“Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver Essay

Essay discussing the role played by the setting in â€Å"Popular Mechanics.† Analyze the central characters relationship to their surroundings. Does the setting limit the characters options or influence the development of the plot? Does the setting play any significant role in enhancing the theme of the story? â€Å"Popular Mechanics† was written in order to make the audience imagine their own details. The descriptions in this story are very basic and plain, the man and woman in the story are nameless with no clue of physical description, and there is no mention of what city, state or country the story takes place. This allows the reader to picture the surroundings and details of the story in their own way, maybe the reader has heard of or been in similar situations and they can put their own faces and locations into the story. The setting is given in very little detail, but it is also the most detail of any element in the story. The setting is a very important part of the story and is used to symbolize, foreshadow and relate with the events and characters. The setting described in the first paragraph prepares the reader for a dark, uncomfortable story. â€Å"Early that day the weather turned and the snow was melting into dirty water.† (Paragraph 1) All of these elements in the setting outside the house are used as symbols for something inside the house. This shows that something good or pure, â€Å"snow† or relationship, is turning into something ugly, â€Å"dirty water† or separation, and it is happening fast, â€Å"early that day.† The first paragraph continues, â€Å"Streaks of it ran down from the little shoulder-high window that faced the backyard.† (Paragraph 1) This paragraph gives very little detail of the house, but enough to get a mental picture. In this line, â€Å"it† refers to the dirty water which is a symbol for the break down of the relationship of the man and woman. The house is small, shown by  the description of a â€Å"little shoulder-high window.† The story later gives another description that the house is small in paragraph eleven, â€Å"She stood in the doorway of the ‘little kitchen’, holding the baby.† The little kitchen is most likely inside a little house. Even though the reader is never specifically told that the house is little, the audience gets small details that spark something in the reader to imagine a small house. The little house can tie in with the characters fight. The house may be too small for the woman to be comfortable raising a child there, or it may be too small for the man’s pride, both these situations can lead to arguments. The most obvious tie in with the characters and the small house is the fact that it is too small for the both of them, the man is leaving and the woman is glad he is. A bigger house means more success, more pride, and more happiness. All of these elements can possibly lead to a happier relationship. The fact that the window faces the backyard gives the events that go on inside the house a sense of privacy. The neighbors can see what is going on in the front yard; the backyard is used for privacy, when you do not really want everyone to know what you are doing. This description symbolizes the bad relationship that develops and â€Å"runs† through the small house when the doors are closed. The next line foreshadows the events that happen in the house. â€Å"Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too.† Here the story is pointing out that what is going on outside is going on inside too, and the reader should make the correlation at this point. The characters relate to the setting here because they are getting dark on the inside as well; the heart, mind and soul of the characters are growing dark feelings. The fact that it is â€Å"getting dark on the inside too† shows that things such as daylight, happiness, love and a relationship are coming to an end and things such as darkness, anger, sadness, and hatred are beginning. The setting is also used symbolically in the story when the flower pot is broken, â€Å"In the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot.† (Paragraph 26) The flowerpot is used to symbolize the breaking up of the man and woman, and the breaking of the baby. Although the rea der is not told if the baby was physically broken, the emotional and mental  damage that a child goes through when their parents separate can be seen as a possibility for the child in the story. The setting sets the tone for the story, symbolizes elements inside the house, relates with the characters and foreshadows the events of the story. All of these elements are very important to the story and they are all given in three short paragraphs (Paragraphs 1, 11, 26). The setting is given the greatest amount of detail while the rest of the story is given almost no detail, only stereotypical behavior. The reader is required to imagine their own timeline, faces, and many other details, but the setting is told to show the overall mood the writer wanted the reader to see. This proves that the setting is a very powerful element to show that the relationship between the man and the woman and everything that surrounds them is going from good to bad and eventually, everything is broken.

Of Mice And Men Language Essay

The importance of this passage, which introduces the closing section of the novel, is that it refers to what has happened earlier in the story and what is about to happen. It represents symbolically the characters, events and ideas of the story so far and prefigures the final tragedy. The setting is the same as at the beginning of the novel, a clearing on the banks by ‘the deep green pool’ of the Salinas River. In the first paragraph Steinbeck conveys once more, now briefly, the beauty of the natural scene, the paradise from which mankind has been cast out. Now however the circumstances are very different and returning to the same setting suggests a circular movement of events, getting nowhere, but also as a downward spiral. Lennie is in trouble again and more seriously than ever before – he has killed Curley’s wife. The dream he and George shared is already dead. There is a disturbance to the scene, ‘a far rush of wind’ and a scattering of leaves, the only sounds breaking the silence. The river’s surface is briefly disturbed, but ‘as quickly as it had come, the wind died and the clearing was quiet again.’ By this Steinbeck reminds us of the smallness and insignificance of the events of the novel. They will quickly pass and be forgotten. ‘A water snake glided swiftly up the pool’, this represents Lennie, ‘twisting its periscope head from side to side.’ Lennie’s vision is limited by his dull wits and he doesn’t foresee the fate towards which he is blundering. A heron waiting in the shallows seizes the ‘little snake’ by the head and swallows it ‘while its tail waved frantically.’ Lennie’s size and strength are insignificant, uselessly matched against much larger forces, such as the society he lives in. This reflects another theme of the novel: the powerful dominate and prey upon the weak. This is the situation of the migrant labourers, who own nothing but their ability to work, in relation to the Boss who has wealth and land and who exploits his labourers. It is reflected too in the ‘pecking order’ on the ranch: ‘the weak ones’ – Lennie, Crooks and Candy are at the mercy of the strong. Crooks dominates Lennie and Curley’s wife dominates Crooks. Carlson, with Slim’s consent, dispatches Candy’s dog. Curly is ever present attempting to dominate everyone, except Slim, by physical violence and through his relation to his father. When Lennie appears ‘out of the brush’ the heron flies off and a second ‘little snake’, representing George, finds refuge from the heron in the reeds. This signifies that George is clever enough to stay out of trouble, including that brought on by Lennie. Lennie has come to the river bank because George told him to meet him there if he got into trouble. This was in the opening section of the novel, where Steinbeck compared Lennie to a bear: ‘he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.’ This suggests clumsiness, but now it is the bear’s stealth that he refers to: Lennie comes ‘as silently as a creeping bear moves.’ He is directed now by his instinct, not just following George. The repeated bear simile reminds the reader again of the circular movement of the story; but Lennie’s soundless entry also makes us think of him as a spirit, anticipating his death. The passage reflects a number of ideas in the novel: the beauty of nature and the ugliness of human nature; the insignificance of human affairs; the futility of human effort and the fragility of dreams. The predatory nature of human existence, a major theme in the novel is represented symbolically in the action of the heron, reminding the reader of various episodes earlier in the story. The characters of George and Lennie are illustrated in the different fates of the two ‘little snakes’. Lennie’s death is prefigured in that of the first water snake, also in his spirit-like appearance on the scene. In this way Steinbeck sets the scene at the river bank in context. The reader sees the hopelessness of Lennie and George’s situation, their powerlessness in the circumstances they find themselves in and foresees the tragic end.

Vertical Structure and Horizontal Structure of Organizations Assignment

Vertical Structure and Horizontal Structure of Organizations - Assignment Example Horizontal structures involve lateral relations, such as liaison functions, task forces, frequent unplanned meetings, and the use of formalized integrator roles. The advantage of a horizontal structure is a possibility of liberal and informal communication. The disadvantage is that this structure is effective and possible only in small organizations. The decentralized decision-making process allows employees greater involvement and fast decision-making. The advantage of vertical structure is greater control and delegation of authority. The disadvantages are lack of flexibility, decision-making from the top, centralization of authority and bureaucratic control of all activities. The examples of a vertical structure are Ford Motor Company, Toyota and Microsoft. These organizations have centralization of all management functions and require a high level of lateral interdepartmental coordination and communication involving unplanned face-to-face meetings and mutual adaptation. Coordination of sequential technologies is best accomplished through plans and schedules, whereas coordination of pooled technologies can be accomplished by the use of stan dard operating procedures (Mullins 304).

No fault divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

No fault divorce - Essay Example It does not however mean that the repeal or reform of no-fault divorce will effectively reduce the rate of divorce generally. Indeed, at this moment in time, I really want to believe that at this moment in time a fault requirement would do more harm than good. In the short term, the need to establish a legal finding of fault may prevent some divorces from happening, and encourage couples that are contemplating divorce to work out their marital difficulties. But the deterrent effect is likely to be weak. A lot of people do not think of divorce until their marriage is in very bad shape; by which time, the marriage will be very difficult to salvage. Moreover, the fault requirement would also be indiscriminate in its deterrent effect. Some marriages especially those that involve physical violence and abuse that rightfully should end will be preserved. Unfortunately, fault is likely to be most successful in deterring socially isolated women, often-battered wives, from seeking divorce. It would be wrong indeed if a pro-marriage policy unintentionally became a pro-bad-marriage policy, giving aid and comfort to the critics of the institution. Fault law invites unending litigation, and thus intensifies and prolongs conflict. Requiring fault would be bound to hurt the children (if there are any) who will be caught in the middle. On thing we should have learned from thirty years of high divorce, is that: When divorcing parents have legal incentives to fight, they will. And fault gives them yet another incentive. Inevitably, children will be recruited as informants and witnesses in the legal battle to establish fault. The faultfinding may also be exploited to prejudice or interfere with the child's attachment to the parent who is at fault. Of course, this ugly practice of blaming and discrediting the other parent goes on under no-fault divorce law, but fault will provide legal justification for such behavior. Moreover, establishing fault in contested cases would require more aggressive and time-consuming litigation and thus more billable hours from lawyers, therapists, private investigators, pension specialists, expert witne sses, and all the others in the divorce industry. This will create financial constraints and burdens for those who can least afford it. The Ivana Trumps of this world may have the resources to fight a protracted fault battle (and to win some of its spoils) but not the average first wife, especially if she has spent her life as a full-time wife and homemaker. Since most legislation limits fault to contested divorces involving children, children are likely to be the biggest economic losers. Marital assets will be squandered and dissipated in fault battles, leaving fewer resources for the maintenance and care of the children after the divorce. Some proponents of fault argue for higher barriers to divorce, as this in their reasoning will increase commitment to marriage. They say the harder it is to get divorce, the more couples will try to maintain their marriages right from the beginning. This argument seems appealing viewing it on the surface, but it is not so persuasive when viewed c ritically, especially when we consider those that will be most heavily influenced by the reintroduction of fault: the young adults approaching marriage for the first time. Today's young adults, many of who are products of divorced marriages, are more ignorant and wary of marriage than the earlier

Sustainability in construction starts at the design stage of a Essay

Sustainability in construction starts at the design stage of a project. Identify and explain the main constituents of sustainabl - Essay Example Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 1. Introduction Sustainability is highly involved in the construction industry. Still, the use of the rules of sustainability in the construction projects has been a rather recent trend, if taking into consideration the effects of construction on the environment (Luff 2008). In addition, not all countries set sustainability as a term for accepting plans related to con struction projects (Luff 2008). UK is one of the countries that first recognized the value of sustainability in construction. It should be noted that the promotion of sustainability in construction has a series of implications, meaning especially the cost involved and the availability of expertise professionals for developing construction projects based on sustainability. Current paper focuses on a particular aspect of sustainability, as related to construction: the sustainable design and its constituents. The literature published in regard to this subject has been reviewed in explore the particular issue. It is revealed that sustainable design is a complex and demanding process which can be completed successfully only if it is appropriately supported in all its phases. 2. Sustainability design in construction 2.1 Key issues of sustainability in construction projects Sustainability, as part of a construction project, is commonly related to certain issues, such as ‘green buildi ng, energy and climate’ (Luff 2008, p.152). However, such approach is not correct. Sustainability could be effectively promoted through construction only if a series of additional issues would be addressed: issues such as ‘health, economics and transport’ (Luff 2008, p.152) should be considered as indispensable elements of sustainability, as the term is used in all sectors, not just in construction. Through a similar approach, the involvement of sustainability in construction has been related to the management of issues such as ‘the disposal of waste material used in construction projects and the use of environmental-friendly engineering systems’ (CERF 1996, p.95). The level at which sustainability will be involved in a construction project depends on the willingness of the project’s designer to incorporate sustainability in the project’s plan and the availability of resources required (CERF 1996). In order to understand the role of sus tainability in construction, it would be necessary to refer to the characteristics of sustainability in general. In the literature, sustainability has been defined as ‘the management of natural resource base†¦. and continued satisfaction of human needs for the present and future generations’ (Vogt et al. 2012, p.1). Dresner (2008) supports that sustainability should be defined as ‘the effort for securing the interests of future generations without setting in risk the interests of current generations’ (Dresner 2008, p.70). According to Morris and Pinto (2010) when being related to a construction project, sustainability refers to the various ‘issues from construction and throughout the life cycle of the building/ facility involved’ (Morris and Pinto 2010, p.124). In its own, sustainability is a term quite wide, incorporating issues related to ‘

An Introduction to Proffesional issues in counselling Essay

An Introduction to Proffesional issues in counselling - Essay Example According to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) ther are several situations in which a counsellor must act responsibly. These situations are covered by ethical standards. Ethics are defined as the "values, principles, and personal moral qualities" (BACP, p. 6). These qualities reside in each individual but having a code of ethics will give everyone a common foundation to work from. Many situations that appear in a counselling setting may push the ethics of an individual but with a common foundation they will understand what to do in each situation. This ethical principle speaks to a counsellors need to be trustworthy. They must allow trust to happen between them and the client without breaking this trust. The counsellor strictly adheres to a policy of confidentiality to help foster this trust. The counselling session is autonomous in itself and the counsellor understand the client has the right to engage or not engage in the counselling process. Hopefully the client wants to engage in their own healing because it happens faster when the client is engaged. Counsellors who respect their clients will make sure they have proper consent before they seek out information from third parties or before the give information out about the client. They will also make sure that if there are conflicts of interest that they are revealed to the client immediately and an appropriate referral will be made. When a counsellor understands the clients autonomy they do not manipulate a client for personal or professional gain. It is critical to the counsellor to understand the important of "doing no harm." A counsellor helps the client receive a professional assessment and once this happens the counsellor must work within their scope of practice; in other words they must only practice those counselling techniques that they have been trained

RFP's are sick, not dead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

RFP's are sick, not dead - Essay Example In simple word RFP is a document used by buyer to solicit proposal from various potential suppliers. Proposal is prepared by suppliers by answering specific queries of buyer in the form of document. For example if a company wants to purchase computer system then they will write and issue Request for Proposal to suppliers. After the RFP is issued by the company then suppliers start responding to it. In the second step company receives and analyzes potential proposals from suppliers and after analyzing proposal they select most specific supplier. Industry report says that suppliers proposing low cost but quality solution to buyer have high probability to crack the deal in comparison to others (Schwalbe, 2010, p. 475). There is no fixed way for companies to select proposals from suppliers and entirely depends on business requirement of buyer. Research scholars suggested that companies should use expectancy value model to select right proposal. In expectancy value model buyers emphasizes on attributes of proposals. According to this model, buyers assign value point on various attributes of a proposal and then summarize total points assigned on potential proposals. ... Generally RFI and RFP include following points. Introduction Background of buyer Information regarding the project Purpose and Scope of RFI Specific Request Qualification of Vendor (Stein, 2006, p. 430) Due date of submitting proposal Confidentiality norms (Whitney, 2011, P. 246) Detailed information of supplier (Langer, 2012, pp. 49-50). Theoretically any company can use RFP for particular project but in low cost project issuing RFP ultimately harts objective of the organization. RFP for project costing below $10,000 can be classified as costly in terms of both staffing and investment (Click, and Duening, 2004, p. 78). Specific situations where buyer needs to issue RFP can be summarized in the following manner. Project cost is more than $10,000. Numerous suppliers are available to provide solution Requirement is complex and needs technical supervision High customization is required for the requested system (Wisner, and Stanley, 2007, p. 324) Substantial cost is associated with maint enance of requested system Multiple agency involvement is required during purchase process (Institute for Law and Justice, 1999). Cost of preparing RFP document is negligible in comparison to overall cost of the process. Problem areas for RFP process can be explained in the following manner. Potential Problems and Issues of RFP Reason Potential Effect Potential Threat No mention of Coordinator in RFP Creates confusion among suppliers and agencies Suppliers may protest against the company and solicitation might get cancelled No clear mention of needs or requirement by the buyer in RFP Suppliers do not respond sufficiently to RFP Buyers might need to reissue RFP with clarified requirement statement Ambiguous proposal requirement Confused vendors send incomplete

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Essay

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - Essay Example Even in those cases where patients have been able to afford such transplants, other problems such as organ rejection and incompatibility have deprived them of their precious lives. The gravity of this situation has led to unrelenting research on stem cells, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine, which are promising and hopeful alternatives to organ transplants. By 2009, in the United States, about 50 million people had survived because of some or the other form of â€Å"artificial organ therapy† (Khademhosseini, Vacanti and Langer, 2009). This gives a clear indication that artificial organs are the hope of the future. This research proposal aims at providing a brief yet objective overview of how an organ can be fabricated by starting with single cells and proceeding to tissue replacement. The proposal is intended to explain how vital organs can be fabricated through bioengineering. The solutions for problems that are usually encountered during fabrication of living org ans are also dealt with. Important challenges include optimization of the decellularization process for the preservation of vascular architecture and for limiting immunogenicity. Overall, this proposal gives a precis on solving cardiovascular diseases by stem cells, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Approach to organ fabrication 1. Procurement of stem cells The first step would be to procure embryonic stem cells that would act as progenitors for the cardiac cells. With the help of embryonic stem cells, it is possible to generate both mature cardiocytes as well as the vasculature (Ott et al, 2007). The most appropriate conditions for the growth of these stem cells will be identified and these will be allowed to grow, mature and differentiate before being seeded on a protein matrix for tissue formation. 2. Identification of suitable decellularization procedure for obtaining protein matrix The protein matrix for the generation of tissue and vasculature will be obtained from dead hearts procured from appropriate facilities. Using suitable detergents and chemical treatments, the organs will be decellularized to reveal the protein matrix. Various techniques will be tested before arriving at the most appropriate decellularization agent. 3. Seeding of the protein matrix with progenitor cells The protein matrix will then be seeded with the cardiocytes so that they can naturally develop into tissues and vasculature of a natural heart. Because of the provision of a natural protein matrix and scaffold material derived from a real heart, it will be easier for the cardiocytes to grow three-dimensionally through a natural mechanism. 4. Testing the functionality of the artificially produced organ The functionality of the manufactured heart will be tested and monitored for normalcy of pulse rate and other vital parameters. 5. Animal studies The artificially produced hearts will be transplanted into adult mice and will be tested for development of immunogenicity and health parameters. Possible Problems during Fabrication A major problem during fabrication of an artificial organic heart would be to achieve appropriate tissue vascularization having the vascular structure of a natural

Candide by Voltaire Essay Example for Free

Candide by Voltaire Essay 1) What is the relationship between Candides adventures and Panglosss teachings? In Candide, we see lives filled with struggles and tragedy. Although Candide witnessed and fell victim to worldly evils of cruelty and suffering, he maintained his optimistic views through much of the novel. Candide picked up this idea of optimism through Panglosss teachings. Although he did not see any good reasons to disbelieve Panglosss teachings while living in the Barons castle, once in the outside world, Candide experiences many tragic events that make him, and the reader, question the philosophy of optimism. Candides adventures, starting when he is kicked out of the Barons castle, clearly represented an imperfect world, full of atrocities that contradicted Panglosss teachings. The events that break apart Panglosss teachings begin almost immediately when Candide is thrown in the streets to live on his own. He runs into recruiting officers of the King of Bulgars. They have him toast to the health of their king, but then beat Candide severely and put irons on his legs. Luckily though, the king comes by and tells them to spare Candide since he is innocent. Soon after that, Candide witnesses an awful, bloody battle between two armies. This horrible spectacle shows us how hateful and violent people are in this world. Later, he finds a beggar who turns out to be Pangloss. Pangloss shares some of the horrible things he had been put through and that Candides one and only love had been raped and her entire family had been murdered when the Barons castle had been taken over. Once with Pangloss, he has many new adventures. While out at sea with Pangloss and Jacques, a violent storm occurred and destroyed their ship. Many innocent passengers are killed including Jacques, who died saving a sailor. The innocent passengers deaths disprove Pangloss theory since it appeared the bad that came out of the shipwreck led to nothing good for them; instead, only brought them to their deaths. When the sailor, Pangloss, and Candide get into Lisbon, an earthquake destroys most of the city. A  tidal wave also crushes ships in the port. In an effort to prevent another earthquake, wise men take ridiculous actions against the slightest wrongdoing. Candide and Pangloss end up getting arrested. Pangloss is hanged and Candide is beaten badly. The ridiculous actions taken place prove to be futile when another earthquake erupts the next day. All of the bad that came from the first earthquake provided no good. Pangloss had been hung for no reason and Jacques, a good man, had died from the storm out at sea. The reader is left wondering how these horrible events could result in a greater good. Candide finds that God might have spared one place on earth, El Dorado. He finds this seemingly perfect city, yet does not want to stay because is still in love with Cunegonde. The king gives him and Cacambo a few sheep and some gold. This portion of the story brings a little light, yet the whole world cannot be like El Dorado, and people who do live in perfect worlds cannot even appreciate it because they have nothing to compare the high points against. Since life is always perfect, they live in lethargic boredom and cannot truly appreciate how well off they truly are. We also see times of happiness and good fortune that restore Candides faith in optimism throughout the book. Such periods include when we find Pangloss survived, and the points in the book when Candide and Cunegonde get to be together, even for short amounts of time. Towards the end of the story, Candide begins to question Pangloss philosophy more and more. Although we find events that support optimism, we find more counterexamples. Although Pangloss and the Barons son are found alive, they tell Candide their escapes from death, and the tortures they had been put through afterwards. Soon after they free Pangloss and the Barons son from slavery, the men go and find Cunegonde, the woman Candide had been searching to live with and love for his entire life. When they do find her, she is extremely ugly and Candide no longer wants to marry her. Although he is no longer attracted to her, he is a man of his word and feels he must do his duty to take care of her and love her. Now, he is stuck with a woman he no longer lusts over. Candide has finally found what he had been sacrificing for all of his life to find, yet is not satisfied with what he has acquired  for his hard work. Throughout the entire story of Candide, we are bombarded with horrendous events that happened to an individual to disprove Panglosss teachings. Candides adventures encountered such atrocities as murder, rape, slavery, and prostitution. The bad events that occur in Candide, help show that the world is not perfect, and that not everything happens for the greater good in the end. Candides adventures, great in number, show us how bad others lives turned out as well as their friends and families lives were hurt as well, such as the old woman. In the end, Candide finally realizes that optimism is not a flawless philosophy, and that the idea of working hard and enjoying life is better than waiting around for the good you think will happen. Candides adventures helped to contradict optimism and ultimately changed Candides beliefs from optimism to a realization of reality. Candide begins to live a simple life, working hard to avoid boredom, vice, and poverty.

Term Exam Sample Paper Essay Example for Free

Term Exam Sample Paper Essay This sample test should only be used as a guide to the styles of questions. The topics covered here are not exhaustive. Your revision should not be based on these set of questions only. The level of difficulty of this sample test is also NOT indicative of the level of difficulty of the actual test. The answers are provided at the end of the document. 1. A reasonable estimate of the annual standard deviation of return of the stock market would be? a. Less than 5 percent. b. Between 5 and 10 percent. c. Between 15 and 25 percent d. More than 30 percent e. Impossible to estimate 2. A project has an expected cash flow of $200, in year 1. The risk-free rate is 6%, the market rate of return is 16%, and the projects beta is 1. 5. Calculate the certainty equivalent cash flow for year 1. a. $175. 21 b. $164. 29 c. $228. 30 d. $212. 56 e. None of the above 3. Share X has a standard deviation of return of 10%, share Y has a standard deviation of return of 20%. The correlation coefficient between the shares is 0. 5. If you invest 60% of your funds in share X and 40% in share Y, what is the standard deviation of the portfolio? a. 10% b. 20% c. 12. 2% d. 14. 0% e. None of the above 4. Richard Rolls critique of tests of the capital asset pricing model is that: a. Given an efficient market portfolio the CAPM is tautology b. The market portfolio is not efficient c. You need to test the model using the market portfolio for all capital assets d. a and c e. a and b 5. The Template Corporation has an equity beta of 1. 2 and a debt beta of . 8. The firms market value debt to equity ratio is . 6. If it undertakes a new project with the same risk profile, what is the project beta (assuming zero tax rate)? a. 0. 70 b. 0. 72 c. 0. 96 d. 1. 04 e. 1. 05 6. Consider following data on three shares: Share Standard Deviation A 0. 6 B 0. 30 C 0. 20 Beta 1. 00 0. 80 1. 29 Assuming that you wished to minimise risk, you would select share if the share was held in on its own, and you would select share if the share was to be added to a portfolio. a b c d e 7. A, A A, B B, A B, C C, A In a portfolio of three different shares, which of the following is NOT possible? a. b. c. d. e. The ris k of the portfolio is less than the risk of each of the shares held in isolation. The risk of the portfolio is greater than the risk of one of the shares. The beta of the portfolio is less than the beta of each of the individual shares. The beta of the portfolio is greater than the beta of one of the individual shares betas. The standard deviation of the portfolio is greater than the standard deviation of the risk free asset. 8. You hold a diversified portfolio consisting of 20 different shares with $1,000 invested in each. The portfolio beta is equal to 1. 35. You have decided to sell all your holding of Edna Average Cosmetics Ltd which has a beta of 1. You will reinvest the proceeds in Aggressive Action Ltd which has a beta of 2. What is the new beta of the portfolio? a. b. c. d. e. 1. 35 2. 35 1. 45 1. 10 1. 40 9. A company is considering an investment in a new project. That project is best evaluated as though: a. b. c. d. e. It is a stand alone project independent of the company and so its risk is measured as variance. Its risk is adjusted to allow for diversification with the companies existing projects Its cost of capital is the weighted average cost of capital Its risk is evaluated as though it were traded in the capital markets None of the above 10 Is the portfolio with the minimum possible variance an efficient portfolio? a. b. c. d. e. Yes No Yes, but only for risk loving investors Yes, but only for investors who will not take any risk. Yes, but only for investors who are risk neutral. 11. For a two-stock portfolio, the maximum reduction in risk occurs when the correlation coefficient between the two stocks is: A) +1 B) 0 C) -0. 5 D) -1 E) None of the above 12. The variance or standard deviation is a measure of: A) Total risk B) Unique risk C) Market risk D) Bankruptcy risk E) None of the above 13. The risk of a well diversified portfolio depends upon the A) Market risk B) Unique risk of the securities included in the portfolio C) Number of securities in the portfolio D) Variance of the portfolio E) None of the above 4. A factor in APT is a variable that: A) Affects the return of risky assets in a systematic manner B) Correlates with risky asset returns in an unsystematic manner C) Is purely noise D) Affects the return of a risky asset in a random manner E) is generally not correlated with stock returns 15. A company has a cost of capital of 15%. However, it is introducing a new product that it considers to be a ver y risky endeavour to a well diversified investor. What can you say about the appropriate discount rate for the project? A) The rate used should be 15% B) The rate used should be lower than 15% C) The rate used should be greater than 15% D) Any rate between 12% and 18% is acceptable E) The rate should be the expected market return. 16 What has been the average annual rate of return in real terms for a portfolio of U. S. common stocks between 1900 and 2006? a. Less than 2% b. Between 2% and 5% c. Between 5% and 8% d. Greater than 8% e. Greater than 20% 17. Mega Corporation has the following returns for the past three years: 8%, 12% and 10%. Calculate the variance of the return and the standard deviation of the returns.

Drama In The National Curriculum Education Essay

Drama In The National Curriculum Education Essay The aim of this report is to understand where Drama stands in education within England at present. It searches for its mention within the National Curriculum and interprets what this means for the teaching of the subject. It looks at primary and secondary schools current trends towards Drama as a discrete subject, and argues the benefits and disadvantages of it having its own subject heading within the National Curriculum. The evidence will be evaluated and a conclusion formulated. 1. Drama in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum website provides the most up to date information on how Drama is placed within the curriculum. At first glance Drama is absent but mention of it can be located, mainly within the subject of English. [See Appendix One for a description of the requirements and activities for Key Stages (KS) 1 2. (National Curriculum, 2011a)]. Whilst there are aims and objectives published for KS1 2, at KS3 4 there is mention of selected playwrights as subjects to be studied and the expectation that at least one Shakespearean play will be explored in depth at each stage (National Curriculum, 2011b c). References to the use of Drama appear under Literature [See Appendix Two] (National Curriculum, 2011d). For England the Teachernet (Teachernet, 2011), DFES Drama Objectives (DFES, 2011) and QCDA (QCDA, 2011) resources have been/are being decommissioned with edited highlights appearing in the National Archive. In fact most of the Government resources advocated by the Initial Teacher Education website for English are no more (ITE, 2011a). The Department of Education website is replacing it, but the only suitable material found for Drama is an item for the Speaking and Listening element at KS1 2 dated 2004 (Department of Education, 2011). In Ireland drama is within the arts sector, alongside visual arts and music. The strand is Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding. They expect that when this subject is taught correctly it can help children at a young age to understand/relate and deal with life situations that can occur (Irish Curriculum, 2011). Whilst Drama is placed firmly in Arts Education as a trio with the visual and aural mediums, there is little support to be found in their Curriculum Planner as well (NCCA, 2011). Compare this to 52 resources for Drama in the Scottish Curriculum (Scottish Curriculum Resources for Drama, 2011). In Northern Ireland Drama is mentioned in Language Literacy and has its own subject within The Arts and resources are well provided (N. Ireland Resources, 2011). At KS1 2 the statutory subjects that all pupils must study are art and design, design and technology, English, geography, history, information and communication technology (ICT), mathematics, music, physical education and science. Religious education must also be provided at KS 1 and 2 (National Curriculum, 2011e), although there is a non-statutory program of study. From the National Curriculum (2011e) for Religious Education there are the following two points: 1). Explore how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed through the arts and communicate their responses. 2). Using art and design, music, dance and drama to develop their creative talents and imagination. Art and design does not mention drama until KS 2 as follows from the National Curriculum (2011f): Exploring a range of starting points for practical work [for example, themselves, their experiences, images, stories, drama, music, natural and made objects and environments]. Yet making puppet theatres, and also creating atmosphere in sounds, lighting, backdrops and costumes for full size plays would make the subject more fun whilst defining a practical purpose for the work. Drama in a similar way should be a fertile ground for scenery and special effects within Design and Technology yet it is not mentioned at all (National Curriculum, 2011g 2011h). Music and Physical Education in a similar vein have a relationship to Drama through Dance but there is no credit for it. History could conceivably use period dramas to illustrate points and the appreciation of accuracy in the texts and writers bias would then be covered in Drama. Stenhouse (1981, p.29) is against the idea that Drama is for teaching other subjects in the curriculum and rejects the imagined realities of Drama for the authenticated realities of pure history. ICT could provide a multi-media back drop similar to that of exhibition trade stands and modern performances that use computerised effects and giant screens. When the National Curriculum was being formulated teachers were vocal in their disapproval of the many curriculum subjects being loaded into the National Curriculum, such that subjects were curtailed following Music and Art (Baldwin, 2011). As the (NCCCE, 1999, p.75) report states there are more than ten subjects in the world. It also notes that Dance is not found with sport, games and athletics after education and that Drama is not just verbal. (NACCCE, 1999, p.76) points out that of all the countries in the QCA/NFER INCA archive, England was unique in having 10 discrete subjects from KS 1-4. When the National Curriculum was introduced, specialist drama practitioners eagerly awaited the National Curriculum for Drama. They are still waiting.  (Baldwin, 2011). Drama as part of English in the National Curriculum. One of the ongoing debates about the nature of English centres around its relationship [sic] the creative arts. Is English an Arts based, creative discipline, or a much more functional, competency led subject?, and Is Drama itself an Arts based discipline or a method of education, a form of learning? (ITE, 2011b) The role of drama in the curriculum remains in practice very much in doubt. It is believed that future employers have been unhappy with general educational standards of school leavers. A contributionary factor to this low estimation (for the subject) has been the political shift from a liberal view (of the centrality of aesthetic and artistic experience in education) towards a more vocationally orientated view in which the secondary curriculum is seen rather as a feeder of commercial, industrial and post-industrial requirements as they have been immerging in recent years. (Morton, 1984, p.56). The Arts Council England (2003, p.6) explains that all pupils minimum statutory entitlements for the study of Drama are acknowledged within the National Curriculum for English. According to Ashcroft Palacio (1995, p. 196), The national curriculum firmly places drama within the English domain. Neelands (2008, p.1) refers to the National Curriculum as the English Model where, Drama was first introduced into the secondary curriculum through the English curriculum and timetable. He amusingly cites the fact that Shakespeare was English to explain how we arrived at this unique position, which has not been followed elsewhere in the world except maybe Wales (Welsh Curriculum KS 1 (2008) Welsh Curriculum KS 2-4 (2008) where Drama is mentioned within English and to a lesser extent Welsh. Drama as a subject in its own right is not present in the primary curriculum, but as a part of English or R.E, or furnishing other areas and cross curricular themes. Even though Drama is absent from the curriculum for primary schools, it is still present through the activities and lessons which are taught using drama, many primary schools already include drama in their curriculum, without realizing that the activities the children are involved in are actually drama. (Arts on the move, 2010). For High School teachers, it can be a problem for them to know what to expect of pupils entering KS 3, this is because of the lack of continuity in Drama across all the Primary Schools, therefore only an educated guess can be made on the pupils prior drama experiences. Neelands (2004, p.9) offers 6 points of common reference which can be found in Appendix Three. According to Neelands (2008, p.2) statistics show that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many schools in England do offer drama as a separate timetabled subject in Key Stage 3 and this makes drama the only subject in the English system which is unregulated in terms of a nationally agreed curriculum beyond the references to speaking and listening in the Orders for English. So only at KS 3 do some pupils get the opportunity to take Drama as a separate subject but it is still an unofficial one. Whilst this offers a complete freedom in how the subject is taught and presented [see Neelands (2004, p.5) for three different approaches at secondary level], it also means there is little in the way of a safety net for its practitioners that standards, assessments, guidelines and official support can provide. So it would appear that Drama has become a Cinderella subject that is busy working in the shadows whilst the Ugly Sisters of English and Religious Education take all the credit. 1.2 How we got to where we are now. Most of what young people know of the world, they know through representations of it. (Neelands, 2008, p.9), suggesting that schools have a moral obligation to help shape the citizenship of their stundents. There is little time allotted in the daily routine for drama in early childhood education settings, due to the pressure that many teachers feel to cover too many materials in too little time. (Jones and Reynolds, 1992, p.7). This suggests that head teachers and teachers are forced to focus their concentration and resources on the subjects the really matter For example, those subjects that are recorded as National statistics, showing how many A* C students have obtained; in particular on Maths, English and Science. Drama being mentioned in the curriculum saw a mixed reaction. Some celebrated the fact that Drama would now have to be taught. Others were quick to point out that there was a fundamental flaw here. There were few trained Drama teachers left. The reality has been, that hardly any Drama is happening (in Primary)  despite the fact that it is deemed statutory. (Baldwin, 2011). Yet Neelands (2008, p.1) states that, In the English education system, all students in the 5-16 age range have an entitlement to drama within the National Curriculum Orders for English. Baldwin (2011) the president of the International Drama/Theatre Education Association provides a background to how Drama fell from grace, how a timely reaction to the rigid curriculum being built subject by subject stopped it being included at the eleventh hour and then, as it was no longer a subject, support for it fell away. Practitioners were left high and dry, as Drama was no longer part of Ofsted unless a fee was paid to assess it, which in one case ended up being marked as a Satisfactory P.E. lesson. Dearing tried to soften the curriculum but then came the constraints of the National Literacy Strategy which concentrated on reading and writing for the Literacy Hour at the expense of speaking and listening. However Winston Tandy (2001, p.75-86) in their chapter entitled Drama and literacy provid e some ideas for including Drama within the hour. Then at Secondary level we find a carte blanche where anything goes with Drama either as a separate subject taught by a Drama specialist or as a continuing addition within English or as another entity, which perhaps suits the more pronounced different streams of ability. Neelands (2004, p.5-6) noticed that the various sources of national guidance for Drama, for example the specific references to Drama in the Programs of Study for English showed a general agreement for the aims and objectives for Drama, such as: Drama as personal, social and moral education Drama as English Drama as a subject in its own right. As stated earlier he cites three very different secondary schools each illustrating one of these points as their individual approach to Drama. The demands of a nationally prescribed curriculum put considerable pressure on teachers to fit everything in; each subject has it own expectations and makes its own particular demands. Finding the time for Drama, however highly you and your class may value it in its own right, can be difficult- the more so if we are going to give the Drama time to develop, deepen the childrens involvement and understanding, and reach a satisfactory conclusion. (Winston Tandy, 2001, p.54) Ashcroft Palacio (1997, p.6) infer that longer serving teachers will find the prescribed nature of the National Curriculum and all its revisions to be a bone of contention. On the other hand The lack of core guidance for Drama, the parallel development of Drama within English with its development as a discrete Arts subject, together with the diversity of models of curriculum and assessment to be found in schools make it a particularly problematic area of English teaching for trainees. (ITE, 2011c) Especially as: School Drama Co-ordinators disappeared almost overnight, as did LEA Drama Advisers and advisory teachers.   Drama courses became few and far between, relying more and more on professional organisations, which were and are run voluntarily, by increasingly stretched full time teachers and lecturers. (Baldwin, 2011). CHAPTER TWO ARGUMENTS FOR DRAMA BEING A DESCRETE SUBJECT As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, drama has a significant contribution to make (Winston Tandy, 2001, p.73). Drama, more than any other subject in the curriculum, mirrors life as it is lived and experienced (Winston, 2004, p.18). Please see Appendix Five for some positive results Winston (2004) notes as being seen in childrens writing due to their involvement with Drama.At least a national agreement provides some external, relatively objective and visible materials to discuss (Neelands, 2004, p.6). However, the absence of a nationally agreed framework for Drama gives two points of concern; The individual Drama teacher has no external framework to follow, therefore the success of the Drama class is completely at the mercy of the ability or lack thereof of the teacher; How Drama is perceived at the school may well be based on the head teachers predilections and prejudices. To illustrate this point I found at X High School, where the author has experienced Drama via a teaching training day placement, it was noticeable that Drama is thought of as a high priority subject. This was thanks to the Head realising that in a catchment area of high poverty Drama provided interest and expression for children that found reading and writing difficult. The school used Drama also as a marketing tool to promote itself to the wider community and its governors. It held annual Drama productions, school assemblies were punctuated with Drama in the form of funny sketches or more serious pieces designed to entertain and inform, it supported fundraising activities etc. Drama here is a timetabled subject throughout all the year groups, and is offered as an A-level subject. As Ashcroft Palacio (1995, p. 196) advocate, Primary school pupils can develop through drama an extensive range of language uses, including the majority of those referred to in the national curriculum. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦drama is a social process of making meaningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the framework and method of drama provides a unique context for developing a sense of identity and productiveness. (Morton, 1984, p.37). All Our Futures had already clearly recognised the importance of Drama, both as a creative teaching and learning medium and as the most powerful pupil motivator:  OFSTED data on pupil response to learning indicates drama to be at the very top in motivating learning (NACCCE, 1999, p.77). Drama in education can help pupils learn and understand whatever is required, in ways that are emotionally, aesthetically and cognitively connected and meaningful to children who are natural dramatic players. CHAPTER THREE ARGUMENTS AGAINST DRAMA BEING A DESCRETE SUBJECT à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦drama is a process that cannot be divided into a series of discrete and accessible outcomes in the kind of way that curriculum theorists have managed to do with many other subjects in the curriculum (Young, 1981, p.94). Baldwin (2011) states: Trainees are likely to encounter a diverse range of arrangements for drama within schools. In the absence of national orders and a statutory subject framework, schools are free to design their own local variations of a drama curriculum based on the specific value given to drama in a particular school. Cynics were heard to mutter, that with an assessment driven curriculum emerging, process based drama would be too problematic for SCAA (as it was then) to deal with.   Assessment in Drama has always been tricky as so much goes on cognitively and emotionally during the Drama process that is not easy or even possible to assess.   It is noted that this argument appears amongst many professionals, but no suggestions as to what criteria could be used is suggested. Is this because they believe there is to be none. Baldwin, (2011) continues. Assessment records were being revealed as lists of statements of attainment tick boxes and needed to be based on easily observable, extrinsic outcomes suggesting that Drama specialists were not sure they wanted such a meaningful and aesthetic art form measured and graded in this way.. Neelaands appears to contradict his issues by stating The local curriculum can be based on a highly idiosyncratic and ideologically motivated selection. What is taught may be left to the whim of an individual teacher and may reflect personal prejudices and interests rather that the breadth of depth of study which is a pupils entitlement (Neelands, 2004, p.6). Yet according to Neelands on the Initial Teacher Education website (ITE, 2011d), The non-statutory Framework drama objectives might usefully form the basis of the programme of study for drama at KS3. However, these specific objectives are unlikely to be considered sufficient as core objectives for drama as a discrete subject because they do not cover physical, visual, design and technical aspects of drama. This suggests that although the concerns of Patrice Baldwin are relevant, the concerns of the ITE is that without a defined structure and specific objectives, the importance of Drama could be overlooked. This point of view is rejected by Way (1967, p.12) who points out, If we make drama another subject, then we make another progressive straight line in fact many straight lines, one for infants, one for juniors, and so on through the different age groups. Again, because of its uniqueness there is a concern over how Drama can be measured i.e. marked. Way (1967, p.3) wrote, Education is concerned with individuals; drama is concerned within the individuality of individuals, with the uniqueness of each human essence. Indeed this is one of the reasons for its intangibility and its immeasurability. As Drama is not in the National Curriculum as its own subject, it might be seen as unimportant. With the pressures on schools to be ranked via league tables on the core subjects of English, Maths and Science, it is perhaps not surprising that schools focus on these subjects to the detriment of all else. However, the subject still has its own written examinations and an external examiner is called in to mark performances. It is therefore unclear as to the reasons behind why the subject is deemed by some to be difficult to assess. CONCLUSION Ultimately, drama is a valuable tool, but first the tool itself must be fashioned. (Way, 1967, p.7). There appears to be a divide in international practice over whether Drama should be used across the curriculum or as a subject within its own right and/or as part of the arts agenda. There were those who thought that if assessment was going to be the name of the game, then drama could and should be made to fit, in order to ensure its place in the new curriculum.   And there were those who breathed a sigh of relief that drama did not fit and had been left outside the new curriculum, where at least it would allow a greater freedom of practice and content, within the broader curriculum (Baldwin, 2011). Therefore, unless the individual schools value Drama, and encourage Drama teacher training, the concern is that the level of teaching Drama will not be sufficient to add any value to teaching within the school as a whole. According to Ashcroft and Palacio (1995, p.203) there are two types of Drama within the National Curriculum spectrum, one being performance based activities, such as assemblies and school plays, and the other being educational Drama, which involves children in the active creation and exploration of situations based on fact or fiction. it is regarded by many teachers as a learning method rather than a subject area because it can be employed to deliver many aspects of the curriculum very effectively. (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1995, p.204). Art is useful, not because it is true but because it is truly edifying. It is because drama as art functions in this way that a dramatic work cannot be explained, paraphrased or deconstructed into essays. Like any other art form, drama is unique and non convertibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it resists crassly utilitarian efforts to corral it into the service of geography, history or management training as much as it refuses to be the acquiescent servant of personal, social, or political education. In a secular age, the usefulness of drama lies in its ability to articulate meaning in particular direct and accessible ways so that we, in turn, can make better sense of the world in which we live. For these reasons, drama is an indispensible part of the arts curriculum. (Hornbrook, 1991, p.40-41). Whilst we cannot expect the commitment of the National Theatre at every Primary School (Turner et al., 2004) they offer a model of best practice that can be used within the subject of Drama to really bring out the confidence and intellect of young children and this should be the ultimate goal whether Drama is housed within English or is a subject in its own right. Does this then mean that drama is yet another subject that has to be fitted into an already overcrowded curriculum? No. Drama is not another subject; theatre might be, with its ground work in history and its study of playwrights and their works but not drama. Drama is as intangible as personality itself, and is concerned with developing people. Indeed, it is as necessary to discard educational conventions as to disregard theatre conventions (Way, 1967, p.7). The arguments will rage on but only the will of the government can make a difference to the position Drama as a subject or non-subject is in. The conclusion drawn from all the evidence in this report is that Drama should be included as a subject in its own right in the National Curriculum, but not as the curriculum currently stands. There appears to be insufficient structure and no definitive way that the success of pupils taking Drama can be measured. To try and fit it into the current curriculum could restrict its usefulness as a holistic well being tool for the personal growth of pupils. How could this be measured in academic terms? There could be pupils who come alive as actors and give wonderful performances, but cannot translate this successfully into a written piece of work. How does one measure personal growth? How can we mark a student who has grown in confidence, can express themselves better than before the introduction of the Drama lesson, and interacts well with other st udents in the class? Whereas before the use of Drama they may have been antagonistic, dealing with personal issues which had no voice except in eruptions of violent behaviour. One can set tests to measure the knowledge of the literacy greats, the search for meaning in the works of the playwrights but should this lie here or within the realms of English Literature, such that it cannot be used as a mark of success or failure for Drama students. The conclusion gathered is that this testing should be left within the English subject, thus allowing students of Drama more freedom to express themselves through this wonderful medium. It has been shown that Drama is a useful tool in the understanding of other subjects, but it should first be enjoyed and understood in its own right. The greatest problem for Drama being included in its own right in the National Curriculum appears to be the way the success of subjects are currently judged. There does not appear to be current procedures that can fairly measure the true success and positive impact Drama can have on a students life. For example with a Mathematics exam there is a definite right answer with marks available for showing your workings out, but what is the right answer in Drama? The division between the teaching professionals as to the inclusion or not of Drama in the National Curriculum can be understood after researching and investigating this question. The concerns are that the importance of Drama within the schools is currently dependant on the will of the head teacher and the ability, passion and commitment of the Drama staff. Drama teachers experiencing schools who class Drama as a fill-in subject and not that important will have experienced first hand the argument that Drama should be included. It could be very demoralising to the Drama teacher who feels that their work, however committed they are, maybe seen as unimportant. However those Drama teachers experiencing and enjoying a school that appreciates Drama and uses it throughout school life for example in assemblies, community gatherings and the annual school performance may enjoy the freedom of the subject not being included in the National Curriculum, as they do not feel threatened about the validity of their teaching skills. There appears to be no straightforward conclusion over Dramas inclusion in the National Curriculum, however it must be pointed out that other parts of the British Isles make Drama a subject in its own right and provide excellent support for it. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from the way they have gone about this by an exchange of ideas on best practice. For example what criteria are they using to measure Dramas success as a subject; are more or less students choosing Drama as a subject at Secondary level; has its status had a positive or negative effect on the teachers? Without knowing the answers to these questions and many more besides we cannot hold these countries up as shining examples. There needs to be a way of trying to take the best from the arguments for and against Dramas inclusion in the National Curriculum. For example this research has shown that most of the Drama professionals feel that both the subject and they benefit from its inclusion to put them on a level playing field with other subjects. They believe that they may be taken more seriously and have more support from training being given. The concern of its inclusion appears to be that it could stifle the very creativity and freedom of expression some professionals believe Drama should be. They all appear to agree that Drama cannot be measured in academic terms as easily as other subjects as no marks are awarded for students personal development. Therefore after research and investigation into this question, the final conclusion is that Drama should be included in the National Curriculum as a discrete subject but only after the creation of relevant success criteria is added. Once there is an acceptable measurement formula in place Drama would then benefit from inclusion. As it stands at present there does not appear to be sufficient steps in place to recognise Drama students success.

Evolution and Education :: Science Teaching Argumentative Essays

Evolution and Education Whenever various debates have taken place in parts of the country regarding whether evolution should be taught in schools, I have always observed the situation with a degree of incredulousness; neither the parochial education I received in elementary and middle school nor the public education I received for high school ever attempted to dissuade us from learning about evolution, and while none of my classes ever taught evolution with as much depth as Ernst Mayr attempted to convey in What Evolution Is, both systems taught it as a fact – one that we took for granted. The debate on the use of the word "evolution" in the Georgia school system initially appeared to me to be a manifestation of more anti-evolution tendencies, although Superintendent Kathy Cox has not commented on the theory of evolution itself; "the unfortunate truth," stated Cox as her rationale, "is that 'evolution' has become a controversial buzzword that could prevent some from reading the proposed biology curriculum" (Gross A10). Whatever her own beliefs on the subject are, however, the elimin ation of the term "evolution" may provide cool comfort to the theory's detractors, but its overall effect is merely to hamper the student's understanding of what evolution entails. In place of "evolution," Georgia's proposed replacement is "biological changes over time"; it hopes to convey the meaning behind the word without using the word itself (Gross A10). Mayr's own definition seems to be rather similar when he states, "Evolution is change in the properties of populations of organisms over time," but a word expresses more than what a clipped dictionary definition can allow (Mayr 8). When "evolution" is used in daily parlance in a non-biological context, adaption is often an unspoken yet important component of it. If one speaks of "evolving as a person" or "evolving in his role as team captain," there is a sense that one is moving from a less-adapted state to becoming better suited for whatever it is one does. It implies that there is a development of certain qualities to be better suited for the environment an individual may find him- or herself in, not simply "changes over time" for the sake of change; while there is indeed a degree of randomness in how a species may evolve (or come to destruction, as the well-adapted dinosaurs did when a meteor struck and indelibly altered the environment), for the most part the changes are not entirely due to chance.

Problems in the Further Implementation of Sage Philosophy :: Philosophical Africa Essays

Problems in the Further Implementation of Sage Philosophy ABSTRACT: With the recent death of Prof. H. Odera Oruka, founder of the ‘sage philosophy’ school of research based at the University of Nairobi, there is a need to look at some now-problematic issues. I suggest that the original impetus for starting the sage philosophy project-the defense against Euro-American skeptics who thought Africans incapable of philosophizing-has been outgrown. The present need for studies of African sages is to benefit from their wisdom, both in Africa and around the world. I also suggest that the title ‘sage’ has to be problematized. While there were good reasons to focus earlier on rural elders as overlooked wise philosophers, the emphasis now should be on admiring philosophical thought wherever it may be found—in women, youth, and urban Africans as well. In such a way, philosophy will be further relevant to people’s lives, and further light will be shed and shared regarding the lived experience in Africa. Odera Oruka’s Own Criticism of Sage Philosophy Despite his pride in launching what many consider an important project in African philosophy, the writings of Odera Oruka himself express some doubts about the project. For example, in his essay "Philosophy in East Africa and the Future of Philosophical Research in Africa," he seems to refer to his own project as one of passing historical significance. There, after criticizing Tempels and other ethnophilosophers, he admits that he himself "indulge(s) in some kind of anthropological-cum-philosophical research." He said projects like his own sage philosophy and Sumner's researches into historical texts of Ethiopian philosophy were necessary at that historical point, but would soon give way to nationalist-ideological and professional-technical philosophy, trends he saw as more central to the future of African philosophy. In "Sage Philosophy Revisited," he states that "sage philosophy started as a reaction to a position which Europeans had adopted about Africa that Africans are not capab le of philosophy." So, does this imply that once Europeans change their perceptions of Africans, there will no longer be a need for professional philosophers to search out the ideas of wise rural sages? Even in this late essay, Odera Oruka continues to suggest that his work merely serves as a "base" for other forms of philosophy which will emerge in the future, but which he can't imagine right now. By "base" he seems to mean a collection of texts to which professional academic philosophers can turn, instead of always consulting European ones [Odera Oruka (1996, Ch.

Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children Essay

Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children Introduction Question 1 Â   Â   Â   Â  This research describes a research that is both qualitative and quantitative. To start with, the research can be said to use quantitative research method because it employs the use of the top down scientific method of research. Throughout the research, the researchers make use of quantitative data that involves the analysis of a number of variables like the preference of certain foods by some children and attraction to certain advertisements by some children. Moreover, the research uses quantitative research which involves the use of data that can be measured. For example, the number of children who took certain types of foods and the number of adverts that every child was shown. The main use of quantitative data in the research is to understand the behavior patterns of the children. Question 2 Â   Â   Â   Â  This research summary describes cross-sectional study which is also referred to as prevalence. This is because the research involves collecting data from a number of students who represent a large population. The study applied in the research summary is mainly descriptive and uses a small sample of students from a larger children population in England. In addition, the research summary describes cross sectional study because the findings can be used to describe the prevalence risk ratio of the concerned population. Question 3 Â   Â   Â   Â  The research summary is full of evidence to indicate that the researchers concerned did everything possible to ensure that the exercise was carried out ethically. The first evidence of attention to ethics was to inquire from the children involved whether they wished to take part in the exercise. This is important because nobody should be coerced into taking part in any study. Moreover, the researchers involved made sure that the advertisements that were used in the study were sourced from children and family programming. This is important because it ensured that the adverts did not contain any explicit contents. Question 4 Â   Â   Â   Â  The type of experiment contained in the research summary is a quasi-experiment. This is because all the independent variables used in the experiment like the age of the children, their gender and body mass index are things that already exist in the sample population. Unlike in a true experiment where people are assigned to different condition, all the children involved in the study were assigned to the same conditions. Question 5 Â   Â   Â   Â  Some of the variables that the experimenters considered were the weight of the children, exposure to TV food adverts, different types of foods and the amount of foods consumed by each child. The independent variable used in the experiment is the amount of food given to the children and the food adverts they were exposed to. The dependent variables that were used in this research were the effect of food adverts on the amount of food consumed by each child and relationship between the weight of a child and his/her ability to recognize food adverts. Question 6 Â   Â   Â   Â  The main reason why the researchers used commercials of non- food product was to see whether the children would remember the adverts that they had seen in general. The main role of non-food commercials was to test whether they would attract the attention of the children the same way with food adverts. Question 7 Â   Â   Â   Â  The conclusion at the end of the research summary suggests that there is a correlation between viewing TV and childhood obesity. This means that there exists a relationship between viewing too much TV and increased food intake. However, it is worthy noting that the relationship between the two is mutual or complementary. Question 8 Â   Â   Â   Â  There are two things that i would do differently if I were conducting this experiment. To begin with, I take into consideration the rate of physical activity in every child. This is because they extra calories consumed by each child could be used due to physical activity therefore reducing the probability of obesity. Secondly, I would consider factors that may lead to excessive viewing of TV like limited parental involvement and lenient parental rules. Reference Halford, J. C. G., Gillespie, J., Brown, V., Pontin, E. E., & Dovey, T. M. Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children, 2004. Print Source document

Panera Bread Case Study Essay

INTRODUCTION: Panera Bread is one of the great American success stories of breaking trends, and shaking up the market with complete innovation. Not only were they successful, but they were able to achieve this success while doing things their own way. Product and Service differentiation were the keys to this bakery-cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s success. Before Panera Bread’s creation in ___, never had a business combined the relaxing environment of a cafà © with the fresh aroma of an artisan’s bakery. This proved to be a gold mine for its owner and stakeholders, and the analysis of this period from 2001 to 2003 shows exactly why. In this analysis, we will examine the success factors of Panera Bread and explain why they were able to achieve some of the goals they had accomplished thus far. We will also explain some alternatives and opportunities that Panera Bread may look forward to taking advantage of in the future. Panera Bread’s mission was to create the bakery-cafà ©; a place the combined the welcoming atmosphere of coffee shops, the food of sandwich shops, and the quick service of fast food restaurants. They named this type of service â€Å"fast-casual† dining and the term fits because of the atmosphere and quality of service they were able to provide. Panera Bread targeted 5 key consumer dining needs which include the following: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: CURRENT SITUATION The company’s revenues rose from 350.8 million to 977.1 million between 2000 and 2003 as a result of new unit expansion, with 419 stores opening between 1999 and 2003. In 2000 system wide comparison sales and annualized unit volumes increased 9.1% and 12%. The growth of these two metrics decreased in the years following with system wide comparable sales and AUVs increasing only .2% and .5%. GENERAL ENVIRONMENT The fast-casual dining market consists of those companies that seek to fill the gap between fast-food chains and full-service restaurants. These companies offer speed, efficiency, inexpensiveness, hospitality, quality and ambiance. These restaurants fall under fast casual when they offer self-service, a check between 6 and 9 dollars, slightly more expensive than fast food but cheaper than full service restaurants. Other requirements include that the food be made to order and the dà ©cor being upscale. This market of restaurants experienced significant growth between 1999 and 2003. Continued growth was expected with sales projected to reach 50 billion in the following decade. This growth was expected to come at the expense of fast food chains. The industry’s growth started with high profitability and diverse dining avenues, with concepts such as Mexican, Chinese, and bakeries. Opening costs for these establishments in relation to annual sales was minimal, allowing more new players to get into the market with fresh concepts and menu items. Also the maturing of baby boomers and their children contributed largely to the growth of the fast casual market. This demographic expressed insufficient time for cooking while growing tired of fast food and desiring a high-quality, fresh, healthy dining experience, without the time consumption of a full dining restaurant. This market has effectively emerged itself into a legitimate trend in the restaurant industry. Modern day customers seek establishments that combine qualities such as a casual atmosphere, quality, and quick service. Panera Bread focuses on these aspects of their bakeries by offering breakfast, lunch, daytime â€Å"chill-out, lunch in the evening and take home meals; in alignment with consumer dining  needs. The company’s customer base included seniors, matinee-goers, shoppers, business professionals, and students. The company focuses on delivering high quality foods, targeting suburban dwellers and workers as a premium specialty bakery and cafà ©. Panera Bread was a pioneer in the cafà ©-bakery segment with unique concepts and operation strengths, which has led the company to its current position in the fast casual dining market. The company designed its concept in meeting the consumer’s needs of efficiency and the desire for high quality dining, which aren’t met by traditional fast food chains. The company strived to establish Panera Bread as a leading national brand, with its operation quality, real estate strategies, and design being integral to their success Each company-operated bakery had computerized cash registers to collect point of sale transaction data, used in generating marketing information. Product prices were programmed into the system from the corporate office. The company’s in-store information system was designed to assist in labor scheduling and food cost management, to provide corporate and retail operation management fast access to data, and to reduce administrative time. These systems supplied data to the company’s accounting department daily, enabling them to use the data to generate weekly reports on sales and other important elements. The company also monitored the average check, customer count, product mix, and other sales trends. Also, facilities had systems that allowed the dough facilities to accept electronic orders from the bakery and deliver orders to the bakeries. TASK ENVIRONMENT Employees consisted of full time associates in administrative or general positions, commissary operators, bakers, and associates at the bakeries. As of December 2003 the company had 3,924 full time associates, of whom 344 were employed in general or administrative roles principally at or from the company’s support centers. The company also had 4,078 part-time hourly associates at the bakeries. The company’s priority was staffing its bakeries, fresh dough facilities, and support centers with skilled associates, investing in training programs to ensure quality. The company  offered incentive programs and bonuses to salaried employees, with the addition of product discounts and employee stock options. Panera Bread believed that providing bakery-cafà © operators the opportunity to participate in the success of the company would enable the company to attract and retain highly motivated and experienced personnel, resulting in a better customer experience. The company targets mostly those individuals in urban areas, focusing on white collar workers who seek a fast and healthier alternative from fast food burgers and other common establishments of fast service. With a large focus on individuals seeking a fast, quality bakery product, the company seeks to give its target customers a stylish ambiance to dine in. Panera Bread’s competition derived from sources within its trade areas. The stores competed based on consumers need for breakfast, lunch, daytime, lunch in the evening, and take home bread sales with the competitive factors being location, environment, customer service, price, and quality of products. The company also competed for leased space in desirable locations where certain competitors had capital resources that exceeded those available to Panera Bread. Those primary competitors included specialty food and casual dining restaurant retailers, including national, regional, and locally owned concepts. Panera Bread had a fresh dough facility system that supplied fresh dough to the company owned and franchise operated bakeries daily. The company had 16 commissaries that prepare the fresh dough. These commissaries assured product quality and consistency, headed by the company’s master artisan baker, Mile Marino, who has been with the company since 1987. The company also entered into five year contract with a company named Bunge for its supply of frozen dough. The company also signed an agreement with Dawn Food Products to prep and deliver the frozen dough; structured as a cost-plus agreement. Franchised bakery’s operated under individual contracts with either the company distributor or other regional distributors, with three companies serving as the primary distributors for Panera Bread. The company has had increasing stock holder’s equity between 1999 and 2003, with its most recent total stockholder’s equity equaling 195,937 in December of 2003. Total incurred liabilities of the company equaled $46,235 in December of 2003 which made for a total liabilities and stockholder’s equity of $245,943  for the year. INTERNAL ANALYSIS The company strategy centered around a conceptual focus on the specialty bakery category with a focus on artisan attention bread made with all-natural ingredients. The strategies implemented by the company focus on meeting the important consumer trends met by fast food chains, while striving for a more upscale environment. In an effort to make Panera Bread emerge into a nationally dominant name, the company framed its menu, operating systems, prototype, and strategies around effective competition within sub-level business targets. This helped to company to increase profits between 2002 and 2003. The unique character of Panera Bread’s quality in its cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s, menu options, distinguished bakery design, along with the valuable locations of its stores contributed to its success. The company planned to combine company and franchise efforts in order to achieve its growth. Franchising proved to be a key factor in the company’s success, allowing the company to expand mo re rapidly due to increased resources to outfit the strategies and concepts produced by Panera. At the closing of the 2003 fiscal year, the company had 429 bakeries in operation and documented intention of opening an addition 409 bakeries. The company has 8 key executive officers with extensive experience, both with Panera Bread and also with other major corporations and organizations including Starbucks, Fidelity Investments, and other companies. All of these officers obtained their position with Panera between 1999 and 2003. The company derives its culture from the pre-existing chains of fast food and full service dine-ins. In an effort to supply consumers with a third option that combined the attributes of both of these markets, the company, through many stages of conception, effectively identified a niche within urban consumers. The company pioneered a new market segment of food service trends and through constant growth and innovation has built a successful company. The company is structured with top management and board executives establishing and updating views goals and visions for the growth and target of the restaurant chain. The company has both corporate and franchise operated bakery’s that adhere to the vision and direction of company management and consumer trends. STRATEGY FORMATION: Panera Bread has maintained its business strategy over its lifespan and they continue to employ a product/service differentiation strategy to sustain their competitive advantage as a fast-casual dining experience. This strategy has enabled them to grow very swiftly over the past 15-20 years and has given them a substantial hold on the market for fast-casual dining. Panera Bread’s decision to employ this differentiation strategy correctly, gives them the best opportunity to succeed for their target market. They are in a market where there are many ways to differentiate the products and services they provide. Buyers often perceive these differences as the product/service having value. Fortunately, few rival firms are following this distinct differentiation approach. Ron Schaich and his team were correct when concluding that this differentiation strategy would attract patrons which gave Panera Bread every reason to employ this strategy. To differentiate themselves from the likes of McDonald’s, Burger King, or Pizza Hut; they focused on an extremely high quality of food products. This played into their game plan of becoming a specialty cafe and they continued to choose the best and most natural ingredients for their products. Every loaf of bread is baked with the four ingredients, water, natural yeast, flour and salt, no chemicals or preservatives are ever used. Another practice they employ to provide first class products is within their supply chain. To provide fresh dough to their locations every day, they have many regional fresh dough facilities. These facilities would go through a 48 hour process to prepare bread and bagel dough for shipment, which provides consistent quality and efficiency to all the locations. Panera Bread also found that many customers were more health conscious which prompted them to introduce a full line of whole grain breads. Other improvements that they instituted included new artisan sweet goods, egg soufflà ©s and natural anti-biotic free chicken all to meet the customer’s ever changing preferences. These are the practices upon which Panera Bread has continued to provide an exceptional distinct product line to its customers in hopes of sustaining a competitive advantage. Panera has also implemented change in other areas to provide their customers with a differentiated service experience. They have employed a cafe design which created one of the most comfortable and warm environments to dine in. This has been very successful for their strategy of distinguishing themselves and their offerings to customers. Like Starbucks, they wanted to create an environment in which consumers would identify Panera Bread as a neighborhood meeting place. As a result, patrons would continuously use a Panera Bread location for all sorts of gatherings whether they are for business or pleasure. One of the greatest benefits that Panera Bread provides to its customers is free wireless high-speed internet and since they were one of the first to do so, this created a competitive advantage for them. The fast-casual dining industry is generally a new concept. At this point, Panera needs to sustain its leadership and competitive advantage in this industry to continue to grow and fend off competitors. One of the best defensive strategies that they can employ is the leverage gained by economies of scale. With these economies they can continue to offer their products on their terms, which give them an advantage over the competition. This in turn gives them more control over the market and the suppliers in this industry. Here they can block avenues for current competitors as well as new entrants. If they can continue to stay on the top of the industry they can continue to employ this defensive strategy. One of the main reasons that Panera Bread is relevant is because of its size. At this point they are one of the largest fast-casual dining businesses and they use this size to stimulate further growth. Continuing to grow gives them the opportunity to generate more revenue if executed well with the right buyers. Revenue is always a great reason for expansion and Panera Bread knows this. They are one of the best in the restaurant industry at recognizing shifts in consumer preferences and being able to make the proper adjustments to satisfy their customers. This is crucial especially in today’s world where change is continuous and rapid. As Panera Bread consistently strives to be a leader in product and environmental offerings,  it’s crucial that they continue to be aware of and progress along with the changing world. Even though they can employ some of these strategies in the future, they can’t lose track of their business model for fast-casual dining restaurants in the process. Though Panera Bread has been very successful during this period, there are some strategies which they can enact to stimulate a growth in profits. Unfortunately, with each benefit from an alternative there is always a cost that Panera Bread may or may not be willing to incur. Firstly, Panera Bread could try to vertically integrate their products. This would call for them to pre-pack some of their bread and sandwich products and sell them in local grocery chains across the United States. This strategy would make their products more accessible to the general public even where there are no Panera Bread cafà ©-bakeries nearby. One of the key risks with strategy would be the possibility that product quality would diminish because the products are not being made fresh within the actual bakeries. The second strategic alternative would be the use of mini cafes within retail stores. This strategy has already been implemented by Starbucks with their mini cafes inside of Target retail stores. This would also make the products more accessible to the general public, thus giving Panera Bread more exposure. This strategy would require Panera Bread to train managers within the retail store to be able to handle the proper preparation of their products. Lastly, the third alternative would be acquiring local cafes and transforming them into new cafà ©-bakery locations. This strategy would essentially eliminate competition and create new areas where these products can be accessed. On the other hand, if Panera Bread is unable to conduct full takeovers, there is a risk that they could lose some of the authenticity of their products/services.

Reflection: Patient and Surgery Center

Kimberly Blatnica Preceptor Site: Surgery Center at Regency Park Clinical Reflection 4 17 October 2012 Today’s clinical experience allowed for new education and skill practice. I was able to precept in post-op, which was a great change. Being in pre-op, we are responsible for receiving clients from the OR. We then monitor them, reeducate, prepare for and perform discharge, and cleaning the area that was used by disinfecting, tossing and replacing linens, and moving the bed to an empty room in pre-op. We receive report from the circulating nurse and the nurse anesthetist when they first bring the patient to recovery.Together we hook the patient up to the monitors and record the first set of vitals together. These include: blood pressure, heart rate, respirations, temperature, pulse ox, pain (if patient is conscious), and an ECG reading if they were general. When I first arrived to clinical today- I was told we were going to be busy. I was also able to work with clients’ receiving urology and ENT procedures, not just cataracts. Urology was new for me but I was excited to be doing something different. Learning needs identified for this experience were only regarding urology patients.They differ due to the use of general anesthesia, the need to void before discharge, education of post-op care, and pain medication administration. Learning needs I identified from this experience includes education about the different urology procedures and education, how to effectively care for a general anesthesia patient during recovery, and complications. I met my needs by asking many questions during clinical and the use of our textbook. One of my client’s primary concerns occurred after he received a cystoscopy with the insertion of an indwelling urethral stent.This patient was a 52 year old male, with mild hypertension. No other health concerns were noted in his chart. He originally scheduled the procedure in order to remove a very large stone. However afte r waking up and speaking with the surgeon, he was told he had been too inflamed for the procedure. The surgeon asked him to schedule a second attempt for the removal for next week, in hopes the stent would decrease the swelling. This client also did not know how to care for the stent. The stent will make a patient feel the constant urge to void. This sensation is often relieved by pain medication.It is very uncomfortable and can easily be dislodged while passing stool, wiping, cleaning the area, and getting dressed. This specidic stent is attached to a string that hangs outside the patient’s body. The stent can lead to infection if the area is not kept clean. These were important concepts to discuss with the client. Main points I helped to educate were: take pain medication every 6 hours to eliminate the likelihood of increased pain, drink plenty of fluid to help flush the renal system, no bathes, signs of infection, situations when to calling the doctor is a must, and how to care for the stent.I also helped administer 2 rounds of Fentanyl and two Percocet to help relieve his discomfort and urge to void. He was then able to void which resulted in blood tinged urine. We assured the patient this was normal for the first void following surgery. He was in a lot of pain during this process. It was more comfortable for him to stand, but during his stay he spent most of his time sitting. He also had a forty-five minute drive home, which is why we decided to administer two Percocet, instead of one. One course objective I met today was: demonstrate effective communication skills.This was completed during every education session I had with my patients and their family member/friend prior to discharge. Regardless of the procedure, every person is provided with post-op care instructions. A second course objective I met was: collaborate with patients, families, health care team members, and others in the provision of care. I worked side by side with great nurses all day. We worked as a team with interventions, time management, discussions about the patient’s needs and concerns, reports, and preparations. We also worked close with those working in the OR.Also, while educating patients, sometimes there is a need to collaborate alternatives. This is important to maintain outstanding health care. Report on one patient at least 3 times throughout the semester| The 52 year old male described previously received surgery today in hopes of removing a painful stone. He was experiencing abdominal pain and has had a history of past stones requiring surgery. Diagnostic studies for this patient included a previous x-ray and today’s cystoscopy. The indications for surgical stone removal include: stones too large for spontaneous assage, stones associated with infection or impaired renal function, stones which cause persistent pain, nausea, or ileus, a patient’s inability to be treated with medication, or a patient with only one kidney (Le wis, 1137). Those associated in this case were size, risk for infection, renal function, and pain. An aspect that differed from a typical care was the inability for stone removal and severe inflammation (Lewis, 1137-8). The passageway was so swollen; the surgeon could not even get near the stone’s location.Furthermore, usually patients will know why they have the reoccurrence of stones, while this patient did not. They hope after removing the stone, they will be able to prevent further episodes by testing the actual stone’s composition. Another patient I cared for today was a 17 month old male. His diagnosis was unspecified chronic nonsupportive otitis media. He received a typanostomy. Many symptoms and complications of otitis media in our text are congruent with this patient’s history- even though this patient is not an adult.The patient has a history of purulent exudates, bilateral hearing loss, and inflammation of the middle ear (Lewis, 426). Differentiating from our text, the child was often times seen pulling on his ears as a result of pain; while our text states it’s more likely to be painless (Lewis, 426). Complications of this disorder results in chronic inflammation which was most likely the cause of his pain. Typanoplasty, ear irrigations, antibiotics, analgesic, and surgery are all recommendations for those with Otitis media (Lewis, 426). These interventions were in the patient’s file.Today, he had the tubes removed from both ears and left with a prescription for Tylenol and antibiotics. This procedure was recommended if medication was not successful (Lewis, 426). | Report on at least ONCE throughout the semester | Today during the recovery of the 52 year old male mentioned above, we noticed he did not have his two prescriptions written. It was important we found the surgeon before he left (this happened to be his last case). The patient was missing his prescription for his antibiotic and pain medication. Both impo rtant for his recovery and duration between surgeries.My preceptor paged for the surgeon, and he happened to return before she returned to the patients area. I was feeding the patient ice cubes when he asked me what the call was for. I was able to show the surgeon his orders and blank scripts. He filled them out and I began to explain the use of and directions for both medications. I was able to communicate with the surgeon both effectively and professionally. Furthermore, it helped the surgeon was very nice- to staff and patients. I did not think or feel much about the interaction ahead of time. It happened so fast, but once it was over I was proud of myself.I feel even as a student nurse, you still have to be prepared for anything. If I could, I would change the fact the prescriptions were written out ahead of time. At the surgery center we have receptionists that organize our charts. These staff members keep the jobs of nurses and doctors organized and effective. A couple weeks a go, I was going through a chart and noticed a patient’s medication reconsolidation form was missing. By speaking to the receptionists, they were able to obtain another copy. This form is very important when discussing medication regimens with patients in post-op.It is important for new medications to be explained and checked for incompatibilities with other medications the patient is prescribed. I felt speaking to the receptionists was not much of a challenge; however, without their help we could have had a more serious complication. I do not feel receptionists get enough credit in the medical setting. They may not be running around all day; however, without them at the surgery center (which does not have EMRs) they play a role in patient safety and allow everyone else to perform their duties. |