A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra Essay

A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra - Essay Example Franz Joseph Haydn, the leading composer of the classical period who is renowned as â€Å"Father of the symphony† as well as â€Å"Father of the string quartet† (Last.fm, 2008). To add to the glory of the event, the third piece which was played was Symphony No.2 other wise called Little Russian, composed by the Great Russian composer, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. The dynamics involved in the piece Iron Diamond were Adagio-Vivace assai, Adagio, Menuetto Allegretto, Finale and Vivace whereas the second piece included Andante sostenuto-Allegro vivo, Andantino marziale quasi moderato and Scherzo. The movements in Symphony No.2 were Allegro molto vivace, Finale and Moderato assai. The concert was conducted by Nan Harrison Washburn, the music director of Plymouth Canton Symphony Society and winner of sixteen ASCAP awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music from American Symphony Orchestra League (Plymouth, 2008). The harmony of Flute, Piano, Violin, Bassoon, Clarinet, Horn and other wind instruments left the audience float in the thin air of music. The concert was arranged to inspire music lovers and was promoted as a research scenario for the music students as the ticket rates were discounted for them. The performance was well enjoyed by the crowd as they could be found lost in another world of dreams and passions.

GORE TEX Essay Example for Free

GORE TEX Essay Gore-Tex is a multinational textile company. It was first founded by Bill and Vieve Gore as W.L. Gore Associates in 1958. The company started with serving the electronic products market. In 1969, Bob Gore independently discovered expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and introduced in the market as Gore-Tex. In today’s date Gore-Tex is more focused on electronics, fabrics, industrial and medical products. It is a company that keeps on sustain its business with innovative design and improving the quality and service by understanding customer’s need and requirement. It is one of the 200 largest privately held U.S. companies. It has also been awarded as 21st best place to work in overall â€Å"100 best companies to work for in United States† in 2013. As it is a multinational company it has revenue of $ 3 billion and overall 10,000 employees working for the company all over the world. (Gore, 2013) As we look into the company they function in a very unique way. They follow the inversion of traditional management principal through which there are no manager, bosses and fixed assigned job. They only have leaders that they have to follow as per their wish and contribute their knowledge and skills to make the project successful. At Gore-Tex people are free to come up with their own ideas and innovation. As there is no position hierarchy they are all fair to each other. They also encourage each other to grow in knowledge and responsibility as they believe growth within the staff member will help in the growth of a company. Gore-Tex Company once has hired outsider to work on project which had a negative impact on the company, they had to bring their existing staff member from other branch to help them improve. When associates are hired, they are guided by sponsor, growing understanding of opportunities and team’s goal. This all happens in an environment that combines freedom w ith cooperation and autonomy with synergy. (Gore, 2013) So, Building trust and organizing team work with the  employees is the one of the key success factor of the company. Leader at Gore-Tex â€Å"Leadership is a process whereby an individual influence’s a group of individual to achieve a common goal’’ (Northouse, 2013). At Gore-Tex Company there is fairness among all the leaders and associates. The leaders in Gore-Tex consult with other associates within the company before undertaking any action that would impact the company’s reputation. They have different types of leader some are leaders of project, some are team leader. When an individual survey was done at Gore 50% of the associates said they are leaders. Leaders at Gore are followers as well. They believe to be a leader you need to be a follower as well. Leaders can’t be leader without having any followers. As a leader when they come up with their innovative design they share with the associates and convince them to follow them. The leader can only influence people to follow them if they have earned respect with their knowledge and skills. The company believes that one should be able to convince other associates if they want to come up a leader. In other word they should earn their position as a leader. Being a leader in Gore-Tex is hard as compared to other organisation. In other companies they have their positional power as a leader. When it comes to Gore-Tex they should be able to convince their follower to maintain their position (Hamel, 2010). We can see there is a very high level of trust within the leader and associates in the organization. As today they may be the leader but tomorrow they will another leader. The leader of the team is also elected from the team member itself. The leader is not chosen to command the team members, but to act as the representative of the team and to create coordination among them to achieve goal. Leaders in Gore-Tex are seemed to be transformational leadership as they are energetic, enthusiastic and passionate and they seemed to be concerned about the growth of their team members. (Cherry, 2013) They are also emergent leaders as they are emerged with respect to the respond they get from group of employees that work in Gore-Tex. â€Å"When others perceive an individual as the most influential member of group or an organization, regardless of the individual’s title, the person is exhibiting emergent leadership†. (Northhouse, 2013) As we looked into the case study we can identify that company operates in a very distinctive way. There are no  managers or bosses in the company but only leaders and associates. When an independent survey was done 50 % of Gore’s associates said that they all are leaders. In Gore Individual employee become leader by convincing other associates about their ideas. They create their own idea and share among the associates and the people who believe in the idea will support and follow them. There are different types of leadership styles and theories like Transactional and Transformational. When we look into transactional leaders there are usually rewarding and punishment. Although the performance is based on the followers, both leaders and associates maintain their relation as give and take. When someone performs well then they will be rewarded and if they are not performing properly they will be punished. (Cherry, 2013) â€Å"Transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and mora lity in the leaders and the followers†.(Downton, 1973) The concept of Transformational leader was introduced by James Burns, he explained Transformational leader are those who come up with their own creative ideas and innovation which will help to lead the top level management of an organization to achieve similar goal. It is also a process that changes, transforms people, concerns with emotion, values ethics, standard and long-term goal (Northouse, 2013). As in Gore-Tex there is no layer of positioning among the staff members. They have different team and the team are led by team members. They all show the characteristics of transformational leadership. They come up with their own ideas and strategy which they put among their associates and convince them to follow. Not only ideas, but the contribution or effort they put will help them to show the direction through which they can achieve goal. Comparing with the case study we can see that Gore-Tex influence there associates to come up with their idea and lead the group. Unlike in other company, associates in Gore-Tex do what is beneficial for the overall company. There is no pressure or fixed job assigned to the associates. So, they have to be leader when they come with their own innovative ideas. There is high level of trust among the employees within the company, which will help the leader to convince their follower. It is also said to be a leader you need to be a follower as well. We can also see when an associate come with a new idea, they share with everyone so that other employee interested in the idea will support and contribute. As a leader in Gore-Tex you should understand that their job is to unite team member and organize them to accomplish the objective. As we look into the Managerial Grid it helps us to give the idea about how leaders will help an organization to achieve its goal. This model is based on two factors that are â€Å"Concern for production† and â€Å"Concern for the people†. This theory was introduced by Blake Mouton, where they stated that leaders are likely to be successful if there is a balance between concern for people and the common objective. It can also be taken as a graphical plot where leader should evaluate the importance of task and the employees. As shown in the above figure leader’s behaviour are separated in two dimension, concern of the production fall in x-axis and concern of people falls in y-axis. It helps us to show the different leadership style followed by the leaders. The managerial grid also helps us to rate the leaders according to their orientation towards the production and the people. The leaders who values the importance of their team and is also focused in the personal growth of their team members while moving forward towards the objective belongs to the concern for people. Similarly, the leaders who are more focused towards achieving the concrete objective falls in concern for the production. There are different types of leadership style shown by the Managerial Grid. They are as follows: 1) Country club leadership (1,9) :- In this leadership style, leaders are usually focused in the maintaining their relationship with their people. They are more concerned about the creating a friendly and pleasant working environment. In this leadership style the outcome level of production in low. 2) Produce or perish leadership (9,1):- In this leadership style, leaders basically focused on their work to be completed. There are less bother about the employees need and their personal development. Their main target is to achieve the objective. In this style the production will be high and the concern for the people will be less. 3) Impoverished leadership (1,1):- In this type of leadership, leader is neither much interested in maintaining relationship with people nor concerned about the production. This type of leadership style will lead towards less production and low satisfactory level of their people. It is likely to result in failure or dissatisfaction. 4) Middle of the Road Leadership (5,5):- In this leadership style, leader tries to balance both the relation with employees and production. These kinds of leaders are average performers as they tries to maintain and compromise both the concerning factors. 5) Team leadership (9,9):- The leaders are highly focused on maintaining both the production and satisfaction level of the people. This type of leadership will lead towards high production and satisfaction level. These leaders are also successful leader as they balances the both concerning factors to the maximum level. This kind of leadership will helps organization to achieve its objective. When we look into the case study we can see that leaders in Gore-Tex are highly focused in maintaining the outcome of production and the relation of their fellow employees. They also have a strong relationship between the company and the associates. The member of the team is also focused towards reaching their target. The team leader will balance everything thing in a very high level. They will increase the production as well as help their people in the personal growth. As we know the (9,9) managerial grid explains that the employees understand the value of the organizations objective and is determined to achieve it. So, these characteristics can prove that, leaders in Gore-Tex belong to the (9,9) Team management where leaders are highly concern about the production and their people. Motivation at Gore-Tex â€Å"Getting the best from people, achieving results through individuals and teams, maintaining consistent high performance, inspiring oneself and other into action is known as motivation† (Adair, 2004) In Gore-Tex motivation has been another key factor for the success of their business. They motivate their staff members by encouraging them to work in their own interested areas. The associates are allowed to choose their own work field. If you work at Gore-Tex you are not paid for your work but for the contribution you have made towards the project. In Gore-Tex the associates will evaluate the contribution made by their colleagues and hence the earning is determined. This will lead to self-motivation where all the associates will be satisfied and there won’t be any discrimination. If Gore-Tex makes more profit than the company’s expectancy, it is divided among the leader and the associate though which can motivate staff member to be more focused towards their work. Another motivating factor at Gore-Tex is there is no restriction for anything. The information freely flows within the organization and anyone can directly contact anyone and get what they needed to be successful. (Hamel, 2010)Bill Gore was influenced by the theory of Douglas McGregor, â€Å"The Human Side of Enterprise†. It explained the theory X as the traditional view of direction and control and theory Y as the integration of individual and organizational goals. (Hamel, 2010) Douglas McGregor has developed the above theory X and theory Y based from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In this theory he explains that management should be aware of this given factors to motivate their employees. Both the theories have factors that belong to human behaviour, but if the management choose the theory Y rather than theory X then they will have a better result. (Adair,2004) This theory simply explains the human behaviour at their work place and towards their organization. Theory X:- Theory X explains that the human behaviour will try to ignore the work and will try to negotiate as much as possible. The reason for them to dislike or avoid the work is because they are controlled, pressurized, directed or used them to provide the adequate effort towards the organizational goal. As the employee is not willing to take the responsibility, a close supervision is required in form of supervisors and manager. When manager and supervisors take their action they mostly use directive style. In this way the employee will lose their working ambition. Theory Y:- This theory explains that supervision, punishment, control are not only the factors that will make people to add effort in their work to achieve the organizational goal. If people are committed to the work then they will be give their best without anyone supervision. It also says that average employee will not only accept the responsibility but they will look for more responsibilities. The people have their own style of creativity and understanding. Organization should be able to use people the creativity, skills as a means of resource and solve their problem. According to the case study, In Gore-Tex they are free to choose and work in their interested areas. There is no specific job assigned by their leader it’s only the contribution they make towards their work. They don’t have any form of close supervision to control them. There are only leaders and they help to guide them in moving forward towards their goal. The Gore-Tex follows theory Y as their motivating factor. People in Gore-Tex are highly motivated as there is independence in work and the environment within the company helps them to be responsible and to seek more responsibility. Groups, Teams and Team leaders at Gore-Tex â€Å"A group of individual who are united to achieve a common objective that is too large to achieve by single individual is known as team† (Boller, 2005). Team work is required in each and every business organisation. In Gore-Tex Team work Play a vital role in functioning and operating of the business. The team member in Gore-Tex plans own way of functioning, objectives and plans to achieve the goal. The team members are the ones who elect their leader. Although leaders will help them to facilitate the achievement of objective, the team member will have the knowledge of the product they are working on. In Gore- the team members will decide the earning of the colleagues according to the contribution they have made towards the project. If an employee is interested in a project and feels like they can contribute, the team members will discuss the commitment and decide their involvement in new team. The team members directly communicate between themselves easily and are aware of the changes happening in the company. Gore-Tex is a team based, Flat Lattice Organization where all team members are equally responsible to help each other to gain the objective. (Gore, 2013) Team work has always played a vital role in each and every organization. Team works helps the work to be more efficient, convenient, faster and easier. It also helps the work level to be divided among all the team members so that an individual alone will not be pressurized. An effective team work will lead an organization towards its goal. Now-a-days each and every organization is focused in creating effective teams. Teams are usually build with respect, trust, understanding and similar goals. A team can only be effective if each and every member of team contributes equally. There are different types of team according to its nature. They are as follows: 1) Functional teams 2) Cross functional teams 3) Self-directed teams 1) Functional teams: These are the teams that work on particular department with the vertical layers. These are the team that has a manager and his fellowship of a particular sector. For example, a team working on a marketing sector consists of a manager and the staff members who will be focused in marketing department only. Basically it is a layer of staff members from different hierarchy functioning together in particular sector to achieve a goal. 2) Cross-functional teams: The expertise of different department but will come and work together as a team to achieve the organization goal are known as Cross-functional team. The cross functional team are usually temporary. They have specialized skills and experience. They are bought together to achieve or complete a particular task. 3) Self-directed teams:- These are the team that works without any supervision. These team take relative action themselves to solve day to day problems. These team members also have access to information that helps them in making decision, operating day to day function and improving their operation. When we compare the different types of team with the case study we can see that the teams in Gore-Tex fall into self-managing team. They team member in Gore-Tex are self-responsible for the functioning and operating of the business. They don’t need any supervision and they are also allowed to access to all the information. The teams in Gore-Tex are also independent as they have greater flexibility. In Gore-Tex the team member has better response for their work done. It will help to increase more commitment towards their work and organization. We can also see that associates in Gore-Tex are self-motivated and they don’t depend on anyone. Recommendation Conclusion:- From the above study we can see that in Gore-Tex leaders are using transformational leadership style to lead their people. They have been successful in motivating their staff to meet the company’s objective. Although we can see that in Gore-Tex they don’t assign any particular work for their associates the company is still doing well. They believe there should be trust and understanding between the team members. The leader leading the team should be admired by their followers. The leaders also influence and help their associate in their personal development. The team members are self-motivated and help each other to function properly. We can also acknowledge that Gore-Tex has a very distinctive working environment. Although they are successful in running their business they should still maintain some rules and regulation within the organization. They should also create a hierarchy level because money is not only the motivating factor. Employee can get motivated by their job position. As there is no seniority level in the company and if they hire a new staff member they might have misunderstanding which may lead to divided teams within the organization. As Gore-Tex is multinational company and they have branches in different part of the world. So, they should adjust their company’s policy putting diversity factors in account. They should at least have a department head that should be responsible for running day- to day operation. Gore-Tex doesn’t assign any task to their associates which may lead into missing of the task that was supposed to be competed. As in Gore-Tex people get paid according to amount of contribution they make towards their work. This sometime may be demotivating as the associates may not be satisfied with the  money they received for they contribution they made to complete the task. In overall, Gore-Tex should have a layer of hierarchy. They should also maintain some regulation which should be followed by all the associates. They should also introduce some professionalism such as formal communication in their organization. They use transformational leadership which might not work in each and every situation. As they are free to choose their task, associates who doesn’t like challenges will always choose easier task. So, the task level should be equally divided. References:- Gore-Tex company information available at www. gore.co.uk Gore-Tex leadership Style available at www.gore.co.uk Peter G. Northouse, (2013) leadership: theory and practice. 6th edition, California; Sega publications Neil Thomas Ed, (2004) The John Adair handbook of Management and leadership. Thorogood Garry Hamel, (2010) Innovation Democracy: W.L Gore’s original management model available at www.managementexchange.com Kendra Cherry,(2013) transformational leaders available at www.psychology.about.com Leadership image available at www.google.co.uk

Effects Of Parental Involvement In The Education

Effects Of Parental Involvement In The Education Parent involvement is a valuable component of any students education. It is a well-established fact that parental involvement is linked to childrens success at school. When parents are involved in their childrens education at home, they do better in school. (Henderson and Berla, 1994) The level of parent-school involvement is a better predictor of grades than are standardized test scores. (Desimone, 1999) The 12 years of 180 six-hour days spent in school add up to only 13% of a students waking, learning time during the first 18 years of life. The rest, 87% is spent out of school, primarily at home. (Walberg) What is important is not the type of school, or who goes there, but the quality of its relationship with the families. (Henderson and Map, 2002) Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond. (Henderson and Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005) Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article A New generation of Evidence, state that the family is critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the schools they go to are better. There is a strong correlation between parental involvement and increased academic achievement. 2.2 Conceptual Underpinnings of the study Parental involvement was defined as including several different forms of parent participation in education and with the schools. Parents can support their childrens schooling by attending school functions, responding to school obligations (parent-teacher conferences, for example), and becoming involved in their childrens schoolwork. They provide encouragement, arrange for appropriate study time and space, model desired behavior (such as reading for pleasure), monitor homework, and actively tutor their children. (Henderson and Berla, 1994) Parent is used in this study to include guardians, grand-parents, foster parents and anybody who takes care of the children. (Kathleen Karen, 1989) In the 1980s, the United States became particularly concerned with the quality of its educational system. Parental involvement in schools became a major issue. Communities also become more watchful of the expense of public education, while local schools became concerned with continuous provision of high-quality teaching and other services. All of this occurred in a time of dwindling resources. Additionally, parents wanted assurance that their children were receiving preparation adequate to lead rewarding adult lives (Kathleen Karen, 1989). Riley (as cited in Moles, 2000) explained that parents are the essential link in improving American education, and schools simply have to do a better job of reaching out to them (p. vii). Parental expectations regarding their children appear to be a constant in childrens academic achievement and social adjustment. Although many parents may not be certain how to help their children with assignments, with guidance and support they can become actively involved in home learning activities, have an opportunity to teach, be models, and guide their children (Michigan Department of Education, 2001). He became interested in how schools in the U.S. involve parents in the education of their children because of the situation in my home country, Cameroon. During his education in Africa, I observed that students whose parents were not involved in their education did not perform well. Many dropped out of school or failed to further their education. In the United States, parental involvement is discussed as a major focus. That is not the case in Cameroon. There, parents have little voice in pedagogy and content. According to Keane (2007), parental involvement improves the chances of childrens success at school, yet research suggests that parent participation may be on the decline. Keane further asserted that student achievement represents more than just grades. Attendance, students attitudes toward school, student behavior, and the drop-out rate all connect with student achievement. A report conducted by Desforges and Abouchaar (2003), showed that enhanced parental involvement leads to better academic performance, better attendance, and improved behavior at home and school (p. 44). 2.3 Context of Parental Involvement In the post-World War II Era (1945-1950s), parental involvement included participation in parent conferences, monitoring of homework, signing of report cards, attending PTA meetings, and fundraising events. In the 1960s educators and policy makers focused on parental involvement as a way to improve educational success for the poor and underachieving students. This led to the development of a variety of models and strategies to promote such parental involvement (Milbrey Shields, 1987). In 1965, Haiman began experimenting with parent involvement program strategies. He designed and wrote the Parental Involvement Performance Standards for the National Head Start and this was used as a consultant to Head Start throughout the nation (Haiman, 1965). In 1968 he spoke on the relevance of curriculum, administration and community involvement (Chicago Tribune, 1968). By 1979, many schools had started incorporating parental involvement into their school programs. Parental involvement in special education programs also increased (Los Angeles Times, 1979). By 1989, the National Education Organization had started incorporating parental involvement programs in their agendas. They provided training to school staff and parents on parental involvement. The School Board Association produced sample school policies on parental involvement which they believed would make schools more secure and more likely, academic development would take place. Best practices and models to support parental involvement were developed. Many reports were written to recommend the necessity of parental involvement in school improvement (USA Today, 1989). In the 1990s, studies demonstrated that parental involvement could predict academic achievement. Parental involvement was considered an integral part of the school curriculum. The level of parental involvement was increased in most of the school districts across the nation (USA Today, 1990). Today, laws have been created to enforce parental involvement in schools including provisions of NCLB and School Accountability Teams. Movements for community control of education such as the education of low-income children, special education students, and English Language Learners have been developed to meet the needs of students. Districts focus on implementing strategies to promote parent, family, and community involvement (National Center for School Engagement, 2004). The Family Strengthening Policy Center (2004) established that states can develop a state-wide network to support teachers preparation for parental involvement, and also provide technical assistance to local districts and schools on how to get parents involved. School districts must have a written policy for administrative support and training for staff, parents and community members on parent involvement programs. The community should be able to advocate with state education agencies and school districts to promot e widespread and effective parental involvement policies and practices. According to the U.S. Department of Education (1997) a sustained mutual collaboration, support, and participation of school staff and families are required for a successful school-family partnerships and childrens learning. Although the success of school family partnerships is difficult to reach, it is important to note that the benefits to children and their educational success depends on hard work required to sustain the school-family partnerships (Epstein, Coates, Salinas, Sanders, Simon, 1997). In line with the mandates of NCLB, the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) has developed statewide standards which establish expectations for all New Mexico public school students. These standards require every district in New Mexico to develop an Education Plan for Student Success (EPSS) a long-range strategic plan to promote students success and continuous school improvement (Parents Searching Out, 2009). Parent involvement in learning activity is a strategy that was found by Epstein (1995) to increase the educational effectiveness of the time that parents and children spend together at home. Teachers and parents agree on the involvement of parents, seventy one percent of principals and fifty nine percent of teachers called it a priority based on research conducted by. Those schools whose parental involvement is strong provide a lot of benefit to the students. How Strong Communication Contributes to Student and School Success: Parent and Family Involvement shows that improved parental involvement not only leads to academic achievement, but to better attendance and improved behavior at home and school as well. When school and home work together collaboratively, and using a competent approach to education, it can make a huge difference in student achievement. (Padgett 2006) The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) suggests that a formal policy be created. Lack of planni ng was seen as one of the most challenging aspects to more involvement. Walberg on Families in Educational Productivity states that there is no question that parent involvement represents an exceptionally powerful way of making schools more effective, and of dramatically enriching childrens experiences. Some research indicates that achievement among students in primary schools have identified theories and policies which play significant roles in parent involvement in education (Fan and Chen, 2001; Hill and Tyson, 2009). These theories and policies not only closed the education gap in terms of demographics they also maximize student potential. Parent involvement is so important that The No Child Left Behind Act (National PTA, 2006) is a Federal Policy that puts a mandate on parental involvement in education and family-school relations across primary school levels. However, despite the consensus about how important it is for family and school to work together across developmental stages, theories of parent involvement in education have been based on the pr imary school students in their context and do not focus on the changes that occur with middle school and early adolescent development (Hill and Taylor, 2004; Hill and Tyson, 2009). The Title 1 program is also a government mandated program developed to increase parent involvement and educational services for disadvantaged children. This program placed the emphasis on parental involvement as the primary means of improving the quality of education of low income children (Kim O. Yap and Enoki, 1995). One may ask the question why parents should become involved in their childrens literacy activities. The evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their childrens education in general and literacy activities in particular is overwhelming. (Fan and Chen 2001) in their meta-analysis found that parental involvement positively affects academic performance. Feinstein Symons, 1999 point out in their research that parental involvement leads to academic achievement. Epsteins framework of six types of involvement are as follows: parenting which help all families establish home environments to support children as students; Communicating from home to school and school to home about school programs and student progress; Volunteering by organizing parent help and support. Learning at home by providing information and ideas from families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities; decisions and planning; Parents should be included in decision making; involve parent leaders and representatives; Collaborating with the community by identifying and integrating resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Students value their education when they see the interest shown by their parents. Barge, Loges (2003), highlight the fact that government supports parental involvement. According to Moosa, Karabenick, Adam (2001), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the alliance between home and school has dramatically changed throughout the history of formal education, as have the roles and functions that parents and teachers are expected to fulfill (p. 477). Throughout time, parents have been portrayed as both friend and foe in the course of educational reform (Callahan, Rademacher, Hildreth, 1998). Historically, parental involvement wasnt always a welcomed addition to the school community, and even today some view parent-school relations as a power struggle. Shaver and Walls, (1998) reported that some research found little to no effect of parental involvement on school achievement for middle age students. For the most part however, teachers and administrators welcome a helping hand in the overcrowded classrooms of the public schools and agree that parental involvement is one way to bridge reading comprehension gaps. Today, it is widely recognized that parents play an essential role in their childrens school life. Numerous types of parental involvement have been shown to develop cognitive growth and success in school (Shaver and Walls, 1998). Schools are working hand in hand with parents, Edwards, and Alldred (2000); describe parents and schools as policy makers with similar functions when it comes to children. Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson and Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005). Shaver and Walls, (1998), are also in support, they point out that the connection between parents and school achievement is real. The Epstein case studies are another research that supports parent involvement. Epstein (2002), used the Comprehensive School Reform Model (CSR) demonstrates how collaborative work produces positive outcomes. These studies were conducted in certain states, in selected school within the school districts. Educators, parents and community partners worked collaboratively on action teams to plan the curriculum. The programs are evaluated before being implemented in order to assess how well the plans connected family and school-community involvement. Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article A New generation of Evidence, state that the family is critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the schools they go to are better. Regardless of socioeconomic status or race, studies show a direct correlation between parental involvement and a childs academic achievement (Williams 1992). 2.4 Parental Involvement and Achievement It is well established that parental involvement is correlated with school achievement of both children and adolescents (Long, 2007). Primary school children gain greater academic, language, and social skills (Grolnick Slowiaczek, 1994), primary school students have greater achievement and future aspirations (Eccles Harold, 1993) and spend more time doing and completing homework (Epstein Sanders, 2002). Research shows that parental involvement is more important to childrens academic success than their familys socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background (Amatea West, 2007). Parental involvement can encourage childrens and adolescents achievement in many ways. One way that parents can contribute positively to their childrens education is to assist them with their academic work at home. Parents who read to their children, assist them with their homework, and provide tutoring using resources provided by teachers tend to do better in school than children whose parents do not assist their children (Izzo et al., 1999). Additionally, in a study conducted by Callahan, Rademacher and Hildreth (1998) on twenty-six lower to middle-class at risk sixth and seventh grade white students, students mathematics scores increased when parents became involved with assisting them at home. In the Callahan et al. study, parents were trained for duration of ten weeks on how to implement home-based self management and reinforcement strategies. Shaver and Walls (1998) conducted a similar parent training with seventy-four Title I students in second to eighth grade. Their study sho wed that regardless of gender or socioeconomic status of the child, parent involvement increased the scores of both mathematics and reading. Other parental involvement strategies that are said to assist children academically are for parents to have books, newspapers, and computers in their homes (Suizzo, 2007). This is not to say that just because there are books and newspapers in the home that children will read them; children do, however, fare better with their reading when there are books and computers in the home. Research shows that the level of parental involvement is associated with academic success. Children whose parents are actively involved in their schooling benefit better than children whose parents are passively involved. Specifically, if parents attend teacher conferences, accept phone calls from the school, and read and sign communications from the school, their children will benefit academically more than children whose parents do none of the above. Furthermore, children excel even more when their parents assist them at home with their homework, attend school sponsored events, and volunteer at their childrens schools (Suizzo, 2007). Childrens academic success also may be related to school-level parental involvement. Parental involvement can be defined as participation by a childs mother and/or father, or legal guardian in a childs education. Children who attend schools where there is a high level of parental involvement evidence greater achievement. School-level parental involvement seems to benefit children and adolescents academically and behaviorally by promoting information sharing and control over childrens behavior. Coleman (1990) asserted that children whose parents know each other promote school identification and success for their children. Broh (2000) also mentioned that students at school-level parental involvement schools were more likely to do their homework because completing their homework was considered the norm at these schools. 2.5 What is Parental Involvement? Parental involvement means different things to different people. A recent newsletter published by The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2006) explained that some people equate involvement to chaperoning field trips or volunteering for PTA committees while others define it as attending an open house or signing off on homework folders. National PTA (2006) described parental involvement as regular participation of parents, a two-way process, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. National PTA pays particular attentions to parents, who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. Under National PTA, schools are required to do evaluation and design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and also to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies. It also places the responsibility for scho ols to be certain that parent involvement initiatives are properly developed and evaluated. National PTA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, 1965) with four principles to frame ways in which families, educators, and communities can work together to improve teaching and learning. These principles include: accountability for results, local control and flexibility, expanded parental choice, and effective and successful programs that reflect scientifically based research. Enhancing connections within families, between families, and with their communities and the institutions that affect them should result in better outcomes for children and their families. These principles stress that parents and schools should be accountable for students achievement. In addition, plans for parental involvement should be flexible to address the local needs and build parents capacity to improve on their childrens achievement (U.S Department of Education, 2004; Family Strengthening Policy Center, FSPC, 2004). The Family Strengthening Policy Center, FSPC (2004), observed that there is no universal definition of what parental involvement in education entails. Some definitions include greater participation in the life of a school, while others are focused on the increased contributions to an individual childs learning process. Still others incorporate the family into the learning process through adult education, parenting, and after school activities. Reenay et al., (2007) defined parental involvement as encompassing three areas: a) direct contact with teachers, b) parental actions at school, and c) parental actions at home. In many schools, parents are engaged in the governance and planning processes in building students achievement goals (FSPC, 2004). Nonetheless, parental involvement takes place when parents actively, resourcefully and responsibly contribute to promote and develop the well being of their communities (Northwest Regional Education, 2001; Jesse, 2009) Davies (1991) defined parental involvement from a shifting perspective. Restructuring the society, communities, and schools leads to the transformation of parental involvement. The following evolving definition illustrates this paradigm shift. 2.5.1 Evolving Definition Parental involvement shifts from parent focus to family focus, family to community agencies, school to home/neighborhood setting, eager parents to hard-to reach families, teachers/administrators agendas to family priorities, and deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families (Davies, 1991). He further explained that even though non-traditional families are much more common nowadays than they were in the 1950s, alternative family structures are effective and should be recognized by the school. Liontos (1992) mentioned recent beliefs about parents and families that schools should consider when involving them in their childrens education: 1) All families have strengths, 2) parents can learn new techniques, 3) parents have important perspectives about their children, 4) most parents really care about their children, 5) cultural differences are both valid and valuable, and 6) many family forms exist and are legitimate (pp. 30-31). Jesse (2009) noted that parental involvement has two independent components: parents as supporters and parents as active partners. This approach of parental involvement would be insufficient if schools make use of only one of these components. Parents can be active, yet not supportive of the education process and vice versa. He further indicated that parental involvement should take many forms. For example, parental involvement can be reading to children, volunteering at the school, collaborating on decision making committees, and advocating for children. Hewison and Tizard (1980) explained that parental involvement can be focused if the school addresses the following issues: a) define what is meant by parent involvement, b) define what the school means by parental involvement, c) provide examples of parents decision making roles, d) remove structural barriers, and e) identify who else has an interest in increasing the parents role in the school. 2.6 Why parents help? Parents, teachers, and administrators should be equally responsible for the education of children. If schools want to truly ensure academic success of children, schools need to make sure that all educational planning passes through parents first (Patrikakou et al., Weissberg, 2005). According to the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA), although parents often state that they would like to be more involved in their childrens education, they complain that they feel left out of decision-making at their childrens school. Frankly, some school personnel are not comfortable with the idea of having parents involved in more than the traditional fundraisers. These personnel feel that as long as parents stick to traditional fundraiser events, everything else will be okay. Shatkin Gershberg (2007) and Seeley (1992) found that parental involvement at some schools is seen as a power struggle. When teachers believe that they are the primary person to handle a childs education, then they crea te an unbalanced and unequal partnership. Nevertheless, at least theoretically, most teachers welcome the idea of parent involvement. According to a teachers perceptions study published by the National Parent Involvement Network, 83% of teachers wanted an increase in parental involvement at their schools, and 95% of inner city teachers felt that parental involvement was lacking (Funkhouser, Gonzales, Moles, 1997). Many parental involvement strategies have been used in the past, but schools are still baffled by the lack of parental involvement at the secondary level (Christenson Sheridan, 2001; Drake, 2000). Antiquated parental and family involvement strategies are often cited as a major problem in research. Schools that update their strategies to accommodate the characteristics of their community benefit more than those schools that only use a standard program (Drake, 2000). Other problems may be that most parental involvement strategies are aimed at helping middle class families (Crozier, 2001), focus mostly on primary schools, and do not place much emphasis on minority families. The increased diversity of students and their families presents an even greater challenge to schools and teachers (Lewis, 1992; Wanders et al., 2007). Teachers recognize the benefits of including parents, but consistently complain that parents do not assist in their childrens education (Lewis, 1992). Administrators and educators should not assume that parents automatically know how to involve themselves at school or home. Parents need to be taught how to effectively involve themselves in their childrens schooling. The assumption that every parent knows how to teach their children should be admonished. Parents are not teachers and need to be instructed on how to teach, assist, and encourage their children at home (Quigley, 2000). Ineffective instruction at home by a parent could hinder the academic progress of their children. The National PTA (2006) gave the following suggestions on how to involve parents: a) schools should host orientation sessions for parents on how to be involved, b) have an onsite family resource center, which will give parents access to materials on parenting, c) give parents handouts on curriculum information and teaching methods, d) encourage parents to volunteer in school and at school events, and e) invite parents to sit on committees to participate in school-decision making. Likewise, it should not be assumed that teachers automatically know how to effectively involve parents in the classroom and at home. Epstein (1985) pointed out that the majority of teachers have little to no training on how to involve parents in the classroom. Therefore, most teachers lack necessary skills and knowledge on how to effectively work with parents. Kesslar-Sklar and Baker (2000) found that teachers need guidance from school administrators and consultants such as school psychologists to communicate with parents. In-services and workshops could provide guidance on how to effectively engage parents. Parent engagement is important on all levels of school involvement; however, sometimes schools are confused on what is considered parent engagement or involvement. School administrators and teachers feel that parental involvement is important for the academic success of children, but sometimes the definition of what constitutes parent involvement is often misconstrued between par ents and teachers. According to Epstein and Sanders (2002), there are six types of involvement: a) parenting- assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level; b) communicating- communicate with families about school programs and student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications; c) volunteering improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules to involve families as volunteers and audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs; d) learning at home- involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-linked activities and decisions; e) decision making-include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, and other parent organizations; and f ) collaborating with the community- coordinate resources and services for families, students, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community. Schools play an important role in assisting parents with the aforementioned strategies. When these strategies along with parents feeling welcome are in effect, children thrive academically and socially. If parents do not feel welcome at their childs school, they are less likely to be involved (Constantino, 2003). 2.7 How do Schools Engage Parents? Hanke (2006) pointed out that lack of parental involvement is due to lack of helpful information to parents. Emails, phone, letters, newsletters and personal contacts can be made by schools to reach out to parents. If schools communicate with parents regularly and consistently using the various means, the gap between school and parental involvement will be reduced. Students expectations and achievement will increase if families show high levels of interest (National PTA, 1998). Six different areas of parental involvement are identified by Epstein et al., (1997): parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Two types of communication exist (The Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 2006). These two types include one-way (transmittal) and two-way communication. In one-way communication, the school disseminates information to parents on how they can help their children at home. Examples of this type of communica tion are newsletters and informational fliers. The two-way communication is considered much more interactive and perceived as a partnership between the school and families. Examples include surveys and questionnaires structured to collect informational data pertaining to students (The Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 2006). Reenay and Vivian (2007) explained that even though the invention of new technologies has made it easier for schools to reach out to parents (through emails, cell phones and internet websites), the use of traditional methods in communication has been found to be an effective way for schools to communicate with parents, but this has been limited in use by schools because of time constraints. In addition, it has been assessed that the frequent use of mass communications (newsletters, calendars, letters and handbooks) by school educators has not been effective in changing student behaviors. However, as Jonson (1999) reported, many parents do not communicate with their childrens schools due to a vast number of reasons. For example, their concerns might not be heard or responded to promptly, or they are busy at work. Despite t

Shakespeares Hamlet - The Character of Ophelia Essays -- GCSE Englis

Hamlet: The Character of Ophelia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Concerning the Ophelia of Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet, is she an innocent type or not? Is she a victim or not? This essay will explore these and other questions related to this character.    Rebecca West in â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption† viciously, and perhaps unfoundedly, attacks the virginity of Ophelia:    There is no more bizarre aspect of the misreading of Hamlet’s character than the assumption that his relations with Ophelia were innocent and that Ophelia was a correct and timid virgin of exquisite sensibilities. . . . She was not a chaste young woman. That is shown by her tolerance of Hamlet’s obscene conversations, which cannot be explained as consistent with the custom of the time. If that were the reason for it, all the men and women in Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet, Beatrice and Benedict, Miranda and Ferdinand, Antony and Cleopatra, would have talked obscenely together, which is not the case (107).    West’s interpretation of Ophelia’s character is not a consensus feeling among critics, so her innocence is challenged but not overturned. Beginning now with the play, the reader/viewer sees that the protagonist of the tragedy, Prince Hamlet, initially appears dressed in solemn black. He is mourning the death of his father, supposedly by snakebite, while he was away at Wittenberg as a student. Hamlet laments the hasty remarriage of his mother to his father’s brother, an incestuous act; thus in his first soliloquy he cries out, â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman!† Ophelia enters the play with her brother Laertes, who, in parting for school, bids her farewell and gives her advice regarding her relationship with Hamlet. Op... ...Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.            

Environmental Pressures for Change Essay

Of the environmental pressures for change, I believe hyper competition and market decline were the pressures experienced by Intel. The reason I believe this is because in the case study Barrett talked about its rival Micro Devices and how he felt the competitiveness that was among them. In the reading it states, â€Å"Barrett felt that in this competitive and segmented market, Intel needed to be reorganized to make it more nimble (Palmer et.al, 2009). When you think about it, some of the greatest challenges that are faced by leaders of today are the ability to stay competitive. There are constant disruptions that can be seen and it is up to the company to avoid them or keep them under control. Barrett recognized that he needed to make a move so his competition would not run over him. In the study, reorganization was a main point as Barrett was involved in many during his first three years. I believe Barrett saw this reorganization as a way to get ahead of the competition and to look at new opportunities. In reference to market decline, Barrett and Intel tried to handle what was happening. Since 9/11 the industry was affected in a major way, and the decline of the economy was one of the big reasons. Intel was now getting worried about Micro Devices being able to produce a faster chip. Internal Pressures for Change Based on the internal presures at Intel, I feel that growth was the one Barrett was facing. From the case study, Barrett was consistently dealing with internal pressure. He was always trying to reorganize his projects and some employees were seeing that he was starting many projects without completing the ones that he started. It was being referred to as â€Å"shuffling execs like cards† (Palmer et. al, 2009). While dealing with the growth change, Barrett had intentions to change some of the culture that the company was all about. In my opinion he saw growth as a way to renew his job satisfaction. Even though this was not a new organization, I think Barrett felt that he would try and bring a different type of feel to the company;one that would allow for the internal challenge of growth to be met head on. Limits to Change I believe there are limits to the change that can be accomplished at Intel due to the fact that Barrett was taking on and trying to incorporate too many changes without following through on a single one. In his own mind I feel he was always trying to reach that next place that would take Intel to the top of software. What I feel he did not understand was when you are dealing with limits to change at Intel, it has to involve the decision making team as a whole. At that point different members of the team are there to handle the limits to change with proper communication. They do this by answering questions as well as the objections before they are put into effect. If this is not completed with good communication, then there will be a struggle for change which limits organizations in a poor way. Managers and the Pressures that Lead to Change For managers and leaders alike, pressure that lead to change could sometimes be overwhelming. To have a understanding of the pressures a manager must accept that change needs to be an effective system that the cuture of the organization embraces from the start. A reason for this is to keep the motivation at a high level at the same time knowing what drives your employees to reach that level. Change is stressful enough but when you incorporate it into the workforce, it gets even more challenging. That is why having a clear and personal understanding of the pressures why allow managers to manage the pressures that lead to change. Responding to the challenges is what employees do well, and it is the change that can rasie doubt throughout the workplace. Motivation continues to be a key factor that gives managers an upper hand when it comes to having success with an organization. Lack of motivation will prove costly in the end and envitably lead to pressures fof change. Most people are motivated by the same types of things, whether it is success, happiness or money. To manage the pressure for change, senior leaders need the commitment or buy in from the staff in order for an effective change to occur. References Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing Organizational Change. New York: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin.

Everything You Need to Know About the Word Century

Everything You Need to Know About the Word Century Everything You Need to Know about the Word â€Å"Century† Back in Ancient Rome, the Latin word centuria meant â€Å"group of one hundred.† It was applied to everything from agricultural land division to soldiery (hence â€Å"centurions†). But nowadays, â€Å"century† has a more specific meaning: a period of one hundred years. Here, we will focus on this last meaning, as this term is common in many academic disciplines. As such, when discussing past events, it’s important to know how to use it correctly. Century in Words and Numbers Centuries can be written out either with words (â€Å"nineteenth century†) or numerals (â€Å"19th century†). In academic writing, however, it’s usually better to use the full version: Communication changed hugely in the twentieth century. – Correct Communication changed hugely in the 20th century. – Incorrect It’s always worth checking your style guide, though, as some conventions differ. Associated Press, for example, recommends using figures when referring to any century after the tenth. Fin de Sià ¨cle A common mistake when writing about the past is to conflate the numerical version of a year with the century in which it falls. In actuality, the number applies to all years up to the end of a century, not the first two digits of the year in figures. The seventeenth century, for instance, began on January 1, 1601 and ended on December 31, 1700. As such, when referring to the year 1618, it’s important to remember that it was part of the seventeenth century, rather than the sixteenth: Beginning in 1618, the Thirty Years’ War left a scar on the seventeenth century. – Correct Beginning in 1618, the Thirty Years’ War left a scar on the sixteenth century. – Incorrect To avoid this mistake, keep in mind that the number refers to the end of the century (e.g. 1800 or 1900) and covers the preceding hundred years. To Capitalize or Not? It’s not uncommon for people to capitalize centuries: e.g., â€Å"Fourteenth Century† rather than â€Å"fourteenth century.† However, this is incorrect, since â€Å"century† is a measure of time, like â€Å"week† or â€Å"month,† not a proper noun. When to Hyphenate The final thing to remember with centuries is when to hyphenate. The rule here is the same as when using hyphens elsewhere, so it depends on whether you’re using the term adjectivally. For example, if you’re describing a digital wrist watch, you might describe it as â€Å"twentieth-century technology.† Here, the century is hyphenated because it is being used as a compound adjective modifying the word â€Å"technology.†

Dna in Criminal Investigation Essays

Dna in Criminal Investigation Essays Dna in Criminal Investigation Essay Dna in Criminal Investigation Essay Since its discovery in the 1980’s, the application of DNA has been utilized in many ways. When Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA is examined, a precise decoding of genetic information is revealed. With the exception of identical twins, every person’s genetic code (commonly referred to as a Genetic Fingerprint) is inherited and unique. From Maury advising men everyday on TV â€Å"You ARE the Father! † or â€Å"You are NOT the Father! † to learning the descendents of former slaves are related to President Thomas Jefferson, we have come to rely upon and expect the accuracy of DNA. DNA almost immediately transformed the American Criminal Justice System. Law Enforcement, District Attorneys, Defense Attorneys, Criminal Court and Family Court all work with DNA on a daily basis. DNA that can be utilized in a criminal investigation may be collected from a crime scene in many different forms: skin tissue, hair, blood, semen, saliva, vaginal fluid, anything that may be collected from a human that may contain cells can be utilized and tested for DNA. DNA testing is the most accurate form of scientific evidence available. Results and accuracy are measured within millionths of a percent. The accuracy of fingerprints, the method for forensic identification that has been utilized for over one hundred years cannot match DNA. The process for utilizing DNA in criminal investigation requires the match of two samples, one from the suspect and one collected from the crime scene. Once these two DNA samples are collected they are sent off to a lab. The samples are extracted, studied and compared. If there is a match it becomes irrefutable evidence that the suspect was at the scene where the evidence was collected. One of the most compelling stories of the use of DNA in criminal investigation is the case known as The Bike Path Rapist. There had been many unsolved rapes committed in a Buffalo, New York park dating back from 1981. Anthony Capozzi, a man who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and lived in the area became a suspect after he was noticed acting strangely in the area. He was charged with three rapes. The rape victims told police their attacker was about 160 pounds; Anthony Capozzi weighed over 200 pounds. Capozzi has a prominent three inch scar on his face, but none of the rape victims reported their attacker had a scar. Despite this all three victims identified Anthony Capozzi as the man who raped them. His case went to trial and he was convicted of two of the three rapes and sentenced to 35 years in prison. The only identification evidence introduced at trial was that of the victims. After he was convicted, Capozzi’s attorney is quoted in the Washington Post as saying, â€Å"Please don’t take comfort in the fact that Anthony Capozzi has been convicted of these two crimes, because he didn’t do them. Don’t feel that you can go running without company in Delaware Park. † Capozzi struggled with mental illness and served 15 years of his prison sentence in Central New York Psychiatric Center. Capozzi maintained his innocence, and for the 22 years while he was incarcerated his family never gave up hope. After Capozzi was incarcerated the rapes continued, and the Bike Path Rapist became the Bike Path Killer. In addition to a continuing series of rapes in the area, two University of Buffalo students and the wife of a University of Buffalo professor were all murdered. A combination of old fashioned detective work and the science of DNA helped to solve a case that has spanned over two decades and involved over twenty five victims. On September 29, 2006, the sixteenth anniversary of another murder, the body of Joan Diver was found unclothed, beaten and strangled to death on a bike path. In this case DNA of her assailant was left in the form of a single bead of sweat left on the steering wheel of her car. Finally a sample of DNA evidence! The DNA of the unknown assailant matched the DNA from numerous other rape victims. The detectives looked backed upon the old unsolved cases. In 1981, one rape victim saw a man she believed to be her attacker. She wrote down his license plate number and gave it to the police. The owner of the vehicle had provided a solid alibi for the rape to the police. The victim reported she was able to recognize the vehicle, not the owner of the vehicle. Twenty five years later, the police again visited the owner of the car with the alibi. He finally admitted to the police that his nephew, Altemio Sanchez, had borrowed his vehicle on the day in question. If the DNA of Altemio Sanchez was a match of the DNA taken from Joan Diver’s vehicle and the other victims, the Bike Path Rapist/Killer would finally be identified. The police followed Sanchez for about ten days. Unaware he was under surveillance, Sanchez and his wife stopped in to a restaurant to eat while three undercover detectives were at the bar watching them enjoy their meal. After Sanchez left the restaurant, the police left the restaurant with the water glass and silverware Sanchez had used. The police now had DNA samples from the suspect and numerous crime scenes. The samples were an exact match, and Sanchez was arrested for three murders. Although he was identified as the assailant on many of the rapes, Sanchez was not charged; the statute of limitations had passed. The arrest of Sanchez had not gone unnoticed to Capozzi’s family and attorney. Additionally, the Innocence Project worked with Capozzi. The Detectives on the Sanchez case had also seen the similarities in the cases. Sanchez and Capozzi closely resembled each other at the time the crimes were committed. They began to wonder if Capozzi was an innocent man in prison, but they could find no evidence to clear his name. One of the detectives questioned whether the hospital retained the rape kit evidence of Capozzi’s alleged victims from over twenty years ago. The vital evidence had been quietly stored in a drawer at the Erie County Medical Center. Evidence collected from both the victims in 1985 matched Sanchez, not Capozzi. After serving 22 years in prison, DNA evidence earlier proved Capozzi was innocent of the rapes. DNA evidence linked Sanchez to over 25 sexual assaults dating back to 1975. On April 2, 2007, Anthony Capozzi was exonerated and released from prison. On August 15, 2007, Altemio Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years in prison with no chance of parole. He is currently in Clinton Correctional facility. According to the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Website, since January 1, 1996, the law in New York State has required offenders convicted of certain felonies to submit biological samples (formerly blood and more recently buccal samples swabbed from the inside of the cheek) for DNA profiling through laboratory analysis. These DNA profiles are organized and kept in a Data Bank, and can be used in an attempt to match any unidentified DNA found at a crime scene. The New York State Department of Criminal Justice (DCJS) Website goes on to state: When matched against samples of forensic DNA gathered from crime scenes, these reference DNA profiles from the Offender Index can identify- or eliminate- suspects in criminal investigations. Forensic DNA analysis has been shown to be a highly efficient technique that assures a greater likelihood of detection than traditional forensic methods. The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. Since its inception, the Innocence Project has helped to exonerate over 240 people including 17 people who have been sentenced to death.

buy custom Archaic Homo Sapiens essay

buy custom Archaic Homo Sapiens essay The authors explore the cultural and social life of earlier members of the genus Homo, which include the archaic Homo sapiens. According to the authors, the archaic Homo sapiens were more environmentally adapted than their predecessors were. This is because they were able to make tools for use in various activities, which ranged from hunting, fishing, to self-defense. Tools found by archeologists that belonged to the archaic Homo sapiens indicate that they were advanced than those tools used by their predecessors. The authors explain that many of the tools that belonged to the archaic Homo sapiens resembled a lot with tools that were used in earlier industries by the current Homo sapiens. These tools date between 40,000 and 125, 000 years ago. Some of these tools include borer, hand axe, scraper, and knives, among others. Each tool had a different shape and size. Moreover, each tool had a specific purpose. For instance, the archaic Homo sapiens used knives to skin animals after hunti ng them, while the hand axe was used to break complex pieces of meat and bones from animals. Many of their tools were made of stones. However, the authors indicate that some tools were made of bones from animals. The resource is very useful in understanding more about the tools used by the archaic Homo sapiens because the authors provide some images of these tools. These images enable the reader to understand more about the different shapes, sizes, and forms of tools used by the predecessor of the modern human. In fact, to enable the reader understand the link between archaic Homo sapiens and the modern humans, the authors compare some of the tools belonging to the archaic Homo sapiens and those used by early surgeons. Just like the early Homo sapiens, the early surgeons used scalpels and blades made of stones from naturally occurring volcanic. They also used wood to make handles for their surgical tools and pine resin to join the handles to the tools. The authors also provide image s comparing the early surgeons tools with those used by the archaic Homo sapiens. The book is very insightful not only in providing a description of the features present in tools used by the archaic Homo sapiens, but also by providing images of some of the tools, with a clear view of the features present in these tools. In this book, the authors start by giving an account of cultural practices of the Homo sapiens. Just like Haviland et. al (2010), the authors in this resource acknowledge that the different types of archaic Homo sapiens were superior than their predecessors in terms of adaptation to the environment. The authors state that the Neanderthal man and the Homo sapiens sapiens were some of the different forms of archaic Homo sapiens. They state that these two categories of archaic Homo sapiens made and used tools of much greater efficiency and sophistication than all other prior species. For instance, the Neaderthals could make blades measuring around 40 inches from stones. The Homo sapiens sapiens could make blades measuring between 10 and 40 inches from stones as well. The authors of this resource agree with the previous authors that the archaic Homo sapiens made and used various tools for different purposes. Some of the tools mentioned by these authors include stone blades, scrapers, chi sel-like tools, arrows, and needles. Some of the uses of these tools as indicated by the authors include hunting, skinning animals, scraping and smoothing animal skins, and digging. Another similarity of these authors work and that of the previous authors is that the archaic Homo sapiens tools resembled a lot with tools used in early industries. These similarities include using wooden handles and the use of animal bones to make sharp-edged tools. In this book, the authors explore the Mousterian tradition of the archaic Homo sapiens. The authors use the word Mousterian to refer to the tool-making behavior of the archaic Homo sapiens. Similar to Serena Warms (2010) observation, the Neanderthal man belonged to one of the forms of archaic Homo sapiens. They state that tools made by the Neanderthal man were lighter and smaller than those made by earlier human species were. The authors also indicate that the Neanderthals also used advanced technology to make their tools. Unlike their predecessors who would make two or three flakes from an entire stone, the Neanderthals would make several smaller flakes from one stone. In addition, their flakes were sharper and smoother than those made their ancestors. This resource provides more information about the tool-making behavior of the archaic Homo sapiens. This is because the authors introduce new information, which is not present in the previous sources. The authors state that the Neand erthals had a wider variety of tools in their tool kit. These included flakes, hand axes, borers, and spears. They could use flakes to shave wood, which they would then use to make shafts for attaching to spears and other hand-held tools. The authors also point out that this variety of tools facilitated more effective use of food resources and enhanced the quality of clothing and shelter. This information enlightens us that the archaic Homo sapiens used tools to make cloths and shelter. The author of this resource focuses on the evolution of the early man, whose origin was traced in African countries. The author states that around 150,000 years ago, a major climate change took place in the world. During this period, the early Homo sapiens who lived in African regions were forced to migrate to other place of the world. Some headed towards Europe while others headed towards Asia. As they migrated, they had to close open water and Arctic regions. Due to exposure to different climatic conditions, they had to develop new techniques of making theiir tools. Their tool-making technique was improved compared to that of their ancestors back in the African regions. The author states that the archaic Homo sapiens were the first inventors of the blade. The blade was later adapted across Europe and Asia by the early ancestors of the modern human. Similar to other authors, the author of this resource points that the blades used by the archaic Homo sapiens were lighter, smaller, an d sharper than those used by prior species were. In addition, the author refers to the tool-making tradition of the archaic Homo sapiens as Mousterian tradition. This is similar to the previous resource by Castro et al. (1997). The author also provides images of various tools as well as images demonstrating the various techniques used by the Mousterian toolmakers to make refined blades. These images help the reader to understand the various tool-making technologies used by the archaic Homo sapiens. The author introduces a different tool, which is said to have been used by the archaic Homo sapiens during the Upper Paleolithic period. This is the spear-thrower (atlatl). The spear-thrower was a wooden device, between 1 and 2 feet long, with a hook at one edge, a stone at the middle, and a handle at the other edge. Hunter used the spear-thrower to through spears to wild animals from a distant location. This resource forms a good basis of the research because it enables the researcher to understand the various forms of technologies used by the archaic Homo sapiens and introduces new tools, which have not been mentioned in previous resources. In this resource, the author states that around 100,000 years ago, the human population spread into separate regions due to the disruption by the climatic changes that were taking place. There was a lot of volcanic eruption, which took place in many parts of Africa, which was the dominant habitant of the early human. The volcanic activities did not provide favorable survival environment to the early humans. Thus, they started moving to other parts of the world. Since they were separated from each other, they had to develop better methods of survival. This is when the archaic Homo sapiens are said to have developed new technology for making tools. Findings from this resource are similar to those of Castro et al. (1997) concerning development of advanced technology of manufacturing tools to develop cloths and shelter. The author states that the early humans from the archaic Homo sapiens generation, used scrapers to smoothen animal skins, which they used to cover themselves since they w ere exposed to cold climatic condition in their new habitants in Europe and Asia. In addition, they used hand axes to cut pieces of wood, which they used to make shelter. Therefore, this resource is important in providing more information concerning the archaic Homo sapienss tool-making behavior, and its connection with improving survival techniques of the archaic Homo sapiens. Buy custom Archaic Homo Sapiens essay

Written Assignment - Displaying Leadership Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Written - Displaying Leadership - Assignment Example Because the behaviour was left to go too far, Paul found it normal to be loud with customers and even bully them into agreement. He went on to boast that he could win with any customer until the day he yelled at the mother to the head of Paediatrics. Consumers of healthcare include employer groups, patients, and agencies of government, family members and third party payers. Today’s consumer is sufficiently informed and empowered hence Paul’s behaviour couldn’t go far. Being left to continue would mean even new employees learns the same and clients continue suffering. The ultimate impact is a negative publicity of the hospital as one that does not have customer service standards. As a leader it is my responsibility to model good customer service not only in Paul but also the new employees. I would do so by making sure everyone understands the importance of organisational values; empower them with skills to offer quality customer service and emphasis on education and training. I will also stress the importance of accountability and transparency as well as adherence to set standards and procedures. Another important element of customer service is communication, feedback and measurement of compliance (Rabert, 2012). The goal is for every employee to understand the value of customer satisfaction. 1. Anne S. Rabert. (2012). Making the Transformation to a Customer-Service Orientation. American Nurse Today, 7(1). Available at:

A Critical Analysis of The Rocking Horse Winner Essay

A Critical Analysis of The Rocking Horse Winner - Essay Example The author really does a wonderfully, descriptive job in bringing the main focus of this story into reality. It shows that though you can have nice things, a comfortable home, and financial security, there is still a craving for more. Even the house, that Paul and his family live in, seems to harbor a desire for wealth, from within itself. It seems the house comes alive with the desire for money as the following literary passage shows: â€Å"There must be more money! There must be more money!† (Lawrence 288) The voice of the house is heard by everyone though no one mutters a syllable about it. The voice literally drives Paul half crazed and his only hope in shutting the house up is to win more money, or so he believes. Unfortunately, this does not work either because now the house is feeling of greed and wants more. In fact, the voice is more declarative after receiving the first sum of money and now is even louder and more demanding. â€Å"There must be more money†¦ Now www†¦ More than ever!† (296) From here on the greed and demand for money grows progressively worse. Paul had somehow hoped his mother would finally show she loved him but still she remained as she’d been when she would feel her children near, â€Å"the center of her heart would go hard† (287). She was a mother that did not know how to love her children. The only love the book shows she gave was her adoration to money. Further, in the following comment we see how much she was enthralled with it. â€Å"If you’re lucky, you will always get more money† (289). This proves she only valued the worth of the dollar and what it could bring her. If she feels there isn’t enough then she becomes resentful and preoccupied with the idea that they will never have a substantial amount. In concluding this critique of Lawrence’s short story, there is a grave lesson to be learned here. The obsession with money and

Political science as the discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political science as the discipline - Essay Example The present research has identified that in the inaugural term, the structure of governance in the United States is examined by exploring the Constitution and the fundamental idea of the separation of powers. Once this foundation is laid, students learn about the importance of elections particularly focusing on the Congressional elections, Presidential elections, the role of the Electoral College and the gerrymandering of Congressional districts. The class undertakes to provide an in-depth exploration of the interactions between Congress and the President specifically on issues around gridlock, public opinion, and the media. This essay discusses that having examined how laws are made in the first semester; the second semester begins by exploring how laws are carried out by the bureaucracy as well as how such laws may bring the federal government into conflict with state governments. The researcher states that attention is switched to the role of the judiciary, where the students exam ine the influence of the Supreme Court on the American political process with special attention devoted to issues surrounding civil liberties and civil rights. This paper illustrates that during this duration, the student’s time is mostly devoted to investigating foreign policy in the context of the current challenges confronting the United States, as well as long-term debates surrounding exceptionalism and declinism.

Article Review Assignment Commonwealth Fund Article Essay

Article Review Assignment Commonwealth Fund Article - Essay Example A lot of money is required to fight with the health expenditures. Health care expenditures are rising at a fast pace with every passing year. It has risen to an alarming figure since the past 6 years imposing threats and stress on the income, businesses and families.1 US has been making efforts to reduce the expenses by increasing the quality of health care and insurance systems. They are making every possible endeavor to slow down the rate of expenditures that is spent in large amounts on medicines. To control this even healthier environment should be provided so that the public comes across less hazardous situations and this way the expense can be controlled to quite a limit. Health care expenditures are posing a threat on the federal budget too since a large amount is spent on health issues whereas this amount can be used towards a much better direction. Efforts were made to organise public care to reduce the size of the budget which is being lavishly spent on health care. Over the last few years it has risen to triple the amount from 5 percent to 50 percent. Reports show that U.S. spends approximately 16% of GDP on health care compared to 8 to 10 percent in most major industrialised nations.2 Studies show that efforts by third party payers to lower cost growths have achieved mixed results. Although private insurance payers have reduced their expenditures but still a large number of parties still fail to do so. This leaves the overall figure of health care expenditure unchanged to quite an extent. Some of the worth mentioning and cosiderable factors contributing to these problems are inadequate and inefficient use of care,incentives or rewards provided to the workers are very high which exceed the normal budget and as a result the economy suffers. The price of the medicines and cure provided is way too high. It is not at all compatible with normal man's 12income. This leads to frustration and mental stress which itself requires a cure. There is lack of care. Public is not aware of the precautionary measures that need to be taken and thus they suffer from diseases which require expensive medicines. There is not accurate transfer of information. Inadequate information can lead to wrong prescription which can be equally harmful. Long Term Factors Contributing to Health Expenditure: A few long term factors are also responsible for the high expenditures. They are also considered as the most primary ones. This includes introduction of innovative technology, new ideas and machinery without instructions for their proper use. If the ideas are not properly put into action they might give birth to ineffective and simultaneously wrong use. Proper guide will not be provided and thus it is bound to enhance the problem even more. If the services of some other hospitals are taken into consideration, they increase the federal budget consequently giving rise to expenses. Chronic diseases are rapidly increasing and the federal budget sometimes does not allow purchase of the appropriate medicines and even if this is done, it sometimes badly affects the country's economy and poses threat to the country's budget. This situation makes it even more difficult to cope up with other expenses the state has to cater to.4 One major reason United States suffers more than

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

International Relations - Essay Example Similarly IGOs strive to enhance international relations and cooperation while NGOs try to deliver developmental aids to their beneficiaries. The ultimate goal of an NGO is to enhance sustainable development whereas an IGO’s mission is to promote human rights and to support socio-economic development. The fundamental point of distinction is that IGOs may include governments when NGOs may not2. 2. ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ is an economic theory developed by Garrett Hardin. The theory states that individuals who act independently according to their self interests normally behave contrary to the long term interests of the whole group by depleting common resources whose demand is overwhelming the supply3. More simply, ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ can be simply referred to an economic problem where every individual tries to best exploit a given resource. When the demand for this particular resource overwhelms the supply, individuals who consume an extra unit directly act against the interests of other people who have no longer access to the benefits. This economic problem occurs when individuals ignore the wellbeing of the whole society in an attempt to entertain their personal interests. This economic theory is often linked to sustainable development and global warming as they are related to the exploitation of resources by humans in pursuit of th eir personal gains. Oceans, atmosphere, national parks, and fish stocks are some of the examples of ‘commons’. 3. According to some experts, human rights represent moral principles that define specific standards of human behavior despite cultural or national differences4. Human rights are considered as legal rights across the globe and particularly protected under national and international law. These rights belong to all people simply because they are humans. It is possible to

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Abortion - Essay Example For most women, giving birth changes their lives. Women who are working or schooling can find abortion appropriate. Relationships problem and a desire to avoid single motherhood can also make abortion necessary (Finer et. al. Web). Sometimes conditions exist, both physical and mental that endanger the life of a pregnant woman, an abortion can be performed to save the life (WebMD Web). Additionally, abortion can help a raped woman to cope with the trauma that ensues. In a case of teenage pregnancy abortion affords the girl a chance to continue living her life normally. On the other hand, there are various reasons to support an argument against abortion. Life is precious even for the unborn children, but abortion steals the joy to live. If an abortion the procedure is not safely conducted, the woman risks developing health complications that could lead to death. The guilt associated with terminating pregnancy in some cases, causes women to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (Operation Rescue Web). Practise of abortion help sidestep the real issues that women experience. Raped women should be concerned with rape rather than opting for an abortion. To conclude, abortion is an issue that requires a cautious

Article Review Assignment Commonwealth Fund Article Essay

Article Review Assignment Commonwealth Fund Article - Essay Example A lot of money is required to fight with the health expenditures. Health care expenditures are rising at a fast pace with every passing year. It has risen to an alarming figure since the past 6 years imposing threats and stress on the income, businesses and families.1 US has been making efforts to reduce the expenses by increasing the quality of health care and insurance systems. They are making every possible endeavor to slow down the rate of expenditures that is spent in large amounts on medicines. To control this even healthier environment should be provided so that the public comes across less hazardous situations and this way the expense can be controlled to quite a limit. Health care expenditures are posing a threat on the federal budget too since a large amount is spent on health issues whereas this amount can be used towards a much better direction. Efforts were made to organise public care to reduce the size of the budget which is being lavishly spent on health care. Over the last few years it has risen to triple the amount from 5 percent to 50 percent. Reports show that U.S. spends approximately 16% of GDP on health care compared to 8 to 10 percent in most major industrialised nations.2 Studies show that efforts by third party payers to lower cost growths have achieved mixed results. Although private insurance payers have reduced their expenditures but still a large number of parties still fail to do so. This leaves the overall figure of health care expenditure unchanged to quite an extent. Some of the worth mentioning and cosiderable factors contributing to these problems are inadequate and inefficient use of care,incentives or rewards provided to the workers are very high which exceed the normal budget and as a result the economy suffers. The price of the medicines and cure provided is way too high. It is not at all compatible with normal man's 12income. This leads to frustration and mental stress which itself requires a cure. There is lack of care. Public is not aware of the precautionary measures that need to be taken and thus they suffer from diseases which require expensive medicines. There is not accurate transfer of information. Inadequate information can lead to wrong prescription which can be equally harmful. Long Term Factors Contributing to Health Expenditure: A few long term factors are also responsible for the high expenditures. They are also considered as the most primary ones. This includes introduction of innovative technology, new ideas and machinery without instructions for their proper use. If the ideas are not properly put into action they might give birth to ineffective and simultaneously wrong use. Proper guide will not be provided and thus it is bound to enhance the problem even more. If the services of some other hospitals are taken into consideration, they increase the federal budget consequently giving rise to expenses. Chronic diseases are rapidly increasing and the federal budget sometimes does not allow purchase of the appropriate medicines and even if this is done, it sometimes badly affects the country's economy and poses threat to the country's budget. This situation makes it even more difficult to cope up with other expenses the state has to cater to.4 One major reason United States suffers more than

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Abortion - Essay Example For most women, giving birth changes their lives. Women who are working or schooling can find abortion appropriate. Relationships problem and a desire to avoid single motherhood can also make abortion necessary (Finer et. al. Web). Sometimes conditions exist, both physical and mental that endanger the life of a pregnant woman, an abortion can be performed to save the life (WebMD Web). Additionally, abortion can help a raped woman to cope with the trauma that ensues. In a case of teenage pregnancy abortion affords the girl a chance to continue living her life normally. On the other hand, there are various reasons to support an argument against abortion. Life is precious even for the unborn children, but abortion steals the joy to live. If an abortion the procedure is not safely conducted, the woman risks developing health complications that could lead to death. The guilt associated with terminating pregnancy in some cases, causes women to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (Operation Rescue Web). Practise of abortion help sidestep the real issues that women experience. Raped women should be concerned with rape rather than opting for an abortion. To conclude, abortion is an issue that requires a cautious

My Mother Essay Example for Free

My Mother Essay The film centers on Manuela, a nurse who oversees donor organ transplants in Ramà ³n y Cajal Hospital in Madrid and single mother to Esteban, a teenager who wants to be a writer. On his seventeenth birthday, Esteban is hit by a car and killed while chasing after actress Huma Rojo for her autograph following a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire, in which she portrays Blanche DuBois. Manuela has to agree with her colleagues at work that her sons heart be transplanted to a man in A Coruà ±a. After traveling after her sons heart, Manuela quits her job and journeys to Barcelona, where she hopes to find her sons father, Lola, a transvestite she kept secret from her son, just as she never told Lola they had a son. see more:speech about my mother In Barcelona, Manuela reunites with her old friend Agrado, a warm and witty transsexual prostitute. She also meets and becomes deeply involved with several characters: Rosa, a young nun who works in a shelter for battered prostitutes and is pregnant by Lola; Huma Rojo, the actress her son had admired; and the drug-addicted Nina Cruz, Humas co-star and lover. Her life becomes entwined with theirs as she cares for Rosa during her pregnancy and works for Huma as her personal assistant and even acts in the play as an understudy for Nina during one of her drug abuse crises. On her way to the hospital, Rosa asks the taxi to stop at a park where she spots her fathers dog, Sapic, and then her own father, who suffers from Alzheimers; he does not recognize Rosa and asks for her age and height, but Sapic is cleverer and knows Rosa. Rosa dies giving birth to her son, and Lola and Manuela finally reunite at Rosas funeral. Lola (whose name used to be Esteban), who is dying from AIDS, talks about how she always wanted a son, and Manuela tells her about her own Esteban and how he died in a car accident. Manuela then adopts Esteban, Rosas child, and stays with him at Rosas parents house. The father does not understand who Manuela is, and Rosas mother says its the new cook, who is living here with her son. Rosas father then asks Manuela her age and height. Manuela introduces Esteban (Rosas son) to Lola and gives her a picture of their own Esteban. Rosas mother spots them from the street and then confronts Manuela about letting strangers see the baby. Manuela tells her that Lola is Estebans father; Rosas mother is appalled and says: That is the monster that killed my daughter?! Manuela flees back to Madrid with Esteban; she cannot take living at Rosas house any longer, since the grandmother is afraid that she will contract AIDS from the baby. She writes a letter to Huma and Agrado saying that she is leaving and once again is sorry for not saying goodbye, like she did years before. Two years later, Manuela returns with Esteban to an AIDS convention, telling Huma and Agrado, who now run a stage show together, that Esteban had been a miracle by not inheriting the virus. She then says she is returning to stay with Estebans grandparents. When asking Huma about Nina, she becomes melancholic and leaves. Agrado tells Manuela that Nina went back to her town, got married, and had a fat, ugly baby boy.