ago, some University of Maryland campuses gave short shrift to reading instruction. Serious concerns about teacher training surfaced in 1983 with the publication of â€Å"A Nation at Risk,† a landmark national report on the state of America's educational system.It found that too many teachers had poor academic records and low scores on tests of cognitive ability. Students who went into teaching programs scored below nearly all other majors on college entrance exam s, then graduated not knowing enough about the subjects they were teaching. Not much has changed in 15 years. Anyone who believes that the problem of unqualified teachers is overblown or confined to a couple of subject areas such as math and science has only to look at the experience of a New York state school district last spring when it tried to fill 35 teaching vacancies.The Connetquot district on Long Island got 758 applications in response to an advertisement. District officials decided to narrow the pool by asking applicants to take a short version of a multiple-choice reading comprehension test taken from the state's old 11th-grade Regents English exams. Just 202 applicants correctly answered at least 40 of the 50 questions. Such incidents keep teacher education in the public consciousness and on the radar screens of elected officials at the state and federal levels. Initially, state legislators turned to higher salaries to try to attract higher-caliber students.From 1981 to 1997, average salaries for public-school teachers rose from $17,209 to $38,611. That's for what is essentially a 180-day school year plus in-service days spread over nine months. Then, lawmakers linked salary increases to policies aimed at raising standards such as requiring new teachers to have more education and raising the passing scores prospective teachers must attain on standardized tests such as the National Teacher Examinations and its successor, Praxis. The teachers colleges responded with talk of â€Å"restructuring† teacher education, and some institutions actually did move to raise admissions and curriculum standards.East Stroudsburg has raised entry standards and toughened course requirements. Students still need to take 60 hours in general education, but they no longer have a smorgasbord of courses to choose from. The college recently raised the grade point average needed to get into elementary education from 2. 5 to 2. 75. In 1996, Boston University began to ta rget only teacher applicants with high SAT scores, resulting in a 17 percent drop in the inquiry pool. As a result, prospective teachers in last fall's freshman class had average SAT scores of 1,276, compared with 964 for all 85,442 self-declared education majors who took the 1997 SAT.George Mason University decided in 1989 that teachers should get a bachelor's degree first and then train to teach in a fifth-year graduate-level program. The Fairfax County school says it annually rejects half the applicants for elementary education training because they don't meet admissions standards. It takes a 2. 7 GPA to get into the University of Maryland College of Education at College Park and a 3. 0 to prepare for special education, a five-year program. â€Å"We're not getting the best and the brightest kids,† says University of Maryland Dean Willis D. Hawley. â€Å"We're getting some of the best and brightest.Some kids are really smart. What there aren't anymore are kids who are real ly dumb. † But the perception lingers, even among insiders, that a lack of academic rigor continues to plague the nation's teacher training programs. â€Å"The truth is, students get into colleges of education – particularly early-childhood education majors – because it's the easiest thing they can get into,† says John E. Stone, professor of education at East Tennessee State University and founder of the Education Consumers Clearinghouse – an Internet source for parents, taxpayers and policy-makers.â€Å"Here at ETSU, the schools of education are kind of at the bottom of the pecking order,† he says. â€Å"Students flunk out of nursing or business and come to Ed to get some kind of college degree. † Since the concept of a formalized vocational training program for teachers was established nearly 160 years ago, that training has combined lessons in subject matter with courses in methodology, or â€Å"how to teach. † The training a lso has included theories of child development and practical field experience. From the start, teaching preparation emphasized methods of teaching at the expense of the content of courses.Often the subject matter would be watered down and presented in courses tailored especially for teachers, instead of requiring teachers to take the same math, for example, that liberal arts majors were required to take. â€Å"Their focus is process, and that hasn't changed,† says C. Emily Feistritzer, who as president of the private Washington-based National Center for Education Information has conducted a number of studies of teachers and teaching. â€Å"Resistance to change is extraordinarily high at the same time there is a high level of conversation about change.† Many critics of teacher training programs argue that a solid grounding in the liberal arts with a concentration in the subject to be taught is all that is needed to teach math, science, history or English. But Mr. Hawley at Maryland's College of Education disputes that. Chances are, he argues, that a rocket scientist would make a terrible science teacher. â€Å"You have to have the ability to transfer knowledge,† he says. That ability generally has to be learned, says Dean Gary R. Galluzzo of George Mason's Graduate School of Education.He believes that only 5 percent of the population might be â€Å"born† teachers, while 65 percent have knowledge but need to learn how to impart it. Boston University recently doubled the amount of time its prospective teachers are required to spend in math class. It also requires juniors and seniors in education to take an ethics course that exposes them to the icons of Western civilization. â€Å"We try to make the fact that teachers are deeply involved in character and values formation obvious to our students,† says professor Kevin Ryan, who teaches an introductory education course.† `What is the right thing to do? ‘ is a question teachers need to ask the young. And we want them to see that America has a moral heritage. † Adds Charles L. Glenn, chairman of BU's Department of Administration, Training and Policy Studies, who teaches a course on the social and civic contexts of education: â€Å"Teachers have to be moral exemplars to students. We raise questions that are usually raised in a religious context. On what basis can you say certain behaviors are right or wrong? I don't know how you can send someone who hasn't grappled with those questions out to teach a 7-year-old.†Schools of education, reacting to social and political pressures, are perceived to be more interested in promoting equity, diversity and social justice than in transmitting knowledge. And many of the educational practices they encourage are often criticized as fads. East Stroudsburg's administrators, for example, proudly describe their teacher training program as focused on the learner and on â€Å"outcomes,† committed to â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice,† â€Å"modeling,† inclusion, and â€Å"hands-on† and cooperative learning.These are the buzzwords and the practices that permeate nearly all of the nation's teacher training institutions. â€Å"Schools of education are currently the origins of our problems, not their solution,† says E. D. Hirsch Jr. , professor of English and university professor of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. Testifying before Congress, Mr. Hirsch sharply criticized what's known as â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice† – the philosophy that a child should not be pressured to learn anything until he signals that he is ready and receptive.â€Å"The doctrine,† he said, â€Å"is drummed into almost all teachers who take early-education courses. The intention is to ensure caring treatment for young children, yet the ultimate effect of the doctrine is to cause social harm. To withhold demanding content from young children between preschool and third grade has an effect which is quite different from the one intended. It leaves advantaged children [who get knowledge at home] with boring pablum, and it condemns disadvantaged children to a permanent educational handicap that grows worse over time. â€Å"The schools that hire new teachers appreciate the increased attention college and university training programs are giving to practical experience. â€Å"Teaching colleges are getting a lot better,† says James Dallas, a Fairfax County support coach for new teachers. â€Å"They have begun to structure their programs to the needs of the school systems. † Where practical experience used to come in the senior year, it now begins at many places in the freshman year, where it can serve to weed out those who discover that life in an elementary classroom is not what they thought it would be.While there is general agreement among the deans about the value of practical exp erience, they part company on the ideal program to train elementary teachers. Mr. Galluzzo of George Mason would opt for a solid general education foundation in an undergraduate or graduate program. â€Å"You should be required to take a liberal arts major of about 80 [semester hours] or two-thirds of the college experience for general education plus major combined.Then you should study the four core disciplines – math, science, history and English – roughly 15 credits each. Spend the other 20 hours getting smart in one of these areas. And in the undergraduate program, the other 40 credits are in learning to teach those things, because now you have something to say. † In many programs, a lot of the basic discipline has to be taught in the methodology classes because the prospective teachers don't know enough math or science to stand up in front of a class and teach, he says.One of his concerns is that too many future teachers take a concentration in psychology i nstead of English, math, science or history, thinking it will help them understand children. In fact, psychology is a subject they will never teach in elementary school. â€Å"What does it mean to know your subject? † asks Maryland's Mr. Hawley, whose background is in the liberal arts and political science. â€Å"You probably don't need to understand quadratic equations to teach fourth-grade math, but you ought to understand algebra and calculus. â€Å"