Achebe, C. (1994). Things Fall Apart. New York: Doubleday & Co., Inc. Essay

Achebe’s (1994) novel, Things Fall Apart, is a chronicle of societal change in the face of a colonial invasion. It describes the life of Okonkwo, a distinguished leader of a village in Nigeria. The rich, powerful, brave and intelligent man has worked hard to achieve his high status in his village. The village elders thus chose him to be the guardian of a boy named Ikemefuna, who has been made prisoner by Achebe’s tribe. Okonkwo must keep the boy with him until the Oracle decides otherwise. When the village elders decide that Ikemefuna must be killed, Okonkwo goes against the advice of the oldest man of the village by killing the boy himself. Subsequently, things start to fall apart for Okonkwo. He accidentally kills another individual at a funeral ceremony. For this act he must be sent into exile with his family for a period of seven years. After all, he has offended his gods by committing the murder. After Okonkwo and his family have been sent into exile, things start to fall apart for his people back home. White men begin to enter his village, amiably introducing their religion to the native people. As the number of people embracing the new faith increases, the white entrants grow in power. Ultimately, a new government is formed in the village – that of white people. When Okonkwo returns to his village, it is a different place altogether. The presence of white men is a change he had not expected. Unhappy with the change, he tries to work with other tribal leaders to reclaim the old government. They do this by destroying a Christian church that they believe has mocked their gods. The white government retaliates by taking Okonkwo and the other tribal leaders as prisoners, holding them for ransom, and humiliating the native leaders further. A great uprising ensues, as the native people of the village gather to oppose the white government. When the white government tries to stop their meeting by sending some of its messengers, Okonkwo is the only one who kills one of the messengers. His fellow native people allow the remaining messengers to escape, however. Okonkwo is made to understand thus that the villagers are too weak to fight for themselves and/or protect their rights. He therefore begins to believe in the end of his society, reinforcing its disintegration in the following words: â€Å"Now [the white man] has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.† Okonkwo kills himself soon after. The white government sends one of its local leaders to take the great man of the village to court. At this point, Okonkwo is found to have hanged himself. The great man’s death is a sign of the total demise of his people’s old ways of life. After all, it was Okonkwo alone who was strong enough to kill one of the white men in an attempt to eradicate their government. None of his fellow native people were as determined as he. Still, Okonkwo’s story is a powerful reminder that nothing can withstand forces of change at times. Even the heroes may turn to despair if the forces of change are too powerful to fight. Such forces may change people and their cultures for ever. Even so, the memories of the heroes remain, as in Things Fall Apart.

Compensation and Security for Employees

Discussed in this paper will be how employees are categorized and at what level they are categorized at. What the goals and expectations for each level are and how they can be reached. How compensation is dispersed and awarded and how the compensation is given. This paper will also discuss what kind of compensation is given, whether the compensation is monetary or in another form. This paper will also discuss what the incentives will be for reporting abuse of other employees or violation of company policies and procedures. The steps that the company will take to keep all incentives for the different categories and employees fair and equal. What kind of payouts for the different performances in each category. The paper will also include a section on why the compensation is awarded and how they will reward the employee or group (Snell, 2010). How to set the program to handout the incentive and when they will be awarded and how. It will also discuss whether the incentive is given yearly or if it is given quarterly. Also in the paper it will discuss how to motivate employees and how to keep employees motivated. Read this  Chapter 2 – Why Security is Needed Also being discussed will be putting in a compensation plan to attract new employees. Knowing how to manage unfairness and employees who think it is unfair to offer an incentive for a particular performance or for an organization. Putting the steps in categories will also help out the unfairness. Also being discussed is how the compensation will be presented. What steps will be taken to ensure that all employees are eligible for the compensation program. Giving the steps out so the employee knows what is to be expected. Compensation and Security for Employees Some companies have different levels of employees; some include entry level employees to executives. Categorizing employees is a little difficult, especially if there is a lot of turn over. Some employees that have been in the company for more than a year may still be in an entry level position, but deserve to be at a junior level position. The main purpose for this program is to ensure a low employee turnover. These employees should be compensated not for their position but how they perform in that position (Snell, 2010). Other companies may give a bonus or compensation for getting hired into the company. Bonuses are given mainly in monetary fashion; they are given also if the employee is at the company for six months or more. Categorizing employees is a big job, but also can save on money. Categorizing employees from entry level to CEO is difficult especially if there are several levels. The first step is to categorize employees is to know how many employees are in each level. Also included in the first step is a description of what each employee level is. How many employees there are in each level and how they get the incentive in the level. Level 1: entry level- fifty employees, these employees are the ones that have recently been hired, or have been with the company for six months to a year. Frequent turnover accrues with in the first two months of hire (Snell, 2010). That is why an incentive is give after the six month in the position. Level 2: junior level- thirty employees, these are the employees that have been with the company for a year or more a monetary incentive is usually given after the employee has given their commitment to the company for a year and a half. Level 3: lead level- twenty employees, these employees are the leads in their units or departments, they have been promoted from the junior level and have worked for the company for more the 2 years. The first incentive is the promotions; they also get an incentive for job performances in the first six months after becoming a lead. Level 4: supervisor level- fifteen employees, these employees have also been leads that have been promoted (Ederhof, 2011). Supervisors have worked for the company for four years or more. The incentive for this level is after a year of being a supervisor. The supervisory level compensation will be based on job performance, and the supervisors past performances. Level 5: manager level- forty employees, these employees are either hired for the manager level or they have been promoted from the supervisor level. These employees are committed to the company. Their incentive is for job performance, going above and beyond the call of their position. Level 6: Coordinator’s level-seventeen employees, these employees are listed as high as executives. These coordinators are budget coordinators, financial coordinators, company event coordinators. These employees are hired outside the company; they are hired for their skills of coordinating several departments. These employees know how to work through stress and deadlines. This level compensation is based solely on performance; there is still the six month compensation after hire. Compensation shows how they work through the stress and deadlines (Ederhof, 2011). Level 7: director’s level-ten employees, these employees are also hired outside the company; they have the skills and experience to do their job. These employees are responsible for several departments and the employees that work in those departments. The directors are higher than the managers. This is where deciding how the compensation will work for the remaining levels will get a little more difficult. They also are goal oriented and will make goals for the departments they run (Reh, 2013). Level 8: Administration Assistant’s level: five employees, these employees are usually hired outside due to unfairness of the other employees. The employees have four to five years’ experience in the field. Administrative assistants work directly with the CO’s and presidents. Their work is monitored above any employee in the company. Their stakes are higher when it comes to incentives and compensations. This is not an entry level position. Level 9: CO’s level- twelve employees, these employees have specific areas of experience. Some of the CO’s that would be in the company are: Chief executive officer (CEO) chief accounts officer (CAO), chief information officer (CIO), chief financial officer (CFO) to name a few. There is about eight to ten years’ experience in their field. Their goal is to keep things in their department running smoothly. Level 10: presidents level five employees; this level is the most difficult level to do incentives and compensations. They are the highest and most experienced in their areas. This level of employment makes all final decisions in the company. They work closely with directors in each department; knowing what is going on throughout the company is another objective that this level is kin on. Setting goals and expectations for the different levels is not as easy as it seems. The upper levels will have more difficult goals and expectations to achieve than the lower levels. This is the second step in the incentives and compensations plan. Anything that needs to be discussed about each level should be discussed with each level in a conference or a meeting (Super Jobs for You, 2009). Get the employees involved in their goals and expectations. Setting goals and expectations are very important, it keeps employees motivated and looking forward. Level 1: goals setting and expectations for the entry level positions. Sitting down with the level 1 employees the company found out that some of the goals are pretty similar. Having the employees set goals for themselves will help the employees achieve realistic goals and set short and long term goals (Goals and Expectations, 2011). Goals for entry level employees would include: to move up in the company, to have projects done on or before the deadline, being able to type 50 words per minute every day for a month. Bring job performance up to five percent in two weeks. Another goal would be win over customers that have not been in for a while. Achieving this goal would be for each level one employee. The goal would be to get back 3 customers within sixty days. Some personal goals for employees at level one is: being able to speak up in meetings, get along with co-workers better, to talk to their superiors a lot better without being terrified of being rejected. Level 2 employees have the same goals as the level one employee with some differences. Some goals that level two employees have set for themselves are as follows: wanting to move up in the company, get sales up to ten percent before the next quarter. The incentive for reaching the customer goal would be a hundred dollars and free lunch on the company for 3 employees of level one and three employees for level two. Some of the incentives for the level one employee, once they have achieved their goal, would be a promotion with a pay raise. For finishing a project before the deadline would be a fifty dollar bonus on their next check. Level two employees would be the same, a promotion and a pay raise. Once they achieve their goal of getting sales up the company will give incentive for the first three employees who reach the goal. The incentive will be a week vacation with pay. For level 3 employees the goal setting is a bit more complicated. Some goals could be: having their department reaches a team goal within thirty days. A team goal could be to increase communication through the entire department. Also getting employee feedback from the departments to reach the specific goal (Goals and Expectations, 2011). Giving out monthly progress reports to level one and two employees, telling the employees how they are doing and where they are to achieve their own personal and professional goals. Once the communication goal is reached by one department the entire department will get fifty dollars on their next paycheck and will get a free lunch to a great restaurant on the company. For the level three employees the incentives for reaching goals and expectations would be a week’s paid vacation from the company for achieving the progress report goal for the first 4 employees. This goal is also available to the level four employees also. For level 4 employees they will also make up goals for themselves as well. Some of the goals would be figuring out how to relieve the stress from their employees to increase productivity and performance. How to keep employees from going home early or calling in sick from work on Fridays. Some suggestions would be giving the employees free massage on their breaks, giving a longer lunch hour on Fridays. Setting and posting team goals that are simple and are seen everywhere. Level 5 employees personal goals could be to get out on the floor to help out lower level employees about sixty percent of the day for the next sixty days. The department goal could be to develop a plan to keep more employees from quitting and to lower turnover by fifty percent. Whichever level achieves this goal will get a twenty-five percent raise. The levels that will be competing will be levels four, five and seven. Levels 6 employees will have goals and expectations to fulfill. Some goals and expectations could be to stay up-to-date on advertising until the end of the year. Plan a company event three times a year. The big goal is to talk to customers about what they want out of the company, or what they want to see the company change and make it happen within six months. Achieving this goal would get the coordinator responsible a thirty percent raise and 2 weeks paid vacation. For the entire company goals would be an award of their choosing for working in the company for five, ten, fifteen and twenty and so on years. The awards would be for five years a plaque that says for five years of service in the company and would have the employees name on it. The ten year anniversary would be an award of their choosing, like a stereo or two hundred dollars cash. Every year would have an award that is a little more expensive and elaborate. For reporting violations and abuse to co-workers the incentive would be the same hundred dollars for reporting sexual harassment, reporting a violation of the code of conduct would award the employee with a free membership to the gym of their choice or ten free massages for two. For referring new employees the employee would get fifty after the new employee was hired and hundred after the new employee was at the company for six months. Steps that the human resource management will take to ensure that all compensation and incentives are fair and equal to all levels. Step one is to figure out different higher goals for each employee at each level. Keep goals short-term. Let all employees at the lower level know they have the potential to achieve all goals and expectations. Also let them know they lso have the ability to be promoted wit in the company. Also letting all employees know that they are valued in the company. Giving out â€Å"treats† to all employees at the end of a really long work day or work week. Company parties, picnics or celebrations, to let the employees know they are valued in the company. Celebrating the employees birthdays, to let them know that the company remembers them and that they are special. Conclusion In conclusion the paper discussed compensation and incentive for employees at all levels in the company. These employees should be compensated not for their position but how they perform in that position (Snell, 2010). Other companies may give a bonus or compensation for getting hired into the company. Bonuses are given mainly in monetary fashion; they are given also if the employee is at the company for six months or more. The steps that the company will take to keep all incentives for all the different categories and employees fair and equal. What kind of payouts for the different performances in each category. The paper will also include a section on why the compensation is awarded and how they will reward the employee or group (Snell, 2010). How to set the program to handout the incentive and when they will be awarded and how. Categorizing employees is a big job, but also can save on money. Categorizing employees from entry level to CEO is difficult especially if there are several levels. The first step is to categorize employees is to know how many employees are in each level. Also included in the first step is a description of what each employee level is. How many employees there are in each level and how they get the incentive throughout the time they spend in that level. For the entire company goals would be an award of their choosing for working in the company for five, ten, fifteen and twenty and so on years. The awards would be for five years a plaque that says for five years of service in the company and would have the employees name on it. The ten year anniversary would be an award of their choosing, like a stereo or two hundred dollars cash. Every year would have an award that is a little more expensive and elaborate.

Ncfe Swis Assignment 1

SUPPORT WORK IN SCHOOLS Unit 01 Child and Young Person Development As part of my preparation to complete Unit 1 Child and Young Person Development, I have attended taught sessions, undertaken research using books and the internet, taken part in group exercises and discussions and considered case studies. I have also completed a worksheet and received useful feedback from my tutor. All this has given me a better understanding of the theories behind child and young person development and the stages of development.This information has been extremely useful, giving me the underpinning knowledge needed to carry out my role of supporting teaching in the classroom. It has also improved my self-confidence especially in the classroom. In this assignment, I will discuss the expected pattern of development from 0-19 years, including examples of how development can be promoted in children and young people and how different aspects of development are interrelated and can affect one another.I will look at factors which can influence the child or young person’s development and discuss the potential effects of different types of transitions on children and young people’s development and ways in which the individual can be supported at such times. I will also briefly examine the psychological theories put forward by some influential researchers and illustrate the development of the National Curriculum. I will discuss observations and assessments and their importance in education.I will consider the role of communication for those who are involved in supporting teaching and learning. I will also look at the importance of the ‘holistic’ approach when engaging with pupils and their rights to be treated fairly and as individuals. 1. 1 Describe the expected pattern of children and young people’s Development from birth to 19 years to include: a) Physical development b) Communication and intellectual development c) Social, emotional and behavioural de velopmentThere is an expected pattern or sequence of children and young people’s development from birth to 19 years. This pattern or sequence can help be used to measure a child’s development and aid in preparing materials in the classroom to suit the individual’s needs. However, every child is unique and will not develop at the same rate in all the areas of development at the same time. There are some important factors that need to be considered when providing learning opportunities; these are the age range of the individuals and the five aspects of child development.The age ranges are 0-3 months, 3-9 months, 9-18 months, and 18months – 2 years, 2-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-7 years, 7-12 years, 12-16 years and 16 –19 years. The five aspects of child development are Social, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Communication and Language Development. It is however important to note that child and young person development is holistic with each area being interconnected. Social development involves developing social skills as part of the socialisation process. This process determines how children relate socially and emotionally to others.It’s as part of social development that children will learn behaviour patterns, self-control, independence, awareness of themselves in relation to others and develop an understanding of the needs and rights of others and moral concepts. In social development children age 3-5 will play with each other but by the time they reach the age range of 7-12 years they now want to belong to a group. Both age ranges will use language effectively to communicate, with 7-12 year olds now able to communicate very effectively. They are also less concerned about adult approval and are more concerned about the approval of their peers.Whereas the 3-5 year age group are still concerned with seeking adult approval. The 3-5 year olds group are gradually able to share group possessions at playgroup or nursery and 7 -12 year olds are able to participate in games with rules and other cooperative activities. Social development is promoted by setting goal and boundaries to encourage socially acceptable behaviour appropriate to the children’s ages and development using praise and rewards as encouragement. It can also be promoted by using books, stories, puppets and play people to help children understand fairness, jealousy, conflict ituations or growing up. Children can also be encouraged to use their self-help skills allowing children the time to do things independently such as choosing play activities or helping to tidy up. Emotional development might be defined as the development of personality and temperament. It includes how a child thinks and feels about themselves, how they think others see them, how they relate and interact with others and to their environment and how they express their individual needs and desires. The 7-12 year old group have become less egocentric and understand t he feelings, needs and rights of others.By age 12-16 this has developed further with the individual being sensitive to their own feelings and to those of others with a growing understanding of the possible causes for why people feel and act as they do. The 7-12 year age group may be very competitive with rivalry leading to aggressive behaviour whilst the older age group will have more confidence in their skills and ideas and will be assertive rather than aggressive. Both will argue with others, with the 12-16 year age group having strong opinions which may lead to grudges.The younger age group, although finding it more difficult to forgive and forget than they did at a younger age, tend not to hold grudges. Emotional development can be promoted by using praise and encouragement to help pupils to focus on what they good at and maximise their individual potential. By giving pupils the opportunity to make decisions and choices, making them feel positive and important and preparing them for decision making at a later stage. Being consistent about rules and discipline so pupils know what is expected of them will further help to promote emotional development.Physical development is an important area of a child’s overall development, and many aspects take place automatically as they grow and mature. However, it is crucial that children and young people are given opportunities and support in this area of development. Physical development can be promoted by providing play opportunities. Children could be allowed to explore and experiment with their gross motor skills using play equipment or practising fine motor skills such as drawing or using play dough.In physical development a 2-3 year old will use a potty whilst a 5-7 year old will be ‘dry’ apart from the occasional accident. The 2-3 year old group will be able to undress themselves but will need help with dressing. The 5-7 year olds will now dress themselves. Fine motor skills will be developin g in 2-3 year age group, they will be capable of feeding themselves and turning pages in a book but by 5-7 years this is much improved with the child now having the fine motor skills in order to be able to use a pencil, to put together a jigsaw and write their name.This type of development can be promoted by allowing children to be as independent as possible and by using everyday routines to develop fine motor skills such as doing fastenings themselves, setting the table or using a knife and fork. Intellectual development involves the process of gaining, storing, recalling and using information. This development includes interrelate components of perception, thinking, language, problem solving, concepts, memory, concentration and creativity. Children will be constantly gathering new information and formulating new ideas about themselves and the world around them.In intellectual development for example the 2-3 year old age group is still egocentric but the 5-7 year old begins to see other people’s points of view. Both will enjoy imaginative play. The older age group will have developed a longer attention span listening to longer stories and recalling details. The younger group will concentrate on intricate tasks but for a short length of time. Intellectual development can be promoted by providing access to materials to increase children’s curiosity such as books, games, toys and play equipment.Participating in the children’s activities to extend their learning and development will also promote development in this area, by asking questions, providing answers and demonstrating how things go to together when necessary. Encouraging children to use their senses to experiment with different materials and explore their environment for example going on outings to the park, playing with sand and water will promote intellectual development. Communication and language development involves children learning home or community language, as well as modes of language- non-verbal communication, listening, speaking, thinking, reading and writing.Language is a key factor in all aspects of children’s development as it gives them access to all aspects of human experience such as communicating with others, relating to others, formulating ideas or expressing feelings. In communication and language development a 2-3 year old will have a vocabulary of between 900 and 1500 words; this will have increased to 4000-10000 words by time they reach 7-12 years old. A 3-5 year old can listen to and follow simple instructions but by time they reach 7-12 years of age they can listen to and follow complex sets of instructions and will appreciate complex jokes and word play.The 7-12 year old can give very detailed accounts of past events using varied expression and vocabulary, whilst the 3-5 year old is only capable of giving very simple accounts of past events. Communication and language development in children can be promoted by simply talking to children and showing them what you are talking about by using real objects, picture books or visual/audio aids, by sharing books, stories and rhymes with them and by using straightforward sentences with words appropriate to the children’s level of understanding and development.The National Curriculum is extremely important for those who are involved in education as it is followed my many schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (academies and private schools do not have to follow it). It was introduced into school in1988 in order to ensure that each pupil was given the same standard of education. The two principal aims of the National Curriculum are: 1. The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve 2.The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. Furthermore, the national Cu rriculum has four purposes: 1. To establish an entitlement 2. To establish standards 3. To promote continuity and coherence 4. To promote public understanding. The Key stages are KS1 ages 5-7, KS2 ages 7-11, KS3 ages 11-14 and KS4 ages 14-16. There are five subjects which are required to be delivered from ages 5-16 years (KS 1- 4); these are English, Mathematics, P. E. Science and I. C. T.The National Curriculum as evolved and has had several changes or alterations to various aspects of it. For example, The Education Act 2002 sets out the statutory, core and foundation subjects but the above aims and purposes have remained. However, a review of the National Curriculum in 2011 recommended changes which will come into effect in 2013. The review notice states that the National Curriculum will have the following aims 1. To embody rigour and high standards to create coherence in what is taught in schools 2. To ensure all children have the opportunity to acquire a core of essential knowle dge in the key subject disciplines 3. eyond that core, to allow teachers the freedom to use their professional expertise to help children to realise their potential. Other areas to be considered include what subjects should be compulsory and what children should be taught in the main subjects and at what age. Communication skills are important for those who undertake the supporting teaching and learning role as it is vital in building up strong, positive relationships with colleagues, pupils and parents. Communication is a two way process with a sender (talker) and a receiver (listener). An important aspect of communication is active listening.This can be achieved by giving your whole attention, listen, use eye contact, seek clarification if you do not understand something that has been said. Non-verbal communication can be a powerful indicator. For example, leaning forward slightly indicates interest whilst crossing your arms can be seen as a barrier or reluctance to listen. Smilin g or nodding your head if appropriate are all signs that you are listening. Body stance and gestures and facial expressions are a good indicator of how the communication is progressing, for example a person may look worried or bored.Another important part of communication is asking questions. There are four types of questions and asking the right question at the right time is important. Closed questions are those that can only be answered by the word yes or no. These can be useful for testing your or the other person’s understanding. Open questions are ones that cannot be answered by the word yes or no, for example ‘what do you think? ’ Reflective questions are ones that check understanding and allows someone to think about what they have just said. The fourth type of question is leading, this one that suggests what the answer might be.Lessons should include a combination of both open and closed questions and learners should be encouraged to develop their own que stioning skills with learners’ peer assessing each other using open and closed questions. 1. 2 Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another Although development is often divided into different ‘categories’, it is important to remember that these are all interconnected and link with one another. Examples of how different aspects of development can affect one another include: a.A speech impediment, such as stuttering may lead to the individual being unable to communicate properly with other children. The child may get frustrated and refrain from any interaction with other children. They may have little or no self confidence. This can affect emotional and social development as well as communication development. They may be bullied or picked on because of it, which in turn can lead to isolation as they may feel unable to talk to other children for fear of being ridiculed. b. A child who has difficulty in sharing may have problems with social interaction and difficulties making friendships.Other children may avoid them and this can affect the emotional and social development of the child who is unwilling to share as they may feel lonely and neglected. c. A child that is overweight or obese may have difficulties in participating in physical activities such as PE. This will affect not only their physical development but will also impact on the child’s social and emotional development as they may feel self-conscious and embarrassed and could be teased or bullied by their peers. 2. 1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development including a) Background ) Health c) Environment Pupils’ development is influenced by a wide range of factors including, their background, health and the environment in which they are growing up. These will all have an impact on the different areas of development and it is therefore important to have awareness of th ese factors. a. Background – Parents are extremely important in children’s lives especially in the early years. Most parents do a very good job of nurturing and providing for their children, providing a good diet, caring for them and offering opportunities for play and socialisation.Offering support to their children by being involved, helping with homework and showing interest in what the child does. This care has a significant positive impact on children’s development especially in areas of social, intellectual and emotional development. Some parents are unable to provide such care and this can negatively affect children’s’ development. For example those with conditions such as depression, alcoholism or drug addiction may neglect their children and be unable to provide them with opportunities for play and socialisation.Older siblings may have to take on a caring role for younger members of the family. These circumstances may cause the child anxie ty, to become de-motivated and develop anti-social behaviour. b. Health- If pupils suffer from poor health or physical disability or impairment, this may restrict their development opportunities. For example, a child who has a medical condition or impairment may be less able to participate in some activities than other children. This may initially affect physical development, but may also restrict social activities for example on the playground.This may then impact on emotional development. c. Environment – poverty and deprivation can have a significant effect of a child’s development. Families on low incomes may have poor diets which can affect children’s growth, behaviour and development. They may live in poorer quality housing, and not have sufficient income to heat them properly; again this can have an adverse affect on development with damp, crowed housing leading to poor health and lack of opportunity to play freely. Those children from low income families may lack play and leisure opportunities, or example the family may not have transport or the financial resources to access such opportunities as playing an instrument or going swimming. Conversely, those children from more affluent backgrounds are less likely to live in poor housing, are more likely to have a better diet and have greater access to play and leisure opportunities, thus all aspects of their development is impacted positively by their environment. 2. 2 Describe with examples the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development.It is important to recognise and respond to concerns regarding a child’s development because if the problem is not dealt with as promptly as possible, it may have long term effects on all aspects of development. The sooner a problem is recognised and identified appropriate support can be given to solve the problem or lessen its effects on the child. Problems with language development would cause concern as language is at the heart of intellectual development. A child with poor speech development may find it difficult to read and write as they may not understand the link between sounds and letter shapes.Without use of language, communication can be limited and the child may feel isolated and frustrated and consequently have behavioural issues. The child may be unwilling to speak to others and possibly find it hard to listen to instructions. The child would be affected socially as they may find it hard to make friends and interact with others. This could also affect the child’s self esteem; making them feel that their peers are more ‘advanced’ and they are stupid which might lead them to become de-motivated.If a child was finding it difficult to interact with their peers, perhaps playing alone, this would be affecting the child’s social development perhaps causing them to lack confidence and find it difficult to socialise in future. Int ellectual development could be affected as the child may not feel comfortable in working with their peers in class especially during group work and so not learn as effectively as possible. Consequently, accurate observations and assessments are essential to effective educational practice.They allow objective assessments relating to each pupils behaviour patterns, learning styles, level of development, existing skills, curriculum strengths and weaknesses, current learning needs and learning achievements. Information from these observations and assessments can form the basis for the ongoing planning of learning objectives and setting learning goals and objectives for each individual pupil. They can help identify if pupils need extra support or if they have Special Educational Needs. When observing children all relevant aspects of development should be considered, social; physical; intellectual; communication and emotional.Some important points to be considered when observing children are that confidentiality must be maintained at all times, the observer must be objective, reporting what they see or hear rather than subjective opinion. Equal opportunities should be considered for example a child with English as a second language may have difficulty expressing themselves in English but be competent in their own language. Focus should be on strengths rather than weaknesses, and a holistic approach should be taken looking at a particular area of development in relation to the child whole development.The child’s feelings, needs and abilities should be considered and the observation discussed if appropriate to the child’s age and response given to their views. Distractions should be minimised and observations should be done without intruding or causing unnecessary stress. Teaching and learning has been developed using research carried out by many psychologists who have studied human development and this work has influenced teaching and learning methods. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) theory of learning suggests that children constructed or built up thoughts according to their experiences of the world around them.He used the term ‘schema’ to refer to a child’s conclusions or thoughts. He saw learning as an ongoing process with children needing to adapt their original ideas if a new piece of information contradicted their conclusion. Piaget suggests that as children develop so does their thinking. He grouped children’s cognitive development into four stages. Sensori- motor (0-2 years) includes the development of object permanence, the beginning of the use of symbols e. g. language. Pre-operational (2-7 years) Child uses symbols in play and thought, this stage involves egocentrism, centration, animism and the inability to conserve.Concrete operational (7-11 years) there is the ability to conserve, beginning of solving mental problems using practical supports such as counters The final stage is Formal Operational (1 1-15 years) young people can now think about situations they have not experienced and are able to juggle with ideas in their minds. Piaget's work has lead to early years and schools settings providing more hands on relevant tasks for children and young people. With teachers starting by working out the needs of the children then planning activities accordingly.B F Skinner (1904-90) suggested that most humans and animals learn through exploring the environment, and then drawing conclusions based on the consequences of their behaviour, people are therefore active in the learning process. Skinner divided the consequences of actions into three groups. Positive reinforcers are likely to make people repeat behaviour when they get something they desire. This is according to Skinner the most effective way of encouraging new learning. Negative reinforcers are likely to make people repeat behaviour as well but the behaviour is repeated to stop something happening.A child going down a slide mig ht learn to use their hands to slow them down if they were feeling unhappy about speed. Immediate positive reinforcers were considered more effective by Skinner. He also found that it wasn’t always clear what the primary reinforce was until after the experiment. For example a child may behave badly in order to gain attention and they will repeat the behaviour even if they are in ‘trouble’ as gaining the attention is the positive reinforcer. This ‘operant conditioning’ is frequently used by those working with children for example giving praise, reward stickers or certificates are positive reinforcers.Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) posited the ecological systems theory which has the individual at the centre of the model which has five systems. The microsystem which includes activities and interactions in the child's immediate surroundings such as parents, school and friends. The mesosystem refers to the relationships between the entities involved in t he child’s microsytems parent’s relationships with teachers etc. The exosystem are the social institutions which affect children indirectly such as parents work setting, mass media and extended family networks. The macrosystem or the broader cultural values, law, governmental resources.The chronosytem refers to the changes which occur during a child’s life both personally and culturally (or the child’s transitions) In the ecological model each component interacts with other components, making a highly complex context the child grows up in. The child isn’t just a passive recipient of what goes on in his or her life. The child at the centre of the model and interacts directly with the people in the microsystems and the effects of the interaction go both ways. As people affect the child, so the child has an influence on them. 3. 1 Identify the transitions experienced by most children and young people.Transitions might simply be defined as any stage or experience in the life of a child or young person that can affect behaviour and/or development. They are generally linked to changes in a person’s appearance, activity status, roles and relationships as well as changes of setting. Common transitions which are foreseen that most children and young people will experience include progressing from one level of development to another for example puberty, entering adulthood; starting nursery or school; moving schools for example primary to secondary school; moving class, starting college or training; entering work or first sexual experiences. . 2 Identify transitions that only some children and young people may experience Some children and young people will experience personal transitions which are often unforeseen and happen to only some individuals. Personal transitions can include death or serious illness of a family member or friend; parental separation or divorce, moving house, going into hospital; living with disability, dea th of a pet, arrival of a new baby or step-siblings, changes in their main carer such as adoption, fostering, entering or leaving the care system and the process of asylum.Family circumstance may lead to personal transitions for a child or young person some of these include, poverty; environment; employment status; child abuse and neglect; substance abuse and mental health needs. 3. 3 Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people’s behaviour and development Change is not always disruptive and distressing. When facing change it is natural to experience feeling of uncertainty and confusion, however, there can often be positive effects.There may be for example increased levels of motivation, promoting development, educational progress, confidence, good health improved self-esteem and increased independence. Many children make successful transitions but for those who do not there can be problems for example decreased levels of motivation, development al delay, educational delay, depression, ill health and poor self esteem. This can have negative implications for the future, affecting health, ability to achieve and enjoyment of childhood.Change is more likely to cause emotional distress when it is completely unexpected and unanticipated for example bereavement. Signs of distress might include changes in the child or young person’s behaviour such as demonstrating uncharacteristic behaviour, becoming withdrawn or quiet, becoming angry, anxious, attention seeking or temporary regression in developmental and self – help skills or even bed wetting. They may demonstrate their concern through play or drawings or stories and some may want to talk.High levels of distress can be further exacerbated when children are not kept informed, feel out of control and cannot access emotional support. To alleviate some this anxiety and stress, preparation is an essential part of managing transitions and most settings will have establish ed procedures for preparing children for transfers and transitions using the ‘ten principles to support children’s transitions’ developed by the National Children’s Bureau for example a Transitions Policy stating the schools aims and procedures.The teaching assistant should keep an eye out for changes in behaviour, encourage pupils to use any school based support for example talking to an adult that they trust, work to ensure positive relationships, be sensitive to pupils’ needs, and ensure that there is opportunity to discuss what is happening and to ask questions. If advance notice has been given that a child or group of children may be going through a period of change, this will give the opportunity to plan how support can be given.For many children the move to nursery or primary school is a big step which can lead some children to experience anxiety and stress when they first attend the new setting. This anxiety and stress may be caused by separ ation from parent or carer, encountering unfamiliar children, length of time spent in the setting, differences in culture and language from the child’s previous experiences, unfamiliar routine and rules, worry about doing the wrong thing, taking part in unfamiliar activities e. . PE. The unfamiliar physical environment may seem scary. Children may have difficult in following adult direction and more structured activities or find it difficult to concentrate for longer periods than previously. Schools make these first days and weeks easier by arranging for children to have already met their new teacher, who may have visited them in their current setting or at home as well as welcoming them to their new setting.Introductory visit may have been arranged for children and their parents or carers so that they can become familiar with the setting and the adults who will support and care for them there. Children can also be helped to prepare for this change by talking and explaining w hat is going to happen, listening to their concerns and reassuring them. Using appropriate resources such as books on starting primary school or secondary school or watching videos or TV programmes which shows the change positively.Providing opportunities for imaginative play so children can express their feelings and fears can also help. A holistic approach is needed when engaging with pupils as outlined in the government intuitive Every Child Matters (2003). Its main aims are for every child, whatever their background or circumstances, to have the support they need to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. ECM also states that everyone in our society is responsible for securing these outcomes.Families, communities, Government, public services, voluntary organisations, business, the media and others all have a part to play in valuing, protecting and promoting the interest of and listening to children. This has led to each of these themes having a detailed framework attached whose outcomes require multi-agency partnerships working together to achieve. The agencies in partnership may include children's centres, early years, schools, children's social work services, primary and secondary health services play work, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health services.In the past it has been argued that children and families have received poorer services because of the failure of professionals to understand each other's roles or to work together effectively in a multi-disciplinary manner. ECM seeks to change this, stressing that it is important that all professionals working with children are aware of the contribution that could be made by their own and each other's service and to plan and deliver their work with children and young people accordingly.The Equality Act 2010 states that schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against anyone including pupils because of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity and marriage or civil partnership. From April 2011 the Act introduced a single Equality Duty (public sector only) which applies to schools, this requires schools to have due regard to the need to  eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations.Advancing equality of opportunity involves removing and minimising disadvantages, taking steps to meet people’s needs and encouraging participation in any activity in which participation by such people is disproportionately low. Fostering good relations involves tackling prejudice and promoting understanding. Schools along with many other policies will now have an Equality Policy. For example the school in which I volunteer has such a policy stating its mission statement and its aims and objectives with regards to equality.As already stated there is both a legal and moral responsibility to treat all pupils fairly and as individuals with individual needs. Consequently, it is important that all who work as part of the school team are aware of this policy and of their responsibilities with regards to equality. In conclusion, in this assignment I have endeavoured to illustrate the importance of understanding all the aspects of child development 0 to 19 years in order to support them as they move through their time in education.

In what ways have changes in technology led to changes Essay

The technological advances of today had greatly influenced the conceptualization up to implementation of software architectures. Miniaturization of hardware dependence, further enhancement of capabilities and features, faster processing time for the most accurate result(s), and the most considered by many as the most important of all, improvement of user-friendliness were only just an ample of the trends happening today for the software industry. Since these were the trends, software architects had to cope up with the peoples demand for better software interaction experience. The large computers that occupy a whole room but do the same capabilities of our personal computers nowadays were had long been obsolete. Computers had long been recognized by many as a nice help for human living. Man then realized that computers need to be portable in order that man could bring it wherever he goes and utilize it whenever he likes or whenever he needed. Hardware for computers is now made to be as compact as possible, (great example would be the hardware of mobile phones). This trend is then accompanied by the need for better algorithms and implementation codes. The task for creating such algorithms and codes had turned to be more complex as time goes. Software makers had then thought that it is better that this problem be distributed to a group of people so that it would be easier to solve. People they will select to handle the task should have the knowledge for the specific task he should do. And then after this creation of algorithm phase, the remaining problem would then be how the person to use would utilize the code without requiring him to know all the science behind it. Technology is fast changing. Computer and software improvements are a part of this changing technology. That is why the field of software architecture emerged. References: Software Architecture. Retrieved July 10, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Software_architecture.

Killer applications in Government offices: Discussion

Over the last five years almost everybody has fallen victim of technology proliferation in government offices. It is common to find PCs, voice mail applications, answering machines, fax machines, and other related hardware on many desks. Technology is indeed reversing the way people do things. Whether the reversed and dynamic way is increasing individual productivity is a mystery that is often unnoticeable. Advent of enhanced technology in non-white collar jobs has truly led to high productivity. However, this is not true for white collar jobs.Basically, it appears that technology has not brought same goodies in office setting as it has in other fields. This may be partly due to absence of adequate measurement. It is not easy to ascertain productivity in non manufacturing jobs. On the other hand, it is the case that human beings are not good at realizing potential embedded in technology. In itself, technology is not capable of producing enhanced services. If one is working in an offi ce that has increased its access to computers and computer applications, it is vital that one understand why increased productivity does not follow automatically.A necessary and or desirable computer program that when applied increases productivity or sales of an already existing computer application can be referred as a killer application. Currently many governments have set up telecentres by embracing information and communication Technology (ICT) throughout the country. This is part of technology based e-center application to monitor service delivery in government offices. It provides public with affordable and meaningful information on service delivery. The e-center applications have increased the productivity of both public service providers and government officers.Being aware that somebody somewhere is monitoring and keeping record over internet of where, when, and how one delivers his or her service to entire public is challenging. This explains why the application has gone u nnoticed for many years. In conclusion, besides increasing productivity, e-center applications can enhance accountability and effectiveness in government operations and services, improve government service to businesses and industry, and more significantly, modernize and enable efficient service delivery to the public. References Harris, K. (2005) ICT for service delivery, e-center for Society & policy making, UNDP: Task Force.

Construction Safety Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Construction Safety - Research Paper Example The management may be prompted to continue with the construction under the prevailing conditions reason being that they are behind schedule, in order to avert the possibility of incurring losses. However, as the safety director, it would be essential to ensure that all regulations stipulated by OSHA are followed to the letter before any more progress on the construction can be made. This is due to the fact that the company would stand to lose a lot of revenue in the case of accidents occurring due to negligence. In such an occurrence, the company may be faced by numerous claims for compensation of victims or even risk the possibility of being denied the license to operate due to its poor profile in ensuring safety in the work place (Hinze, 2003). Once the scaffoldings are set to standard, it would be suggested that the company hires an extra work force to compensate for the lost time so as to finish the project on time. By so doing, the reputation of the company as well as its employ ee’s welfare would be protected, thereby ensuring that it stays in

Assig 14 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assig 14 - Essay Example It runs deep within the corporate culture. Worth remarked, â€Å"Culture comes from purpose. They changed their purpose from quality to growth and the behavior changed accordingly. In a sense, with that change in purpose, some trouble was inevitable.†(Worth,2010) At the same time, Toyota found itself struggling to inculcate newcomers in the companys unique culture -- The Toyota Way. Kazuo Akatsuka, 55, saw the generational change first-hand and worried at the signs of change..(Layne et.al, 2010) b.2) Family ownership of the Toyoda family of the company. Ownership and Leadership can be considered as a deterrent factor for innovations in the company. If the owner and at the same time head or CEO is weak, then failures of the company could be reflective of a bad leadership. For example, Reuter’s article described, â€Å" Toyota President Akio Toyoda was criticized for not acting quickly enough when the automakers safety issues first came to light earlier this year †¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Kim, C.R., 2010). Primarily, to address the quality sleepage in view of the total recall campaign, Toyota now commits to achieve â€Å"zero customer complaints† (Toyota, 2010) and its strategies are more inclined to be Incremental technological innovation characterized by technological change that represents a continual refinement of some base technology. Now that they have discovered the root of the problem, TMC vowed to stretch out their workforce to do the refinements. (Layne,et.al.,2010) After years of sterling reliability and the final setback with the Total Recall Campaign, President A. Toyoda remarked, "We need a renewed commitment to placing customers first and to reviewing all our work processes from the customers perspective," (Kim, 2010). The above question would be similar to Takeuchi’s question â€Å"how does the company (TMC) cope up with the hazards of constant change and growth?â€Å" The answer is they