Are You a Rebel? Or are You Just another Sheep following the Non-confor

Are You a Rebel? Or are You Just another Sheep following the Non-conformity Flock? â€Å"It's like living on the outside of society and seeing what a crock of shit it is, but then approaching it again with a sense of humor. I mean, when you're able to see society as this sort of funky, funny illusion, it makes it easier to deal with it because there is no rhyme or reason to the way it works.† RuPaul, on fringe culture (Genre, March '99) Rebellion. *It's about articulating that little inner voice that's in all of us, the voice which resists being assimilated into the mass conformity that is American society. The quality of our interaction has diminished so much that we barely recognize each other as human. The â€Å"American way of life† has destroyed our individuality while pretending to cater to it, and the natural interdependence of society has been compromised by the shrieks of mass media and the cubicle farms they call workplaces. We are all gearing up for some heavy shit, all around the world. The yuppies are putting together their silly stock option plans, the Pakistanis are aching for jihad against India, the major labels are trying harder than ever to saturate our culture with Limp Bizkit bullshit and kill Napster while they're at it. To me, it fits together like a puzzle. It's all related. This is more than a complaint about social differences. It's about human nature. Stick around; I think I can pro ve this. The hippie and freak hordes would have us believe than they are the sole bastions of non-conformity and acceptance left in America. They are not. I really dislike stories like Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling. Not all ugly ducklings turn into swans. Some of us turn into ugly ducks. We need to learn to accept it, and to find that being an ugly duck isn't really necessarily all that bad, because going with the flock isn't always the best or most satisfying way to go, even if it does seem like the easiest. I was never one who "fit in" with my peers. From the day I began school at the age of five, it was obvious that I was somehow different from the rest of them. Since I was hyperactive, kind of shy, and too intellectual to be popular, I rarely had many friends, and at times found myself a subject of ridicule, mocking, and outright abuse. My first ploy, which lasted for a number of years, was to attempt to conform. This was very muc... ...tandards, but these standards were made by conformity. The union itself is some form of rebellion. By being apart of that group, he conformed to the â€Å"rebel’s† standards. A cultural movement is a cultural movement; be it hippie, skater punk, raver trash or otherwise. Nobody wants the whole world to live in peace as one big happy family. It's contrary to instinct. We all want to be the bottisavatta in the flowing robes who dictates the gospel to the rest of the world. And that's not the way things work. This world has winners and losers, geeks and popular kids. Junior high repeats itself until you are dead. So what's a rebel to do? I don't know. Try reading. Jack Kerouac is not still a best selling author because of his cool Gap khakis. A nation of people didn't follow Lenin into almost 80 years of collectivist silliness because of his natty goatee and adorable accent. Or try remembering these simple rules: 1.)  Rebellion is free. 2.) Rebellion does not come in six different colors. 3.) Rebellion does not have a soundtrack and a movie deal in the works. 4.) Rebellion is not found in a piercing store, tattoo parlor, drug store, hash pipe or a Quentin Tarrantino movie.

Explain How Observations of Babies, Children and Young People Contribute to Planning.

Explain how observations of babies, children and young people contribute to planning. â€Å"What are observations? An observation is a piece of work in which the child’s words and actions are recorded in great detail. This child’s actions are then analyzed by the practitioner. It is about looking and listening to children. A bit like being a scientist we collect information or data process it and draw up conclusions from it. † (Class Hand out)An important part of a practitioner’s role is recording a Childs development and behaviour. Their are several reasons why early years practitioners keep records and assessments of babies and children. †¢ To check a Childs overall development: Routine checks are important for detecting and diagnosing any problems earl on. This could be done but the help and support of a health visitor etc. †¢ To see if the child is progressing:Assessments are regularly made to ensure that the children are progressing, not onl y in overall areas but specifically personal things as each child may not be as strong at a certain subject like the other but they are both none the less improving. †¢ To help planning: Observations and assessments should be used when planning activities for example if a practitioner observes a lack of physical development then they could decide on doing some throwing and catching exercises. Practitioners need to keep track of every pupil and their particular needs.Children have different strengths and weaknesses. So the practitioner must locate these and help the child; for example after a couple of assessments a child may show that their language skills aren’t as great as they could be so a practitioner may refer hem to a speech therapist or plan some activities that would encourage the child to talk and interact a bit more with others. The practitioner needs to report back to the parents and other fellow practitioners. This is simply because the parents need to know how their child is progressing and whether or not they need extra help.They tell fellow practitioners so they can also observe the child and work towards helping them. Their are many different professionals who can observe a child these are: †¢ Educational physiologist †¢ Child psychiatrist †¢ Family doctor †¢ Speech therapist †¢ Play therapist †¢ Health visitor 1998 Data Protection Act The data protection act came into force in March 2000. It states anyone processing personal information needs to register with the data protection commission. Anyone who registers must comply with the 8 enforceable principles or a good practice. ConfidentialityThis is an important issue on keeping records on children. The records and any information can only be used for the best interest of the child. The records should be stored safely and only appropriate staff and other professionals have access to them. This means parents can never be given information about other pe ople’s children. Observing the child is so you can find their stage of development, their likes and dislikes and their strengths and weaknesses. Assessing a child is when you carry out specific activity to see whether they have improved on a certain area or if they are doing well overall.

Review of the Child Protective Services Investigation Process Essay

In the beginning of 2004, the tragic death of a young boy in San Antonio, TX raised concerns about Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services’ (TDPRS) procedures relating to the investigation of the child protective services (CPS) process, including responding to telephone reports and assessing the risk of maltreatment accurately. TDPRS is currently under investigation ordered by the Governor, Rick Perry. The Governor stated, â€Å"there is enough evidence from various parts of the state to suggest that some of our most vulnerable children are not receiving the protection they need from abusive situations. The evidence leads me to believe we have a systemic breakdown in the safety net that must protect abused children† (www.governor.state.tx.us July 1, 2004). This paper examines current procedures in the investigation process and provides recommendations for improvement related to several of the details and feature of the operations process. â€Å"Reinventing government† initiatives draw heavily on supply chain management, total quality management, business process reengineering, and just-in-time delivery – concepts that fall under the Operations Management umbrella.(Chase, 2003). Because this review is narrowly focused on the CPS investigation process, there are several essential elements of child welfare services that are not addressed in this paper, including substitute care and permanency services. OVERVIEW OF FUNCTIONAL AREAS The overall goal of CPS is to protect the unprotected children from abuse and neglect. This report focuses on specific CPS functions and crosscutting themes. These functions are those that comprise the child protection response to allegations of abuse and neglect. Operational definitions described in this report include: * Screening and Intake – the process by which CPS receives a referral and a report concerning allegations of child abuse or neglect, and decides whether or not to respond to the referral and report. * Investigation – the process by which CPS determines whether child maltreatment has occurred or if a child is at risk of maltreatment, and the decisions and actions that are needed to ensure the child’s safety. * Other CPS Response and Alternative Response – a response to an allegation of abuse or neglect that assesses the needs of the child or family with or without requiring a determination that maltreatment has occurred or that the child is at risk of maltreatment for the purpose of providing the family with services. For each function, there are several different features. The workflow of these functions is described in Table 1. SCREENING AND INTAKE Receiving community referrals, which includes those from mandated professional reporters and the population at large, is the gateway to CPS. Features of the intake procedures include the availability to receive reports, methods for documenting reports, and timeframes for accepting and forwarding a report. Intake is available 24-hours a day 7 days a week, and centralized in Austin, TX. Referred reports are generally categorized into two groups. In the first group, CPS caseworkers are dispatched immediately for children believed to be in imminent risk of harm. In the second group, investigations are usually initiated within 10 days. The policies indicate that a decision protocol for forwarding cases for investigation. The hotline workers conduct quality assurance (QA) reviews on each case and decision to forward a case to investigation is made with supervisor approval. In case of sexual abuse and serious abuse, the case must be notified to law enforcement. INVESTIGATION The investigation function addresses the process of determining whether a child has been maltreated or is likely to be maltreated, and if services are needed to ensure the child will not be harmed in the future. TDPRS implemented the use of risk and safety assessment (IRA) as tools to guide decision-making as to when and how to intervene to keep children safe in the immediate future and to reduce long-term risk. The result of IRA was included at case closure, during case planning at any major decision point, or whenever circumstances suggest a child’s safety is at risk. Investigators usually check if the child’s family has had a prior validated report of abuse or neglect. Investigators then visit and interview the family, including initiating face-to-face contact with the children, and begin collecting information about the alleged maltreatment incident. If an investigator, during the initial investigation, believes that a child has been maltreated and needs the court to protect the child’s safety, the investigator must initiate judicial oversight of the case, which can be time-consuming and complicated. While the investigator is following the procedures involved in investigating the alleged maltreatment, he or she is also developing a tentative plan to address those conditions in the home that CPS believes contributed to the maltreatment of the child. This plan ultimately becomes the case plan that outlines treatment services for the child and the family. The plan described what actions are required of all the parties involved to correct the condition that caused the maltreatment. OTHER CPS RESPONSE AND ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE The overall goals of alternative response are to provide a response option to those families whose situations did not meet the mandate or criteria for CPS involvement, to serve low-risk or low-severity situations, or to improve family situations. This is to emphasize partnering the families with the community and creating a network for the family, protect children and assist parents to recognize and remedy conditions harmful to their children, provide preventive services before the need of CPS involvement is required, and prevent the family from potentially being re-referred. The causes of child abuse and neglect are complex, and a case plan can involve referrals to an array of individuals, including caseworkers from other units in the agency, private service providers such as mental health and counseling professionals, other public agencies such as housing and transportation services. CURRENT WORKFLOW Documenting business process flows visually not only helps in ISO and QS initiatives, but it is the first step toward continuous improvement. (Gould, L. 2000) A good way to start analyzing a process is with a diagram showing the basic elements of a process (Chase, 2003) Table 1 describes the overview of current workflow from the time the report of maltreatment was reported to CPS until the completion of the investigation. Table 1 UNDERLYING PROBLEMS Because child protection is a critical service and because of the seriousness consequences of errors, CPS must seek to insure the quality, timeliness, and accuracy of the process both through detailed specifications (laws, regulations, and policy) and thorough supervisory oversight. However, the process must be balanced with systems that give workers and supervisors sufficient flexibility to apply sound professional judgment. Increases in the number of maltreatment cases, the changing nature of family problems, and long-standing systemic weaknesses have placed the CPS system in a state of crisis and undermined its ability to fully carry out the responsibilities for abused and neglected children. First, child maltreatment reports have risen steadily across the state. The caseloads of CPS have grown correspondingly, and CPS cannot keep pace with this workload. Second, these caseloads are increasingly composed of families whose problems have grown more troubling and complicated, with substance abuse a common and pervasive condition. Finally, systemic weaknesses, such as difficulty maintaining professional and skilled workforce, inconsistently implementing policies and procedures, and poor working relationships with outside resources has created a long-standing problems. The combined effect of difficult caseloads and systemic weaknesses may endanger the lives of children coming to the attention of CPS. In CPS, the staff sometimes deal with life-and-death issues, the knowledge of and consistent application of appropriate policies and procedures are critical. However, CPS staff is unable to consistently apply existing policies such as inadequate safety assessment. This is because policies change frequently, no procedures manual exists, and information is inconsistently distributed to all staff. By necessity, CPS should work efficiently and effectively with outside resources to protect children. However, the outside resources, like CPS, also face problems associated with the large volume of increasingly complex cases, budget cuts, and Medicaid reform. Unnecessary time spent to transfer or refer cases diverts the investigator from performing investigative activities on other open cases and create â€Å"congestion† in workflow. COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH OTHER PRACTICE In 1994, Missouri developed a new strategy to handle the overwhelming number of reports coming into its CPS system. Missouri recognized that state government, acting alone, had neither the resources nor the local community, neighborhood, or family base to effectively alter the cycle of abuse and neglect. The agency and local CPS offices have turned to the broader community of churches, schools, mental health providers, and others to expand their reach. By developing partnerships with these community groups, CPS is able to quickly increase the number of people available to serve children and their families, without increasing CPS staffing levels. The model in this state is also based on the premise that not all CPS cases require the same traditional approach. Instead, the models incorporate a flexible response, whereby CPS cases can be grouped according to the nature of the allegation, recognizing that different types of allegations required different responses. RECOMMENDATIONS Build Community Partnership Different types of maltreatment require dramatically different prevention and treatment strategies. It is critical for CPS to form partnerships between CPS and community service providers. This will allow the cases to be referred and transferred more smoothly and in a timely manner. However, ultimate success will depend on the CPS staff’s ability to overcome certain challenges, such as developing willingness within the community to become more active in protecting children from maltreatment and to adapt to new roles and responsibilities. Refine the Key Performance Requirement Key Performance Requirements How to Achieve These Requirements Report Receipt (Intake) * Community awareness of when and how to report * Minimal wait to reach the intake workers * Effective use of the CAPS (agency computer system) * Enhanced phone system that provide real time information, manage call distribution to available workers, and support estimation of staffing requirements Screening * Immediate response to high risk situations * Reasonable timeliness of decisions on other situations * Sound screening decisions * Screening guidelines that provide consistent direction * Immediate access to relevant information system * Real-time consultation from experienced supervisors Assessment (Investigation) * Sufficient thoroughness; reasonable and prudent efforts made to obtain relevant information * Timeliness of decisions * Decisions consistent with information and with policy * Assessment guidelines that provide consistent direction * Assessment timeliness requirements that balance thorough information gathering with responsiveness * Reasonable caseloads and adequate number of staff * Accessible consultation from experienced supervisors Management Reporting * Information that enables management to make sound judgments regarding overall performance and other matters, such as staffing requirements * Information that enables supervisors to manage caseloads and monitor quality and timeliness * Use of the information to identify targeted improvements where needed * Real-time information about on-going cases * Reports on both the detailed (by worker) and summary (by unit) level on caseloads and case status (pending, deadlines, overdue, etc.) * Reports of quality assurance findings * Designation of specific performance measures that will be tracked and monitored with comparisons across local offices * Management reports on overall program performance including workload, timeliness, quality assurance results, investigation outcomes, list of outside resources, etc. CONCLUSION TDPRS is facing increased reports of child abuse and neglect, as well as a disturbing increase in the number of families with severe and multiple problems. The burden to improve the ways CPS responds to children at risk of abuse and neglect falls on state and local governments. When a process is operating at capacity, the only way to take on more work without increasing the waiting time is add more capacity (Chase, 2003) CPS management must recognize that the traditional approaches to child protection cannot keep pace with the demand for services. CPS needs to reach out to communities to establish partnerships among service providers, as well as our citizens. Furthermore, the CPS management team must look at the entire workflow of the operations process and recognize long-standing systemic problems. It is critical to seek ways to correct deficiencies and to build and maintain the personnel that will support the operations management strategies. REFERENCES: Chase, R. (2003). Product design and process selection. Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, Tenth Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies. Chase, R. (2003). Operations strategy and management change. Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, Tenth Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies. www. tdprs.state.tx.us www.governor.state.tx.us Gould, L. (2004) Designing a better business. Gardner Publications, Inc. Retrieved from www.autofieldguid.com on 8/23/04 McDonald W. (2001). National study of child protective services systems and reform efforts – Literature review. Retrieved from www.aspe.hhs.gov.hsp/protective01/ on 8/22/04. http://www.gao.gov/archive/1997/he97115.pdf

Personalised Learning †Education Essay

Personalised Learning – Education Essay Free Online Research Papers My experience of teaching has always been about teachers teaching from the front, while students sit quietly and listen, the practice of setting the same task for all the students in a group, and in most cases tasks from textbooks and worksheets, with little or no consideration for the individual needs of the students. Therefore, I have decided to look at the impact that Personalised Learning would have on students’ achievement. In order to achieve my aim, I plan to use a Year 10 group as a case study. I will be carrying out an investigation into their different needs and learning styles. I intend to do this by giving each of them a questionnaire to complete. After which I will plan a lesson on Solving Linear Equation using a wide range of resources; textbooks, worksheets, practical activities, to include concrete resource/manipulative, online Maths games and so on, to suit their individual learning needs. Each student will be allowed to decide which activity they prefer to complete. There will be clear assessment criteria for the students to understand the overall aims of the learning and how success in learning may be judged. This also is intended to form part of the dialogue with the learners. I intend to use pupil self assessment and peer assessment (Useful resources: Black Box series by Black and Wiliam; a personal learning log may be of use as well). I will also be considering what will be done if some students feel they haven’t understood/learnt. I have attached some literature which may be of use. At the end, I will be evaluating the lesson to see what went well and what needs to improve. I will also be checking to see if students have made considerable progress in their learning and if they enjoy the lesson better than the previous ones. The theories of learning and assessment which underpin my research will also be considered. Research Papers on Personalised Learning - Education EssayStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Fifth HorsemanPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfResearch Process Part OneCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is Art

French Subjunctive Irregular Conjugations

French Subjunctive Irregular Conjugations While not as difficult as using the French subjunctive, conjugating irregular and stem-changing verbs into the subjunctive can be a little tricky.Stem-changing verbs and most irregular verbs follow the same pattern as regular verbs for the singular conjugations (je, tu, il/elle/on) as well as the third person plural (ils/elles): the subjunctive stem is derived from the present tense conjugation of ils. boire envoyer prendre venir present tense: ils boivent envoient prennent viennent stem boiv- envoi- prenn- vienn- subjunctive endings: boire envoyer prendre venir ... que je -e boive envoie prenne vienne ... que tu -es boives envoies prennes viennes ... quil/elle/on -e boive envoie prenne vienne ... quils/elles -ent boivent envoient prennent viennent However, the nous and vous forms of the subjunctive find their stems in the present tense conjugation of nous: present tense: nous buvons envoyons prenons venons stem buv- envoy- pren- ven- subjunctive endings : ... que nous -ions buvions envoyions prenions venions ... que vous -iez buviez envoyiez preniez veniez This two-stem subjunctive pattern applies to all stem-changing verbs as well as all but seven irregular verbs.Five verbs have irregular subjunctive stems but take the same endings as above: One stem Two stems* faire pouvoir savoir aller vouloir stem(s) fass- puiss- sach- aill- / all- veuill- / voul- ... que je (j) fasse puisse sache aille veuille ... que tu fasses puisses saches ailles veuilles ... quil/elle/on fasse puisse sache aille veuille ... que nous fassions puissions sachions allions voulions ... que vous fassiez puissiez sachiez alliez vouliez ... quils/elles fassent puissent sachent aillent veuillent *These two verbs have different stems for je/tu/il/ils and nous/vous.And finally, two verbs have irregular stems as well irregular endings: avoir tre ... que je (j) aie sois ... que tu aies sois ... quil/elle/on ait soit ... que nous ayons soyons ... que vous ayez soyez ... quils/elles aient soient

How US & European Union Sanctions Impact Russia Essay

How US & European Union Sanctions Impact Russia - Essay Example They majored on this sector because they had background information that Russia’s domestic budget relied heavily on the sales of this product. The result from terrible double sanctions together with sliding oil prices, in November 2014 the Russian economy decreased by 0.5 percent that was that decline experienced over the period of five years. To the Russian economy, some adverse effects were experienced because of these sanctions and drifting of oil prices (Cotella). As per the trading record, the value of the dollar against the Russian currency dropped by about 20 percent on December 26, 2014. The exchange market had reached 80 rubles for one US dollar. Since the year 1998, this was the highest recorded rate, and this ventured the country to a debt default after the disarray from the previous crisis. In the initial rise of the dollar price, seemed ineffective. The later staged its way and staged its biggest rally in the duration of 16 years, and this prompted to scramble so that they could meet the tax deadline. The Russian government wanted to put this into practice by forcing the exporters to convert their foreign exchange into Russian currency (Jones and Whitworth). The Russian central bank found itself in unexpected and vast scrambling rates, and this was targeting to rectification in giving a ruble a hand. Currency speculation and crushing blow were another meaning of the experienced higher rates. The potential spark of massive short covering was an anticipation of turnaround of the ruble to maintain the position that it was holding. The consumers and corporations also faced the tragedy of higher rates of interest when was a havoc (THE MONTH IN BRIEF: IS Oil Installations Attacked, Libyan Output Recovers And EU And US Prepare More Sanctions Against Russia). The combinations of sanctions and reduced oil prices lead to depression and rises. The Russian central bank said that in a the circumstance where crude oil averages 60 dollars per barrel on

Sales Role Play Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales Role Play Report - Term Paper Example The company values the importance of proper storage facilities for herbal products. Therefore there exists a spacious warehouse with required temperature conditions. The corporate office and the manufacturing facility of the company are situated in Philadelphia. Healthy Hair professionals are backed by rich industry experience, exposure as well in depth knowledge makes. Factors such as thorough quality checking, sophisticated infrastructure, skilful team of professionals, timely delivery, customized solution and the ease of payment modes makes the company the most sought after herbal product manufacturers. Natural Hair Care accelerates the growth of hair. It provides strength to the hair, prevents hair fall and dandruff. It also tends to have a cooling effect on the eyes and reduces headache. Natural Hair Care is n excellent herbal hair oil that can be used as ordinary hair oil also. Natural Hair Care contains pure herbs and coconut oil. This is a one of its kind and acknowledged by those who used the product sample. Whole Foods Market is a retail supermarket chain located in Austin, Texas. The company is famous for providing natural and organic food product of greatest quality. The company maintains strict guidelines and quality standards. Whole Foods market is best known for the unshakable commitment for sustainable agriculture. The company was founded by John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy. Since the humble beginning in 1980 the company has come a long way as there are over three hundred outlets in North America and UK. The company food department can be classified in to beer, bakery, bulk, cheese, Coffee and tea, Floral, grocery, prepared foods, seafood, wine, whole body. Whole Foods Market is the market leader in the organic food business. However the company now seeks for diversification. But the company wishes to do so by keeping their core commitment towards agriculture and