Political Career Timeline of US President Barack Obama

Political Career Timeline of US President Barack Obama  Barack Hussein Obama II graduated secondary school with distinction in 1979 and was leader of the Harvard Law Review well before he at any point chose to enter legislative issues. At the point when he chose he needed to run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, he guaranteed his bid by effectively testing the selection petitions of his four rivals. This denoted his entrance into government politics.â Course of events of Barack Obama's Political Career 1988: Obama is a late spring partner at the Chicago law office Sidley Austin.1992: Obama moves on from Harvard and comes back to Chicago.1995: In July, Obama - at 34 years old - distributes his first diary, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. In August, Obama records administrative work to run for officeholder Alice Palmers Illinois Senate seat.1996: In January, Obama has his four rival petitions negated; he develops as the main applicant. In November, he is chosen for the Illinois Senate, which is constrained by Republicans.1999: Obama starts running for Congress.2000: Obama loses his test for the congressional seat held by Rep. Bobby Rush.2002: In November, Democrats usurp Republican control of the Illinois Senate.2003-2004: Obama hoards his administrative record and fills in as seat of the Health and Human Services Committee.2003: Obama starts running for US Senate; the main Democratic up-and-comer pulls back in 2004 because of a sex scandal. David Axelrod [b egins having] camera teams video for all intents and purposes everything Obama does out in the open. He utilizes this recording to make a five-minute online video for the Jan. 16, 2007, declaration that Obama is running for president. 2004: In March, Obama wins the essential with 52% of the vote. In June, his Republican adversary Jack Ryan pulls back because of a sex embarrassment. He conveys the Democratic National Convention address in July 2004, and in November he is chosen for the US Senate with 70% of the vote.2005: Obama documents desk work for his initiative PAC, The Hope Fund, in January. Not long after his political decision to the US Senate, he conveyed a generally welcomed address contending confidence ought to have a more prominent job in open discourse.2006: Obama composes and distributes his book, The Audacity of Hope. In October, he declares he is thinking about a run for the administration of the United States.2007: In February, Obama reports his bid for US president.â 2008: In June, he turns into the Democratic Partys possible candidate. In November, he vanquishes Republican presidential chosen one John McCain to turn into the primary African-American leader of the United States of America and th e 44th leader of the country.2009: Obama is introduced in January. In his initial 100 days in office, he extends human services protection for youngsters and gives legitimate assurance to ladies looking for equivalent compensation. He gets Congress to pass aâ $787 billion upgrade billâ to advance transient monetary development, and he likewise cuts charges for working families, independent ventures and first-time home purchasers. He extricates the prohibition on undeveloped undifferentiated organism research and improves relations with Europe, China, Cuba and Venezuela. The president is granted theâ 2009 Nobel Peace Prizeâ for his endeavors. 2010: Obama conveys his first State of the Union discourse in January. In March, he signs his medicinal services change plan, known as the Affordable Care Act, into law. Rivals of the demonstration guarantee that it abuses the US Constitution.2011: Obama signs the Budget Control Act to get control over government spending. He additionally signs a cancelation of the military strategy known as Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which keeps straightforwardly gay soldiers from serving in US Armed Forces. In May, he green lights a clandestine activity in Pakistan that prompts the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama container Ladenâ by a group of US Navy SEALs.2012: Obama started running for his subsequent term, and in November, he wins with about 5 million a greater number of votes than his Republican counterpart.2013: Obama gets an administrative triumph with a bipartisan concurrence on charge increments and spending cuts, which is a stage toward keeping his re-appointment guarantee of diminishing the government shortage by raising assessments on the affluent. In June, his endorsement evaluations tank on account of a supposed concealment of occasions in Benghazi, Libya; due to charges that the IRS is focusing on traditionalist political associations looking for charge excluded status; and because of disclosures about the US National Security Agencys observation program. The Obama organization battles with numerous local and universal issues. 2014: Obama orders authorizes on Russia due to its extension of Crimea. John Boehner sues the president, guaranteeing he has exceeded his official forces with respect to certain pieces of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans gainâ control of the Senate, and now Obama needs to fight with the way that Republicans control the two places of Congress during the last two years of his second term.2015: At his second State of the Union location, he asserts that the United States is out of the downturn. With Democrats dwarfed, he takes steps to utilize his official forces to fight off any expected Republican impedance in his plan. Obama has two significant Supreme Court triumphs in this year: The Affordable Care Acts charge appropriations are maintained, and marriage fairness becomes reality. Likewise, Obama and the five world forces arrive at a noteworthy atomic arrangement with Iran. Furthermore, Obama dispatches his Clean Power Plan to diminish ozone harming substances and emissions.2016: In his last year in office, Obama handles weapon control however is met with solid resistance from the two gatherings. He conveys his last State of the Union location on January 12, 2016. In March, he turns into the main sitting US president since 1928 to visit Cuba. 2017: Obama conveys his goodbye address in January in Chicago. During his last day in office on January 19 - he reports that he will drive the sentences of 330 peaceful medication guilty parties. Likewise in his last days, Obamaâ presented Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

Combined sentence Essay

1) Sexism expands even into the territory of vehicle driving, it appears. Accepting that they are far superior drivers than ladies. Men consider ladies drivers bumbling, distracted, and even risky in the driver's seat. - It appears that sexism expands even into the zone of car driving. Accepting that they are much better drivers than ladies, men consider ladies drivers uncouth, careless, and even risky in the driver's seat. 2) However, measurements demonstrate that ladies are, truth be told, more secure drivers than men. For instance, protection rates. Protection rates for ladies are 20 percent lower than they are for men. Another confirmation is that more mishaps are brought about by male drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 than by some other gathering. Likewise, the more noteworthy level of mishaps including passings cause by men. Despite the fact that ladies are condemned for being excessively mindful. They are extremely simply being protected drivers. - However, insights demonstrate that ladies are, indeed, more secure drivers than men. For instance, protection rates for ladies are 20 percent lower than they are for men. Another confirmation is that more mishaps are brought about by male drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 than by some other gathering and the more noteworthy level of mishaps including passings cause by men. Despite the fact that ladies are scrutinized for being excessively wary, they are extremely simply being sheltered drivers. 3) The purposes behind ladies drivers’ more secure driving propensities can maybe be found in the various mentalities of the genders toward autos. From one perspective, ladies drivers who see the vehicle as a comfort. Like a clothes washer. Then again men view the vehicle as an augmentation of their consciences. Utilizing it as a weapon when they feel especially forceful. Or then again utilizing it as a superficial point of interest. - The purposes behind ladies drivers’ more secure driving propensities can maybe be found in the various perspectives of the genders toward autos. From one viewpoint, ladies drivers who see the vehicle as a comfort like a clothes washer; then again, men see the car as an augmentation of their self images, utilizing it as a weapon when they feel especially forceful, or utilizing it as a superficial point of interest. 4) All taking all things together, ladies are more secure drivers. In light of their demeanor. Men canâ learn to become safe drivers. On the off chance that they embrace the mentality that a vehicle is only a comfort. - All on the whole, ladies are more secure drivers in light of their demeanor. Men can figure out how to become safe drivers, in the event that they embrace the demeanor that a vehicle is simply a comfort. 2. (an) Electric vehicles are fueled exclusively by batteries. (b) The new half breed vehicles switch among power and fuel. - Electric vehicles are controlled exclusively by batteries, yet the new half and half vehicles switch among power and gas. 3. (a) Government and private offices have burned through billions of dollars promoting the perils of smoking. (b) The quantity of smokers is as yet expanding. - Even however government and private organizations have burned through billions of dollars promoting the risks of smoking, the quantity of smokers is as yet expanding. 4. (a) Some understudies go to a professional school to get familiar with an exchange. (b) Some understudies attend a university to win a degree - Some understudies go to a professional school to get familiar with an exchange, however a few understudies head off to college to win a degree. 5. (a) The evaluating framework at our school ought to be abrogated. (b) The understudies don't care for getting grades.(c) The directions abhor giving evaluations. - The reviewing framework at our school ought to be abrogated as (or on the grounds that/since) the understudies don't care for getting grades, and the directions hate giving evaluations. 6. (an) Education in a free society shows youngsters how to think. (b) Education in a fascism shows kids what to think. - Education in a free society shows youngsters how to think, yet training in a tyranny shows kids what to think.

The Troubling Nature of Pop Culture

The Troubling Nature of Pop Culture We’ve all been MTV’d. We grew up with pop drivel invading every dark corner of our media-saturated lives: The glowing box in the living room showcasing ideal families in ideal homes living ideal lives. The car stereo blaring bland top-40-isms during rush-hour traffic. Newspapers foretelling inescapable doom and irremediable despair without any hope of salvation or redemption. Magazines twaddling the latest gossip about such and such and what’s his name. Our collective brains have soaked up the meaningless muck and are now waterlogged with platitudes and cultural niceties and the false expectations of the way life should be. American Express: Never leave home without it. Coca-Cola: It’s the real thing. McDonald’s: I’m lovin’ it. We know these corporate slogansâ€"and many othersâ€"by heart. We’ve let them in without even knowing we were letting them in. We’ve accepted these mantras as maxims by which we should make our decisions. If someone continuously repeats a lie, does it eventually become the truth? Is it not safe to leave our homes without our credit cards? Is the realest thing in our lives a carbonated aluminum can of sugar? Do we really love the golden arches? Even Pringles admits they know we are programmed: Once you pop, you can’t stop! Sadly, they’re right. It’s difficult to shake the sedative weight of everything we’ve learned from pop culture. Fortunately, though, once you go pop, you can stop. We never opted-in to pop culture: it had us in its sinister clutch at birth, an invisible umbilical cord no one thought to cut. After all, what’s the harm in a little TV, in a little late-night news, in catching up on the day’s current events? Nothing. But when we simply accept the idiot box’s catchy one-liners as epigrams by which we must make our most important decisions, we get lost quickly. It’s easy to be passively entertained and informed, accepting catchphrases to be self-evident. Even the news has to be “info-tainment”  these days so it’s more palatable to the casual listener (read: consumer). That’s because it’s easy to be entertained, but it’s hard work to seek out the truth, it’s difficult to form our own opinions based on multiple points of view, and it’s much easier to allow someone elseâ€"be it Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, or a faceless corporation with a seemingly endless marketing budgetâ€"to form an opinion for us. Besides the problems of its inherently passive nature, today’s commercial-riddled pop-information can’t inform us of life’s larger problems, of our deepest troubles and fears, of what it actually means to be aliveâ€"what it means to be a human being in the most complex time in human history. The American Dream is brokenâ€"it has been for decades, and attempting to go back to “the way things were” will not fix it. “Fixing it”  would only perpetuate the inevitable, making it worse in the long run. The longer we put off our troubles, the harder they are to deal with. Instead, as a culture, we must take responsibility. We must fix ourselves. We must create the disciplines necessary to be alive in this complex world. We must become aware of what’s going on around us so ultimately we can be aware of what’s going on inside usâ€"only then will we know what’s truly important. Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential.

Gerontology Interview - 1645 Words

Interview Paper My grandfather recently passed away 6 months ago. So I have personally witnessed my grandmother go through the grieving process as well as deal with her own sickness. Unfortunately my grandmother will have to enter a nursing home because my mother can no longer tend to her needs. This is a difficult time for my family because my grandmother doesnt want to go into a nursing home, but she requires 24/7 care. For my interview I chose the neighbors mother who’s situation, age and lifestyle are very similar to my grandmother’s. Her name is Lucy and she is 82 yrs. old living with her oldest daughter. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome to the questions I asked her. We conducted the interview in her home†¦show more content†¦However, she did mention that she didn’t understand what young people saw in rap music. She said it is so negative and its causing young people to do bad things, but she assumed that it was just a phase that most will grow out of. Lucy remains busy by singing in her church choir. That seems to be the only outlet she has. Although choir rehearsal is twice a week, Lucy has been able to make it at least once a week. I know that there are people who do this with their church but I did not realize that some of them were much older adults. I think these activities help to prevent disengagement theory from being present in her life. She is so involved with church and it’ activities that she gets to continually interact with people and not lose that social connection to others. Lucy mentioned that she talks to someone from her church family at least 4 times a week and her church family fills that empty v oid left by the death of her husband. Her daughter lives with her and she plays the role of mother by doing the cooking and cleaning and not allowing Lucy to do anything for fear of hurting herself. This living condition does not make Lucy happy. . In the book â€Å"Issues In Aging† by Mark Novak, the author speaks about people achieving a greater spirituality later in life. He mentions that many older people feel a stronger connection to religion and have a strong religious faith as they age. Lucy mentioned inShow MoreRelatedInterview . Interviewee Expertise. M.Lang Has Worked With1079 Words   |  5 PagesInterview Interviewee Expertise M.Lang has worked with older adults in a variety of positions for 7 years. Her educational and professional experiences include working as a physical therapy assistant, assisted living activities director, and activities specialist (M.Lang, personal communication, March 5, 2017). Depending on either her role as director or specialist, the number of clientele served at a time ranged from 20 to 40 individuals from the young old to the oldest of old (M. Lang, personalRead MoreA Research Study On Successful Aging919 Words   |  4 Pagesand self-growth in later life on the other† (Reichstadt, Older Adults Perspectives on Successful Aging: Qualitative Interviews, pp. 567-575.) Gerontology as a field of scientific study can be traced back to the late 1800s; a time when research primarily focused on the negative attributes of aging, such as health decline. It wasn t until the introduction of social gerontology in 1983 that researchers began to more rigorously study the psychological and social aspects of aging. In recognizingRead MoreElderly Interview1449 Words   |  6 PagescRunning head: ELDER INTERVIEW Elder Interview Jorge Fernandez Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing NURS 3313 – Care of the Healthy Aging Adult Elder Interview General Appearance Normal Signs of Aging Mrs. L is a 64 year old female Caucasian who lives in West Texas. Her hair is naturally gray, but she dyes it, and appears thin and evenly distributed on her head. There are no signs of baldness but her hair is thinning. Tabloski (2006) states â€Å"the hair of a older personRead MoreThe Interview with a Ms.Brown, Elderly Person Essay example629 Words   |  3 Pageselderly, in particular, Ageism, social network, Caregiving. I countries like , Mexico, where grandparents form a constituent part in a family, the United States has seen a major shift away from this reality. On my second interview with Ms. Brown, I decided to bring my Gerontology notebook â€Å" Aging, the Individual, and Society†, so I could share with her some facts about aging, elderly, how society views it, and most important. From the book, we look up about Ageism, I asked her, what she had to sayRead MoreInterview A Senior citizen1899 Words   |  8 PagesInterview a Senior Citizen PSYCH/600 September 22, 2014 Interview a Senior Citizen The most rapidly growing age group in the United States is the elderly, or those individuals age sixty-five and older (Wood, Wood, Boyd, 2011). Late adulthood stretches from age 65 to the end of the lifespan (Laura E Berk, 2010, p. 1). Or it can be called gerontology which is the study of the aging processes and individuals as they grow from middle age through later life. (Association For GerontologyRead MoreThe Social Gerontology Textbook Was Great Supplemental Tool917 Words   |  4 PagesThe book Tuesdays with Morrie and how it relates to the Social Gerontology textbook was great supplemental tool. Tuesdays with Morrie also was enlightening to read during our group service learning project at the Amistad Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The two sources and the group service learning project were educational, emotional, and experiencing. Gerontology, the study of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging (Hooyman Kiyak, 2011). Aging is a process of life thatRead MoreVisiting A Nursing Care Facility Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesVisiting a nursing care facility while learning about gerontology they go hand and hand. While learning about aging the best way to fully understand the information is to make observations. There are numerous connections that can be made from observations and the class readings. Throughout this course, there have been many chapters in Social Gerontology that provide a lot of information to understand aging. The adult facility I choose is White Oak Manor. The type of rehabilitation services availableRead MoreEssay on Ashford Soc 304 Discussions3762 Words   |  16 Pagestheory. c. Discuss how the theory that you selected differs from the activity and disengagement theories of aging. d. Contact a person who would fall into one of the categories of old age (i.e., young old, middle old, or oldest old) and interview them about how their lives have changed since they reached the milestone of being an older adult. In your post, include a brief synopsis of what you learned with regard to that person’s activities, illnesses, social support networks, and employmentRead MoreIdentifying Elder Abuse Within Healthcare Settings1277 Words   |  6 Pagesreported and the abuse continues until mortality. Statistics The cases of elder abuse or neglect reported is alarming. The association of morbidity and mortality is astonishing as more victims are being identified. Studies, including surveys and interviews, have been done to identify what group of elders are at higher risk for abuse. The occurrence rate is increasing with the elder women, as they are being controlled and threatened by their abuser. It is more than likely that more than one type ofRead MoreAging And The Life Course1528 Words   |  7 Pages203) yet the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) follows seven individuals who are seeking a place that can accommodate their elderly needs. Despite this being a fictional film, the text Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology (Quadagno, 201) can support the ways in which the film accurately depicts various obstacles associated with aging. Each of the characters in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel overcome ageist social constructions present within western cultu re but represent

Haitian-American Author of a Collection of Short Stories...

Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-American writer, immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve from a Haiti that was filled with violent turmoil where she lived with relatives in a poverty-stricken area of Haiti. She soon learned English in the United States and began to develop as a young writer. Unlike most fictional writers, Danticat wrote her literature about the pain and suffering of her country from her own experiences. â€Å"She often says that her voice is the only one of many representing the Haitian people†(eportfolio). Her collection of fictional short stories Krik? Krak! depicted the lives of Haitians at different points throughout the twentieth-century(Chen 36). â€Å"A Wall of Fire Rising† is one of the short stories in the cycle in†¦show more content†¦Little Guy recites this speech: â€Å"A wall of fire is rising and in the ashes, I see the bones of my people. Not only those people whose dark hollow faces I see daily in the fields, but all those souls who have gone ahead to haunt my dreams. At night I relive once more the last caresses from the hand of a loving father, a valiant love, a beloved friend† (a wall 319). The speech reveals the symbolic meaning of the title and its symbolic attachment to Haitian revolutionary history as a picture of rising fire is painted when Boukman’s powerful words come out of Little Guy’s mouth. The theme of entrapment is starting to be revealed from the speech. The lives lost in the revolution, those that did not get to see freedom, resonate through the paper and becomes a reality. The slaves that died in the effort to revolution will be forever trapped in a life of slavery. Furthermore, â€Å"The image of a rising ‘wall of fire,’ conveyed by the storys title, historically refers to the dramatic sight of insurrection in 1791 after the Bois Caà ¯man ceremony† (Chen 7). The Bois Caà ¯man ceremony was a meeting led by Dutty Boukman in which slaves met in order to revolt againt the white planters. This would mark the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. Within days the Northern Plain was up in flames as the slaves burned and pillag ed the land. â€Å"A Wall of Rising Fire† coincidentally was individually released exactly two centuries

Moments of My Life Free Essays

Moment Of My Life Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can learn how to live it. Well, can’t but agree with that. We will write a custom essay sample on Moments of My Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now If I was asked to describe the meaning of the word â€Å"life†, I would compare it with making a movie which consists of enormous amount of shots. Each of these reflects a separate and unique moment, which can be happy, touching to the core of your heart, those which make you laugh, shiver or even cry. Absolutely, these moments happen to each of us every day. Some of them we forget as fast as they happen, but others will stay in our heart and mind for the lifetime. I was given an opportunity to describe the very special moment of my life. The moment that changed it, that shook me and turned my world upside down. It was an early morning when my mom was seeing me off at the airport. We were sitting in the cafeteria holding hands and looking at each other without saying a single word. I could see tears in her eyes. She looked worried, upset and proud of me at the same time. It’s not easy to let your still little daughter go on her first flight to unknown far-far away country and being aware of that you won’t see her In the next couple of years. The emotions were overwhelming me. I was terrified and full of courage, worried and excited, already missed my family but couldn’t wait to take off. And here I was making a small step out of the plane In New York but a gigantic one Into my new future. Being out of reach for my old world I was dragging through the crowded airport seeking for the familiar face of my only friend in this big apple. Had no back up plan on my mind because I am absolutely convinced that If you are making a change up In your life you should just go for it without any thought of drawing back. My friend was standing in front of me. I was still speechless of everything going on around but so happy to meet the only connection with the new world. It was late at night. I remember getting off Penn Station and walking couple off blocks to take the other train. It seems pretty funny right now but that time I was wondering if it is ever going to be able to understand the subway map and the endless routes of trains. I can’t but say that this thought left my head immediately. After I found myself I the middle of the street surrounded by the impressive skyscrapers being such a contrast to each other, the flow of people still rushing somewhere or Just walking around and so much light that made the streets look like it’s a day time. That very second my inner soul and me realized it was my new home. This city with millions of people, great and Inspiring architecture, but tons of garbage In the streets and smell of food trucks is my new world where I want to be, want to find myself and settle down. New York is the city where everyone is equal at the start line. I am sure that this great city can teach you to live your life, to be always In motion, to see good and bad more clear, to catch every opportunity that comes your way and to appreciate the certain things when you have them. While talking about me I would say that despite the fact I was terrified at the beginning of what was going to happen to me next I was totally happy and grateful to my life for giving me this chance and experience of all those great feelings and moments. BY pituitary You must experience each one before you can learn how to live it. Well, I can’t but agree with that. If I was asked to describe the meaning of the word â€Å"life†, I would country and being aware of that you won’t see her in the next couple of years. The excited, already missed my family but couldn’t wait to take off. And here I was making a small step out of the plane in New York but a gigantic one into my new future. Seeking for the familiar face of my only friend in this big apple. I had no back up plan on my mind because I am absolutely convinced that if you are making a change up in your life you should Just go for it without any thought of drawing back. My friend was inspiring architecture, but tons of garbage in the streets and smell of food trucks is teach you to live your life, to be always in motion, to see good and bad more clear, to How to cite Moments of My Life, Papers

The Kinetic Energy Essay Example

The Kinetic Energy Paper The aim of this piece of work is to investigate the factors that affect how fast a marble/ball bearing travels once it has travelled down the curtain rail. Factors: There are 5 main factors that affect the speed of the marble/ball bearing once it hits the ground after travelling down a curtain rail.   The surface may well change as it changes from the curtain rail to the floor. It could be smoother or rougher. If its rougher the ball will slow down its speed quite quick due to friction whereas if it were smoother it would travel a further distance because it will have a higher speed. It will be easier to pass over the surface if it is smooth. The marble/ball bearing itself could be of importance. Its weight and diameter could affect the speed. The bigger and heavier the ball the shorter the distance it will travel because the speed will be slower than with a small light ball which will travel faster.   Another point would be the height of the beginning of the track from the floor. The higher the track the faster the ball will travel when it comes off the end. However, if the track is very close to the floor the marble/ball bearing will not get very far due to low speed. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kinetic Energy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Kinetic Energy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Kinetic Energy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is the most important factor because it more or less determines the speed the marble/ball bearing is going to travel and how far it is going to travel.   Air resistance may play a minor part in the speed of the marble/ball bearing. There is nearly always air resistance therefore it could slow the ball down a tiny fraction.   The length of the track could play a large part. The longer the track the faster the marble/ball bearing has to go to get a longer distance. If it is a short track the ball bearing will be at a higher speed as it reaches the floor because it hasnt had much time to slow down. Fair Test For this to be a fair test everything has to be done equally. If you decide to choose the height of the track to be the most influential factor then that is the only thing we must vary. The same ball must be used for each test. If not the size of the ball could speed up or slow down the average speed of the same ball. The same track must be used each time. If not the different tracks could have a rougher or smoother surface from each other and this may affect the speed of the marble/ball bearing once reached the floor. Before timing each test the distance measured and timed at the end of the curtain rail must be the same each time you do it. It must also be done in the same place to make sure that the air resistance is the same. All these aspects must be undergone for it to be a successful experiment. Predication and Scientific Knowledge My prediction is that the higher the curtain rail at the beginning the faster the marble/ball bearing will travel along the floor and the further it will travel along the floor. The lower the curtain at the beginning the slower the ball will travel because there isnt as much gravity forcing it along the rail. On a rollercoaster for example there is Gravitational Potential Energy at the top of a drop which converts into Kinetic Energy when it reaches the bottom of the drop and slows down. Gravitational = mass x height x gravitational Field Strength Potential Energy Kinetic Energy = 1/2 x mass x speed 2 There is also transferred into heat energy and sound energy. But then if we forget about the laws of friction and the energy given off from friction both Gravitational Potential Energy and Kinetic can be equal. If the height changes on one the velocity will changes to be equal as well. Method: To find the speed of the marble/ball bearing travelling along the floor it will have to be timed over a certain distance. The distance should be accurate and reasonable to be able to get a good time in. It should be 2 or 3 metres. Preferably 3. It should be measured from five heights and timed on each one. This should be done at least 3 times to get a good average and set of results that you can work with. The range of heights need to be equally set apart. In this case it should be 10cm, 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, and 50cm. The times need to be recorded from when the ball leaves the curtain rail to where the 3 metres is finished. All results must be recorded. Preliminary Experiment: In our preliminary experiment we found that Gravitational Potential Energy converts into Kinetic Energy once at the bottom. The marble/ball bearing gradually slowed down as it travelled along the floor. Another thing on the preliminary experiments was that once the ball had fell down the bottom and up the other side of the curtain rail and reversed in couldnt reach the same height as the start because the marble/ball bearing has lost most of its Gravitational Potential Energy and therefore cant turn it into Kinetic Energy anymore. The Obtaining.

Why Nursing is a Popular Option for Career Changers

Why Nursing is a Popular Option for Career Changers Choosing a career is a momentous decision - one which holds the potential to lead to a lifetime of satisfaction †¦ .or misery. Not everyone gets it right the first time. Most recently, a trend is arising in which an increasing number of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s are pursuing second careers in nursing. Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon. Supply and DemandThe nationwide demand for RNs is set to undergo a 21 percent increase by 2025, according to a December 2014 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. These numbers fail to factor in emerging care delivery models which will see nurses in new preventative care and care coordination roles thereby further increasing demand. The demand for LPNs is also projected to increase at a rate of 36 percent.While the country is recovering from the recession and in the process of bouncing back, many people remain scarred by layoffs, cutbacks, and ot her threats to job security. The anticipated demand for nursing removes this fear from the equation, and instead promises a secure future.And while registered nurses may not bring home the same high paychecks as doctors, they do make a comfortable income: a median pay of $65,470 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Fast Track to a New CareerWhile switching to a new career can take years in some professions, many nursing programs off a â€Å"fast track† which can be completed in as little as 12 months for college graduates. While most people don’t have the time or financial resources to invest in a long, drawn-out period of training, nursing offers a great career with minimal investment.The Chance to Make a DifferenceMany people enter first careers motivated by money and prestige. However, as people age, their priorities change. This is particularly true for those who may have experienced their own personal health issues, or witnessed a loved one go ing through a health catastrophe.In many cases, nurses are the primary point of contact for patients and families, and can make or break the quality of care. Because of their tremendous impact, many new, aspiring nurses are inspired to become nurses themselves.And while nurses may not have the prestige of their fellow doctors, they have something perhaps even more important: the trust of their patients. According to a recent Gallup poll, nurses received the highest ratings for honesty and ethical standards, surpassing medical doctors, police officers, and even members of the clergy.While changing careers can be an immobilizing decision - how do you know if you’re making the right choice? - it can also be an invaluable â€Å"second act,† for many American workers. At any age or stage of your career, following your calling into nursing can have innumerable benefits†¦both for you and the patients you serve.

ACT Hand Scoring Should You Order It

ACT Hand Scoring Should You Order It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did your ACT scores seem way out of whack? Enough that you think there was an error in the scoring process? It’s possible to get your test rescored manually for a fee. Read on to find out why you might decide to use ACT Score Verification (also known as ACT Hand Scoring) and how you can order it. What Is Hand Scoring? The multiple choice sections on the ACT are scored with scantron machines, which is why there's so much emphasis on filling in the answer sheet accurately with dark marks.Machines may interpret a stray mark as an answer or penalize you because you accidentally skipped a question and bubbled in a string of answers in the wrong spots.If you order score verification, your test will be reviewed again by a human being to see if there was a problem in the original scoring process or if you made an obvious bubbling error that would be apparent to a human grader but not a scantron. ACT score verification is available for both the multiple choice and essay sections of the test (if you did ACT Writing).It’s a $50 fee for the multiple-choice section, $40 for the essay section, or $90 for both.If you're at all familiar withSAT Hand Score Verificationor have ordered it before, you should know thatACT Score Verification differs in one important way.For SAT Hand Scoring, there's the risk tha t your score will go down if mistakes in scoring are found that aren’t in your favor.For the ACT, your score will either stay the same or go up- ordering hand scoring can’t hurt your score, it can only hurt your wallet.If the ACT does find a scoring mistake that works in your favor, your scores will be changed and the fee will be refunded. Special note: In past years, ordering ACT essay score verification meant that your essay was reread and rescored (if your score was higher; otherwise, your score stayed the same). Now, however, getting score verification for your ACT essay only gets you confirmation your essay was scored by two independent graders (or by a third grader if the two scores differed by more than a point in any domain) and that your essay was scanned correctly. When Should You Use Score Verification? Here are a couple of scenarios where you might consider Hand Scoring as a score verification method: Scenario 1: Your Overall Score Was Very Different from What You Expected How different is â€Å"very different†?If you get a score on one or more of your ACT sections that is five or more points lower than the score you consistently earned in practice sessions, you might consider hand scoring. With this much of a discrepancy, it’s likely that something weird happened in the scoring process or you did something on the answer sheet that caused your answers to be read inaccurately. Scenario 2: You Missed Many â€Å"Easy† Questions That You Would Normally Get Right If you look at your score report and notice that you got a bunch of questions wrong in subjects that you usually ace, you might start to question your scores.However, you should consider ordering the Test Information Release, described in my next point, to verify the difficulty level of the questions you missed before jumping to any conclusions. Scenario 3: You’ve Investigated Other Score Verification Options The ACT Test Information Releaseprovides a more comprehensive view of the test. It includes all the questions, a list of your answers, the answer key, scoring instructions, and the writing prompt and scoring rubric along with your scores (if you took the ACT with Writing).You can order the Test Information Release for $20 (per test date). This will either clear up confusion about your scores or verify that something went wrong and you need to order ACT Score Verification (hand scoring). When Should You NOT Use Hand Scoring? You shouldn't jump right to hand scoring if your score is only a little lower than you expected it to be. Say you get your scores back and you did about four points worse than you expected on one or more sections. Do you order hand scoring?I would say that’s the tipping point. A discrepancy between expectations and reality of four points or less is probably not significant enough to indicate an error in scoring. If you're still concerned, you should go ahead and order the Test Information Release so you can understand your scores better.Try not to jump right to blaming the test if you score a couple points lower than you expected- it’s not going to help you learn from your mistakes! The best place to learn is on top of a pile of past mistakes. How to Request Hand Scoring To have your test hand scored, just fill out this form and mail it to the ACT within 12 months of your test date.Include your name (the original one that you wrote on the test), address, and date of birth along withthe ACT ID, testing location, and test date from your original score report. You should also include a check made out to ACT Student Services with the applicable fees for whichever part of the test you want hand scored.Remember, multiple choice is $50, essay is $40, and it’s $90 for both. Mail everything to this address: ACT Student ServicesP.O. Box 414Iowa City, IA 52243-0414 You can also request to be in the room for the hand scoring process for your multiple choice questions (but without access to the test questions) at a location designated by the ACT. If you would like to do this you should mail this request in writing along with everything else, although I would say that unless you are super paranoid about them messing up the scoring again you probably don’t want to bother with it. The ACT says that additional fees apply, but the information they give about it is very vague- you may want to call them to find out more details before you decide to put in a request. The number for ACT Customer Service is 319-337-1270. After you mail your score verification request, you should get a letter back from the ACT in three to five weeks. It will tell you whether your original scores were confirmed or changed due to an error in the original scoring process. If they were changed, you and all your designated colleges will get new score reports free of charge. What's Next? Are you wondering whether you should take the ACT again? Learn how many times you can take the ACT and how to decide whether you should retake it. Are you just unsure of when you should take the ACT? Use this guide to the best test dates to make an informed decision. If you need to go over your mistakes on your last ACT to prepare for the next test date, check out this article for advice on the best way to review. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Module is. Professional development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Module is. Professional development - Essay Example The professional is expected to have practical knowledge of entire full life-cycle software development process and associated skills such as web applications, operating systems and content database management systems (Mohanty 2012). The current job market for software engineering is attractive since job opportunities are expected to increase faster than the average of all other careers in the entire economy. According to available statistics from labour organizations, the demand for software engineers is expected to increase at a rate of 30 percent up to 2020. According to the data, two-thirds of graduates are in employment within six months and 64 percent are employed (Prospects 2013). Accordingly, 47.3 percent work in Information technology sector while 12.3 percent work in retail, catering and bar work. 7.5 percent get jobs in commercial and public management while 5.7 percent get jobs in arts, design, culture and sports. From the data, it is evident that the career is attractive and ensures progression (Prospects 2013). The increase in demand can be attributed to the expansion in the use of internet technologies, growth in e-commerce and demand for more complex data processing systems across all sectors of the economy. Okrona (2013) is of the idea that the growth of job opportunities in software development is the emergency of mobile technology that requires small electronic devices like mobile cell phones, watches and consumer electronics to have inbuilt software systems in order to enhance consumer experience. Accordingly, the healthcare sector is currently moving away from paper based patient information filing to electronic patient information systems that will require support of software engineers (Megginson & Whitaker 2003). Cloud computing, internet transaction security and virtualization systems have increased the demand for computer software engineers especially in corporate organisations that use these technologies in order to minimise the costs of operations and improve their margins. There are numerous opportunities in the software engineering job market due to favourable industry trends such as new innovative technologies like cloud computing and increase in online business transaction payment gateways. The booking UK economies will require more software engineers to develop innovative business solutions that will ensure increased customer numbers, increased sales volumes and higher customer satisfaction (Okrona 2013). Other favourable trends in software engineering career include increase in large volumes of data and use of market intelligence analytics by business organisations in order to remain competitive in the industry. The increased emphasis on end users needs and integration of systesm integration with software engineering has led to interoperability of various software products thus increasing the opportunities in the career field. However, there are certain trends that pose threats to the future of a career in software engineering. One of the threats is the rapid changes in computing technologies and user requirements thus creating a need for further education and training on

Ernest Hemingway Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Ernest Hemingway - Annotated Bibliography Example He sees Mr. Shirtlet as an empty man emotionally who only wants the car that Mrs. Crater possesses. He also points out that Mrs. Crater is also empty. The point of the story in his idea is that both people are willing to trade their humanity for something material. Desmond, John. F. â€Å"The Lessons of History: Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Everything that Rises Must Converge’. The Flannery O’Connor Bulletin, 1, Autumn, 1972. Gale Literary Database. Blinn Library. 6 March 2012. This article provides an understanding of O’Connor’s point of view as to whether this work is religious or not. She does not feel that the work is religious because she does not thinkit is right for her to put her religious views into her stories. Desmond states that he feels that it is religious and because of who she is, she cannot get away from influencing her characters in some way through religion. The article is a short critical essay about this short story and how the women in the story are under the delusion that they are better than everyone because of their wealth. The problem is that the males in the story have all the power, although the main female characters do not understand this fact. Here, there are two women, Mrs. Prichard and Mrs. Cope. One is savvy and the other one is seen as dense. The criticism is very short and interesting because the boys eventually set fire to the woods and are in some ways redeemed because of it. Paulson, Suzanne Morrow. "Male/Female Conflicts." Flannery OConnor: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1988. 28-45. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Schoenberg, Thomas, J., and Lawrence J. Trudeau. 82. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 Mar. 2012. Gale Literature Resource Center. Blinn Library. 6 March 2012. This article compares several of O’Connor’s short stores with the theme of male-female conflicts. Most of the stories were listed that were read for this research paper. The

The Necessity Of The Mobile Phone Today English Language Essay

The Necessity Of The Mobile Phone Today English Language Essay Hand phone, cell phones or handset has been the one of necessity rather than a desirable in our live in this modern day. Nowadays, hand phone has been an affordable gadget for everybody and the parent can effort to buy a hand phone for their children. Even our children also can be seen with hand phone at anywhere they go and even in school. The question begging a genuine answer is whether they are responsible enough to be allowed to be with these communication gadgets in school. Ministry of Education has set a regulation on using hand phone in school which is I strongly oppose with that regulation and proposal. The regulations are to allow student on using hand phone in school but with limitation usage. With this regulation student still can use hand phone in school. Minister of Education should not allow the student to bring and use a hand phone in school at all matters. There are more badness rather than a benefit when student bring their hand phone in school. This is because the technology in the hand phone can cause the student exposes to a bad behavior. There are still young and they are suppose to concentrate on their study first rather than playing or using their hand phone. During the school time they have to spend that valuable time on their study and class. After school time they have a lot of time for playing with their hand phone. The school authorities and the teacher mainly should play a major role to prevent these usages of hand phone among th e students. The parents also strictly have to control their children from misuse the hand phone. In the school also they provide a public telephone for student to use. Even in school office also they have a direct line telephone that the student can use to call their parent in urgencies cases. The parents should trust the school management when their children are in school. There is no need to be worried because the school management can make sure 100% safety on our children, this is fully guarantee by the Ministry of Education and even the Government of Malaysia. Although I have left school 11 years ago, but considering that Ive been in school for 12 years from pre-school to form 5, everyone did just fine without hand phone in school. So we should strongly not allow our children to bring the hand phone in school. 2.0 Statement of the problem. There are too many problems when we allowed the student to use the hand phone. One of the problems is there will be a tendency to show off ones hand phone, especially of the latest model. This will not only bring a beginning to the downfall of human values and becoming a snob of the society, but also cause inferiority of other students who cannot afford the latest models or hand phone. The inferiority will affect the esteem of students and if they are caught with the trend, they might resolve to stealing in whatever means either directly or monetary, or pressure the parents who have been working hard for the children to have good education. This will burden the parent to find extra money to full fit their children necessity. Nowadays the children dont want a cheaper hand phone they only want the sophisticated hand phone such as I phone 4, Blackberry etc. Just because the market price of hand phone are falling fast, it doesnt mean that one should just take their current model for gran ted and if it gets stolen, one will just buy a new one. So what if you or the parents can afford to a new phone, life just doesnt work in such a way that when something goes missing, you just get a replacement. When the stealing happen the criminal cases in school will increase and this will drop the reputation of the school itself. The school can be classified by a school for a bad student and this will make the parent thing they should not let their children to enter the school and find the different school. Other than that, the student has spent the pocket around RM10 to RM40 per month to buy a prepaid. No wonder the pocket money for our student. RM50 per month are never enough for the student nowadays. Some of them even ask their parent to register a postpaid due to insufficient prepaid top-up use per month. With the gadget technology nowadays, hand phone are already built-in with camera, video and even Internet in hands. This is easy to capture or downloading a picture and videos in this case the student can expose on pornographic or sex video with are unsuitable on their age. After that they may distribute them among their schoolmates. This will end up with rape and sexual intercourse among the student and will be bad influences for young children. Camera hand phone is increasingly popular. And you never know when pictures or videos are taken, or where they are taken for what purposes. Sure, all of us will be saying that we wont do such inappropriate thing but you never know about the person next to you. We can never be too careful. By using a hand phone the student also can surf to internet. This will end up they are not concentrate with their lesson in the class but they busy with their hand phone even nowadays face book also can surf through hand phone. The entire student for sure h as a face book account and they surely more focus on face book rather than their education. Although the usage of hand phone is limited to before school and recess time. Instead of students socializing and growing up with schoolmates, hand phone, reputed to be the cannot leave behind companion of individual nowadays, will probably make students pay more attention to the handset instead. All hand phones must be switched off during classes and curricular activities. Lets be real. If we can turn the phone off, we might as well leave it at home. And to expect students to turn it off is one thing that is unlikely to happen. The most theyll do is silent it and set it to vibration mode. You dont have to look into school situation. Even in university lectures, most undergrads dont silent the phone when theyre supposed to. The phone will normally be in the pocket or at least in the bag. The point is, it will never be anywhere far but always in contact since the phone is on silent. With that, theres always a possibility of using phones during lessons to SMS, play games or download. S ome of student will play with their hand phone during their boring subjects. One, this clearly doesnt shows any respect to the teacher. Two, its taking the teacher for granted. Three, just because the person is smart and playing with hand phone wont affect the studies then why are you even in school? School is not just a place to study or speed your time to get into college and university. Its a place where you learn to grow up socially. Furthermore, cell phone should be banned at all because when we allow student to use hand phone in school the teaching and learning process will certainly be disrupted. When teacher enter the classroom they need to spend a lot of time to check and make sure all of their student already switched off the phone. It will be a need for teachers to do so or some of their students may take out the phones and start playing games instead of focusing on the class. Some more students may misuse their hand phone by cheating in examinations by sending the answers using SMS or by write down the notes in the hand phone. Other than that, imagine the situation when every student in a school takes out their hand phone and keeps sending SMS or makes phone calls during recess time. Compare this condition with a situation where every student takes out a book and keeps reading it during recess time. I am very sure that no school would want to see the first situation and all schools are looking forward to see the second situation. Schools would not be the place for students to attain knowledge if hand phone were to be allowed in schools. 3.0 Methodology. As for to support my argumentation or oppose the proposal I have made an interview and discussion with them with three respondents which is two from them are same with me to oppose the proposal and they dont agreed to allowed the students using hand phones in school. Some of the discussion Ive done it at the school and some in their house. The three respondents on my interview which is a parent who have children in school, the first respondents are Mr. Mahmad Bin Abd. Kadir live in Taman Putri Kulai. Work as a clerk in school. He has one child who is still in school. His children are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. Second respondents is Mrs. Norzaila, work as a clerk in school. She lives in Taman Melati Indahpura, Kulai. She has three children who are still in primary school. Her children are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. The third respondents are Mrs. Norzana Mohammed Noor. Shes work as a teacher. Shes has a three children in primary school. Her childre n are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. 4.0 Findings. According to my analysis through these three respondents, two of them are not agreeing with the proposal and they are not allowing the student using hand phone in school. Even though, they have children they still not allowing their children using a hand phone in school. Their reason is children are still young and are not suitable on using hand phone. They also mention in the interview that there is many problems may arise if they using hand phone in school. Furthermore, they cant afford to buy a hand phone for their children. If they have three children it is impossible for them to buy three hand phones for each one of them. This will burden the parents if their children keep pushing them to buy the hand phone for them. They want their children to concentrate more on study rather than playing with hand phone. They dont want their children negligence. They also want their children to success during the examination. So they should start from the beginning to archive their goal and am bition. They want their children to success in study until to University. They also mention that they dont want their children to be a bad boy by against the school rules. So the two respondents are same with me to not agree with the Ministry of Education proposal and strongly not allow the student using hand phone in school. The last respondent are agree with the proposal which is Im not agree with her. She agrees for the student to use the hand phone in school and accept the proposal of Ministry of Education. According to her, the proposal is good. Shes agree because for her children safety in school or outside the school. This is because shes working and their children always alone after the school hours. Shes often to contact their children through phone. This is too easy for her to check on their children while working. Her husband also working and dont have much time to look after their children. They need to communicate through phone to check wheatear their children are straight go back home after school or not. They also worried if their children misuse the hand phone. If not about safety reason she also dont to let their children use hand pone in school. Shes work as a teacher and shes know about good and bad if their children misuse the hand phone. Shes just let their children use the phone for safety purpose and easy to communicate. Shes always reminded their children to not misuse the hand phone and just uses it for important thing only such as emergency call. Shes only bought a simple hand phone for their children, the hand pone without Internet or camera only use for call and SMS. It must be seen that the main reason by parents to let their children continue to use cell phones is because of safety purposes. If they have the phones, it is easier to reach them and even know where they are. It is also beneficial during emergency situations when the child can either call for help or be located in case he or she is gone missing. Even though those parents who do not support this idea say the children are not yet responsible enough to be given the cell phones, they tend to stick to the fact that the youth are likely to abuse the trust bestowed on them by parents. The parents can point to the fact that youth are always seen talking endlessly on phone to their friends. Even the short text technology on phone has been abused but the children see it as a pastime whereas the parents are usually uneasy when they see the youth misusing the privilege given them. Since parents know exactly what their children are like, they would be in the best position to make the decision o n this matter. They are also the ones to decide at what point their children should be allowed to go ahead and own phones. It is advisable to set time limits on the time they can use the phone though as this will show that the parents are in control. 5.0 Suggestions. After made an analysis on these matters, my suggestion is there no need to allow the children to use the hand phones in school. In school, teachers are the ones who take care of our well-being. When we fall sick and really need to be taken home, injured or emergency, the teachers are more than willing to contact parents to inform them. Isnt that what the use of the school having emergency contact numbers for, after all, the use of the office phone is always there when in need. Even public phones in school or outside the school grounds are available. And to say that the phones are frequently not in good condition or not working, that will teach students to take care of public premises. We never know when we are in dire need to use it. The Ministry of Education also needs to add more public phones in school for student needed. The school management also needs to play important roles to take a good care of safety among the student. Having problems and need to call parents, theres always the office for emergency. And public phones for all reasons. And if all means doesnt work, Im very sure teachers are kind enough to lend their own hand phones to use. The question of teachers using the hand phones in school also needs to be given a thought. Teachers should also understand that they are the role model in school and it is not appropriate to show the misuse of the phone. Even worse, give students work and then laugh on a conversation over the call. They will lose the respect of the students and students are not to be blamed for not respecting teachers in this case. I feel that if teachers are expecting an emergency call like if someone is in a hospital, they should inform the class first, rather than disrupt the class in the middle of a lesson and then apologizing And being careful, it is true to say that the society out there is no longer of what it used to be before. Sometimes I wonder, for parents to keep track the whereabouts of their children, how sure are they that the children are not elsewhere from what is said, or perhaps for parents to make sure the kids reach a place safely (school in this case), dont you think that a mere phone call is good enough, we depend on technology too much that personal responsibility is no longer shown. I may not know the worries of a parent and yet it may seem easy for me to say. But as a child of my parents, even they never need to check on me, I feel that its more meaningful and to realize how much my parents cared for me if they can spare some time to check on me other than just a call. Again, most parents are working and time is hardly there. Or the distance is too far between home and school. Hand phones must be banned from school among the student. If there still the stubborn student being the hand phones the school authorities should do spot-check and confiscate hand phones. The discipline teacher should play major roles, ask their prefects to do spot-check before school hour begin. This is to make sure there is no student bring the hand phones to school and then keep their phones at house. On the school banning students from bringing hand phones, the students itself must aware why the school had done so, the students must understand that the kind intention behind the schools decision. They also must accept the reasons. If they want to use the hand phones, use it after school time outside the school. They have more time to play after school hour. School is the place for study not for playing or to show off our wealth. Parents and teacher must monitoring and proper guidance on the students to prevent anything happen. The student must think during their parents childhood there are no hand phones use and there nothing happen during that time. Their parents also should explain to their children there is no issue during their childhood without hand phones. They still can manage to go to school without hand phones. Dont just depend on the technology too much. If there are still the stubborn student bring the hand phones to school, school management must take a serious action by fine the student minimum RM5 per day. This is not to burden the student but to teach them not to bring the gadget to school and left it at home rather than bring to school. The money can use for the improvement purpose and development in school. The school management must assign their teachers to handle this issue. The school management also must implement a motivational class or series of lessons for students to teach them about proper etiquette and ethics that govern the virtual world. Classes are held once a term to teach st udents on what they should look out for when taking a picture or video, such as whether they are infringing upon the privacy of others. The lesson also educates students on the concept of intellectual property law, critical especially when downloading information and music from the Internet.

Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Essay

QUESTIONS 1. What additional factors encountered in international as compared with domestic financial management? Discuss each briefly. International financial management is faced with many more business factors than domestic financial management. For instance, international businesses are required to operate in many different financial aspects around the world. International financial management must deal with customers, shareholders, vendors, and other businesses across a much wider plane than domestic financial managers. Investment decisions regarding international issues may also be greatly affected by the exchange rate, taxes, and arbitrage. It may also be more of a challenge to manage financial records when involved in international trade. Additional differences include higher rates of return as well as the interest-rate parity theory (IRP). The IRP is the forward premium or discount that should be equal and opposite in size to the difference in the national interest rates. The exposure to the decline of foreign currency is also a serious factor regarding international financial management. An additional factor is the fact that many international subsidiaries may choose to work independently instead of for the multi-national company. This would in turn prove disastrous for the entire company. International companies have much more access to funds as they can seek credit and financing in other countries besides their own. Finally, financial managers have the opportunity to make foreign investments. 2. What different types of businesses operate in the international environment? Why are the techniques and strategies available to these firms different? There are many types of businesses that operate in the international environment. Any business which participates in business transactions with other nations are part of the international environment. Any organization that is involved in imports and exports would definitely be involved. As  well, any large firm that communicates daily with dignitaries from other countries would also be involved in the international environment. These techniques and strategies may be different because of these businesses’ gross domestic product. In addition, these organization’s advancements in technology, knowledge, and communication may lead to higher economic development; therefore, the opportunity to participate in international trade and globalization. 3. What is meant by arbitrage profits? Arbitrage profits involve investments with little to no risk. An investor makes arbitrage profits by buying in one market with cheap currency, and then selling in another market. This strategy does not involve an investment of funds or any risk bearing. However, the investor would still make a sure profit. 4. What are the markets and mechanics involved in generating (a) simple arbitrage profits Simple arbitrage involves two or more markets. This type of trading does not include exchange rates across all markets with a single currency. Instead, simple arbitrage is taking advantage of the differences in price regarding one asset. (b) and triangular arbitrage profits? Triangular arbitrage is the process of converting one kind of currency to another, then converting it to another currency, and the finally converting back to the original currency. Triangular arbitrage usually occurs within a short time frame. Traders involved in triangular arbitrage would have to have advanced equipment and knowledge in order to effectively and quickly take advantage of this kind of trading. References Keown, A., Martin, J., Petty J., & Scott, D. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications. Prentice Hall, Inc. Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Organizations are constantly looking for new ways to grow. A part of this includes budgeting and forecasting which prepares a corporation for its future endeavors. Corporations explore options for growth and Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has discovered three options for expanding their operations. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2010). These three options include going public through an Initial Public Offering, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry, and merging with another organization. This essay will provide the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the three options Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has. Going public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) has its advantages. For instance, â€Å"creating currency that can be used to fund growth and generating liquidity for founders, investors and employees, among others† (Benton, 2005). When an organization goes public the largest concern is creating shareholder wealth therefore, choosing an IPO provides the funds necessary to increase shareholder wealth. However, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry may strengthen Patton-Fuller to increase the firm’s assets. According to Patton-Fuller’s 2008 financial statement (Apollo Group, Inc., 2010), the current ratio is 5.41 indicating that Patton-Fuller has $5.41 in current assets for every $1 in current liabilities. The healthcare industry is a costly business therefore this ratio could use improvement. Merging Patton-Fuller with another organization provides benefits that this hospital lacks. Patton-Fuller is current working on remodeling the hospital waiting area and has recently solved an issue with the nursing staff. Merging with another organization could provide the assistance this hospital  requires in the sense of meeting its long-term goals as well as increasing its operating income return on investment which is currently at 12.3%. We will examine the weaknesses of the three expansion options. There are many disadvantages of going public through an IPO. The major disadvantage of going IPO is the cost and time involved in the transformation. Managers of top business people grow exhausted from dealing with attorneys, bankers, investors, accountants, etc. Another disadvantage is going public gets very expensive. Fees are paid out for various things and to various people. Losing confidentiality, flexibility, and control is another disadvantage. The SEC requires that all public organizations release information about public affairs, profits, etc. Patton-Fuller has to decide if giving up their freedom is the direction they want to gear toward. Acquiring another organization in the same industry can have its disadvantages. One major disadvantage is the industry being purchased having financial problems. This kind of organization is not worth the investment. The price to purchase may be a good cost for a bad reason. Cost characteristics can be another issue. Competitive problems are another issue. Everyone is trying to go after the same business. Some organization or cut throat concerning competition. If Patton-Fuller takes this route, they need to make sure the industry being purchase is worth the investment. They do not need their investment to work for them. Merging with another organization another organization could definitely bring on some challenges. When merging, votes must be approved by the stockholders. Stockholders play a big role in businesses merging. Obtaining the votes can be time consuming. Trying to get at least two-thirds or more votes is a task. There could also be conflict of objective between the two businesses. This could be a huge problem. When the two businesses do not see eye to eye, this can cause disruption within the organization. Then there is always the notion of a business becoming too large. When a merging business becomes too large to quick, this leads to higher costs. When merging, Patton-Fuller need to do their research about the business they want to merger with. Merging with the wrong organization could be a risky task. Patton-Fuller needs to do their research and weigh their options about all three expansion options. Patton-Fuller need to think long-term and what would be beneficial to the hospital long-term. The Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has been serving its local community since 1975; however the executives at the hospital now believe it is time expand from being a privately and have three options for expansion: going public through an IPO, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry or merging with another organization. Opportunities of each approach that could benefit the Patton-Fuller Community Hospital will be determined and discussed. When a privately held coming goes public, it usually means that the company is selling shares of its stock for the first time to the public. This means that a once privately held company now is owned by public stockholders. The change of going from a privately held company to a publicly held company would require a lot of changes to the hospital; more than likely there would be a change in management and a loss of flexibility. However, going public through an IPO may be the only way the hospital would be able to continue to grow and expand. For any business, going public requires a lot of time and resources to ensure that the process happens smoothly. It is often believed that a company should look for other alternatives such as securing venture capital, forming a limited partnership or examine their current capital before committing to an IPO solution for expansion. Acquiring another healthcare company could be a consideration; acquisitions occur when two similar companies combine to form a new company altogether. The buyer of the other company takes control of the company because it is buying its shares; this means that the company the purchases the other company has full control over its assets and assumes all liabilities from the company that is being purchased. Acquiring another company within the healthcare industry would allow the Patton-Fuller Hospital to expand within the community. While acquisitions occur when one company buys another company and establishes itself as the owner of both  companies, a merger is the result of two companies that agree to move forward together but continue to be owned and operated separately. Merging is often a good idea for a lot of companies because it allows companies to join together for both organizations’ best interests to occur. Mergers allow businesses to dominate within their industries bu t allow them to each be individually owned and operated. There are threats associated with going public through an IPO. One threat is that there is a loss of control. â€Å"If Wall Street analysts don’t like the way the company is being run, your stock price may suffer, which means hard work has gone to waste. The board of directors may not like the job you’re doing, so your job is in jeopardy. And, of course, the shareholders may vote contrary to your opinion, which could significantly affect your life,† explains Harry S. Raphael, partner of Raphael and Raphael, LLP, a Boston-based full-service accounting and business consulting firm. The threat of losing control of an organization will run the risk of losing the organization. Also, Public companies have a greater accountability for their actions and must also meet stringent requirements from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that cause innumerable distractions to the management team. At the same time, steady growth is expected on a quarter-by-quarter basis. If the expectations are not met, there is a chance of the company not being financed by lenders and therefore causing the company to go bankrupt. Lastly, â€Å"going IPO presents a different kind of communication channel, both internal and external, which must be created and maintained. Much of this burden falls on the chief financial officer (CFO), but investor and public relations firms play significant roles in the operation and daily life of a public company, as well. Such communications practices for public companies — or those entrenched in the IPO process — can be critical† (Hell No We Won’t IPO, 2010). The thought of purchasing an ongoing business would appear to be a good idea however, there are possible issues to consider: there is an existing  reputation, customer base, suppliers, equipment, leases and cash flow. â€Å"The infrastructure and management team are also in place. These facts will make it difficult for the business to soar if all mentioned is negative instead of positive. There is the possibility of the seller backing out just you get ready to sign the deal due to emotional attachments to the business. Their products may be inadequate and/or defective. The inventory is old and outdated. The business is on a downswing and experiencing a negative cash flow. Overall, it is difficult to find one good feature about the business, except the sales price. When this situation occurs, it is easier to start a new venture than purchase an old one† (AllBusiness, 2010). Merging with another business, of the same kind, is also an option. However, there are threats to consider. â€Å"The cooperation of the target firm existing management is almost a necessity for a merger. This cooperation may not be easily or cheaply obtained. Moreover, the diseconomies of scale if business become too large which leads to higher unit costs. It’s also will create clashes of culture between different types of business. Thus this reduces the effectiveness of the integration. Merger also may be creating a conflict of objective between different businesses, meaning decisions are more difficult to make and causing disruption in running of the business. It also results dissatisfaction among current staffs as positions will be limited and the management have to decide which staffs to hold the position after the transaction has taken place† (William, 2008). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital is a privately owned and has many options on how they can expand. Patton-Fuller now knows the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the three expansion options. They have to determine what approach would best facilitate the hospital needs. References AllBusiness. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/specialty- businesses/minority-owned-businesses/459211-1.html Apollo Group, Inc. (2010). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Retrieved on October 09, 2010, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/pfchHome.htm Benton, G. L. (2005). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Going Public. .IPO Planner, Guide and Resource Directory for Companies Going Public. Pillsbury Winthrop LLP. Retrieved on October 09, 2010, from http://ipoplanner.webzel.net/forum/00000003.html. Hell No We Won’t IPO, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.va- interactive.com/inbusiness/editorial/finance/articles/hellno.html William, Peter; The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mergers, November 15, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1189676/the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_pg2.html?cat=3

What Everybody Else Does When It Comes to Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School and What You Need to Be Doing Different

What Everybody Else Does When It Comes to Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School and What You Need to Be Doing Different If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School Opt for the one which you believe that you can offer strong points that will persuade your audience. Clearly, you shouldn't purposely choose a topic that will bore your audience. To fully grasp how women are portrayed as activists, it is crucial to have knowledge on the plot of the film. The list you will discover here is not aiming high merely to persuade people who you're right. There are just a few things that define whether an essay you're working on is going to be a good one. Take a look at the things happening around and ask yourself if there's something you are especially interested in. Afterwards, you have to explain the explanations for which you support that side. Depending on the research you've done, you can choose to select the side of the folks supporting LSD usage. When it has to do with the middle school, the argumentative essay incorporates moderate topics. Argumentative essay is about arguing and debating on a subject, which is debatable. All persuasive essays are like argumentative essays. Every argumentative essay ought to have an opposing view which can help you to prove you're right. Feel free to choose a topic which you will delight in writing about and not just one which you think will please your professor. To do so, you need to get a guide to compose the very best essay on the selected topic. Qualities of a great persuasive essay topic The topic ought to be specific. Selecting an excellent topic for your essay is among the most crucial and frequently tricky parts for many students. The Tried and True Method for Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School in Step by Step Detail Other people believe that it improves creativity and productivity at work. Women in the film are unwavering and prepared to provide their precious aid in a dire circumstance. Don't select a problem that you truly feel little concern for. People are now overly determined by technology. Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School - the Conspiracy College is for a high amount of study. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. School tests aren't powerful. When you settl e on the subject and select the position on which you will base your essay, the remainder of the job can then begin. When given a task to make an essay, you have to try to remember that evidence is what matters. Matters regarding health and drugs give good arguments since they are contradicting. Just adhere to the guidelines stated above, and you will be well on your way to writing a great persuasive essay. The value of research in persuasive writing may not be overstated. Possessing excellent research abilities and selecting an excellent topic is vital. The role of assigning an essay to middle school students is to make awareness and permit them to develop writing skills. Understanding Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School Year round school isn't a good idea. Similar to any other facility, keeping a school open takes a good deal of money. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to have tattoos, since they are making the d ecision for their own children. A minumum of one parent should work at home. It might be necessary for protecting the citizens of the nation. At length, teachers have to be paid for all of the weeks they're working. Think about an elective course you would love to take your school doesn't offer at this moment. Some schools in the USA are requiring that students volunteer for a number of hours each semester to assist on a community issue. Kids ought to be able to vote. Likewise children wouldn't be in a position to go to most summer camps. They watch too much television. They should be required to read more. Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School for Dummies Problems connected with drugs are somewhat contradictive. Parents should speak to kids about drugs at a youthful age. Parents of bullies should need to pay a fine. Persuade your parents to obey your favourite music. The ability to give information in various contexts is crucial to effective communication. If nobody knows the way to write or read cursive handwriting, the shape of communication is going to be lost, some believe. As an example, let's say you decide on the very first topic from our list. Persuasive essays are an excellent approach to encourage the reader to check at a particular topic in a different light. On the opposing side, acquiring a list of good persuasive essay topics is inadequate. It is crucial to pick a great topic so as to compose a fantastic paper. P.S. Keep in mind it's possible to contact online academic writers to aid in topic selection along with writing the entire paper from A to Z.

The learning and teaching methods of citizenship PSHE education

Sample details Pages: 30 Words: 8914 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? This project addresses the problems that are currently being encountered with regard to the delivery of citizenship and PHSE within UK schools. To give emergent themes context an historical review of their academic treatment is presented. This is broadened by considering the United States delivery of these subjects to determine whether the UK can learn anything from the American experience. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The learning and teaching methods of citizenship PSHE education | Education Dissertation" essay for you Create order Documentary analysis and interview schedules are the research methods used to analyse secondary sources and generate primary data. A number of conclusions are drawn namely these subjects must be linked to current issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, global citizenship etc) of the day to ensure that their content and delivery remain relevant to the needs of young people. Recommendations for a more flexible approach regarding the delivery and assessment of these subjects are made at the end of the study. 1.1 What Does Citizenship Mean? Before it is possible to critically review and evaluate th eeffectiveness of the learning and teaching methods that are used to deliver citizenship and PHSE, it is necessary to begin by analysing their rationale and curricular content. In other words what are these subjects about and what are the benefits that pupils gain by studying them? Answering this question will provide a framework within which it can be determined whethercurrent academic practices are satisfying the aims and objectives ofthese subjects. Citizenship is a concept that can have a myriad of meanings andinterpretations. There is no universally agreed definition. Models of citizenship vary from country to country. The concept is continuously contested by political parties, academics and pressure groups. Despite the many interpretations of the concept that exist, all notions of citizenship imply to a greater or lesser degree, membership of apolitical community that is internally defined by rights, duties, participation and identity. The term Active Citizenship is widely used, but again there is no single accepted definition. The phrase is open to interpretation. From an educational perspective when there is no universally accepteddefinition of a concept, it makes it extremely difficult to transform such a subject into a meaningful learning experience for young people. In other words there are no hard and fast rules which can be appliedby teachers. When a concept has a clear and universally accepteddefinition, it provides the means by which to breakdown the subject into manageable chunks of learning. Thus students become skilled and knowledgeable when applying each component to a given set of circumstances. For example, in Business Studies, if you wish to measure the financialperformance of a company, it is possible to apply a number ofuniversally accepted accounting ratios. This forms a set ofstandards, which are quantifiable and which can be applied in a constant manner to a variety of different situations over a period of time. When it is possible to apply clearly defined and universally accepted standards to a subject or a concept it becomes relativelyeasy to teach and learn. When a student understands how each component of a subject works, it isthen possible to interlink these areas and increase the complexity oflearning activities. Thus over time the student will master each stage(i.e. knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,evaluation) of the cognitive learning domain (Source:www.businessballs.com, Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains).Students will have a holistic view of the subject content and willunderstand how the constituent components interlink. Given that citizenship does not have a universally accepted definition; is it possible to develop a set of standards, which can be constantly applied? Citizenship poses serious problems for educationalists interms of its definition and delivery as a subject to young people throughout the UK. What are the statutory requirements for teaching citizenship? It is a statutory subject at key stages 3 and 4. Apartfrom the absence of an eight-level scale of achievement, it is treatedexactly the same as other foundation subjects in the National Curriculum. Schools are required to establish high standards for citizenship that are comparable with standards in other subjects (Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). 1.2 What Are The Similarities Between Citizenship And PHSE? Both subjects are similar in their emphasis on values and attitudes,and in their concern to empower young people to act effectively andwith self-confidence. They are also similar in some of the themes they explore; such drug abuse and equal opportunities and their emphasison active learning techniques like role play and discussion. What distinguishes the two concepts are their focus and content. PHSE focuses on personal and inter-personal decision making, whilecitizenship education deals with public policy. PHSE is concernedwith students choices as private individuals, the other with their rights as citizens. For example, a typical PSHE lesson on smoking deals withlegal rights and responsibilities, whereas a citizenship lesson focuseson the cost to society exploring issues such as legislation onsmoking in public places or tobacco advertising. Thus citizenship canbe viewed as the global or societal perspective on key issues e.g.smoking etc. PHSE, on the other hand, concentrates on the needs, expectations and responsibilities of the individual. 1.3 Why Is It Necessary To Investigate The Teaching And Learning Methods Of Citizenship and PSHE? In 2004 the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published areport (PSHE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment, QCA,March 2004) on the delivery of PSHE within schools in England. In thesummary of key findings it was noted that in some schools, there wasconfusion about what the differences and similarities between PSHE andcitizenship. Also even when schools had allocated a significant amount of curriculum time to the delivery of their PSHE programmes, it was rare for the assessment of pupils progress and achievement to take place. Ever since the National Curriculum was launched in 1988 there have been major concerns over the time available to deliver all of the core subjects (e.g. English, Mathematics etc). The introduction of new subjects (i.e. Citizenship in September 2002) places an even greater pressure on school timetables, teaching staff and resources. The major problems may be summarised as follows: a. As explained in section 1.1 there is no universally accepted definition of citizenship. b. There is confusion over the similarities and differences between citizenship and PSHE. c. The lack of quantifiable assessment strategies makes it verydifficult to evaluate the benefits pupils gain from the delivery ofthese subjects. d. Severe timetable constraints and a lack of appropriately trainedteaching staff are hindering the effective development and delivery ofthese areas. Therefore, the objectives of this project are as follows: a. To critically evaluate and review the learning and teachingmethods which are currently being used to deliver citizenship and PSHEin order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. c. To analyse how these subjects and their interrelationship willdevelop in the future and determine how learning and teaching methodswill need to change in order to satisfy the new requirements. 2.1 The Teaching of Citizenship in UK Schools A Historical Perspective The teaching of citizenship in UK schools has a long and problematicalhistory. Since the beginning of the twentieth century it has undergonea number of transformations. Up to the outbreak of the First World War,the purpose of citizenship education was to generate a sense ofnational cohesion, loyalty and obligation to the nature, as well as asense of pride in the Empire (Oliver and Heater, 1994). The secondphase of citizenship in education witnessed the rise of a more directapproach. That is, the systematic training of young people in deferenceand moral behaviour. Schools were encouraged to promote and cultivatethe simple virtues of humility, service, restraint and respect forpersonality (Ministry of Education, 1949, p.41), in their pupils. The 1960s brought a new emphasis regarding the delivery of citizenshipin schools. Notably that young people needed to become more politicallyaware and more active in their participation of social issues. A morerecent development (1990) witnessed the introduction of citizenshipinto the National Curriculum as a cross-curricular theme. Suchcross-curricular themes have suffered a chequered history and remain atthe margins of school timetables with the main thrust of deliveryconcentrating on core subjects and other academic considerations. This historical perspective of citizenship provides an insight into theproblems the subject has faced because of its poor definition andineffectual delivery. To rectify this situation a government proposalsought to establish more explicit and coherent provision in the areasof personal, social and health education and citizenship (DfEE, 1999,p. 1). The proposal aimed to introduce a framework across all keystages for personal, social and health education and citizenship.Furthermore, this development established a coherent nationalframework which gives schools flexibility to develop their ownapproaches. (DfEE, 1999, p. 13). Whilst this approach raised the profile of citizenship and sought toestablish it as an integral part of the National Curriculum, it createda number of problems. How exactly was it going to fit into a schooltimetable? As outlined earlier, in section 1.3, there have beennumerous problems with the National Curriculum, since its launch in1988. In 1999, there were yet again a number of government initiativesto reduce the prescriptive nature of the National Curriculum andprovide schools with greater flexibility. On the whole these changeslike previous initiatives only resulted in cosmetic changes. The other major problem with the new version of citizenship lay withthe delivery. Who exactly was going to teach this subject? It wasproposed that the knowledge required to teach the subject could begained from the core of an initial teacher training degree orpostgraduate certificate in education. Teachers already delivering PSHEcould acquire the knowledge and skills required to deliver citizenshipthrough continuous professional development. Having analysed the teaching of citizenship within the UK in terms ofthe current situation and from an historical perspective, it isnecessary to explore how this issue is dealt with by other countries.This will provide the opportunity to compare and contrast the UKexperience with other nations and determine whether there are anylessons to be learnt. In other words are there examples of goodpractice overseas? If so, is it transferable to schools in the UK? 2.2 The Teaching of Citizenship in the United States In the United States education for citizenship has been a longstanding goal of schools. To achieve this goal, students must learntheir civil rights and responsibilities in a free society. In 1991 JohnJ Patrick provided a review of why this was necessary and outlined howit could be achieved. Five key points, which are outlined below, formedthe basis of this review. a. The importance of teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship b. Deficiencies in learning about responsible citizenship c. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at home d. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at school e. Where to obtain information and materials about how to teach responsible citizenship The rationale for teaching citizenship was based upon the premise thatthe preservation of civil rights and liberties is linked to theperformance of responsibilities. Thus the responsibilities ofcitizenship such as voluntary service to the community, participationin the political system etc were essential to ensure the maintenanceof civil rights and liberties. However, reports on civic learning bythe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), indicated thatthe majority of students in the 12th grade had a very limited knowledgeof government and citizenship in the United States. Furthermore, halfof the students in the 12th grade failed to demonstrate the knowledgeneeded for responsible participation in the political system. Thus in 1991 there was a clear need to improve the learning of youngAmericans about their responsibilities as citizens in a moderndemocracy. In effect Patrick was advocating a holistic approach to theteaching of citizenship within American schools. That is, young peopleneeded to become actively involved in every aspect of American life.Consequently he provided a list of organisations where materials couldbe obtained in order to aid the delivery of this subject. For example,the American Bar Association which operated a Special Committee onYouth Education for Citizenship, the Constitutional Rights Foundation,Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, the Social ScienceEducation Consortium and so on. The approach actively promoted by Patrick failed to have the desiredeffect. In 1991 the NAEP reported poor levels of attainment amongst12th graders with regard to citizenship and its related areas. Theresults of the 1998 NAEP civics examination completed by a sample of4th, 8th and 12th grade students across the United States showed thatstudents were not proficient in the skills that enable citizens to usetheir civic knowledge. The NAEP 2001 History Report Card results alsoshowed a similar lack of proficiency. President Bush launched a number of initiatives in 2003 to improve theawareness of citizenship and associated areas among young peoplethroughout the United States. Some of these initiatives are highlightedbelow: Idea of American Essay Contest: High School juniors nationwide areinvited to submit a 1,200 word essay on the Idea of America andreceive awards. Heroes of History Lecture: An annual lecture that features anacclaimed scholar telling the story of a hero in American life. Theselectures are made available to school libraries throughout the UnitedStates. President Bush participated in Pledge Across America, a nationwidepatriotic observation that invited every school child in America toparticipate in a simultaneous pledge of allegiance at 2pm EasternDaylight Time. The pledge was observed on the 215th anniversary of theUnited States Constitution, the conclusion of the first-ever NationalCivic Participation Week, and the beginning of Constitution Week(Source: https://usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm). 2.3 What Can We Learn From The Americans With Regard To Teaching Citizenship? The analysis of the American experience raises a number ofinteresting points. Notably the American educational authorities viathe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are activelyengaged in measuring students attainment with regard to theirknowledge and understanding of citizenship issues. As noted the resultson the whole have been poor. In the UK citizenship is taught throughoutall of the Key Stages of the National Curriculum. However, in Key Stages 1 and 2, there is no requirement for the formalassessment of pupils knowledge and understanding of citizenship issues(Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). Progress in this subject issummarised in each pupils annual school report. In Key Stage 3, thereis an end-of-stage assessment. Whilst in Key Stage 4 there is nostatutory requirement for assessment. Three short courses are availablei.e. GCSE Citizenship Studies. The AQA (Assessment and QualificationsAlliance) version of this qualification requires students to undertakea 1.5 hour examination and complete a project. Should the UK adopt the United States assessment model? It wouldprovide the opportunity to quantify each pupils level of knowledge andunderstanding of citizenship issues throughout each Key Stage of theNational Curriculum. Such an approach would provide data which could beanalysed to determine the effectiveness of the teaching and learningstrategies that are currently deployed to deliver citizenship within UKschools. However, such a proposal would be met with stiff resistancefrom a variety of sources (i.e. teachers, parents, educationalistsetc). It is already considered in many quarters that school children inthe UK are already over assessed. Also it is interesting to note that the American model of citizenshipis radically different from the British version. The informationprovided about the American experience includes such phrases as Heroesof History. The British equivalent would mean portraying the likes ofHoratio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington as heroes. Thus theAmerican model concentrates heavily on patriotism (e.g. Pledge AcrossAmerica) and herein lays a broader issue. The United States isuniversally criticised throughout the world for being too insular, tooselfish and is not perceived as accepting its global responsibility tothe non-American citizens of the world. The American version ofcitizenship does not seem to recognise the word global. 2.4 The Future of Citizenship Beyond National Boundaries The European Union has been in existence for nearly 50 years. However,until very recently, education remained untouched by the gradualmovement towards the pan European state. Curricula development andcontent were protected by each member-state. Since the advent of theMaastricht Treaty, the EU has developed and funded a number ofeducational initiatives to promote the concept of a European superstate; largely it must be said, without success. The Commissionsattempts to Europeanise education remained largely ineffective,mostly confined to the recognition of diplomas, vocational educationand the exchange of language teaching programmes (Soysal, 2001). However, a closer look at the way Europe, nation and citizenshipare being represented in school books and curricula, particularly inthe disciplines of history and civics reveals another kind ofEuropeanisation process that is, how European identity is likely toemerge and of significance to this project how it will be taught inEuropean schools. This process is happening through highly active andinformal networks largely unmonitored by formal EU institutions.Teachers unions and associations, academics and scientific experts,advocacy groups etc are busy networking, arranging conferences etc on teaching Europe. Perhaps the most significant development in this process is thedisappearance of the nation state historical events are now retoldwithin a European perspective and a not within a nationalisticstraightjacket. National identities locate their legitimacy in deeplyrooted histories, cultures or territories. But Europe is notpast-oriented: it is future orientated. What does this mean for theteaching of citizenship in schools throughout Europe? It has long beenrecognised that these problems can only be resolved by nations actingas one. This is why the United States receives a lot of criticism, asit constantly failed to sign up to international agreements on carbonemissions etc. Thus the Europeanisation process is merely a steppingstone towards the creation of global citizenship. Learning for global citizenship is about understanding the need totackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability towork effectively to do so: this is referred to as Action Competence(Jensen and Schnak, 1994). An example of a resource that provides aframework for learner-centred delivery would be Get Global! This iswhere pupils are involved in every aspect of their own educationalexperience. The Oxford Schools Catalogue contains a wide range ofmaterials published by Oxfam and others, focused on learning for GlobalCitizenship (Source:www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm). 2.5 A Brief History of Sex Education in UK Schools In England from the late 19th century, a number of sex educationpublications were produced, mainly aimed at helping parents toenlighten their children. The Second World War had a huge impact on thepopulation of Europe. Fresh emphasis in sex education was placed onpreventing syphilis and gonorrhoea. In the 1950s and 1960s sexeducation in schools was carried out through the descriptions of thereproductive habits of plants and animals. By the beginning of the1970s, school sex education was beginning to change significantly. Forexample, methods of contraception began to be more widely taught. The 1980s witnesses further developments in sex education. The rise offeminist-thinking led to an increase in the number of programmes thatencouraged pupils to examine the roles played by men and women. Sexeducation programmes began to have such aims as the acquisition ofskills for decision-making, communicating, personal relationships,parenting and coping strategies. HIV and AIDS became a health issue inthe UK just when sex education became a political football. A number ofsituations arose the 1985 Gillick case, which focused on whetherparents always have the right to know if their children are beingissued with contraceptives when under the age of 16 the growingstrength of the lesbian and gay movement, lead to the polarisation ofviews on sex education, among politicians at local and national level. Thus sex education, as was with citizenship, has become politicallycontroversial. Recent school sex education programmes have variedconsiderably in their aims. At one extreme (rarely found in the UK butwell-funded and widespread in the USA), abstinence education aims toensure that young people do not engage in heavy petting or sexualintercourse before marriage. At the other end of the scale, some sexeducation programmes, challenge sexist and homophobic attitudes(Source: www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html). 2.6 Summary Of The Key Factors In the UK and USA there is a realisation that young people need tobecome actively in all aspects of national life (e.g. politics, localcommunity, environment etc). However, there are major differencesbetween the two countries. The American approach towards citizenship isbased heavily on patriotism. In many respects the current Americanmodel of citizenship seems similar to the one that pertained in the UKin the early part of the 20th century. Despite Americas best effortsto increase young peoples knowledge and understanding of citizenshipconcepts, the NAEP results show no increase in student attainmentbetween 1991 and 2001. The Americans seem to be ignoring the development of citizenship beyondnational boundaries. In order to solve the worlds problems we need toact as one unified force hence we all need to embrace globalcitizenship. Sex education has moved substantially from its extremelylimited earlier forms to embrace a broader spectrum of sexual andsocial issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, homosexuality etc). When this is comparedto the American experience, again like citizenship, there are hugedifferences in terms of objectives and content. Many American sexeducation programmes are founded on very conservative moral values. 2.7 Conclusions That Can Be Drawn From The Literature Review In Relation To The Objectives Of The Project a. To critically evaluate and review the learning andteaching methods which are currently being used to deliver citizenshipand PSHE in order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. The literature review has shown that there are major problems inassessing the benefits that young people derive from these subjects.Formal assessment is broken down into two elements formative (i.e.on-course an assignment etc) and summative (i.e. end-of-the course an exam, a completed portfolio etc). In the USA the NAEP results do notshow an increase in students knowledge and understanding ofcitizenship concepts. Within the National Curriculum, citizenship andPHSE have a minimum of formal assessment requirements. However, are formal assessment methods the best way to determinewhether students are benefiting from citizenship and PHSE? The purposeof these subjects is to help young people become better adults e.g. toact and behave in a morally and socially responsible manner etc. Thusit is reasonable to argue that formal assessment methods can onlyprovide a superficial measure of a young persons knowledge andunderstanding of these concepts. What does measuring a persons abilityto recall facts actually tell us? In reality a person will gain from a well delivered citizenship andPHSE programme in the longer term. They will become a more sociallyresponsible person; they will become a more effective parent and so on.Thus teaching these subjects is in effect an act of faith we hopethat benefits will be produced in the longer term. A longitudinal studyis required i.e. one where a group of students is tracked for a numberof years. However, there are many factors involved when someone turnsout to a good parent etc. It would be extremely hard to isolate theinfluences of citizenship and PHSE from all the other issues that areinvolved e.g. family background etc. Whilst it is nigh on impossible to assess the long-term benefits peoplegain from these subjects it is possible to utilise existing learningand teaching methods to generate immediate benefits for the studentsconcerned. How this can be achieved will be analysed in the latterstages of the project. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. Has the literature review identify examples of good practice withregard to the teaching of citizenship and PHSE? Given the politicalcontroversy these subjects generate there can only be one answer tothis question. It depends upon your point of view determining whethersomething is an example of good practice is in the eye of the beholder.The key to progression is to establish and develop a wider audience forthe objectives you are trying to achieve. For example, the Europeanisation process demonstrates how differentorganisations, individuals etc by working together, can create forumsfor discussion and the dissemination of new ideas, materials etc. TheInternet has revolutionised how people communicate and accessinformation. This allows people and organisations to bypass nationalboundaries and work towards the creation of global citizenship. Thus if they are going to be meaningful and allow young people toconnect and become part of global citizenship the academic contentof citizenship and PHSE must reflect current developments. This meansthat learning and teaching methods must continuously evolve to ensurethat the delivery of these subjects reflects current trends anddevelopments. How this can be achieved will be explored in the latterstages of the project. c. To analyse how these subjects and theirinterrelationship will develop in the future and determine how learningand teaching methods will need to change in order to satisfy the newrequirements. A key feature of PHSE is that young people should practice safe sex.In its most literal form this simply means making sure that youngpeople have adequate access to and use of contraceptive methods. Insome quarters it would be argued that safe sex must involve moral,social and emotional responsibilities. Are these areas PHSE orcitizenship concepts? Whatever your view and political stance there isclearly an overlap between the two subjects. Future curricularinitiatives and the development of learning and teaching methods mustembrace the close interrelationship between these academic areas. 3.1 What Must The Research Methodology Achieve? In order to fulfil the requirements of the project objectives the research methodology must address the following issues: a. The analysis of the learning and teaching methods that are beingused to deliver citizenship and PHSE within UK schools in order todetermine their effectiveness. b. The critical evaluation of the assessment strategies that are used to measure pupil attainment within these subjects. c. An evaluation of how learning, teaching and assessment strategiesmust develop to ensure that citizenship and PHSE remain relevant to theneeds of young people. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1988 in order to develop acomprehensive approach to the delivery and development of educationwithin the UK. A number of government departments and agencies areresponsible for managing the content, development, delivery andeffectiveness of the education system. The research methodology mustinvestigate the work of these government departments and agencies inrelation to citizenship and PHSE. This is necessary in order to addressthe issues outlined above. How will this be achieved? The work of three different bodies must be investigated. These are as follows: a. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was establishedwith the purpose of creating opportunity, realising potential andachieving excellent for all. The Qualifications Curriculum Authority(QCA) is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DfES. It isresponsible for maintaining and developing the National Curriculum andassociated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits andmonitors qualifications in colleges and at work. It is thisorganisation which is responsible for managing and developing thecurricular content of citizenship and PHSE and providing guidance onlearning and teaching methods. b. The Office for Educational Standards (OFSTED) is the inspectoratefor children and learners in England. Its main responsibility is tocontribute to the provision of better education and care. This isachieved through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulationcovering childcare, schools, colleges, childrens services, teachertraining and youth work. Thus it inspects and evaluates the teaching ofcitizenship and PHSE throughout England. c. The practitioners (i.e. the school managers, teachers, supportworkers etc) are responsible for delivering the curricular content ofcitizenship and PHSE in accordance with the standards and methodsstated and disseminated by the DfES and the QCA. 3.2 What Methods Will The Research Methodology Use? Secondary research is the investigation of data sources which alreadyexist. The main advantage of using such sources is that they arereadily available and can be utilised to develop knowledge andunderstanding of a given situation. Primary research entails generatinginformation, which did not previously exist. This is necessary whensecondary data sources do not fulfil the information requirements of aresearch project. In order to investigate the work of the DfES, QCA and OFSTED, it is notnecessary to conduct primary research. This is because of two reasons.One, the government wants the work of these bodies to be transparentand within the public domain. Two, easily accessible secondary datasources will be sufficient to facilitate the objectives of thisproject. As stated, the websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED provideaccess to numerous reports and information on all aspects of theiroperations. Therefore, the research method that will be used to analysethis data is documentary analysis. In effect this involves analysingreports and relating the findings to the project objectives. However, in any given project or area of research different opinionswill prevail. If you like DfES, QCA and OFSTED represent thegovernments views. What does everybody else think? The practitioners as listed above are at the sharp end of the business i.e.delivering the courses to the pupils. Their experiences, views andopinions are important if the effectiveness of citizenship and PHSE astaught subjects is going to improve. Too often in education thepractitioners are the last group of people to be consulted regardingthe development of courses, new initiatives etc. Thus given thisgroups importance their views and opinions re the development anddelivery of these subject areas will be gathered by conducting primaryresearch. How will this be achieved? Since the intention of this research is toelucidate the learning as well as the teaching methods of PHSE andcitizenship education, the starting point of this research isqualitative. It can be stated that the methodological basis consists oftwo parts. One part comprises of the techniques that are used to gatherempirical material. This was achieved by the author of this projectarranging and conducting interviews with the following people: Teachers, Postgraduate trainee teachers Learning support assistants Outside agency professionals (such as the police force, NHS Trust, Borough Council and fire service) The interview schedule was based upon the six questions listed below: Citizenship Report 1. Should PSHE and citizenship education be taught in schools as a combined subject or as individual subjects? 2. Who should teach the subject, for example, a teacher or another professional i.e. policeman or firewoman? 3. Should citizenship and PHSE be classroom based? 4. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between a teacher thatteaches citizenship and PHSE, rather than a professional from anoutside agency? 5. How is it monitored that a child has understood the subject content of citizenship / PHSE? 6. How much input into the citizenship / PHSE does the child have? The second part of the methodological basis consists of the method thatis used to analyse the empirical material. This material was collectedduring school lunchtimes, some appointments were arranged before andafter school. Other outside agencies were approached via the steeringcommittee of the Wordsworth Junior Citizenship Project. A total of 15people participated in the study, 9 were teachers and 6 were fromoutside agencies. The head teachers as well as the coordinator of theWJCP were informed of the study orally and in writing, theirinvolvement in the study was voluntary. Why use an interview schedule? Why not use questionnaires? The lattermethod of collecting primary data has a major advantage in that it isnot necessary for the researcher to actually be in the presence of thepeople participating in the survey when they complete thequestionnaire. Such an approach is appropriate when a large number ofrespondents are required to provide primary data. However, as thenumber of respondents for this project was only 15 it was moreapplicable to the nature of the areas under review to use an interviewschedule. The initial reply to a question could be explored further byasking supplementary questions. This allowed the researcher to gain amore detailed insight into how the respondents viewed the delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE. 3.3 Implementing The Research Methodology The websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED are as follows: www.dfes.gov.uk www.qca.org.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk The DfES website provides extensive information about every subjectwithin the National Curriculum. The section relating to citizenship isbroken down into three main sections teachers / pupils / parents andgovernors. Each of these sections is subdivided into sub-headings. Forexample, the teacher section is divided into the sub-headings listedbelow: What is citizenship? Whole school issues? Curriculum Post-16 Issues for discussion Teaching resources Training and development Assessment Recognising achievement Ofsted Case Studies Each of these sub-headings provides access to an extensive amount ofinformation. Investigation of the section for PHSE revealed a similartype of structure, again adequately provisioned in terms of resourcesfor teachers, pupils, parents and governors. Investigation of the DfESwebsite reveals that schools are provided with an extensive range ofadvice and guidance about how learning and teaching methods can bedeveloped in order to ensure the effective delivery of citizenship andPHSE. Given that there is adequate access to learning and teaching resourcesthrough the DfES website, the next stage of the research processinvolves investigating how the effectiveness of learning and teachingmethods used to deliver citizenship and PHSE are measured. Thisinvolves analysing the content of the OFSTED website. Again theinformation on this website is extensive. The information that is mostrelevant to this project is the breakdown of how OFSTED conducts schoolinspections. Why do we have school inspections? Inspection reports provide anindependent and external evaluation of the quality and standards ofeducation and whether pupils are achieving as much as they can. Theyalso provide a measure of accountability and should promote theimprovement of the school. In other words inspection reports provide aquality assurance framework which allows the effectiveness of learningproviders to be analysed and critically evaluated. Each inspection is based upon the following framework: Description of the school Overall effectiveness of the school o Effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision o What the school should do to improve further Achievements and standards o Personal development and well-being Quality of provision o Teaching and learning o Curriculum and other activities o Care, guidance and support Leadership and management The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy The extent to which providers ensure that they stay safe The extent to which learners make a positive contribution (Source: www.ofsted.gov.uk/howwework/index.cfm) Schools are graded on a scale of 1 to 4 where 1 = outstanding and 4 =inadequate. Depending upon the grade a school receives OFSTED canrequire a school to take remedial action in order to improve itsperformance. For example, schools require Special Measures when theyare failing to give learners an acceptable standard of education, andwhen the people responsible for leading, managing or governing theschool are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessaryimprovement. Notice to Improve is another category of measures OFSTED can imposeupon a school. A school which is currently failing to provide anacceptable standard of education, but has demonstrated the capacity toimprove, will be in this category. Schools that require significantimprovement receive a notice to improve. As explained earlier, thereports produced by OFSTED are in the public domain and can be accessedfrom its website. OFSTED provides inspection reports on all types of learning providers ranging from nursery and primary school provision through to adulteducation. Whilst this is of interest and indicates the extensivequality assurance standards learning providers have to comply with ofgreater relevance study is the fact that OFSTED provides subjectreports on an annual basis. For example, in November 2002 it publishedthe following report PHSE and Citizenship in Primary Schools itprovided a review of the main issues affecting the delivery of thesesubjects. These reports are in effect work-in-progress reports. These reports provide the information that is required to facilitatethe objectives of this project. However, the documentary analysisrevealed that the information contained in these reports is toodetailed. As they concentrate on one specific section of theeducational system e.g. primary schools etc. What this project requiresis a more holistic view of each subject as delivered by all learningproviders covering the range from primary schools to secondaryschools. The QCA website was the last one to be investigated. Again an extensiveamount of information about citizenship and PHSE is freely accessible.However, QCA provides reports which cover the effectiveness of alllearning providers delivering citizenship and PHSE. In effect they drawupon the information provided by OFSTED reports (and also use othersources) and provide a holistic view of the current status of anacademic subject as taught in schools in the UK. The reports detailed below were identified as the most relevant to the needs of this study. QCA Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 QCA PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 Subsequently the information contained in these reports was subjectedto documentary analysis. That is, it was analysed, filtered andsummarised. This was done in order to achieve the objectives of theproject. The result of this work is presented in section 4 of thereport i.e. ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION. 1. Should PSHE and citizenship education be taught in schools as a combined subject or as individual subjects? Of the 15 respondents 9 of them considered that it would be moreeffective if the 2 subjects were combined. 4 people thought that theseareas should remain as separate subjects. The remaining 2 thought thatwhere appropriate the 2 subjects should be combined. 2. Who should teach the subject, for example, a teacher or another professional i.e. policeman or firewoman? This question produced a variety of responses. In the main it wasrecognised that the teacher should be primarily responsible fordelivering these subjects. However, it was also noted that whereappropriate a professional could help to make the issue beinginvestigated more interesting and relevant to the pupils. In essence,it was considered that hard and certain rules should be applied, aboutwho delivers citizenship and PHSE. Flexibility should be maintained toallow pupils to take full advantage of learning opportunities as andwhen they arose. 3. Should citizenship and PHSE be classroom based? The answers generated by this question seemed largely dictated by theteaching experiences of the respondents. The classroom was a popularplace for delivering the core principles of these subjects. Again itwas recognised that certain facets of these subjects were better suitedto delivery outside of the classroom. For example, parenting issueswould be more relevant if visits to crches could be organised. Thiswould help to enhance and develop the learning experience of thepupils. 4. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between a teacher thatteaches citizenship and PHSE, rather than a professional from anoutside agency? From the responses to this question it is possible to identifyrecurring themes. Notably it is recognised that it is the teacher thathas the long-term relationship with the pupils. The teacher can use hisor her experience and knowledge of the pupils to plan the delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE to ensure that their needs and expectations aresatisfied. When feasible (given time and financial constraints) thehelp of professionals should be enlisted. This can be achieved in anumber of ways i.e. school visits by the professionals, school visitsto different establishments e.g. care homes etc. Such activities allhelp to put citizenship and PHSE issues into context and help toincrease the learning and knowledge of the pupils. 5. How is it monitored that a child has understood the subject content of citizenship / PHSE? This question produced a wide variety of answers, largely based uponthe teaching experience and knowledge of each respondent. A variety oftechniques (e.g. observation, record cards, group work, worksheets,role play, score cards etc) were used to record the knowledge achievedby each pupil. Essential to developing the awareness and understandingof citizenship and PHSE issues amongst pupils is the need to use avariety of stimulating learning and teaching methods. 6. How much input into the citizenship / PHSE does the child have? Again this question produced a variety of answers. It is recognised bythe respondents, that for citizenship and PHSE concepts and issues tohave meaning for the pupils, there needs to be interaction. Thesesubjects cannot be delivered in a theoretical manner. In many of thesituations described by the respondents, the pupils did not dictate thecontent of the lessons. However, they were provided with theopportunity on occasion to determine how issues should be dealt withe.g. through role play etc. Overall the researcher was pleased with the information provided by therespondents and would like to thank them for their contribution to theresearch project. The information collected helped to facilitate thesuccessful completion of the final report. 4.1 Analysis and Evaluation of the QCA Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 In the Literature Review, section 2.1, it was identified thatteaching of citizenship in UK schools, in a variety of guises, hadalways proved to be problematic. The citizenship concept and itsdefinition is still a matter of concern. This issue was highlighted inthe above report regarding its delivery at Key Stages 1 and 2. Putsimply citizenship in many schools is not sufficiently distinguishablefrom PHSE. Part of this problem arises from the specification of thetwo subjects as contained within national standards. There are manyareas where the two subjects overlap. Appreciably this can happen withquite a number of subjects (e.g. Economics and Business Studies).However, with citizenship and PHSE, the problem of the overlap iscompounded by the lack of specified skills in the current framework.This makes assessing and monitoring pupil progress and achievement moredifficult. A number of primary practitioners have expressed a view that thereshould be a separate programme of study for citizenship at Key Stages 1and 2. This approach would generate a number of benefits. For example,it would raise the status of the subject of citizenship in primaryschools. This would also help to clarify how citizenship is differentand distinct from PHSE. It would help to improve quality by ensuringthat progress in citizenship can be assessed and reported. This insightinto the views of people responsible for delivering citizenship isrevealing and it returns us to an earlier theme. In section 3.2 it wasstated that educational developments often ignore the views of staff atthe sharp end of the business. Too often in education, the development of new subjects, changes inassessment methods etc, are introduced by theorists or put more simplypeople who have forgotten how to teach. The history of education islittered with failed initiatives and so on. This happens because inmany respects all of the relevant issues and the views of all theinterested stakeholders are not taken into consideration. This isevident with regard to the development and delivery of citizenship. Asstated, in section 1.1, this question was asked What does citizenshipmean? Well it depends upon what you want to achieve. However, it isevident that the teaching of this subject is hampered by a lack ofconcise and definable standards, which means that there are no hardand fast rules. As this information contained in the QCA report,alludes to, there are major problems with the definition of the subjectand the standards which are used to assess pupil progress. This is further evidenced by the summary provided in the reportregarding the current state of citizenship as taught at Key Stages 3and 4. Problems of definition and discernable standards remain. Alsothe question of who teaches citizenship is also causing complications.Some schools use discrete teaching whilst others deliver citizenshipthrough other subjects. The application of documentary analysis to thisQCA report has identified a number of problems that link directly tothemes that were established in the earlier sections of this projecte.g. issues concerning definition of citizenship, content and delivery.However, contained within the report there were some very good examplesthroughout all of the key stages of how citizenship has been deliveredin a very effective way and is producing major benefits for the pupilsconcerned. Thus if this was an end-of-year school report for a child, it would bea mixed bag. OFSTED inspections identify poor teaching practice andother failings that occur throughout the education system. However,many of the problems that associated with the teaching of citizenshipare concerned with the definition of the concept, its overlap withPHSE, how it is taught and who teaches it. On the positive side thereare many good examples of schools being proactive and developing a veryeffective learning programme, which has produced numerous benefits fortheir pupils. In the final section (5. Conclusion andRecommendations) of the report, recommendations for developing acoherent strategy for the delivery and assessment of citizenship willbe outlined. 4.2 Analysis and Evaluation of the QCA PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 In section 2.3 the possibility of adopting the American model forassessing pupils progress was rejected on the grounds that it wasbased on the ability to recite facts. The purpose of PHSE is toinfluence minds, attitudes and how young people behave. This theme wasfurther developed in section 2.7 where it was stated that the long-termgoal of citizenship and PHSE must be developing young people intosocially responsible citizens. Is it working? The above reporthighlights a number of very interesting issues. It states that there isa need to place personal development at the heart of the curriculum.Why? Many aspects of PSHE have become focused within the minds of thegeneral public and have initiated a national debate. The campaign ledby Jamie Oliver has raised great concern over the unhealthy state ofschool meals. This has led to the Government changing its policy andproviding more money per pupil per meal and the drive to remove junkfood from schools. The teenage pregnancy rate in the UK remains thehighest in Europe there is a growing awareness for emotionalliteracy, with national initiatives focusing on the social andemotional aspects of learning in the primary phase and social,emotional behavioural skills in secondary schools. From the information presented above, it can be seen that young peopleare faced with a variety of issues, which have major implications fortheir quality of life and future expectations. To address these issuesand help young people to become socially and emotional responsiblecitizens, the content and delivery of PHSE must be give greateremphasis. Consequently in the subject and teaching communities thereare calls to consider making the delivery of the PHSE frameworks astatutory requirement. Previous monitoring investigations have revealed that teachers andpupils have lower expectations for what could be achieved in PHSE thanin other subjects and that assessment is underdeveloped. In response,QCA has developed a number of materials to support planning, recordingand assessment. However, the issues (e.g. teenage pregnancies etc) thathave been highlighted, there is a need to beef up PHSE and raise itsprofile and delivery throughout all Key Stages of the NationalCurriculum. How this can be achieved will be explored in section 5 ofthis report. 4.3 Analysis and Evaluation of The Interviews With the Practitioners. The interviews that were conducted produced a mixture of results,primarily based upon the teaching or professional experience of thepeople involved. Certain themes did emerge. For example, theinteraction between school and outside agencies has an important partto play in ensuring that the delivery of citizenship and PHSE remainrelevant to the needs of pupils of all ages. There cannot be aprescriptive approach with regard to determining what the most learningand teaching methods are. The educational authorities (DfES, OFSTED andQCA) need to encourage the notion of most effective practice given thecontext of the educational and local school setting. In other wordsgreater flexibility in developing the content and delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE must be encouraged. On reflection the feedback from the interviews concentrates almostexclusively on operational issues i.e. who should teach these subjects,should they be classroom based etc. On reflection it would have beenbeneficial to ask questions which raised questions about the strategicimplications of these subjects. For example, what benefits shouldpupils gain from studying these subjects? How can the content anddelivery be developed in order to meet the many emotional, social andmoral issues which confront young people today? Some of these factorswere alluded to during the interviews with the respondents. Herein lieswith the problem with educational issues too often it becomes tooeasy to become bogged down in operational details as with most thingsin life if you want to solve a problem you must begin by looking atthe bigger picture. Thus what is purpose of teaching citizenship andPHSE? 5.1 Conclusions The information produced from sections 4.1 and 4.3, in many respectslinks to the themes and issues that were raised in section 2 (i.e. theliterature review). Notably there are major problems with defining theconcept of citizenship, the nature of its relationship with PHSE, howit should be assessed and it should be delivered. As section 4.2 hasrevealed, the delivery of sex education and related areas, has moved ondramatically. However, its delivery in its current form (i.e. PHSE),needs to reviewed and modified to meet modern challenges (e.g. teenagepregnancies, obesity etc). In effect the issues and factors revealed in section 4 have raised thedebate beyond the stated objectives of this project. That is, thelearning and teaching methods used to deliver citizenship and PHSE. Youmust begin by stating exactly what you are trying to achieve throughthese academic formats. In order to complete this process successfully all of the relevant stakeholders must be involved. When this hasbeen done then and only then, can the objectives of this project beaddressed. 5.2 Recommendations There must a national debate about what citizenship and PHSE should beabout and what benefits young people should gain by studying thesesubjects. All of the relevant stakeholders i.e. DfES, QCA, OFSTED,teachers, NSPCC, other charities concerned with the welfare of youngpeople, parenting groups etc need to be involved. This process wouldprovide the following: Clear, concise and meaningful definitions of these subjects andtheir curricular content (this would be linked to major issues of theday e.g. global warming, political issues, AIDS/HIV etc) A statement of the benefits pupils should achieve by studyingthese subjects (this would cover all four Key Stages in the NationalCurriculum) As this project has revealed the definition of these subjects is opento interpretation. Therefore, the definitions and content would have tobe reviewed on a periodic basis. This happens anyway with all academicsubjects and qualifications. However, it would be important to retainthe influence of the stakeholders as listed above. This would help tokeep these subjects within the mind of the general public. Given the overlap between these subjects and the confusion thiscan cause, it may be simpler in the long-term to combine them in orderto form one academic subject. Appreciably this would mean a large amount of content to get through.This would not resolve the current timetabling problems that have beenhighlighted in this report. Thus the new academic subject would be broken down into a numberof core and optional units. Common themes would be established (e.g.How To Be A Responsible Citizen) and would be presented throughout allKey Stages of the National Curriculum. Schools would be required to deliver the core units (statutoryrequirement) but if they wanted to build a more substantial programmethey could add optional units. This would allow learning providers to mix and match units to suittheir individual needs. This would avoid the problem of aprescriptive approach being dictated by a centralised governmentbody. A flexible assessment framework would be created. This wouldprovide pupils with the opportunity to gain accreditation for theirwork in a number of ways e.g. through academic study, a school project(e.g. recycling household waste), volunteer work, work experience andso on. This in itself would broaden the appeal of the subject to moreschool pupils. It could be possible to create a Citizenship Awards Programmesimilar to the Duke of Edinburghs Award. This would mean that othergroups and organisations e.g. the YMCA etc could become involved indelivering this new combined programme of study. Citizenship Awardscould also be delivered by youth and community providers. The delivery of the new award would also be flexible and theoptimum combination of teachers and other professional staff would beemployed to suit the local conditions. The above recommendations would address the weaknesses that have beenidentified and analysed in this project e.g. the lack of definition,timetabling problems etc. By developing a more flexible delivery andassessment framework, learning providers would be provided with muchmore choice on how they delivered the core units and optional units, ifso required. Thus it naturally follows that schools would make maximumuse of those learning and teaching methods, which best suited theirneeds and which generated the greatest number of benefits for theirpupils. Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Project (2005) Democracy through Citizenship Institute for Citizenship www.businessballs.com Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship Section 3: Citizenship in Secondary Schools QCA (March 2004) PHSE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment. Dean Garrett Manchester Metropolitan University (2000) DemocraticCitizenship in the Curriculum: some problems and possibilities Pedagogy, Culture and Society, Volume 8, Number 3. Oliver, D. Heater, D. (1994) The Foundation of Citizenship Hemel Hampstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. Rees, A. M. (1996) T. H. Marshall and the Progress of Citizenship, inM. Bulmer A. M. Rees (Eds) Citizenship Today the contemporaryrelevance of T.H. Marshall London: UCL Press. Ministry of Education (1949) Citizens Growing Up London: HMSO. DfEE (1999) The Review of the National Curriculum in England the Secretary of States proposals London: QCA. Patrick, John J (1991) Teaching the Responsibilities of Citizenship ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science EducationBloomington IN www.ericdigests.org/pre-921-teaching.htm U.S. Department of State (17 Sept 2002) Fact Sheet on Teaching AmericanHistory and Civic Education www.usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm Soysal, Y (2001) Teaching Europe www.openDemocracy.net Briefing Paper for Trainee Teachers Of Citizenship Education (2004) Global Citizenship www.citized.info Oxford Schools Catalogue Global Citizenship www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm Onelife Sunday Surgery A Brief History of Sex Education www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html OFSTED (February 2005) Citizenship in secondary schools: evidence from Ofsted inspections (2003/04) OFSTED (November 2002) PHSE and Citizenship in primary schools: evidence from Ofsted inspections (2001/02) QCA (December 2005) Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment QCA (December 2005) PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment OFSTED How we inspect state schools? www.ofsted.gov.uk/howwework/index.cfm