Professional teacher Essay

Development takes what is there as a valuable starting point, not as something to be replaced, but a useful platform on which to build. To do so is to recognise not only that teachers do have valuable existing expertise but also that, if teachers are forced to choose, they will usually revert to their secure established ways of doing things. The metaphor of ‘building on what is already there’ is not, however, satisfactory because it suggests adding on something separate to what is there, something extra on top. The concept of development, in contrast, implies that whatever is added, whatever is new, will be integrated with what is there already, and will indeed grow from what is there. † McIntyre and Hagger (1992, p. 271) This places the teacher in a position of power and responsibility. It means that the teacher is the arbiter of change. If a proposed change does not meet with the approval of the teacher, then there is little likelihood that the change will be introduced. What sometimes happens is that, where a proposed reform partly meets with the approval of a teacher, the proposed change is revised. It may be scaled down, some of the less acceptable aspects removed or emphases may be changed. The proposed reform undergoes a process of customization to suit the circumstances and priorities of the individual teacher. This position of power in relation to change and reform also brings with it considerable responsibility. Teachers must be attuned to the need for change. They need to be proactive, able to take initiatives in relation to change but also to make sound judgments about the value and relevance of any change, proposed by others or initiated by themselves. They cannot afford to reject all change outright or be dismissive of it. To do so would be to abandon a professional obligation to work in the interests of students and the future of society. Every professional teacher must be able to articulate fully the bases for his or her own practical theory. Being explicit about one’s own practical theory is essential for a number of reasons. First, it ensures that explanations of the bases for actions in the classroom can be provided and the expectation of professional accountability discharged. Second, knowing in detail one’s practical theory facilitates the process of review and revision. Here the position of the teacher is somewhat akin to that of a medical expert or flight engineer. Only expert knowledge of how the human body or plane operates can provide a basis for the correction of malfunctions. Thirdly, it allows for a fuller and quicker assessment of proposals for change. Areas of compatibility/incompatibility and the flaws inherent in existing and proposed practical theories can be more readily identified. Moreover, it is more likely that unsound proposals for change will be detected. Interpreting student teacher learning as learning by reflection on can be taken a step further by also applying this idea to other components of teacher education, such as group seminars on campus. The realistic approach can be used at the level of a class on campus by creating an experience in that class which is the basis for learning for a whole group. One example is the idea of organizing 10-minutes lessons given by student teachers to their fellow students. Korthagen, F. A. J. Nevertheless, what teachers do as they design their approaches to teaching has many of the hallmarks of theory building. They address significant problems related to student learning, they design and experiment with ways of solving those problems, they inquire into the relative effectiveness of these ways by using data from observations, tests and feedback from others to assist them, they identify patterns which give rise to predictions about what is likely to happen, and they build bases for professional action.

Misbehavior: Automobile and Consequences Essay

Every child misbehaves in their life. Whether it be one time or a thousand times. It teaches us a lesson. Without misbehavior we wouldn’t know what is right and what is wrong. Once we act and do something wrong, we learn and move on from our mistakes, knowing what the right choice is. In my life I have misbehaved and done numerous things that were wrong. However, I am somewhat grateful that I did these wrong things because without doing them and receiving consequences I wouldn’t know the difference between right and wrong. This essay is one example of how I have misbehaved at one point in my life. In June of 2003, I was six, almost 7. I had the knowledge that I probably shouldn’t try and control a car by myself. However, I had been behind the wheel a few times and would control the wheel while either on my father’s or mother’s lap. I knew how to control most things, the gas, the gear shift, the seat controls. I also thought I knew how to control the brakes; however I might have been wrong. All of these things led me to believe that I could control the car without being supervised. I had some idea that it wasn’t right to get in the driver seat but I didn’t think the consequences would be that bad, even if I did succeed. I decided to do it. My mom had just gone inside; she had left something in the house that she needed to get. She left the keys in the ignition. I saw this as an opportunity to back up the car. I made my way from the back seat to the front by jumping over the middle consul; I knew I didn’t have much time, so I tried to be as quick as possible. I put my foot on the brake, preparing myself for when I switched gears. As I shifted from park to reverse nerves suddenly came over me. I felt fear. Due to my nerves and fear I became overwhelmed and put way too much pressure on the gas pedal. The next thing I remember is me hitting a tree that was about 15 feet behind where the car was originally parked. As I panicked, I saw my mother, running out of the house. Vaus1 My mother was going to be mad, I just didn’t know how mad exactly. I had made a mistake that I couldn’t take back. My mother however, was more concerned about me than the damage done to the car. She checked to see if I was okay, I was fine. Next she checked the back of the car where she discovered a HUGE dent. Surprisingly my mother remained calm and didn’t freak out like I assumed she would. I was then sent to my bedroom where I anxiously awaited my mother’s entrance. Finally she came in and talked to me. I had consequences, but not too serious. I was grounded from seeing friends, playing video games, and watching tv or anything like that. I believe my consequences were not that bad and I am thankful for this experience. If I didn’t do what I had done I would not have learned this important lesson that I will always remember.

Tyrrells Crisp business human reource plan Case Study

Tyrrells Crisp business human reource plan - Case Study Example However the founder cannot tolerate anything like entering into another deal with the supermarkets having almost brought the business to a halt earlier and forced him to start producing potato crisps and selling them direct to the retailers. Apparently he still has fear for involvement with the large supermarket chains. But there are many businesses which are courting Tyrell's Crisp business and it has become hard for the owner to make a choice on which direction the business should take. However it seems entering into partnership will be one of the best strategies that will be suited to move the business forward. In this regard entering into a partnership will help the business to penetrate many countries in the market but only if it enters into partnership with a business that has international presence. This means that it has to scrutinize all suitors and find the one which has as strong market distribution channel and enter into legally binding agreement on how the distribution channel will be unlike in the past when the business has suffered also from undefined distribution chain. The current business strategy of Tyrell's is to market its product directly to the retailers. In order to achieve this it needs to have some measures that will help it achieve this direct marketing strategy. Let us look at how a human resource plan can help the business to achieve its overall goal. How can Human Resource Plan assist the business Human resource planning describes the way in which a company ensures that the staffs hired are the right for the job that they have been hired for. It also goes further to describe the way these companies manage their employees in order to ensure that the company gets maximum output from the employees and that they are retained in the business. It also covers the way the company ensure that they are trained in order to acquire skill and competency in their work to become the most important asset that the company holds. A human resource plan is a strategic guide and partner to any business that is willing to get the best from the workforce. It has been shown that competent employees are one of the important capital investments that can help a company to acquire a competitive edge which other companies may find difficult to replicate. But this only results when the employees are well managed and incentive put in place to motivate them to work. It also comes with carrying out training from time to time to help tie employees acquire new skills. (Aaker, 2002, p. 34) In the Tyrell's Crisp business strategy, a human resource plan will be very crucial since it will help the business to recruit the most important employees right from the star who are qualified fro the job. A well planned human resource plan will also help the company integrate the management of the employees into the overall business strategy which is important if the company has to succeed in its work. The plan will also assist the business in coming up with work schedule that fits its operation in the since that it will be able to control it workforce and hence payroll. The plan will help the company to come up with the best incentive package that will help the workforce to perform as required. The plan will help in preparing schedule for inducting the employees with new skills that

Issue of Redemption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Issue of Redemption - Research Paper Example He get to know the truth from Dorotes while they are both in their graves. Death does not stop their sorrow but only an addition of it. From outside the grave they endure to be troubled by the provoking dream of a joy from which they are constantly omitted. Pedro Paroma He is the hero and also the enemy in the novel Pedro Paroma. He is both the protagonist and antagonist because he takes the role of a cross purposes. He has the character of making critical decisions without fear. For instance, he was able to get rid of his debt and acquire more land (Rulfo, Pp 12). The unfortunate thing is that he cannot use his character of making critical decisions for the betterment of the society. Pedro Paroma is presented as a tragic hero since he longs dearly for Susana , but he is unable to overcome her death. The one mistake that is connected to him is the way he cannot forget the death of Susana. This is evident because he is unable to function without the motivations of Susana. Pedro is cha rged with the role of productivity as the main figurehead in his work. This is because a lot is expected from his work. Pedro is extremely immoral because he has impregnated many women in town even though he has the best interest of comal in heart. This is because he is responsibly of the well being of this town. Pedrop has many children â€Å"Padre brings many to his door step† one of them being Miguel although he can also decide to fold his arms and let the town of camola die. This has given him a strong role since he holds the power of life and productiveness in the town. The name Pedro is extremely significant in the novel. This is because the name Pedro means rock of Christ when translated in English while the name paramo means unproductive heat. This is hugely ironic because the works of Pedro collapses like a mountain of rocks after seeing what his land has turned into. Susana San Juan Pedro loves Susana more than he loves his life. The two knew each other from their c hildhood since they grew up together. Susana had a tragic experience since her parents died horrible deaths. Susana mother died friendless, and later her father died in the mines of Andromeda by Sedano so that she could be married by Pedro. Susan was affected tremendously much by the death of her first husband because she loved him extremely (Rulfo, Pp 45). The death of her husband made Susana become delusional because she talks to her self thinking that his husband is alive. Susana seems to have loved his husband for his body but not his character. Even though, Susan did have sex with Pedro, it is because he wanted her desperately. Susana never got married to Pedro because he never had a divorce with Dolores. The death Susana affects Pedro exceeding much that he even refuses to work and even lets the town perish. Susana is characterized as the rain and water because she motivated Pedro to work. The passages when she is found have a background of rain meaning Susana irrigates life. The life of Pedro and Susana has a lot of similarity. For instances, Pedro has father has died, and this is the same case with Susana who lost her father in the mines. Pedro and Susana are strongly affected when their loose the people they love. Susana is strongly affected by the death of her first husband. This makes him to be delusional that she even starts talking to her self thinking that he is alive. The same case happens to Pedro when Susana dies. He becomes

Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast - Essay Example Expenditure on coasts has risen to protect the coast from further depletion as well as shielding nearby residences from flooding. People have tried for many years to control erosion by the abrasive forces of the ocean. In the following paragraphs, I will depict some of the reasons for the erosion of international coastlines. Then, find will analyze the types of sea defences that can protect coastlines. Then we will evaluate which sea defence is will aid Clacton on Essex coast. Coastal erosion is the local loss of coastal landmass due to natural processes such as waves, winds and tides, or even due to human interference. There are many reasons why there is an erosion happens on coastland. A simpler reason is because the pounding of waves that affect the shoreline daily (i.e. High tide and low tide.) The natural causes such as storms, hurricanes, instanteous surges toward the shore can change the form of the shore. Large storm-generated waves often cause coastal erosion, which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely in the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments. Erosion in one location may result in accretion nearby. On rocky coasts, coastal erosion can result in dramatic rock formations in areas where the coastline contains stones with a plethora of resistances to erosion. The softer areas of a beach will be eroded much faster than the harder ones, which can result in typical structural land masses such as tunnels, bri dges, columns, and pillars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_erosion) Some insinuate the temperature change of the climate due to global warming may contribute to erosion. As the planet's temperature rises, the ice caps in the north and south begin to melt and results in higher sea levels. The increased in temperature is do to emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The planetary climate system varies through natural, internal processes and in response to variations in external factors including solar radiation, volcanic emissions, and human proliferated greenhouse gases. The detailed causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the scientific studies insists that increased levels of greenhouse gases due to human activity as the main component. This attribution is clearest for the most recent fifty years, for which the most detailed data are available. Contrasting with this view, other hypotheses have been proposed to explain some of the observe d increase in global temperatures, including: the warming is within the range of natural variation; the warming is a consequence of coming out of a prior cool period, namely the Little Ice Age; or the warming is primarily a result of variances in solar radiation, higher sea levels will strengthen the displacement of sediments and can affect coastal habitats. In addition, droughts can cause vegetation to die. When the vegetation dies, the land is loose because the roots no longer can hold together the ground because it is decaying. Therefore, coastal erosion can easily uproot and erode the dry land mass. Furthermore, flooding has been for centuries a major problem for residents residing near shores. Not only does water destroy property or sacrosanct materials, but it can decapitate homes and threaten life. Coastal erosion affects homes, tourism, and businesses. When many settle in a coastal area, they begin building homes. Then, if that area has a tourist attraction,

Microbiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microbiology - Essay Example These findings established an association between the â€Å"questioning† microbes and disease. Indicating that disease is caused due to the attack by tiny micro-organisms. This formed the basis for further research. Whereas, Robert Koch in 1890, physician and bacteriologist further, confirmed this microbial association with the disease. Based on his constant research he established that: a. The bacteria must be present in every disease. b. The bacteria must be isolated from the host suffering from the disease and should be grown in the pure culture. c. The disease must be repeated and reproduced if organism from the pure culture is inoculated into a healthy host. d. Again the same bacteria should be revered from the infected host. All these systematic postulation were not laid by Bassi and Pasteur. Although these postulates do not work when there is no animal model available to test a specific bacteria. Moreover a few bacteria cannot be grown in pure culture in the laboratory conditions, e.g. Mycobacterium laprae the causal organism of leprosy cannot be grown in pure culture. In certain cases virulence or disease causing ability is acquired, so the postulate does not hold true. In certain cases the microbe gains access via trauma, injury or through surgery, then also Koch's postulate are not valid.

Case Study - Mountain Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study - Mountain Bank - Essay Example Universalistic approach Universalistic approach focuses on identifying a set of practices that are beneficial to all organizations. It has a number of practices known as the commitment strategy that are beneficial to organizations. Practices in the commitment strategy give an impression that management cares about its employees. The strategy also ensures that employees have the training and freedom to pursue important job tasks. Mountain Bank should ensure that the tellers are treated well and know that they are valued as they are the main contact persons with the customers. A good and committed work force has been proved to increase efficiency in an organization and therefore increasing the overall productivity of the organization. Employees should be well trained on their tasks as they are the main drivers of customer satisfaction in the organization. Long term commitment will also assist in facilitating the strategy of leveraging the strong retailing clientele to taking up their s ervices in the real estate and corporate areas. Human Resource Strategies There are four human resource strategies that an organization can take up and these include the internal/cost approach, external/cost approach, internal/differentiation approach and external/differentiation approach. ... This strategy emphasizes hiring and retaining loyal employees who do task as per instructions given. Organizations with this strategy design work so that employees have broad roles and perform a variety of different tasks. Persons recruited and hired fit the organization culture and have a potential to become loyal employees. Efforts are made to satisfy the needs of employees and build a strong bond that reduces the likelihood of employee turnover. Organizations with this human resource strategy hire people early in their careers and provide them with extensive training in a number of different skills. Careers include different positions and promotions are made into positions that are not closely related to previous experiences. Performance appraisals are designed to facilitate cooperation rather than competition, thus encouraging team work. Compensation includes long-term incentives and benefits. Unions which help build feelings of unity are common in organizations with this kind of strategy. The external orientation combined with a cost leadership strategy results in a Bargain Laborer HR strategy. The emphasis of this strategy is on obtaining employees who do not demand high wages. Organizations with this strategy design work so that managers can tightly control employee efforts. Each employee is given clearly defined tasks that can be learned easily. People are recruited and hired to perform simple tasks that do not require clearly developed skills. Minimal attention is given in meeting the long-term needs of employees. Organizations with this human resource strategy don’t provide careers with clear paths for promotion and advancement. Performance appraisal focuses on a day-to-day feedback and rarely incorporates formal measures. Training is

Transformation of Shell - 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transformation of Shell - 4 - Essay Example From the results of a series of exercises conducted by several private management consultants, the company began to shift from their strict business attitude to social and environmental performance. As a result, the leadership attitude of the officials also changed; they geared up for taking more responsibilities. Similarly the Shell revised ‘General business Principles’ with regard to the results obtained from the integrity works. In addition to this, the company developed its own Web Site facilities in order to get timely feedback and suggestions from the public. Likewise, the shell international conducted ‘written and face to face’ conversations with stakeholders to remove their dissatisfaction. These changes were necessary for the Shell international since they had suffered a lot of internal as well as external problems such as Brent Spar issue, Nigerian human rights, and Shareholder campaigns. The resistance of Greenpeace to the disposal of Brent Spar at sea attained media coverage which reduced the company’s reputation among the public. The Shell also faced a consumer boycott which caused the decline of their sales volume to a large extent. Similarly â€Å"Shell’s return on average capital employed (ROACE), a common measure of performance in the petroleum industry, showed that the company lagged behind many of its competitors† (Lawrence, 2000, p.533). In addition to this the Shell executives had to compete with discount retailers at retail level which led them to reduce their efficiency in business operations. At the earlier stages the company had followed a matrix form of organization which resulted in red tapism and delayed decision making. The close analysis would make us think about the essential changes Shell required for taking advantage of maximum opportunities from the business. The Shell international had forgotten the basic principle that customers are the crucial part of a business without whom a business can

Basic Assessment of a Cuban American with limited English proficiency Assignment

Basic Assessment of a Cuban American with limited English proficiency - Assignment Example Here, the nurse might face linguistic difficulties because they speak different languages. Whereas the nurse speaks English, the patient does not even understand it. For a nurse to deal with such a situation, they need to be patient, understanding and tolerant. Besides, they should sharpen their communication skills. Meaning, they should not shun away the patient, but look for an interpreter to intervene. It would be advisable to incorporate the intervention of an interpreter as it would facilitate the communication process between the nurse and the patient. It is only through effective communication that the nurse would manage to interact with, listen to and understand the patient before offering any required services. Communication is a paramount activity in the nursing profession. When it is effectively done, the nurse would definitely involve the patient in the treatment process as they offer benevolent

Global village Essay Example for Free

Global village Essay America was a time of challenging authority and established conventions. It was into this era that a Professor of Media studies at Toronto University rose to media personality status. Marshall Mcluhan is famous for introducing society to catchy aphorisms such as â€Å"the medium is the message†. Although his theories have always been contested, they were popular at the time and are currently enjoying a revival. One such theory is his vision of the â€Å"Global Village† which I will discuss in this essay. To understand the term, a comprehension of some of his other ideas is necessary. Mcluhan was influenced by Harold Adams Innis who suggested that each medium of communication had a time â€Å"bias† which affected the stability of society. In short, he saw that â€Å"time biased† media such as stone carving would endure time and lead to a stable society. â€Å"Space biased† media, such as papyrus, could easily be revised and lead to an unstable culture (Meyrowitz 1985:17). Mcluhan went beyond this to suggest that different media have â€Å"sensory bias† (Postman went beyond this to argue that the medium contains an â€Å"ideological bias†). Mcluhan saw each new media invention as an extension of some human faculty. In The Medium is the Massage he notes, â€Å"All new media are extensions of some human faculty† (Mcluhan and Fiore 1967:26). The book illustrates some examples; the wheel of the foot, the book of the eye, clothing of the skin and electronic circuitry of the central nervous system. In terms of the â€Å"global village† the last extension is the most important. He saw us as breaking our ties with a local society and, through our new electronic extensions, connecting globally to a new world of total involvement. â€Å"We now live in a Global Village†¦a simultaneous happening† (Mcluhan Fiore 1967:63). He refers to the village as a global community, existing with a level of connection associated with small rural settlings. We can see evidence for this in terms of what is sometimes termed an â€Å"always on† culture. News travels instantaneously across the globe, 1 in 6 people own a mobile phone (Guardian 2002) and the Internet smashes old barriers of communication. However, the Internet was in its infancy when Mcluhan used the term, which was first used in response to radio. There is some debate over the origin of the term â€Å"global village†. Eric Mcluhan writes that James Joyce reffered to a similar phrase, as did Wyndham Lewis. His opinion is that his father was probably already developing the concept and found it referenced in Lewis’ work afterwards. Mcluhan’s view of the â€Å"Global Village† was positive. He saw it championing greater social involvement and wrote, â€Å"In an electronic information environment, minority groups can no longer be ignored† This is a technological determinist attitude as it holds the medium as the single key to their involvement. Mcluhan also notes, â€Å"there is absolutely no inevitability as long as there is a willingness to contemplate what is happening† (Mcluhan and Fiore 1967:25). This is rather at odds with some of Mcluhan’s other material. He often makes poetically powerful statements about our helplessness in the face of technology (â€Å"All media work us over completely† (Mcluhan Fiore 1967:26)). Digital TV offers increasing interactivity with Internet functions such as e-mail and online banking available next to greater entertainment choices. It is being put to an alternative use in sheltered housing by allowing residents in difficulty to contact the manager; an example of how new technology is including minority groups. However, with the advent of digital TV the Government has come under pressure to sell the broadcasting spectrum that analogue occupies and is planning to do so before 2010. The effects of this look set to create a greater divide than the one it healed. 50% of homes currently have digital TV but a third of homes are unable to receive digital TV at all. A report by the Department of Trade and Industry found that 6% of the population are likely to object to the switch-off based on the cost of upgrading and the belief that we watch too much TV (The Observer, 2004). If the analogue signal were to be switched off, those who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) receive digital TV would have no access to TV. The gap between rich and poor would accelerate and a greater social divide would exist. Technological Determinists refer to a â€Å"technological revolution† and since the invention of this term there has been concern for those left outside. The issue is more complex than Mcluhan presents it and subject to factors beyond that of just the medium. In Mcluhan’s time the Internet was far from the widespread facility it is today. He died in 1980, but only 5 years later the system to which the phrase â€Å"online community† is most pertinent was operational. Internet forums allow a number of people across the globe to converse in real time. The Internet seems to provide the most convincing argument for the â€Å"global village†. With broadband most actions are instant, allowing the user to converse, transfer money, view information and order products regardless of geography. Mcluhan’s idea of electronic circuitry extending the nervous system is easier to comprehend when you consider someone sitting down at a computer. The physical action of typing becomes the cause, but the effect is realised in an electronic global network. Meyrowitz notes how â€Å"At one time, parents had the ability to discipline a child by sending the child to his or her room-a form of ex-communication from social interaction† (Meyrowitz 1985:Preface). This is no longer the case. The Internet offers the possibility of extending our central nervous system across the globe. It is intrinsic in today’s society and much has been written over its social effects. Wellman and Gulia remark, â€Å"those on either side of this debate assert that the Internet will create either wonderful new forms of community or will destroy communication altogether† (Wellman: â€Å"The Networked Community†). The reality is unlikely to be as clear as this (although Mcluhan’s â€Å"global village† would suggest that it is). Meyrowitz has argued that new media blur the boundaries between public and private behaviour (Meyrowitz 1985:93-114). The same headline in a newspaper and read by a newsreader are two different messages. Print media does not invite the same depth of character analysis that TV does. The public broadcast begins to merge a private situation and invites a personal reading of the presenter. The personal homepage is an explicit example of the blurring between public and private boundaries. People from all walks of life are making available to the connected world their presentation of themselves. Cheung notes how it can be emancipatory as it allows you to rehearse your presentation (Cheung 2000). Unlike face-to-face communication you can refine your presentation until you are content. Mcluhan envisaged the â€Å"global village† as creating a greater level of social involvement and to some extent we can see this happening with the personal homepage. Individuals are reaching out to a global mass audience to say, â€Å"this is me†. Grosswiler notes that Mcluhan â€Å"would have agreed with the idea that electronic media increase the desire for closeness and intimacy in the Global Village† (Grosswiler 1998:118). However there is a problem in defining what we mean by â€Å"closeness and intimacy†. A personal webpage is more personal than the BBC homepage but not as personal as face-to-face communication. Mcluhan would argue that the â€Å"closeness and intimacy† on the personal webpage is the only type that exists as we live in the â€Å"global village†. For Mcluhan there was no other village and intimacy could be with anyone, anywhere. There is a tendency by those who consider the Internet in a technologically determinist way to view it in isolation. The Internet is for most people not the totality of their social interaction, although it is becoming increasing possible to live your life without human contact. It is possible to order almost everything you could need using the Internet, yet town centres still exist. I may talk to friends online but the majority of communication with them will be face-to-face. Mcluhan is often accused of exaggerating his conclusions and this is evident. While the personal webpage is popular it doesn’t provide a substantial system of interaction. It also clear that while a minority of people make friends online, face-to-face interactions comprise the majority. Mcluhan’s famous aphorism â€Å"the medium is the message,† represents the belief that the medium itself has social impact of which the masses are usually considered to be unaware. If the power of the media is so great, how is it that determinists such as Mcluhan can stand outside of it to comment? Furthermore Mcluhan thought that as soon as we are aware of something as environment, a greater process must be in effect (Mcluhan, Eric). However, Mcluhan was considered knowledgeable enough to sit on a board set up to examine â€Å"the totality of communications problems in modern society† (McBride cited in Briggs and Burke 2002:258-260). The outcome of this report would have made interesting reading but unfortunately political conditions halted proceedings. Maybe I would be discussing a different concept if the report had gone ahead. Mcluhan once remarked that the one thing a fish is not aware of is water. The water determines everything the fish does yet the fish is blissfully unaware. The point is that we are the fish and technology our water. However this doesn’t prove the argument, it simply explains it. At first glance the phrase appears clever yet contains no empirical evidence and is typical of Mcluhan’s inventive and persuasive useful of language. Mcluhan’s global village is perceived as optimistic. Yet a Marxist interpretation offered by Ang notes that â€Å"the making of the â€Å"global village† can be rewritten as the transformation, or domestication, of the non-Western Other in the name of capitalist modernity† (Ang 1996:150-180 cited in Grosswiler 1998:142). While the idea of the spread of communication remains constant, it is seen to destroy individual non-western cultures to make way for capitalist exploitation. The sociologist Tom Nairn argues that while Mcluhan’s â€Å"global village† could be reality, it is prevented from being so by the social forms of capitalism† (Nairn 1968:150 cited in Grosswiler 1998:34). He is not denying that it is achievable, but notes, â€Å"The potential of electric media is, in fact, in contradiction with a great deal of the actual social world†. He accuses Mcluhan of creating myths and ignoring the contradictions of his theory. The graphic below compare the distribution of Internet routers and the global population. (Soon-Hyung Yook, Hawoong Jeong, and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi at http://www. cybergeography. org/atlas/geographic. html) It is obvious from the map that the majority of the world is not connected. According to this the â€Å"global village† is made up of a minority of the worlds population. This is a model far from creating greater social involvement and has the potential to create a global divide between the connected and the unconnected. In my introduction I cited a statistic claiming that 1 in 6 people own a mobile phone in support of the â€Å"global village† concept. As with Mcluhan’s aphorisms this initially seems persuasive but closer inspection reveals the truth. The statistic suggests proportionality. As Briggs and Burke explain, â€Å"While there were 600 million telephones in the world in 1982, half the world’s population lived in countries which together had fewer than ten million†. Again this undermines the â€Å"global village† vision and adds empirical weight to Nairn’s criticism that the potential of the media is in contradiction with reality. As with the Internet, the â€Å"global village† is presented here as almost exclusively existing between developed western countries. Mcluhan’s vision dictated that minorities couldn’t fail to be incorporated, yet they have been excluded by virtue of being unconnected. Furthermore the Marxist view upholds that where third-world nations are included, it is only as means of stripping them of identity for capitalist ends. These points considered, it seems that Mcluhan’s vision is not a reality. Much of the world is unconnected and I need cite no evidence that it has not led to world peace. However, it should be noted that Africa is currently leading the way in the realms of mobile phone ownership. It has become the first continent in which the number of mobile phone users exceeds that of landline subscribers. A report â€Å"has estimated that there will be 60 million people using mobile phones by the end of the year more than double the 27 million who have a landline† and mobile phone ownership is growing at an annual rate of 65%, double the global average (Guardian, May 2004). It seems that we may be fast heading toward a â€Å"global village†. However even with Africa’s growth in mobile phone ownership, this still only brings the total to 6% of the population (Guardian, May 2004) and Internet access is considerably lower. While it may be true that a virtual village has been created, it is far from the all-inclusive global vision that Mcluhan prophesised.

Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Substance Abuse Prevention Program Substance abuse is a serious problem. It can cause a lot of problems in peoples day to day functioning. Problems of substance abuse can be correlated to family problems, health problems, school problems and also occupational problems. Bigger problems lay within adolescents that have substance abuse problems. Substance abuse of adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 has increased to 11.4%. This data was collected in 1997 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. Their data also presented an increase from 2.2% to 3.8% between the ages of 12 to 13 years old (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, 1999). Therefore it is to be said that substance abuse is becoming more relevant at younger ages as time progresses. According to the National Institution of Health, the abuse of Ecstasy has increased in 12th graders from 3.0% to 4.5% and has also increased in 10th grades from 2.4% to 3.5% between the years of 2005 to 2007. Hansen and Ponton indicat ed that adolescent risk behavior of the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs will only get worse in the future. Adolescents that continue to abuse substances often experience a number of problems. Another substance that adolescents are increasingly abusing is alcohol in which 40.9% of 10th graders reported they had been drunk in the past year. According to the DSM-IV a substance abuse can be diagnosed if there is a continual pattern of substance use resulting in either failing to complete task such as school, work, or home, risking the harm of others by operating heavy machinery while under the influence. If the recurrent substance also creates legal problems by getting arrested or creates social or interpersonal problems within a 12 month period is to be considered a substance abuse. Because of these dangerous affects this paper will focus on the prevention of substance abuse rather than treating it. Negative Consequences: Adolescents are taking more risk than ever before. The consequences of these risks can encounter problems that affect their health, their lives, and their futures (Danish, 1997). Because of this early age of substance abuse more and more adolescents who are being treated are found to have more social and emotional problems (Fisher Harrison, 2000). One major consequence of a substance abuse is that it can negatively affect users health. Adolescents that are abusing illicit drugs increase their risk of death by suicide, homicide, accidents and illness (McCaig, 1995). The results of the drug abuse warning network study revealed that drug related emergencies increased by 17 % (McCaig, 1995). Not only is the physical health perceived as a negative consequence but also the users mental health. Adolescent illegal drug use causes problems involving healthy psychological growth and functioning for a healthy lifestyle (Brook et al., 1998a). Substance abusers frequently leads to depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal and psychosocial dysfunctions (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1992).Substance abusers can also develop a wide cluster of personality disorders. One personality disorder that is associated with adolescent substance abuse is conduct disorder (Stratton, 1998). Conduct disorder consist of behavior and emotional problems in adolescents. Adolescents with this disorder are viewed as bad or delinquents. They have a difficult time following the basic social and cultural norms and rules in which they behave in ways that are considered socially unacceptable. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1992) Another consequence that is related to adolescent substance abuse has to do with the performance in academics. Hawkins, Catalano, and Miller (1998) cited research revealing that low levels of commitment to education and high truancy rates are related to an adolescent substance abuse. Truancies rates are also know as inexcusable absences. Low commitment to school and inexcusable absents set up bigger problems for education in the future. These bigger problems include users producing low standings compared to their class and even dropping out of school. The school consequences are very important to consider in the development of adolescents. Education is one aspect that dictates ones present and future quality of life. School dropout rates are highly correlated with adolescents that have substance abuse problems (Crowe, 1998). It is important to understand the different causes of the negative effects from a substance abuse. The more knowledge we know the better chance we have to preven t it. Cause: One cause that can make an adolescent vulnerable to start abusing substances at an early age could be due to social influences. Instead of only looking at the individual for explanations of the cause/origin of adolescent substance abuse it is also important to consider the social influences in which adolescents are surrounded by as an important causal contribution. Chau-Kiu Cheung and John Wing-Ling (2008) had conducted a study concerning the impact of social influences of adolescent substance abuse. Their study was directed to demonstrate how social influences, such as social encouragement and support are relevant to a cause of a substance abuse (Cheung and Ling, 2003). An adolescent is more likely or at greater risk of substance abuse when the adolescent is helpless due to contextual unhappiness (Patterson, 1999). From the results of Cheung and Lings study (2003), found a main interaction between social influences and contextual unhappiness. When external social influences engage i n an adolescent while they are unhappy, can create a vulnerability to abuse a substance (Cheung and Ling, 2003). Adolescents being stressed combined with an external social influence (encouragement support) also creates a vulnerability to cause a substance abuse (Cheung and Ling, 2003). The overall findings from Chau-Kiu Cheung and John Wing-Lings study (2008) shows that external forces play an important role in an adolescent substance abuse. These external forces lay in lines of our environment (peers, family members, and others) and are a huge contributor to the cause of a substance abuse. The findings from the previous study suggested that our environment is a causal factor to substance abuse. To better understand why our environment possess causality to substance abuse, we need to determine what aspects, domains, or settings put adolescents at risk for becoming substances abusers. Settings that include risk factor can include families, peer groups, schools, and your community. The more risk factors that adolescents are exposed to, the more likely the child will abuse a substances. (Hawkins and Spoth, 2001) Risk factors that appear in a family setting converse around the parents. Furthermore the risk factors revolve around parental active roles of supervision and appear in family situation (Kumpfer, Olds, Zucker,1998). For example, if there is a lack of attachment or nurturing between the parent/caregiver while that adolescent is developing. A number of investigators have shown that a close and mutually warm bond between the parent and the child is associated with less adolescent abusing drugs (Brook et al., 1993;Schmidt et al., 1996). Also drug use by a parent or sibling has been found to cause a substance abuse (Conger and Rueter, 1996; Duncan et al., 1995; Kandel, 1990; Kazdin, 1987; Loeber and Dishion, 1983; Patterson et al., 1989). If a family member is or has abused a substance and if there is a poor relationship between the child and the parent will put adolescents at risk of a substance abuser (Brook et al., 1990, 1998b). Children that have used drugs were compared to kids that have not and were found to be three times more likely to have a family member who is or has abused a substance (Brooks, La Rosa,Whiteman, Johnson, Montoya, 2000). In a study done by Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya (2000) did research examining family drug use, parent and child relationship, and environmental factors that contribute to a cause of a substance abuse. Strong parent and child relationships were found to decrease the chances of a substance abuse. In this study, parent-child relationship were described by support, identification, and non-conflict relationships. Results from the study (200) about parental identification suggest for a better internal representation of the father will decrease the chances of a substance abuse. This means not only the mother but the father has to spend more time with the child engaging in his or her life. This creates a close mutual relationship that will allow the child to admire his or her parental figure as a role model according to Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya (2002). Another aspect of the parent-child relationship was found to decreased a substance abuse was the amount o f time the parent spends with his or her child. Furthermore by parents not having a close mutual relationship and not engaging with the child will create a risk factors for a substance abuse. Overall this research presented by Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya (2000) demonstrated that parental drug use and poor parent child relationships are key risk components to developing a substance abuse. (Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya, 2002) Environmental causes outside of the family home setting can decrease the chances of a substance abuse (Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya, 2002). For instance, by having children attend to church regularly. Church can teach morals, values, and give guidance about life. Brooks, La Rosa,Whieman, Johnson and Montoya (2000) also hit on the importance of neighborhoods being a component of an environmental cause. Neighborhoods that are found to have violence, drug availability, low familism and non regular attendance to church will increase the chance of causality of a substance abuse. Like I mentioned previously there is more than one domain or setting that can cause an adolescent being involved in substance abuse. Not only can the family play apart in the causality of developing a substance abuse but also schools. Instead of blaming the victim we can put blame on our school systems. For example, the classrooms adolescents are attending to might not be conducting good classroom behavior or good social skills. These skills play a big role in the developmental process of an adolescent. This leaves kids very vulnerable to external forces from the classroom. Not only can the classroom be the problem but the school itself. Schools offer a lot of social activity and interactions. While being at school adolescent are at risk of associate and becoming involved with adolescent that have a substance abuse problem. This also opens up new doors for the availability of getting a hold of drugs; quantity and variety. (NIDA, 2001) Pervious intervention: Although there are a variety of types of treatments that show positive effects for a substance abuse. I want to focus on preventing a substance abuse and not blame the victim. Some adolescent substance abuse programs have attempted school based approaches, community approaches, and family based approaches. Pervious school based drug prevention programs have focused on protective factors of social influences on drug abuse. Some have been successful by delaying the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs for adolescents in middle school. Programs that have been targeted toward middle school have been found to miss the importance of the transition phase from middle school to high school. It is important to set prevention programs to gear in to adolescents that are making this transition phase. (Lynskeyet al., 2003) Another problem with previous prevention programs (ALERT) found that their programs affect boys more that girls. The cause of this problem still remains unknown (Longshore, Ellickson, McCaffrey, Clair, 2007). The Project ALERT program was focused on middle school students. This programmed aimed its principles to motivate youth against using drugs and develop skills for resistance behavior. Project ALERT used small group activities and used techniques to examine questions and answers. These are important components to an effective program (Tobler, 1992). Pervious trials of the ALERT program have produced positive results, but they found room for improvement. Their new program called ALERT PLUS is based off the same fundamental principles of their old program; however, they have made changes to address problems. The ALERT PLUS added changes to focus on developmental changes during the transition phase of middle school to high school. Developmental changes can affect opportunities and motivation to drug use (Longshore, Ellickson, McCaffrey, Clair, 2007). These developmental changes include friendship networks and dating opportunities. Overall, the new program goals were to strengthen norms a gainst drug use, help students cope with drug situation, and learn ways to quit. Furthermore they wanted to have a better educational system for teaching students consequences of drug and cope with emotional stress. (Longshore, Ellickson, McCaffrey, Clair, 2007) Pervious results from their old program were able to prevent and reduce marijuana and tobacco in 8th grade students. However the program was not able to help students how have already smoked cigarettes. Also the old program only affected alcohol use in the short-run and not long-run. Therefore the PLUS program strengthened their lessons to improve education on alcohol use and was designed to help those who have already smoked more than one cigarette. (Longshore, Ellickson, McCaffrey, Clair, 2007) The results of the ALERT PLUS program showed significant improvements. Girls in the PLUS program reported lower rates of weekly alcohol use. Girls in the plus program were compared to girls in the original program showing a reduction of alcohol by 32%. Reductions were also found in marijuana use by 49%. Another important finding that contributed to the new program was the scores of alcohol consequences and high risk alcohol use all showing improvements. (Longshore, Ellickson, McCaffrey, Clair, 2007). Other programs mostly rely on school teachers and police officers to educate the youth during school time. In my opinion they never left enough time that adolescents need to be well educated/rounded on substance abuse. This next prevention program created by Abbey, Pilgrim, Hendrickson, Buresh, (2002) set its principles on family based substance abuse prevention. This program offers skills that are directed toward parents. These skills are designed to increase family communication and bonding. Skills in this direction will decrease the chances of an adolescent substance abuse. The families in Action (FIA), includes techniques for a stronger parent-child communication, positive behavior management, ways of interacting among the family, factors for school achievements, and education on substance abuse. These were designed to create a better overall relationship. (Abbey, Pilgrim, Hendrickson, Buresh, 2002) The FIA programs goal was to increase resiliency and protective factors within the family. The program was aimed toward children who are entering middle school. This prevention took place between 1994 to1995. It involved 37 children and 38 parents. The program involved once a week sessions for six consecutive weeks. The session went no longer than 2.5hrs. (Abbey, Pilgrim, Hendrickson, Buresh, 2002) Families were measured on three different accounts for pre and post data. They were measured on family cohesion, family communication, and family fights. Cohesion was measured by the family environment scale on a nine point rating. Family communication was also measured on a nine point scale by participants indications the number of times they had different behavioral patterns. (Abbey, Pilgrim, Hendrickson, Buresh, 2002) There were no significant finding presented between children in the FIA program when compared to a baseline group. However, the parents produced an important finding when compared to the comparison group. Parents in the FIA program had lower scores on attitudes toward tobacco, an appropriate age to drink at, and family cohesion. (Abbey, Pilgrim, Hendrickson, Buresh, 2002) Program Description: Because substance abuse is becoming active at earlier and earlier ages as the time goes on, it is important to start prevention early in a childs life. What is needed is more consistent and long term adolescent substance abuse prevention that stays associated and involved with children during their courses of development. The program needs to be consistent by reaching out to where adolescent spend most of their time. This adolescent substance abuse program includes educations and developmental skills across the family and school settings. Because substance abuse can affect ones academics, physical and mental health and ones future, it is important to start prevention as early as 8 years old. For prevention to start this early prevention needs to be focused on families and more so on parents. One leading cause to a substance abuse is having a family history or a parent who was chemically dependent. Family members who were chemically dependent put their child to be genetically vulnerable to a substance abuse (Kumpfer, 1999). The first step of prevention is to get the parents to be well rounded and educated on drugs and substance abuse. Parents need to become aware of the origins of substance abuse. Meaning they need to know the causes and effects of a substance abuse. A great way for parents to become educated is to take part in neighborhood leader groups. Leader groups offer a great opportunity for getting and giving input and output. This also leads to another important prevention aspect in the family setting. Getting involved and paying attention to the child is important. Parents need to become very active when it comes to supervising. Staying involved with your child will heighten protective factors to outweigh the risk factors. Parental involvement is a crucial ingredient to preventing a substances abuse. Involvement doesnt just mean being around the kid when he/she is at home. Parents need to reach out past the home setting. A great skill for prevention is to get involved with your childrens interest. This can include friends, activities and their fantasies like a hero/role model. This is why it is important to take part in neighborhood leader groups. It gives the chance to know your childs friends and their families. Becoming aware of who their friends are, where they come from, and getting to know the parents makes for a very strong and effective way for staying involved and having a tight relationship. Getting to know your childs interest can really make a positive impact on the child an d is a great skill for prevention. For example, take your childs favorite superhero/role model and exemplify a new anti drug message once a week that has consequence toward that hero or role model. Parents being educated, staying involved with the childs interest and having good supervising skills offers a big part in keeping this prevention program consistent and long-term. Because it is important to keep the program consistent and long term in the development of the child, education and skills need to be implemented at school settings. At this point schools offer more risk factors than protective factors for substance abuse. Because of this window of risk factors and because schools take part in a big section of development of children; prevention needs to be enforced. Most school systems do not seem to be aware of the severity of negative effects of a substance abuse. This is apparent because of how high dropout rates are correlated to substance abuse in which rates are only going up. Instead of school systems only setting aside 15-20 minutes for drug awareness assemblies, school need to set aside more time for children just as their parents. In doing so the school systems have to change their academic system. They need to implement a full education class three days a week. Instead of the children just sitting in the class room and listening to the te acher, the class is going to involve a lot of participation. This participation will not only involve inside the classroom but will also take part as an extracurricular active outside of the school. By giving children extra actives to do outside and inside of school, will lessen the chance of them becoming involved with children that already have a substance abuse problem and take away from the availability of drugs. Inside the classroom teachers will be instructed to keep kids well rounded on types of drugs, health effects, academic affect, behavior affects and what a substance abuse can lead you to, like in the juvenile system. Activities inside the class room will be meant for participation toward learning coping skills, emotional control skills and social skills. Because this program is constructed to be long term and consistent, inside school classes and the extracurricular activities need to be practiced and implemented into school academic circular systems and not just as a b rief assembly or an announcement. The extracurricular actives outside of school are going to involve children reaching out into their communities beyond the school and family settings. This component to the program will stay active throughout the whole year and the summer so transition phases are not in effect. These activities will involve children from schools giving educational seminars in public place around their community. They will take what they have learned from inside the classroom and propose anti drug messages consistently across their community. Seminars will include places such as libraries, parks, beaches, neighborhoods, churches and shopping centers. Unlike other program this program needs to stay consistent and long-term through the stage of development. That is why this program is implemented into the family, school and beyond. In summary, this educational and skills substance abuse prevention program will strengthen the protective factors and weaken the risk factors of a substance abuse. For this program to be affective it has to take place in our families and school staying consistent and long term. All the aspects of family and school settings combine to create a chance of involvement of socializing creating strong relationship in a positive manner for being substance free. By having the protective factors outweigh the risk factors we can stop this continual pattern of adolescent substance abuse.