A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research Essay

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research - Essay Example Practitioner research has been employed as a means of bridging the gap between practice and theory. Teachers have been urged to use practitioner research, specifically action research in order to improve education and reconstruct knowledge (Berker, 1992). Other areas of practice, including health, agriculture, and the social sciences have also not been left behind in their use of practitioner research, as they are seeking to improve their knowledge base, and eventually bridging the gap between theory and practice (Fox, et.al., 2007). Various discussions on practitioner research have been forwarded, including its nature, values, and underlying activities. This paper seeks to explore the nature of practitioner research. It shall explore various issues pertaining to ethics, especially in relation to practitioner research. Firstly, it shall discuss the youth mentoring and how practitioner research applies to this field. Secondly, the importance of ethical applications in practitioner res earch will also be established. Lastly, an analysis of practitioner and action research will be carried out. Youth mentoring is a process that entails a linking of mentors with the youth, especially those that require the care of responsible adults (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). More often than not, the responsible adults (mentors) are not relatives of the mentored youths. At most, these mentors serve as volunteers under a community-based program catering to the needs of the youth population. Most definitions of the mentoring processes have revolved around the idea that an older and more experienced person would assist a much younger and less experienced individual to go through developmental stages and transition towards bigger responsibilities (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). The motive for the establishment of mentoring programs is primarily on assisting youths in their transition into adulthood. In other cases, mentoring programs have also been established in order to curb and control delin quent behaviours. In the past decades, various mentoring programs have emerged in different parts of the world (Spencer, 2007). Moreover, the number of youths under the mentoring programs has also increased drastically (Spencer, 2007). Mentors have often entered into the mentoring programs with much enthusiasm. However, concerns on the efficacy of the mentoring programs have emerged in recent years. In particular, questions have been seen on whether or not the current state of the mentoring programs is effective and ethical (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). These questions relate to the fact that the mentor has a far greater power over the student. The power differential, in other words can be abused by the mentor. On the other, as the mentor and the student develop a closer relationship, the lines between mentor and student may be blurred (Goudreau, 2010). The National Youth Mentoring Program framework is a booklet that stipulates all that should done to ensure that all the mentoring progr ams attain the desirable goals. In relation to practitioner research, this discussion on the youth mentoring program shall now consider the foundations of the program, as well as the benefits it can bring in improving youth mentoring and in improving the healthy development of the youth. Background of youth mentoring p

History of the game Essay Example for Free

History of the game Essay As the rackets of the game have changed, the style of play has changed accordingly. During the wooden racket era, before the flood of the metal and metal composite rackets, players hit groundstrokes with slight topspin but mostly flat or with underspin, particularly on the backhand side. To provide the players with the underspin or flat shots, players hit with an eastern grip (slightly east of the continental style grip achieved by sliding the V area between the thumb and index finger down the side of the frame to the grip) to help generate slice and handle low balls better. Players used this style of play to compensate for the lower bounce produced on grass courts compared to the bounce of hard and clay courts today. In effect, groundstrokes had to be long and fluid with early preparation and a long follow through to get the necessary power and control by swinging the heavier wooden rackets.  Players with wooden rackets also stood sideways to the ball and stepped into the swing to generate more power. Furthermore, the small sweetspot of the wooden racket required players to have more exact, controlled swings instead of the quick, powerful, whip-like swings of todays players. As an example, John McEnroe, a former tennis professional and Grand Slam winner, supports wooden rackets saying: I have been a proponent of the wood racketwood rackets would bring back skill and finesse to the game and would make the points longer and more fun to watch. And I could watch all those young guys cry like that little baby doll that wets herself as they try to return a serve with a 15-ounce piece of lumber. (McEnroe 1).  As a result, players could not end the point with a single shot like today and therefore games consisted of more rallies. The rackets and styles of play have evolved to the 21st Century and have dramatically changed the way tennis is played. Instead of the long and fluid groundstrokes used with wooden rackets, lighter more powerful rackets have developed quick, short but powerful swings by tennis players today. The players also use a more western or semi-western grip (achieved by placing the racket on the ground and coming from straight above, picking the racket up with one hand). These grips tend to generate more power and topspin as well make it easier to hit high bouncing balls. This heavy topspin usually causes points to end more quickly with more winners and harder shots. These changes in the game are all in relation to the development of higher bouncing courts, hard courts and clay courts, and the shorter grass court tournament season. Also, as a result to the more powerful modern rackets, serves were consistently hit over 100 mph and many clocked at more than 120 mph contributing to the quicker points. Furthermore, many serves were unreturnable meaning that it would be almost impossible for players to return or even more to hit the ball with the racket. The change in rackets in the 20th Century was not only limited to a change in the game but the tennis market was affected as well. According to Edward Tenner, the new rackets were not as profitable for racket manufacturers as the wooden rackets were during the peak in tennis popularity in the early 1970s (Tenner 3). However, shortly following this rapid growth in tennis popularity, tenniss popularity among the common people started to decline. According to the records of the Tennis Industry Association, two years before the introduction of the Prince racket in 1974, the number of tennis players reached its peak and then started a decline (Tenner 1). Later, the sale of tennis balls was evaluated and showed a drop in tennis ball usage between 1990 and 1993 (Tenner 3). A short explanation of this event could be that players were not ready to pay the higher price for newer metal rackets. The modern rackets, costing about $150, were much more expensive compared to the lower price of wooden rackets in the early 1970s. However, the introduction of the modern rackets produced a larger selection of varying rackets for tennis consumers shown in the following excerpt from Tennis Magazine, To play your best tennis, your racket has to complement your game. And with more frames than ever being designed for specific types of players, finding that magic wand has never been easier. (2001 Racket Guide 1) In addition, modern rackets are designed for all different types of players including strictly baseliners to serve and volleyers. Mark Macky, Dunlops director of racket sports, shows this in the following statement, Its no longer enough to make a racket for one ability level beginner, intermediate, advanced. Today, companies make rackets that are targeted to specific styles of play. A serve and volleyer, for example, will want a different type of racket than a baseliner. (2001 Racket Guide 1) Although while racket manufacturers may have suffered from the introduction of modern rackets, consumers seem to benefit. According to New York Times newspaper, the new metal rackets prove to last longer and need restringing less often saving consumers money (Tenner 3). Furthermore, metal rackets can last up to ten years or more contrary to the wooden rackets that were damaged by age, warping, and cracking.  In conclusion, although many tennis professionals believe that wooden rackets would increase the charisma of tennis, there is undeniable evidence that proves modern rackets to be better for the game and all levels of players. Newer rackets provide more options for tennis players, giving them more power and control than ever before therefore elevating the level of play in the game of tennis. They also appeal to lower levels of players making the game easier to learn and in effect, better for everyone. In addition, although the market seemed to be falling, it is currently rising for the game of tennis and showing this, the U.S. Open has had more viewers in the year of 2001 than ever before in the history of the game.

To Autumn, Autumn and October Dawn that each of the poets has different

To Autumn, Autumn and October Dawn that each of the poets has different opinions and feelings on Autumn and they also interpret Autumn in their poems in different ways too. The three poets John Keats, John Clare and Ted Hughes Compare the presentation of Autumn in the three poems We see after reading the poems: ‘To Autumn’, ‘Autumn’ and ‘October Dawn’ that each of the poets has different opinions and feelings on Autumn and they also interpret Autumn in their poems in different ways too. The three poets John Keats, John Clare and Ted Hughes write about the season with admiration and its beauty. All of the poets mentioned above led amazing and bizarre lives living on the edge of brilliance and insanity. With John Keats and John Clare both experiencing breakdowns and having their lives turned upside down and Ted Hughes having troubled marriages, the three of them still managed to come through and write such great and fantastic poems which have become so popular and are still around today. We also see that all the poets had a connection or fascination with the country and although John Keats was the only one who didn’t live in the country but he was still able to write great poems on wildlife and the seasons and the countryside. In all three of the poems weather is a key part in all of the poems and is stated often. In the poem ‘To Autumn’ the sun is mentioned as a ‘close bosom-friend of the maturing sun’ by this I believe he is saying that the sun and autumn work together to make it look beautiful and grow all the fruit to perfection. John Keats mentions a lot about the wind in his poem and says ‘thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind’ I think this means that the wind is gentle and it lightly ... ... it leaves it with a way of a cliff-hanger but I believe the poet has wrote that ending line because he is a optimistic person because at the start of the poem, Ted Hughes says a glass of wine which was left out was ‘half full’ suggesting he is an optimistic person and believes that the earth and the wildlife and all the greens will survive through the cold. In the poems ‘to autumn’ and ‘autumn’ they both are similar as they put life and energy into their poems and they also go into more detail about the weather and the surroundings and animals. In the two poems just mentioned they just describe how beautiful Autumn is but in ‘October dawn’ the poet Ted Hughes mentions how October which is the one of the months when Autumn is and he says it is beautiful but it has its downside as it is a danger and threat to greenery and is a fight until autumn is over.

Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays -- Heart Da

Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Every story has a plot, but not every story has a deeper meaning. When viewed superficially, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a tragic tale of the white man's journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the warts as well as the wonderful. Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light and dark to symbolize good and evil, respectively. "It is whiteness that is truly sinister and evil, for it symbolizes the immoral scramble for loot by the unscrupulous and unfeeling Belgian traders in ivory and human flesh; the whiteness of ivory is also contrasted with the blackness of the natives whose lives must be destroyed for its sake" (Gillon 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two central themes occur in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The first is the struggle between the white people and the native tribes, which plays in... ...ok and also provides its title. In Heart of Darkness, there is a real contrast between what is light and what is dark. These contrasts work within a reality of civilized and savage. It appears that light represents the civilized, and dark represents the uncivilized, but truly, white is evil, and the dark is innocent and virtuous. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Middlesex, England: Penguin Publishers, 1983. Gillon, Adam. (1982). Joseph Conrad. Twayne's English Author Series: Number 333. Kinley E. Roby, ed. Boston: Twayne.  

Cultural Differences between United States and Italy Essay

All societies provide for certain broad areas of social living. Wissler (2000:99) identified these as universal patterns of culture, such as speech, material traits, art, mythology and scientific knowledge, religious practice, family and social systems, property, government, and war. Even within these broad areas of social living are a number of common elements. Moreover, cultures between countries differ because of the great variety of solutions people in different societies evolve in solving life problems. Amongst the important factors which give rise to cultural differences are the kind of environment within which the society lives, the human and natural resources available within this environment, the extent and intensity of exposure the society has to other people from which they can borrow ideas, and their cultural heritage. This paper intent to figure out the differences between the United States of America and Italy in terms of history, languages, Ethnical diversity, culture, superstitions and religions. II. Discussion A. United States of America The United States developed and grew from 13 English colonies on the Atlantic coast into an independent republic that eventually extended to the Pacific, with Alaska and Hawaii among its states. Although the original 13 colonies were British, several other nations took part in the discovery, exploration and settlement of the territory that became the United States. Both France and Spain once controlled more of North America than did Great Britain. Dutch and Swedish colonies existed temporarily on the Atlantic coast. Thus the beginnings of the United States, like its later development as a nation, involved contributions by people from many lands (see Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001). North America was inhabited by Indians and Eskimos long before the first Europeans arrived. White men came into contact with the Indians from the very beginning, but the Eskimos were not greatly influenced by the white man’s civilization until the 20th century (see Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999). There are various religions existing in the United States such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Unitarian Universalism and Hinduism while others claimed that they don’t have a religion. Amongst the religions mentioned, Christianity has the greatest number as surveyed in 2001. On the other hand, English is the de facto national language of the United States. Spanish language has also been taught as â€Å"non-English second language† (see Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999). B. Italy Italy is a country in the southern Europe. Jutting southward from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea, Italy consists mainly of a slender boot-shaped peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Ital is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia, and the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian seas. It completely encircles two tiny, independent states: San Marino, east of Florence, and Vatican City, in Rome. The name Italy was first used by the Greeks for the southern tip of the peninsula, where they established colonies as early as the eighth century B. C. Gradually, as the peninsula came under Roman rule, the name was applied to everything south of the Alps (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). Italy has contributed greatly to western civilization. For hundreds of years it was the center of the far-flung Roman Empire. It was in Italy that Christianity first flourished in Europe and became powerful force. Rome has long been the seat of the papacy and the world center of the Roman Catholic Church. The Renaissance, the period of enlightenment that ended medieval times, began in Italy and during this period Italians contributed greatly to the intellectual and artistic development of the Western world. Italy still preserves much of its noble past in its cities, museums, and ruins, attracting more foreign visitors than any other country in the world (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). The Italians, an Indo-European people, were settled in theItalian peninsula by 1000 B. C. In the eighth century B. C. the Etruscans (or Tyrrhenians), who came probably from Asia Minor, founded Etruria on the west. To the south was Latium, established by the Latins, an Italian tribe, with Rome as its strongest city. Farther south were Greek colonies (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). By the middle of the sixth century B. C. the Etruscans dominated central Italy, including Rome. Greeks and Romans cooperated in driving back the Etruscans. Raids by Gauls, who had crossed the Alps and settled in the Po Valley, helped weaken Etruria, and it rapidly declined (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). In the fourth century B. C. the Greeks made several attempts to conquer the Italians, but in the third century the Greek colonies fell to Rome. From that time until the collapse of the Roman Empire, the history of Italy coincides with the history of Rome (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). III. Conclusion United States and Italy has many differences in terms of culture and history. However, these two countries were able to experienced invasion from other countries that tried to colonize them. References: 1. Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). 2. Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999. 3. Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 4. Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999. 5. Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999.

Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essays

Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essays Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essay Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essay Were you ever curious how hairstyling ,beauty, and hair coloring ever came about? Who, back in the day would have ever come up with the idea of changing ones hair style, let alone color of the hair? Well studies reveal that haircutting and hairstyling were practiced in some form as early as the glacial age. They used simple but effective implements like sharpened flints, oyster shells, or bone. Animal sinew of hide were used to tie hair back, or as a adornment. Your probably thinking the same thing I did. yuck! ut thats all they had to use in those days long ago. The Egyptians were the first to cultivate beauty in a extravagant fashion, and became well-versed in the art of makeup and hairdressing. The ancient Egyptians also were the first to use cosmetics as part of their personal beautification habits, and in religious ceremonies when preparing the deceased for burial. Ancient records show that coloring matter was made from berries, the bark of trees, minerals, insects, nuts, herbs, leaves and other materials that were used on the skin, hair, and nails. : Even hough eye paint was the most popular of all cosmetics, henna (a dye extracted from the leaves of an ornamental shrub) was used to impart a reddish tint to the hair that is still used to this day. The first recorded use of henna as a coloring agent was in 1500 B. C. Excavations from Egyptian tombs also have revealed combs, brushes, mirrors, and razors made of tempered copper and bronze. Hairdressing was an art for the Egyptians who liked to wear elaborate hairdos and cosmetics, as well as wigs. Egyptian women, and the Roman women were known to apply a mixture of soil and ater to their hair. They then wrapped their hair on wooden made rollers to bake in the sun, creating a temporary wave. The first evidence of nail care recorded in history was prior to 3,000 B. C. in Egypt and China. Ancient Egyptian men and women of high social rank stained their nails with red-orange henna. The color of a persons nail was a sign of rank. Kings and queens wore deep red, while people of lower society wore only pale colors. Beauty and grooming took on great symbolic significance in many cultures. Military commanders in Egypt, Babylon, and early Rome would spend many ours before a battle, having their hair curled, and their nails painted the same shade as their lips. Weird, but interesting. During the golden Age of Greece (500B. C), hairstyling became a highly developed art. Hairstyling services were introduced in Rome around 300 B. C. Women used hair-color to indicate their class in society. Noblewomen tinted their hair red, middle class women colored their hair blonde, and poor women colored it black. Hairstyling and barbering continued to grow in importance, and eventually became identified with the world of medicine. During the medieval times, cosmetology and medicine were taught as combined subjects in English universities. When Pope Alexander Ill forbade the clergy to shed blood, barbers were enlisted to assist monks and priests during surgery. They regularly performed bloodletting and minor surgery, administered herbs, and later pulled teeth. In fact, for centuries, dentistry was performed only by barbers for more than a thousand years, they were known as barber-surgeons. Wow now tnlngs nave cnangea aramatlcally. Now lets go aneaa to tne Renalssance times, here emphasis was placed on physical appearance. The hair was done carefully with ornaments, and headdresses were worn. Around this time, in 1450, a law was enacted that separated the practices of barbering and surgery. They could no longer perform surgery, and surgeons were forbidden to act as barbers. Now the 19th century an era by research and innovation, that saw many changes in the field of hair care. In 1875, a Frenchman named Marcel Grateau developed the technique of using irons for waving and curling the hair. This developed into the art of thermal waving, till known today as Marcel waving. In 1890, the first hairdressing academy was opened in Chicago by Brisbois and Federmeyer. And finally, in the 20th century, hairstyling began to follow trends, and soon became available to all classes of people who could choose their styles based on their needs and desires. So their you go, there is all need to know about the early history of hairstyling! And Im sure well be in the history books some day about all the new, trendy styles we perform today in many salons and spas around the world

Coal in the Industrial Revolution

Coal in the Industrial Revolution Before the eighteenth century, Britain - and the rest of Europe - had produced coal, but only in a limited quantity. Coal pits were small, and half were opencast mines (just big holes in the surface). Their market was just the local area, and their businesses were localized, usually just the sideline of a larger estate. Drowning and suffocation were also very real problems.​ During the period of the industrial revolution, as demand for coal soared thanks to iron and steam, as the technology to produce coal improved and the ability to move it increased, coal experienced a massive escalation. From 1700 to 1750 production increased by 50% and nearly another 100% by 1800. During the later years of the first revolution, as steam power really took a firm grip, this rate of increase soared to 500% by 1850. The Demand for Coal The rising demand for coal came from many sources. As the population increased, so did the domestic market, and people in town needed coal because they weren’t near to forests for wood or charcoal. More and more industries used coal as it became cheaper and thus more cost-effective than other fuels, from iron production to simply bakeries. Shortly after 1800 towns began to be lit by coal powered gas lamps, and fifty-two towns had networks of these by 1823. During the period wood became more expensive and less practical than coal, leading to a switch. In addition, in the second half of the eighteenth-century, canals, and after this railways, made it cheaper to move greater amounts of coal, opening up wider markets. In addition, the railways were a source of major demand. Of course, coal had to be in a position to supply this demand, and historians trace several deep connections to other industries, discussed below. Coal and Steam Steam had an obvious impact on the coal industry in generating vast demand: steam engines needed coal. But there were direct effects on production, as Newcomen and Savery pioneered the use of steam engines in coal mines to pump water, lift produce and provide other support. Coal mining was able to use steam to go deeper than ever before, getting more coal out of its mines and increasing production. One key factor to these engines was they could be powered by poor quality coal, so mines could use their waste in it and sell their prime material. The two industries -   coal and steam -   were both vital for each other and grew symbiotically. Coal and Iron Darby was the first person to use coke – a form of processed coal – to smelt iron in 1709. This advance spread slowly, largely due to the cost of coal. Other developments in iron followed, and these also used coal. As the prices of this material fell, so iron became the major coal user, increasing demand for the substance vastly, and the two industries mutually stimulated each other. Coalbrookdale pioneered iron tramways, which enabled coal to be moved more easily, whether in mines or on route to buyers. Iron was also needed for coal using and facilitating steam engines.   Coal and Transport There are also close links between coal and transport, as the former needs a strong transport network able to move bulky goods. The roads in Britain before 1750 were very poor, and it was hard to move large, heavy goods. Ships were able to take coal from port to port, but this was still a limiting factor, and rivers were often of little use due to their natural flows. However, once transport improved during the industrial revolution, coal could reach greater markets and expand, and this came first in the form of canals, which could be purpose-built and move large quantities of heavy material. Canals halved the transport costs of coal compared to the packhorse. In 1761 the Duke of Bridgewater opened a canal built from Worsley to Manchester for the express purpose of carrying coal. This was a major piece of engineering including a ground-breaking viaduct. The Duke earned wealth and fame from this initiative, and the Duke was able to expand production because of the demand for his cheaper coal. Other canals soon followed, many built by coal mine owners. There were problems, as canals were slow, and iron trackways still had to be used in places. Richard Trevithick built the first moving steam engine in 1801, and one of his partners was John Blenkinsop, a coal mine owner searching for cheaper and faster transport. Not only did this invention pull large quantities of coal quickly, but it also used it for fuel, for iron rails, and for building. As railways spread, so the coal industry was stimulated with railway coal use rising. Coal and the Economy Once coal prices fell it was used in a huge number of industries, both new and traditional, and was vital for iron and steel. It was a very vital industry for the industrial revolution, stimulating industry and transport. By 1900 coal was producing six percent of the national income despite having a small workforce with only limited benefits from technology.

The Miss Firecracker Contest

The Miss Firecracker Contest The Miss Firecracker Contest, along with other Beth Henley plays, is characterized as a Southern Gothic. The play is set in the small southern town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and tells an archetypical story of a young woman trying to reinvent herself. The two main qualities that land The Miss Firecracker Contest squarely into the Southern Gothic genre are: the story concerns flawed characters.it occurs in a once prosperous, but now run-down town. Plot Synopsis Carnelle Scott had a rocky start in life. Her mother died and her father dragged her around the state with him until he dumped her with Carnelle’s old aunt and her two cousins. Carnelle idolized her cousins, Elain and Delmount, and believed them to be the most beautiful and interesting people in the entire town. At age 17, Elain won the title of Miss Firecracker in the local beauty contest and Carnelle never forgot the sight of her beloved cousin riding atop the Fourth of July float crowned in glory. Carnelle never achieved the beauty and social status of Elain and made up for it by sleeping with most of the young men in town earning herself the dubious title of Miss Hot Tamale. Carnelle sees a chance to erase her past and start again by winning the beauty contest. Carnelle hires Popeye, an odd girl from poor beginnings, to sew her costume for the talent portion of the show. Popeye is a talented seamstress who taught herself to sew by making clothes for bullfrogs because she had no dolls to sew for. In the course of the play, Popeye falls in love with the eccentric and frazzled Delmount. Eventually, Delmount returns Popeye’s affections and finds her odd personality something worth loving. Delmount is determined to sell every item in his mother’s old house and then the house itself and move to New Orleans. He offers half the sale to Carnelle and begs her to quit the contest and make a new life outside of Brookhaven, Mississippi. Carnelle accepts half the money but wants to continue in The Miss Firecracker contest so she can now leave â€Å"in a blaze of glory.† Elain shows up and announces to Carnelle that she is leaving her husband and two children. She has had enough of their constant need for attention and wants to walk away from it all. Carnelle is thrilled until Elain’s presence overshadows her participation in the contest. Carnelle’s anger and frustration eventually cause her to explode and spew at all her relatives and friends, insisting that she wants what she wants despite all their petty protestations. Carnelle uses the moment to fling their personality flaws back in their faces and release herself from all their judgments. Within this encounter, Elain understands that she has lost Carnelle’s hero worship and decides to go back to the husband who adores her. Production Details Setting: Brookhaven, MississippiTime: End of June and beginning of JulyCast Size: This play can accommodate 6 actors.Male Characters: 2Female Characters: 4Characters that could be played by either males or females: 0 Roles Carnelle Scott is twenty-four and ready to make a few changes in her life. She wants to turn over a new leaf and be someone who is not â€Å"Miss Hot Tamale† and is instead respected and beautiful both inside and out. If she could, she would ride out of town in a blaze of glory with the Miss Firecracker crown on her head and enough money to start again in a new town as a beautiful and talented winner.Popeye Jackson grew up as an odd girl with no money who makes outfits for bullfrogs. Now she is an odd woman with no money who makes outfits for whoever will hire her. She falls head over heels in love with the eccentric Delmount but is sure he could never return her affections. Popeye puts little value on money, talent, and beauty. She makes the world beautiful by her simple actions of generosity.Elain Rutledge enjoyed a life of beauty, talent, and adoration. Her overbearing mother, now deceased, foresaw the end of that lifestyle for Elain and pushed her into marriage. Now Elain is bored with her married life in which she is only adored by only one man and has to answer to two sons she dislikes. Her will to be free and independent is continually at odds with her desire to be wanted and admired. Delmount Williams has never had any trouble finding women who will sleep with him despite his odd appearance and temper. His recent stint in a mental institution has only fortified his eccentricities and desire to rid himself of all memory and ties to Brookhaven, Mississippi.  He prides himself on finding the beauty in those who consider themselves plain, but the truth is that he has never tried to pursue anyone or anything that would be a challenge or a true beauty.Mac Sam is an ex-lover of Carnelle’s. He contracted syphilis through Carnelle but has never sought treatment for the disease. He has a magnetic personality despite his ill appearance. He and Carnelle still share a strong attraction, but she is disgusted that he won’t do anything to better his health or station in life.Tessy Mahoney is the beauty contest coordinator. She and Delmount shared a questionable night of lovemaking a long time ago and he has been hiding from her since. She is not a beauty and doub ts Carnelle’s chances in the contest, but she seems to be a sweet and pleasant coordinator despite her opinions. She is starstruck by Elain. Production Notes Beth Henley makes a particular note at the beginning of the play about Carnelle’s hair which the character has dyed bright red. Henley notes that â€Å"It is strongly suggested that the actress playing Carnelle dye her hair bright red instead of opting for a wig.† The set for The Miss Firecracker Contest is an old southern house filled with antiques in Act One and the backstage of the beauty pageant for Act Two. The play has been produced with success both with full scenic designs and minimal scenic designs. Content Issues: Language, syphilis, talk of sexual escapades.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Essay Example While this might be unthinkable in the United States, there is no good reason for it to be so. Many American officers are now comparing their own army to international ones and determining that it is time to bring American practices more in line with practices around the world. These countries’ experience shows that an army does not fall apart when homosexuals are allowed the serve openly; there are no reported negative effects whatsoever. One of the main reasons that other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly is because courts have recognized that homosexuals have the right to be free of discrimination. In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It simply isn’t possible to deny homosexuals the right to serve their country. These legal reasons have been recognized in other countries too and form the basis for many countries’ rejection of similar don’t ask, don’t tell policies. In the United States such rights have not yet been granted. There is still a big argument about gay marriage which shows no sign of being resolved any time soon. America appears to be a more culturally divided country on the issue of homosexuality. That may be the way it is, but that is not a very good reason to deny a person the opportunity to serve their country because of an immutable characteristic that really has no connection wi th the morale or standards of the troupe. The argument against giving homosexuals such rights holds little water. The American army is currently fighting two big wars: one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. It is short of soldiers and needs more. Since the don’t ask, don’t tell policy came into effect, thousands of soldiers have been forced to leave service. This is not right. The military needs more soldiers. Disallowing the service of homosexuals reduces the number of soldiers too

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example Now in the context of the study the two chosen companies are Apple Inc and Prismo Graphics. Before getting into deep the report will present brief overviews of both the companies. After that, the report will offer merger and acquisition strategies of both Prismo Graphics and Apple. Also in this segment recommendation will be also provided regarding the business level and corporate level strategies. Apple Inc: A Brief Overview The roots of Apple Inc. can be traced back to the early 1976 when the company was established by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. The company is presently headquartered at Apple Campus, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, USA (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). Along with its subsidiaries, the company manufactures and sells desktop computers, laptops, mobile communication devices, portable music players, and various other digital gadgets. Some of the best sellers of the company are I-pad, I- Phone, Mac OS, and I-pod. From the time of its inception, the company has always focused on manufacturing innovative and unique products. The company also has the knack of producing those products, which the world has never seen. It has a worldwide presence and operates with 370 exclusive Apple stores. Apart from the hardware department, the company is also famous for its software division. Some of the noteworthy software embraced by Apple is Mac OS, I-tunes, Quick time player, I-work and logic studio among others (Apple Store, n.d.). In the context of merger and acquisition, Apple also has a long tradition. The first acquisition came in the year 1988, when Apple acquired Network Innovations. Prismo Graphics: A Brief Overview Prismo Graphics was founded in the year 1987. The company has its operation throughout USA. Prismo Graphics is presently headquartered at Oregon, United States. The company is basically involved in the business of developing animated stuff for the corporate and broadcast media arena. However the primary goal of the company is to create prospects for the ‘Digital Content Creator’. In this context the company improves the messages of the web, corporate video, print and broadcast media by adding graphics and animation. The company has employee strength of 50-100 and the total revenue us around $10 million - $25 million. In the year 2002, the company was acquired by Apple Inc (Wit & Meyer, 2010, p.688). Merger and Acquisition Strategy of Apple Apple is a company which always focuses on the development of unique and innovative products (Whetten & Cameron, 2008, p.208). However having speciality in every field of business is complex and therefore Apple has the philosophy of acquiring small and medium firms and integrating it within the existing projects. Furthermore the company also strives to increase their product line. This can be cited as one of the rationales behind the acquisition of Prismo Graphics by Apple. It has helped the company to start their operations in the field of animation. The pu rchase also continued Apple’

Mao's paintings in Cultural Revolution and contemporary Chinese Art Term Paper

Mao's paintings in Cultural Revolution and contemporary Chinese Art - Term Paper Example The essay "Mao's paintings in Cultural Revolution and contemporary Chinese Art" discovers the Chinese contemporary Art and Mao's paintings in the context of Evaluation of Political Implication. This essay shall focus on the paintings of Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution of China and upon the matrix of the paintings by Zedong; a comparative study of the contemporary Chinese art shall enable to comprehend the different political messages inherent in the paintings evolving in different periods of Chinese history and cultural history. In order to compare the paintings of Mao during the Cultural Revolution in China with that of contemporary Chinese art, it is quintessential to understand the fact at the outset of the essay itself regarding the sources of the images of Mao Zedong in the Chinese art. If the span of leadership and influence of Mao Zedong is introspected from a close contour, it culminates into an inference that Zedong has reigned in the Chinese political regime for i n excess of a half century. This tenure is quite elaborate in nature; as a result the Chinese culture and art also underwent massive changes within the stipulated time frame. Not only did Chinese culture and society experience a massive change but also the Chinese art was not spared from the transformation the society was experiencing. In a very unprecedented manner, Chinese art experienced reforms that were related largely with its ideologies and presentations. Captivating the imprints of the revolutionary era., Chinese art evolved as one of the most celebrated and important facets of history of art in the world. Mao was dead but his physical death did not cease his eventual influence upon the people of China. Yan Shanchun correctly remarks in the essay, â€Å"The Image of Mao Zedong and Contemporary Chinese Art†, â€Å"Maoist’s thoughts on literature and art, and indeed his image, were the imperative factors in Chinese art movements in the entire later half of the t wentieth century† (Jiehong, 2007). It has been very rightly observed that most of the portraits of Mao Zedong have been sketched from the photographs of the great leader. The photographs of Mao since the initiation of the art of photography during the middle of the nineteenth century influenced the portraiture of Zedong. With the growing years, the influence of the soviet communist leaders on the cultural domain of China started gaining grounds. If the China’s political ideology is revised then it can be well observed that during the late 1950s the ideological foundation of China’s political philosophy found its base from the two elements; Marxism–Leninism evolved as a pure theory and the thought process of Mao Zedong acted as a practical ideology, a thought that was executed. And, in the similar fashion, the communist leaders were being worshipped in the houses and streets of Russia, the portrait of Mao Zedong started appearing in the walls, stations and important crossing across the country enabling a rage of personal cult worshipping in China (Chineseposters.net, 2013). Comparison While executing the introspection of the paintings of the great leader Mao Zedong during the years of Cultural Revolution and after the siege of the revolution which falls under the era of the contemporary Chinese art, a great variety in the size, transformation regarding the strategies of painting propagandas, and compositions

Analyse your school's behaviour management policy and evaluate how it Essay

Analyse your school's behaviour management policy and evaluate how it meets the needs for safeguarding children in relation to y - Essay Example Therefore, the most dependable solution would be to ensure that there is effective classroom management on the part of the teacher. To get this process started a teacher should take their time to know more about the children that are in his/ her classroom. Once the teacher gets well acquainted with this information, they can be on the upper hand with better techniques and strategies on how to relate and communicate with the child in the classroom. Further on that, this information will help the teacher determine how the children will be positioned in the classroom setting based on their behaviours. According to Marzano (2003), the actions that a teacher pursues in the classroom can have a huge impact on the child and / or children with regard to their individual achievements in school. Based on the information provided, it can be revealed that when a teacher takes their time to know more about a child who is in their classroom - This trend will in turn aid in proper behaviour managem ent in the classroom setting and dynamics. Therefore, this paper seeks to showcase that the mandated school behaviour management policies aid in safeguarding children in all perspectives while they are in school. This is because the policies outline the roles, duties and responsibilities of each child as well as their teachers. According to CUHP (2011), behaviour management policy relates to the action of ensuring that children in all nature of schools have their behaviour monitored through approved strategies and techniques so as to ensure that they behave accordingly. That is; in a positive manner with their peers and/ or parents. Behaviour management policies are developed by individuals such as the staff, parents and governors. These policies bid on building and encouraging positive behaviour, fostering safety in the school setting, establishing friendships and relationships between children. Additionally, the policies incorporate the teachers who are in constant contact with th e children. According to a report by the House of Commons Education Committee (2011), behaviour and discipline polices need to be outlined, put into place and practiced in every school. The most important aspect is that they should be followed up by the parents, teachers and children so as to continuously promote good behaviour in schools. In the current school setting, the behaviour management policies focus on: Anti-bullying; Anti racism; Cyber bullying; Ensuring safety; Suspensions; Exclusions; Choice of language used. According to CUHP (2011), behaviour management policies yield a lot of positive benefits when they are practiced in the school setting. These benefits include: Development of a sense of judgement in emotion: Emotions need to be nurtured. This is due to the reason that different individuals have different kinds of emotions which could either be positive or negative. Positive emotions may range from being caring, respectful, patience, loving and confidence. Whereas, negative emotions may range from being jealous, resentful, fearful and self pity just to mention a few (Valencia n.d). Therefore, behaviour management policies help the child to have a clear sense of judgment with how they should react to different situations in the environment that they are in. Rise of sustainable friendships are relationships: As they say, â€Å"

Work Force Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Work Force Diversity - Essay Example Workforce diversity can be defined as the workforce of an organization that is made up of people from different cultural and demographical backgrounds. Diversity can be also on the basis of human qualities. However from the perspective of an individual diversity can be in terms of ethnicity, race, gender, age, or anything related to physical abilities. Although diversity acts as a key competitive advantage to the organizations, sometimes it can act as a concern. For example diversity in the form of working generation is a matter of concern for many organizations. There are four generations that work side by side in an organization, and each group has some different expectations and diversified mindset. Therefore to create an environment where all the groups get fitted is certainly a challenge for the organizations. As human being enters the 21st century, diversity in workforce has become crucial in a business venture. In this age of information technology, the most valuable asset of the organization is its workforce. The increasing globalization has made people to interact more among themselves as well as from the people of different beliefs, locations and cultural backgrounds. People are no longer working in an inward-looking market, but they work in a global market place. There are competitions from almost every part of the world. Hence for this principal reason organizations need diversity in their workforce. It has also become a way to be more innovative and also open to amendments.

Problem with united states highways conditions Essay

Problem with united states highways conditions - Essay Example The following are some of the topics which will be covered in the first part of the research proposal. In this subtopic, the researcher will seek to explore the different background of the highways conditions in the United States with the aim of establishing any shortcomings that can be covered by the research work. The researcher will compare the conditions in different States and countries to get a comprehensive content for the research work. The research on highways conditions will be guided by at least 4 objectives which will act as the guiding principle of getting the best results for the research work. For instance, the researcher will explore objectives of different authorities in relation to maintaining the good highways in the country. The researcher will use different research questions to help in getting the right information about the highways conditions in the country. The researcher will explore the conditions using at least 4 research questions. The researcher in this section will review different literature by different authors related to highways conditions in United States and other countries. The researcher will rely on this information to build up good research through establishing gaps in the

Afro-American slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Afro-American slavery - Essay Example Slavery in America has been highly supported by the law. In 1686 the exchange of goods between blacks or between blacks and freemen was declared as not legal (Gikandi 244). In 1705 the House of Burgesses in Virginia promoted a series of laws aiming to ensure that slaves in the region would not be able to fight for their freedom in the future (Wood 11); also the above laws aimed to protect the interests of landowners in regard to their involvement in slavery (Wood 11). At the next level, in 1714, another law ‘prohibited blacks from planting their own corn, rice or peas’ (Gikandi 244). These laws aimed to control the efforts of slaves to improve their living conditions and to increase their autonomy. In practice, these laws were not fully applied, mostly because of the conflicts of interests developed in each particular region; for instance, in South Carolina masters preferred to allow a greater autonomy to slaves so that slavery is continued without problems, while in Vir ginia, a different attitude regarding the control over the slaves’ life was developed. This trend has led to the development of different systems of slaves’ control. In South Carolina the task system was promoted allowing to the slaves to use their free time as they wish; in Virginia the gang system was based on the close supervision of slaves almost all day prevented slaves from organizing their life. The cultivation of each section was assigned to a particular slave (Olwell 46), meaning that each slave had the total responsibility for the cultivation of the specific section.

Problem with united states highways conditions Essay

Problem with united states highways conditions - Essay Example The following are some of the topics which will be covered in the first part of the research proposal. In this subtopic, the researcher will seek to explore the different background of the highways conditions in the United States with the aim of establishing any shortcomings that can be covered by the research work. The researcher will compare the conditions in different States and countries to get a comprehensive content for the research work. The research on highways conditions will be guided by at least 4 objectives which will act as the guiding principle of getting the best results for the research work. For instance, the researcher will explore objectives of different authorities in relation to maintaining the good highways in the country. The researcher will use different research questions to help in getting the right information about the highways conditions in the country. The researcher will explore the conditions using at least 4 research questions. The researcher in this section will review different literature by different authors related to highways conditions in United States and other countries. The researcher will rely on this information to build up good research through establishing gaps in the

A Brief History of Economics Essay Example for Free

A Brief History of Economics Essay Through his use of dialectical materialism, Marx not only changed the history of economic thought, but found great illumination for himself regarding the bonds of human society. The concept that seems relatively simple in today’s complex economic world was utterly revolutionary in the time of Marx: people develop their ideas about the world (and thereby, their ideas for how society should be organized and stratified) based on the material aspects of their lives. It was an elegant extension of basic Marxist theory: capitalism, according to Marx, is interested in offering naked materialism as a kind of booby prize to make up for the means of production being taken away from the people. If the people can no longer work for themselves and no longer work at perfecting their own craft as individuals, then, as Marx correctly deduced, people would require something to validate their work. This became the center of capitalism, as Marx understood it: materialism exists as a kind of justification for capitalism, and since materialism has permeated our culture to such an extreme degree, eventually social orders began to revolve around it. Hence, what capitalism serves as the cause of what Marx saw as nothing less than ongoing class warfare. It is interesting to note that Marx believed a violent revolution on the part of the proletariat was not simply a possible method of changing things, but actually served as the only method of changing things. This is because materialism was so embedded into class structures (which, in turn, was so embedded in power structures), and the only way for society to functionally survive was for it to become overturned completely. It is also interesting to note the ongoing effect that Marx has had on philosophic thought: materialism had previously been dislodged by Descartes and the famous declaration â€Å"I think, therefore I am;† as far as most people who pondered these things could conclude, thought preceded matter. However, Marx not only brought materialism to the philosophic forefront—the then-controversial idea that material preceded thought—but illustrated the notion that the abstractions of materialism had been concretized by capitalism into purchasable goods. 2: Marx and the Secret Source of Profit Perhaps the most enduring notion of Marx’s is the so-called secret of the source of profit under a capitalistic society†¦though such is Marx’s legacy of intellectual thought, a great many people simply accept this notion as reality: the source of profit is the surplus value that an employer gains from laborers. After all, the means of production have been taken from the people: skilled artisan cobblers have been replaced by factory line workers churning out shoe after shoe after shoe. The money saved by employing this assembly-line method of industrial production becomes pure profit for the employer. Interestingly, Marx tethered this to his own theories on circulating capital—that is, something that does not last, and is used up in the production of other goods and services, in direct opposition to fixed capital, which is traditionally held for over a year by a business or institution. Marx astutely deduced that the distinction between these concepts is not only relative, but arbitrary: the idea that capital held for 365 days is circulating and that capital held for 366 days is fixed is absurd. However, it allows the proletariat to essentially gloss over their own necessity to the entire institution of capitalism: they are led to believe that society is held up by the fixed capital of major investors and their long-term investments. In reality, society is held aloft by the ongoing purchases of the common man (and woman): their disposable income is burned off to provide them a sense that capitalism is worth it†¦it turn, their disposable income is used to make the rich richer, as the cliche goes, all the way up the capitalist pyramid. In Marx’s view, this is one of many ways that those in power forestall the seemingly unavoidable class war that he advocates: those with power—the purchasing power of the common man—are convinced they have none, and are bought off with trinkets. It is interesting to note that this echoes the master/slave morality inversion of Nietzsche. 3: Marginalists and the Economy In the evolution of economic theory, the impact of marginalism cannot be overstated. Once one had accepted the blunt realities of Marx—specifically, that society was organized based on the perceived value of items—the logical question remained: how does one quantify the value of an item? Marginalism illustrated the diminishing returns on the marginal utility of resold products, which dramatically impacted analysis of capitalist economy, the focus of economic analysis, and theories of value and distribution. Regarding the analysis of capitalist economy, marginalism helped solidify the supply and demand notion of economics as that of mainstream economic thought, as opposed to the labor theory of value espoused by Karl Marx. To put it mildly, this has had ongoing economic effects for the last century and a half. The focus of economic analysis shifted accordingly, as marginalism interacted with price theory: this allowed economics to project demand curves utilizing marginal rates of substitution as a means of determining not only when, but why a seller is willing to relinquish a product for a particular price. Perhaps one of the most lasting effects of marginalism on economic thought has been its effect on theories of value and distribution. With the previous measures in place, economists (as well as common people) now had a more-or-less accurate measure of determining the value of any given product in any given social context. Of course, this also effects the ongoing distribution of certain products to certain demographics in order to maximize profitability. Interestingly, this is one of the chief criticisms of marginalism as well: that it is a vague pseudoscience whose intent is to maintain not only the economic status quo, but the appearance of the status quo. It is no surprise, then, that Marxists continue to grapple with marginalist theory: they see it as a means of keeping the proletariat in check, and preventing any uprisings from them. 4: Thorstein Veblen: Survival of the Fattest Thorstein Veblen, for better or worse, specialized in bringing the human element into economic theory. Specifically, he theorized that the institution of the leisure class was a parasite feeding upon America: upon the backs of workers who are actually productive are a class who seek only profit and produce nothing but waste. He essentially created and popularized the notion of conspicuous consumption as the epitome of this theory: that wealthy individuals spend large amounts of money on ostentatious goods whose sole benefit is to publicly display their wealth to the world. Unfortunately, this has become an integral part of the economy: although an engineer might weep at the man spending over a hundred thousand dollars for a car, the American economy would be crippled if conspicuous consumption vanished overnight. Hence, the parasite metaphor: conspicuous consumption and naked profit helps the wealthy to bloat themselves on the backs of the poor until the entire enterprise inevitably crumbles under its own weight. Veblen perceived quite clearly that human notions about the world are social constructs created by individuals, and as time went on, those notions would change, necessitating a change in economic thought as well. He makes frequent comparisons to evolution to further this end: idle curiosity spurs innovation, innovation spurs conflict between the old guard and the innovators, and an economic Darwinism is born. The advent of industry and technological revolutions merely expanded his original point: the parasitic relationship continued unabated, as the innovations of the productive engineer class were inevitably utilized as means of conspicuous consumption and waste on the part of the leisure class. Planes are developed as a result of idle curiosity, for instance, but it is the leisure class that necessitates the invention of first class as a way of displaying their own status in the social hierarchy.

Reflection on Communication in Intensive Care Setting

Reflection on Communication in Intensive Care Setting LPD 3 SUMMATIVE ESSAY My identified learning need is enhancing my ability to communicate articulately and assertively with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) members, as I portrayed lack of assertiveness and competences in communicating with other healthcare professionals on my previous clinical practice experience. Hence, it is essential to improve this identified aspect of my practice as it compromises patient safety and limits my professionalism. Thus, I will critically reflect upon the identified learning need and how it impacts on my patient’s care, my personal and professional development as a nurse. Furthermore, I will critically reflect and analyse on how the learning need identified was met in my final year placement. In order to structure my reflection, I have decided to use Gibb’s (1988) reflective model which consists of description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan (Gibb’s 1988). I will apply relevant parts of this model when required. Also, in accordance to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) Code of professional conduct, confidentiality shall be maintained in the essay and all names and trust identifiers will be anonymous to protect identity. Additionally, In reference to the Post- registration education and practice (PREP) guidelines (2011), I have spent 52 hours using different databases to research for relevant articles and government policies to enable me to write the essay. The conclusion of the essay will discuss my reflection skills and acknowledgement of my level of assertiveness and competence, showing my personal and professional development. As a student nurse, I go to clinical areas to gain experience and acquire key nursing skills that will enhance my nursing practice. For the final stage of my second year placement in the year 2013, I was allocated to an intensive care setting where treatment and monitoring was given to critically ill patients. I mainly assisted and worked with my clinical practice mentor. I had been caring for an intubated patient during my shift under strict supervision from my mentor. Although I had been caring for the patient for the duration of my shift, I was unprepared to pass on the necessary patient details to the relevant healthcare professionals. The incident occurred when my mentor insisted I followed her to the MDT meeting where a group of professionals collaborated together to make decisions regarding that specific patient’s treatments and improvements (Richards Edwards, 2012). I thought I was just accompanying her to observe the inter-professional collaboration that was taking p lace. Unfortunately, my mentor asked me to handover the patient I had been caring for to the MDT. As a result, I instantly became nervous and shaky, to the point that I struggled to articulate my first sentence coherently and I was unable to communicate assertively with the MDT members. Although I correctly delivered the basic patient’s information, I instantly panicked and gave confusing information regarding the patient’s reasons for admission and care plan. Unfortunately, it was clear to both my mentor and the other members of staff that I was flustered and needed assistance. My mentor then took over and continued with the patient’s information. As a result, I felt I was intimidated by the hierarchy, I felt nervous, embarrassed and upset by my own inability to communicate effectively with the MDT. I thought that I could not be a professional nurse if I let my nerves get in the way of my nursing care. Also, I felt frustrated when my mentor put me on the spot and I could not communicate effectively. Afterwards I also felt that she had not given me adequate t ime to settle my nerves and compose myself before the MDT meeting. On searching the literature, I realised that feeling nervous is a natural reaction for student nurses when interacting with other clinicians and even experienced nurses were once nervous students (Cardillo, 2010). This made me feel less embarrassed and gave me the impression that everybody has experienced these feelings at one stage or another. However, other literature does not support this belief. In fact, several recent studies show that the experience of nervousness could be due to the student being frightened and not committed in carrying out tasks (Youngberg, 2014). In my case, I did not feel it was through lack of commitment. Confidence comes with experience; however, being prepared and organised is the key to my gradually becoming more confident. Hence, to avoid this repeating itself, I will start preparing myself mentally assuming I have to handover patients’ care to other clinicians. As I reflected on the incident, I realised I lack assertiveness in communicating with the MDT and I did not have enough confident to set an appropriate inter-professional working as it is the key to patients improvements (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2010). Also, reflecting back, I realised that I was really worried about the communication difficulties I encountered in the MDT meeting. Many researchers advocate the importance of maintaining an effective communication among the MDT as it is a fundamental nursing skill which plays a major role in the development for student nurses (Moss, 2008). I realised that I needed to improve on this learning need as my inability to communicate assertively and effectively with the MDT impacted on my nursing care to the patient because not going in-depth and not providing the accurate patient information limited my nursing care to the patient. The concept of poor communication among the MDT is highlighted in a phenomenological study by Leonard, Graham and Bonacum (2011), where the authors explored communication failures as the leading causes of inadvertent patients harm. The article was of particular interest to me as it emphasised on sustaining improvement for student nurses in communicating among the MDT because it compromises patient’s safety, and the need for improvement. It is also relevant as it sufficiently discusses the issues surrounding my identified learning need and the need for improvement. In the article, the authors proposed that effective communication among the MDT is essential for delivering high quality care and safe of care to patients. Also, the points the authors raised is a very significant issue to consider, because the in 2014, RCN verified that communication issue have been identified as contributing to a large number of patient safety incidents in the United Kingdom. Thus, they require all nurses and trained student nurses to effectively hand the care of patients over to another clinicians, with an accurate communication and co-ordination to improve patients’ quality of care. Although Sharif and Masoumi (2010) qualitative research states most second year nursing students often experience anxiety and nervousness when interacting with other clinicians compared to final year students, which there is a bit of agreement on, I strongly believe my experience reflects more on Leonard, Graham and Bonacum’s (2011) findings as I was unable to communicate assertively with the MDT during the meeting, which limited by nursing development. It impacted on my clinical ability when I failed to provide the accurate patient information to the MDT. This resulted in creating confusion to the other healthcare professionals as what I stated about the patient did not match with the information the MDT had on their patient handover sheet. Resulting in one of the healthcare professionals asking if am providing them with the accurate patient details which led to a break down in the inter-professional collaboration (Vincent, 2011). This did not just impacted on my nursing care to the patient but also impacted on my personal and professional development. As stated by the Dougherty and Lister (2011), a good nurse is the one who knows what he or she is doing as there is an expectation that nurses and trained nurses must show assertiveness and competencies in carrying out duties. There is a reflection to this approach to my personal and professional development recognising that being assertive and competence does not just mean how you carryout tasks, but understanding the rationale behind it and the impacts it may have on patients (Masters, 2014). This demonstrates how relevant and essential it is to communicate assertively with the MDT as reflecting back on my learning need, not being able to collaborate inter-professionally with the MDT limited my professional development and hindered my patient not receiving a high standard care from me. Although Leonard, Graham and Bonacum’s (2011) findings adequately outline and provide insights into the importance of being assertive among the MDT, the results of their study do not show the significant increase in the enhancement of patients’ care due to the small amount of sample size the authors used. The data was collected from a medium size hospital where performance of the reporting system might be different from other hospitals. This was seen as a weakness, but I felt the article was helpful as it is relevant to my learning need and reminds me of how poor communication impacts negatively on patients safety (Burnard Gill, 2013). Also, in a qualitative study by Krautscheid (2012) the author explored the need for improving communication among other clinicians for student nurses, preparing them for practice. In the article, the author identified that most student nurses have a great deal in communicating effectively to other healthcare professionals, which should not be so as it compromises patients care. There is an agreement on this research even though a study by Burton (2013) identified that not all student nurses’ presents lack of assertiveness in their training but I feel my clinical experience reflects more on Krautscheid (2012) findings as my inability to communicate assertively with the MDT limited my nursing development because it impacted on my clinical ability when I failed to show a competence workforce to the other clinicians in the MDT meeting, which also limited my nursing care to the patient as I did not deliver a high standard of care to the patients’ development. For instance, i f high-quality care is been delivered to patients by the ones looking after them, it increases the opportunity for patients to benefit from therapeutic nursing (Freshwater, 2007) as evidence demonstrates that this does contributes to the highest degree of patient care (Scott, 2008). Therefore, by not communicating assertively with the MDT limited my personal and professional development as the issues surrounding it was not being confidence, prepared , proactive and not portraying an accurate level of competencies hindered my patient not receiving an excellent standard of care from me. As a result, not providing the accurate information about the patient to the MDT compromised the patient’s care. Youngberg (2014) affirms that effective clinical practice involves instances where critical information must be communicated accurately with a team and as a nurse, exploring ineffective communication in a teamwork does not only puts patients safety at risk but also demonstrates not being competence. As such, this highlights the needs to be more assertive and competence in communicating with the MDT as student nurses also plays a vital role in the multidisciplinary team approach to patient care (Miller, 2009), and effective involvement enhances patient outcome (Hughes Quinn, 2007). Although Krautscheid (2008) research shows lack of detailed information on how to effectively deal with miscommunication, its qualitative design allows insight into the need of improving communication among healthcare providers. I found the results of the thematic analysis linked to my ow n clinical experience including the feeling of being nervous. The author provided a relevant and a valid article as a large sample size of 285 student nurses was used and had significant results which were inherently repeatable. The article was helpful in reminding me how important effective communication implements the aspects of patient safety. Hence, it is significant to enhance on my identified learning need. On reflection it was clear that my lack of assertiveness in my ability, when put on a spot by my mentor contributed to my feelings of inadequacy. Through reflection and what my mentor did enabled me to clarify that my weakness was not skill or knowledge level. But my inability to communicate articulately and assertively with the MDT during the meeting was due to being intimidated by the hierarchy. This led to a lack of assertiveness, and confidence in my skill level and clinical knowledge, which also enabled me to know the need to change my practice. Furthermore, after the incident, I received feedbacks from my mentor who stated I should be more proactive in the future, show a competence workforce and develop a tool that will enable me hand in the care of a patient accurately in the future. As explained by West (2012), teamwork is vital if care is carried out efficiently in clinical areas as effective communication creates a positive contribution to patients’ outcome. Thus, I decided to action plan on this reflective experience to develop my nursing knowledge in my final year clinical placement. I looked at various nursing journals and government policies detailing how to communicate effectively with the MDT and use the advice I gained to plan out how to do so. As shown in Watts (2011) phenomenology study, student nurse can further develop their skills in understanding and applying latest research evidence by looking into journals, clinical guidelines and policies to enable them develop their skills. NMC (2010) further supported this statement stating that, trained nurses and nurses need to keep updating their basic knowledge and skills, and be fully equipped and work effectively to deliver essential care to patients. Therefore, to develop my confidence and communicate assertively, I adapted the Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation (SBAR) tool which was published by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement in the year 2004. I chose this tool because it has proven to be an effective communication tool (RCN, 2014). It was also seen to be an easy to remember method that enabled me to frame conversations and to clarify what information should be communicated between members of the team and how. This was a relevant tool to adapt as it assisted me develop teamwork and have confidence to deliver safe quality care. Also, there is a good evidence to suggest that communication improves when nurses used structured format such as SBAR (RCN, 2014). In 2010, the National Patient Safety Agency suggested that effective communication among MDT is a key factor in enhancing clinical practice and patient outcome. Therefore, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2010) supported t hese findings and recommended that nursing and medical staff should use the SBAR tool in structuring patients’ clinical information to other clinicians, supported by written plan as this will prevent healthcare providers from giving unclear patients’ documentation and miscommunication of patients’ details. As a result, they released these guidelines for nurses and medical staff to adhere to in order to enhance patients safety as communication failures causes inadvertent patient harm. This is a reliable guideline as it is a national policy and discusses the need to adapt the SBAR tool. Upon using the SBAR tool, I became proactive and requested the assistance of my first final year clinical mentor to assess my communication skills and knowledge base as it is something I won’t to improve on. By doing this, I was able to reinforce my communication skills and most importantly developed my self confidence as I ensured that I was always prepared, organised and able to successfully communicate assertively with other clinicians during my third year clinical placement while completing the necessary skills unassisted to become more independent as a final year student nurse. Webb (2011) comments that one of the basics of good nursing is effective communication between clinical staffs as failure to communicate efficiently with the MDT destroys the delicate nurses’ inter-professional relationship. As a result, through reflection, practice and the use of my mentor and awareness of factors that affects my assertiveness in communicating with the MDT, and the adaptati on of the SBAR tool, I was able to confidently and assertively communicate with other clinicians. As seen in O’Daniel and Rosenstein (2011) study, to enhance the ability of nursing students, they must have a strong focus to develop skills that will enhance their own professional identity. This is significant as this approach ensures that student nurses become aware of their own competencies, and resulting confidence in their value as a team member. Reflecting on my identified learning need and adapting the SBAR tool have made me attempt to protect my patients from harm and have improved me as a nurse. In addition, I feel I have become more assertive in communicating with other clinicians as assertiveness is an important behaviour for a nurse, which is necessary for effective inter-professional communication (Cardillo, 2010). This implies to the Chief Nursing Officer’s (2012) 6 C’s which states communication is central to successful relationships and effective team working. Thus, improving on my ability to communicate assertively with the MDT is essential and have made me a committed nurse who desires the very best for all her patients, and provide them the very best of care and not to put them at risk. This is in accordance to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct (2014) which states nurses are accountable for their practice. Thus, they must maintain professional knowledge and competence and act to identify and minimise risk to patients. I believe upon reflecting on my identified learning need and improving on it, I am now a better nurse as I have learnt how to do things differently, and deliver the most up to date evidence based care to enhance my patients care and my nursing development. Reflecting back on my final year clinical experience, I have now identified a new learning need which needs development. In reference to the PREP (2011) guidelines and the NMC Code (2008), nurses need to be responsible and accountable for keeping their skills and knowledge up to date through continuing professional development, and must aim to improve their performance to enhance patients’ safety and care. Thus, my new identified learning need is to be able to develop more competent in recognising and addressing challenges relating to patients care. This is essential to develop as according to the NMC (2014), all nurses must be fit to practise and show professionalism by being able to identify and address ethical challenges that relates to patients and decision making about their care, and act within the law to assist with acceptable solution. Consequently, it is vital to develop on this. This essay has critically reflected and analysed on a personal learning experience from a clinical practice. The key points that have been discussed in the essay are that of the importance of communicating assertively with the MDT and how student nurse and nurses can improve their communication skills and maintain assertiveness to enhance patients’ safety. This is because we as nurses must provide a gold standard of care for our patients. Thus, upon improving on my identified learning need, I have been able to enhance my nursing practice in order to deliver safe care to my patients.

Our Neighborhood Drawbacks Essay -- essays research papers fc

My family and I live in a private zone in Visalia which has neat streets and attractive sidewalks decorating our neighborhood. In addition, we count with a secure playground area for our kids funny. It is surrounded by a high fence and has a soft carpet under the playground to protect our kids against fall downs. Many of our residents declare that is a pleasure to take a walk around our area. Laura, a woman who lives in front our home said: â€Å"It is a delight to walk to school every morning because I can enjoy our neighborhood beauty.† In addition, we have the advantage of the splendor during any season. For instance, we can see numerous leaves of different colors falling down in the autumn. Reds, browns, and oranges tones cover our streets. In the spring, everyone can take a leisure time under shades of flourishing gardens full of leafy trees. We are very proud of living in this beautiful area. Nevertheless, a large deserted lot near our locality brings out some annoying effects on the residents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This unoccupied lot gives to the community a disagreeable look that contrasts with the beauty of our neighborhood. The owners send a person to the terrain once a year to clean it up, but waste cumulates quickly. Old mattress, useless tires, and worn-out shoes give our area a nasty aspect. In addition, some people who buy their provisions in a store located at the back of our vicinity leave shopping carts in this careless lot. Consequently, gangs take adv...

Comapring Adolescence in A Separate Peace and Alices Adventures in Wonderland :: comparison compare contrast essays

Adolescence in A Separate Peace and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through life, we travel down a yellow brick road, oftentimes meeting friends and foe, whilst dreaming of making our way back home. However, unlike Dorothy, or her friends traveling through Oz, our struggles on this journey as pilgrims to our fate cannot usually be solved by clicking our heels together, saying "There's no place like home." Instead, we must find our lost souls and confirm them into a new being, one with a defined name and role. It is much like purgatory, a time in which one cannot give alms to receive redemption, and where one must make decisions. This journey, our quest for confirmation, is much like that of love in that it is difficult yet cannot be forced into existence. It is difficult to say "Then I defy you, stars!" (5.1.24) when our futures appear to be solidly built, with little room for deviance from the precharted course. It also must be accomplished solely as "each man finds out for himself, in his own way, [that] each man is the world" (Saroyan 130). Adolescence is a time during this pilgrimage when many discover where their navigation system is leading them and who they are to be when they reach that place "like a rainbow after the rain" (Hansberry 151).    This pilgrimage is a difficult journey to attempt, and many are afraid of the process or the outcome. As children evolve into adults, there is a loss of innocence. No longer is one able to act in the same manner or perform the same actions; instead, as a body falls further into the more "mature" world, the individual is expected to perform at a higher level and to conform. To lose this innocence is a difficult procedure and often hurts as it leads to loneliness; so many try not to fall over the cliff into adulthood, or bite from the tree of knowledge as the serpent tells them to. After this experience, many people, like Salinger's Holden Caulfield, try to protect others from the experience by dreaming of becoming the "catcher in the rye." Once thrown over the cliff, a whole new world is placed upon a person's shoulders, where one realizes, "I knew a lot of things, but I didn't know the half of it, and maybe I never will either. Comapring Adolescence in A Separate Peace and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland :: comparison compare contrast essays Adolescence in A Separate Peace and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through life, we travel down a yellow brick road, oftentimes meeting friends and foe, whilst dreaming of making our way back home. However, unlike Dorothy, or her friends traveling through Oz, our struggles on this journey as pilgrims to our fate cannot usually be solved by clicking our heels together, saying "There's no place like home." Instead, we must find our lost souls and confirm them into a new being, one with a defined name and role. It is much like purgatory, a time in which one cannot give alms to receive redemption, and where one must make decisions. This journey, our quest for confirmation, is much like that of love in that it is difficult yet cannot be forced into existence. It is difficult to say "Then I defy you, stars!" (5.1.24) when our futures appear to be solidly built, with little room for deviance from the precharted course. It also must be accomplished solely as "each man finds out for himself, in his own way, [that] each man is the world" (Saroyan 130). Adolescence is a time during this pilgrimage when many discover where their navigation system is leading them and who they are to be when they reach that place "like a rainbow after the rain" (Hansberry 151).    This pilgrimage is a difficult journey to attempt, and many are afraid of the process or the outcome. As children evolve into adults, there is a loss of innocence. No longer is one able to act in the same manner or perform the same actions; instead, as a body falls further into the more "mature" world, the individual is expected to perform at a higher level and to conform. To lose this innocence is a difficult procedure and often hurts as it leads to loneliness; so many try not to fall over the cliff into adulthood, or bite from the tree of knowledge as the serpent tells them to. After this experience, many people, like Salinger's Holden Caulfield, try to protect others from the experience by dreaming of becoming the "catcher in the rye." Once thrown over the cliff, a whole new world is placed upon a person's shoulders, where one realizes, "I knew a lot of things, but I didn't know the half of it, and maybe I never will either.

Emotional and practical difficulties Essay

â€Å"Approximately 240,000 children every year find themselves experiencing the emotional and practical difficulties arising from their parents separating or divorcing. † (NACCC 2001). In most cases parents can be responsible, put their own feelings aside and do what is best by their children by mutually agreeing on contact without the use of solicitors and the courts etc. Unfortunately however there are many cases where this does not occur. Usually this happens through lack of trust and communication, which develops because of many different reasons e. g.  one partner having an affair. As a result of this many children lose contact with close attachment figures and many members of their extended family. If children are denied contact with their non-residential parent they may start to feel rejected or abandoned, blame themselves for what has happened, feel increasingly insecure and may even become withdrawn and in some cases depressed. Research by the NACCC has indicated that children who experience this situation may start to take unnecessary risks or even harm themselves through feelings such as ‘I just don’t care anymore’. In many cases children have become rebellious and in some cases to the extent of anti-social behaviour within their communities and in school or wherever they can receive the most attention. Most disturbingly however many researchers state that the denial of contact can lead to a child experiencing difficulties in establishing happy and lasting relationships in adulthood and thus the cycle continues. â€Å"A Child Contact Centre is a meeting place where children of separated families can enjoy contact with one or both parents, and sometimes other family members, in a comfortable and safe environment when there is no viable alternative. † (NACCC 2001). Child Contact Centres can ensure that children involved in parental disputes can not only enjoy contact with a non-residential parent (s) and/or other family members but:There are currently 280 Child Contact Centres throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Here in N. I. there are four Centres. Three of these are in Belfast and Cookstown hosts the fourth. Knock Child Contact Centre on the Kings Road in East Belfast is taken as the example. It is staffed by approximately 40 volunteers who are trained in rigorous child protection, domestic violence and conflict, confidentiality approaches and other relevant areas. The centre is organised and co-ordinated by a senior social worker. It is overseen by a management committee and is now an independent charity. During the year 1 June 2002 to 31 May 2003, 74 families used the Knock Child Contact Centre. This involved 102 children and provided 784 family contact visits or 1043 individual children’s visits. There were also 56 visits where children came but the contact adult did not attend and 80 visits where the contact adult attended but the children were not brought. These situations can be very disappointing and distressing for both children and adults. Seventy per cent of the children attending the Centre in 2002/2003 were in the 0-5 years age range (71 children), 26% were between 6 and 10 years of age (27 children) and 4% were 11 years of age and older (4 children). While the majority of contact adults are fathers, in the past year, the number of mothers coming for contact with their children has risen from 11% to 19% (14 mothers). In 10 families the resident adult was the father, in one the grandparents, one was an aunt and in two families the children were in foster care. The remaining resident adults were mothers. Most of the families using the Knock Child Contact Centre have been involved in the legal system. Sixty-three families (85%) had contact orders when they were referred to the Centre and others obtained orders during the time they were using the Centre. In 22 cases (30%) there were non molestation orders, with allegations of domestic violence in a further 16 families. The Knock Child Contact Centre is open on Saturdays from 10. 00 am till 12 noon. Between 10 and 15 families attend and there are usually 8 volunteers plus the Coordinator present. Throughout the year the Centre continued to open on Wednesdays from 2.30 to 4. 30 pm. From the middle of June 2003, this has been extended to 3. 00 – 7. 00 pm to enable older children to attend after school and also to make midweek contact available to parents who are working. Four volunteers plus the Coordinator are present on Wednesdays. Throughout the first few visits families arrive where adults are apprehensive, often hurt and angry, and children are upset and confused. Over a period of time, in most cases, tensions lessen between parents and trust and confidence begin to build again to the extent that families can move on and make their own arrangements in the community. Ideally, the Child Contact Centre is a stepping stone which provides a neutral, relaxed setting for children to build or rebuild relationships with a parent or other relative with great practical and emotional support. It is not a â€Å"normal† situation or a long-term solution. â€Å"Attachment theory supplies us with an understanding of the abiding need for secure attachments, the profound significance of separation and loss and the lifelong importance of our relationship with others. † (Fox, I. Website 1).

Communicate in a Business Environment

1. Understand the purpose of planning communication1.1 Explain the benefits of knowing the purpose of communication The purpose of communication is to allow the exchange of information, ideas, concepts, emotions, thoughts and opinions. The benefit of knowing this is so you can use communication as a tool, it is needed to be able to learn, teach and explain things to others. We communicate in a Business Environment to maintain effective and efficient ways of working and to listen to and try to solve each others problems.1.2 Explain the reasons for knowing the audience to whom communications are presented By knowing who your audience is it is easier to adapt your communication appropriately. Your tone and format will differ depending on who is receiving the communication as will your body language, for example when talking amongst friends, you are likely to talk informally with more relaxed body language whereas when talking to a senior manager you would put more thought into what you were saying and the words you choose as well as standing up straight, smiling etc.The reasons we change the way we communicate to different audiences is to give off the right impression and to get what you want to say across appropriately, effectively and efficiently. 1.3 Explain the purpose of knowing the intended outcomes of communications Knowing the intended outcomes of communications helps inform you if the information you provided was satisfactory and up to the right standard or if they needed more from you.1.4 Describe different methods of communication and when to use them There are five different methods of communication; verbal, non verbal, informal, formal and body language.VerbalVerbal communication is the act of conveying thoughts, feelings and ideas through the use of speech. It is the most effective type of communication and should be used when an immediate response is needed, which can be sought face to face or over the phone. Verbal is also a preferred method when i nformation is confidential. Non-VerbalThis type of communication is one that does not involve speech. Examples of non-verbal communications are written, facial expressions, gestures and sign language. Written communication can be used to have a hard copy/record of an agreement or conversation. Facial expressions and gestures can be very helpful to portray your feelings and helps you determine if the person you are speaking to understands what you’re saying.InformalInformal communication can come in many forms, a face to face chat, phone call, text, e-mail, post it note or an informal meeting for a catch up. This is used day in day out amongst friends and colleagues. This is usually used when the people communicating know each other; an example of this would be starting an e-mail with â€Å"Hi ______† rather than â€Å"Dear Mr. _______†.FormalFormal communication is usually used when communicating with customers/clients depending on the relationship held with the m or when procedures and orders are being followed. This is, in most cases, the format used automatically when communicating in business with people you do not know.Body LanguageBody language is the most honest method of communication; it can be relied on by the hard of hearing or talking to help them get their point across and understand others. It helps people judge who they think is approachable and can assist when there is a language barrier.2. Understand how to communicate in writing2.1 Identify relevant sources of information that may be used when preparing written communication Sources of information can be classed as Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.PrimaryWhen information is primarily sourced it is gathered by a person directly in contact with the event or incident. These are the authentic facts that haven’t undergone any changes. Examples of these include: DiariesLetters E-mails Interviews SurveysSecondary A secondary source of information is interpreted or analysed data of the primary source. Examples of these include: Books Magazine and newspaper articles Commentaries TextbooksTertiary Tertiary sources consist of information which is a combination of primary and secondary sources. Examples of these include: Manuals Directories Fact books Bibliographies2.2 Describe the communication principles for using electronic forms of written communication in a business environment. Electronic forms of data or communication are e-mails, faxes etc. When choosing electronic communications for exchange of information, you should think carefully to decide which the best and most efficient method of communication is.2.3 Explain different styles and tones of language and situations when they may be used for written communications. Colloquial, casual, and formal writing are different styles of writing that have their own expectations and outcomes. The style of writing also depends on the purpose of what is intended to say, how it is intended to say, what the doc ument will be used  for and the audience.Colloquial LanguageColloquial is an informal, conversational style of writing. Casual language is something that we use to communicate with family and close friends. It uses informal words that we use normally on a daily basis.Formal LanguageFormal language is used in business communications. It depends on the words you use, the way you use and relates to your role. You need to be personally well presented and the language has formal words with proper syntax, good vocabulary and excellent grammar which are more important.2.4 Explain the reasons for selecting and using language that suits the purpose of written communication. The purpose of written communication is to contact people in a more professional way. See 1.4 under Formal.2.5 Describe the ways of organising, structuring and presenting written information so it meets the needs of different audiences. When organising, structuring and presenting written information we have to bear in m ind the following. Prepare all the documents for presentation depending on what has to be delivered. Keep documents in the correct order, so that the communication goes in a proper flow without any confusions and errors.While presenting, be clear in what you talk stating the objectives. Give an introduction on what you are going to present, why you are writing to them, why the audience is receiving the written communication. Present it step by step clearly using proper resources where needed. In the end, close it down making clear that all objectives were covered. Inform the audience what will happen next and what actions have to be implemented.2.6 Describe ways of checking for the accuracy of content in written information. Any written communication has to be free of spelling and grammatical errors. It also has to be in the right and professional format. So the following have to be checked or considered before the document is finalised to be sent out. Check the points written down: Whatever we write has to be accurate, otherwise it will have disastrous effects and can even ruin the reputation of the organisation, and the organisation can itself get into trouble. So all details have to be double checked for example dates, names, statistics, events, discussions, actions and other facts. If you are unsure of anything, make sure you check with knowledgeable or experienced people and update the written document.2. Spell check and Grammar check:Spell-check is an option available to easily correct typo errors. Sometimes it will not be 100% accurate, because if you had typed a word instead of another, then spell check will not be able to trace it. So it is always best to check through the document twice before sending it out.3. Use a Template:Usually every organisation has a different style for documents they produce. They will all be available as templates which one can use to easily input data. In case there isn’t a template available, you should research thr ough to find the correct style for the document that you produce depending on needs, department and organisation and follow the style guide to produce the document. As an organisation, documents have to be produced in a standard and professional format.4. Have someone else check your work:Another way to ensure accuracy is to have your document read by another reader. Sometimes when we read through our own work, minor or sometimes major errors can be hard to detect. Grammatical, punctuation and style errors can be picked up if the reader is an experienced person.2.7 Explain the purpose of accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling.The main purpose in the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is ensuring the receiver of the information reads it the way it was intended. Addition to this when given a task to do, your employer expects you to do it perfectly. When a document has inaccuracies, readers tend to distrust everything, including the statistics, opinions, and fa cts. For progression in the company you need to ensure you carry out all tasks to a certain standard.2.8 Explain what is meant by plain English, and why it is used. Plain English is plain language used for communication that emphasise clarity and avoids technical language. Plain English is used so that what you try to communicate is easily understood by everyone and is appropriate to their reading skills and knowledge.2.9 Explain the purpose of proofreading and checking written work. Any work that is written has to be proofread and checked especially if it is important written work. The purpose of doing so is to avoid errors and appearing unprofessional. See 2.6 for the purpose of checking work.2.10 Explain the purpose of recognising work that is important and work that is urgent. Importance and urgency are two different things. When something is urgent, you rush to do it. When something is important, you prioritise it. Urgent tasks are not necessarily complicated, so I try to finis h off the urgent ones quickly and move on to the important ones. Important tasks should be dealt with carefully and have time put into them and be thoroughly checked on completion.2.11 Describe organisational procedures for saving and filing written communications. Every organisation has its own policies and procedures for saving and filing documents. Documents with similar information are filed together for ease of accessibility when necessary. Documents that need to be shared with other departments and other staff are always stored on shared drives. You should be very particular about the storage and destroying of confidential information. Records may be kept as paper files, or electronically in shared drives, databases, or document management systems.