Three Big Ideas About Child Development Young People Essay

Three Big Ideas About Child Development Young People Essay Understanding child development means that we as carers and parents can understand skills and typical behaviours of children within our care, providing an environment which is nurturing and one that will foster growth. Laura Berk (2000) provides a simple definition of child development; a field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human growth and change from conception through adolescence. (Berk: 2000, p4). This paper will look at three important theories of child development that you as a teacher or parent should know in order to understand the changes that take place from birth to adulthood. When we talk about child development we refer to three stages called development areas; Physical development involves the growth and change in a persons body and body functions. In this domain we look at the physiological and motor development as well as the influences of health, illness and nutrition. Cognitive development refers to the growth and change of a persons ability to process information, solve problems and gain knowledge. In this area we consider the study of brain development, memory, learning, thinking, language and creativity. Social-emotional development involves the growth and change of our interactions with others and our feelings. Included in this area is the study of relationships, emotions, personality and moral development. Whilst we discuss each area of development separately it is important to realise that they do overlap. One domain can influence the other. Interest in the field of child development began early in the 20th-century. (ref) Many theories have been put forward to explain why and how children develop. Theorist Jean Piaget played a major influence on the way we understand children. He explained childrens development in terms of their cognitive development in a theory known as Piagets theory of cognitive development. Piaget believed that children think differently from adults, arguing that its not that children know less than adults but their thinking skills are qualitatively different. (ref) Many of his ideas came from observing his own children. Piaget was convinced that intellect grows through processes he termed assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation refers to using existing mental patterns in new situations. (ref) In accommodation, existing ideas are modified to fit new requirements. Thus, new situations are assimilated to existing ideas, and new ideas are created to accommodate new experiences. In his theory children mature through a series of distinct stages in intellectual development. Sensorimotor (0-2years): Piaget believed that an infant is born with no way of making sense of the world. Infants use reflexes which act on the world in specific ways so that the child gradually adapts to the world. Motor movements are seen as the basis for the eventual development of intelligence. These slowly become separated from motor activity as the child learns to represent objects, actions and thoughts through play and language. According to Piaget, object permanence emerges during infancy. This relates to the understanding that objects continue to exist even though they are out of sight. Preoperational (2-7 years): Piaget describes toddlers thinking as illogical. This is due to two main characteristics of their thinking processes; egocentricism and centation. Piaget sees young childrens thinking as egocentric; meaning they can only see things from their point of view. They cannot take into account the ideas or needs of others. Due to their stage of cognitive development their thinking is not yet flexible enough to consider more than one aspect of a given situation. They are now in a stage of self-centred thinking. (ref). Centration is the term Piaget uses to describe young childrens tendency to focus their attention on a single aspect of a situation or object. This is where Piagets experiment for the conservation of volume. This stage of development also describes toddlers having improved memory skills, problem solving skills and begin to understand concepts; for example, words such as big and small, colours and the ability to recite numbers. (ref) As children progr ess into pre-school, children practise mental representations by using mental imagery and language symbols. (Ref) Concreter Operational (7-12years): The typical school aged child is entering this stage of development. Children begin to think logically however, they tend to need concrete objects to help them solve problems rather than being able to use abstract ideas. (ref). Piaget would describe the school age child as less egocentric. According to his theory a child is now able to view the world and themselves from other perspectives. (ref) Children at this stage have a longer attention span, a better concept of time and distance and their ability to remember improves. Formal Operational (12-15years): Children at this stage break away from concrete objects and thinking is based more on abstract principles, such as honour or democracy. (ref). Full adult intellectual ability is attained during this stage. For Piaget, the development of scientific reasoning is the pinnacle of development. (Vialle, Lysaght, and Verenikina: 2008, p55). At this stage older adolescents can comprehend math, physics and other abstract systems. (ref). Some critics have faulted Piagets theory on several grounds but mostly for its vagueness. Some would say that Piagets theory has limited our perception of childrens capabilities- particularly in the pre-school years. (ref). Others may say there has been too much focus on what children cant do rather than what they can. According to Siegler (2004) children continuously gain specific knowledge; they do not undergo stage like leaps in general mental ability. (more) However, Piagets work has encouraged us to see childrens cognitive skills as being different from those of adults. His theory is valuable for understanding how children think. If we understand how children think and learn we can provide a stimulating environment that will support their learning. Using Piagets theory of cognitive development, a teacher or parents role is to provide the stimulation and observe carefully to see when to step in and interact or change experiences (ref). (125 more) While Piaget stressed the role of maturation in cognitive development, Lev Vygotsky focused on the impact of socio-cultural factors. His Socio-cultural theory of cognitive development saw that social interaction and language has a major influence on the development of childrens thinking. Vygotsky places great importance on the tole of significant adults such as teachers, parents and also peers. -The zone of proximal development: Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that children actively seek to discover new principles. However there is emphasis that many of a childs most important discoveries are guided by these significant adults. (ref). Vygotsky realises that some tasks can be beyond a childs reach. The child is close to having the mental skills needed to do the task, but it may be slightly too complex to be mastered alone. The zone of proximal development means children learn with the guidance and assistance of those within their environment. Parents, teachers or other sensitive caregivers will know that children will need assistance, guiding the child to support them in the learning process. Vygosky argued that childrens thinking is highly influenced by interactions and conversations with other peoples. If we want to understand how children think and learn, Vygotsky proposes that we need to observe them when they are relating with others. (ref). Vygotsky proposed that language plays a critical role in learning. He noted that preschoolers often talk to themselves as they complete activities and tasks. He called this Private speech. According to Vygotsky, private speech enables children to talk through problems (ref). Erik Erikson proposed a theory of development that focuses on the emotional and social aspects of development and how these impact on the overall development of the person from infancy to old age. (ref). He called it a Psychosocial theory of development focusing on the social experiences we have in life that shape our psychological make- up. Erikson was a student of Sigmund Freud and believed that the social interactions an individual experiences has a greater influence on development. (ref). Erikson identified eight stages of development over the entire human lifespan, each stage marked by a crisis. If each crisis is resolved in a positive way then the child would develop high self esteem and was more likely to respond to the next crisis in a positive way, developing a healthy personality. If the crisis was resolved in a negative way then it was likely the child would develop low self esteem and have difficulty resolving future crisis. (ref). His theory, particularly the first four stages hold vital considerations for you as a teacher or parent, ensuring that young children develop and maintain a positive sense of emotional wellbeing. -Stage one (0-1 years) Trust vs Mistrust: According to Erikson, a critical emotional struggle in infancy is between trust and mistrust. Emotionally healthy babies come to understand they have nurturing, responsive caregivers who meet their basic needs. They view the world as safe and enter into trusting relationships with caregivers and later, other individuals. However, a degree of mistrust is also important to keep infants safe from harm. But for the most part, the emotionally healthy baby is trusting of the world. (ref) A critical part of achieving trust from Eriksons view is the ability of infants to come to know and develop an emotional tie with caregivers; also known as attachment. Mary Ainsworth described attachment as the affectional tie that one person forms to another specific person, binding them together in space and enduring over time (Ainsworth: 1973). Stage two: (1-3 years) Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt: Once toddlers have developed a sense of trust with significant adults and understand their basic needs will be met, they are willing to venture away from the safety of parents and caregivers. We see this as striving for control over their environment. (ref). Children express their growing self control by climbing, touching, exploring and trying to do things for themselves (Coon Mitterer: 2007). Offering support, achievable tasks and time, children are more likely to experience success and thus feel autonomous and develop feelings of positive self-esteem. (ref). However, if we are impatient, provide tasks that are too difficult or become unsupportive with their efforts, children will develop feelings of shame and doubt about their abilities, resulting in low self esteem. Stage three: (3-5 years) Initiative vs Guilt: In this psychosocial theory of development, Erikson saw the preschool years as a time when children develop a sense of initiative. Preschoolers develop an increasing sense of their own ability and have a desire to make things happen. Through play, children learn to make plans and carry out tasks. Parents can reinforce initiative by giving children freedom to play, ask questions, use imagination and choose their own activities. (ref). When encouraged, this sense of initiative will support the development of high self esteem. However, when preschoolers receive negative feedback, prevent play or punished for trying to plan and make things happen they will develop a sense of guilt, thus developing low self esteem. (ref.) -Stage Four (6-12 years) Industry vs Inferiority: Middle childhood is the time to resolve the crisis of industry versus inferiority, according to Erikson. Primary school years are a childs entrance into life, where children begin to learn skills valued by society. His theory states that as children gain positive feedback from developing skills required for their particular culture, they will develop a sense of industry if they win praise for productive activities such as building, painting, cooking, reading and studying. This high self esteem will motivate children to challenge new tasks. However, if children receive negative feedback and have trouble developing skills and a sense of inferiority will arise, resulting in low self esteem and less motivation to try new tasks. (160 more)

Pros Of Green Revolution :: essays research papers

With the rapid growth of our global population pouring into the next millennium, we will witness an ever-growing hunger rate around the world. That is unless we call for a revolution on the global scale. The Green Revolution which already sprouted in the early part of the century only need to add a bit more momentum and we will see a bright future for the human race, a future without hunger and starvation  ¡V hopefully.It is becoming increasingly difficult for the planet to support its overwhelming population. And since the amount of arable land available is becoming scarce, we must seek ways to dramatically improve crop yields of existing cropland. By implementing new farming techniques provided with the new technological advances in machines we can see abundant harvest in even the poorest third world countries. For example, the Green Revolution has already showed admirable progress in the northern part of India ever since it took start in 1950. By 1997, northern India increased its grain production by 37 percent. This has proven that traditional farming methods are being rendered obsolete. And because by the year 2000, there will be half the land per person in developing countries as there was in 1970, we need to apply ultra-efficient methods to sustain the growing need. Not only does the Green Revolution enhances food output, it also preserves the environment. Traditional agriculture requires massive forest and grassland removal to obtain land necessary to farm on. Deforestation and overgrazing has caused erosion flooding, and enabled the expansion of deserts. But with drainage systems, leveling, and irrigation provided by the Green Rev, all this terra deforming will unlikely happen again. We can retain clean air and lessen the global warming effect caused by deforestation.Many people argue that a revamp in agriculture will be way too expensive and unrealistic especially for those poor farmers in third world countries. However many times, they exaggerate the price. In reality, farmers who take the first step in the revolution will most likely succeed and will have more money to invest in further development such as irrigation systems and wells and machineries.

Financial Ratios: TESCO and J. Sainsbury Essay

1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to conduct a comparative ratio analysis of the financial statements of J. Sainsbury PLC and Tesco PLC for the year-ending 2013. The financial information that is provided from each company’s annual report and the comparison between them will help possible users of this analysis to understand not only the differences between these two companies but also each company’s weaknesses and strengths. Below, the profiles of the two companies will be referred as well as eight accounting ratios for each company will be presented in order to have the appropriate financial information to analyse. Furthermore, the possible users of this analysis will be identified and all their differing information requirements will be mentioned. Finally, there will be provided a short discussion on the importance of supplementing financial analysis with non-financial considerations and a general conclusion will be made which will contain a summary of the main findings of this report. 1 .1 Tesco’s PLC profile Tesco PLC (Public Limited Company) is a food retail company which operates in nine markets with 923 stores across the world. It employs more over 240,000 people which sell its products giving access to 260 million people (Tesco PLC., 2014). Over the past five years, Tesco has expanded from the UK’s supermarkets into new countries with new products and services including a major non-food business. More specifically, the company has started to sell electrical devices, internet shopping, toys, sports equipment, home entertainment, home shop, cook shop and furniture. Also it provides financial services in cooperation with Royal Bank of Scotland serving 3.4  million customers which reveals the company’s intentions to expand in new markets. 1.2 J. Sainsbury’s Profile Sainsbury PLC is engaged in grocery and related retailing. The company’s activities are organised into three segments which are retailing (supermarkets and convenience), financial services (Sainsbury’s Bank), and Property investments (The British Land Company PLC and Land Securities PLC) (Reuters, 2014). The Company employs around 150,000 people and it operates over 1,000 stores acquiring 572 supermarkets and 440 convenience stores. The Company also acquires an online entertainment company, Global Media Vault Limited and HMV Group plc’s holding in Anobii Limited, a social network and online retailer of e-books. 2. Financial-accounting information and ratios According to Roger Hussey (Hussey, 1999), the financial accounting information is primarily concerned with communicating a ‘true and fair view’ of the financial performance and financial position of an entity to external parties in accordance with established principles, legal requirements and accounting standards. The general purpose of financial statements is to provide information that is useful to a wide range of users for making economic decisions and assessing the organizational management (IFRS, 2014). Accounting ratios are related with this information and their purpose is to describe a quantitative relationship between two values permitting the comparison of company’s performance with the previous years, competitors and with the industry benchmarks. Below, profitability, liquidity, working capital control and financial risk ratios will be presented and compared for the two companies providing the appropriate financial information. 2.1 Profitability and efficiency ratios The main objective of a financial statement analysis is to value a firm’s equity securities which mean that the firm has to ensure its profitability for the future (Mackenzie et al., 2013). Profitability and efficiency ratios are used by financial information users in order to assess the firm’s operating performance. They provide information about how much profit the firm makes in relation with its sales and how efficiently the business is using its assets to generate revenue. 2.1.3 Return on capital employed (ROCE) is a financial ratio that measures the percentage return on the total funds employed in the business and shows how effective management is in generating revenue and controlling costs. TESCO plc has slightly a bigger ROCE percentage than its comparable company J. Sainsbury which fact for some people would be irrelevant but if it will be examined in depth it can be comprehended that TESCO company has a better management because it uses more efficiently its capital. 2.1.3 Asset turnover ratio TESCO GROUP Asset turnover ratio  £m Sales revenue 64,826 Capital employed 22,550 Asset turnover (%) 287,47 % J. Sainsbury Asset turnover ratio  £m Sales revenue 23,303 Capital employed 9,580 Asset turnover (%) 243,24% Asset (or capital) turnover ratio measures how many times the capital employed was turned over during the year to achieve the revenue which fact indicates the efficiency of the company’s deployment of its assets. The above tables show that even though the two companies surpass the rank of one hundred percent which means that their capital employed was turned over at least one time during 2013, TESCO exceeds J. Sainsbury for 44, 23 %. This fact demonstrate that TESCO deploys almost a half time more efficiently its assets than J. Sainsbury and in accounting terms it is explained as 2.87 dollars were generated per dollar of assets 2.2 Liquidity and working capital control 2.2.1 Current ratio TESCO GROUP Current ratio  £m Current assets 13,096 Current liabilities 5,889 Current Ratio x:1 2.22:1 J. Sainsbury Current ratio  £m Current assets 1,914 Current liabilities 3,115 Current Ratio x:1 0.61:1 Current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures the ability of the company to meet its short-term obligations (liabilities) such as debt and payables with its short-term assets such as cash, receivables and inventory. TESCO’s current ratio is estimated to 2.22:1 and it absolutely does not seem to have any liquidity problem in the business in contrast to J. Sainsbury company which current ratio is estimated to 0.61:1. More specifically, these numbers show that TESCO had 2.22 dollars of current assets for each dollar of current liabilities and J. Sainsbury had 0.61 dollars of current assets for every dollar of current liabilities. These results reveal a liquidity problem that J. Sainsbury has which means that the firm can not pay its short term obligations properly. However this does not necessarily mean that the company will be a bankrupt in the near future if it will not pay its short-term liabilities for some small period of time but it is definitely a bad sign of not good f inancial health and it is required from the company to access more financing sources in order to overcome this problem. 2.2.2 Quick ratio TESCO GROUP Quick ratio  £m Current assets 13,096 Inventories (3,744) Current liabilities 5,889 Current Ratio x:1 1.58:1 J. Sainsbury Quick ratio  £m Current assets 1,914 Inventories (987) Current liabilities 3,115 Current Ratio x:1 0.29:1 Quick ratio is an another liquidity ratio and it is very similar to current ratio but the difference from these two ratios is that quick ratio is more conservative because it shows the relationship between liquid assets (from which the inventory is excluded) and current liabilities in contrast to the other ratio. The results are almost the same except the ratio numbers. TESCO has 1.58 dollars of liquid assets available per one dollar of current liabilities and J. Sainsbury has 0.29 of liquid assets for each dollar of current liabilities. The problem for J. Sainsbury remains the same as the company has a bad finance health because it cannot meet properly its short -term obligations. 2.2.3 Inventory Turnover and holding ratio TESCO GROUP Inventory Turnover ratio  £m Cost of sales 60,737 Inventories 3,744 Inventory Turnover ratio 16.22 J. Sainsbury Inventory Turnover ratio  £m Cost of sales 22,026 Inventories 987 Inventory Turnover ratio 22.31 Inventory turnover ratio measures the times that an inventory was sold and replaced over a specific period of time. A low turnover ratio indicates low sales and simultaneously an excess in the inventory of the company which can lead to liquidity problems. On the other hand, a high turnover shows that the firm either has good sales or it implies ineffective buying of its products which mean that the company buys small quantities of product very frequently for a higher price than this that it would get if it would buying bigger quantities leading to a shortage or an inadequate inventory. TESCO during 2013, has turned over its inventory 16.22 times which is 6.09 lesser than J. Sainsbury’s turnover which is estimated to 22.31 times for the same year. This means that in comparison with J. Sainsbury even though that TESCO is a bigger company, in relation with both companies’ capabilities TESCO seemed to have an excess in the inventory which reveals the fact that the company w as dropped out from its expectations in contrast to J. Sainsbury. More products in the inventory implies more cost for the firms so both of them and more specifically TESCO have to improve its ability to liquidate  its stocks from the inventory. 2.2.4 Inventory holding ratio TESCO GROUP Inventory holding period ratio  £m Inventories 3,744 Cost of sales 60,737 Inventory holding period ratio 22.49 days J. Sainsbury Inventory holding period ratio  £m Inventories 987 Cost of sales 22,026 Inventory holding period ratio 16.35 days Similarly to the inventory turnover ratio, inventory holding period ratio shows the period of time (days) that stocks were kept in the company’s inventory. A low inventory holding period indicates that stocks that were kept in the inventory were for a small period of time. Accordingly happens when the inventory holding period is high which means that stocks in there are kept for a long period of time. According to Japanese industry statistical website (M&A BANK Co. LTD, 2014), the average inventory turnover for food retail companies such as TESCO and J. Sainsbury, is 34.44 days. The fact that TESCO has a bigger inventory turnover is illustrated in the inventory holding period for both companies. For each inventory turnover, TESCO was keeping its inventory for 22.49 days and J. Sainsbury for 16.35.  These results lead to the same conclusions of inventory turnover statements that were mentioned above. 2.2.3 Receivables collection period TESCO GROUP Receivables collection period ratio  £m Trade receivables 2,525 Sales revenue 64,826 Receivables collection period ratio 3.89 days J. Sainsbury Receivables collection period ratio  £m Trade receivables 306 Sales 23,303 Receivables collection period ratio 4.79 days The receivable collection period ratio measures the period of time (days) that the company awaits to collect receivables from its clients. A low receivable collection period indicator shows that the company collects its dues from its clients quickly. If this indicator is too low, then it is understandable that the firm does not offer credit facilities to its clients resulting loss in business. On the other hand, when there is a high receivable collection period indicator it is obvious that the company have some difficulties collecting receivables from its clients. TESCO seems to take its receivables almost one day earlier (3.89 days) than J. Sainsbury (4.79 days) which fact mentions again the difference in the liquidity of these two companies. J. Sainsbury which has a liquidity problem has to collect more efficiently its receivables from customers to empower liquidity  as much possible improving its financial position in the market. 2.3 Financial Risk and debt to equity ratio Financial risk shows the possibility of failure in an investment that an investor would have if he would have invest in a company with debt that would not have meet its financial liabilities (ЛÐ ¸Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ²Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸Ã'…, 1999). TESCO GROUP Debt to equity ratio  £m Non-current liabilities 14,483 Total equity 16,661 Debt to equity ratio 86.92 % J. Sainsbury Receivables collection period ratio  £m Non-current liabilities 3,846 Total equity 5,734 Debt to equity ratio 67,07 % Debt to equity ratio measures the percentage that corresponds to debt and equity of a company. A high debt to equity ratio means that the company has developed with a big amount of debt which can lead to big interest and would have an impact on shareholder’s earnings or even it would lead to a bankruptcy in an extreme case. In the above table, TESCO shows a debt to equity ratio estimated to 86.92 % and J. Sainsbury 67.07 % which is lower for 19.85 % in relation with the first company. It is obvious that TESCO in  the previous year was aggressively financing its growth than J. Sainsbury which means that the company has many liabilities and it is already on the red line to start facing the consequences of a such high ratio. 3. Users of financial analysis and their information requirements According to Gokul Sinha (Sinha, 2009), â€Å"financial statements are the means of providing information to the various users for their decision making but users are different and accordingly, their needs are also different.† In the below table (Table 1.0) the seven categories of the users of financial analysis will be presented with all of their differing information requirements and potential decisions. 4. The importance of supplementing financial analysis with non-financial statements Non-financial considerations were always a great tool for companies which had the knowledge how to use them. Christopher Ittner and David Larcker (Christopher Ittner, 2000) have stated that by supplementing financial analysis with non-financial statements, the organization creates a closer link to the long-term strategies of it. More specifically non-financial data make the companies to communicate different informational objectives with managers, providing them motivation in order to plan long-term strategies in the future. Moreover they referred that some critics argue that intangible assets such as customer loyalty and intellectual capital are the drivers of success for many companies in different industries and they have to pay more attention on these two. Finally, both authors mentioned about the accompanied noise of non-financial data about which the managers must be aware in order to determine how much success they will get if they make their actions which will lead to a maximizing effect on the organizational performance. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, the profiles and activities of TESCO plc and J. Sainsbury were detailed as well the mean of the financial-accounting information was explained. Furthermore, there were presented two ratios from each of profitability, liquidity, working capital control categories and one ratio that describes the financial risk for both of companies. Afterwards the users of the financial analysis were referred and all of their differing requirements were described. Finally, there was a reference on the importance of supplementing financial analysis with non-financial statements as well as the capabilities of using non-financial considerations. Bibliography Christopher Ittner, D.L., 2000. Mastering Management series. Financial Times. Hussey, R., 1999. Oxford Dictionary of Accounting. Oxford: Oxford University Press. IFRS, 2014. IFRS Foundation. [Online] London: IFRS Foundation Available at: http://www.ifrs.org [Accessed 18 April 2014]. Kirk, A., 2014. Chron. [Online] Available at: http://www.chron.com [Accessed 19 April 2014]. M&A BANK Co. LTD, 2014. EDIUNET Industry Avg. [Online] Available at: http://industry.ediunet.jp [Accessed 19 April 2014]. Mackenzie, B. et al., 2013. Wiley IFRS 2013: Interpretation and Application of International Financial Reporting Standards. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Maynard, J., 2013. Financial Accounting, Reporting, and Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reuters, 2014. http://uk.reuters.com. [Online] Available at: http://uk.reuters.com [Accessed 18 April 2014]. Sinha, G., 2009. Financial Statement Analysis. New Delhi: PHI Learning Private. Tesco PLC., 2014. Global Sources. [Online] Available at: http://www.globalsources.com [Accessed 18 April 2014]

School Violence

Tyeshia Michie Professor Silverstein English 102 School Violence School violence is the term used to define violence or any form of arrogance that happens inside a school. Some of the known forms of school violence are student gangs, bullying, physical attacks on fellow students, and physical attacks on the school staffs. This is becoming a very serious issue in the United States where the school violence rates are extremely high with students possessing knives, guns and other weapons at will. In the earlier days, schools were the safest places for students.Students were safer than they were at their homes because they were being monitored each and every second by the school staffs and other fellow students, but it is no longer the same because of the alarming increase of school violence inside the school premises. The school authorities are not able to control such inclement activities inside the school and parents all over the world are concerned with this very serious issue becaus e their children are prone to be victims of school violence. Leading Causes of School Violence Pinpointing causes of school violence is a difficult task.It is difficult to categorize the numerous school violence attacks that have occurred. Each case has different circumstances. The majority of researchers agree that school violence is the result of a society unable to always distinguish between good or bad choices and right or wrong moral decisions but have suggested various theories on what may lead a student to incite violence. Children who witness domestic violence in the home and who are not taught otherwise are likely to internalize such behavior as appropriate means of dealing with conflicts in the school.Such students who get in confrontations with other students may be predisposed to engage in physical violence. Students who grow up in communities with street violence also may react violently to perceived threats. According to â€Å"Youth Violence: A Report by the Surgeon G eneral,† psychological conditions hyperactivity, impulsiveness, daring and short attention span can pose a small risk for violence. Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson of Texas A&M International University notes in The Journal of Pediatrics that depression is a leading cause of youth violence.Additionally, Thomas Grisso professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School writes in â€Å"The Future of Children† that kids with mental disorders are at an increased risk of displaying aggressive behavior. Having access to guns and other weapons may enable students to commit violent acts against their peers. The report â€Å"Violence Prevention: The Evidence† by the World Health Organization states limiting access to weapons can lead to a reduction in violent acts. Students may find guns in their homes or acquire guns illegally on the street.Without access to weapons, however, students would be unable to carry out violent acts. Students who have been bull ied may retaliate against their peers. The National School Safety Council notes that many who participate in such acts are bullied or ostracized from their peers. Peers reportedly bullied or ignored the Columbine shooters, which caused their anger. However, the surgeon general notes that violence in the media also may lead kids to engage in aggressive and violent behavior. What Are the Causes of Bullying in Schools?Bullying is a serious problem in schools and, according to Kids Health, three quarters of kids says that they have been bullied or teased at school as of 2010. Bullying takes a variety of forms and has several detrimental effects on children including depression, stress, sickness, physical injuries and even death. The first step in dealing with bullying is to pinpoint the causes behind bullying and clarify some of its many bullies engage in bullying as a way to draw attention to themselves and make themselves feel important. Unfortunately, according to Education. om, bull ies tend to be popular and even admired by classmates for their toughness. This is especially the case in middle schools, where bullies are sometimes regarded as popular and cool. As a consequence, other kids imitate bullying behavior in an effort to increase their popularity. Another myth about bullying is that bullies suffer from low self-esteem and, as a result, bully other kids in order to make themselves feel better. According to Education. com many bullies have high self-esteem and regard themselves in a positive light. It is not uncommon for bullies to have an overly inflated sense of self.The desire to control and dominate others is a common factor in bullying. Bullies often perceive kids who are smarter or different than them as a threat. Dominating and manipulating the perceived threat allows the bully to minimize the threat and to feel empowered. The bully's sense of satisfaction comes from provoking a reaction from the victims who are being bullied. The best strategy is to ignore a bully if possible. If the bully is unable to provoke a reaction, he may soon grow tired of bullying you. If it is not possible to ignore the bully, the best strategy is to stand up for yourself.Don't given in to a bully's demands. Always inform a parent, teacher or adult. Bullying behavior is often the result of a repetitive cycle of abuse. Bullies may be victims of abuse at home or they may learn patterns of behavior in which anger, name-calling and other forms of verbal abuse and physical violence are normal. Bullies may s Different Interventions ; Prevention Models of High School Violence According to the â€Å"College Student Journal,† almost one-quarter of public school students report that they had been the victims of violence at school.With the proper interventions, high school violence can be prevented or minimized. The National School Safety Center says that if parents, teachers and students work together, school violence can be minimized and, in some ins tances, eliminated. Parents and guardians are primary gatekeepers in helping to prevent high school violence. Parents must be aware of the influences their children receive whether through television, video games or other people to minimize exposure to violence. Parents need to teach their children to be empathetic and compassionate so that violence will not be tolerable to them.High school violence can often be thwarted by providing counselors for students. Counselors can help students with decision making and can teach alternatives to violent behaviors. The school milieu is sometimes the only opportunity high school students have to talk about their problems and get suggestions about reasonable solutions, according to the The National School Safety Center. The National School Safety Center says that a proper level of security can be an effective preventative for high school violence.Security personnel on staff can head off violence and must be alert for weapons such as guns or kni ves. Metal detectors can be installed to aid in weapons detection, if necessary. â€Å"College Student Journal† suggests that the high school buildings be evaluated to identify areas that could facilitate violent events for example, doors that do not open properly (should students need to escape) or doors that are too accessible to potential violent offenders. Meditation is another intervention that can be successful in preventing violence.According to National School Safety Center, mediation can help the students to relax, calm their thoughts, reduce stress and ultimately â€Å"prevent violent attitudes among the students. â€Å"Anger management sessions are a necessary part of intervention so that high school students can learn how to control rage and other intense emotions. Conflict-management strategies that focus on how to avoid fighting and other threatening behaviors can prevent violence. Peer mediation is another effective method to manage conflict in a high school. With this method, student leaders are trained in mediation and, with supervision; help settle conflicts among their peers. Violence prevention models help both parents and students to develop effective communication skills that will enhance peer development. Some techniques include role playing, with role reversal, so that the students can experience both sides of a violent interaction, or decision-making exercises that teach them what to do in potentially violent situations. Other skills include educating the students on the risks of violence in a descriptive manner that gives them a realistic picture of the impact of high school violence.Conclusion As far as this issue is concerned the solution to the problem will be identifying the root of the problem. Some people are quick to blame the media, while some blame parents, and others blame the schools. Americans need to try to take control of today's youth and the violence that is and has been developing in this country for many year s. Although school violence will never be extinct, there are many different ways to reduce violence. References: Surgeon General: Youth Violence Prevention — A Report of the Surgeon General Reuters: Depression, Peers Top Influences on Youth ViolenceThe Future of Children: Adolescent Offenders with Mental Disorders World Health Organization: Violence Prevention USA Today: 10 Years Later the Real Story behind Columbine College Student Journal: The Root of School Violence: Causes and Recommendations for a Plan of Action. The National School Safety Center: Proven Preventive Measure for School Violence. Adolescence: School Violence: Prevalence and Intervention Strategies for At-risk Adolescents. Kids Health: Dealing With Bullies Education: Some Myths and Facts about Bullies and Victims

A Review of A View From The Bridge Essay

A View From The Bridge, a powerful play by Arthur Miller, was staged in the round at the Manchester Royal Exchange. By producing the play in the round, the action could be viewed from all angles which was a more effective way of portraying the story. It also allowed the entire stage to be used without loss of action which allowed the stage to be split into two sections – the street and inside the house. These two portions of the stage were quite obvious, being symbolised by the telephone booth (a key prop later in the play) and the dining room table. That said, other furniture such as Alfieri’s desk, seemed a little unnecessary, especially since it had to be brought in from off stage for each of Alfieri’s scenes. This wasn’t helped by the general lighting in the theatre which could never provide a complete blackout on stage due to the large amounts of windows in the upper seating areas. The stage lighting was fairly simple with neutral ‘general’ lights used for most scenes. This was developed somewhat in important scenes such as Eddie’s death and the lighting was altered (although not significantly) when Alfieri recited his monologues. However sound was used quite effectively in these scenes with the same effect being used to symbolise a change in the setting. Although the play featured very little props, when they were used, they were used to great effect such as the crates being lowered at the beginning or the characters using real food in the dinner scene and then eating it. This also helps instil a sense of realism into the play and helps the audience to relate to the storyline. Throughout the play, tension was slowly but cleverly built up to the final climax. The main character doing this was Eddie whose ever increasing hatred of Rodolpho built up the tension until the all important telephone booth came into play. From there Eddie’s desperation turned to madness and Con O’Neill’s portrayal of Eddie made him seem like something out of a horror film, which only helped to add to the tension. The lighting in the play also helped add to the tension with more menacing and ominous lights used as the play progressed through the second act. All of the characters where depicted beautifully in the play thanks to wonderful acting paired with realistic costumes, which made this play a real delight to watch. The costumes worn by the characters were simple but effective, accurately representing the style of 1940s New York. The costumes also helped contrast the personalities between Eddie and Rodolpho with Eddie’s typical ‘working man’ clothes and Rodolpho in his smart shirts and stylish shoes. The acting was let down somewhat by the voice acting of Catherine (Leila Mimmack) whose accent seem to be very variable, ranging from broad New York to almost full-on Italian. The voices of everyone in else in the play however were superb and really helped to make the play more realistic and believable. In particular Ian Redford did a sterling job, brilliantly portraying Alfieri’s helplessness and narrating the story with exactly the right tone. A moment that really stood out for me was the very last scene in which Eddie is trying to get Marco to give him back his respect. Con O’Neill portrays Eddie’s desperation magnificently and uses every part of his body to make him seem crazy, especially his facial features. The same could also be said about Nitzan Sharron’s character Marco who is so furious with Eddies, he is practically on fire. This scene is a really shocking point in the storyline which was wonderfully acted by all since the scene featured nearly all the cast. The scene was let down somewhat by the over exaggerated and unrealistic death of Eddie Carbone. Even though producing a realistic death scene is hard to do in any play, the way Eddie was stabbed and O’Neill’s acting on his death was a bit disappointing. However this may be due to the fact that the play was performed in the round and so not everyone can experience the death as it was intended. The scene was well rounded off by Alfieri who delivered his consistently good speech which helped end the scene, and the play, extremely well.

Short story Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Short story Critique - Essay Example The effectiveness of the ending is reduced by the language which falls short of the easy flow of the earlier part of the story. However, Virula does succeed in arousing the readers’ curiosity as to why Freddie objects to his Aunt’s church. The weaknesses of the story are (1) there is a sudden change in tense: â€Å"He wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans and gently picked up Robocam† (2) There is a tendency to repeat words in a sentence: â€Å"with Willie in front of him and Tia Eva in front of both of them† (3) There are some glaring errors in punctuation (â€Å"Freddie held robocam in it’s camera form†). The story can be improved by editing the last paragraph, which does not measure up to the writing in the earlier part of the story and has grammatical errors. Inserting necessary commas and making the sentences shorter will add more clarity to the narration. Elizabeth Hall’s beginning is definitely a powerful hook as it leads the reader straight into a dramatic situation, tinged with the suggestion of violence. It also skillfully introduces the profession and personality of the protagonist. The ending is too â€Å"in-your-face† for me. It could be more subtle. Nick’s ranting is out of character with the dignity Hall has given him earlier. His position is already clear to the reader and does not have to be spelled out so explicitly. The weaknesses of the story are (1) Some glaring errors in logic: â€Å"he drove home to the same domesticity, cycling in guilt.† (2) Repetition: â€Å"bought a historic home in the historical Pinch District.†(3) Errors in punctuation, particularly in the use of commas. The story’s strengths are (1) Excellent, detailed descriptions and good similes: â€Å"yellow hair stuck to her head like a layer of enamel.† (2) A sophisticated story line (3) Great depiction of Valerie’s descent into hypochondria. The story can be improved by making drastic changes in the conclusion. The ending should be

/Fostering Motivation, Civility, and Integrity Assignment

/Fostering Motivation, Civility, and Integrity - Assignment Example ehind this principle is to establish a classroom culture wherein students would be more aware and afraid of violating the school law regarding cheating and plagiarism. Doing so, the students would be more careful in terms of obliging with the school policy. Although maintaining a good relationship with the students is necessary in terms of encouraging the students to build trust with their professors, school teachers should be clear that it is their responsibility to draw a line between being lenient and strict. Through the proper use of school teachers’ authority in class, it would be easier for teachers to win the students’ cooperation not to violate the rule behind cheating and plagiarism. Upon involving the students to participate in classroom discussion regarding the school policy behind cheating and plagiarism, it is also possible to encourage other students to report any person they know who is cheating or plagiarizing their school paper by giving them rewards (Forsyth, Increasing Academic Integrity, 2002). 2. On page 211, Forsythe presents 3 case studies (originally defined by Carbone, 1998) of ways to manage civility / incivility in the classroom. From a psychological standpoint, why do you think each of these will be effective or not? (Feel free to use whatever theoretical approaches you are comfortable with/subscribe to?). Personally, for you, which of these methods, or blending of methods seems the most useful? From a psychological standpoint, creating a classroom norm is effective since the students are made aware of what to expect each time they decide to violate the classroom and school policy. Since the practice of incorporating rewards and punishment in a classroom norm makes the students aware that violating one of the school and classroom rules is equivalent to a specific punishment, the students would think twice before they decide to misbehave in class or cheat in their academic papers. For this reason, most teachers find this technique