Functioning Of Municipal Schools Education Essay

With the feverish competition today youth want to be perfect in whatever they attempt to make whether it is in academic surveies, athleticss or cultural activities. Therefore the instruction in A.P. Municipality Act 1965 under subdivision 130 with Rule 42 of Taxation and Finance, regulations appended to the APM ACL 1965, have become more flexible in the constitution of their schools and conveying flawlessness in their attack. Harmonizing to this policy the municipality can incur outgo connected with instruction on the points like preparation of instructors and care of schools etc. Aiming at flawlessness the municipal schools besides aim at excellence and that is possible by presenting the undermentioned policies: Constitution and care of schools Construction and care of school edifices Training of instructors Excellence would intend giving our best in whatever we do. Our best attempts are different from another individual ‘s best attempts, and these can non be compared because everyone has strengths and restrictions. Therefore, â€Å" instruction in the A.P. Municipality Act as mentioned in the subdivision 31, would name commissions to tap the interior resources of their staff and pupils. They would name commissions to preparation of reappraisals, and general supervision of development programmes, associating to instruction and public assistance of SCs, BCs and adult females and kids among others. The station – Independence India placed great significance on the instruction of its citizens, and making literacy to the nook and corner of the state. The establishing male parents of the state and the fundamental law shapers did non experience the necessity to do instruction a cardinal right as they thought that the State will go forth no rock unturned in doing everyone educated all literate. But the State and the cardinal Government failed to populate up to the outlook of the establishing male parents of the state and both fell level on this basic and cardinal responsibility. Education is non even mentioned explicitly as an country of nucleus concern for municipalities in A.P. and it is a gray country. It is taking cue from subdivision 31A above that the function of municipalities in â€Å" managing † instruction is restricted. The administrative map of naming caput Masterss and instructors in the municipal schools, managing and pay outing their wages, advancing and reassigning the staff, and keeping the care of the municipal schools under their direction is taken attention by the municipal governments. But most of these academic maps rest with the instruction section. The mark of cosmopolitan instruction remained a mirage with big subdivisions of the society unable to direct their small 1s to school. Even primary instruction, non to talk of higher instruction did non make the door – stairss of larger figure of people. In A.P. Municipal schools exist merely in 13 territories of the 23 territories in the province. About 2100 Municipal schools are working in the province. About 1400 primary schools, 400 Upper primary schools, and 300 Secondary schools are working in the province. Over 3.5 lakh kids are enrolled in these schools, and 8100 instructors are working in the municipal schools with teacher – student ratio of 1:45, 1:49, and 1:40 in primary, upper primary and secondary schools severally. But one tends to oppugn these pupils who are enrolled in these Municipal schools, how far they have acquired cognition in ego confidence/ one tends to oppugn the regularity of the instructors to the school and the credibleness of their work.1.5. 2 Municipal Schools in Vijayawada – Krishna District, A.PVijayawada, besides called â€Å" Vidyalawada † ( topographic point of instruction ) occupies a big sum of the educational substructure of Andhra Pradesh. The metropolis was named â€Å" the educational Sahara † by a foreign embassador. Education in the metropolis is implemented by both the authorities and private establishments. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation ( VMC ) takes attention of the authorities educational establishments. Municipalities responsible for opening / up-gradation of schools in the urban countries are under Municipal Corporation. A Municipality is a unit for all intents. All instructors in a municipality are under one unit for intents of publicity or reversion etc. Panel commission in the municipality has the authorization for publicity of instructors. Teachers are transferred from one school to another in the same municipality. Municipal governments inspect the schools. Wages of instruction and non instruction staff are paid by the authorities. But it is reduced to the extent of educational revenue enhancement collected by the municipality. RTE Act 2009, reminds the schools to include in the course of study â€Å" basic hygiene, environmental cleanliness, good societal etiquette and political behaviour. † ( Act 6.5 ) every bit good as life accomplishments ( Act 6.6 ) together with the accent on, non merely on one ‘s rights but on one ‘s surveies specially to society. ( Act 6.8 ) ( Act 7.6 B ) insists on developing and implementing â€Å" criterions for preparation of instructors † . The policy ( 4.14 ) provinces that â€Å" thorough periodic developing the instructors are equipped with up – to – day of the month cognition and pedagogical accomplishments including the usage of new educational engineerings. In the changed and quickly altering scenario good wonts of work-ethics are inculcated † . Tendencies in registration show a clear displacement to private schools in urban countries like Vijayawada. The municipal schools slowdown behind in the undermentioned countries – deficiency of motive to the staff, hapless substructure, deficiency of sanitation installations, deficiency of topic, deficiency of equal instructors, teacher absenteeism, use of the age old methodological analysiss in learning English, faulty scrutiny system etc are some of the factors taking to hapless public presentation of pupils, ensuing in low demand for these municipal schools. It is said that instructors must make bold to larn things beyond the course of study and do acquisition gratifying utilizing some utile instruction AIDSs. There is a slow and gradual realisation among the educationalists, that the households of the hapless pupils who attend municipal schools still remain hapless in malice of their traveling to school. This is due to miss of proper learning installations in authorities schools which stick to minimum instruction. Professor Martin Woodhead besides said that there is a demand to reform authorities schools to present choice instruction at least for the interest of those hapless who will still go on to direct merely their male childs to private schools. Government schools will still be a blessing to girl child instruction. While the world reflects the above outlook what is noticed among the municipality schools is much distant and out dated from the world.InfrastructureClass suites: Insufficiency of suites to suit is a job in municipal high schools. Problems exist with respect to airing and sufficient infinite for all the kids in all the category suites. Headmaster ‘s office and staff room: In the urban municipal schools in Vijayawada there is one room that is used as the Head Master ‘s room every bit good as the office with the files stacked behind. There is no equal topographic point to hive away and exhibit the assorted shields, trophies and souvenirs won by the school and its squads. Labs: There is no sole infinite for a research lab in any of the schools visited. There are a little figure of incontrovertible AIDSs and equipment in high schools, but the same are stacked in closets inside schoolrooms. In the instance of an upgraded school, research lab equipment is being borrowed from a neighbouring school and the same is returned after presentation in the category. Library: Libraries ideally provide entree to books in add-on to the schoolroom texts and make a nexus with the developments taking topographic point outside. Storage of books in the best of municipal schools is found non satisfactory. Books are non made accessible to the pupils for whom they are meant to be extra reading stuff. Common suites for misss: The Government of India has embarked on a mission to retain misss in schools through the National Programme Education for Girls at Elementary Level ( NPEGEL ) . Urban slums in Municipalities and Corporations of the four territories including Krishna territory was covered under the programme. It was seen that such room existed in one high school, but was non being utilized for the intent. The freshly constructed suites were being used as staff suites for female instructors. Drinking H2O and Toilets: Drinking H2O for kids has non been uniformly provided in all municipal schools. Sanitation installations or lavatories in schools are shared by the pupils and the instructors. This is a cause for concern as bead out among misss is usually attributed to hapless sanitation conditions in schools. Resort areas: Due the scarceness of infinite in urban countries, it is difficult to happen municipal schools with equal infinite for drama land for the pupils. Furniture for Staff and Students: Municipal schools have been missing in furniture for its pupils. There are barely any municipal schools, at all degrees, which have been benches for all the kids. This could perchance be one of the grounds for the parents in switching their kids to private schools. Performance: Look at the consequences achieved by municipal schools over the old ages, it is found that the base on balls per centum has been a assorted bag of success and failures. Some of the pupils of VMC have excelled academically despite hardships. The public presentation of Municipal School pupils in SSC Board exams over the last three old ages is systematically on an mean 60 % .Performance of Municipal School Students in SSC ExamsYear Municipal Schools All Schools No. Appeared No. Passed Pass % No. Appeared No. Passed Pass % 2008 – 09 21899 13084 59.75 799324 585781 73.28 2009 – 10 23140 13385 57.84 880252 643974 73.16 2010 – 11 22959 14607 63.62 956887 722137 75.47 As is seen from the tabular array above the public presentation of municipal schools is about 60 % while the overall public presentation in all schools is systematically about 74 % . Inspite of these consequences which indicate quantitatively good public presentation, their public presentation in English linguistic communication appears to be qualitatively hapless. As per the recent G.O. Ms No: 76 ( 2008 ) , English medium has been introduced at all degrees in municipal schools. However, the system is non adequately equipped to manage kids who wish to inscribe in English medium schools. A four twenty-four hours developing programme on Communicative English has been organized by the Education Department to all the instructors to heighten their cognition and accomplishment. But this does non look to to the full fit them to manage the categories.1.6 The Problems of Teaching / Learning EnglishThe manner English is taught in schools, particularly in municipal and authorities schools to a great extent responsible for the lowering of the criterion of English in India. The purpose of teaching/learning English linguistic communication is surely really high and the agencies are unequal to recognize them. The followers are some of the jobs faced by the instructors of English in Municipal schools:Dearth of Competent instructorsThe instructors of English at municipal schools do non update themselves with the recent developments in the field of linguistics and latest methods of instruction ; hence, they are non able to learn English on par with the English instructors in the private schools. Though the instruction functionaries conduct developing programme one time a twelvemonth, the instructors give least importance to fit themselves with the latest methods of learning English. And besides these preparation programmes are conducted together along with the other capable instructors. So, the English linguistic communication instructors are non given much importance to fit themselves with the latest techniques.Job SatisfactionTeachers are non satisfied with their occupation. Most of the instructors look at their work as a load, do non take much involvement than what is compulsory. They are besides engaged in tonss of activities other than learning. They are really much comfortable utilizing the interlingual rendition method of learning E nglish.Competence of TeachersMost of the instructors ‘ competency of English is low. They have really limited or no pre-service preparation at all and had undergone barely any in-service preparation for the English linguistic communication. They are witting of it and therefore seem to endure from low self-pride.Constraint of clipThe instructors focus on syllabus completion. They do non hold sufficient clip to make other activities like brace work, group work, dramatisation etc. in the category. The instructors do non interact with the scholars. Teacher is the Centre of the linguistic communication category.Crowded ClasssThe size of the categories everyplace is well big and therefore, pupils ‘ engagement in the category work is rather impossible. The ratio of pupils in relation to teacher is non relative. This is one of the grounds why the instructors are unable to pay single attending to the pupils.Lack of CreativityLearners normally live in less supportive ( for instruc tion ) household and societal ambiance in stuff, emotional and fiscal footings. Most of them are first coevals scholars. They prefer to utilize the age old readymade notes for the scrutiny to go through. The pupils are non tapped to utilize their creativeness.Teacher ‘s and Student ‘s Regional Dialect impacting proper pronunciationThis is a really important job with most of the instructors learning English. When the instructors try to talk English, they carry their ain regional idiom into English. They have trouble in pronunciation and are non cautious about the emphasis and modulation of their ain address. They teach wrong phonic written texts, pronunciation, emphasis and modulation to the pupils. A big figure of instructors learning at school degree are unqualified. They have small thought of right use and none at all of right pronunciation. Their vocabulary is every bit limited as their reading. They are non familiar with the usage of modern learning techniques. Though the text books prescribe for different categories are skill-oriented, instructors are non equal plenty to learn them. The frequent alterations made in the policy sing English by the province and cardinal authorities has besides proved to be greatly damaging to the instructors and scholars of the linguistic communication.Teaching AidssClass room learning AIDSs and stuffs are by and large in short supply in schools, non to speak of audio-visual AIDSs like tape recording equipments, lingua phone programmes of movie strips. In some instances even pieces of chalk and black board are hard to obtain.ExaminationsIt is a commiseration that most of the scrutinies are in content oriented instead than skill-oriented. If at all any accomplishment is required to be displayed by the testers, it is their writing ability. Though reading, listening and talking accomplishments are given in the text books, they are neglected wholly in the scrutinies. With the constitution of organic structures like National Council of Educational Research and Training ( NCERT ) , National course of study has gained popularity and being progressively adopted by more and more provinces. Many of these syllabi provide adequate range for the development of the scholar ‘s abilities. However, the strangeness of the English instructor with both the purposes and aims of these course of studies and their usage about ever succeeds in get the better ofing the very intents for which they were ab initio framed. Teacher ‘s instruction is one major country which needs drastic alterations if quality instructors are to go available to develop the English linguistic communication accomplishments of the pupil.

Assessment and Nurses Essay

The aim of this assignment is to explore the four stages of APIE, explaining their importance in nursing, as well as identifying possible problems within the stages, in relation to the videos of Joe. These issues will then be anaylsed using theory, to create possible explanations and consequences for the behaviour and actions shown by Joe and the nurses. APIE is a nursing process which guides health professionals through the problem solving approach, which promotes the individualised, holistic delivery of care. It is tailored around the patient’s needs and allows nurses to holistically assess the patient, then plan and set goals according to the information gathered. These plans and goals are then implemented into the care delivery and evaluated for effectiveness (Wilson, 2012). Assessment Assessment requires looking at the patient holistically and establishing what the patient was like before being admitted and what they are like now. If there is any change between the two, then the cause of this change must be identified. Once this is established, a detailed plan can be derived to tackle the actual problem and potential problems which may arise as a result. Assessment is important because it views the person as an individual (Barrett, Wilson and Woollands, 2009). The consequences of wrongly assessing a patient are that at the planning stage, care may be tailored incorrectly to their gender, religion and other factors which are paramount to that individual. This will in turn affect the way care is implemented. An individual’s culture, values and beliefs are highly influential in establishing what the carer may do for them and what they prefer to do themselves (Baldwin, Longhurst, Smith, et al, 2003). Information collected may be objective or subjective. Objective data is measurable and verifiable whereas subjective data is determined by the individual in order to understand their experience (Long, Phipps and Cassmeyer, 1995). In order to validate and verify the information collected during assessment, it is crucial to relay the information collected back to the patient (Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2007). One explanation of Joe’s behaviour is the Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1954) in the sense that he expresses an idealistic view by saying that he would not change anything about the implementation of his care and stating that all the nurses are lovely. These statements are contradicted by the fact the nurses do not acknowledge him when he repeatedly asks for his glasses, and they talk over him and ignore him as he is getting out of bed. He makes excuses for their bad practice by stating that the nurses are busy and that it does not matter anyway because he does not have anywhere to go. Joe may be using cognitive dissonance as a coping strategy to maintain harmony and avoid the truth (McLeod, 2008). Coping strategies are a way of the individual dealing with their problem to make it more manageable. These strategies, whether adaptive or maladaptive, should be identified though patient interaction in the assessment stage. If the coping strategy is maladaptive thenit should be identified by the nurses and then plans and goals should be set out to find the cause of this behaviour and how to rectify it. Joe may be using a coping strategy to cope with hisdeterioration in independence, since becoming immobile and incontinent. The reasons behind these problems occurring should be identified at this stage, before moving on to the planning stage (Barrett et al, 2009). Physiologically, Joe is at Stage Eight of Erikson’s (1980) Development which means he should be at a stage where he is evaluating his life and passing on his wisdom to others, however Joe is not able to communicate in the home as he is sat alone at meal times and is not listened to by the carers. Erikson (1980) states that we continue developing until we die and that by Joe’s stage, all the ego strengths from the past seven stages come together and are used to evaluate one’s life. On observation however, it seems clear that some of the ego strengths are being damaged – will power, purpose and confidence and fidelity are undermined by the fact he is called â€Å"silly thing† and ignored when he repeatedly asks for his glasses. Stage Two autonomy is also undermined as he is not given the independence of choosing him own meals or choosing what time he wakes up or eats breakfast. This shows that Joe was not assessed in accordance with his age. To rectify this problem, Joe needs to be made more autonomous, given encouragement to use  the urinal instead of a catheter and allowing him to make his own choices. The government White Paper (2006) focuses on the need for individualised care and calls for service to be tailored around the needs of the individual and not the service provider. It aims to place the individual in control of their life and promote independence, by providing a more flexible service, with a view to a reaching and fulfilling a healthy old age. In addition, violence, stress and abuse which pose a threat to an individual’s overall well being, must be identified and addressed. The nurses did not view Joe as an individual because they did not give him the opportunity to choose what he wanted to eat, or allow him to get dressed before leaving his room. To adopt a more individualised approach, the nurses should have let him choose what tine to get up in a morning, allowing him to get dressed and further choose what he wanted to eat for breakfast, therefore adhering to The White Paper guidelines. Planning Planning is important because it clearly sets out SMART Goals which are patient centered and therefore involve the patient directly, when the goals are being established (Barrett et al, 2009). A consequence of not involving the patient directly or clarifying details to the patient is that the goals will not be met, or goals will be set which are irrelevant. Important goals may be omitted or set goals will not be beneficial to the individual. A Systematic Nursing Diagnosis should gather information from the patient about the consequences of living with their particular condition and the impact it has on their life. A way of doing so, is establishing a baseline – what was the patient like before the condition arose, and what are they like now. In addition to this, it should be identified how the patient copes with this change. For example, Joe should have been asked what it is like for him having a catheter. Joe’s daily continence routine before wearing a catheter should have been established, in order to compare it to his current daily routine. Then Joe should be asked how he is coping with this change and how this change affects his life. The same method should also have been used to assess his immobility, so that a needs statement may be written, along with a baseline, in order to make progress measurable (Barrett et al, 2009). Joe used to be able to walk when he was admitted, now he is in a wheelchair. He says he cannot get to the bathroom on his own, and because of this, his independence has been compromised. The nurses should take into account the psychological, sociological and biological implications of this change in mobility. If APIE, was done correctly, the cause of Joe’s impaired mobility should be established, as well as what can be done to avoid any potential problems arising from immobility such as constipation, oedema, decreased muscle mass and compromised circulation(Carpenito-Moyet, 2009). A further goal which was not identified at this stage was to maintain Joe’s identity and masculinity by letting him wear his own clothes and asking what he wanted to wear, as oppose to sitting in pyjamas all day. This is bad practice because sitting in pyjamas all day assumes Joe into The Sick Role, a Functionalist role identified by Talcott Parsons (1951)as withdrawing from normal social behaviour and adopting a more deviant role, which deems them excluded from the social responsibilities and normal day to day functioning(Bilton, Bonnett, Jones, Lawson, Skinner, Stanworth and Webster,2002). The nurses further show signs of this behaviour because they seat Joe alone at breakfast, thus excluding him from social interaction. An explanation of this may be that the nurses gain a sense of power if they are able to assume someone into a passive role, because the sick role gives the health professional authority over a patient’s health, plus the right to gain personal information from them. A consequence of the nurses behaving in this way, may lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy whereby Joe adapts and begins to conform to the sick role which is assumed of him. This process of conforming to deviance is also known as deviance amplification (Bilton et al, 2002). The reasons for the carers not setting a goal for this aspect of Joe’s life may be due to the nurses not being aware of the implications of sitting someone in pyjamas all day. Another explanation may be that the nurses automatically ‘labelled’ Joe as being ill, thus assuming him into a sick role without pre meditation of doing so. Joe may not feel comfortable asking to wear his own clothes in case he is seen as being a difficult patient, due to sociological cognition that the practitioner is dominant and  the patient must conform to their rulings (Bilton et al, 2002). A suggestion to alleviate this problem may be to put a goal in place for Joe to wear his own clothes. Implementation Implementation is important because it puts into action what has been set out in the care plan and in the goal setting process. The consequence of not implementing care properly is that a standardised method of care may be implemented as oppose to a holistic method, which respects individual needs and cultural diversity (Barrett et al, 2009). The NMC Code (2008) supports this by emphasising the need to treat patients as individuals as well as listening to them and responding accordingly. The nurses did not implement Joe’s care properly because they did not respond to his request for his glasses, which he asked for several times. A possible explanation for their behaviour may be due to ageist views. To support this theory, studies have highlighted a preference amongst care workers to work with children or young adults – an ageist view which has resulted in older people often not properly assessed or receiving thorough care. Overall, this age group often do not benefit from the up most efforts of medical staff (Gross, 1992). Another theory to explain Joe’s and the nurses’ behaviour may be explained by the Social Disengagement Theory which illustrates co-operation of the elderly individual in the process of disengagement between them and society. Erikson (1951)guides an individual through life up until old age, from which point, the individual is left to mature and develop by reflecting on their past, thus disengaging with their role in society and conforming to a more submissive role. (Cumming, Dean and Newell, 1960). Some argue that the ageist view is justified. A. B. Shaw, of Bradford Royal Infirmary (1994) argues that in an age of limited healthcare, ageism towards the elderly is a positive method in reserving healthcare facilities for those who will most benefit, i. e. the younger generation. This argument however is not in keeping with the NMC Code (2008) which states that you must not offer care which is discriminatory in any way. A. B. Shaw’s view however, may be the same view adopted by the nurses, which could explain their behaviour. The nurses could possibly have implemented his care better by taking a holistic approach to Joe, and not simply viewing him as another statistic. If the assessment and planning stages had been one correctly then the implementation of his care would have been at a higher standard and more patient centered. Joe’s undesirable learned behaviour is to keep quiet and shut up. He has learnt this by the fact that every time he speaks, he is ignored. Learning is a process which results in permanent changes in behaviour. Joe’s catheter (also mentioned in the planning stage) was not checked in the morning. Joe complains that his catheter often gets full and pulls. The consequences of not checking his catheter regularly are that signs of dehydration or infection may go unnoticed. The amount of urine should also be checked because if the amount is low, it may be that that the catheter is blocked or obstructed (McMillen and Pitcher, 2010). Normal urinary output should be around 30ml per hour. (Colvin, Guffey, Hoelscher and Smith, 2011). The nurses should be familiar with catheter care and should initiate learning of such procedures, in order to benefit the patient and promote Joe’s wellbeing. Evaluation There are two types of evaluation: summative evaluation and formative evaluation. Summative evaluations evaluate how effective the general approach to care and the process of care were. It determines whether a holistic approach to care was used and how effective the assessment process was in defining the nursing diagnosis; in order to lead to patient centered planning regards their needs statements and baselines. Goals are also assessed in terms of relevance and how realistic they were. Formative evaluations rely on direct nurse to patient interaction to determine whether the problem has got better or worse. For this to be effective, a baseline must be in place for each goal, in order to assess whether the patient has moved away from or towards the goal. Patient activity and behaviour also are scrutinised to fulfill this evaluation. Interaction with the patient, in order to learn about their experiences, is key to this type of evaluation as they know themselves better than anyone Evaluation is important because it reviews the effectiveness of the current plan. If the current plan is not deemed to be beneficial to the patient then it is important to return to the assessment stage and correct any problems (Barrett et al, 2009). The consequence of not evaluating correctly is that the process has therefore been ineffective in establishing any potential problems with the previous stages. The elderly have different nutritional requirements to younger adults due to age related biological changes such as changes in metabolism, digestive enzyme ability and changes in the gastrointestinal tract (Long et. al. , 1995). On admission, Joe was asked to write down which foods he liked to eat, yet he is given porridge every day and was told it was his ‘favourite’. The Evaluation Stage should involve interaction with Joe to identify whether his needs were met in the previous three stages(Long et. al. , 1995). The Evaluation stage here has therefore been unsuccessful because it has not identified that the assessment process has failed to produce a patient centered nursing diagnosis for his diet and fluid intake. The consequences of feeding someone that same food every day is that Joe is at risk of Protein Energy Malnutrition, onset by inadequate protein, carbohydrates and fats in the diet, or vitamin deficiencies (Waugh and Grant, 2010). The consequences of malnutrition in the elderly, if sustained are fatigue, muscle loss due to the body using muscle for energy, impaired immune response and organ function (due to lack of the nutrients required to perform) and eventually death (Cope, 1996). Joe mentions that all he would like is a lovely cup of tea, because when they do give him a drink, it is lukewarm, so he probably does not wish to drink it. The consequences of Joe not been given a drink with his breakfast is that he may become dehydrated. The elderly are at an increased risk of dehydration due to biological factors such as reduced thirst perception, body water mass, reduced kidney ability and vasopressin, so it is even more important to evaluate fluid intake in this age group, therefore the nurses should be ensuring Joe’s fluid intake meets the recommended guidelines (Lavizzo-Mourey, 1997). Becoming dehydrated may also lead to Joe experiencing mental confusion, fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite (which will contribute to malnutrition), concentrated urine, fatigue and irritability (Denby, Baic and Rinzler, 2006). Oedema is a further manifestation of dehydration, a problem which may be made worse by Joe’s immobility. Other manifestations include confusion (which will be heightened by the fact Joe cannot see properly without his glasses) and if not treated may lead to coma. Untreated, dehydration leads to shock were tissues begin to malfunction and major organs such as the liver and kidney become damaged due to a reduction in circulating blood volume (Rosdahl and Kowalski, 2007). Nurses should be aware of these signs in order to recognise when a patient is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition, in order to rectify the problem within a safe timescale. Tea is also not a recommended drink to give older adults with a meal because it inhibits iron absorption. Low iron levels may cause anaemia, as well as memory loss and fatigue. His diet should therefore be evaluated to include more red meat, oily fish, eggs and breakfast cereals which are fortified with iron. Finding a substitute to drinking tea at mealtimes may also be considered at this stage (Denby, Baic and Rinzler, 2006). As supported by the evidence shown above, it can be concluded that the behaviour of the nurses does not support the guidelines illustrated in the stages of A. P. I. E, therefore the nurses have failed to successfully use a problem solving process. Information gathered during the assessment stage was not sufficient enough to devise suitable plans and goals, therefore the implementation stage failed. Evaluation was also unsuccessful as it did not identify were the previous stages had gone wrong. Because all of the stages are interrelated, failure in one stage has a knock on effect to the other stages (Barrett et al, 2009). Because the nurses failed at the assessment stage, it automatically affected the rest of the process. 201101791.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Case Study Example The only lacking portion is the enforcement of strict sanctions and rewards mechanisms which would ultimately deter the employees to even consider bribery or manifesting corrupt behavior. 2. The steps instituted by Siemens Global to root out corruption is already extensive and comprehensive. As noted, there must be a system of rewards for compliance and sanctions for non-compliance. Likewise, since there is an aspect of cultural element that have considered bribery as part of their organizational culture, there should be vigilance and regular monitoring of the performance of all employees regarding conformity to the zero-tolerance policy through performance appraisals, random checking, and imposition of stricter penalties for violations, as deemed necessary. 3. Yes, one strongly believes that given the massive scale of previous corrupt transactions that involved billions of dollars through the years, the financial penalties were merely about 3.75% of their 72 billion annual sales, which was not even commensurate to the usual percentages (a minimum of 5 to 6% of the contract’s value to a maximum of 40%) accorded to bribery in their previous dealings. Therefore, they should have been imposed additional financial penalties to hurt so much that they would not ever consider bribery and corruption in current and future undertakings. 4. Siemens can therefore move beyond compliance to develop a healthy ethical climate by being more vigilant and ensuring through frequent monitoring, training, and performance evaluation that all employees and officers comply with the zero-tolerance policy. A code of ethical behavior should be integrated as part of their organizational policies. Only through a system of regular check and balance, as well as conformity to transparency and accountability, would Siemens Global be able to regain an ethical culture that

Selection and Training Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Selection and Training Plan - Assignment Example (2). Is the applicant going to be motivated to be successful? (3) Is he going to meet the needs of the organisation? The outline of the plan is as follows: In this case, the structured interviews will be used to choose the right candidate. The advantage of this strategy is that it is comprised of careful and systematic planning and it is often conducted by a skilled interviewer. This type of interview mainly focuses on the requirements of the job and this is the reason why it has been chosen for this particular task. The following questions will be asked in the interview. The new employee training approach required for this post will be technically based. Most training in this case will be directed at improving as well as upgrading the employee’s technical skills in the field of operation. We are operating in an environment that is characterised by technological changes hence the need improve the technical skills of the workers. For instance, the position of Product Review Technician is technically based and it requires constant training. This type of training will be carried out on the job where the employee will constantly improve his knowledge through learning different facets of the work. However, off the job training can also be carried out in the event that there have been major technical changes taking place in a certain type of job. This will enhance the employees to acquire new knowledge from specialists who have knowledge in this particular

Standardized STATE testing and stress and anxiety in elementary school Research Paper

Standardized STATE testing and stress and anxiety in elementary school children in 3rd-5th grades - Research Paper Example This paper is going to give an in-depth analysis of test anxiety and how it can be controlled. The use of standardized testing in the education sector has become ever-present (Cassady, 2010). As significant as examinations are in the life of students, test anxiety among elementary students seems to have been disregarded. The demands for students to perform well in examinations are a reality. The TAKS test produce stress and anxiety on many children resulting to emotional tension. Pressure and demand is placed on students to perform and achieve higher scores in their examinations. This calls for the need of counselors to implement interventions to help reduce stress and anxiety (Putwain and William, 2008). Researchers in the fields of education and psychology have described test anxiety as a relatively stable personality trait. In advanced and critical cases it generates devastating psychological and behavioral responses. Cassady (2010) and Putwain and William (2008) agree that elementary students show signs and symptoms of test anxiety. Test anxiety has many effects on the cognitive abilities, behavior, emotions and health of the child as explained by BNET (2010), Carter et al. (2008) and Cassady (2010). The elementary students can be equipped with tools to enable them to deal with test anxiety as cited by Cassidy et al. (2002), Walsh and Murphy (2003) and Putwain and William (2008). Carter et al. (2008), BNET, (2010) and Cassidy et al. (2010), state that the test anxiety affects the performance of the students. Cassidy et al. (2002) and Lohaus and Klein- Hessling (2003) concur that the children at the elementary level can be taught relaxation tools to handle test anxiety. Students in the elementary level experience tension and apprehension before and during an examination (Cassady, 2010). This state can be described as anxiety which

How to Learn Meditation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to Learn Meditation - Essay Example There are different types of meditation depending on school and country, but it is possible to learn the basic skills which are common. Like any technique, meditation requires knowledge of theory and regular practice. So first it is necessary to choose a comfortable place for meditation. It has to be friendly and familiar location; there is no need to go outside if you are planning to meditate for the first time. Through meditation on the beach seems like a wonderful idea, it is better to do it later being more adept. Your own room where everything is familiar and where you won`t be bothered is a perfect place. It is possible to sit on the floor or on a special carpet or on the chair.  The second step is choosing a right posture. Two main conditions of a good posture and effective meditation are straight spine and comfort. If you feel relaxed sitting on a floor with your legs crossed then it`s a perfect posture. It `s also possible to take a cushion as it will make sitting less dif ficult. Someone will rather sit on a chair. Your spine must resemble a straight line from the top of the head down to the floor. Yet the posture must not be too comfortable to the point that it will make you fall asleep and you must be able to hold your body weight yourself. Step number four is finding the right music. It is much more comfortable to meditate with appropriate audio when you are doing it for the first time. Calm Indian melodies, binaural rhythms, mantras are those tested sounds which are easy to find on the Internet now. These sounds help to reduce any mental chatter that is going on in your head. Choose the audio that will last for about 10-15 minutes and will not end abruptly. Focusing on your breath is a next and one of the most important steps on your way to becoming a master of meditation. Breathing is the key to concentration and relaxation so you need to be attentive and not neglect to learn to breathe however awkward it may sound.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 4

Business Strategy - Essay Example This led to the request for an ombudsman to provide a non-partisan view on retailer and supplier disputes. A code of conduct is intended to be introduced into the contract agreement between retailers and suppliers. Employee compensation must satisfy the requirements of the National Minimum Wage Law. Labour laws are stringently implemented. Supermarkets take up 73% of the food retailing industry in UK. Food and drink account for 65% of total retail sales (including non-food items). The economic system of the UK is capitalist in nature. The liberal economic policies foster competition. The stagnating growth and reduced profits of the retailing industry are facing the spectre of a 5% increase in doing business with effect from April 1, 2009. The decision has been delayed for the moment. The economy has seen recessionary trends in recent times. This has affected the willingness of customers to spend on discretionary items though the outgo on food continues. The food retail industry has matured in the country and profit margins are pinched (2-6%) as the fight for market share heats up. Inflation has been high though and retailers have had to cut prices and offer higher quality to drive sales. The big players in the food retail industry have seen pay hikes at an average of 3.7% while other retailers have limited the outgo t o 3%. Retailers are under intense pricing pressure due to customer demand for high quality low priced goods. The customer demographics have undergone a change. Single and dual member families with smaller purchase requirements have taken the place of the larger families of the past. Increase in the number of working women. The customers are growing older with single pensioners forming a large part of the customer population. The customers are not limited to a retail outlet and are likely to search for good buying options. They are aware of the price and quality that they can

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Further Guseh & Oritsejafor (2007), corruption flourishes in Nigeria because of absence of desire and capacity from the corrupt leaders to modify country’s ethical tenor; tolerance or acceptance of corruption by civil society; and the dominance of the administration on economic globe. For Arik Airline, differentiation from corruption and mismanagement practices that cause discrimination and racism will result to anticorruption compliance rules and regulations. With the presence of corruption, Nigerian political and economic programs diminish efforts to develop viable airline institutions, and weaken the forecast of establishing a powerful institution in Nigeria. Anticorruption compliance rules wills result to viability and of the firm through establishment of citizen trust and confidence hence boosting profitability. Nwachukwu (2011) reveals that Arik Air was marred with corruption and mismanagement and in effort to become an international carrier, corruption, and mismanagemen t should be eliminated. Mismanagement has resulted into huge debts and loss of Airbus jet for failure to repay loans. Further, management results into bleaching of Nigerian labour laws resulting to hiring of foreign expatriates even for positions that local Nigerians would suit. With corruption, it is clear that it would be hard to hire Nigerians into Arik Air because the firm is in favour of hiring foreign based expatriates even as ground staff and the fact that no qualifications or expertise is checked to hire expatriates in some positions (Nwachukwu, 2011). Further, the firm has long ignored the Nigerian labour law requirement that for each expatriate, there has to be a Nigerian staff tp learn from the foreigner and implement eventually replace them within 12 months. Conversely, Arik Air hires expatriates to understudy the other expatriates while Nigerians remain under the same conditions

Exam 3 for public adminstration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Exam 3 for public adminstration - Research Paper Example The leader positively motivates the group members of the organization to do the best jobs by working independently. Leadership focuses on the constant improvement of the organization and its growth by keeping a good picture always (Khan, 167). On the other hand, management may involve negative motivations like punishment to the members in case some goals are not reached in time or if the goals fail to be accomplished. Management involves the person in the highest position giving orders to the lower position members. Therefore, management is a matter of position and warnings to avoid failure (Khan, 173). Transformational leadership: this is a type of the leadership whereby the members being under control of their leaders are inspired by the leaders to major in the organizational goals and not their self-interests. The organizational goals should be prioritized first before any other action is to be done. The basis of this leadership is devotion and not bureaucratic self-interest (Khan, 170). Micromanagement is a type management whereby the subordinate members are under high supervision from their manager. The manager is very close to the activities that are taking place in the organization. An example of micromanagement is where an experienced employee is give a task and its deadline. Instead of waiting for the employee to complete the task, the manager will be checking on the employee occasionally on the working desk or sending many email to him or her asking how the task is going on or its been completed. This type of management may lower the productivity of the workers since they will be feeling unsecured and others may even quit their jobs (Khan, 177). Over management involves putting very high goals in the organization and trying to achieve them. The goals may be very hard to achieve but the manager is very optimistic that the goals are achievable although the workers do not believe that way. The workers will not be

Hershey Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Hershey Chocolate Essay When many people around the world think about chocolate they think about the most popular producer of sweets, Hershey’s Chocolate. The company began in early 1894 by a persistent man named Milton Hershey (Hinkle). Milton Hershey was born in Derry Church, PA on September 13, 1857. As a child Hershey and his parents, Henry Hershey and Fannie Hershey, relocated many time. Hershey went to seven schools within eight years and by the fourth grade he was taken out to work with a printer as an apprentice. In 1872 Hershey left the printers shop to work in a confectioners shop near Lancaster, PA. Not long after Hershey discovered an interest in candy making and selling. Four years later he opened a candy shop, but unfortunately competition got the better of his shop and closed in 1882. Hershey then moved to Denver, Colorado to work for a manufacturer of caramel. There he learned that good fresh milk can make candy taste better and sell better. Finally in 1894, Milton Hershey started the Hershey’s Chocolate Company (Hinkle). Hershey’s Chocolate first sold â€Å"caramels with chocolate coatings, along with breakfast cocoa, sweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and novelty chocolate candies† (Hinkle). In 1900 Hershey’s start manufacturing the first original Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, started construction on a factory in his home town of Derry Church, Pennsylvania, and because of the dairy farms producing milk rapidly, Hershey did the same (Hinkle). Selling his chocolate for 5 cents a bar, Hershey became wealthy very quick (Lancto). Hershey’s also released there Chocolate kisses, Almond chocolate, and Mr. Good bars (Hinkle). Milton Hershey believed that the money he had made with his chocolate should be used to help others instead of keeping it to himself (Lancto). Hershey started making the town of Derry Church, where his factory was located, more exciting and enjoyable (Lancto). He gave low cost housing for his workers, built fire stations, schools, churches, gold courses, and even a zoo (Lancto)! In 1910, Hershey created a school and establishment for less fortunate, orphaned boys. The school was taught the youth important stills for life and for success. Milton’s reason is so children wouldn’t have the life style he had, always moving and not having a proper education. The school property eventually grew big with every student that attended, including girls, from 500 acres to 2,500 acres by 1976 (Lancto). By the year 1937, the U. S. government had an idea of a chocolate bar that could with stand temperatures of 120 degrees and packed with energy for American troop who were out in the field and so Hershey’s decided to make it happen (Lancto). Rations D bars were then mass produced and sent to over 100,000 troops a day (Lancto). â€Å"For four years, Hersheys Ration D bars were produced around the clock, seven days a week, for a total of one billion rations† (Lancto). Milton Hershey died while sleeping on October 13, 1945, shortly after retiring (Adams). Today, Hershey’s Chocolate Company is still manufacturing chocolate sweets making billions of dollars a year, selling Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, MM’s, Reese’s Peanut butter cups, Hershey kisses, and many verities of products created over the years, using different commercials for each product, like the talking MM’s or how Charlie Armstrong dominoed his Reese’s so he would catch and eat one in the end. Hershey’s Chocolate is everyone’s favorite chocolate, so don’t expect it to disappear so quickly. Work Cited Hinkle, Samuel, Hershey, 1964; Shippen, Katherine B. , and Paul A. W. Wallace, Biography of Milton S. Hershey, 1959; Snavely, Joseph, An Intimate Story of Milton S. Hershey,1957. Lancto, Craig. Milton Hershey: Americas chocolatier. World I. 01 May. 2003: 269. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. Adams, Susan. Sugar Daddy. Forbes Magazine. 09 Jan. 2006: 141. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

How Pro Social Courteous Acts Affect Door Holding

How Pro Social Courteous Acts Affect Door Holding This study examined how pro-social courteous acts affect further acts of politeness. It questioned whether pro-social courteous acts promote the initiative to be more polite. Prior research has shown that gender can influences the act of door holding in a naturalistic setting. This study observed males and females to see if the door was held for them and, in response, if they continued this behavior. Observations of 305 college aged participants found that males are more likely to carry out the continued behavior of door holding while females have a higher rate of holding the door when it was not held for them previously. Generally it was found that, regardless of gender, if the door was held for an individual, that individual is more likely to reciprocate the act. Introduction According to Baskerville, Kim, Johnson, et al. (2000), todays society focuses on taking care of ourselves with lack of regard for others. People seem to have lessened the performance of random acts of kindness. Due to the rarity of these acts, people generally are hesitant to accept them. According to the article Reactions to Random Acts of Kindness, promoters of human kindness believe that kindness begets kindness. This study is trying to determine if gender plays a role in how often kindness is reciprocated. Baskerville, Kim, Johnson, et al. defined random acts of kindness as something one does for an unknown other that they hope will benefit that individual. Other studies have been done researching this question and have found various results. In one study performed by Yoder, Houge, Newman, Metz and LaVigne (2002) found a strong correlation between male door holding and dating, but not in everyday situations. While on a date, males are more likely to hold the door for their partner than in an everyday situation such as on a college campus. People hold doors based on gender-neutral, helpful, or benevolently sexist classification levels. Door holding is thought to be a form of courting in heterosexual relationships; gender stereotypes contribute to this. It was concluded that 55.2% of women and only 44.8% of men held the door in an everyday context. Yoders findings support the thesis of this study, which ishow pro-social courteous acts affect door holding; courtesy defined as well-mannered behavior It has also been seen that there has been a change in door holding patterns in the past twenty years due to societal transformations. This study predicts that men have a tendency to act more courteous than women in a situation regarding door holding in a public setting. Expectancy violation is defined as ones preconceived view on what is socially acceptable in regards to polite behavior in public. According to Johnson and Lewis (2010) expectancy violation relates to swearing in the workplace. When a behavior is performed that does not agree with this preconceived view, it is deemed an expectancy violation. Swearing in a public setting is known as an expectancy violation, as is not holding the door for someone when it was previously held for them. However, swearing is frowned upon to a much higher degree. Not holding the door only affects the person the door was not held for, while swearing affects everyone in earshot. Expectancy violation depends upon cultural acceptance and social norms. What one would expect for behavior is culturally based according to the standards of the society. Researcher Gibbons (2008) relays that there are several important factors that play a role in politeness such as age, sex, and socio economic status. Politeness is refined behavior towards others. This study done in Japan suggests that women and children are most polite. The reason for this politeness is possibly due the expectancy for it because they have a lower socioeconomic status. It focuses on variations in politeness. How pro-social courteous acts affect politeness varies across cultures. The given study differs greatly than studies done in western societies. It is included to demonstrate how social norms differ among cultures around the world. Moser and Corroyer (2001) compared door holding across gender and then across cities showing that, while there seemed to be no difference between sex in Paris (for who was holding the door or who was having the door held for them), people in a smaller French city were considerably less civil and high-density situations decreased the civility in both situations. Also, when they were exposed again to the politeness (the door was held for them) they were again returned to being polite. Goldman, Florez and Fuller (1981) relay that a person may influenced by the actions of others around them regarding pro-social courteous acts. The study goes on to discuss that the norm of reciprocity states that people should help those who have helped them. In contrast with this hypothesis, the study states that women are less polite than men. There are many benefits to performing pro-social courteous acts. According to researchers Buchanan and Bardi (2010) altruistic behaviors promote a more positive outlook on life. Life fulfillment can be dramatically altered based upon the likelihood that one will perform an act of kindness. A study was performed where happiness was measured before and after these acts of kindness were performed. The experiments group, assigned these tasks of kindness, resulted in a significantly increased measure of happiness. The hypothesis of this study expected to find that females, regardless of whether the door was held for them, are more likely to hold the door for the following person. The act of holding the door is characteristic of a pro-social courteous act. Door holding can be seen as a pro-social courteous act and can easily be observed in a naturalistic setting. Many variables can influence the probability that one will perform such an act. Gender and previously receiving this form of altruism are both factors that influence the reaction of the individual. Method The researchers performed a pilot study to find the best possible location to conduct research. Three different locations were observed over the course of three twenty-minute increments. These locations were the main entrance of the psychology building, Mahar Hall, the front entrance to the Campus Center and the side entrance to the Campus Center of SUNY Oswego. At the front entrance to the Campus Center, we observed seven males and eight females. Then, at the side entrance to the Campus Center we observed 21 males and 33 females. Finally, at Mahar Hall, we observed a total of five males and three females. Each person had his or her own role in the study. One held the outside door for pedestrians walking in. The second researcher will be standing in between the double doors, waiting to see if the person in turn holds the door for them. The third researcher will be recording each observation. After we choose the optimal location for our study, we will perform our experiment using the same techniques used in the pilot. After conducting the pilot study, it was realized that it would be potentially problematic for the researchers to hold the door for the participants without their informed consent. It was then decided to make this study purely observational and just observe groups of participants walking in and out of sets of doors, still watching to see if the first person holds or does not hold the door for the second and if the second holds or does not hold the door for the third. For the actual study, the side entrance to the Campus Center was chosen because it had the highest population density. The participants observed consisted of 139 male and 125 female college students. The participants were randomly observed by all three researchers involved in the study. Time was chosen based upon the large number of students entering and exiting the building between classes. All three researchers recorded the data on a premade table to better organize the information. The table consisted of two parts, [door held and not held]. There were two more columns for gender [male and female], each subcategorized into yes or no depending on whether they held the door. Two studies were conducted. For the first study, observations were made for people holding the door open for a person entering the building. A third person followed, and it was observed if the door was held for them. All researchers were observing and collecting data. For the second study, the researchers observed the door deliberately not being held for the second person entering the building. It was observed if the third person entering the building had the door held for them or not. Again, all researchers were observing and recording the data. The data was then analyzed to determine a conclusion. The statistical analysis that was used for this study was a two-way chi square analysis. A Between-Subjects design was used for this study. There were four categories including identification number, gender, hold/not hold and behavior. Results To test whether gender and pro-social acts each have an effect on door holding, a two-way chi-square test was performed and was significant on both accounts. In this study, the variables gender and door holding showed the results: 2(1, N=305) = 4.94, p Discussion After the data was analyzed, it was determined that gender was statistically significant in regards to door holding as well as pro-social courteous acts. Contrary to our prediction that women would be more likely to proceed with a pro-social courteous act, our results found that males are more likely to continue the act (males = 57.52%, females = 42.48%). Whether the door is held or not appears to influence the reactive responses of participants. Interestingly, females are actually more likely to hold the door when the door was not held for them. However, when the door is held, males are significantly more likely to reciprocate the gesture. The exact reasons for this are unknown, but there are assumptions that can be drawn from this behavior. For instance, the environment that the individual was raised in could have an effect. Males are often taught to hold the door for others, whereas in past times, it was a general practice that females would have the door held for them. In a dating situation, Males are strongly encouraged to hold the door for their partner. In a study done by Yoder, men were found to hold the door two out of three times. According to that study, the act of door holding differs upon societal views on male dominance and female passivity (2002). These stereotypes exist because of platforms such as the media, social norms and environment. In future observations, status can become a focus of the study. Status, defined by the setting, may play a significant role. For instance, in an educational setting, professors compared to college students would be conditions of the study. Age could also be taken into account by comparing across age groups and looking for a significant difference. Also, disability could be looked at to see if people are more likely to hold the door for such individuals. Finally, other cultures may show a significant resulting difference in the data. Further research would benefit this topic because there has not been a considerable amount of previous research. A suggestion for these researchers could be to have a control group and thereby conduct an experiment rather than an observation. One group could be directly manipulated by the researchers and given guidance on socially courteous acts. The other group could consist of people who have not been given the same guidance. All of these people would be randomly selected among the population.

Scopes Trial :: essays research papers

The roaring 20's, a definitive time for change in the world. An introducing to new technologies and philosophies is sweeping the country and with it a change that is met with opposition. A notable event that affects everyone, is the infamous â€Å"Monkey Trials.† The lasting effect of a mockingly laughable monkey trial, was felt in many areas of everybody’s lives. Specifically the impact felt was seen through media, changes in personal intellect and the transition from traditional to modern values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Not only was the trial heavily covered; it changed its nature to accommodate the coverage.† This case drastically altered the scale and the hype of any media until that time. The presiding judge, allowed radio lines into the courtroom, paused proceedings to allow photographers time to snap a shot, and even moved the entire trial outside to allow every person a chance to view it. The fact that this â€Å"media event† was probably the most heavily covered hype of it’s time, but that the hype became more important than the trial itself. â€Å"The real trial, it was agreed, was taking place in the newspapers. The things the jury never got exposed to got the heaviest emphasis around the nation.† Newspapers and magazines carried innumerable articles and cartoons on the case, and telegraph operators wired stories to Europe and Australia. For the first time news of an American trial was nationally broadcast by radio, while thousands of pe ople came to Dayton itself to take in what became a virtual carnival, complete with sideshows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Modern life had become too complex for ordinary householders to get along with the help of experts.† During the trial, Clarence Darrow saw his defense as a â€Å"vehicle for affecting the public,† one that which had little opportunity of winning, but in due course tooks it’s affect among those who heard his argument. Mr. Darrow, in a risky move, brought in outside experts to testify which, â€Å"was not only an affront to local pride but a relatively risky new procedure in law.† The times changing, with technology and scientology among other things, saw the need for the everyday person to have his/her life explained to them by an expert. The case changed a lot of the purpose of a normal person being able to consider complex thoughts and discriminate logical possibilities without a broken down explanation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Consequently, the primary importance of family, home, church, and local community began to recede in national life.

Gothic Art :: essays research papers

Romanesque may first be sensed in new structural developments.. Sophisticated but unsatisfactory attempts to vault the great basilican naves safely, with elements of Roman, Byzantine, or Eastern origin, impelled progressive Romanesque engineers, from about 1090 onward, to invent a new type of ribbed groin-vaulted unit bay, using pointed arches to distribute thrust and improve the shape of the geometric surfaces. Fifty years of experimentation produced vaulting that was light, strong, open, versatile, and applicable everywhere--in short, Gothic vaulting. A whole new aesthetic, with a new decorative system--the Gothic--was being evolved as early as 1145. The spatial forms of the new buildings sometimes caused acoustic difficulties, which may help to account for the concomitant development of the new polyphonic music that supplemented the traditional Romanesque plainsong. Romanesque architecture became old-fashioned, but its heavy forms pleased the Cistercian monks and, likewise, other conservative patrons in Germany, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Thus, buildings that were essentially Romanesque in spirit continued to be built, even when such extraordinary Gothic works as the Amiens cathedral were under construction (begun 1220). (see also Index: Gothic architecture, music, history of) The development of proto-Romanesque in the Ottonian period culminated in the true Romanesque style represented by five magnificent churches on the international pilgrimage routes leading from central France to the reputed tomb of St. James at Santiago de Compostela in Spain: Saint-Martin at Tours (a huge once wooden-roofed basilica that was rebuilt on the new model beginning about 1050), Sainte-Foy at Conques ( c. 1052-1130), Saint-Martial at Limoges (c. 1062-95), Saint-Sernin at Toulouse (1077 or 1082-1118), and the new cathedral at Santiago de Compostela itself (c. 1075-1211). This was a real family of buildings; each one had a splendid apse with ambulatory (a sheltered place to walk) and radiating chapels, a transept and nave with aisles and galleries, an

Woman’s Search for Identity in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Thei

Woman’s Search for Identity in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching God. The main female characters of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Seraph on the Suwanee, move from oppression to liberation throughout the course of the novel. Their journey to find their own â€Å"niche† in life occurs via their relationships with men. For Janie, her relationships with dominant male figures stifle her identity as well as her ability to achieve self-actualization. For Arvay Meserve, her personal background and relationship with her authoritarian husband cause miscommunication and thus prevent her from personal growth and awareness. In both cases, a hurricane is the mechanism through which both women find their identities and place in life. Janie’s previous husbands—Logan and Joe—and Arvay’s husband, Jim Meserve, â€Å"sometimes play more the role of substitute parent than that of a husband† (Roark 207). Clearly, this type of relationship impedes one’s self-actualization (including the recognition of one’s personal desires and aspirations). While a father figure is completely...

Beatrice and Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing” Essay

Dramatically, the two scenes in which the friends of Beatrice and Benedick deceive them into believing that the love of the other is whole-heartedly directed towards them, is very appealing, and on of the reasons for this is the dramatic effects. Shakespeare delves into the deeper and more continuous themes of the play in this scene, both through the language and the visual actions, and one of the themes explored is the emerging of true emotions from behind a mask. When Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio enter, Benedick mocks â€Å"the Prince and Monsieur Love!† and hides â€Å"in the arbour†. As well as Benedick’s outward demonstration of the cynicism he has towards affectionate emotions being humorous for the audience, it also implies a deeper impact that the developing relationship of Claudio and Hero is having on him. The audience has learnt from Act 1 Scene 1 his seemingly obvious distaste for love, as Benedick proudly states that he would look pale â€Å"with anger, with sickness, or with hunger †¦ not with love†. This demonstrates that he considers it dull and inhibiting, and further that it makes a man a domestic creature, leaving him only to â€Å"sigh away Sundays†. Yet in the same scene, when Claudio tentatively requests Benedick’s opinion of Hero, he replies, â€Å"Do you question me as an honest man †¦ or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?† Benedick utters this with a dismissive tone, and yet it implies that inwardly he struggles with the persona that initially he willingly created for himself, yet now is assumed by others. There is a slight vulnerability suggested through the way Benedick hints at a subconscious desire to experience love despite his tendency to scorn it, and Shakespeare uses this to allow his friends to manipulate and play upon his emotions. Don Pedro initiates the comical deception, asking whether the others have noticed â€Å"where Benedick hath hid himself†, and thus the gulling begins. The exploration of this theme is mirrored with the women and Beatrice’s  deception. Beatrice and Benedick are similar in several personality traits that they portray, perhaps indicating the suitability of their match, and Beatrice too struggles with the restrictions of adopting a contemptuous attitude to both love and Benedick. She claims that she would rather hear her â€Å"dog bark at a crow that a man swear he loves† her, and again although this is very convincing, there is a suggestion later on that this is not entirely honest. After the dramatic scorning of Hero by Claudio on their wedding day, Beatrice vehemently declares, â€Å"O that I were a man for his [Claudio’s] sake† and this is because she understands she cannot rebel against the traditional man-woman divide. This indicates that to compensate for this, her words have become her weapon, and therefore her sharp distaste for love may not be true. Another theme that Shakespeare develops in the gulling scenes is that of traditional values, and again this is both through language and actions. There is a clear gender division throughout the play as this reflects the way society was in the time of Shakespeare, and the most clear indication of this is the way that Benedick is deceived by men – Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro – and Beatrice is deceived by women – Ursula and Hero. This is a very symbolic, and is furthered by the use of different language. The men’s gulling scene is entirely written in prose, with the men using powerful and emotive imagery, for example, that of Beatrice loving Benedick with â€Å"an enraged affected† that â€Å"is past the infinite of thought†. As well as emphasising the masculinity of the scene, this also outlines the effect that flattery has on people. Claudio comments that he â€Å"never did think that lady would have loved any man†, and thought to the audience it is clear that this is spoken with an edge of humour, to Benedick it appears entirely serious as he is unaware of their knowledge of his presence. Therefore the frenzied and angry love that the men profess Beatrice must, in his opinion, be anything but false, and this Leonato confirms by saying. â€Å"Counterfeit?! There was never counterfeit of passion came so near the life  of passion as she discovers it.† The affect of this revelation is a subtle weave of both pity and obsequiousness. Benedick is astounded and immensely pleased, and he displays his clear pleasure in saying, â€Å"By this day, she’s a fair lady! I do spy some marks of love in her.† Yet on the other hand, when he declares that â€Å"it must be requited†, his tone implies that this is just as much a favour to Beatrice as to himself, and is merely trying to save her from the way â€Å"she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses†, as Claudio disclosed. The women’s scene is contrasting, as it is written in blank verse, which is far more poetic, and suggests a richness and value which symbolises the femininity of the characters. The imagery is far more delicate, as Hero talks of â€Å"honeysuckles, ripen’d by the sun†, and the â€Å"sweat bait† that they are laying for Beatrice. The latter image is particularly effective, as it suggests a beautiful reward at the end of their light-hearted deception, and steers away from the men’s use of particularly forceful language. The scene also differs slightly in a different employment of flattery. Whereas the men launched firstly into language that would relax Benedick and so encourage him to believe their supposed falsehoods, Hero, knowing Beatrice can hear her, calls her â€Å"disdainful†, â€Å"coy and wild† The ironic comedy played on Benedick in the previous scene is repeated here on Beatrice. Shakespeare ensures audience participation in the plot enacted by Hero and Ursula, while Beatrice is unaware of it. By indulging in the pretense that Beatrice is too scornful to accept Benedick, who is presented as both wise and noble, they produce the intended reverse effect. Beatrice decides she is in love with Benedick. Appearance and reality are constantly juggled to produce the desired effect. This appears to be the stock theme in most of Shakespeare’s comedies. The trio of Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro are extremely ingenious in  executing their plan, originally conceived by Don Pedro. Benedick automatically falls into the trap because of his great respect and trust for Leonato, whom he cannot believe guilty of such deception. Don Pedro’s conversation with his friends appeals greatly to Benedick’s self-love. That a lady of such an excellent nature as Beatrice should be attracted to him boosts his pride greatly. It increases his opinion of himself. His soliloquy gives ample proof of his thoughts and is one of the best examples of comic irony in the play. His views on marriage have all of a sudden undergone a drastic change. â€Å"The world must be peopled,† he emphasizes. There is a great deal of audience participation in this scene. The supposed plot gives an additional role to the audience in that its members share in the inside story–the fooling of Benedick. The irony lies in the fact that the plotters know that Benedick is listening to them. Benedick does not ‘note’ that the conspirators know his hiding place while the audience ‘notes’ both deceptions.

Platypuses

Platypuses Phylum Chordata classifies some of the most unique animals of our time. These animals all are common in a certain way. All chordates have vertebrae, a notochord that runs beneath the dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits or openings in the throat. Additionally, all chordates have a post-anal tail that is almost always lost, a closed circulatory system and lastly, a beating heart. These derived features indicate their common ancestry.Although this phylum contains animals with many structural similarities, evolution and adaptations to selected environments forced animals to change to be able to survive and reproduce. A member of Phylum Chordata, the platypus is just one of these thousands of animals that have to compete to make a name for itself in its environment. It’s amazing how these chordates evolved from simple little organisms like tunicates to complex terrestrial amniotes like mammals. The platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is an animal of Phylum Chordata. This bizarre animal is about the size of a house cat and is covered by thick waterproof hair. Platypuses have a beak like a duck, webbed forearms swimming, clawed hind feet for aid in burrowing, and a broad, flat beaver tail. Also, platypuses have a common opening for the reproductive, excretory, and digestive systems. Male platypuses have sharp venomous stingers on the heels of their hind feet to intoxicate any foe that threatens it. Males are also larger than females in size being 20 inches long and females only being about 17 inches.Their average weight is roughly three to five pounds. Platypuses’ jaws are built differently than other mammals. They have extra bones in their jaw and different muscles. It is a very unique animal and was hard to classify by scientists because it is a monotreme. Being a monotreme, platypuses are one of a few species of mammals that can lay eggs. Also, monotremes are known to have a sese of electroreception. This means that they can locate thei r prey by detecting electric fields formed by muscle contractions. This ties in with the platypus’ feeding modes.It feeds by neither sight nor smell, closing its eyes, ears, and nose each time it dives. Rather, when it digs in the bottom of streams with its bill, its electroreceptors detect tiny electrical currents generated by muscular contractions of its prey, enabling it to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, which continuously stimulate its mechanoreceptors. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption.Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to â€Å"chew† their meal. The platypus has an advantage being semi-aquatic. They inhabit small streams and rivers around cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to tropical rainforests of Queensland. In these places, t he population of platypuses is plentiful but not really anywhere else on the globe it seems. Also, platypuses can survive living in burrows as well. They’re generally regarded as nocturnal and crepuscular. This means that they are primarily active during the twilight more than during the daytime.Platypuses are known to be capable of making noises, but these have rarely been heard. Their call is a throaty, clucking sound, and they can also communicate by growling at each other. It is used when they are in danger. Other times it is used a behavioural method to attract mates to produce healthy and strong offspring. Platypuses like to live alone, but they can sometimes share small areas of water together. As you can see, platypuses have strange habitats and communication methods for a mammal.Platypuses are one of few mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs from winter to spring. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, and after, the tiny babies (called puggles) drinks their mother’s milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mother’s belly. The puggles are completely helpless when they are born and are about the size of lima beans.Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. Duck-billed Platypuses have a life span of 10 – 12 years. The platypus is unknown to its contribution to its environment. In the past, the number of platypuses decreased due to pollution effects, being hunted for its thick fur as well as being the prey of foxes, snakes, and eels. These days, the platypus population increased because of being put in captivity by the Australian government. They play a crucial role in the food web of streams by foraging on small aquatic invertebrates.Now, they are not under any immedia te threats in their environments. In conclusion, animals are living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. The platypus possesses all these qualities being a sustainable chordate that plays a part in an environment. Its uniqueness of being a hodgepodge of various different animals interested my mind in finding information about its behaviors. The platypus is a one-of-a-kind animal†¦chordate†¦ mammal†¦monotreme†¦thing!

Inventory Management: Types of Inventory Essay

Introduction Inventory is defined as a stock or store of goods .generally speaking, inventory can be divided by two types: independent demand and dependent demand, independent demand is kind of demand which is no need to rely others types of item they are ordered by the external customers or manufacturer for stock and sale. If one type of inventory depends upon another item, take the example of car. The car as finished goods is as independent demand item, while the raw materials and components used in the manufacture of the finished Goods.The number of goods depends on the types of the firm. If the firm is a manufacturer, it must maintain some inventory of raw materials and work-in-process in order to keep the factory operating. In addition, finishedgoods are another necessary inventory for the firm to meet the customers who need the goods suddenly. The firm which has enough inventories to satisfy customer is a goodevaluation for the firm’s standard and itsstability, italso is a good way to save the costs of production fee. There are 8 types of inventories: buffer inventory, de-coupling inventory anticipation inventory, pipeline inventory raw materials, partially completed goods and maintenance inventory and in-transmit goods inventory. I will use an example as a cart factory with four types of inventories and it will be raw materials, work-in-progress, finished goods and maintenance tools. Body Raw materials Raw materialsare one of the inventory items that are used in the manufacturer’s conversion process to produce the semi-completive goods and finished productsTypically, raw materials are the things such as ore, grain, minerals, petroleum, chemicals, paper, wood, paint, steel, and food items.cart is kind of old tools using for transfer goods, because it can saving the cost of the production, and the electric cart can be using as a vehicle, so what is the comments of the cart Consider an example of a rolling cart. This cart consists of a top that is pressed from a sheet of steel, a frame formed from four steel bars, and a leg assembly consisting of four legs, rolled from sheet steel, each with a caster attached, so even one component’sof cartcannot be made of without any types of materials. And if the firm buy large amount of quantity ,the factory which provide the raw materials for the firm may use â€Å"quantity discount model†, it will bring the benefit both factory and the firm Thefigure below showsus the cost that the firm charges for the customers from different period: From the figure that we can know: If the ordering quantity is less than or equal to Q1 then purchase price is Cp1. If the ordering quantity is more than Q1 and less than Q2 then purchase price is Cp2. If the ordering quantity is greater than or equal to Q2 then purchase price is Cp3. But this figurecannot show us a continuous total cost curve, because the annual purchase cost breaks at two places namely at Q1 and Q2.It means the more quantities customer order, the total cost is lower, this model achieve the economy of scale the benefit achieved through economy of scale that he wants to pass it onto customer. The how a firm saves the money and how much it can save, thecalculation below briefly shows the process: Thefirm decides to order the logs from the factory, and the ordering size is Lot-For-Lot.supposing they order annual demand is 1500units per year, holding cost is $30 per unit per year,ordering cost is $50 unit per year, and if order less than80 units the cost will be $55 per unit, however. If the firm orders more 70 or equal to 70 will be $52.5 per unit.According the EOQ calculation, firm’s order demand around 707 units.so the firm only need toordering10 more units will get $2.5 per unit. So the total holding ordering, and item costs for the year=ï ¼Ë†Q/2ï ¼â€°H+(D/Q)+DP, according this formula, if the firm buy 80 units, the total cost will be $83571.42,if the firm buy 80 units, the total cost will be $79968.75,it means the firm can save $3602.67.So it is the effect from the â€Å"quantity discount model† Work-in-process Work-in-process also can calledpartially completed goods, or subassemblies that are no longer part of the raw materials inventory and not yet part of thefinished products, it is hard to calculate amount of partially completed goods, so it is time wasted and some part of production cost is also put in the partially completed goods, however, it is also a process that almost all the firm use to decide the amount of the finished goods. Actually, when many type of accessories and clothing produce by the factory they always need many processes to do, so all the partially completed goods will appear in the process, the picture of shoes factory are operating their workobviously, this is a conveyorsystem which is use to producing the sole, and it is working automatically, it means this factory is using the batch process. This process can make Jobs set up so they can be run to completion without manual intervention, so all input data are preselected through scripts, command-line parameters, or job control language. Unlike interactive processing that prompts the human user for a command, batch processing stores up several tasks and executes them while the computer is idle. This frees up memory for more exhaustive programs and speeds up productivity. But how the system work is? One system need one set of data files as input data, and then it can produce one set of output data, and the input data are collected and are processed into the diagram. There is no doubt that using batch process can bring some benefits to the shoes factory, first of all, it can deduce the waste of time, †time waste† is a costly problem, however ,the factory still hard to avoid this problem,however† batch process† is a good way to maintain the time,and it also avoid the worker supervision minute-by-minute. Finished goods Finished goods are completely manufactured products and they are ready to sale and send to the market .For example, clothing, computer is kind of finished goods, however, like orange apple cannot count into finish food, although it can sale to the customers. In order to explain finished good more clearly, I will use an example with ABC classification. ABC classification is a ranking system to identifying how useful and importance of those inventories for achieving business goals. The picture above are showing the exactly figure that how many percentage they have on both stock items and total inventory value. A refers to a very important inventory; it means the products will be high value but little stock refers to moderately important inventory, so all percentage of items and the products of value are balance. C refers to least important inventory, it means the products may be just hold the low value but the firm holds so many stocks about it. Normally, ABC classification system is used by the firm to controlling their inventories, forexample, one firm they are selling electronic products, and they want to saving the space so that they have to set the number of different types of inventory they want to keep, in order to saving the holding cost. Television is a high value product, so maybe not all the customers will buy it, and it is not always need from the customers, so it can put in the A level of classification. And now still have so many customers enjoying to buy PSP and mp4 to reach their entertainment purpose ,this kind of product’s value is medium, however. The firm may consider put these more than the products like television and computers, because the price is cheaper, so it will have more customers buy it with less consideration. And the C classification can related to the products like the mouse and keyboard, because of the cheap price, so many people willing to buying it without consideration.so in order to prevent the â€Å"stock out conditions, the firms will holding a lot of the inventory, in other words, this firm have safety stock which is held in excess of expect demand due to variable rate and lead time. Although it will increase the holding cost, however, it will bring the benefit for the firm, once the firm purchase a lot from the suppliers, it will get the discounts, so it can save the cost of productionand this firm has enough inventories, it can satisfy the customers and meet their requirement levels. Maintenance inventory Maintenance inventory is a type of special inventory which is not for sale. Why the firms need to keep there kind of inventory? These kinds of inventories always refer to something like the machine which is using to produce the raw materials. Normally the firm can exchange their goods with the suppliers when shelf life of the item expired, however, from the research we knows that only 50% of the organizations polled in a survey allowed maintenance any controls over their inventory, so finally they have to maintain the spoil or expiry inventory by their internal politics. So theywill prepared some machines to incase the machines are spoil when they are doing their work. And how are the firms going to controlling their maintenance inventory? Historical model is a good choice, historical system is a method of distributed smart client software construction and it is based on a model of software behavior as a graph of partially ordered facts. From the graph we can knows that how the historical system work, first of all, the firm will put the previous conversation and message’s figure as input data, and the machine can record and do the same work at the next time, for example, the gift card system is become common and normal in our daily life, we only know that is anautomatic machine, however, how is that work? The first step is to identify changes. The second steps is to refine changes, it means normally all the customer will not all have a same action, so the people who set the gift card figure, they also need to think of all the impossible condition as input data and type them in. The third step is to query the model, ask questions till the gift card machine can reply it correctly, and the fourth step is to repeat step one, two, three. Compare with the traditional models, The advantages of historical system are history makes a number of operations easy that are difficult when dealing with state, the historical model can recognizing and resolving conflicts between two parties, caching and synchronizing changes, and durably transmitting messages all become simple operations. Conclusion Inventory is use to achieving satisfaction level of customer service and keeping the inventory costs within the reasonable level. A successful company will have their effective inventory management, first of all, the company should have a complete system to keep track of inventory and the firm will have a reliable forecast of demand and reasonable estimate of holding costs, ordering costs and shortage costs. And if the firm have the classification inventories, what kind of benefit will bring to then, smoothing production requirements and decouple operations, in order to saving the cost of the workers. Safety stock is a strategy that a firm will use it to protect against stock out conditions. All most all the firm will keep inventory, because it can not only save the costs, but also it is convenient way, the firm can take advantage of order cycles, they no need to order the stocks so frequently, and it also can help hedge against price increase, and the most easy way is to take advantage of quality discounts, it is mean that the firm buy a large amount of inventory, normallythe suppliers always can give discounts when the firm buy the large amount of raw materials, and sometimes it can have another kind of conditions, maybe when the firm store the inventory and after that the price will increase, and because the firm already have the enough stocks, so it is another way to saving the cost of the products. Anyway inventory management is an important lesson for the firm Reference * E notes: Inventory types, available at http://www.enotes.com/inventory-types-reference/inventory-types, view on 29/01/2013 * Inventory models, available at http://cde.annauniv.edu/CourseMat/mba/sem2/dba1651/im.html,view on 29/01/2013 * Types of inventories: independent and dependent demand, available at http://www.managementstudyguide.com/types-of-inventories.htm.view on 31/01/2013 * Accounting tools, available at http://www.accountingtools.com/dictionary-work-in-process-inv,view on 31/01/2013 * From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,02/02/2013 ,Batch process, Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batch_processing,view on 03/02/2013 * By terry wireman available at http://reliabilityweb.com/index.php/articles/maintenance_inventory_and_purchasing/,view on 03/02/2013 * Michael L Perry, 03/30/2009, what is historical modeling available at http://historicalmodeling.com/book/,view on 04/02/2013

The Canon

4. Define the â€Å"canon† and describe the basic criteria and chronology behind the formation of the New Testament canon. What evidence exists in this area? Why did early Christians feel a need to establish an authoritative list? Which elements in the criteria are the most and least important? State your reasons for choosing these elements. How would you respond if someone claimed that the canon of the Bible should still be open? a. Define the â€Å"canon† and describe the basic criteria and chronology behind the formation of the New Testament canon.What evidence exists in this area? The word â€Å"canon† is a Semitic loanword that initially meant â€Å"reed† but came to mean â€Å"measuring reed and hence rule or standard or norm† (Carson, 726). In the history of Christianity the word canon was first used to designate doctrines which established the basic beliefs and practices of the church (Lea, 70). In our reading in Carson/Moo and Lea/Black, th ree elements of criteria’s are used to show that certain books belonged in the canon known as â€Å"orthodoxy, apostolicity, and universality† (Lea, 72).Lea/Black states, that the gages for defining canonicity are difficult to determine, but the most vital criterion for determining canonicity is inspiration (Lea, 71). The first basic criteria involved â€Å"the rule of faith† (Carson, 736, Lea 71), which meant that the teaching of the book followed the beliefs the church honors as acceptable and correct, (Lea 71). The second basic criteria entail of the demonstration of apostolicity, which â€Å"required authorship by an apostle or by the companion of an apostle† ( Lea, 71), the final basic criteria is universal acceptance meaning used and accepted by churches everywhere (Carson, 737). . What evidence exists in this area? The foundations that the Church uses to base canonicity upon are the use of the works by early Christian writers (Lea and Black, 73). T he regularity of references from various books informs modern students of how the books were viewed in ancient times (Carson and Moo, 733). Another basis affecting the results of the canonical question are the early lists put forth of books deemed inspired (Lea and Black, 73).Lastly, the addition of manuscripts in early codices indicates the opinion of the book by the binder (Lea and Black, 73). c. Why did early Christians feel a need to establish an authoritative list? There is not a definite cause why early Christians felt a need to institute an authoritative list, some of the reasons for the list could have included persecution, distance from the historical Jesus, the pressure of Montanism, the rise of Gnosticism and other movements with scriptures to be rejected (Carson, 736).With this being the case I feel that the formation of an authoritative list by early Christians was deemed necessary to contest the teachings of heretics that were appearing in the Church. Through the inser tion of books that possessed non-Christian ideals or the rejection of books accepted as inspired, false and incomplete teaching ran the risk of corrupting orthodox doctrine d. Which elements in the criteria are the most and least important? I believe the most important element of canonicity is inspiration and that God chooses to work in a person’s lives in other ways.Someone may say inspiration, I cannot see why man would try to limit God’s ability to move and I believe that our minds cannot even begin to grasp the depth, width or even an ounce of God’s wisdom or knowledge or even half of what he is able to do, when looking at creation and the vastness of the universe it is mind blowing to me. I also believe that â€Å"Apostolicity† is also an important criterion, being that Matthew, John and Peter, were members of the twelve along with Paul, commissioned by Christ, along with their associates such as Mark who with Paul .The least important criteria to me is universality based on Carson’s assessment of it being â€Å"scarcely less important† (Carson, 737). e. How would you respond if someone claimed that the canon of the Bible should still be open? In most modern churches today, the Canons are considered to be â€Å"closed†, meaning that God does not add to or take away from the writings of the bible, and instead chooses to work in a person’s lives in other ways. We all recognize that the New Testament canon contains the authorative record of Jesus life and the interpretation of its significance (Lea, 74-75), with that reason the canon should not still be open.But we also must keep in mind that God who is sovereign and can choose to move however he desires and many times I feel that we try to put human reasoning in areas that our mind cannot even perceive, for as stated in Isaiah 55:8 God says: â€Å"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. † 4. Explain how we have approximated the dates of Jesus' birth and death as well as the length of his ministry. List primary and secondary sources describing his life. Which of these sources is the most important?How important is accurate historical information in providing a foundation for accepting and believing the gospel message? a. Explain how we have approximated the dates of Jesus' birth and death as well as the length of his ministry. We have an awareness of the date of Jesus birth because of three main events. A period before the death of Herod the Great, during the time of a census ordered by Augusts, and when there was a bright start in the sky leading men from the east (Lea, 95). Ancient records designate that Herod possibly died around March 4B.C. this means that Christ was born before that (Lea, 95). Quirinius was governor of Syria during the officiating of the census under Augustus. (Lea, 95). The registration for the census could have happened possibly in 8 B. B. and could have taken years to execute. This places the birth of Jesus anywhere from 6 to 5 B. C. (Lea, 96) Jesus’ death is very reliant on the Gospel of John. John associates Jesus’ death to a system of time based on the ministry of John the Baptist, who preceded Christ, which took place on the 15th year of Tiberius reign. Lea, 96) John mentions that the construction of the temple had taken 46 years in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. (Lea, 97). If you evaluate both of these statements and add the approximate three years of Jesus’ ministry they both arrive at a death for Jesus in A. D. 29 or 30 (Lea, 97). The approximate length for the ministry of Jesus is arrived at using the number of Passovers that Jesus attended. (Lea, 96) b. List primary and secondary sources describing his life. Which of these sources is the most important? The gospel of Matthew and Luke are the prime sources of the life of Jesus.The birth of Christ is most fully covered by Matthew and Luke, (Lea , 97). Matthew and Luke also present the most information about the life of Jesus before his ministry, or the â€Å"Period of â€Å"Preparation. † (Lea, 98) John is the only Gospel that relates Jesus Judean ministry. The rest of Jesus ministry is recorded in the entire Gospel, which makes Mark and John the secondary complete record of the life of Jesus. c. How important is accurate historical information in providing a foundation for accepting and believing the gospel message? The Gospel message comprises substantial facts about the life of Jesus.Important academic attention has been devoted to the historical examination of the New Testament, explicitly with respect to establishing it as a reliable historical document. The vast amount of material, in the form of manuscripts, archaeology, and authorial phenomenon delivers an priceless glance into the depths of events surrounding the historicity as well as the development of the New Testament. For many people without establish ing historical believability for the New Testament, there would be no grounds to suggest any sort of belief in it as a reliable source.But for me even if the dates cannot be exactly known for the Christian, it should not affect the belief in the life of Christ. The great men of the Bible prophesied accurately that highly educated men and women who scoff at God and His revealed Word would dominate our world. Although men have sneered at God in every generation beginning with Adam, ours was to be the worst. The Apostle Paul wrote: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (Romans 1:21-22, 28). Although Paul is speaking specifically about the earliest men, we have not changed for the better; we have grown worse. Since the 17th and 18th centuries, men have produced an amazing fund of knowledge in the industrial and scientific areas. Yet pursuing knowledge about God has been left out. We have several sources that provides foundations for accepting and believing the gospel message.Carson, D. A. and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2ded. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005. Lea, Thomas D. and David Alan Black. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. 2ded. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2003 Carson, D. A. and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2ded. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005. Lea, Thomas D. and David Alan Black. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. 2ded. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2003