The Rate and Sequence of Development in Children and Adolescents Essay

Human development begins at conception and continues right through to adolescence after which the young adult emerges. In order to inform best practice when working with children it’s important to understand the development of children and young people and some key concepts that affect it. Areas of Development Children’s development is often thought of in four areas: Physical – This concerns the development of motor functions Cognitive – This is the development of a child’s ability to perceive and understand the world around them. It includes skills involved in memory, abstract thought, learning and understanding Social and Emotional – Social and emotional development centers around the child’s perception of their own identity and their place in society. It concerns their relationships and attachments, self-image, gender and psychosexual development and ideas around morality Communication – The child acquires skills in language and non-verbal communication Again, these areas of development are linked. The child’s cognitive ability will affect his acquisition of language skills. His ability to communicate will influence his social interaction, which in turn will affect his moral development. Each development follows on from the last and a deficiency in one area may lead to problems arising in the child’s development across a wide range of skills. Read more: Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay Rate of Development It is important to realise that although development occurs in a common order, the rates at which a child develops can vary. This can influence the approach that must be taken when working with children as we must take into account each individual’s stage of development and adapt our approach accordingly. The rate of development is influenced by many factors both genetic and environmental. For example, a baby will commonly begin to smile socially at around 6 weeks old. However, if the child is not talked to or smiled at during the first few weeks after birth they may not smile socially until much later while a baby who experiences lots of positive communication in those early weeks may smile sooner than 6 weeks. Brain Development Development in children is closely linked to their brain development. At birth a baby will have almost all of the brain cells or Neurons that they will develop throughout life. Brain function develops as the Neurons create links between one another called synapses. At 2-3 years old children have almost twice as many synapses as they will have in adulthood. Throughout a child’s development their Neurons develop a fatty coating that enables the cells to function more efficiently and speeds up signal transmission through the synapses. The more a synapse is used the stronger it becomes and the developing child’s environment is essential for this strengthening process, providing the stimuli required to develop strong synapses. During late childhood and adolescence the brain undergoes a process called ‘pruning’ whereby it rids itself of excess synaptic connections and reorganises itself to become more efficient. This process can cause a temporary reduction in certain skills in adolescents, particularly those requiring reasoning and social communication. Stages of Development In order to understand development in children we commonly break it down into 5 stages. These are: Infancy – Birth to 1 year old Early Years – 1 to 3 years old Childhood – 4 to 7 years old Puberty – 8 – 12 years old Adolescence – 12 – 19 years old. The stages are not fixed at the ages given but rather serve as a guide for the development of the ‘average’ child. This allows professionals to gauge whether a child is making appropriate developmental progress and decide whether interventions are necessary. Developmental stages can also be talked about in terms of ‘milestones’. These are the ages at which we would expect to see most children having achieved a certain stage in their development. For example, most children will be able to walk alone and un-aided at 18 months old. Many children will achieve this at an earlier age however. The stages of development are linked and sequential. This means that all children will develop in the same order and each skill or ability serves as a foundation for the next. Infancy During the Child’s first year the majority of their development concerns their physical ability. Development is rapid when compared to later stages although the rate of cognitive and social development is highly dependent on the quality of care the child receives. Development in the first year can be observed as follows: Birth to 1 month: The infant will gain more control over his neck and be able to begin supporting his own head albeit unsteadily. He will be able to grasp items when they are placed in his palm and have the ability to coordinate the movement of his head and eyes. He will be interested in bright and shiny objects as he begins to interpret the world around him. This also leads him to gaze intently at his carers, imitating their facial expressions. During the first month the infant will use cries to indicate when he needs attention. He will learn which cries are more effective and begin to tailor his communication to the circumstances. The infant’s cognitive development begins at a basic level, seeing him react to bright lights by blinking, crying when they require a need to be met and beginning to track moving objects with their eyes. 1 – 3 months During the infant’s second and third month he will begin to become interested in his own movements, playing with his hands and watching them intently. He is able to kick and wave his arms and legs and hold an object for a few seconds. By six weeks old we would expect to see social smiling as his social and emotional development carries on. This can occur earlier or later depending on the quality of care the infant receives. The infant will begin to recognise sounds and identify their direction, will stop crying when he hears a human voice and will begin to vocalise when he is spoken to or indeed when he is alone. Cognitively, the infant’s development is still at a relatively slow rate while his senses and movements are refined. Over this period he will distinguish between and follow the movements of large and small items. 3 – 6 months The infant will develop strength in his arms, using them for support when lying down. He will be able to hold on to small items and pass them from one hand to another. He is also able to sit upright with support. During this period there is an increase in the infant’s social and emotional development, seeing them voacalise and engage with his carers. He will also become more interested in other babies and begins to become interested in social interaction. In normal circumstances the infant will begin to display ‘stranger fear’ behavior although, according to attachment theories put forward by Mary Ainsworth and later Mary Main and Judith Solomon, these behaviours can vary and may not present at all depending on the type of attachment the infant has made with his primary caregiver. The infant may also make use of a comfort object, for example a blanket or toy. During this time the infant will begin to communicate in an interactive way, responding differently to different noises, laughing during play and through the understanding of simple words such as ‘No’ and ‘Bye bye’. Now, with his new-found interactive skills, his cognitive development begins to speed up. He will become extremely curious and attempt to investigate his environment thoroughly. Objects are frequently put into the mouth and he develops the ability to apply ‘object permanence’, becoming able to calculate the position of objects that have been dropped and rolled out of sight. By their first birthday they should be able to: Area of Development Indicators Physical Coordinate their limbs and move around by crawling Use fine motor skills to manipulate objects with their hands Sit up alone and support their own head and neck Finger feed Cognitive Understand the world around them and begin to develop object permanence Behaviour becomes ‘goal directed’ Social and Emotional Recognise their usual carers and display stranger fear. Communication Begin to form simple speech sounds Able to communicate through pointing Know his own name Early years Between the ages of 1 and 3 years old the child gains a greater awareness of their identity and social interaction. They also refine their motor skills and develop a greater ability to communicate and speak. 12 – 18 Months This period is an exciting time in a ‘Toddler’s’ physical development. He will improve his ability to walk with support until he is able to confidently walk unaided, be able to feed himself with a spoon and have refined his fine motor skills to enable him to grasp objects such as a crayon. He will begin to enjoy kicking and rolling a ball and will have shown his preference for either his right or left hand. The child will begin to display ‘temper tantrums’ and become more assertive and emotionally volatile. He will feel safe in routine and will rebel at changes to it. During this stage the child will be egocentric and enjoy playing alone. He will struggle to understand sharing and will display ‘stranger shyness’, retreating to the safety of his main caregiver when  feeling scared. Between the ages of 12-18 months the child will begin to speak with the first words emerging and building to a vocabulary of around 18-20 words. He will be able to follow simple instructions and will begin to mimic sentences spoken to him, particularly the last few words. The child’s cognitive development will see him learning how objects work together through play with toys such as blocks. He will be able to recognise familiar people and point to different parts of the body. He will be able to appreciate picture books and recognise and indicate named objects. 18 Months – 2 Years The child will now be able to climb stairs unaided and enjoy climbing over furniture when he has the opportunity. He is able to build a tower with blocks and manipulate drawing tools to generate circles and dots. During this time the child will begin to become interested in other children although will still be reluctant to share. He begins to develop empathy for others and becomes more emotionally stable with a reduction in the frequency and severity of tantrums. He will become more confident when left in the care of others. His language development will continue with his vocabulary growing to around 200 words. He will become able to form simple two-word sentences and will begin to talk to himself as part of play. 2 Years – 2 Years 6 Months The child will become bigger and stronger, allowing him to exert more force on his environment. This promotes confidence and the child will be able to experiment with jumping, walking on tiptoes and play with balls and other toys. The child will start to play cooperatively in small groups and develop an idea of gender identity. He will become increasingly emotionally secure and will use the safety of his caregiver as a base to explore the world around him. The child’s vocabulary will continue to grow rapidly with the child understanding more complex grammatical rules such as plurals. He will be able to hold simple conversations with others and have learned to count to 10. Over the last year the child will have learned to differentiate between colours and recognise a few of them. He will be able to draw more accurately and use tools such as paint brushes, scissors and crayons. By their third birthday they will be able to: Area of Development Indicators Physical The child is able to complete more complex physical tasks They will have developed their fine motor function and be able to manipulate objects more accurately They will be able to walk independently and climb stairs Cognitive Continue to learn through behavior modeling, copying more advanced behaviours Begin to explore the world around them The child will use role play and creative play to develop their thinking processes The child is able to classify objects using simple criteria Social and Emotional The child becomes egocentric and struggles to see situations from another’s perspective Has a clear idea of gender identity Begins to interact with a wider peer group and engage in group play Communication Is able to speak clearly and uses a vocabulary of around 200 – 300 words Still struggles to understand nonverbal communication Childhood From roughly aged three to the age of seven years old the child sees a rapid development in their social and communication abilities. They develop ideas around rules and social acceptance while growing bonds with peers. They also experience an increase in their cognitive ability and physical skills. 3-4 Years During this time the child may learn to ride a bike and will be able to throw and catch a ball accurately. He will be able to take more control over his personal care with the ability to dress and undress and to brush his teeth. He will be able to control his hands more accurately, allowing him to use scissors to cut around an object. The child will develop friendships and enjoy cooperative and dramatic play. He will have a strong sense of gender awareness and become stable and emotionally secure. Alongside an increasing sense of independence he will also find a reduction in the anxiety associated with being separated from his carers although he will still need comforting and reassurance. The Child will learn to use short, grammatically correct sentences and begin to use language to gain information about their world. He will still make errors in tense however will be easily understood and will easily imitate adult speech. This period see interesting cognitive development in the child. He will begin to classify objects using simple criteria such as weight, and understand third-person concepts such as ‘in front of’ and ‘next to’. He will understand the routine of daily life and be able to recognise key times such as meal times and bed time. He will also have developed a greater understanding of colour and will be able to draw more complex objects such as a full person or a house. 5-6 Years Between the ages of 5 and 6 years the child will increase in their technical ability. He will have begun to form letters and be able to write his own name while also developing his gross motor skills to allow him to hit a ball with a bat and run with increasing speed. The child will now start to develop a sense of morality and will be concerned about other people’s perceptions of him. He will freely form firm friendships and be able to play complex games while remaining supportive to other children. During this stage the child’s vocabulary will continue to grow quickly, exceeding 5000 words. His speech will be clear and fluent and he will gain enjoyment from jokes, singing and rhymes. He will recognise new words and ask for definitions to clarify their meaning. Cognitively he will develop in several areas. His ability to read and write will increase, seeing him sight reading over ten words and being able to read simple books with a little more effort. He will be able to write more fluently, forming words and will be able to draw with increasing sophistication. He will be able to understand concepts around quantity including ‘whole’ and ‘half’ while also being able to count as far as 100. His understanding of routine will increase and he will be able to predict the order of future events. By their seventh birthday a child should: Area of Development Indicators Physical The child will be able to perform complex tasks such as catching and throwing a ball Their fine motor skills will allow them to perform tasks like threading a needle and using scissors Cognitive Have a basic understanding of rules and consequences The child will be able to understand concepts such as humour and fairness They will have a creative imagination Social and Emotional The child will interact easily with peers They will understand the concept of society and ‘fitting in’ They will be able to play cooperatively The child is more able to understand another’s perspective Communication They begin to derive pleasure from communicating They are able to use more complex language techniques The child is able to express himself through writing and drawing Puberty From ages 8 to 12 years old children begin to experience puberty. Typically this occurs earlier in girls while in boys it may not happen until as late as 14 years old. During this time their body undergoes changes to become sexually mature and the child develops a more advanced perception around gender and sexuality. The brain begins the ‘pruning’ process during this phase and so we see an increase in the child’s ability to analyse their own thought process coupled with a reduction in the ability to use reasoning skills, social communication and empathy. By the age of 12 a child should: Areas of Development Indicators Physical The child by now will possess good coordination skills Their body will begin to develop into the adult form with an increase in hormone activity Cognitive The child’s analytical abilities will be good and they will be able to solve problems independently They will be able to classify and compare objects using complicated variables They will develop a strong idea of personal identity and gender Social and Emotional The child will become more independent and place a greater emphasis on peer relationships They will begin to challenge authority and test out boundaries to further develop their independence Temporarily experience a reduction in their reasoning ability Communication They are able to express themselves articulately They can describe ideas about themselves, for example their strengths and weaknesses Their social communication skills may weaken temporarily through the ‘pruning’ process Adolescence During adolescence young people develop their ability to understand abstract concepts while gaining their independence. Their physical development is almost complete and they now learn to deal with complex adult emotions, sexuality, and their strengths and weaknesses. Their communication skills and reasoning ability gradually return allowing them to maintain complex relationships and make choices about their future. By age 19 the young adult will: Area of Development Indicators Physical Their bodies will now be fully matured and they will have high skill in various areas Their reaction times and coordination will be good Cognitive Their ability to use reason will return They will be able to use abstract thoughts They will have a perception of their place in the world They will be able to question information and make rational decisions based on experience Social and Emotional Develop a greater link with his peer group Self esteem can affected by physical changes Peer pressure becomes a more important factor Communication The young person’s social communication and empathy will return towards the end of adolescence They will be able to understand and express complicated abstract concepts

EMT Task

My mother was in a gang and I have heard horror stories bout the gang activity in Pipelines years ago. Several blocks were claimed by a different gang. Lord for bid you were in the wrong block or wearing the wrong colors. You would get beat up or â€Å"jumped. † I still see some gang activity but I think it has decreased over the years. It seems like the old gang members are at war with community organizations. These gangs are desperately trying to recruit new members, while youth organizations are trying to keep children from joining the gang by providing better opportunities. 3. What are the schools like in Pipelines? The schools have improved a lot.The schools seem to care more about their students, not only when they are in school, but outside of the school as well. I feel like there is more cultural diversity in the schools, and because of this, students are learning more about other families and their differences. 4. What types of services are offered in schools and in y our community for families with children who have special needs? My brother has special needs. That is something my mom always complains about. My brother was diagnosed with a mental disorder a few years ago. His high school teachers labeled him as lazy and not wanting to participate.They had no idea he was going through something very personal and very emotional. My mother had to pull him out of school and homesick him because she said that the teachers were not doing their job. She visited his high school on numerous occasions trying to get the school to do an PEP for him. It never got done. Eventually, my brother lost all interest in returning to school when his condition worsen. Some of the teachers did not believe that he was actually sick. One teacher even made a comment saying why wasn't there anything done for him in his elementary school.Well, he wasn't diagnosed with special deeds until he reached high school and suffered a very traumatic experience. Wish that the school w as more sensitive about this issue. Maybe this way he would have been able to finish school. Now he just stays home and depends on us for help. It makes me sad that the community does not have many resources for children with special needs. 5. Are there enough places for children to attend go after school while their parents are at work? For example: Community centers, youth development programs, day care centers, etc†¦?Yes, schools offer after school programs, park districts offer after school activities, and other places, like the library, offer homework help. There are a few day care centers that offer financial assistance to low income families, if they can't afford to pay for day care. My little sister attends a program at the park district. My mother pays $5 for 3 months. That is nothing compared to other private day cares. My sister can walk there after school (it's only 3 blocks away) with a group of other students. She is there from 2:pm until pm when she gets picked u p by one of us.While she is there, she does a lot of fun stuff with the kids from the neighborhood. 6. Do these after school spots offer learning resources for families? If so, what types of resources are available? Yes, Gaza Sultan offers an after school program for children and SSL classes for parents. Bonito Curare High School has Parent-university, which offers GEED, SSL, Computer classes and parenting skills for parents and the park district which my sister attends offers programs like free meals, affordable summer camp, and they even have a holiday party where the kids get Christmas gifts.This is awesome because some families can't afford to buy their kids Christmas gifts. We are one of those families. 7. Is Pipelines an affordable place to live and raise a family? Pipelines is a lot cheaper than Lincoln park and Logan Square, that's for sure. This is why a lot of college students choose to live in Pipelines. Rent is more affordable. My mother talks about moving out of Pipelin es all the time, but when she sees how expensive rent is in other neighborhoods she quickly changes her mind. She also thinks that moving will make things more stressful for my brother.He knows this neighborhood well and she thinks that moving to a new neighborhood will confuse him and probably have a negative impact on him. The neighbors also know him, they know of his condition, and therefore, she eels he is safe here. 8. Are there free resources for low income families? There are plenty of free resources for low income families. The best place to look is the library. They always post community information on their bulletin boards and many organizations drop off fliers with their information and services. My mom knows a lot of places where they offer free services.She takes advantage of all of these. 9. What is the community doing in order to make positive changes in the neighborhood? There is a program for youth called After School Matters. I worked with them a few years ago. Aft er School Matters encourages managers to learn about art and the youth are encouraged to display their art work through murals around the neighborhood. Organizations like this, give children the power to feel proud of their work. I definitely felt a sense Of pride whenever I walked past a mural I know I helped paint. 10. What is lacking in the Pipelines neighborhood? Hind that we need more resources for families who can't afford medical insurance. Some community organizations offer health screenings for the elderly and some schools offer free dental and vision checks for their students but it doesn't go beyond a simple check -up. I fall into this category. I have a medical condition which requires me to take medication on a daily basis. My mother had Public Aid insurance which is insurance provided by the government for those who can't afford to pay for medical insurance. The bad part about this is that once turned 19, was taken off her insurance because I was no longer her dependen t. Ant get insurance through my job because I am not a full time employee and I do not qualify and can't afford to purchase my own medical insurance because I do not earn enough income. I would have to choose, either I pay for school and school supplies, or I pay for declined and medical care. I choose to pay for my educational expenses instead. Follow up question: How do you get by without medication, if this is something you need on a daily basis? I just do. When the pain is unbearable, I take as many over the counter drugs as I can safely take.I have tried calling different hospitals, clinics, and organizations to see if anyone can help me at least get the medicine I need, but I have had no luck. I do not know where else to look for help. My mother has called so many people, I think they all know who she is and purposely transfer her to different departments Stephanie laughs and finds humor in this) because they don't want to talk to her. Recently applied for the Obama Medical th ingy. I hope I get approved. 1 1. Do you know who your community leaders are and what they've done recently to help your neighborhood? Eave no idea who they are and what they do, but I know for a fact that the residents here are the ones who work the hardest to improve the community. I should know who they are though, maybe one of them can help me get medical insurance! (laughing). 12. Tell me one organization that helps families. Why did you choose this organization? Measures Latinist en Action. This organization empowers women so that women can take care of their families and be strong head of households. MALE helps families find different resources in the community.They also have a great early child hood intervention program which helps children get the help they need at a young age. I think it is so much better to get detected early with any special needs or any medical conditions, it seems like there is more help out there for younger kids, instead of us older ones. If I had to step aside so that a baby can get help before me, I would. I do not have a problem with that. 13. How long do you think you will live here and why? I hope to live in Pipelines for the rest of my life. I would love to raise a family here. I love Pipelines. Love the neighborhood and the art. M an artist. Belong here. B. Summary Stephanie Moline works in a child care center in the North side of Chicago. She has been working there for 3 years. The children she deals with at work come from a different class than the children in her neighborhood. Stephanie stated that she works mostly with high class families and sometimes baby-sits for them to make extra cash. Stephanie has been living in Pipelines for 21 years. She was born in Pipelines. â€Å"My mother has moved around a few times but I have always chosen to stay behind, with my grandmother. I will never leave Pipelines. † Stephanie stated this firmly.I chose Stephanie for my interview because she is an art student who has live d in Pipelines her entire life. I wanted to know why she has never left Pipelines and what makes Pipelines so special. Stephanie is well known in the neighborhood. She has lots of friends and has volunteered in many of the organizations which help children stay off the streets. Met Stephanie about 15 years ago when I volunteered in the elementary school which she attended. Stephanie was always running around and seemed pretty busy for a young girl. Often asked her where she was running off to and her response was, art class, photography class, or to the library.Stephanie was involved in so many of the youth programs available in Pipelines. Know because I volunteered in most and I saw her all the time. Literally watched her grow up. I coached the softball team in which she played and I worked with Stephanie on an art project which was dedicated to one of the youth who lost their life due to gang violence. He was a good friend of hers and I could see how much it hurt her to say good b ye to him. Stephanie seems to know a lot about the programs and different resources in Pipelines. During my interview with Stephanie, I learned some things about her personal life.Stephanie is the oldest of 5 siblings. Her mother was married for ten years and then divorced. Stephanie mother has been raising 5 children on her own, working as a bank teller and earning minimum pay. â€Å"We never had much growing up,† Says Stephanie. â€Å"l remember my mom would find out about all kinds of free events going on in the neighborhood, like where to go for free health checks, who handed out free school supplies, free school uniforms, and even free meals. My mom knew how and where to find stuff for free or for very cheap. She could not afford to do things on her own.Her favorite place to shop for our clothes was at the Salvation Army or at neighbors' sidewalk sales. I never complained. She did the best she could. † (Moline, 2014). I asked Stephanie why she liked to work with a ll of these organizations. She asked me, â€Å"Is there something else I should be doing? † I laughed and listened to her reasons. The reason that stood out the most was that she wanted teenagers to know that there are so many things to do in Pipelines besides joining a gang. She wants children to follow their dreams and not let their financial status get in the way.I know so many kids who think that they can't go to college because they can't afford it. I was one of them. It wasn't until started working with these organizations that I realized that there are so many opportunities out here for me. There are plenty of ways to make money for school and so many people willing to help. You just have to have an open mind and leave your fear of the unknown behind. I am now a student at the American Academy of Art, and I am majoring in Art Therapy for children. I want to give back to the community live in, and what better way than to help our youth through art, something which Pipel ines is well known for. Owe that if my mom had all these opportunities available to her when she was my age, she would have taken them. She tells me that the neighborhood is so different now, but different in a good way. † I noticed that Stephanie talks a lot about her mom during our interview. â€Å"You must be really proud of your mom, you mention her a lot,† I tell her. Stephanie responds, â€Å"My mom is my idol. She is a very strong woman who has done everything to help her family survive. It makes me sad that Pipelines was not such a great place for her to grow up because she was in a gang and she had to basically take care of resell most of the time.My grandparents were always working and my mom had nowhere to go after school. She would just hang out with her friends and get into trouble. Think it was the same for a lot of kids back then, that's why so many joined gangs. † I proceeded to ask, â€Å"So do you think Pipelines is a much better neighborhood n ow? † Stephanie response: â€Å"Heck yeah! † I thanked her for her time and let her know that the interview was over, but she continued to tell me some interesting things about Pipelines, so I stuck around and enjoyed our conversation for another hour or so (S. Moline, personal communication,April 2014). A. Interview with Chicago Public School teacher Esther Valediction 1 . Is Pipelines a good place to raise a family? Why or why not? I think that Pipelines is a good place to raise a family because there is so much diversity in this community and it is rich with art. There are many good schools, such as the one I work in. My biggest concern is the gang activity that goes on in Pipelines. It has diminished over the years but would like to see it completely gone. The gangs have taken many innocent lives and they have caused so much grief within the Hispanic community.We need to unite and show these gangs that hey do not run the streets of Pipelines. Our children need to kn ow that they are safe in the school and on the streets. We have a zero tolerance for gang activity in our school. The schools are amazing. I have been working for Walsh school for over 15 years, and I love my job. I have gotten to know so many families and I have seen many of my students grow up, graduate and become professionals. The community has accepted me as part of their own, even though I do not live here. I am here 5 days a week, sometimes 6.I love to work with the organizations in the neighborhood and come up with ideas that will help keep our children off the streets and interested in their education. I have visited other schools and they also have great programs for children and their families. 4. What types of services are offered in your school for families with children who have special needs? The principal of Walsh school, myself and other teachers, are part of a planning committee called the Pipelines Education Task Force. Our goal is to offer the best education poss ible to all of the children who reside in Pipelines, including those with special needs.Walsh school has excellent special education teachers. They work closely with the students and the families. They meet regularly with the school social worker to ensure that children with special needs and their families are receiving all the services they need. 5. Are there enough places where children can go after school while their programs, etc†¦? Yes, there are many places where a child can go after school. We have an after school tutoring program here at Walsh, where students from different universities volunteer to help students with homework.The park district has a great after school program which collaborates with Elevate (community Organization). Elevate offers art classes, photography classes and even has a youth circus. The kids love going to these places, I hear them talk about the events all the time. The children are very proud of the work they accomplish through these program s. Types of resources are available? Yes, the majority of these programs welcome children and their families. The park district has annual events for the entire family. They can exercise together, they can take art classes together, and some have family fun nights.Many of these places are open to the entire family, not just the children. Our school has movie nights, science night, a book fair, and health fairs for the entire family. 7. Is Pipelines an affordable place to live and raise a family? It depends where in Pipelines you choose to live. Some families have been in the same apartment/ home for many years. They do not leave for fear of not finding affordable housing elsewhere. There is a lot of new development in Pipelines as well. These include condos and single family homes which are on the higher price range.I think that if you do the research, you will find out that there is something in everyone's price range here. I like to do my grocery shopping in Pipelines. One of the things I really enjoy about Pipelines, are the street markets. Here, you can mind fresh fruit and vegetables, and also some household items at a very affordable price. I do not live here, but do like to shop here. Yes, in my years of working as a teacher, I have come to find out that there are many resources for families in Pipelines. There are so many organizations which assist families in need. These organizations can direct families to all the proper places.The residents of Pipelines are the best resource. I have seen families help each other and come together in the time of need. The residents of Pipelines truly support and help one another. Neighborhood? Think that the community is trying its best to get rid of the nag activity. The youth programs are doing what they can to keep children off the streets and involved in other activities. Pipelines is all about art. We have many local artists who work with the children of Pipelines. They offer art classes, mural painting, and scu lpture. The best part of this is that you can see the student's work displayed throughout Pipelines.Children are introduced to art at a very early age. Pipelines is all about art. You see families getting their babies ready for the festivities that happen in Pipelines. Many young children take part in and collaborate in making these festivities colorful and fun for everyone to 10. Do the local businesses contribute to the development of the neighborhood? Yes. Pipelines is a big tourist attraction now, with all the art galleries and the great restaurants. This brings in more money for the business and the neighborhood. Many of the businesses donate to good causes here in the neighborhood.Some of the bakeries donate bread and coffee to community gatherings, and some of the businesses donate toys during the holidays for children whose families can't afford to buy toys. Businesses have donated food for some of our school events. There is an organization called 18th street Development. K now for a fact that this organization works with all of the businesses in Pipelines to come up with ways to make it a better neighborhood for everyone who works and resides here. 11. What can the residents of Pipelines do, in order to make this a better neighborhood?The residents of Pipelines can continue to work together to improve their neighborhoods and keep them free from negative things. The families need to support each other and give each other security, this way everyone feels safe. The residents of Pipelines need to know who their government officials are and they need to approach them in time of need. That's what these government officials are here for, to help our spinsterhood. Parents and residents should be able to approach community leaders without being afraid. 12. Do you know who your community leaders are and what they've done recently to help your neighborhood?Yes, we work closely with the alderman Danny Solid, to see what can be done to better our schools and the community. The alderman just received funds to renovate the park. The children in the neighborhood are going to be very happy to get new playground equipment. 13. Tell me one organization that helps families. Why did you choose this organization? The Resurrection Project is my favorite organization in Pipelines cause it not only informs their residents about things that are going on in the community, it also helps its residents by educating them on home ownership, and it offers affordable housing to families who are struggling financially.The Resurrection Project has helped many families get out of foreclosures and they work close with government officials to protect the rights of the people living in Pipelines. 14. How long do you think you will work here and why? Think I will work here for as long as can because although do not live here, have grown to love Pipelines like it is my family. Love the school I work in. I love he students and their families. I enjoy taking walks with s tudents, and enjoy seeing the positive changes that are happening. Who knows, maybe one day I will also become a Pipelines resident. B.Summary Esther Valediction is a ad grade teacher for one of the Chicago public schools in Pipelines. She has been working for the same school for over 20 years. She started off as a teacher assistant in a pre-kindergarten classroom, which my oldest child was attending at the time. Esther came to Chicago with very little education, but a great desire to succeed. Esther says, â€Å"l have always known that wanted to be a teacher. When I came to the United States, I came with the desire to succeed and learn. Did research on many schools and found out about programs that would help me achieve my goal. As not gong to take no for an answer. † Esther is a very friendly and enthusiastic woman. I often see her talking and laughing with parents on school grounds or in social events. Yes, Esther attends many social events in our neighborhood. She is well known by parents and children in the community. She has seen my children grow up and she has been a great support for me. I chose to interview Esther because not only does she work with children, she encourages women to become the best that they can be so that they can provide for their families and become independent. This is what she did for me.She encouraged me to go back to school and get my degree in education. Often see Esther taking a stroll through our neighborhood on the weekends or at school events, sometimes bump into her at social gatherings. You can say that to many of the Pipelines residents, Esther is considered family. She has worked closely with many families and she has helped many single mothers find resources within the community. I recall the day met her, in front of me was a petite woman with a very strong accent. Often wondered how this tiny woman got a job as a teacher assistant and where she obtained her degree in education.She hardly spoke English. I was 1 6 years old at the time, a teen mom, and didn't really have an education myself. I just remember thinking, if this lady can get a job as a teacher, I can get a job as the school principal. I had no idea what challenges and how hard Esther had to work to earn her degree and the job she had. AAAS being judgmental, based on what I saw. I began volunteering in Ester's pre-k classroom, almost every day for many years. Since I had no education, I could not get a job, so spend most of my mime volunteering and helping In my child's classroom.When one of my children moved on to the next grade, the other once started school, and the cycle went on like this for about 6 years. This is where I learned most of my field experience working with preschool children. Here was, a teenage mom, spending all my time working for free in a Chicago public school. I was rewarded for my efforts and named top volunteer for months in a row. During this time, I had the privilege of getting to know more about Esth er. Soon found out how she moved to the United States with a degree in education from Mexico. Her degree was not valid in Illinois or any other state so she basically had to start from scratch.She could have chosen to work in something else, something that would not require a degree, but she chose to pursue her dreams of being a teacher. â€Å"One of my goals was to master the English language† says Esther with a smile on her face. Esther still has a strong accent, but when she speaks English, she does so very fluently. Better than, when first met her. When was comfortable enough to ask her about her personal background and education, she told me that there was a university in the neighborhood which offered the majority of college courses n Spanish and helped students of Spanish speaking background with SSL classes.I had no idea universities offered this type of help, and I had no clue that we had a university right in the neighborhood. This is when she started to encourage m e to go back to school. â€Å"l see how you work with children. You like this, and you are good at it. You are a natural and you need to go back to school,† she said to me one day. Laughed at her and said, â€Å"No way. I could never go back to school. I have kids to take care of and a husband to feed, and a home to keep clean†. Then she asked me, â€Å"But are you happy? My response: no. Was not happy.

Essay to explain role of support worker Essay

My job as support worker is based within a residential unit for eleven service users. It involves working day shifts on a fortnightly rotating rota. Before entering the unit, we have a code that we have to enter to allow us entry to the building. This code unlocks the front door, and is for safety and security of staff and residents, and complies with our duty of care. All employees and visitors have to sign in a book, kept within the hallway. This is so at any time, the manager has a detailed record of who is within the building, staff, residents, workmen, or visitors in case of that an emergency, or in case an evacuation procedure may arise. All visitors to the building are asked their identity. All the external doors can be opened from inside the building to allow persons to exit at any time, however the doors are alarmed. This alerts staff by the use of a paging device, carried by all support staff. This enables safety and security of all persons within the building. When my shift begins all staff have a hand over meeting, lead by the manager on duty. This ensures all important information is communicated: for example any medical or dental appointments that the residents may need escorting to. Or any health issues, or requests made by the residents to go out. Maintaining confidentiality at all times. Any updates or new risk assessments are handed over for all to read and sign. Working to all policies and procedures at all times. As a support worker, duty of care is an obligation that ensures that no harm is done to people in your care; if this duty of care is not met you are held accountable for the negligence which has occurred. We must put the best interests of service users health, safety and wellbeing as a priority to protect them and keep them safe from harm in all aspects of care, this includes: maintaining confidentiality, reporting concerns (both about service users and colleagues/ other professionals) and maintaining high standards of conduct; it is what underlies the Code of Practice on day to day working practice. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure that a  duty of care is implemented and carried out in working practice; this is a legal obligation which if not implemented into your working practice could be classed as negligence or malpractice which is a breach of duty. Duty of care is not just having correct working practice but also to maintain confidentiality of both service users and staff and not doing anything which could put them at risk. In my working role I have to think of duty of care when planning a task, taking everyone’s best interests into consideration. Other ways I implement duty of care into my working practice is to carry out daily checks to ensure the working environment is safe both for service user and employees. Duty of care also involves being aware of potential hazards, preventing mistakes/ accidents from occurring and making competent and informed decisions in the role. After greeting the service users, I often have a chat with them all individually to ask how their day has been, and what they would like to do for the rest of the day. It is important to empathise and actively listen in a sensitive manner accessing appropriate additional support where necessary, promoting equal opportunities and respecting diversity, different culture and values.

Categorize salespeople or severs according to their effectiveness Essay

Categorize salespeople or severs according to their effectiveness - Essay Example Having their own agenda includes socialization with constant, unauthorized visits by friends and associates, thereby forgetting about the needs of their tables. Also, grossly incompetent servers eat off of customers plates and spit in customers food when angry at patrons. Such a server can be recognized easily, as the tips they receive are virtually non-existent. The second classification is mediocre, meaning that a server in this category provides basic service expectations, but never going the extra proverbial mile. A waiter or waitress in this category routinely wears improper shoes for the job, always needing to rest. A mediocre server often drops food orders off the tray and is, by nature, clumsy. Forgetting to fill condiment bottles, thus leaving customers with no ketchup or mustard, is a primary element of mediocre service potential. Such servers receive low tips, tending to illustrate that a person in this category must improve. A satisfactory server provides the bare minimum of what is expected in their role of server, generally getting everything correct, rarely making mistakes such as ordering the wrong customer meals or participating in unauthorized social visitation. A satisfactory server wears the proper uniforms everyday on the job, refuses to engage in potentially negative romantic relationships with co-workers, and does not argue with superiors. Satisfactory servers generally provide a quality dining experience for customers, which can be measured by a fair receipt of tips. Finally, a stellar performer goes above and beyond their expectations, volunteering for additional workload and overtime, never forgets to fill condiment bottles, and always creates an accurate final bill for exiting patrons. Such a server maintains a quality sense of humor and is able to build camaraderie between themselves and their dining parties. A server

Drug Trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Trafficking - Research Paper Example This trade is secretly done in the black market, but if any person is caught dealing or consuming illegal drug he will have to face long tenure in jail. Drug trafficking is the most profitable trade in the world which involves very powerful people, who are well funded had possess heavy arms to defend themselves (Sherman, 2010, pp. 7-9). Drug trafficking is an international issue. The violence that culminates through drug trafficking is a problem in United States because each group traffics drug in their own specific area and very often they get involved in a fight with each other and also with the police. History and Examples The origin of drug trafficking in United States varied from state to state. In Mexico, the drug trafficking trade began during the 1990s (Hamnett, 2006, p.7). In Latin America and Mexico the drug trafficking trade began during the 1980s. The drug trafficking in Cuba started from 1920. During the year 1980, the economic condition of Latin America was crucial. Due to the major increase in unemployment and public debt, it was discovered that smuggling of drugs will be more profitable which will help to develop the financial condition of the state. Smuggling of drugs especially cocaine lead to an increase in criminal activity which eventually formed an epidemic in the United States. Then President Ronald Reagan affirmed a war against drug trafficking in the 1982. Lot of policies was made to abolish the practice of drug trafficking in Latin America but it failed badly. More loss in economy drew the peasants especially the poverty stricken people to reap coca leaves. These leaves were formed into a paste and were transported to Columbia for final processing. Drug trafficking in Columbia facilitated employment to thousands of citizens and acquired large amount of profit. Most of the profit remained in United States and Europe. Speedy growth of unofficial economic sector took place in Latin America due to the increase in drug trafficking. Massive trade in illegal narcotics started. Large amount of people are employed to work in this illegal business. Latin America remained a largest producer of narcotics into United States (La Rosa and Mejia, 2006, p. 140). The Action of Law in Drug Trafficking Cases Gradually narcotic trafficker violence became a problem that could not be ignored by the Columbian government. US adopted an anti-drug policy to control this situation. In the year 1986, the President formed a National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) that involved military power to combat against narcotic situation. Huge financial resources were spent to prevent the use of drugs. Drug supply was reduced in the country and became very expensive for consumption. The products were seized from the drug smugglers. U.S Congress started emphasizing on the source of supply of the narcotic drug and addiction problem in the country. Legal codes and law was changed in Columbia. With the help of military force Columbia was successful in capturing drugs. Farmers were incited to cultivate coffee rather than coca leaves. Traffickers became a danger to the country because they caused mortal threats. Public strongly protested against the traffickers. Government took a constructive action against the traffickers (Menzel, 2000, pp. 40-66). Views on Drug Trafficking According to The President’

Closet Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Closet Exercise - Essay Example Productivity and competitiveness are, by and large, a function of knowledge generation and information processing; firms and territories are organized in networks of production, management and distribution; the core economic activities are global - that is, they have the capacity to work as a unit in real time, or chosen time, on a planetary scale. (Castells 2001: 52).2 With globalization at hand, fashion industry was not exempted in this new economy. Fashion world, has become competitive over time and students are excused from this happening. It the above figures, we can say that the globalization has been evident in the clothing industry and preference of the students. Though there are a lot of students who were not able to travel around the world, it can be said that they are well aware and knowledgeable of what is happening in fashion world. Men and women are now getting more and more brand conscious. Through the presence of agent of globalization such as media, more students now are influenced by branding or what others think about what brands of clothes they wear. However, in the figures in the report, it can be said that globalization is still not that strong in students. 78% of the total number of clothes in the group is still composed of US brands with total of 357 pieces listed. 8% of total number of pieces of clothing came from Italys famous brands such as Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana, Armani and Prada. Another 8% of the clothing listed came from famous French brands. Lastly, 6% of the total clothing was from the famou s brand Mango. Taking note from the excel report, the tops and bottoms of the students were mostly from American brands. Thus, it can be said that students still patronize brands from the United States of America which are generally patronized by the citizens. The other 22% percent of students clothing tallied were from famous international brands which are known to be very expensive. But despite this fact, students still acquire these

Research Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research Design - Essay Example In order to effectively carry out the rigorous inquiry, we need to have a proper research design in place which will ensure that there is organized inquiry of this information. A good research design will assist the research to carry out an inquiry in the most organized manner. It will help to collect the most valid data and analyze it in a way that it supports the claims of the research. (Ktichin and Tate, 2005) A research design is the most important tool in any research which aids in the data collection procedure. A research design represent the organized manner in which the research will select is samples, collect data and analyze it. Research design is the main engine which drives the research and which determines the validity of the data collected and analyzed. Therefore it is the most important tool that will act as the guideline for carrying out the research process. (Clifford and valentine, 2003) Any research must employ a good research design in order to effectively carry out the data collection process. There are some key elements that are used to assess the effectiveness of the research design. The following are some of the important elements that mark a good research design; (Punch, 2006) A research is usually set out in order to carry out a systematic inquiry into a problem. A research does not start from nowhere but it starts from a point. This means that there has to be a problem or an issue that is to be clearly researched or that will be looked into. A research question is important as it determine the overall direction that the research will take. The research question should be framed such that it will lead to the discovery of new knowledge. (Punch, 2006) This means that are research topic must be new and likely to add to the existing body of knowledge. It has to be narrowed down in order to address a specific area. It has to be backed by enough literature which means that there has to be wide research on the topic before deciding to research on it. The research topic must be original and relevant to the subject of stud. In this case it has to be a geographical issue. There should be considerations on the practicability of carrying out a research on the specif ic topic as far as elements of time, cost, equipment, expertise, and others are concerned. The review of the literature will help you to identify the research gap and identification of the research topic to be carried out. It will also help you to identify the best method that can be used to carry out the research so as not to repeat the failed methods that may have been applied before and to choose the best method that may have been used before. (Parson and Knight, 2005) The nature of the design A research design should be so casual. This means that it must employ scientific means of inquires and follow all the required procedures. In this case

E-mail marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E-mail marketing - Assignment Example Garrett (2008) defines email marketing as a form of direct marketing that utilizes the structure of the electronic mail as a way of communicating audience. This communication can be commercial or fundraising messages (Garrett). Goettel (2009) defined email marketing as a technique of promotion through which organizations send e-mails with the intention of developing relationship of a business with its present or previous clients also to promote customer loyalty and repeat business. Anuja (2006) states that Internet is growing with fast speed and due to this rapid growth there is need for the speedy and more powerful technique of marketing. It is assessed that people spend more time on the web in reading a magazine/newspaper, watching TV or other media. It creates infinite more sense to concentrate and advertise through online marketing because it is cheap and hits business prospects directly (Anuja). Yuan (2009) outlined that email marketing is one of the most efficient marketing ways to advertise and support an organization’s service or product. Each day, businesses utilize emails to carry out business activities. One of the main significant advantages of email marketing is that it facilitates organizations to communicate worldwide customers/audience by putting small effort. There is no physical boundary for email marketing. It is tremendously low-price to initiate an email campaign when contrasted to other marketing channels. The cost to transmitting emails is extremely low. Typically an email will cost less than a cent (Yuan). Email is an extremely influential marketing tool. Still in presence of spammers abusing the medium, email can still be utilized and is yet valued through users for rich, timely, and enticing information plus advertisements (Casmer). 6. Yuan, Cheow Yu. "Email Marketing - Advantages & Disadvantages of Email Marketing ." 2009. 23 10 2009

Making The Classroom Work for You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Making The Classroom Work for You - Essay Example 10- How can you become more of an active participant in class? Of the the seven tips outlined in the section on class participation,which do you feel you can learn from the most? Explain. In what ways would you like to improve your class participation? The seven tips are come to class prepared, ask questions, volunteer, take an active role in group activities, active listener, resist temptation to tune out or daydream and focus on class. Of the seven tips, I believe I learn from taking an active role in group activities because it is more fun and engaging not to mention that it removes boredom and surely one cannot tune out when active. There is a difference in the expectations between college and high school in terms of learning process. In college, free exchange of ideas is more common and students are encouraged to think independently or to be critical. It is also expected among college students that they would know how to find information for class or reports through research. In high school, students are more dependent to teachers for information. There are also less reports compared to college and the academic requirements are less rigorous. 14-What did you discover about your learning style preferences? How will you strengthen your less preferred learning style? How can you use your preferred learning styles to make the most out of college? I discovered that I learn more when I am engaged in an activity. Long lectures bores me and reading abstract ideas are often hard to relate. Unlike in activities where I can experience the application of the lesson which I can often learn well and remember. In classroom expectations, we are merely graded and are expected to pass. If we fail, we may retake the test or class and there are usually make up class or we can repeat the subject. There is also no life altering consequences in the classroom. In actual job expectations, a professional is expected to do the job

Persuasive Speech Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Speech Essay Mr. Byrne Persuasive Speech Imagine that you trained all your life for that special moment of playing in your first NHL game. At the beginning of your first shift in the game suddenly another player’s stick comes up and strikes you in the eye. This incident ends your career. This could have been prevented if you wore a visor. I think visors should be mandatory in the NHL in order to improve a player’s safety. Statistics have proven players who wear visors in the NHL play less aggressive. There are many incidents involving sticks and pucks going into player’s faces. A recent incident occurred between Philadelphia’s Chris Pronger and Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski. Furthermore, two years ago a former NHL player Brad May, Gave a speech supporting the use of visors. Visors have been proven to improve a player’s play and helped players become less aggressive. From the 2010-2011 to the 2011-2012 there has been a 10% increase in the amount of players wearing a visor. Players in the NHL are starting to realize how important visors are. Rutgers University did a survey to find out if players played less aggressive when wearing a visor. This survey was conducted after the 2000-2001 season and the University’s theory was correct. According to the study done the average amount of penalty minutes that a player wearing a visor had were 30 penalty minutes while players not wearing a visor had 50 penalty minutes. Wearing visors help prevent horrible face injuries. On October 24th, 2011 the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing the Philadelphia Flyers in a regular season game. Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski and Philadelphia’s Chris Pronger were involved in a frightening incident. During the first period, Mikhail Grabovski was waiting for his teammate to pass him the puck, He took a shot on net, but the goaltender stopped it. What Mikhail didn’t realize is that on his follow through he nailed Chris Pronger on the corner of his eye. Chris Pronger skated off the ice screaming in pain. Bob Mackenzie, a broadcaster from TSN said that Chris Pronger would of have been free of injury if he had worn wore a visor. Players themselves are speaking ut in support of visors being mandatory. In 2009, Brad May, a former NHL player of the Detroit Red Wings gave a speech in favor of players wearing visors.

Guided reading

Guided reading Guided reading takes place when a child reads out loud to an adult, in class most probably the teacher, or any other proficient reader. He is also given feedback about this. The teacher supports small groups of beginning readers based on childrens abilities and needs. This grouping is done after continuous observation and assessment by the teacher. The books chosen for the sessions which are called â€Å"levelled readers† [1][1] match the childrens ability level. Whilst being interesting and motivating, they should meet the objectives for the group. This way, levelled reading moves away from the one size fits all approach to reading where the entire class reads the same book. Rather, it is more personalised and gives each child the opportunity to develop at his own rate. The teacher monitors the childs progress and helps him learn to read. The level of the book can be increased as children progress. There might still be some children who go beyond the assigned book level. As emphasised by Saunders (n.d.), it is very important that teachers do not restrict children to the book level they are at. Still while it is important for children to be challenged in their reading, it is equally important that theyare given the opportunity to read at a level they feel comfortable. This helpsthem be more enthusiastic to read and more likely to take on challenging reading themselves which is what guided reading aims to achieve. Texts which would have previously been read should also be available so children can reread them on their own, with others or at home as they become fluent and confident readers. Guided reading helps children be more positive towards reading. They start making more sense of what they read and be more aware of the language used and the concepts in the text. Clidas (n.d.), emphasizes that guided reading enables beginning readers to take on more responsibility. They are taught to tackle new vocabulary using strategies they have already learnt. Both good and struggling readers benefit from guided reading. Gagen (n.d.) reports research [2][2] showing that children who read out loud in guided reading sessions not only become more fluent and able to recognize words, but also have a higher comprehension level. During guided reading the child becomes more attentive to details and expands his vocabulary repertoire. He can also be helped to identify weaknesses and strengthen particular skillswhich help him with reading and understanding the meaning of words. Language conventions like punctuation are presented in a context that matches the childrens reading ability. Children are also given the opportunity to memorise and recognise high-frequency words as well as understanding the concept of sequencing in a story; the beginning, middle and ending part. Above all, guided reading offers a wonderful opportunity for both the child and the fluent reader to share the joy of reading a story together in a supportive environment. References Clidas, J. (n.d.). Guided Reading with Emergent Readers. Bebop Books. Craig Low: NY. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from www.bebopbooks.com/images/pdfs/intro.pdf Gagen, M. (n.d.). The Importance of Guided Reading. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.righttrackreading.com/guidedreading.html Guided Reading. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://cksec.org/index2.php?option=com_docmantask=doc_viewgid=50Itemid=80 Guided Reading. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/guidedread.htm Holly, J. (n.d.). Compendium of Instructional Strategies. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://home.earthlink.net/~jhholly/guidedreading.htm Kennen, E. (August 11, 2007). Guided Reading Activities. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://primary-school-curriculum.suite101.com/article.cfm/guided_reading_activities Saunders, B. (n.d.). Advantages of Levelled Book Reading. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.wordsplural.com/wordpress/learn-words/leveled-book-reading/ University of Arkansas at Little Rock Training Center ( 2003). Guided Reading. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from https://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/What%20is%20Guided%20Reading.pdf [1][1] Saunders, B. (n.d.). Advantages of Levelled Book Reading. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.wordsplural.com/wordpress/learn-words/leveled-book-reading/ [2][2] National Reading Panels Teaching Children to Read: Summary Report www.nationalreadingpanel.org/publications/summary.htm cited in Gagen, M. (n.d.). The Importance of Guided Reading. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.righttrackreading.com/guidedreading.html

The Green Mile by Stephen King Essays -- Film Movies

The Green Mile by Stephen King Summary: John Coffey is brought to Cold Mountain accused of rape and murder. It becomes known that he has a healing touch. Paul Edgecombe, the superintendent, has sympathy for Coffey and later finds out that Coffey is indeed innocent, but can find no way to stop the execution. Coffey proclaimed that he 'wanted to go'; and thus allowed Paul to accept Coffey's fate as he must, and go on with his life. Central Characters: Paul Edgecombe, probably over 100, narrator, was the head of E block (death row) at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Paul faces an internal struggle between what his job wants him to do and what he sometimes knows is the 'right'; thing. Kind and gentle, he recounts this episode of his life from Georgia Pines, his retirement home. John Coffey is a huge, muscular black man but is very slow in the mental sense, brought into a situation where death surrounds him, yet he has the power to heal by his own touch. Other Characters: Dean Stanton, Harry Terwilliger, Brutus Howell, and Percy Wetmore were all guards on E block. Percy was the most significant; he was a banty-rooster sort of guy. He liked to pick fights. He represented the fears of Paul Edgecombe. Though it is not obvious at the beginning, it becomes clearer as Paul ages. Toot-Toot was portrayed as a jester to lighten the mood of the story. His humor is what kept the other guards sane. Hal (Warden) Moores was the warden of Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Melinda Moores, Hal's wi...

Lots Wife, Akhmatovas Version Essay -- essays research papers

“Lot’s Wife'; depicts the fate of a woman following her husband Lot on his departure of their native town Sodom. Sodom was a town that God destroyed, yet he granted Lot and his wife permission to flee the town before this occurrence. Wislawa Szymborska and Anna Akhmatova offer different versions and perspectives on the same story. Each of the authors use different elements of poetry to create two very unique poems that have several similarities as well as many obvious differences. These two different poems are mainly different because of the point of view differs in each poem. Another thing that makes an important difference is how each of the poems begin, each one begins with a different situation, as the speaker is also different. The structure also is different, which affects the fluidity of the poem and how it is read, almost working with or reinforcing the tone. It is ironic how similar tone is in these two poems, yet the structure in each varies significantly. There are different connotations in each of these poems also, making them different. Each of these pieces imply different things to different extents. Akhmatova’s version leaves an abundant amount of information to figure out for ourselves while Szymborska’s uses connotation in a manner which gives us more detail as to what is going on. Although there are many differences in the two different versions of the same poem, several things contribute to the similarities among them. One of the most noticeable similarities is of course the general theme the story line, and tone. All of the elements of poetry are prevalent in both pieces. They bring the reader through different emotions taking them to different endings of the same story, yet they leave the reader with almost iden tical impressions of what occurred. The poem’s structure influences how it is read. Structure affects all of the other elements of poetry either directly or indirectly. Akhmatova’s version of this piece is organized into four stanzas. Akhmatova’s version includes line breaks ( hence the four stanzas ) that emphasize different portions of the poem, while Szymborska’s line breaks seem random because they do not structurally affect the poem. Szymborska’s poem is very fluid because she doesn’t separate the lines into stanzas as Akhmat... ...veral similarities between the two poems. Both versions contain immense irony concerning why the woman looks back. The reasoning in both Akhmatova’s and Szymborska’s poems contradict themselves. As mentioned several times earlier the same impression is left upon the reader for the most part, although each version could be interpreted by the reader several different ways, just as they could be explicated differently in comparison to each other. The title is interestingly identical for both poems, despite the immense differences otherwise. Tone is also a prevalent similarity, as when looked at side by side the same tone exists, even though there are many other factors that effect this element. In conclusion, “Lot’s Wife'; is a poem that contains many messages, as achieved differently by different authors. The elements of poetry work hand in hand and are all contingent upon one another to achieve the desired result. Each of the versions of “Lot’s Wife'; that have been examined are evidence of this. These pieces are incomparable in quality, because they each have their own unique characteristics and make their own statements.

The International Space Station Essay -- Science Space Exploration

The International Space Station is the doorway to the future of mankind and the world as it is known. The scientific and medical discoveries that will be made on the station could create billions of dollars annually. A plan like this, arranged to benefit the whole world economy, should sound like a good idea to every person, but some believe that the ISS is too risky, too ineffective, or too costly to create. Whether or not the space station is worth the money, time, and effort, one thing is clear, everyone is interested in this virtual floating laboratory and what assets or liabilities it will bring. The future of scientific experimentation and exploration may be located, not on earth, but on the man made island called the International Space Station. Of all the factors that go into building a space station, construction of the massive object is the most tedious objective. During the building of the ISS, tensions have run high several times when deadlines were missed or funds were not available. This space station is the most expansive mission the world has ever encountered. The International Space Station will be a fifteen country mission. When finished, it will boast over an acre of solar panels for heating and energy, have a volume roughly sizable to two jumbo jets, and contain four times the electrical power of the Russian space station, Mir. It will take approximately forty-five flights over the next five years to assemble the one hundred pieces of the station while circling the orbit of the earth (Goldin 11). This floating station, the size of a large football stadium, which is traveling at over 17,500 miles per hour around the earth, will have a minimum life expectancy of only ten years, although scientists hope for a muc... ... to tell anyone the outcome of the experiments on the International Space Station. It is a complex machine that may create fantastic results or become a large waste of time and effort, but until the world tries, it will never know which might be the most disappointing thing of all. For now, all anyone has is hope for a brighter future, and the chance that the International Space Station may bring them a step closer to that reality. â€Å"The orbiting laboratory serves as a symbol of our future. A future that embodies the dreams of our children and that promises untold discoveries for the next millennium. One that fulfills our innate human nature to explore. And one that benefits all people of all nations.† (Goldin 11) The International Space Station is the beginning. It is the beginning of a world that is working towards a better understanding of everything around it.

“How Valid Are Rizal’s Political, Educational and Socio-Economic Reforms Today?” Essay

  I think that Rizal’s reforms are still valid today. A great man he is, surely his philosophies involved something that of future because great figures always think ahead of time. Moreover, one can hail Rizal as a teacher and so the influence of his teachings is unimaginable. As Henry Adams said, â€Å"A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where his influence stops.† Indeed, no one can tell, since we are still influenced by his teachings- the idea that the youth is the hope of our nation is still instilled in our minds. In politics, he believed the extension of human rights, the training for self-government and the arousing of spirit of discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness and self-love. These reforms signify the rights of the people. Surely, these rights should be implemented not only in his time but for all seasons, be it now or in the future. In his reforms regarding education, Rizal focuses on the improvement in schools and methods of teaching. This is surely applicable today since we have been aiming to be globally competent and many Filipinos have become aware of the importance of education. It seems like it has even become a prerequisite of life. Lastly, his idea about socio-economic prospect involves that of nation building and not individual social problems. The main point of his philosophy covers the problems of the whole race, with every problem having a distinct solution to bolster the people’s social knowledge. Though people now have becoming less patriotic and have been neglecting the freedom that has been given to them, Rizal’s teachings are still great reminder that we’ve been really lucky to have our own nation and so we must work together in order to build a better nation for the future generation. They have done theirs by giving us freedom, thus, we must also do so. Fortunately, these reforms of Rizal about politics, education, and socio-economic are little by little taking into effect for this generation. Citizens have been aware of their rights and their practicing it now. They also learned the value of education and the advantage they’ll acquire if they practice a healthy economic and social life with other people.

Learning Contracts Essay

Abstract Learning contracts are being used in post-secondary education. Adults approach learning as problem solving and in theory by implementing learning contracts, the student becomes more involved in their own learning process. This paper discusses the use of a learning contract, the advantages and disadvantages for using contracts and the general design of a learning contract. The use of learning contracts provides opportunity for the student to be more involved in their own learning and apply relevance to their own educational experience. Learning Contracts  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Contract learning is, in essence, an alternative way of structuring a learning experience: It replaces a content plan with a process plan. † Malcolm S. Knowles (1991, pg. 39). In the early 1970’s, the concept that adults learn differently than children was introduced by Malcolm Knowles. This theory of andragogy has inspired research and controversy. The complexity of adult learning and motivation provides opportunities to explore new methods of teaching. Implementing learning contracts is an alternative way to structure the learning experience. Definition. Learning contract by definition is an agreement between students and teachers that grant the student certain freedoms and choices about completing tasks yet requires the student to meet certain specifications (â€Å"Definition,† n. d. , p. 1). According to Knowles (1980), contract learning solves, or at least reduces, the problem of dealing with wide differences within any group of adult learners. Knowles (1986) defines a learning contract as containing specifically: 1. the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be acquired by the learner (learning objectives); 2.  how the objectives are to be accomplished; 3. the target date for their accomplishment; 4. what evidence will be presented to demonstrate that the objectives have been accomplished; and 5. how this evidence will be judged or validated. In academic settings the contract also specifies how much credit is to be awarded and what grade is to be given (p. 38). Understanding the purpose and advantages of learning contracts and being able to apply them in our future careers as adult instructors will help prepare us for the variety of learning styles our students will have. Purposes of Learning Contracts Learning contracts have multiple purposes. One purpose is that it can enrich and extend the curriculum. They can connect educational needs to individual needs. The responsibility of learning is shared by the student and the educator. Learning contracts can also challenge the abilities of highly able students and provide alternate options that can be altered specifically for the differences in abilities, learning styles and interests of individual students. The contract is a tool for structuring the learning process. Uses of Learning Contracts Findings from research about adult learning have shown that when adults go about learning something naturally, they are highly self-directed (Tough, 1971, 1979). Coincidentally, when adults learn on their own initiative, they have a deeper understanding and more permanent memory of when they learn by being taught. Core adult learning principles view the adult learner as the primary source of data for making sound decisions regarding the learning process (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 183). Contract learning is compatible with the notion that adult learners are self-directed learners. Online instruction is an example where contract learning can be highly effective. In an online environment, instructors are not physically meeting with the students to discuss learning goals, objectives and expectations. Learning contracts can help negotiate and define the learning goals and outcomes. Sample learning contracts can be placed on a web page and the student can determine which contract best suits their learning goals. Students can also engage in online discussions about the different options with their peers and gain a broader perspective through shared knowledge. Learning contracts can also be highly effective in the corporate world. Training employees is costly and can require large investments from organizations. Learning contracts allow the employee to take responsibility and increases motivation in the learning process when they are able to relate the training directly to their job responsibilities. Contracts can also clearly define the company’s expectations of the outcomes. When the expectations are defined, both instructor and trainee can track progress and stay focused on the company’s business goals and strategies. Learning contracts are useful in research. Research learning contracts provide form and structure to an unstructured environment such as the research laboratory, while ensuring maximal flexibility (â€Å"Contracts,† n. d. , para. 2). It allows the student to control their own learning. Contracts allow students to define learning objectives, activities, rate of progress and methods of assessment that will evaluate the student’s success or failure. Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Contracts Advantages. There are many advantages for learning contracts in adult education. Learning contracts enhance the adult learner’s self-directed learning experience. They promote creative and critical thinking for the student and develop their time management, planning and decision making skills. They can target specific individuals and their specific learning activities. Each students experience can be unique to them and incorporate their own prior knowledge and experience. The contracts also allow students to work at their appropriate pace and can increase the student’s motivation which in return can increase their class participation. Contracts can help keep students on course if the contracts are specific and concrete. This can also help minimize miscommunication or misunderstanding of expectations and outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning objectives. Disadvantages. There are disadvantages to using learning contracts. Contracts can be time consuming to develop. They typically are more detailed and require you to put in more work in the developing stage. Also, students can have confusion especially if their prior learning experience has only been the traditional method of instruction in a classroom. If students are only familiar with â€Å"instructor taught† learning and have not learned to be self-directed learners, the student could have difficulty adapting to this method. The learning contract method in pedagogic learning may require more instructor involvement verses student driven in andragogic learning. The attitude of the educator can have an influence on the learning contract as well. Some educators feel the learning contract gives the student too much control. Designing Learning Contracts There are many different ways to design a learning contract. Learning contracts can address the diverse learning needs of different students and may be designed to suit a variety of purposes. Despite the flexibility, there is a general format starting with identification of the content that will be learned. Specific methods and strategies that will be used to learn the content should be identified. Specifying resources to be used in order to learn the content and determining the type of evidence that will be used to demonstrate the learning should be identified. Last, the evidence that will be validated and by whom needs to be defined. Having clarity will lead to improved performance and allow for revision of learning objectives if needed throughout the learning experience (â€Å"Learning Contracts,† n. d. ). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion. Malcolm Knowles’ introduction of andragogy has influenced adult education. A distinguishing characteristic of adult learning programs is the shared control of program planning and facilitation (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 133). Engaging adults as partners in their learning experience satisfies their â€Å"need to know† and appeals to their self-concept as independent learners. Learning contracts are a tool that encourages students to participate more actively in their own learning experience. It is an alternative method of structuring a learning experience unique to individuals. It enables educators to work with differences among a group of learners. Learning contracts, more so than any other type of instructional method, create the conditions for individualized instruction. The contract method will not be effective if the adult learner is passive in their own learning experience. Disadvantages include extensive planning and commitment as well as excessive focus on individual success (Duggan, n. d. ). In general, adult learners are going to be self-directed learners as opposed to child learners. Based on the five assumptions learned in WED 486 regarding adult learners: adults need to know why they need to know; adults need to learn experientially; adults approach learning as problem solving; adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value; and adults need to integrate new ideas with what they already know, learning contracts are an effective tool to enhance a self-directed experience. Recommendations. Additional research related to contract learning involves the fairness of learning contracts. In the traditional method of instructor taught learning, all students are given the same syllabus and information on what it takes to earn a particular grade. In the case of learning contracts, they are individualized to the learner. The contract may be specific as to how each learner will obtain earned grades but will the content be equal? Additional research is recommended to determine if contracts are efficient if not all students are covering the same material. References Duggan, T. (n. d. ). The disadvantages of training agreements. Retrieved from http://www.ehow. com/list_6075915_disadvantages-training-agreements. html Guidelines for writing. (n. d. ). In Learning contract guidelines [PDF]. Retrieved from https://dsacms. tamu. edu/sites/sllo. tamu. edu/files/LearningContractGuidelines. pdf Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education from pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education. Knowles, M. S. (1986). Using learning contracts (p. 38). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc. , Publishers. Knowles, M. S. , Holton, III, E. F. , & Swanson, R. A. (1998). Beyond andragogy. In (Ed. ), The adult learner (5th ed. , pp. 153-183). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Learning contracts. (n. d. ). In How to create and use learning contracts [PDF]. Retrieved from http://fcpsteach. org/docs/directions-learning%20contracts. pdf Research learning contracts. (n. d. ). In webGuru. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www. webguru. neu. edu/undergraduate-research/structuring-ur-experience/research-learning-contracts Tough, A. (1971, 1979). The adult’s learning projects. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Is Enough Being Done To Prevent Racism in Football?

Racism; hatred or intolerance of another race or other races is unfortunately a very frequent occurrence around the world. Starting very early on, the belief that someone’s race is superior and has the right to rule others still takes place even to this day. Football, is a sport which should bring countries and races together to compete against each other. But this is not the case, the degree of Racism in football is simply unacceptable. From League 2 in England, to the FIFA World Cup it takes place on the pitch, in the stands and even on the internet.Many various organisations have attempted to prevent Racism in Football, including; Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) & Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). But are they doing enough? The most recent incident was on the 24th July 2013 where AC Milan left back Kevin Constant kicked the ball into the crowd and left the pitch after racist abuse was being chanted from the stands of the Sassuolo suppo rters while he was preparing to take a throw in. Constant's actions emulate those of Boateng’s where a similar scene occurred however the whole team walked off the pitch instead of the one player.While Boateng had plenty of support, it seemed that AC were much less supportive of Constant's decision to exit the pitch. The club said in a statement: â€Å"This was not a decision he should have taken upon himself to make. † After the situation had been reviewed by the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) Sassoulo were fined 30,000 euros for their fans actions, I fully support the decision to punish the club but aren’t others to blame for Constant’s decision to leave the pitch? Is this really going to stop the Racist remarks? The answer is absolutely not.FIGC’s solution did not directly affect the fans and therefore these scenes will undoubtedly keep occurring. Situations like this should be dealt with in the equitable way to abrogate Racism in football a nd not just result in a careless fine. However this isn’t the worst part of the story. Constant was fined with 3,000 euros for is actions. This is an absolutely appalling decision, and could perhaps encourage supporters to carry on with racist remarks towards the players. Kevin Constant had every right to exit the pitch in the manor he did.On the other hand, FIFA -along with its employees and the football community- have showed that they’re currently unquestionably attempting to stop Racism in football and inside civilisation in general. FIFA has begun and presented events such as the FIFA Conference on Racism in Football, UN Anti-Racism Conference, and established its very first Anti-Discrimination Day on 7 July 2002. But this isn’t enough, FIFA have thought of many methods, but haven’t executed enough hands on tasks to cause any great effect. For example, the FIFA Disciplinary code was taken into place a few years ago.The code shows what happens if the FIFA Statues -basic laws for world football- are violated. It applies to everyone involved in the football match being played but is everyone being caught out? Not everyone can be dealt with at one time, especially when multiple people join in Racist chants. Therefore I don’t see the Disciplinary Code as being an effective method to eliminate Racism from Football. UEFA work very closely with FARE (Football Against Racism In Europe) and give them a lot of aid in promotion, finance etc.I personally feel that have a much more effective method of preventing Racism. I feel this way because annually at 40 UEFA club competition matches, players are accompanied onto the field by children wearing Unite Against Racism T-shirts, while team captains wear matching armbands. I support this form of preventing racism because fans respect their club’s players and if they see the players supporting the fight against racism then they might think twice about shouting abuse at a player wit h a different colour of skin. This method is also incredibly cheap and extremely effective.Considering the millions of pounds some of these respected organisations will have, purchasing t-shirts and armbands should not affect them financially in any way. There are multiple Racist incidents in Football and Kevin Constant’s wasn’t the worst. Standard Liege player Onyewu, stated that Anderlecht’s Jelle Van Damme called him a â€Å"dirty ape† under his breath during the first leg of a play off match. Onyewu alerted the white referee but no action was taken and he was ignored. Although this isn’t the worst of what happened on that match day.When Onyewu arrived at the stadium he was punched and shouted at by the opposition fans. These fans were unpunished and allowed to enter the stadium with nothing said. This is just one of many racist incidents in football which haven’t been dealt with correctly, the referee blatantly showed he was simply unint erested in Onyewu’s complaint. I believe that the referee should receive a long match ban and fine for his actions as he should have been one of the first to report the incident. As for the fans who physically attacked Onyewu, they deserved a permanent ban from going to any future matches.I personally feel that FIFA, FIGC, UEFA and all other major Football related organisations should work together to fight racism and not just focus on their own ways of preventing it. Every match should be promoting the act against racism, tickets, programmes and all forms of merchandise should have ‘Say No To Racism printed on them. Furthermore the punishments for violating the FIFA Disciplinary code should be stricter, fans should have a very long –or possibly life- ban from going to matches if caught and players, managers, match officials should be treated in the same manor along with a minimum fine of 40,000 pounds.

McKinsey Case Study Analysis Essay

This paper applies the management by objective (MBO) philosophy of Peter Drucker to the case study analysis of McKinsey and Company (McKinsey). Founded in 1926 by James â€Å"Mac† McKinsey, a University of Chicago professor, the firm started as an accounting and engineering consultancy agency, which experienced rapid growth. This paper is a plan that outlines key aspects of MBO and how it will have both positive and negative effects when applied to the McKinsey case study. Mac recruited experienced executives and trained them on an integrated approached he coined as the General Survey Outline (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 319). Over the years, the firm’s general approach to consultancy lacked specialized knowledge concerning industry competencies. This paper brings into focus McKinsey’s potential to make a paradigm shift, and provides recommendations to implement MBO to increase the organizations effectiveness internationally. The leaders of McKinsey wanted to transform the firm of practice development, (â€Å"snowball making† the internal name) to client development (â€Å"snowball throwing†). To achieve this, the concept of general practitioners would have to change in order to keep up with technology and the global marketplace. The paper provides recommendation to aide McKinsey in development, capturing, and leveraging company assets worldwide. McKinsey and Co. Case Study Summary The McKinsey and Company case study is a presentation of the management of knowledge and learning by a large consulting firm. The case study discusses  the founding and evolution of the company under the direction of a group of professional educators and executives. The company has served as a consultant to elite firms focusing on issues important to top management for 70 years. The long history of the company is described with the addition of tables and charts to depict 20 year growth rates, mission and principles, areas of practice, and functional groups. Succession, employee growth and development; expansion, and shrinkage are explained in detail within the case study. The company expanded from the original small organization to one of global proportions and significant stature within the industry. The focus of the text is to depict the management and evolution of the firm through the periods of change and discuss future decisions and direction under a new managing director. Key Aspects of Drucker’s Philosophy Peter Drucker is recognized as the founder of modern management. He advocated for autonomy, participatory democracy, and doing what one wants. He promoted the creation of a pluralistic institution of a free society that functions and performs. In searching for finding an answer to how individual freedom can be observed in the corporate society considering the power executed by the managers; Drucker developed the managerial philosophy called management by objectives (MBO). According to Hoopes (2003), managers communicate to their subordinates the goals and objectives based on what is required by the organization; consequently, enabling their subordinates to have autonomy and be responsible for what they do at work. Drucker created this philosophy of management with the purpose of giving employees the opportunity to achieve freedom and individual responsibility in an organization. In past articles Drucker had defined freedom as â€Å"a responsible choice†¦between†¦act one way or another† (as cited by Maciariello, 2005). In addition, Drucker defined the concept of responsibility by stating that responsibility has an external component that involves _accountability to a person with authority_ and an internal component that involves _commitment_. Both making responsible choices and be accountable and committed to the person who has authority are the keys for an effective MBO. According to Maciariello (2006) Drucker believed that â€Å"leadership is taking responsibility for results† (p. 29) and that the leader is expected to show integrity and be a role model for others to follow. Regarding the leaders’ responsibility, Drucker stated that the CEO is the only one who can align the internal environment with the external environmental to make certain that the organization understands the demands of the external environment [_market, customers, and competitors_]. Drucker’s stated that the most important rule in business is to serve the consumer (Lafley, 2006). In addition, Drucker believed â€Å"in the power of strategic ideas and making clear choices†¦. [and that] the only way you can manage change is to create it† (as cited by Lafley, 2006, p. 7). Finally, as the founder of modern management, Drucker viewed organizations as a â€Å"means through which people find access to social status, community, achievement, and satisfaction [and the leaders as having] the responsibility to ensure that jobs are fulfilling and that individuals contribute fully† (as cited by Lafley, 2006, p. 7). Positive Aspects of Strategies Applied If McKinsey and company were to apply the management theory of Drucker they would identify several positive outcomes related to the management by objectives aspects. The company had experienced expansion into a global market and many changes in management and structure. The company was staffed by professionals with few levels of authority and, according to the case study, run more by consent than decree. The consultants worked within a matrix arrangement with a professional core and contractual element in its operations. The application of MBO would increase the performance of the organization by positively identifying the objectives of each employee and their relationship to the objectives of the organization. Francis and Bolander (1976) claim that relationships between corporate and employee objectives are vital to a positive outcome for any business. Under management by objectives employees would receive input that would help identify their objectives and time lines for implementa tion and closeout. Greenwood reiterates Drucker’s theory that â€Å"objectives are not given, are not obvious, are not something that everyone knows† (p. 229). Another  provision of the Drucker theory is the continuous tracking of the process and continuous feedback. This feedback is valuable in increasing the productivity of the employee and their completion of tasks. With all McKinsey managers participating in the development of the strategic plan and cascading the goals and objectives throughout the firm the positive impact of management by objectives would be evident. Francis and Bolander (1976) describe the positive outcomes of management by objectives as improved communication, increased motivation, reduced conflict between roles, and attention focused on results, not activities. With the adoption of Druckers management by objectives McKinsey and company would experience the positive outcomes described by Francis and Bolander. Outcomes of Implementation Using Drucker’s theory of management, the evolution of the management styles practiced in the McKinsey and Co. were based on decentralizing the centers. Once managers established and announced the goals of the organization, they left it up to the leaders operating in each of their offices to practice their own leadership styles to achieve the goals. They called this strategy â€Å"practice leadership† (Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn, and Ghoshal, 2003, p.322). The management styles implemented were based on the underlying principle of Drucker’s theory of using power top-down. The results of the implementation were significantly positive and led to the emergence of management concepts that we see commonly used today, making McKinsey the industry leader of setting numerous industry trends as explained: (a) Knowledge Management – â€Å"Knowledge is the lifeblood of Mckinsey†. (Mintzberg, et al.,, 2003, p.319). Managers at McKinsey developed a process of knowledge management wherein the task of knowledge management had to be each individual’s responsibility and not just that of the team manager or leader. (b) Knowledge Sharing – By the use of publishing their key findings, employees were able to learn and communicate from each other and understand how processes worked best and most efficiently. (c) Online repository of knowledge – The success of their knowledge sharing documents and papers led manageme nt to develop an online repository of information wherein centers across the globe could access  common data and information that was entered by employees from these centers. This module made a significant impact on the communication among individual centers and the organization as a whole. (d) Identifying Best Practices – With improved communications, managers were able to access information and identify best practices that helped improve the efficiency of their applications and systems. Identifying best practices also led to the creation of establishing benchmarks that further assisted enhance and improve defects in processes. (e) Inter-office bulletins – The introduction of interoffice bulletins and papers led to the development of newsletters and e-letters that modern organizations use today to communicate with their employees globally. (f) Building Customer Loyalty – Using client relationships and training specialists to build relationships with their clients, McKinsey was one of the pioneering organizations to introduce the concept of customer loyalty. Managers trained their employees to focus only on the clients they worked with and provide then with world class quality service. The idea was to gain the customer’s business for life. This concept brought in recurring revenues for McKinsey and also helped create a loyal customer base that enhanced McKinsey’s image by in the industry by word of mouth. (g) Focus on Informational Literacy – The rapid increase in the rate of information literacy made it imperative for employees to be trained and kept abreast of new technologies and offerings that helped them sell better, communicate effectively, learn faster about new products and services, and enhance their own skills. (h) Employee growth and enhancement – Managers at McKinsey saw the value in retaining their workforce by providing the training and helping them hone their skills to perform efficiently. They paid attention to their employee’s growth patterns and career paths and assisted them in developing their profiles so they could move them laterally or higher up in the organization without having to search for someone from the outside. This also helped build the employee knowledge base that could be transferred or shared with one another when needed. One of the negative aspects of the evolution was that the organization grew too fast. Secondly, the organization became a victim of technology where most of the teams were virtual teams leading to lack of direct interaction. Finally, the decentralization of each business unit, across the globe, led  to each unit creating their own processes using the same applications, which resulted in more time being spent in determining best practices of successful processes. Recommendations â€Å"A change leader sees change as an opportunity. A change leader looks for change, knows how to find the right changes, and knows how to make them effective both outside the organization and inside it† (Drucker, 2000 as cited in McKenna, 2006). These words spoken by Drucker were as if they were meant for Mr. Gupta as he reviewed the progress of McKinsey & Co. Growth had been meeting expectations and they were being rewarded handsomely by the market but Mr. Gupta had begun to question whether McKinsey & Co. was, in Drucker’s terms, not just getting things done but getting the right things done.. He questioned, â€Å"If this represented the tip of McKinsey’s knowledge and expertise iceberg, how well was the firm doing in developing, capturing, and leveraging this asset in service of its clients worldwide?† (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 319). After all this was the second component of the McKinsey Mission Statement. No where had this rang truer than in the halls of McKinsey & Co. They had experienced tremendous growth and change over the decades and like many others saw their share of recessions but they had continued to grow into their present International stardom in spite of it all. Drucker, would concur with Mr. Gupta’s questioning their success irrespective of their huge windfalls. He would caution others in that success is not inevitable or forever and can quickly evaporate if one’s focus is not on the right things. Drucker, wrote of the knowledge worker, a description that applied to most, in the 21st century and he spoke of the importance of efficiency but more importantly about getting the right things done. This was the obvious question that was plaguing Mr. Gupta. He cited three intersecting concerns of the knowledge-driven age that were making the task more difficult and complex. He wondered if his initiatives would be enough. The first concern rests in the amount and rate of change.  Second, the increasing expectations and expertise, and finally, the firm’s success itself contributed to the difficulty, in linking and integrating the consultants and the worldwide offices. Drucker, in writing on what executives must do would applaud Mr. Gupta for his foresight. â€Å"Drucker wrote of ‘five habits of the mind’ that executives must acquire†: (a) knowing where their time goes. (b) Focusing on outward contribution. (c) Building on strength- their own and others. (d) Concentrating on the few major areas where performance will provide outstanding results. (e) Making effective fundamental decisions (McKenna, 2006, p. 4). The outcomes as highlighted above, those stated by Mr. Gupta, along with the Practice Olympics were a beginning and answer to the question of whether McKinsey & Co. were on the right track. They were not only aligned with the five habits as outlined by Mr. Drucker above but were also realigning with the Mission Statement of McKinsey & Co. which stated, â€Å"McKinsey Mission: To help our clients make positive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance and to build a great Firm that is able to attract, develop, excite, and retain exceptional people† (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 321). The only additional recommendation not covered in Mr. Gupta’s initiatives but an underlying principle was that growth had made it impossible to link the knowledge and expertise of the organization. This barrier could be easily addressed within the two-tiered career path he proposed. Allowing for ‘intrapreneurship† to flourish and â€Å"to let 1,000 flowers to bloom (Gluck, 1991, as cited in Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 324) would be a way to not only ensure the future success of McKinsey & Co. but would also be a direct link back to the philosophy of Mr. Gluck, a former and highly successful Managing Director of McKinsey & Co. Conclusion This analysis of McKinsey illustrates how MBO can serve as a change agent to  help the organization continue to grow in spite of recessions over the years. The implementation of MBO has its negative and positive aspects, yet in a broad since of theories, the positive outweighs the negative. McKinsey is able to live its mission to help clients make positive and lasting improvements while retaining exceptional people. In conclusion, although the organization grew extremely fast and became victims of technology, the implementation of Peter Drucker’s, MBO could increase the firm’s efficiency for two main reasons. First, it reduces conflict between roles and focuses on results. However, most notably, MBO improves communication, increases motivation and the McKinsey team transforms into snowball makers (practice development) and snowball throwers (client development) worldwide. References Francis, J. G., & Bolander, S. F. (1976). MBO and the small organization. _American Journal of_ _Small Business,_ _I_(1),1-6. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from EBSCOhost database. Greenwood, R. G. (1981). Management by objectives: As developed by Peter Drucker, assisted by Harold Smiddy. _Academy of Management Review, 6_(2), 225-230. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from EBSCO host database. Lafley, A. G. (2007). What Drucker taught me. _Leadership Excellence_, 24(1), p. 7. Retrieved March 6, 2007, from ProQuest database. Maciariello, J. (2005). Peter F. Drucker on a functioning society. _Leader to Leader_, 2005(37), 26-34. Retrieved March 7, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. McKenna, Joseph F. (2006). _Drucker in December_. T & P; Tooling and Production, 72(12), p. 4. Retrieved March 16, 2007 from EBSCOhost Research Database Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J.B., & Ghoshal, S. (2003). _The strategy process-concepts,_ _contexts, cases._ Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.