Radon Essays (585 words) - Soil Contamination, Building Biology

Radon Radon is earth's only naturally produced radioactive gas. It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon has no odor, no taste, and can not be seen. When it comes indoors it can become a health hazard. Radon can enter your house through cracks and openings in the foundation, floor, and walls. Radon decays and is inhaled into the lungs. The energy released can damage the DNA in lungs and can cause cancer. I think that a law making it illegal to sell a home containing radon in the basement would be a good idea. Radon is estimated to cause thousands of cancer deaths each year in the US. On a graph I saw on the Internet there was the amounts of deaths in drunk driving, radon, drowning, fires, and air planes crashes. Radon had the second highest amount of deaths a year, right after drunk driving. The Surgeon General has a warning that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US today. The only way you can detect that you have radon coming into your house is by testing it. EPA and Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. If radon is found in your home it can be fixed. Nearly one out of every fifteen homes in the US is estimated to have high radon levels. High radon levels have been found in every state. The levels of radon can vary widely from homes in the same neighborhood. The average person in the US gets more radiation dose from the exposure to indoor radon than from any other source of natural or man made radiation, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Radon is classified as a Class A human cancinogen. Many underground miners have cancer or end up with cancer. This is from the close exposure to radon. The EPA action level of radon is 4pCi/L. that are belived to be the same exposure to radon as miners. The National Cancer Institute believes that 10% of lung cancer deaths in the US could be due to indoor radon exposure. Information on radon causing cancer comes from molecular, cellular, animal, and human studies. Women (from studies) have shown to have a slightly lower risk than men. This may be because both sexes have diferent lung dosimentry. Children have shown to have a higher risk because their lungs are still growning and are not as strong in resisting smoke and radon. Because of this dangerous radon children are becoming more prone to cancer, and they can't even prevent it at such a young age. I believe that this law is a very good idea. Radon has made (our homes) something that is supposed to be the safest place, a place that we could be exposing ourselfs to radiation. If the law is passed, I assume insurance would pay for the inspection. If the law is not passed, then I think everyone should consider installing a radon resistant feature. These cost about $800-$2,500, which I think is a reasonable price for your life or the life of loved ones. Even if (when the law is passed) the inspectors only detect radon in one house in the city, that is one life, or one family you might have saved. I think that passing a law making it illegal to sell a home with radon in it is a good idea, and should be practiced throughout the state. Science

Types of Tests

Types of Tests Tests are a necessary aspect of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). For an educator it is crucial to monitor the progress of the learners and be aware of difficulties they may experience.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Tests specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Testing is a suitable way for the teacher to observe the learner’s success and failure and make conclusions considering the methods and approaches implemented for each specific learner or class (Hancock, 2006). There are a number of various tests designed to determine the learners’ progress in each aspect of English such as proficiency, vocabulary, skills and knowledge, theoretical and practical application of language. This paper focuses on ten different types of tests and their use for TESOL. Proficiency tests are normally composed of several levels. This is done in order to determine the learner’s proficiency in various spheres such as grammar, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Tests of thins kind are based on multiple choice scheme so the learner needs to select one of the offered answers. The questions of such test are selected in order to target different aspects of the English grammar and also the learners’ ability to read and understand written text. Proficiency tests are good for TESOL educators because they serve as a perfect tool for monitoring general progress, the efficiency of various teaching methods and the level of knowledge and skills of learners at various stages. Diagnostic tests are rather specific; they are also recognised as progress tests. They are called this way because they are designed to diagnose certain aspects of language and the level of the learners’ progress (Gonzalez, 1996).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The tests of this type are often conducted in the end of a unit and are directed at the determination of the knowledge the students acquired and the skills they obtained. These tests are normally based on short-term objectives. Since teaching English to the speakers of other languages is always broken down into units, diagnostic tests serve as useful means to estimate the quality of learning and to determine if the students can move on to the next stage based on their progress level. Placement tests represent a particular kind of diagnostic tests (Brown, 2003). They are designed to cover the materials within a certain curriculum. They are conducted with the purpose to determine where the students are to be placed in relation to the information studied by specific learners. In TESOL this kind of tests is useful because they help to save time and effort to both educators and students and place the learners exactly where they need to pick up from instead of making them go through certain materials for the secon d time. Achievement tests can be viewed as a kind of progress or diagnostic tests because the main objective of these tests is to evaluate the knowledge of a learner within a particular curriculum, program or unit. The length of the period of time covering certain material or program evaluated by the test is indefinite, and this is why the tests are called â€Å"achievement† instead of â€Å"progress†. Achievement tests are oriented at the evaluation of specific kinds of knowledge, which is useful in TESOL because this allows estimating the quality of the program, and its suitability for the learners.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Tests specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Language aptitude tests are important in TESOL, they are conducted even before the learning starts in order to determine each specific learner’s ability to learn and comprehend foreign languages which varies from one in dividual to another. The tests of this kind are not very popular in the present days because of ethical reasons (Gonzalez, 1996). These tests tend to create bias for the teachers and students and they are viewed as invalid since they are conducted prior to actual language teaching and learning experience. Testing is recognised as norm-referenced when a mark is given to a learner (Brown, 2003). This way, the individual performance of each student is related to that of the remaining members of the class. This way of testing is applied because the progress and skill of each learner need to be placed on a certain position within the class. In TESOL giving marks is vital for the awareness of progress and failure for both teachers and students. In criterion-referenced testing the progress of an individual learner is not compared to that of other students, but is matched against a set of criteria which are designed to determine the level of knowledge. In TESOL the criteria are designed to create a frame of what the learner should be able to do at a certain stage of their learning process. The special feature of these tests is that they do not facilitate competition between the learners and focus of the positive effect of learning. In TESOL English language is broken down into four skills which are reading, writing, speaking and listening and seven linguistic components spelling, grammar, syntax, morphology, phonology, graphology and vocabulary.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discrete-item tests are designed to evaluate these parts separately which provides the learners with more specific understanding of the difficulties a learner may experience. Global/integrative tests, on the contrary, are designed to view language as a whole. They do not separate the components from the context. This way, the learner’s ability to apply and combine many elements at the same time is evaluated. This approach towards testing considers the separate evaluation of the components as inadequate. Communicative language testing is designed in order to evaluate the learner’s ability to communicate certain information to other people and also to be able to comprehend the information received from other speakers (Gonzalez, 1996). Communicative testing normally concerns both written and spoken language skills and knowledge. The results of communicative languages tests are evaluated based on the quality but not the quantity of communication. The purpose of this kind o f testing is to determine the learner’s ability to apply the theoretical knowledge from their lessons in practice which requires levels of creativity. Such testing is focused on the content, integration and interactivity. In TESOL such tests are vital because they evaluate the levels of learners’ preparation for the independent application of their knowledge. In any kind of teaching testing is recognised to be one of the most controversial aspects. At the same time, it is one of the most important areas of teaching. It is impossible to determine an English language testing method which could be called the best. Testing methods are selected based on the individual choice of each educator based on the goals they pursue. There are five principles of language assessment; they are reliability, validity, authenticity, practicality and washback. The efficient test method is the one that aims for the highest levels of these features. Reference List Brown, H. D. (2003). Languag e assessment: Principles and classroom practices.  Harlow, United Kingdom: Longman. Gonzalez, A. B. (1996). Testing English as a foreign language: An overview an some  methodological considerations. RESLA, 11, 17-49. Hancock, C. R. (2006). Language Teaching and Language Testing: a way and ways  to make appropriate connections. Accion Pedagogica, 15, 6-13.

Interviewing a Member of a Hospital-Based Ethics Committee Essay

Interviewing a Member of a Hospital-Based Ethics Committee - Essay Example The questions asked in the interview require the following information; name and credentials of the interviewee, purpose and mission of the committee, general composition of the committee. Moreover, the interview found out the number of times meeting were adjourned, the typical meeting agenda, number of committee members and their roles, and lastly how emergent issues were handled. Introduction Hospital-Base Ethics Committee is a system in medical centers that controls the behaviors and characters of health workers in providing services to patients by applying moral principles. The ethics committees vary in diverse forms such as research-based committees that determine whether intended researches are ethically sound and safe. Case-oriented committees’ role involves giving advice on issues disturbing tranquility in medical centers (Derr, 2009). I conducted an interview to a member of the Ethical Committee in Yale-New Hospital on issues concerning the committee. Interview I conducted an interrogation with one of the members of Hospital-Base Ethics Committee, Dr. Kelvin Smith, a senior and esteemed doctor in Yale-New Haven Hospital situated in US. He is also the chairman of the Hospital-Base Ethics Committee, and has apt information for my answers. Dr. Smith is an enthusiastic and friendly individual who welcomed me comfortably and in a relaxed manner. The interview was conducted in his office at around ten o’clock in the morning. I had previously asked him to put forward 1 hour of his busy schedule for my interview, which he fortunately accepted. The following were the questions I asked and answers he replied; 1. What is your name and credentials? My name is Dr. Kelvin Smith, and I have admirable credentials because of my hard work I put in everything I carry out. I have a PhD in Medical Science from Harvard Medical University and two masters in Public Health and Business Administration. Moreover, I have a degree in Information Technology (IT) that I learnt earlier in my youthful years. One of the achievements I have made is being the best and influential doctor in Yale-New Haven Hospital. I also came second as the most successful doctor in the whole country in medical career. The above mentioned accomplishments are the esteemed achievements I have made, though there are other minor attainments since I started my career. 2. What is the purpose and mission of the committee? The purpose of the Hospital-Based Ethics Committee is to vet all the researches conducted in the hospital by ensuring that they are secure for the health workers and patients. The Ethical Committee also ensures that hospital programs and services are run ethically. This ensures that an intimate relationship exists between patients and health workers (Derr, 2009). The mission of the Ethical Committee states that â€Å"The Hospital-Based Ethics Committee aims at protecting the rights of the health workers and patients by implementing relevant ethical pri nciples.’ 3. How often does the committee meet? The Hospital-Based Ethics Committee holds meeting 2 times in a month. The first meeting is held in the first week while the second meeting is held at the last week of the month. The Hospital-Based Committee members’ ensure that all the issues affecting the hospital progression are discussed and handled amicably. 4. What is the typical meeting agenda? The typical meeting agenda of the meeting involves reshaping ethics structures in the hospital. The agenda always aims at improving and implementing the ethical principles in running the Yale-New Haven Hospital programs. The basis of the agenda is to ensure that health officers, workers, and patients understand the significance of

Bicycle gives environment low impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bicycle gives environment low impact - Essay Example The government of Queensland however also explains that using a bicycle over a distance of 10 kilometers saves the environment from emission of 1500 kilograms of greenhouse gas (1). Unlike cars that are widely used for transport in urban areas, bicycle use also reduces environmental pollution by exhaust gases carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur oxides. In addition, bicycle usage generates less noise compared to noise from engines of other locomotive machines such as cars and motor bicycles (Deakin University of Australia 2). Disposal of waste material is another burden to the environment and bicycles reduce this. This is because of relatively less materials that are used to assemble bicycles, compared to materials used for other vessels such as vehicles and airplanes. Density of materials used in bicycles is also lower and this facilitate disposal of bicycle parts once they are worn out (Queensland Government 1). Deakin University of Australia. â€Å"Environmental benefits of cycling.† Deakin University of Australia. N.d. Wweb. October 23, 2014. < https://www.deakin.edu.au/travelsmart/docs/theenvironmentabenefitsofcycling_fact%20sheet.pdf

The use of covert human information sources within an investigation Essay

The use of covert human information sources within an investigation - Essay Example CHISs use different methods of surveillance to obtain intelligence or information from the targets such as interception of their communication, communications data, or â€Å"directed and intrusive surveillance† (Freedom from Suspicion: Surveillance Reform for a Digital Age, 2011, p.18). While directed surveillance does not involve any intrusion on one’s private property, the latter involves the same and security forces may use methods such as tapping of telephone, or fitting of electronic devices etc for surveillance of the premises. Law enforcement agencies also use technology for collecting intelligence from their sources or targets. However, when a suspect is not actually involved in any complicity, the security forces come under criticism for violation of privacy. Human beings must have the right to privacy and it is in the â€Å"collective interest† of all citizens to maintain a â€Å"society in which personal privacy is protected† (p.20). Therefore, the governments of nations have a responsibility to ensure that only in cases where the national security has a chance of being breached, they should endorse the use of CHIS. In the modern world, criminal activities, especially terrorism, have risen to such a high magnitude that countries are forced to implement stringent preventive policies for maintaining law and order. Under the scenario, the deployment of CHIS to obtain relevant intelligence has assumed considerable priority. This is especially relevant in the case of countries like the US, UK, India etc, which are prime targets for terrorist groups as can be evidenced from the WTC, London Bombings and Mumbai terror strikes.... In the modern world, criminal activities, especially terrorism, have risen to such a high magnitude that countries are forced to implement stringent preventive policies for maintaining law and order. Under the scenario, the deployment of CHIS to obtain relevant intelligence has assumed considerable priority. This is especially relevant in the case of countries like the US, UK, India etc, which are prime targets for terrorist groups as can be evidenced from the WTC, London Bombings, and Mumbai terror strikes. On the other hand, as stated earlier, countries also have a responsibility to ensure that the right to privacy of their citizens remains protected and no unwarranted intrusions occur on their private property or persons. Therefore, national governments in these countries need to exercise utmost discretion while deploying CHIS for obtaining intelligence. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates, a country in the Middle East, constitutionally protects prohibits any â€Å"arbitr ary interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence† of their citizens.

Evaluation of Play as an Educational Tool for Children

Evaluation of Play as an Educational Tool for Children ‘Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see’ (Postman, 1994, p xi). The importance of learning, the content and delivery, for children in Year 1 (5 to 6 years of age) is under debate. Arguments are rife through education that formal teaching as prescribed through the Literacy Hour, is developmentally inappropriate for many 6 year olds, and thus recommending that the principles of the Foundation Stage can be extended to cover all children aged between 3 to 7 years of age. From the Government’s point of view David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, was reported in the Sunday Telegraph,31 August 2003 in saying that too many children are not ready for school due to their disrupted and dishevelled upbringing. As a result, the verbal and behavioural skills of the nations five-year-olds were at an all-time low, causing severe difficulties for schools. Review of literature Much has been stated in this country over the problems that children of 5 to 6 years of age face with their education. The Government’s Chief Inspector of Schools has been vocal on the subject: In 2003 children are starting school less well prepared than ever because parents are failing to raise their youngsters properly. One of the key causes waste failure of parents to impose proper discipline at home, which led to poor behaviour in class. Another serious concern was the tendency to sit children in front of the television, rather than talking and playing with them. This meant that many were unable to speak properly when they started school, stating that parents were still not doing enough to support teachers. There is evidence that childrens verbal skills are lacking. We should encourage parents to talk to their children and give them a whole range of stimulating things to do and not just assume that the television, or whatever, will do all that for them. He added that the deficiencies of pupils starting school could have lasting effects, particularly where parents continued to fail to offer support to teachers. (Sunday Telegraph, 31 August 2003). At the time a two-part response to this came from a) Mos. Kaman Gandhi(2003) CEO of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists said behaviour is very obviously linked to language and it is very hard to separate one from the other. It is clear some parents have problems with their pre-school children. They have the will but sometimes lack the resources and know-how to cope when faced with a child with language difficulties, Speech and language therapists are involved and engaged with some key initiatives, including Sure Start programmes, which bring together early education, childcare, health and family support to give a sure start to young children living in disadvantaged areas. Along with b) Talk to Your Baby co-coordinator Liz Attenborough(2003) said: All parents wish to do their best for their children, but often lack the confidence or knowledge to implement powerful parenting practices, such as attentive listening, singing songs, playing rhyming games and sharing books. Parents need to be empowered to recognise their valuable contribution to their childs ability to make sense of the world, through encouraging communication at every opportunity Yet prior to this, in January of 2003 reported in the Financial Times, it was stated that every primary school in the country should hold classes for parents to teach them how to play with their children in an attempt to stop language skills disappearing from some homes, Alan Wells (2003) the head of the Basic Skills Agency told the North of England Conference. Head teachers were reporting a steady rise in what has been called the daily grunt monosyllabic conversational skills and a basic lack of language ability that was not connected to the problems of learning another language. This is about children sat in front of TVs or their computers, and its about a lack of families having food together and a general lack of conversation, He also stated that programmes on a national scale were needed to teach some parents how to play with their children, read to them regularly and demonstrate conversational skills within the family. So children’s development is questionable, it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph in June of 2003 that education researchers, who blame increased television viewing and the decline of family conversation forth trend, say that teaching such children the 3Rs is a waste of time because they have not yet grasped the basics of language, and that unbelievable as it seems, some children starting nursery do not seem to have ever had a one-to-one conversation with anyone. Parents rely on television as a distraction for the child, so they can cope with other matters in their busy lives, but where does the problem start, and how do other countries tackle the issue. The cycle of learning, that of perceiving, knowing and remembering, begins in the very first few days of life with the child responding and learning from reflex action. These actions are the beginnings Ofcom-ordination, which become patterns of behaviour. This learning process of a young child becomes very much that of active rather than passive. The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) termed these as schemas, and by way of complex research of into the child’s intellectual development, began to explain the evolution of thinking for a child. As the child progresses and grows, their senses of hearing, seeing and touch are used to great effect to understand all-around them and learn. Through observing the forms of logic and reasoning of children, especially their spontaneous comments, Piaget developed his cognitive theory of qualitative changes, in that children think and reason differently at different periods in their lives whilst going through stages of intellectual dev elopment. From this research concept was introduced four fundamental neurological stages of child-development: sensory-motor, pre-conception, intuitive, concrete operational, and formal operation (Child, 1997, pp. 193-201). For this paper concentration will only be on all stages leading up to concrete operational. The first stage of development is sensory-motor: for a mental age approximately 0 to 2 years. Developmentally, the first two years of child’s life is very important. Mental structures of the child are mainly concerned with the mastery of concrete object’s, very early actions, taking place from day 1 to 4 months) involve sucking and general body movements. These are primary actions, mainly the grasping of everything towards it that it comes in contact with. As the senses and actions improve, from cycles repeating and the perfecting of co-ordination, Piaget refers to these cycles of action as significant primary circular reaction. Here new actives appear, with less demand on reflexes. At 4 to 8 months an increase in visual-motorcar-ordination allows interests to take place outside of the child’s body, these secondary circular reactions are basically sensory reflex grasping by limbs of all that comes in range. Next, at 8 to 12 months, these secondary circular reactions are more refined and incorporated into new situations that lead to that of purposeful behaviour. At 12 to18 month’s the child will experiment at extending these secondary circular reactions into tertiary circular reactions, by inventing and developing new ways of completing the required end-result. At plus 18month’s, towards the end of this initial stage the child begins to represent the world in mental images and symbols, and the inception of language allows the depiction of objects in their absence. It was found that with the child’s imagination, the act of play becomes very important, it allows assimilation and enables the complete union of sensory experience and motor activity development. Imitation is shown as an example of accommodation, where the child is attempting to modify behaviour to become someone or something else. The term deferred imitation is where the ability to cope with someone else in their absence, and represents a great advance as it shows that the child’s development is such that it is now able to form images of events that can be recalled for future reference (Child, 1997, p 194). The second stage of development is pre-conception: for a mental age approximately 2 to 4 years. Here the direct link between sensory experiences and motor activity are developed into the intermediate process of mental activity, and the acknowledging of symbols starts to take place, which act on the experience and knowledge gained in the first stage, due to internalizing imitations and actions. The child’s use of transductive reasoning is evident, where the coincidence of two events, possibly non-related, creates a pre-concept. This period in a child’s development is very dominated by symbolic play, where doll’s become babies etc. and direct imitation of what other people are doing. All this takes place with an egocentric nature, as the child is unable to view things from another person’s point of view. The egocentric nature also stops the child from understanding what is seen by way of visual perception, another person’s angle of views the same as theirs or vice versa. Part B of the second stage is Intuitive: for a mental age of approximately 4 to 7 years. Where the mastery of symbols takes place, by the process of mental activity, acting on all experience and knowledge gained in the previous stage. Being very dependent on superficial perceptions of their environment, the development of ideas and understanding of situations are formed by impressions, which are on-reversible. Meaning the child can only comprehend one relationship at a time, this occurrence Piaget terms cantering, the concentrating on one aspect of a problem and disregarding the rest. This results in a lack of conservation of quantity, which relate to problems that involve reorganizing a flexible mass such as water in containers. Because the child is dependent on superficial perceptions it cannot work the problem backwards, Child (1997, p.197) outlines the problem of the child realizing of the mass to its original shape by the compensating for changes in the original dimensions. This mental action of reversibility is a central skill that frees the child from intuitive impressions, and enables an appreciation of the change in physical dimensions without change in the total quantity. Part three of the development stage is concrete operational: for a mental age approximately 7 to 11 years. Where the mastery of classes, relations, numbers, and how to reason takes place. The child describes the environment at the highest levels of abstract reasoning, with consistent classifications leading to the accurate sorting of similar properties, resulting in providing valid concepts. This sorting is referred to as serration and leads to concrete operational thinking, inessential skill of development. Finally stage four in the development process is formal operation or abstract thinking – mental age approximately 11 years and up. Where the mastery of thought takes place, the highest level of thinking, where the person can reason hypothetically and in the absence of material evidence. Piaget put each of these four fundamental stages as part of an invariant sequence, a sequence that could not be broken but could be longer or shorter, and each stage contained major cognitive tasks that had to be completed for successful intellectual development before moving onto the next. These fundamental stages have been the foundation for teaching and learning, which some educationalists argue to reject. Margaret Donaldson (1978) argues that the task Piaget used to observe children was at the time not explained in sufficient detail for them to understand. Therefore on the subject of cantering (Piaget, stage 2B),the findings are invalid, and Donaldson explains that research into this task and another of similar design, have been carried out by several including Martin Hughes (pp. 20-31). The results were dramatic. With thirty children aged between 3 and 5 years, 90% of their responses were correct, and the youngest ten children with an average age of 3years 9 months, achieved a success rate of 88%. Overall the general conclusion seems unavoidable: pre-school children are not nearly so limited in their ability to ‘decentre’ or appreciate someone else’s point of view, as Piaget has maintained for many years (p 30). So what are the reasons that hold a 5-6 year old child back, and how can they be addressed. Other elements to learning exist: that of different social and ethnic backgrounds, that children learn effectively by playing in a calm environment, that the performance and cycle of learning is enhanced when parent/teacher is eager to be positive and praise, and when parent/teacher is quick to be negative, the child is reluctant to learn. With these extra elements, the stages described are not so firmly coupled with age, but as stated, with mental age. This mixture is termed constructivism, the blending of cognitive psychology and social psychology that dictate adaptive behavior, not just cognitive alone. So learning is a constructivist activity. Cognitive development is a process in which language is a crucial tool for determining how the child will learn how to think because advanced modes of thought are transmitted to the child by means of words. The Russian theorist, Vygotsky (1962) reached a conclusion that thought and speech originate from different processes and then evolve in parallel but independently of each other. Children learn the names of objects only when told so. At some point the attitude changes, the child becomes curious about names of things. At this point the child’s vocabulary increases dramatically, with much less coaching from adults, this point in the development of the child is where thought and speech merge. During the course of development everything occurs more than once, in the learning of language our first utterances with peers or adults are for the purpose of communication, but once mastered they become internalized and allow inner conversation, and thought undergoes many changes as it turns into speech. Vygotsky, believes that the meanings of words evolve during childhood, and their meanings are dynamic, not static entities. Tough (1976) found that language and literacy is directed in the young child by factors such as the size of family, parents and their educational background, class, language, their situation and location. Therefore the foundation of learning is on social constructivism that involves language home background; and the importance of play by way of meaningful stimulation that promotes intellectual development. Another argument on Piaget’s theories regarding the pre-conception stage, 2A, was by Povey and Hill (1975) showing that the social activity of language may have been undervalued, not only as a source of variation between children’s concept development but also as the vehicle by which children convey their ability to form concepts (Child,1997, p.195). Povey and Hill also found that children up to the age of four gain specific and generic concepts from pictorial information(pictures, drawings). Moss Penn (1996) produced a broad evaluation of nursery education in the UK and out of this concentrated their results on how the early learning services had been badly neglected. With continual under-funding an issue and increased fragmentation; staff poorly paid and trained; low aspirations and lower expectations, their provocative analysis of this evaluation also showed that young children are seen as important for what they may become, rather than for what they are. In England children are legally required to start the National Curriculum (Key Stage 1) the term after their 5th birthday (31 August,31 December or 31 March). Yet children often start earlier than this. Children are taken into nurseries from 5 months through to 5 years. Across the world it is about the same, the age of 5 in Canada, and 5 in the USA. In the state of Indiana, USA, a child has to be 5 by August1st, last year it was 5 by July 1st, and prior to that it was June 1st. In the USA since 2004 plans were being made for a start age of 3 by researchers at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute in the USA were formulating plans to develop a rich learning environment for pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) that took into account the child’s social, emotional and physical development. Now in 2006 the plans are a reality with First School, a new vision for early schooling of children ages 3 to 8. Developed through a partnership among families, the community, the FPG Child Development Institute and The University of North Carolina, which together are passionate about the future of schools and schooling for young children. The FPG aim is to use this model to inform other educational institutions to guide them to a successful early learning experience for children and families. The early start age reflects the lives of working mothers in today’s society, trying to balance work and family life, whilst trying to improve life chances for their children. First school offers a safe, constructive and significant haven for children, bringing a quality into pre-school environments. The problem of childcare for parents on low income or in a workless situation, is not exclusive to one country, it is a global problem, and is a major consideration towards education. In the UK this problem is being addressed by the Government taking on ate-year strategy for childcare, published in 2004, which is now subject to Parliamentary Approval in 2006 (Education Skills,2006). It is the Government’s response to a fundamental challenge facing Britain in the need to ensure available, affordable, and high-quality childcare in the 21st Century. The problems that face the teaching of Language and Literacy are highlighted here in examples from the UK and in the USA, yet it is recognised as a global problem. Many studies have been carried out over years, highlighting the contribution of high quality early education, which tends to be more targeted at disadvantage children. This underlines the concern of literacy problems in later years, which is being addressed now for the education standards of tomorrow. In the US long term studies in early childcare NICHD (1991) highlighted the fact of high-quality childcare was found to give a better cognitive and language ability than children in low-quality care. It also found that children who spent more time in childcare were seen to display behavioural problems, such as aggressive tendencies at 4.5 years onwards, than children in less care. The largest and most lasting academic gains were seen in disadvantaged children. For the UK the Department for Educational Studies (Dress) funded the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education a longitudinal study in1996, it was an evaluation for children of 3 to 7 years of age inure-school through into primary from different social backgrounds. The summary in Findings from the Early Primary Years (EPPE Summary 2004)where collected data was about the children, parents, home environment and the pre-school they attended, and proved that cognitive and social effects were positive going into primary. The findings of the study showed that parent’s education and social class remained as predictors of intellectual and social development, and that very long periods of pre-school were connected withanti-social behavioural problems. This fact was attributed to the presence of non-parental childcare before three years of age. The education level of the child’s mother was also seen to be a major factor in the child’s performance. Major findings from the pre-school period included that of disadvantaged children benefit significantly from good pre-school experience, especially when they are with a mixture of children from different backgrounds. It was also found overall, that disadvantaged children tend to attend pre-school for shorter periods of time than those from more advantaged groups (EPPE Summary 2004). Several recommendations were made, that included: to encourage more episodes of ‘sustained shared thinking’ with the children; work towards an equal balance of child and adult initiated activity; and ensure that staff have both the knowledge and understanding of curriculum and child-development. The UK Government in the UK introduced an extended National Curriculum (Education Act 2002) and the Foundation Stage that was for the 3 to 5year olds, giving this period in the child’s education a distinct identity and attention. The six areas of learning became statutory, and the Act also specified that there should be early learning goals for each of the areas: Personal, social and emotional development; Communication, language and literacy; Mathematical development; Knowledge and understanding of the world; Physical development; and Creative development. A national consultation on the content of the early learning goals as set out in Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage was carried out in autumn 2002. Following this consultation the early learning goals, and use of the Curriculum guidance as a guide, became statutory in March 2002. This new move was aiming to secure learners participation and ensure appropriate opportunities for them to achieve, and offered flexibility within for schools to develop their own curriculum. It offered a less prescriptive approach, in which flexible allocating of time for required subjects allowed them not to taught each week, term or year, therefore allowing choice of method and the advancement of teaching and learning. The Act also established a single national assessment system for the foundation stage, replacing baseline assessment schemes. The Foundation stage profile was introduced into schools and settings in 2002-3. This profile has 13 summary scales covering the six areas of learning, which need to be completed for each child receiving government-funded education by the end of his or her time in the foundation stage. The Foundation Stage developed the key learning skills: listening, speaking, concentration, persistence, learning to work together and-operating with others, along with the developing of communication, literacy numeric skills in the preparation for entry into of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. Progress for the child through the Foundation Stage is categorised as Stepping Stones, where developing knowledge can be identified through the 13 stages of the Foundation Stage Profile, the assessment of which is completed in the final year prior to entry into Primary School. Emphasis is placed on successful personal, social and emotional development for all, especially those children with behavioural or communication difficulties. Throughout, the curriculum requires a safe and secure, rich environment for the child that is vibrant, purposeful, challenging and supportive, where trust for the practitioner is forthcoming, and progress is positive and rewarding. A prolific body of research in the USA has centred on early childhood programmes, in the state of Carolina, USA, in 2004 plans were being made for a start age of 3. Researchers at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG)Child Development Institute were formulating plans to develop a rich learning environment for pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) that took into account the child’s social, emotional and physical development. Now in2006 the plans are a reality with First School, a new vision for early schooling of children ages 3 to 8. Developed through a partnership among families, the community, the FPG Child Development Institute and The University of North Carolina, which together are passionate about the future of schools and schooling for young children. The FPG aim is to use this model to inform other educational institutions to guide them to a successful early learning experience for children and families. The early start age reflects the lives of working mothers in today’s society, yet it also offers a safe, constructive and significant haven for the child, bringing a quality into pre-school environments. From an article in Nursery World (Feb, 2004), it stated that the number of children who have speech and language difficulties in day nurseries across the UK is rising fast, according to a survey of nursery staff, and that the results of the survey by I CAN, the charity the helps children who have speech and language difficulties, found that 89 present of nursery staff were worried that speech, language and communication difficulties among pre-school-age children were growing. Nursery staff reported more children having problems concentrating, speaking clearly and following instructions. Children often responded with monosyllabic answers or gestures rather than appropriate language. Almost all (96 per cent) of the respondents said they has at least one child with communications difficulties in their nursery, while 10 present said they had at least 10 children with such problems. Respondents of the survey blamed several factors, including a lack of time spent by children and adults talking together, the use of television to pacify child and the trend for parents to talk on behalf of their child instead of letting the child have a say. It shows that the problem is crucial that children with speech and language difficulties have the same opportunities in life as other children. A study of the transition from infant to Primary in England: from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 was carried out in 2005 (Sanders et al,2005), where it was discovered the biggest challenge to children being the move from play-based approach in the Foundation Stage to a more structured curriculum in Key Stage 1. It also noted that the Literacy Hour had proved challenging as it was difficult for young children to sit still and listen to their teacher. In European countries, the transition to primary school (age of 6) is linked with a play-based exploratory curriculum to a more formal one. In England the transition begins around the age of 5, and into a more formal curriculum one year later (Sanders et al, 2005). This report also highlighted the question that staff may not be appreciating the anxiety for children and parents at this time, which proves quite surprising. The recommendations of the report included: a communication between staff of Foundation Stage, staff in Year 1 and parents to plan for the child’s needs; that School’s should have resources to enable the children in Year 1 to have play-based activities, for role play, construction and outdoor learning; that formal sitting and listen in Year 1 should be reduced, and more opportunities for learning through play; and that there is a further need for research into this transition. In February of this year a study (FGP 2006) was carried out in the Fusion 240 state funded Pre-K programs for 4 year-olds. The assessment was selecting one classroom at random, and within that classroom four children were chosen for individual assessment in the areas of language, literacy and number skills. The major findings in this study are reproduced here. Children: †¢ More than half of the children enrolled were from low-income families. †¢ African American, Latino, and Asian children were more likely than White children to be in a Pre-K class with a high concentration of poor children. †¢ A large percentage of the mothers had only a high school education or less. †¢ Almost one-quarter of the children spoke a language other than English at home. †¢ With their entry into Pre-K, the language ability of most children from low-income families was below the national average, as was their math ability. On standard measures of language and math, these children made small but meaningful gains from fall to spring of their Pre-K year. Pre-K teachers: †¢ They averaged 42 years of age; most were female and White. †¢ Overall, about 70% of teachers had at least a bachelor’s degree. †¢ About half had at least a bachelor’s degree and state certification to teach 4-year-olds. †¢ About 30% had a two-year degree or no formal degree past high school. †¢ Pre-k teachers’ salaries were higher than those of child care teachers and approached the salaries of public school teachers. †¢ Teachers with lower qualifications (less than a bachelor’s degree)were more likely to teach poor children and children who were African American or Latino. The finding’s highlighted the concerns of teachers not being able to give the high quality experiences required to those children that need it most. It also reveals that using the widely used measure of classroom quality of Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised(where a score of 7 is ‘excellent’, a score of 5 is ‘good’, and a score of 3 is ‘minimal’) the average score was 3.86. This score is disappointment to all concerned, considering the enthusiasm, and shows an environment that is not able to take full advantage of learning opportunities for young children. These findings were endorsed by Kauerz (2006) who states that although Pre-K provides crucial gains in achievement, especially in reading and math’s, it is only short term due to what is termed as ‘the fade-out problem’. This problem is that the advantage that the child has gained could be lost (60-80%) during the first two years of elementary school, when joining a year/class that includes children of a lower level(those that did not participate so early). They are held back whilst the teacher’s attention is put to those of a lower standard. It also has an effect if the elementary school that the child from high-quality Pre-K joins is of low quality. This factor is covered widely in research in the USA as entry is entirely dependent on residential location, therefore it could be a problem for children from low-income families. Yet on the positive side, Campbell, Miller-Johnson, Sparling Ponselle (2001); National Research Council (2001); Steinhart et al(2005) all confirm that through rigorous research high quality early childhood experiences produce impressive life-time benefits to society including fewer grade retentions, fewer special education placements, increased high-school graduation rates, and finally increased employment earnings (Buyers, 2006). Statement of scope and aims of the study The aim of this study is to discover and evaluate how schools use play as an educational tool for children aged 5 to 6 years of age. Along with how it is used in line with the National Curriculum and Early Years learning objectives. The study will investigate if play is used enough in school, and which benefits come from this, with finally, to support these findings, an overview of studies completed in other countries, on the subject of play in education. The sample size will be thirty, which is less than perfect, but in the small time frame allowed it will produce a representative sample that will be supportive of this papers aim. Methodology Section A – the justification The method used in the design of this research as a factual enquiry, the following were considered: †¢ The aims of the study and theories to be investigated †¢ Reviewing the relevant literature: interested organizations †¢ Preliminary conceptualization of the study †¢ Deciding on the design of the study and assessing its feasibility within the limitations †¢ Deciding which hypotheses will be investigated †¢ Designing the required research instrument and technique: postal questionnaires †¢ Drawing the sample: who to interview †¢ Doing the field work †¢ Processing the data †¢ Assembling the results †¢ Writing the research report A study of this nature is a complex operation, and a first requirements therefore the development of a clear plan, overall research design. It is the research design that must hold all the parts and phases o

Ronald Regan :: essays research papers

Ronald Reagan At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore "the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism." On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films. From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970. Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter. On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar. Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit. A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes.