Planning, Assessment and Evaluation of Learning Essay

Planning, Assessment and Evaluation of Learning - Essay Example The curriculum is based on P3 to P6 levels for assessing the progress made. The paper will discuss the effectiveness of the planning, teaching and evaluation as well as the need for assessment of the learning in the context of a learning plan for special children. The choices for different learning approaches are justified by drawing from various learning theories. The Ideals of Special Education Every child has his or her own potential. High standard education for special children is one where the individual potential of the child is recognized and promoted. The philosophy of teaching should focus on a learner centric approach, with the child taught through different ways to encourage learning. Ideal learning and teaching requires that the child is the centre of the learning experience and all learning activities are planned and organized taking into consideration the specific learning needs of the child. The child has a range of activities to choose from, carried out under the supe rvision of the teacher to facilitate and enhance learning. According to Vygotsky, learning is arbitrated or facilitated by teachers in the environment that pupils find themselves in and that a major proportion of the facilitation is brought about by communication via language (Woolfolk 2006). Education should focus on the integration of the experiences of the child with their mental maturation. This is exemplified by the constructivism approach presented by Piaget. Piaget contended that the â€Å"interaction between biological maturation and experience† is the underlying mechanism for the progression of the child along the different stages of cognitive development (Sigelman & Rider 2008). The current learning theories, no matter what they emphasize on, have a central element common to them all- all theories encompass â€Å"participation in relationship and community transformation both of the person and of the social world† (Office of Learning and Teaching 2005). These activities are instrumental in encouraging learning through different learning styles; thus, children can maximize their learning by following the learning style that suits them the most. Encouraging pupils to discover and use their learning styles is a successful approach to learning. Kolb’s learning cycle also highlights the same phenomenon. He suggested four levels of learning which constitute the learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation (Smale & Fowlie 2009). Kolb asserted that learning can occur at any one of these levels. Honey and Mumford furthered upon this learning model and suggested learning styles that corresponded to each level. They suggested that activists are those who learn from concrete experience, reflectors from reflective observation, theorists from abstract conceptualization and pragmatists from active experimentation (Smale & Fowlie 2009). This follows that people have their own unique styles of learning and learning can be acquired through the effective use of any of these styles. According to Every Child Matters, a prime priority in learning these days is personalized learning and evaluates the value being given to education in schools and provision of more specialist services for children with special needs (Teacher Training Resource Bank 2011). Key Stage 3 and P levels Typically, Key Stage is a legal terminology used to describe the pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9,

“a Study of Bpo Industry with Reference to Employee Essay Example for Free

â€Å"a Study of Bpo Industry with Reference to Employee Essay The industry is very diverse, with several sub-segments, each displaying its own unique characteristics. The BPO players need to be excellent in every facet of operations as the market is highly competitive at every level and re-defining itself every day. It is basically a people-centric industry. The scenario however, is not as rosy as it looks, for this sector with enormous potential. Like any other industry during its growth phase, this industry is also going through its share of turbulence. There was the issue about people quitting the BPO jobs and the question arrived in my mind were: â€Å"Why do BPO executives job-hop so frequently? Is it just because of money or are there other reasons? and created an interest in my mind to find out the answers not only for the above questions but also for finding out the retention strategies that can be adopted by BPO’s. For the purpose of this project, the research work is limited to only 10 BPO’s in Mumbai and their 200 employees. It was very difficult to study the industry as a whole as the size of the industry is very large and it is very difficult to extract information about the attrition rates and reasons for he same and also the strategies adapted by different companies to retain its staff in limited time period given for completion of the project.

Impact of Globalization on Mexican Culture and Identity Essay -- Mexic

The ethnic- Mexican experience has changed over the years as American has progressed through certain period of times, e.g., the modernity and transformation of the southwest in the late 19th and early 20th century, the labor demands and shifting of U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Through these events Mexican Americans have established and shaped their culture, in order, to negotiate these precarious social and historical circumstances. Throughout the ethnic Mexicans cultural history in the United States, conflict and contradiction has played a key role in shaping their modalities of life. Beginning in the late 20th century and early 21st century ethnic Mexicans have come under distress from the force of globalization. Globalization has followed the trends of conflict and contradiction forcing ethnic Mexicans to adjust their culture and combat this force. While Mexican Americans are in the struggle against globalization and the impac t it has had on their lives, e.g., unemployment more common, wages below the poverty line, globalization has had a larger impact on their motherland having devastating affects unlike anything in history. Globalization has taken over the role of shaping the ethnic-Mexican culture. Globalization is the force that is establishing the divides of conflict and contradiction. Of course to pursue further this understanding of globalization’s effects we must first understand what exactly globalization is. According to Merriam-Webster, globalization is the act or process of globalizing, the state of being globalized, especially, the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping ... ...l unlike the Americans in the war. Globalization is affecting the whole globe and doing the same things throughout the world, as it tries to create uniform culture. Ultimately, Globalization is a powerful force which will try to deprive lesser nations of their culture and identities. However, culture is a powerful force which allows for the contradictions and conflict faced between the globalizing world to be solved and answered. With culture ethnic-Mexicans are able to remain who they are, a rich, diverse culture with a long history. The one positive of globalization has been the ability of cultures to share their greatness with others and spread about the world. However, this comes with caution, as cultures sometimes battle for dominance in an area. Globalization is good for some, terrible for others, but through culture people are able to maintain their identi

Critical Analysis of Taylor Swift’s Red Essay

Grammy award winning artist Taylor Swift debuted her first album at in 2006. Within six years Swift has grown to be one of the most renowned country pop artists ever known. With her fans craving for more from Swift, she released her fourth album titled â€Å"Red† on October 15, 2012. The album was an instant hit that sold over 1.2 million copies within the first week of being released. â€Å"Red† is one of the top selling albums in the past five years, coming only behind Mumford & Son’s recently released â€Å"Babel†. The album contains 16 tracks that are a strange mix of Swift’s country roots, modern pop, and hints of lite-rock. The highly anticipated, supposed â€Å"album of the year† turned out to be a major disappointment. At least Taylor has an easy excuse: her horrible decision to try out some new producers and song writers such as Max Martin and Shellback, who are known for creating hit radio pop songs for Maroon 5, Pink and Kelly Clarkson. These two were mainly responsible for the most disappointing tracks: â€Å"I Knew You Were Trouble† (a song that bashes ex-boyfriend John Mayer even further than she did in her album â€Å"Speak Now†), â€Å"22† (a song about enjoyment of young adulthood), and the hit single â€Å"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together†. On the other hand, Swift did have Nathan Chapman, her longtime producer, help her with almost half the album, which includes the most notable tracks on â€Å"Red† such as â€Å"All Too Well†, â€Å"The Lucky One†, and â€Å"Treacherous†. Another plausible reason for Swift’s subpar performance in the production of â€Å"Red† is her obvious self-confusion with her own identity. When Taylor released her first album she was barely 16 years old. Now, she is 22 but is still trying to write songs about the same old heartaches and heartbreaks that she had when she was a teenager. Since she was made famous and praised for the songs about first kisses, first break ups, and dumb boys, it makes sense that she would continue to write songs about the same topics and, naturally, a true transition from a hopeless romantic of a teenager to a real adult must be out of Swift’s comfort zone and a bit intimidating. But the fact is that now Swift is no longer a teenager and therefore should not be writing about teenager-like relationships. She never discloses any intimate details about her relationships in her songs unlike most 22 year-old artists. Instead, she successfully portrays the perfect role of an untouchable, chaste virgin disguised as a serial dater looking for the next guy to write a song about. The best track on the album, that was co-produced by Nathan Chapman, is â€Å"All Too Well† which is a slower, acoustic-based ballad written all by Swift herself. The song fits Taylor’s original style perfectly, encapsulating the platonic ideal of unfair heartbreak as she also does in many songs in her previous albums such as â€Å"Cold As You† in her self titled album, â€Å"Breathe† in her second album â€Å"Fearless†, and â€Å"Dear John† in her third album â€Å"Speak Now†. â€Å"All Too Well† is about her former boyfriend, actor Jake Gyllenhaal (which of who most of the album is about), and the story of their short, but apparently serious relationship spent specifically on a weekend at his sister Maggie’s house. The song is emotional and has a powerful climax that describes how he broke up with her over a phone call, which is typical for Taylor Swift and what her fans love and expect. Overall, the album lacks originality both lyrically and melodically. As Taylor takes steps further away from her love stricken lyrics and country roots and more towards passive aggressive pop rock tunes the worse off she gets and consequently leaves her fans disappointed. Although the album does contain a couple genuinely well written and produced tracks, the general confusion of which genre Swift tries to reflect in â€Å"Red† throws off the album as a whole. Hopefully Swift will soon learn how to use all of her potential to become a true adult artist that has evolved from her past glory as a teenage country legend.

How Did the 19th Amendment Change the United States

Period : History Ashley Stanton Subject: How did the 19th amendment change the United States 4-23-2013 The 19 th amendment gave women the right to vote. It was proposed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920. The impact of the 19 th amendment was enormous it gave women the same power that men had.It created a strong influence and created a huge cultural impact. It gave the women of the era more confidence and a sense that they could accomplish and do more. The life style changes in the 1920's showed how big and important the impact of the nineteenth amendment was. Women had become much more confident and wanted to use this â€Å"power† in other areas, too.They gave up a lot of the † controlling† aspects of the Victorian age, from the long and buttoned up clothes to new outlooks of personal freedom they started to live outside the confines of being a house wife and home maker women got job outside the home, they started playing sports, they shortened their dresses and bobbed their hair and had fun !! The Roaring Twenties was a new age, and an age where women first started enjoying more freedom and influence. This has continued on to this very day and in my opinion there is still work needed to do to level the space between men and women.Mr. Barack Obama president of the United States signed the Lilly LedBetter Fair Pay Act, which would guarantee the right of women to sue for equal pay for doing the same job as men. Even though women are still underpaid , they get paid 77 cents to every dollar made by men. Women hold a value of 17 percent of the seats in Congress. There are only 6 U. S governors as women. No major party has nominated a women as president. Today after 90 years have passed women still lag behind men.

Bowling for Columbine Essay Example

Bowling for Columbine Essay Example Bowling for Columbine Paper Bowling for Columbine Paper Michael Moore has created some of this centurys most provocative films, including Roger Me, The Big One, and Bowling for Columbine.These three films hold one thing in common: They are all non-fiction.If they were to be labeled into one genre, or if one were to search for them in a video store,documentary commonly associated with these films.Moores most recent film, Bowling for Columbine, won the Best Documentary Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards.But what exactly is a documentary, and should Moores work be classified in such a genre? Websters Dictionary defines a documentary as a film or TV program presenting the facts about a person or event.Moore does in fact present facts in his film, including interviews with various people, most notably, Charlton Heston.Additionally, he leads us along his journey throughout the country (and Canada) to find out why America is so obsessed with guns.The facts Moore presents certainly do have a liberal spin on them, but that does not mean that his work is not a documentary. Some have argued that documentaries must present an objective opinion about a subject.This is impossible.The Italian Neo-realists tried to create a real cinema in the early 1930s and failed.The reason was simple: The camera always chooses to focus on something within the frame, therefore limiting the viewers options not very realistic.Moore does much of the same.He uses his art as a persuasion.He never admits to presenting an objective view, nor should he be required to.Film, documentary or otherwise, is left to the sole discretion of the artist.Moores work is in fact a documentary because it presents facts of a non-fiction story (not like a non-fiction dramatization, such as Patton).Although it may conceal some facts as well, it is not the obligation of a documentary to present things in an objective manner such Related Papers Question 2: what I found out about Politics and the Media Columbine Massacre Speech What Makes a Credible Documentary Magic Realism Film Criteria Malcolm X vs. Skins What are the conventions in films that help to signify Genre Theory Robocop How to cite this page Choose cite format: Bowling for Columbine. (2018, May 03). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/'>APA "Bowling for Columbine." PaperAp.com, 3 May 2018, https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/'>MLA PaperAp.com. (2018). Bowling for Columbine. [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/[Accessed: 21 Sep. 2019]'>Harvard "Bowling for Columbine." PaperAp.com, May 03, 2018. Accessed September 21, 2019. https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/'>Chicago "Bowling for Columbine." PaperAp.com, 3 May 2018, https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/'>ASA "Bowling for Columbine," PaperAp.com, 03-May-2018. [Online]. Available: https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/. [Accessed: 21-Sep-2019]'>IEEE PaperAp.com. (2018). Bowling for Columbine. [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/paper-on-bowling-for-columbine/[Accessed: 21-Sep-2019]'>AMA Bowling for Columbine. (2018, May 03). 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Get custom paper sample written according to your requirements urgent 3h delivery guaranteed Order now Bowling for Columbine Paper On the 20th of April, 1999, in a little town called Lilleton in the U. S, two students from the Columbine High School committed a massacre. During a period of three hours, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed twelve students and one teacher, and injured dozens of others. Finally, they shot themselves in the head. Later the police detected over 900 bullet holes in the school (Bowling for Columbine)1. Apart from this horrible crime, the macabre fact is that all of the involved guns which had killed these innocent people were legally purchased, and the huge amount of bullets was bought at the K-Mart down the street (Bowling for Columbine). It is true, nobody will ever know if this disaster could have been prevented by a general gun control at that time, but one thing is for sure: it would have been a lot more difficult to purchase the used firearms and bullets if a general gun control would have been enacted before. Although, a comparison between the USA and the UK, where gunposession was prohibited in 1997, shows that after enacting the law, the crime rate surprisingly went up instead of down, still more than 10. 000 humans die because of guns in the States every year. That number represents the highest death rate in developed countries and can only be reduced by a stricter enforcement of gun control. As a result, the crime rate would get lower and the public would be safer place. In his article What gun controllers dont want you to know2, Howard Nemerov, who not only graduated from Harvard and won the National Book Award, but also got the Pulitzer Price, is presenting a vivid example that the inaction of gun control can end in a failure by analyzing official crime rates of the United States from 1992 till 2004. Coeval, Nemerov lists the same period of crime rates of the United Kingdom, where 1997 had been a strict gun ban, prohibiting civilians of possessing any kind of handgun and compares them to the US. The crime rate was expected to drop, but in fact it went in the completely opposite direction, as the following statistics show. In 1992, the UK had a burglary with entrance rate of 2. 5%, and the U. S had a rate of 3. 5%, one percent higher than the UK. If compared to the statistics of the year 2000, the burglary rate in the UK went up to 2. 8%, and that was after the prohibition of guns in 1997. In contrast, the percentage in the U. S. went down to 1. 8%. In addition to burglary with entry he also compared the statistics of sexual assault of women, robbery and assault with force. In all three of these indices the outcome is similar; the percentage in the U. K. rose, whereas in the U. S. it sank. Furthermore he presents the fact that in that period, where guns were prohibited in the U. K. over 70 million guns were sold in the States. He summarizes that [], a reasonable person is forced to conclude that availability of firearms to the general public is not a contributing factor to any increase in crime. He continues with another fact stated by the Home Office of Britain: during 1997 and 2001 homicide rates rose 19% in the UK while falling 12% in the USA. His comparison shows, that a general prohibition of gun possession does not already mean that crime rates will go down. However, the annually average death rate through guns in the UK is 163 times is lower than in the US. The exact number of shot people in the UK in 2001 was 63 and in the US amazing 11 127 (Bowling for Columbine). In addition to the fact that the US has the highest death rate through the use of guns, also accidents while using guns with no criminal intentions rise the death statistics. In 1996 140 children were killed after being accidentally shot and about 1500 children are hurt by guns every year. Since it is a fact that the US has the highest shooting death rate of 11 127 humans annually compared to other developed countries, 91% of American citizens are for at least minor restrictions on gun ownership. In addition to that, 57%, more than half of the Americans, even vote for a gun ban or major restrictions. It is a fact that some foreign countries have low rate of crimes despite they have less restrictions than the US. For example, Switzerland and Japan have gun policy which is completely different form those in the US; nevertheless, the crimes rates of these countries are quite low in comparison with the US ones. 3 One more example: the Swiss are issued fully-automatic rifles to keep at home, yet abuse of military weapons is rare. The Swiss own two million firearms, including handguns and semi-automatic rifles, they shoot about 60 million rounds of ammunition per year, and the rate of violent gun abuse is low. 4 Lets compare: rifles and handguns are prohibited in Japan, they have a very strict policy as for this issue, and its very difficult for a person to get a gun in Japan. Yet, the number of crimes doesnt lowers, but is even going much higher. The same may be said about many countries which have strict restrictions as for the weapons. 5 So, in the U. S. crime rates have shown to be lower than in courtiers with strict firearms laws. And they werent raised even with the fact that since 1991 in the USA the number of privately owned firearms has risen by perhaps 50 million. Only in 1993-1999 the number of guns privately owned in the States increased on 37 millions. Notwithstanding, the accidents or murders rates didnt go higher. This point may lead to the conclusion that the gun policy restriction wouldnt influence it too, but I think thats not right. People buy guns. And each gut ever bought is a certain threat to eny one of us. Another question is why people buy weapons? What for? Why? What influences people? Why do people bear guns, why do they use them? People are afraid of becoming a victim, they try to defense themselves. And media is the thing which has a great influence at peoples mind. The public depends on the media for its pictures of crime. Many peoples opinion about the situation in the country, about crimes taking place periodically forms on the basis of what they see on the screen, what they hear on the radio. And those horrible events the journalists describe in their coverages make people be afraid of becoming a victim. In addition a great number of such headlines in the newspapers, a great number of such reports on the news. As a result, people what to make sure nothing like that ever happens with them and get guns mislead by the idea that it will help.

Unit 3 Discussion Example

Unit 3 Discussion Example Unit 3 Discussion – Coursework Example Cisco Powered Network Discussion The Cisco networking system, also commonly referred to as the IOS controls various Cisco switchesand routers as well as providing an interface for the configuration of the Cisco devices. The Cisco Security personnel provide its users regularly with safety guidelines and measure to counter the daily threats. The IOS also comes up with various network management models functions which may include; Fault, security, configuration and performance management. Under fault management any faults detected are isolated from the network; security management provides access only to authorized people to access the network and other corporate resources (Liu, 2009). The configuration team is in charge of managing configuration files, inventories as well as software and finally the performance team monitors the overall performance and ensures it is maintained at a high level.The other best practices that can be put across in administering a Cisco powered network incl ude: Coming up with a telnet password. This can be arrived at by: router (config) #line vty con 0 router (config-line) #log in. router (config-line) #password Cisco. This telnet protocol will connect several devices to the internet and get access to various resources. It will also provide a command line interface. It is also necessary to enable the interface so as to provide the administrators with a flexible ground for accessing other physical networks. It can be enabled through router (config-if) # no shutdown, at the same time it can be controled by disabling it through router (config-if) # shut down. The flexibility may at times add complexity to the task of the administrators. Finally, it is important for the administrators to consider setting or coming up with a secret password (Tetz, 2011). This practice will always enable them override the enabling password feature and help them encrypt it within the config file. This will be arrived at by router (config) enable secret (desi red name one wishes to use as a secret password).ReferencesLiu, D. 2009.  Cisco router and switch forensics: Investigating and analyzing malicious network activity. Burlington, MA: Syngress.Tetz, E. 2011.  Cisco ® networking all-in-one for dummies ®. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

TLM or Teaching Learning Materials Definition

TLM or Teaching Learning Materials Definition In the field of education, TLM is a commonly used acronym that stands for teaching/learning materials. Broadly, the term refers to a spectrum of educational materials that teachers use in the classroom to support specific learning objectives, as set out in lesson plans. These can be games, videos, flashcards, project supplies, and more. Classroom teaching that uses only a teacher lecturing the class, perhaps writing on the chalkboard or whiteboard, is the classic example of not using any TLM. Using TLM can greatly assist students in the learning process. Examples of Teaching/Learning Materials Activity-based learning employs a variety of teaching/learning materials and focuses on student interaction to learn new concepts. Context-specific learning materials enhance the process. Story Books Story books make great teaching-learning materials. For example, a middle school teacher can use a book like The Hatchet by Gary Paulson, a gripping story of a boy, 13, who finds himself alone in a desolate wooded area in Canada, with only a hatchet (a gift from his mother) and his wits to help him survive. A teacher can read this book to the class as a whole, then have students write a brief essay summarizing the book and explaining what they thought of the story. And at the elementary school level, book reports provide a great way to have students engage with the books they read, either individually or together with the class. Manipulatives Manipulatives are physical items such as gummy bears, blocks, marbles, or even small cookies, that assist student learning. Manipulatives are especially helpful in the younger primary grades, where students can use them to help solve subtraction and addition problems. Samples of Student Writing Having students write can be an effective teaching method. But students often have difficulty thinking of topics. Thats where student writing prompts can be useful. Writing prompts are brief partial sentences designed to help spark student writing, such as The person I admire the most is...   or My biggest goal in life is... Just be sure to give students the parameters of the assignment, such as a single paragraph for younger pupils or a full, multi-page essay for older students. Videos In the current digital age, there are plenty of websites that offer free educational videos for kids. Videos provide real, visual images that can help enliven learning, but you need to be careful to choose videos that have real educational value. Websites that offer free learning videos include the Khan Academy, which offers videos on basic and advanced math, English grammar and literature, science, and even SAT preparation. Games Games can be useful in teaching students everything from money and grammar to social skills. Sight words bingo, for example, can help students learn their basic sight words, but there are also relatively inexpensive bingo games that teach money skills, Spanish, telling time, and even English grammar. More active, outside games such as basketball or kickball can help students learn social skills, such as taking turns, sharing, working as a team, and being a good loser or gracious winner. Flashcards Even in this age of computers and internet-based learning materials, flashcards can be particularly useful for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Printing high-frequency words, also known as sight words, on the front of flashcards with short definitions on the back can create a good learning tool for students who have auditory or visual learning styles. Model Clay Younger students, such as those in kindergarten through third grade, can learn using model clay. For example, a teacher might have young students make letters of the alphabet using clay. But you can also use clay to teach concepts to older students. Teachers have been known to use model clay to teach plate tectonics, the theory of how the Earths surface behaves. Overhead Projector Transparencies In this modern age, dont forget about the value of old-fashioned overhead transparencies. A teacher can use overhead projector transparencies to teach counting skills, such as for numbers up to 100, and visually demonstrate how charts and graphs work. Better even than a whiteboard or blackboard, transparencies allow you or students to write numbers, create problems, circle, and highlight features and easily wipe away markings with a paper towel or tissue. Computer Software and Apps Plenty of learning computer software is available online. Interactive software programs can help English language learners study grammar and other elements of the English language. And apps, such as for tablet computers and even smartphones, offer instruction in everything from foreign languages to information on the Common Core Standards as well as university-level lectures and lessons for students- many of the apps are free. Visual Aids Visual aids can be teaching tools designed for the entire classroom, such as posters showing basic site words, class rules, or key concepts about important holidays or lessons. But they can also be used the help students individually, particularly visual learners or those having difficulty organizing their work or their thoughts. Graphic organizers, for example, are charts and tools used to visually represent and organize a students knowledge or ideas. Graphic organizers can help students learn math and they are good tools for teaching special education students and English language learners.

Concert Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Concert Report - Assignment Example The other show was from an Encentrics band that was performed in Jammin Java in Vienna, VA. The classical type of music is an art of music with its origins dated back to the 1700. Its roots are based in the West and since its establishment has had a variety of performances. This type of music also ranges from secular to liturgical. Symphony is a genre of music that employees a length form of musical composition to be performed. They are related to the classical type of music since they were discovered in the same era. These types of music got their boost during the 19th century which according to scholars is known as the romantic period. The music would be played in weddings and other romantic situations. Classical music is subjected to various characteristics which I found out after attending the classical music concert. The music has gone through a lot of improvements due to the different in time since when it was established to date which adds up to more than five hundred years. T his has led to its broad variety, genres and forms of music. Before attending the music concerts, some of my friends had talked about classical music claiming it was ‘any type of music that lasts for a long time’. Other friends also talked about music where all types of musical instruments were used’. I did not believe at first until I attended the show. The show took an average of two hours. The classical team may have lasted more than one hour playing one song, an art that was done to perfection. Instruments in the orchestra included violins, pianos and bands. Another characteristic of the classical type of music is the type of literature that was used during the concert. The music or songs had been written as musical notations which lead to the creation of a score. In the concert’s case, the score determined the type f pitch and rhythm to be used in the song. It also contributed to the type of coordination from the performers. Another distinct character istic is the type of instrumentation used to produce classical music. The band used a range of musical instruments date back to the 19th century. The concert band used instruments ranging from the piano, violin, guitar, bagpipes and trumpets. However, the most noticeable instrument was the acoustic guitar has been used since the 20th century. The wide range of instruments through the band provided soft cool music. They all worked together in harmony to provide the required pitches and tonal variations. The band was also dressed based on dressings from the 18th century. The music had not changed much as compared to other types of music. The type of notes, pitches and tonal variation had not change much as I could tell from my musical classes. I could also tell from the audience that this type of music is loved by the older generation. This is because the music is soothing and does not have a lot of variation in tones and pitches which may lead to noise (Morin 10). The form of music a lso differentiated the classical type of music from other genres which came up in the renaissance era. I could tell that this type of genre has sophisticated type of musical instruments. They include the sonata, opera, and concerto among others. In my case, it was a concerto. The classical composers seemed to have a close connection with their instruments. The close relationship brought up an emotional feeling. This later proved the fact that this type of musical genre was used to in romantic situations. The musical is

Australia's population is ageing which will seriously affect the Essay

Australia's population is ageing which will seriously affect the future of the country. Do you agree - Essay Example The population of Australia has a very less proportion of people aged 65 years and above. Out of the total population, only 23% fall in this particular age group. Several researchers have discussed about the problems that would arise in future in Australia due to ageing population (Walker, 1998). A lot of initiatives have been adopted by the Australian government with the target of lessening the augmented healthcare costs linked with the ageing population in Australia (Walker, 1997). Thesis Statement Based on the aforesaid issue, the assignment intends to study about the growing issues of ageing population in Australia. It is often observed that this particular issue impose adverse impact upon political along with economic conditions of the nation. The paper attempted to reveal the causes and the effects of this growing issue in the country. The main objective of this assignment is to justify whether the ageing population would affect the future of the nation or not. ... The government is adopting along with executing several measures and brought about numerous changes in its tax system in order to help the Australian families. It is also looking after the improvement of the assistance provided to the families so as to balance between their responsibilities towards family and their work. The other vital cause is the long life expectancy of the people in Australia. The life expectancy in the year 1960 was 68 years but it has grown to 78 years by the year 2004 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004). The government of Australia observed that the number of immigrants must be increased to maintain the present age structure. It has been argued that this solution might not eradicate the problem of ageing but certain benefits can be reaped from it. In this regard, one of the benefits can be regarded as declined labour supply growth (Committee for Economic Development of Australia, 2004). It has been viewed that the growing Australia’s ageing population cre ates effect on labour force partaking rate. The Australian government is facing a problem in the falling employment rate due to the growth of ageing population (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005). The country seems to face more challenges in the field of ageing as it is regarded as one of the nations having lowest population. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has estimated that by the year 2056, the median age might have a rapid increase in the nation. Thus, the ageing population has become quite a challenging factor for the nation affecting its economy at large. In response, the Australian government is adopting and executing certain effective measures to mitigate the problem or the issue. Effects of Ageing In Future The growing ageing

IKEA Challenges and HR Solutions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

IKEA Challenges and HR Solutions - Case Study Example Regardless, the company still faces the problem of its branding professionals being obsessed with the strong brand image, which has consistently developed for almost four decades while underrating the real creators of brand competitiveness. Brand-internalisation is the primary issue facing IKEA as it expands to other international markets where different cultures exist. The company faces the problem of recreating its brand identity based on the prevailing market conditions in different economies around the world. Its managers have been basically transferring its identities from Sweden to various stores which are under its brand in other countries, with fairly positive outcomes being registered in Europe while Asia creates mixed outcomes (Vizard, 2014). The attempt by its managers to advance the company’s sense making of the value of its products, reinterpreting and reactivating the brand to reflect the cultural needs of foreign markets has been largely missing at IKEA’s foreign excursions. As such, the process of brand-activating can be construed as a serious divide in the process of creating the common sense, hence requiring extra attention by an equally effective human resources management. Lack of a proper plan for brand internalization has resulted in IKEA being incapable of strengthening its brand in foreign markets for higher sales, hence the problem of heavy duties, especially in Asian markets (Tarnovskaya, & de Chernatony, 2011). In light of this, IKEA faces other brand challenges in culturally diverse.

Family study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Family study - Assignment Example He does not follow the six steps at all. For this reason, when it comes to my dad I learned to avoid problems because I fear his communicate style and lack of using the six steps. My mom on the other hand, is very up front about acknowledging when an issue arises but has a hard time actually resolving them. She gets to step 2: finding what each person wants, and then just gives up. She usually doesn’t want to look at alternatives and doesn’t want to negotiate or solidify agreements. So this usually ends up with unresolved issues and hurt feelings. It leaves me feeling helpless because I want to resolve the issues but we usually just agree to disagree. Due to the way in which my parents deal with conflict, I have a hard time bringing up issues in my intimate relationships. I’m afraid to bring up issues because I feel like it is always bad. My boyfriend is very assertive and is not afraid of conflict. He moves through the 6 steps very easily and is great at resolving issues in a respectful manner. He always knows when I’m feeling upset even when I don’t want to bring it up so it has been hard for me to keep my bad habit of suppressing feelings and issues. He calls me out when I am holding back and since I have become aware of it, I have been able to acknowledge my fear of conflict and work past it to resolve issues. I think the 6 steps can be very useful with friends and co-workers as well as any relationship as long as communication is constructive and no steps are left out. Now that I am aware of the specifics of conflict resolution, I can better use it in my life to resolve conflict and become closer with those around me Conflict is part of the society that we live in, as hardly a week passes by without having a difference of opinion with our families, friends and workmates. Nonetheless, it is of great significance to note that

Hazards of Aluminium Welding Fumes Research Paper

Hazards of Aluminium Welding Fumes - Research Paper Example The biggest problem is that the diseases do not develop immediately but appear after a few years of exposure. The impact of pollution at the workplace on productivity has been well investigated. Studies on the impact of pollution at work environment in productivity reveal a tendency of reduction in economic activity (Marrewijk, 2005). "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) and 'Building related illness' (BRI) gives rise to employee complaints such as headaches, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue, ear, eye and throat irritations. The world demand for high-speed ferries and LNG tanks is being met with an increase in Aluminium welding and casting production. This has introduced a new health hazard to the Aluminium welders and ways are being probed to protect the welders against the Aluminium fumes. In the U.K, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations stipulates that the occupational exposure limit for Aluminium fume should not exceed 5mgm exp 3 of air. Aluminium fumes during welding also generate quantities of ozone gas, which can cause nausea (Rabin, 1997) and unconsciousness. Welding is a process in which metal or other thermoplastic materials are joined together by the application of heat or pore sure or both. Electric welding was introduced in the 1940s. Aluminium welding has been in prominence since 1970. There are several types of welding like Arc welding and Manual metal arc is a common process where the workers are exposed to the fumes. Carbon arc, Cold welding, Electron beam welding, Flux core arc welding, Gas welding, Gas metal arc welding, Gas tungsten arc welding, Shielded metal arc welding, Plasma arc welding, Laser beam welding are the other welding processes where workers are exposed to metal fumes. The welding workers have a high exposure of metal fumes and the exposure depends on the place, confined space, workshop or open air.  

Family study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Family study - Assignment Example He does not follow the six steps at all. For this reason, when it comes to my dad I learned to avoid problems because I fear his communicate style and lack of using the six steps. My mom on the other hand, is very up front about acknowledging when an issue arises but has a hard time actually resolving them. She gets to step 2: finding what each person wants, and then just gives up. She usually doesn’t want to look at alternatives and doesn’t want to negotiate or solidify agreements. So this usually ends up with unresolved issues and hurt feelings. It leaves me feeling helpless because I want to resolve the issues but we usually just agree to disagree. Due to the way in which my parents deal with conflict, I have a hard time bringing up issues in my intimate relationships. I’m afraid to bring up issues because I feel like it is always bad. My boyfriend is very assertive and is not afraid of conflict. He moves through the 6 steps very easily and is great at resolving issues in a respectful manner. He always knows when I’m feeling upset even when I don’t want to bring it up so it has been hard for me to keep my bad habit of suppressing feelings and issues. He calls me out when I am holding back and since I have become aware of it, I have been able to acknowledge my fear of conflict and work past it to resolve issues. I think the 6 steps can be very useful with friends and co-workers as well as any relationship as long as communication is constructive and no steps are left out. Now that I am aware of the specifics of conflict resolution, I can better use it in my life to resolve conflict and become closer with those around me Conflict is part of the society that we live in, as hardly a week passes by without having a difference of opinion with our families, friends and workmates. Nonetheless, it is of great significance to note that

Motivation of Maids in Motels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Motivation of Maids in Motels - Essay Example According to the essay "Motivation of Maids in Motels" findings, the additional responsibilities such as being maà ®tre d’hà ´te, preparing the work roster can keep them more engaged. Similarly, combining several work activities can help in creating challenging and enriching job description. Through this, the maids would feel that the role that they do is much more important and meaningful than before. For example, as a part of their core job of housekeeping, a combination of tasks such as profiling a customer, providing inputs to the other service teams and so on can be assigned to them. This allows the maids to learn and use a wide variety of skills than before, thus providing them more opportunities as well as ensuring that the get the opportunity to indulge in workplace learning. These physical changes in the job description can be a source of great motivation to the maids. Along with the physical changes, it is also necessary to consider the strategies to enhance the pe rsonal identity of the motel maids. The main strategy that needs to be considered here is to make sure that the self-esteem of these workers is not just preserved, but improved (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). For example, improving their dress code and ensuring that they look smarter can be a great way to enhance the personal identity. Many employers think that since a maid does not have interaction with the guests, there is no actual need for a good and smart dress code. Another strategy that should be considered seriously is reinforcement. The management of the organization should reinforce constantly about the high importance of the role that they play in the organization (Chance, 2003). Efforts should be taken so the maids feel that they have a crucial role to play. This will provide the necessary respect and would make them proud about the work that they do. Furthermore, steps also should be taken so that the maids do not feel that they are at the bottom of the hierarchy of the org anizational structure of the motel. From a long-term perspective, there should an aim to move to a horizontal organizational structure. For Western motels, the right approach to leadership would be the transformational style of leadership. One of the main reasons that were identified as the reason of the high churn rate of maids was very low motivation. A transformational leader would have the capability to bring around a good change in this respect (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). This form of leadership has the potential to create a very valuable change in the staff and can enhance motivation levels, performance as well as the morale in the staff. With the help of individualized concentration, the leader can act as a mentor or coach and try to understand the reason for high attrition. Through intellectual stimulation, the leader can stimulate creativity and positivity in the staff. In the case of the maids, by providing them a variety of options, the leader can foster creativity to

American Prohibition Essay Example for Free

American Prohibition Essay : Also known as the Volstead Act, named after Republican Senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. Focus/Argument: Prohibition in fact failed to bolster morals as hoped, but instead led to an increase in violent crime and caused morals to slip due to reactionary protest from the people. Paper should focus on the major cities of the twenties such as Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. Special attention should be focused on the mafia, gangland violence, and bootlegging, as well as the spread of speakeasies and the resulting Jazz culture (flappers, corruption, etc). Introduction: â€Å"The so-called Temperance movement, which in fact opposed temperate and responsible enjoyment of alcohol beverages, proposed that to defeat the disease of alcohol dependency among the few allegedly required abstinence from the many. †1 This was the rationale which enabled the 18th amendment to the U. S. Constitution to be passed. Also known as the Volstead Act, named after its author the Republican senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. 2 In fact, it caused an increase in crime and gave impetus to violence on a scale not seen since the days of the old west. Morality also became increasingly lax as speakeasies, Jazz, sexual promiscuity, and flappers mushroomed across the nation, giving full meaning to the term, â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † Coupled with post-war prosperity with people having more money and time off than ever before, they looked for things to spend their earnings on as well as for ways to blow off steam. 3 The rise of popular legend stemming from the Prohibition years in the form of movies, books, and people such as mobster Al Capone and Treasury agent Elliott Ness, have had a lasting impact on popular culture through modern times. The Prohibition decade was more than a prohibition on alcohol consumption; it was a prohibition on morals which never has been repealed. American Prohibition: Moral Decay and Corruption in the Roaring Twenties The 1920s went by various monikers such as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of prosperity for most Americans. Scientific and technological improvements increased industrial production. The automobile, electric appliances, chemical and construction industries expanded tremendously during the 1920s. People were generally able to afford luxuries. The 1920s was also an era of wild gaiety for part of the population. Novels of the period stressed the rebellion of the youth against the traditional values of their parents. These groups from the urban areas came to seem typical of the 1920s though actually many more people were leading conservative lives. Women had been given the right to vote in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. For the first time, women wore their dresses short and bobbed their hair; many wore make-up and smoked cigarette’s. They became regulars in the dance scenes in clubs and cabarets where jazz was played. They were called flappers. Some imitated the movie stars they saw in silent files like the glamorous Gloria Swanson and Norma Talmadge and swooned over Rudolf Valentino. Talking pictures were first introduced in 1927 featuring the Jazz Singer. Jazz music was played everywhere and was most popular in the urban area of New York as it seemed to embody the vitality of the city. Speakeasies sprouted everywhere. Its name bespoke secrecy as these private clubs admonish its customers to speak easy or softly or the police might herar. Charles A. Lindbergh was a completely different type of national hero. In May 27, this young man from the Midwest became the first person to fly alone, nonstop, across the Atlantic Ocean. 4 Prohibition was partly responsible for the daring, reckless spirit of the twenties. An amendment to the Constitution was submitted to the states on December 18, 1917 and on January 29, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was declared ratified, to wit: Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. 5 On January 16, 1920, the National Prohibition Act or, otherwise known as the Volstead Act, went into effect. The conservatives had long been calling for temperance arguing that alcohol is the source of all ills. Science was used to give evidence that alcohol was linked to vices, diseases, suicide and leads to early death. The employers encouraged total abstinence so as to minimize industrial accidents and at the same time increase productivity. The religious community associated alcohol with evil. The women’s group proclaimed it detrimental to family relations. 6 With the entry of the United States in World War I, they quickly gained supporters due to the growing resentment against anything German which included beer. Moreover, patriotism called for self-sacrifice and anyone who did not remain sober and defend the country were met with hostility. During the war, the manufacture of beer and liquor had been prohibited to conserve grain and by July 1919, the sale of liquor had been stopped. With such public sentiment, the prohibitionists gained ground and the amendment was passed. 7 The day before the Volstead Act was to take effect, the Anti-Saloon League of New York made an optimistic prediction by stating that, â€Å"Tonight, John Barleycorn makes his last will and testament. Now for an era of clean thinking and clean living! † 8 Instead, the opposite took place. Almost immediately, violations across the country were being reported. Police were carrying out raids of establishments who persisted in selling liquor. The law was observed mostly in the Midwest where the â€Å"dry† movement had begun, but in the large eastern cities the laws were flagrantly broken. As well, there were not enough Federal and state agents to enforce prohibition. In fact, now that is was illegal, more people began to drink more than ever. Such circumstances made Al Capone self-righteous enough to proclaim that: I make my money by supplying a public need. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. The only difference between us is that I sell and they buy. 9 Fortunes were made in bootlegging or the manufacture and sale of liquor illegally. Criminals organized â€Å"mobs† or â€Å"syndicates† to operate in certain areas. Al Capone was one of these of bosses. He held sway in Chicago and Cicero, Illinois, with an estimated 750 paid gunmen. Crime became big business in other large cities, too. There were many kidnappings for ransom. Among them was Charles Lindbergh’s son who in 1932, was not only kidnapped but was also murdered. When prohibition ended in February 16, 1933 with the passing of the Twenty-first Amendment to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment, the mobs turned to protection rackets, slot machines and other gambling and the distribution of narcotics. 10 To be fair, the prohibition did manifest benefits though only for a short period. This could probably be because liquor was still relatively hard to find and when one did find it, the price of violation was high. This does not refer to the penalties to be imposed when caught but that the cost of liquor had become so prohibitive that the average American earner could not afford a glass of cocktail. The prohibition had no effect on the rich, however, as they continued to drink well while the poor drank badly. This led to further divisiveness as it was becoming classifies as a class legislation. 11 In 1920, the year the law came into effect, there was a significant drop in the arrests for drunkenness which was even lower than 1918 and 1919 when Americans were voluntary abstaining from liquor due to wartime restrictions and patriotism. By 1921, however, arrests for drunkenness had once again risen with no indications of declining. This data can be seen in a 1926 survey of 384 municipalities that was prepared by Stanley Shirk, the research director of The Moderation League, Inc. The results as it was presented to the Senate Committee Hearing were as follows: 12 Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities 1914 523,049 1920 233,837 1915 528,347 1921 317,492 1916 557,634 1922 425,353 1917 542,039 1923 499,322 1918 423,048 1924 515,199 1919 309,760 1925 533,483 The World League against Alcoholism likewise presented its own survey results in the same Senate Committee Hearing which compiled the records of 514 cities and towns. 13 Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population 1914 169 1920 60 1915 165 1921 84 1916 176 1922 111 1917 169 1923 126 1918 124 1924 127 1919 97 These figures also showed an increase in arrests after 1920, the bone-dry year, but it was contended that this was more due to increased police activity. The anti-Alcoholism League, at that time, can merely give a forecast that arrests will go down in 1925 and beyond. They pointed out that compared with the figures from 1914 to 1917 of the pre-prohibition years, recorded arrests after 1920 were still much lower. Regardless, whether we look at it from the â€Å"wet† or â€Å"dry† statistics, the data showed that the number of arrests for drunkenness was not receding. This gave evidence that for the primary objective of the National Prohibition Act was not met and could not be met. The numbers from 1918 to 1921 are also quite notable as it implied a change in the attitudes of the general population towards alcohol. By the time prohibition was put in effect, the wartime fervor seems to have already waned, abstinence had overstayed its welcome, drinking was no longer met with social disapproval and people were clamoring for a drink notwithstanding the law. Institutions and agencies were likewise fairly tolerant of transgressions of the law and would accept any loophole around it. In courtrooms of Wyoming and San Francisco, judges and jury gave much leeway to the defense to the point of allowing the evidence to be drunk which led to the technicality of lack of evidence against the bootlegger defendant and the cases were thrown out. Doctors could and did prescribe up to three pints of vitamin-enhanced whiskey which was in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling. Government beer was prescribed by the gallons for medicinal purposes. 14 As a result, it had soon become a law that nobody wanted to obey thus making it harder to enforce. Thereupon, a general perception followed that crime was prevalent. Foremost among these are convictions for crime which did not used to be treated as criminal before the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment. This perception of lawlessness was compounded by the sensational publicity given to prohibition violations which had become daily news stories in the papers. In an age where cinema was most influential, many movies were produced that depicted a lot of drinking not by the villains but by the heroes and heroines. 15 Prominent people have likewise testified before the Senate to express their opinion against the Volstead Act and argue for revision. They aimed to prove that lawlessness had in fact increase since it was passed. One of these opponents of prohibition was Michigan politician Charles S. Wood who contended that the statistics for the arrests on drunkenness would actually have been much greater except that people were doing their drinking inside homes and hotels rather than in saloons hence there is little chance for them to be caught drunk in the streets. 16 This can be corroborated by the increasing number of deaths recorded for cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholic admissions in one New York hospital as recorded in the 1930s were over 1000 a year. Apparently, they became alcoholics during prohibition. 17

Immunisation Infection Disease

Immunisation Infection Disease Immunisation has been continually confirmed in both research trials and in the field to be one of the most successful medical interventions we have to avert disease. As Mims et al (2004: 513) outlines, the rationale of immunisation is simple: to provoke a primed status so that on initial contact with the applicable infection a quick and successful secondary immune response will be induced, leading to the avoidance of disease. A vital part of immunisation programs is the production of ‘herd immunity-that is an increase in the populations overall immunity status to the point that successful transmission cannot occur due to a lack of susceptible individuals. According to Rogers et al (1995), opposition in this field arose as early as the 19th century when vaccination was first introduced in Europe. There were instant objections on religious grounds and doubts about the effectiveness of vaccines were also articulated along with the rights of the individual to refuse immunisation. P resent-day objections to mass child immunisation reverberate these early apprehensions. Below an overview is given of the sociological factors associated with non or under immunised children in developed countries. How these factors combine to explain this immunisation status is additionally discussed along with suggestions of potential efforts to increase immunisation uptake rates. A number of studies (Brynley et al 2001 Turner et al 2003) conducted in developed countries have identified many sociological factors that are associated with low immunisation uptake among children. Primarily these factors include unemployment, low or high maternal education, single parent status, overseas birth or late birth order and low socio-economic status. In addition to these primary factors other reasons for reduced immunisation uptake are associated with immunisation myths, inadequate service provision or access, child gender/age, late commencement of immunisation and maternal mental instability. A childs low immunisation status may be the result of one or a combination of the above interacting factors. There are a variety of myths circulating in the community with regards to immunisation. Begg and Nicoll(1994) noted some common myths that include: â€Å"a child with allergies should not be immunised, children taking antibiotics shouldnt be vaccinated and immunisation is now unnecessary.† Although most myths have a tangible basis with traceable origins all myths should be disregarded on scientific grounds. According to Begg and Nicoll most immunisation myths emerge due to the ignorance of health professionals compounded by the propagation of conflicting material. The media has been quick to take advantage of the professions ignorance, predominantly where there are questionsabout the risks coupled with immunisation. Hall (2001) thus puts forward that parents who are unresolved about child vaccination may receive medical advice which is uncertain, while receiving from those in opposition to immunisation strongly argued and seemingly well researched information. A great deal of the controversy surrounding immunisation appeals to parents deep-founded regard for the wellbeing of their children and their trepidation principally of injections. Hall also suggested that parents may have difficulty in conveying their concerns to health professionals, and these concerns may induce parents to lean towards arguments against immunisation. Such arguments endow parents who have immunisation reservations with rationale to oppose vaccinating of their children. Low education can greatly disadvantage a mother making decisions concerning immunisation. Forrest et al (1998) mentioned that such a mother may not be able to read or properly comprehend vaccination information and thus not base decisions regarding their infants health on scientific evidence. The parental response therefore to a childs immediate distress may outweigh their attitude towards future benefits from vaccination. Those struggling due to a language barrier, particularly migrants and those of ethnic origin may also encounter similar difficulties. Conversely Rogers et al (1995) explains that people with high education usually choose to oppose vaccination for other reasons. These parents rational is multifaceted being deduced from a mixture of world views held about healing, the environment, holism and responsibilities of parenting combined with the reading of scientific and alternative literature which cast doubts on the effectiveness of immunisation. Lack of education may also be a barrier to individuals who are unemployed or of low socio-economic status (SES) due to the above reasons. As evident in a study conducted by Li and Taylor (1993), this may be further compounded by low financial position. With a high proportion of the unemployed or those of low SES living in temporary housing, especially in inner city districts, it may be hard for health professionals to keep track of immunisation records and provide reminders about necessary appointments. Those with low income as described by Hull et al (2001) may also not have use of a vehicle making it difficult to access immunisation services; this is a particular problem for those who live in rural areas and can lead to incomplete immunisation in infants. Children from large families and of late birth order or those of single parents have also been found by studies conducted by Hull et al (2001) and Li and Taylor (1993), to have lower immunisation uptake. Hull et al noted that single parents may encounter greater difficulties in both organising periods off work and have monetary limitations that increase the difficulty in accessing immunisation services. Likewise as discussed by Li and Taylor, parents with many children may find it hard to access immunisation services due to busy schedules or transportation issues. Moreover parents of large families may have had previous adverse immunisation experiences with elder siblings and thus their caution or opposition to vaccination is reflected in the lack of immunisation among younger siblings. Harrington et al (2000) suggested that adverse immunisation experiences are associated with the combination of crammed clinics, long waiting times, inconvenient hours and trouble acquiring an appointm ent. Additionally many mothers undergo emotional distress due to the knowledge that they are party to the pain inflicted on their infant as a result of vaccination. This perhaps is integrated in the opinion articulated by some parents that health centre immunisation is intolerably forceful and callous due to the lack of compassion shown by health professionals; with evidence revealed in the study conducted by Harington et al, that mothers prefer to have their infant vaccinated by general practitioner, in a ratio of >4:1, with the pre-existing relationship helpful during immunisation visits. A study conducted on factors associated with low immunisation uptake (Hull et al 2001) also demonstrated a strong association between late immunisation commencement and low overall immunisation uptake. A late commencement of immunisation may echo a parents attitude to vaccination or reflect a lack of knowledge regarding immunisation as a whole or its schedule. Hull et al also noted that illness is the primary cause for late commencement with many parents believing that there is an increased risk coupled to vaccination during this time. The decision to vaccinate may be further confused by dissenting personal attitudes towards vaccination. Similarly a study conducted by Turner et al (2003) found that women suffering from mental health problems including depression and anxiety, several months after birth were between 3 and 5 times more likely to have commenced the immunisation schedule late or not at all. Mothers with mental instability may find the seemingly normal tasks associated wit h motherhood difficult. With the maintenance of a normal day a challenge the importance of immunisation may be decreased. Gender can also affect immunisation uptake however as illustrated by Markuzzi et al (1997), this is dependant on the specific disease to which vaccination may confer protection. For example Markuzzi et al noted that in the UK it has until recently been considered that boys do not require vaccination against rubella. Therefore the live attenuated vaccine was only administered to adolescent girls to protect them from developing the disease while pregnant and transmitting it to the foetus resulting in congenital rubella syndrome. Consent is an additional problem which may affect vaccination rates, especially for overseas visitors or those from minority ethnic groups who may not understand the language of the country in which they now reside. Even with parental consent (Forrest et al 1998) a child cannot be vaccinated unless they are willing. Vandermeulen et al 2007 notes that adolescents are particularly hard age group to reach as many have a poor perception of risk leading to a greater fear of the initial pain of immunisation than the associated disease. Deferral of appointments for seemingly inadequate reasons such as social commitments also hinders this age bracket. Although in Australia national immunisation coverage levels may surpass 90 percent (Childhood Immunisation Coverage 2007), there is a considerably lower level of protection among certain subgroups of the population. These pockets of under vaccinated individuals make the population susceptible to major outbreaks. As further suggested by Childhood Immunisation Coverage, monitoring the coverage at smaller geographic levels helps ensure that these impending pockets of children are recognised by target interventions and decrease the threat of potential disease outbreaks. Additional efforts to boost immunisation rates in the community should thus focus on increasing service accessibility. As recommended by Forrest et al (1998) and Li and Taylor (1993) this could be achieved via facilitating immunisation session times that parents find easy to attend, the use of mobile vans or other home vaccination methods and the provision of opportunistic immunisations when children appear at hospitals, general practices or health clinics for different reasons. Moreover Li and Taylor also note that attempts should be made to enhance the services provided by health care clinics by the extension of crà ¨che facilities for siblings and the continual education of health providers. This education should focus upon details concerning new vaccinations and current circulatory immunization myths, including there rebuttal. As advised by Harrington et al 2000, health practitioners should also be further encouraged to listen and treat parents concerns seriously . In addition to the education of health practitioners, efforts to increase immunisation uptake should include community education. Enhanced community immunisation education could be achieved, as suggested by Harrington et al, by the increased provision of information packages that are culturally appropriate in a variety of languages to expectant mothers.Furthermore television campaigns depicting children with various diseases could co unteract various immunisation myths by forcing parents to understand to painful reality of potential outbreaks as a result of vaccination opposition. In addition to the above, Turner et al (2003) notes that postnatal strategies aimed at increasing mother psychosocial health should better their immunisation patterns for their infants. As a public health measure, immunisation has had a significant role in decreasing the burden of disease. It is of public health concern to increase immunisation uptake rates, as this decreases the possibility of disease transmission, and hence complications arising from infectious disease outbreaks. It is therefore vital that equity is aspired to via efforts to increase vaccination rates among target subgroups that are affected by the sociological factors discussed above. Bibliography (1-11) 1.A Markuzzi US, R Weitkunat and G Meyer Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates in Munich school-beginners. Sozial-und Praventivmedizin. 1997;42(3):1. 2.A Rogers DP, I Guest, D Stone and P Menzel. The Pros and Cons of Immunisation. Health Care Analysis. 1995;3:100-4. 3.B Hull PMaGS. Factors associated with low uptake of measles and pertussis vaccines- an ecologic study based on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 2001;25(5):405-10. 4.C Mims HD, R Goering, I Roitt, D Wakelin and M Zuckerman. Medical Microbiology. Mosby, editor.: Mosby-Year Book Europe; 2004. 5.C Turner FBaPOR. Mothers health post-partum and their patterns of seeking vaccination for their infants. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 2003;9(2):120. 6.C Vandermeulen MR, H Theeten, P Van Damme and K Hoppenbrouwers. Vaccination coverage and sociodemographic determinants of measles-mumps-rubella vaccination in three different age groups. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2007:103-8. 7.Hall R. Myths and Realities: Responding to arguments against immunisation. In: Care CDHA, editor. third ed; 2001. p. 1-3. 8.Hull B. Childhood Immunisation Coverage. 2007 [updated 2007; cited]; Available from: http://www.ncirs.usyd.edu.au/research/r-acir-3rdquart.html. 9.J Forrest MBaPM. Factors influencing vaccination uptake. Current Australian research on the behavioural, social and demographic factors influencing immunisation; 1998; Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. 1998. p. 1-2. 10.Nicoll NBaA. Myths in Medicine: Immunisation. Journal [serial on the Internet]. Date. 11.P Harrington CWaFS. Low immunisation uptake: Is the process the problem? J Epidemial Community Health. 2000(54):394 400.

Tone and Imagery in The School Children Essay -- School Children Essay

Tone and Imagery in The School Children    Louise Gluck's   The School Children   may provide some shock for readers as it twists and turns through a school day marked by eerie abnormalities.   Gluck successfully uses visual imagery to convey a deeper meaning to a fourteen-line poem about children, teachers and parents.   These three groups come to life through the descriptive poem that allows readers to form their own conclusions.   Though Gluck’s meaning is never clearly stated, her use of tone and imagery create an extremely visual work with three dynamic sets of characters.    Gluck continuously presents the schoolchildren as simple, orderly creatures. She portrays them as heading to school with their book bags and later in the poem points out the orderly arrangement of their coats inside their classroom.   This orderliness helps readers perceive the children as wooden dolls or mindless beings that follow instruction.   Gluck writes,   How orderly they are- the nails on which the children hang their overcoats of blue or yellow woods (8-10).  Ã‚   These lines are divided in a manner that present an image of children hanging orderly on nails before the reader reaches the final line describing their clothing and show the powerful imagery created by Gluck.   It is important to note that the children are described as only having two different styles of coats- a yellow wool coat, perhaps for girls, and a blue wool coat, most likely for boys.   Gluck leaves readers imagining a flock of orderly children wearing similar clothing while sitting in their c lassroom.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Joining the schoolchildren inside the classroom are teachers, whom Gluck describes... ...f a June Cleaver figure who is sending a token of appreciation to her child s teacher.   Instead they are interpreted to be desperate creatures seeking for any sign of hope in an environment filled with gloom.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The descriptions of these three sets of characters through visual imagery provided an important element in Gluck s creation of   The School Children   which is part of her larger work, The House on Marshland that was drafted in 1971.   Throughvisual imagery she creates a combination of characters that help readers interpret the possible underlying meanings of the work.   Gluck successfully uses the schoolchildren, teachers and mothers as vehicles for the various interpretations of her work.   In the process, she creates dynamic characters that we are able to understand through symbolism and imagery.   

Multigrade Classes

Multi-grade teaching refers to the teaching of students of different ages, grades and abilities in the same group. It is referred to variously in the literature as ‘multilevel', ‘multiple class', ‘composite class', ‘vertical group ‘,’ family classes, and, in the case of one-teacher schools, ‘unitary schools'. It is to be distinguished from mono-grade teaching in which students within the same grade are assumed to be more similar in terms of age and ability. However, substantial variation in ability within a grade often leads to â€Å"mixed-ability† teaching. There can also be wide variations in age within the same grade, especially in developing countries, where the age of entry to school varies and where grade repetition is common. This condition of â€Å"multi-age-within-grade† teaching appears not to have generated such universal recognition, perhaps because it occurs more often in developing than in developed countries. The summary of experiences from Australia, Bangladesh, Peoples Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand confirmed that: †¢ primary curriculum documents and their associated lists of â€Å"minimum learning competencies† have not been specifically designed for use by teachers in multi-grade schools †¢ school plans, instructional materials and methodological guidelines are often difficult to apply to multi-grade teaching situations †¢ there is a shortage of support materials for teachers and individualised instructional materials for learners †¢ there is a need for more work on the kinds of continuous evaluation, diagnostic testing, remediation and feedback which would best assist multi-grade teaching and added that †¢ although many teachers work in multi-grade teaching situations few countries have developed special teacher training curricula for pre- or in-service training. Teaching practice during preservice is invariably carried out in mono-grade schools †¢ teachers posted to teach in multi-grade schools â€Å"develop a sort of psychological alienation from the school† †¢ the educational system as a whole pays inadequate attention to the proper functioning of multi-grade schools through, for example, not filling vacant teaching positions in rural areas, the absence of systems of teacher accountability, a lack of basic physical facilities in these schools, lack of training for supervisors of multi-grade schools and a general â€Å"inattentiveness of education officers to the needs of these schools† Factors Contributing to the establishment of Multigrade Teaching * * Cultural factors * Socio-economic factors. * Benefits of multigrade teaching * Richer learning environment * Greater community involvement. Development of health competition * Greater understanding between learners and educators Advantages and Challenges of Teaching Multi-level Classes When faced with the challenge of a multi-level classroom many teachers do not know where to start. They fear that the preparation will take much longer, and that the students will be more demanding. Schools that have multi-level classes often have limited budgets, and teachers may fear that they will not be paid for what they are worth. However, it is only by looking at the advantages of the multi-level classroom and employing strategies to overcome the challenges, that teachers can achieve success. Advantages of Multi-level classrooms * Students are able to learn at their own pace * Students learn to work well in a group * Students become independent learners * Students develop strong relationships with their peers * Students become partners in learning Challenges of Multi-level classrooms * Finding appropriate teaching resources and material * Organizing appropriate groupings within the class * Building an effective self-access centre in the classroom * Determining the individual needs of each student * Ensuring that all students are challenged and interested Teaching Method Strategies Experiment with different types of groupings to find the ones that work best. You may find that cross-ability pairs work best for certain types of activities, while like-ability small groups work better for others. If possible, use a wide variety of groupings to keep things interesting for your class. Use a simple schedule that is similar each day. Here is an example: 1. Start with a warm-up that involves the whole group. 2. Break part of the class off into one type of grouping (i. e. pairs) and work with part of the class on a lesson, grammar point, or activity. 3. Break off the class into another type of grouping (i. e. small groups) and have the other students use self-access materials. 4. Bring the class back together for a whole group activity/game. Isolate students within the class who are interested in peer tutoring. This doesn't have to be the student with the highest level of the subject. Your students who fall somewhere in the middle may in fact be the most valuable to you, as they strive to attain a level of competency comparable to the most advanced students. Remind your students that the best way to practice and improve a new language is to teach it to someone else. Consider enlisting a volunteer. Limited budgets or low enrolment are often the reasons behind multi-level classes. For this reason, it may be difficult to convince administrators or managers that you need a paid assistant. If you feel overwhelmed, consider hiring a volunteer. Finding someone who is interested in helping you with your preparation work and teaching may not be as difficult as you think. ARTICLES ABOUT MULTI-GRADE TEACHING/CLASSES Multigrade classes bring more children to school Friday 30th of March 2012 PASIG CITY, March 30 —Will a teacher not hold class if there are just a few enrollees? Should a student drop out if the school is far from home or there is not enough teachers and classroom? If you ask the Department of Education, the answer is no because it continues to find ways to bring children to school in order to complete their basic education. One of these is the holding of multigrade classes. A multigrade class is a class consisting of two or more different grade levels inside a single grade classroom handled by one teacher for an entire school year. It is offered in elementary schools located in distant and sparsely-populated localities, a statement from DepEd said. Figures from DepEd show that there are close to a million enrollees in multigrade classes across the country. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said most of the students attending multigrade classes are learners who belong to isolated and poor communities, indigenous peoples or those who reside in far-flung mountains and islands where schools are far apart from each other. â€Å"This is part of our thrust to democratize access to education and make the learning experience inclusive to as many sectors. In effect, we are bringing more students to school,† he added. If a class does not meet the required number of enrollees and therefore it is not viable to conduct a class of limited number of pupils, the supposed enrollees are merged into a single class and taught by one teacher,† Luistro explained. The small number of students for each grade level; the shortage of teachers; the distance from the community to the nearest school; and the inadequacy of funds and classrooms are reasons that necessitate the organization of multigrade classes. In the Philippine public school system, classes with two grade levels inside a single classroom and handled by the same teacher is called combination classes. Those with three grade levels in one classroom and handled by a single teacher is called a multigrade or multi-level class. This means that a multigrade classroom mixes children with different skills and abilities, different developmental levels and needs while working together under the guidance of one teacher. â€Å"The truth is long before multi-tasking became a buzzword, our teachers were actually already living up to the word,† Luistro said. While DepEd has always recognized the existence of multi-grade classes it was only in 1990 that the department started to consider the formal organization and continuing operation of multigrade classrooms all over the country in keeping with the goal of Education For All (EFA). Thus, DepEd continues to invest in teachers’ training, curriculum development and in the preparation of learning materials appropriate for multi-grade classes to improve elementary education especially in underserved and remote areas. (DepEd) More Than One Million Filipino Students Have Classmates At Different Grade Levels Academia March 30, 2012 The Philippine Department of Education says more than one million students are enrolled in multigrade classes, where three or more grade levels are taught by a single teacher. AsianScientist (Mar. 30, 2012) – Should a teacher cancel a class if there are only a few enrollees? And should a student drop out if the school is far from home or if there are insufficent teachers and classroom? The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) says no. Instead, it has found one way to solve this problem, by holding multigrade classes. In the Philippine public school system, classes with two grade levels inside a single classroom taught by the same teacher are called combination classes. Classes with three grade levels conducted in one classroom taught by a single teacher are called a multigrade or multilevel classes. Figures from DepEd show that there are close to a million enrollees in multigrade classes across the country. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said most of the students attending multigrade classes belong to isolated and financially challenged communities, are indigenous peoples, and reside in far-flung mountains and islands where schools are far apart from each other. The small number of students for each grade level, the shortage of teachers, the distance from the community to the nearest school, and the nadequacy of funds and classrooms are reasons that necessitate the organization of multigrade classes, he explained. This means that children with different skills and abilities, developmental leve ls, and needs are mixed in a class under the guidance of one teacher. â€Å"This is part of our thrust to democratize access to education and make the learning experience inclusive to as many sectors. In effect, we are bringing more students to school,† Luistro explained. â€Å"If a class does not meet the required number of enrollees and therefore it is not viable to conduct a class of limited number of pupils, the supposed enrollees are merged into a single class and taught by one teacher,† he added. Although the DepEd has always recognized the existence of multigrade classes, it was only in 1990 that the department started to formally acknowledge multigrade classrooms, in keeping with the goal of Education For All. Source: Philippine Department of Education. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff. A Review on Multigrade Education by admin on Jan. 09, 2012 Multigrade teaching occurs within a graded system of education when a single class contains two or more student grade levels. It is contrasted with the usual pattern of classroom organization in graded systems where a single classroom contains students of only one grade level. In many graded systems, age and grade are congruent, so a grade level is also equivalent to a particular age group of students. However, this may not be the case in systems where grade level satellite phones repetition and acceleration are common. There are three important reasons why multigrade teaching may occur in both developed and developing countries. First, multigrading is often associated with ’small’ schools in remote and sparsely populated areas. In such schools, there may be only one, two or three teachers, yet they offer a complete cycle of primary education. If that cycle consists of eight grade levels, then each of these teachers must deal with multigrade classes. These ’small’ schools are also sometimes referred to as ‘multigrade’ schools. Multigrade schools have attracted attention in the developing country context because of their potential to increase primary school participation rates. By bringing the school closer to the community, they encourage more children, especially girls, into school. Second, multigrade teaching is also common in larger urban and suburban schools. In some countries, it is a response to uneven student enrollment. For example, a school with a two and a half grade entry may have to combine two grade levels to make up class sizes. Also, in countries where teacher absenteeism is high, and there is no ‘cover’, grades may be combined to avoid having a class with no teacher present. A single teacher then has to deal with two grade level groups together. Third, multigrade teaching may be a deliberate response to educational problems. In developed countries, this is linked to the multiage perspective. Proponents of mixed age grouping argue that there are sound pedagogical reasons for placing students of different ages together in the same classroom. Mixed age classes, it is argued, stimulate children’s social development and encourage greater classroom cooperation. These arguments are seldom raised in the developing country literature, although several commentators take the view that multigrade organized classes are potentially a cost effective means of providing quality education in difficult to reach areas.

Iron Crowned Chapter 14

â€Å"This isn't what I had in mind when I said we should go out on a date.† It took me a few days to get in to see Enrique Valdez, and Kiyo had decided to accompany me. While waiting for my appointment, I'd checked in once with the Thorn Land, only to find the whole experience frustrating. Though no one openly said it – well, except for Jasmine – they all thought me breaking up with Dorian was the worst idea ever. I also learned from Shaya that arrangements for a war meeting were getting bogged down. Dorian insisted all three monarchs meet in person. Katrice wanted to send her nephew. There was also the matter of which kingdom would host because several others wanted to, most likely in the hopes of getting in good with one or all of us. I told Shaya I didn't care about the details and to simply do whatever it took to finish this war quickly. When Kiyo and I reached Enrique's address, we found it was in a small, sad-looking office building in one of the more rundown areas of downtown Tucson. I eyed it askance as we stood outside and waited for him to buzz us up. â€Å"I don't get why it took us three days to get in,† I said. â€Å"It doesn't really seem like he's got that much business.† The door buzzed, and Kiyo opened it. â€Å"Maybe it's a cover,† he said. We walked up to the second floor, where Enrique's office was located. â€Å"Maybe he wants to hide how successful he is.† â€Å"That's ridiculous – â€Å" I stopped when the office door opened before we knocked. Even with Enrique standing in the doorway, I could see beautiful, expensive furnishings. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† I muttered, entering at Enrique's gesture. He was shorter than me, with deeply tanned skin and black hair starting to gray. I put him somewhere in his mid to late forties. His attire didn't quite match the office's opulence. In fact, it looked like stereotypical P.I. clothing from some old detective noir film, complete with a fedora. â€Å"Markham's girl, huh?† he asked, voice laced with a faint Spanish accent. His eyes fell on Kiyo. â€Å"And a bodyguard?† â€Å"A friend,† I said sharply. â€Å"I don't need a bodyguard.† â€Å"Right.† Enrique didn't sound like he believed that. He pointed us to some plush leather chairs while he sat in an even bigger one across from us. A huge cherry desk was situated between us. It gleamed deep red in the late afternoon light and didn't look like the kind of thing you'd find at IKEA. I stared around at the rest of the office, still amazed at how it contrasted with the exterior. Books – ranging widely from Moby Dick to Arizona state law – lined shelves that matched the desk, and small pieces of art – paintings, statues, et cetera – adorned the room. â€Å"So,† began Enrique. â€Å"What's his name, and why do you think he's cheating on you?† â€Å"I – huh?† I jerked my head from a sculpture that looked like some Mayan god and stared at Enrique in astonishment. â€Å"What are you talking about? Is that what Roland told you?† â€Å"No, he didn't tell me anything. I just figured that's why you were here. That's usually what women come in for.† Kiyo made a small sound beside me that I think was a laugh. â€Å"That's ridiculous,† I exclaimed, unsure if I should be offended or not. â€Å"I need you to investigate a murder.† Enrique arched an eyebrow. â€Å"That's what the police are for.† â€Å"They already investigated it. And actually, they declared it a suicide.† â€Å"And you need me because †¦?† â€Å"Because I don't think it was,† I said. â€Å"I think it was a murder and that the victim's family might be in danger.† Enrique made no attempt to hide his skepticism. â€Å"Do you have any evidence to support this †¦ theory?† I took a deep breath, hoping Roland had been right about this guy. â€Å"The victim's, um, ghost said she didn't kill herself.† â€Å"Her ghost,† he repeated. As though on cue, Deanna materialized in the room, though Enrique couldn't see her. Kiyo and I could with our Otherworldly senses, but neither of us gave any indication of her arrival. I nodded. â€Å"Roland said you – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† said Enrique. â€Å"I know about that hocus pocus he deals with. I'm also guessing suicide might be so traumatic that afterward, maybe a ghost blocked out what she actually did.† â€Å"That's not true!† exclaimed Deanna. I supposed it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, but I'd explore all other options first. â€Å"I don't think that's the case. I think she really was murdered. If that's true, we need to make sure no one else in her family gets hurt.† â€Å"If she was murdered,† countered Enrique, â€Å"then statistics say someone in her family probably did it.† â€Å"That's not true either!† I ignored Deanna's second outburst and stayed fixed on Enrique. â€Å"Well, one way or another, I need to know.† He leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk and crossing his arms behind his head. If he'd called me ‘dame,' I wouldn't have been surprised. â€Å"The police take all this into consideration, you know. What makes you think I'd find something they haven't?† â€Å"I thought guys like you were smarter than the police,† said Kiyo. â€Å"Figured you had connections and channels above the law. That you didn't play by the same rules.† â€Å"That's true,† said Enrique, seeming pleased at the compliment. I swore, he was also taking Kiyo more seriously than me. â€Å"I can look into it, I suppose. But it's not like I'll do it for free, just because you're cute.† That was directed back at me. I repressed a scowl. â€Å"I didn't expect you to. I can pay.† He considered this and finally gave a nod, straightening back up in his chair. â€Å"Okay. Tell me what you know, and I'll get to it when I can.† â€Å"What!† cried Deanna. â€Å"This is kind of time sensitive,† I said. Mostly because I wasn't sure how much more of Deanna I could handle. Enrique gestured to a stack of folders on a table. â€Å"So are these. I'm drowning in paperwork. Can't keep half of these straight.† â€Å"We'll pay for you to expedite it,† said Kiyo. I shot him a look of astonishment, not thrilled that he'd speak for me – especially considering my income was lower than it used to be. Nonetheless, it got Enrique's attention. â€Å"Expediting it is, then.† I gave him all the details I'd recently learned from Deanna, and to his credit, Enrique diligently wrote them all down and asked pertinent questions that reaffirmed my faith in his legitimacy. The price he named didn't cheer me up as much, but there was nothing to be done for it. When Kiyo and I finally got up to leave, I couldn't resist asking the obvious. â€Å"You seem to be doing pretty well †¦ so why's your office in a dump like this?† Enrique didn't look offended so much as scornful that I'd ask such a ridiculous question. â€Å"Do you know how much office rent is lately? I'm saving tons of money.† â€Å"Maybe you should put that surplus toward a secretary instead of statues,† I pointed out, nodding toward the tower of folders. â€Å"I don't trust anyone,† he said bluntly. â€Å"Especially when ghost clients show up.† He opened the door. â€Å"I'll be in touch.† â€Å"Charming,† I said, once Kiyo and I were on the road again. â€Å"The only thing I'm convinced that guy can do is help in the regression of women's rights.† Kiyo tried to hide a smile and failed. â€Å"He was right about you being cute, though. And I don't know †¦ something tells me that despite the attitude, he's pretty competent. Crappy building aside, he couldn't afford that office if he wasn't achieving results. Besides, Roland wouldn't recommend anyone incompetent.† â€Å"Unless he was trying to sabotage me.† Kiyo's smile faded. â€Å"Do you really think he'd do that to you?† I stared out the passenger seat window. â€Å"No. He wouldn't.† â€Å"I'm sorry, you know. I really am. About Roland.† â€Å"I don't want to talk about it,† I said. My mood plummeted each time Roland's name came up. â€Å"Okay, then. You want to salvage this ‘date' and get some lunch?† I didn't have faith in the change of subject. I didn't think anything could really distract me, certainly not the crappy Mexican restaurant Kiyo took us to. â€Å"Are you serious?† I asked. Felipe's Fiestaland was the cheesiest restaurant in town, figuratively speaking. In a place like Tucson, where you could get amazingly authentic Southwestern cuisine, Felipe's was for tourists and suburbanites who didn't know any better. â€Å"Are you saying a margarita wouldn't do you good?† he asked, getting out of the car. â€Å"I would never say that. But there are better places with better margaritas.† â€Å"They still use tequila in theirs. Isn't that what really matters?† â€Å"Fair point.† We were greeted by a hostess who sounded like she'd taken one semester of Spanish in high school. Pi;atas hung from the ceiling, and bad mariachi music blasted from speakers. I scanned the drink menu as soon as we sat down and was ready when the waiter came by. â€Å"I'll have your Double Platinum Extra Premium Margarita,† I told him. â€Å"Grande or super grande?† asked the waiter. â€Å"Super.† Kiyo looked impressed. â€Å"I'll have the same.† When we were alone, he asked, â€Å"What is that exactly?† I propped an elbow on the table, resting my chin on my palm. â€Å"I'm not sure, but it sounded like it had the most alcohol in it. Places like this tend to drown their drinks in mixers.† â€Å"Spoken like a pro.† â€Å"Stating the obvious. You and I both know Roza's has the best margaritas.† Kiyo smiled at that, flashing me a warm and knowing look. I had a feeling he was thinking about a memory that had come to me too, back from when we'd dated. We'd gone out to Roza's – which really did have the best margaritas in town – and gotten so drunk that neither of us could drive home. So, we'd used the car for the only thing we could: sex. Twice. The drinks arrived and were about the size of fishbowls. They were also about half-mixer, as suspected, but at least that still left a reasonable quantity of alcohol. I drank mine down quickly as we waited for our food. Alcohol numbed my shamanic powers a little bit and sometimes let me forget my problems. Not so much today. â€Å"Do you think Enrique might be right?† I asked. â€Å"That Deanna did commit suicide and blocked it out?† The ghost had left us once we departed from the office. â€Å"I don't know. I don't know if she'd believe it, even if he turned up a film or something.† I grimaced and downed more of the drink. â€Å"I hope not. It's nothing I'd want to watch. I'm tired of bloodshed.† â€Å"I know,† he said gently. â€Å"And no matter what I said before †¦ and how upset I was when this war started †¦ well, I have to admit. You've handled it as best you could. Word gets around. I know you've made some tactical moves that minimized casualties – and not just for your own people.† â€Å"‘Tactical.' ‘Casualties.'† I shook my head, eyeing my low margarita. â€Å"Those are terms I never thought I'd use. And really, I don't have much to do with that planning. Rurik does.† â€Å"But you give the okay,† Kiyo pointed out. â€Å"Not many rulers would. Most would do whatever it took to crush their enemies quickly.† â€Å"I've certainly wanted to.† Dorian had as well, and the few disagreements we'd had during our wartime partnership had been over civilian collateral damage. â€Å"Can we talk about something not Otherworldly? And not about suicide?† â€Å"Sure.† Our waiter suddenly appeared with the plate of Mile High Muy Bueno Nachos we'd ordered. Kiyo flashed him a grin. â€Å"She'll have another margarita. Also, it's her birthday.† I shot Kiyo a look of horror as the waiter scurried off. â€Å"Are you out of your mind? You don't say something like that in a place like this!† But it was too late. Because in a matter of minutes, the entire waitstaff of Felipe's Fiestaland had surrounded our table. Someone put a sombrero on my head and a candlelit piece of flan in front of me. The whole group then launched into an out-of-tune rendition of â€Å"Cumpleaà ±os Feliz,† set to equally bad out-of-rhythm clapping. I stared at Kiyo the whole time and mouthed I will kill you. It only made his smile grow. â€Å"You don't look a day older,† he told me, once the mob had dispersed. â€Å"I can't believe you did that.† I jerked off the sombrero and dove into the new margarita. â€Å"Do you know how humiliating that is?† â€Å"Hey, it got your mind off everything else, didn't it? Plus, check it out. Free flan.† I blew out the candle and hesitantly poked the gelatinous mass below it. â€Å"It looks like it's been sitting around a while.† â€Å"Don't worry,† he said, dragging the plate over to his side of the table. â€Å"With all the preservatives in it, I'm sure it's fine.† â€Å"I'm going to get you back for this,† I warned, narrowing my eyes. The look he gave me was knowing. â€Å"I hope so,† he said. â€Å"I certainly hope so.† I can only blame the margaritas for what happened next, because as soon as we'd paid our bill and were back in the car, we attacked each other. â€Å"See?† he said, trying to pull my shirt over my head. â€Å"Who needs Roza's?† â€Å"It was dark out then,† I reminded him, my own hands fumbling for his pants. â€Å"We're in the back of the lot,† he argued. â€Å"And the sun's going down.† He had a point, and when he brought one of my nipples to his mouth, I kind of let the subject drop. We really were out of sight, and there were more important matters to take care of. We reclined and pushed the seat back as far as it would go, then finally managed to get each other's jeans off. I brought my hips down, taking him into me. â€Å"See?† I gasped. â€Å"You're sorry now.† â€Å"Very,† he managed to say. Our awkward positioning kept my breasts pretty close to his face, and he was taking advantage of it with his hands and mouth. As for me, I was just thrilled at the feel of being on top of him. After always playing submissive with Dorian, I suddenly exalted in this sense of power – especially since Kiyo had definitely been the one in control the last time we had sex. Now, it was all me, and I took a fair amount of satisfaction in taunting him, alternately increasing the speed of my movement and then slowing down when he got close to coming. â€Å"Eugenie,† he begged at last. â€Å"Enough. Please †¦ do it†¦.† I leaned toward him like I might kiss him – and then pulled back when his lips sought mine. With a grin, I straightened up as much as I could and rode him hard, finally letting him have the release he'd begged for. His body bucked up as he came, his hands holding tightly to my hips as though I might leave before he finished. After that, I guess we were kind of dating again. The next week or so passed in an easy pattern. I saw Kiyo almost every day, and we slipped back into our old routines. I started taking more jobs, much to Lara's relief, while Kiyo alternately worked at the vet clinic and checked in with the Otherworld. At night, he and I were always together, either at my place or his. My body began to remember what it was like being in a relationship, and slowly, my heart did as well. I only crossed into the Otherworld once during that time, both from Thorn Land withdrawal and curiosity over the war proceedings. No progress was being made with Katrice. I was grateful for the lack of fighting, but the hoped-for peace talks still seemed a ways off. It was frustrating. â€Å"She's being difficult,† said Shaya, when I asked about it. Understandably, she looked weary. â€Å"These are delicate matters. They take time.† I left it at that, feeling impatient, but figuring she knew better than me. Back in Tucson, I also got sporadic updates of another sort: Enrique's. To his credit, he called almost every day to report what he'd done or investigated. At first his attitude remained the same, full of that cockiness and irritability that said this was a waste of his time. Then, one day, things changed. â€Å"I think,† he said. â€Å"You might be right.† I'm not sure who was more surprised by this: him or me. I'd honestly started to believe he wouldn't turn up anything at all as evidence of either a suicide or a murder. I gripped the phone tightly. â€Å"What? That someone killed her?† â€Å"Yeah †¦ I found a couple things. Did you know her husband has a girlfriend?† â€Å"Deanna told me. She seemed okay with his moving on.† It had been a few months since her death, too soon to start dating in my book, but still a semi-respectable time frame. According to Deanna, he'd begun seeing someone a few weeks ago. â€Å"Yeah, well, he moved on before she was dead. The girlfriend? His alibi.† I frowned. â€Å"Seriously?† Deanna's husband had been removed from suspicion because he'd had a solid witness to his whereabouts when she'd been killed. He'd been at a real estate agent's office; the agent was helping him with a vacation home for their family. â€Å"Maybe their relationship started after Deanna died †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not if a witness I found is reliable. I also might have a lead that proves Deanna wasn't the one who bought the gun.† â€Å"If that's true †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish right away. Deanna acquiring the gun that had killed her had been one of the most damning pieces of evidence for suicide. â€Å"If you can prove that, then it could reopen everything.† â€Å"Yes,† said Enrique matter-of-factly. â€Å"Yes, it could. I'll be in touch.† We disconnected, and I suddenly wished he hadn't been quite so good at his job. If he was right about all this and turned up the evidence he needed †¦ well, someone was going to have to break the news to Deanna that her husband had murdered her. And that someone would be me. She currently believed some crazed killer had done it, one that was after her family now. The thought of it all sickened me. As I sat there in my room, an Otherworldly presence made my skin tingle. For half a second, I thought Deanna was appearing unsummoned – something I wasn't ready to deal with. I'd essentially given her a â€Å"don't call me, I'll call you† directive. But, no. It wasn't her. It was Volusian, his red eyes as malevolent as always. Lately, his appearance meant news from the Otherworld. I hoped it would be good. â€Å"What's up?† I demanded. â€Å"Shaya requests your presence immediately.† Something good at last. â€Å"The peace talks?† â€Å"No. She needs you because the Oak King is at your castle, demanding to see you.†