ECOM20001 Information System Management (information system of master) Essay

ECOM20001 Information System Management (information system of master) - Essay Example They are very mandatory and essential for the business development as it helps in the components of wise business decision making as well as prudent. It also helps in providing transparent information flow of business policies, guidelines, practices, standards, and certain procedures for reasonable business operations. Information Management System is used by the management in different managerial corporate levels. Safe and sound Information Management System also assists the company in attaining proper and well planned internal controls, audit coverage, safeguards, and operating procedures. There are four groups of Information Management System in which the entire system is divided; these groups are related to Human Resources, Financial Department, Accounting, and Marketing (Allen & Hamilton & Baker 14). This assessment research assignment is correlated with the Information System Management Course and is designed in such a way through which the stimulated thinking of the classroom students would be analyzed and evaluated with the help of a case study. The company chosen for case study assessment is the Information Technology giant company Dell Corporation. In this case study, Dell's customer-centric business model will be analyzed. Apart from that, an overall analysis and evaluation will be carried out regarding Dell's customer-centric business scope, which would help in knowing that how Dell Corporation makes use of its Information System in order to develop and organize a demand-pull value chain, and how does it affect the relationship of Dell Corporation with its suppliers and customers. Section #2 (Covey & Merrill 103) The modern world of today is all about modernization and innovations in the technology field which is growing and grabbing a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Every technology oriented organization is trying their best to make their unique and strong position among their competitors in the technology sector so that they could flourish and market their products with unique and different features which cannot be overcome by any other competitor. For this objective, many multinational organizations and well known reputable companies are developing their research and development department, so that they could stand differently from others. Dell Inc. is one of the most leading and successful multinational technology oriented organization which has accomplish and conquer a very reputable position in the technology world market. Dell Inc. is basically involved in the designing, development, manufacturing, marketing, technical supporting and selling of personal computers and several other computer related products. The main headquarters of Dell Inc. is situated Round Rock, Texas and engages more than 88,000 employees around the globe. This technology oriented organization started grabbing the business growth since during 1980s and 1990s and since then, Dell Inc. has attained the position of being one of the largest technology corporations in the world. Originally, Dell Inc. was founded in the year 1984 by named Michael Dell who was the

W 3 Legal Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

W 3 Legal Topic - Essay Example use managed care organizations have over the years served as a consortium of organizations that use various managed care techniques to bring both affordable care and quality care to care users (Svorny, 2011). Whiles playing their role, there ethical and legal responsibilities that managed care organizations become bounded to. From the article of Leslie (1994), it would be noted that the application of ethical and legal principles go hand in hand. When arguing for whether or not managed care organization must be shielded from liability when utilization review results in an adverse event, it is important to consider both sides of the argument, namely ethical and legal. From an ethical perspective, one would notice that once managed care organizations agree to be responsible for the health care of patients, they set delimitations that have to with the fact that they do not become the direct care givers. Rather, the managed care organizations employ the services of health care service providers to give care. Meanwhile, adverse event can be noted to be a health risks that occurs at the point of reception of care. According to the National Health Directorate, adverse event is considered an ethical issue that occurs at the time of receiving care from a professional (Kesselheim and Brennan, 2013). What this means is that when utilization review results in an adverse event, it is the professional health care provider that is to blame rather than the facilitator of the care. From this perspective, it can be argued that indeed managed care organization need to be shielded from ethical based liabilities that has to do with adverse event. From a legal perspective also, it is always important to ask the question of what the regulations state (Leslie, 1994). Leslie (1994) actually noted that the contractual provisions of managed care organizations set an indemnity clause that attempts to establish their lack of liability. The basis for this legal provision is that in most of

Learner Analysis Essay Example for Free

Learner Analysis Essay Background Summary Flight nurse’s and Flight Paramedics perform as members of an aeromedical crew on helicopters (rotor wing), and airplanes (fixed wing) aircraft, providing for in-flight management and care for all types and ages of patients. Responsibilities of this job include the planning and preparation of each flight, to include such things as; safety, evaluation of an individual patients in-flight needs and request of appropriate medications, supplies, and equipment to provide continuing care from origination to the destination facility. They act as liaisons between facilities during an interfacility transport and from scene location to trauma center during medical and trauma related emergencies. They also initiate emergency treatment in the absence of a physician during in-flight medical emergencies. Flight nurses and flight paramedics have training in mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, vasoactive medications, airway, and other intensive care skills. Most air medical businesses expect nurses to have at least 2 to 5 years of experience in emergency or critical care units, and the more trauma experience, the better (flightnursetraining.com). This means nurses that have a proven ability to manage multiple patients with vastly different conditions, as well as being able to make split-second decisions about patient care with maximum attention to patient care and safety. Flight paramedics are expected to have a minimum of three years current experience as a paramedic on an advanced life support team and/or critical care transport team. Both of these roles may have to tend to multiple critical cases all at once, so it is important that he or she have the skills to cope with high stress situations. Even though those hired into the role of a flight nurse and flight paramedic come into the role with a core background in critical care and expected level of baseline knowledge,  higher level of autonomous critical thinking and rapid decisio n making is a new skill encountered for many coming into this role. A well-structured training program is an integral part of laying a strong foundation to build the necessary knowledge base needed to assure both a flight nurse and flight paramedic are prepared to perform in their role as a crew chief. Approximately six years ago a well-structured crew chief training program was in place that allowed for consistent and structured learning that allowed all crew member 2 (CM2) to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge expected to hold a position of crew chief. These modules covered areas of navigation, communications, safety, aviation, critical thinking; and incorporated reading material, practical exercises, quizzes and tests which the CM2 worked through in a systematic process. At the completion of the training module; the crew member then went through a question answer board (QAB) process. In the QAB, the crew member was asked a series of questions by a board consisting of a crew chief, clinical manager, pilot, medical director and given multiple scenarios. If the QAB was completed successfully the CM2 then advanced to status of a crew chief. Current State of Problem Currently a structured training program that assures all flight nurses and flight paramedics obtain this baseline level of knowledge that is expected of those in the crew chief role does not exist. The current practice is the assumption that all CM2’s obtain the skills and knowledge necessary by reaching their seventy fifth patient transport. This training plan does not allow for the structured delivery of expected skills and knowledge nor does it allow for a baseline competency to be demonstrated before being promoted from CM2 to crew chief. The current process was put into place to meet the increased demand for staffing experience by the company during a rapid growth period where eight bases turned into sixteen in four years. This current process put into place at this time did allow for rapid streamlined training of new staff; but it failed to take into account quality over quantity. This new process has resulted in CM2’s being promoted to the level of a crew chief w ithout the necessary knowledge that is expected of this role as determined by the management. Goal State All crew members at CM2 status go through a structured crew chief training program. This training will allow for the delivery of consistent, well-structured necessary skills and knowledge. A well-structured training program will assure that all flight crew who obtain crew chief status will have obtained the same base of knowledge and will have all demonstrated the same level of desired competence. Learner Analysis Demographic Information The instructional setting is primarily on the job training; information gained through the live patient care transport environment via ground, rotor or fixed wing aircraft. Nurses and paramedics work as partners in patient transport. This team configuration can be two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic; but at all times one team member must be a nurse. The third person at the base is the pilot in command, who does not provide any patient care but does and can assist in aviation and safety training. These teams are on shift; stationed at their assigned base for a 24 hour period of time; where training through simulations, reading, and discussions will occur during non-patient transport times. There are 16 bases in the company; located in California, Texas and Oregon. There are 8 full time medical crew assigned to each base and an additional 2-3 part time staff at each base. Age of paramedics and nurses range from 27-61. English is native language spoken by all medical crew members. Educational levels in addition to holding an accredited paramedic license or registered nurse license are ranging from associate degree to doctorate. All Registered nurses in the capacity have received specialized training in critical care, trauma and hold specialized certificates in these areas. All paramedics in this capacity have also obtained additional critical care related training and certificates. Both the nurses and the paramedics receiving the crew chief training have been employed with this company in the flight role for a minimum of 1 year and have obtained the CM2 status. The content area is focused on five areas; to include aviation, safety, communications, navigation, and critical thinking. All medical crew have obtained the basic level of training in these areas have been deemed CM2 which puts them at â€Å"novice† status which deems them competent to s afely complete patient transports. The crew chief level of training is aimed at bringing crew  members from novice to expert level. Prior Knowledge Prior knowledge of all who will receive the crew chief training are those who are at the current CM2 level. They have been working in the capacity as flight nurses or flight paramedics at this company for a minimum of 1 year and have been on at least 75 patient transports. 25% of the total crew members have prior experience working as Flight Nurses or Flight Paramedics at another company; 10% of the flight paramedics have prior flight crew experience through the military prior to coming to this company. Those crew members who achieved crew chief status per the current model will be given a baseline written assessment and go through a crew chief QAB. Those who pass these two items will remain at the status of crew chief; and those who do not pass these assessments will complete a bridge crew chief training program, focusing on those areas of the training they did not pass during their assessments. A written assessment and QAB will be repeated at the conclusion of the bridge training. All crew members surveyed have positive feedback regarding this proposed process. Entry Skills Required Entry level skills required to the crew chief training is to be a CM2 and to have successfully passed the CM2 questions answer board. Successful completion of CM2 training demonstrates successful objectives completed as stated in the CM2 training. In addition to CM2 status; all crew members must have obtained a national certification. National certifications the nurses may obtain are critical care registered nurse (CCRN), care flight critical nurse (CFRN), or certified emergency nurse (CEN). These are each a 100-150 questions tests that are scheduled to be taken at independent test centers as determined by the certifying agencies. The CM2 must also be in good standing with the company; meaning no disciplinary actions in the crew members personal file in the previous six months. Attitudes and Motivation The majority of the flight nurses and flight paramedics are very driven; intense people with a high desire to obtain the crew chief status. Primary motivation comes from the desire to obtain the title status of â€Å"crew chief† and the increased pay rate of 5% per hour. Secondary motivation is the drive that comes from internal motivation to achieve additional training to  reach expert level knowledge in this field. Current attitudes towards training are positive with an overwhelmingly stated desire to have a more structured training program; with higher standards and rigor needed to become a crew chief. Based on the annual employee survey; one of the indicators as stated by employees to improve morale is for a more structured and rigorous crew chief training program. Unique Characteristics and Learning Styles The majority (70%) of the learners described themselves as learning best through â€Å"doing.† Those who stated they learn better through hands-on and learning state reading, watching or hearing the learning material is helpful if they can then have additional hands-on training through simulations or live on-the-job situational experiences. Another 40% of learners said they were not sure how they learned best; but felt having access to the material in writing or reading to be studied was very helpful. All learners wanted tangible resources available such as protocols, standard operating procedures, drug calculators, and other tools that could be obtained through electronic means such as their phones or IPADS; to be accessed as needed during simulated training and live patient transports. According to Kolbs Adult Learning Styles; adults have four distinct ways of preferred ways for examining, analyzing and integrating new knowledge. Converging (doing and thinking), diverging (f eeling and watching), Assimilating (watching and thinking) and Accommodating (doing and feeling). In the VARK model; Neil D Fleming described the primary ways adults acquire new knowledge; the preferred learning styles. In this VARK model; 41% are kinesthetic learners, 16% visual, 25% auditory and 18% readers. Crew member feedback of preferred learning styles and research based evidence regarding preferred adult learning styles appear to correlate. This will allow support from management to build a new crew chief training program that will be based in the delivery methods that will allow consumption of material to be presented through the desired learning styles of adult learners. Unique characteristics of this group of learners is their collective attitudes and internal drive to desire a more rigorous and structured training program with an extreme minority of the crew members desiring to hold title of crew chief without demonstration of knowledge and skills required. It will be  important to build a training program that accommodates all of the stated learning styles so as to use the crew member’s desire for the training to have a product that matches in quality and desired outcome of trainees. Accommodations According to Gregg, Talbert and Lentz (1999),An appropriately selected instructional accommodations not only provides equal awareness to learning opportunities but also minimizes the learners likelihood of failure. Appropriate educational accommodations are determined by taking into account the adults unique leaning needs. All crew members have demonstrated a prerequisite knowledge required to begin this training through successful completion of the CM2 training. All learners are primary English language learners without physical disabilities; as this is a requirement to obtain the role of flight nurse or flight paramedic in this company. The accommodations that should be considered for this training program is one that utilizes all learning styles to ensure the best possible success by all those beginning the training program. Performance Context Managerial Support Learners can expect full organizational support in the training process. One of the top goals of the organization as identified in their â€Å"Strengthen from Within Plan† is to re-build and strengthen a training strategy that will allow for employees to have a structured, well planned out, standardized training program. Employees have overwhelmingly voiced concern in the area of clinical training with regards to the crew chief training in the annual employee survey and through the Best of Practice Suggestion Forum. Management has acknowledged the priority of a structured crew chief training process lost priority in recent years; stating it has been likely to the rapid growth experienced by the company in the last 5 years and with this comes a need to recruit employees bring them to novice status in order to staff new bases. This has caused an oversight in strengthening crew chief training which brings employees to that of expert level in the field. Management has also acknowledged that current process that was put into place approximately 6 years ago; which brings a CM2 to crew chief status via a CM2 completing 75 patient transports and obtaining a national  certification has fallen short of hopes and expectations for this modality of crew chief training. All management are in agreement a more structured training program is needed. All would agree that the skills learned through a structured crew chief training program bring medical flight crew members from a novice to an expert level which translates to superior patient care, superior customer service, which lead to strengthening of the company as a whole. Physical Aspects of the Site The crew chief training takes skills learned by flight crew members during their CM2 training program and adds depth, strengthens critical thinking and problem solving processes and brings a CM2 at novice level up to crew chief which is considered expert level. This training will take place while the crew member is on shift. Training will occur via reading material, videos, discussion with preceptor, clinical manager and base manager, scenarios through case studies and live demonstration during patient transport. The CM2 will be required to complete a written test and sit on a QAB at the end of the crew chief training Process. All required training materials and equipment will be available at each of the 16 bases in the company. Base managers and clinical managers will work with the preceptors to assure all materials and equipment will be kept at each base, kept current with what is being used in live environment and kept in working order. Social Aspects of the Site In the performance setting, medical crew members work in teams. The teams always consist of two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic. The third team member is the pilot; who are not involved directly in the patient care. Medical crew member’s work in team’s independent of direct supervision of a supervisor. Supervisors such as clinical managers, base managers and a medical director are always available by phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week as needed by the medical crews. The skills obtained in the Crew Chief training will not be being utilized by the medical crews for the first time. Many of these skills learned will have already been used by the crew members in the crew chief training; as much of the training had already been presented to some degree during the CM2 training. It is possible that some patient care skills learned by CM2 and again as crew chiefs will have only  been completed on mannequins in simulations and not on live patients until that patient condition presents itself. These skills are referred to as â€Å"infrequently used skills† and are practiced routinely by all medical crew members in the company. Those receiving initial first time skills and knowledge in their role are the crew member 1 (CM1) team members who are gaining the on-the-job training needed to achieve CM2 status. In these instances; a CM1 is always assigned into a work partnership with another crew member who is at least at the CM2 status. Relevance of Skills to Workplace All skills learned in the training will relate directly to all skills utilized in the actual workplace. There are not current perceived physical, social or motivational constraints. Crew members are highly motivated to have structured crew chief training due to the relationship between skills learned and skills used in work environment. High motivation also exists due to the desired status achievement of crew chief and due to the increased monetary stipend received. References Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137. Flight Nurse Training. (n.d.). Flight Nurse Training. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://www.flightnursetraining.com Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. (1999, January 1). Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/7.1/coverweb/grover_hendricks/accommodations.htm Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). . Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. (2013, January 1). Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://tribehr.com/blog/workplace-training-and-education-adult-learning-styles/

Teaching English To Children With Learning Disabilities Education Essay

Teaching English To Children With Learning Disabilities Education Essay Introduction The world we are living in is undergoing major changes in a stunningly short amount of time. Everything is moving, everything is changing, including all the central systems upon which all civilized societies of the world work. Education systems around the globe are also in a constant reformation, trying to keep up with the individual and collective needs of the people, with the emergence of new technologies and with the modernity in general. I have decided to approach the issue of the children with learning disabilities, teaching English to them, because although the science and the world have evolved rapidly in the last century, it seems that there are still aspects of the society that are left alone or who are not given sufficient credit, perhaps from ignorance, or perhaps from unknowing what to do. Why children with learning difficulties? Because they represent a special category, which unfortunately is frequently omitted, and children with this condition are often placed in schools where there is no qualified staff to help them grow personally and professionally as they should. For avoiding confusion over what really a learning disability means, in the first chapter of my paper I thought it will be necessary to clarify the concept, by offering the definitions of several specialists. In this same chapter I will try to develop some theoretical concepts, such as the detailed description of the term and of the behavior involved, all of which are essential for understanding a student with Learning Disabilities. In the second chapter I aim to describe the circumstances in which English has become in recent decades the international language, and the importance and necessity of learning a foreign language in the socio-politic and economic actual context, especially for an ex-communist country in developing such the case of Romania is for over twenty years. In the third and final chapter, I will present the various methods and techniques of teaching English as a foreign language available for the children with learning difficulties, offering examples of several worksheets collected with the support of several English teachers. A short inroad to learning disabilities In this first chapter of my paper I want to analyze the issue of learning disabilities based on specialized readings, to make a brief insight into the history of the field research and an analysis of the factors underlying these abnormalities, announcing the features of this problem and some of the ways by which a child with learning difficulties can be traced in time to be helped. Children across the world live their true life adventure once they begin school. For each and every one of them it is a long awaited moment and most are able to perfectly adapt the educational environment. Still, there are some children for whom school proves to be a chore: the children who are faced with learning disabilities (LD). They represent a special category which unfortunately is often overlooked. Historical overview The approach towards children with learning disabilities is not new at all. It exists even from the invention of school, but it was not until the 1960s that it was emphasized. The novelty in this area consists of the higher interest shown lately towards children with such a disability and finding ways throughout they can be helped to overcome the difficulties encountered while studying, or even through their whole lifetime. The man initiating the term was Samuel Kirk (director of the Federal Office of Educations Division of Handicapped Children between 1963 and 1964 and founding director of the Institute for research on Exceptional Children at the University of Illinois) , term which is considered to design a neurological disorder affecting children of normal intelligence, physical intactness, emotional health and average motivation, but who are facing troubles in using certain skills and achieving success at school and in everyday life. Defining the term proved to be a complex process and thus, over time many variants have been proposed by doctors, teachers and other specialists of the field. In the first edition of his research concerning the education of exceptional children in 1962, Kirk provided the following definition: A learning disability refers to a retardation disorder, or delayed development in one or more of the process of speech, language, reading, writing, arithmetic, or other school subject resulting from a psychological handicap caused by a possible cerebral dysfunction and/ or emotional or behavioral disturbances. It is not the result of mental retardation, sensory deprivation, or cultural and instructional factors. (Kirk 263) The definition and the term given by Kirk to design the disorder were immediately embraced by the parents in the first national conference on the subject, hold in the same year because it made it clear that there is a great difference between the mental issue and the learning one. The definition of Kirk also provided a solid foundation for further research and definitions in the field. According to Turkington and Harris most definitions suggest that learning disabilities are permanent, affect a range of language and mathematics functions, and are caused in part from problems within the central nervous system, as stipulated by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities, an organization formed by 12 agencies within the federal gouvernment in USA in 1987: Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogenous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening skills, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities, or of social skills. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to the central nervous system dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions,[], a learning disability is not the direct result of those conditions or influences. (ICLD 222) Nowadays, it seems that the most widely used definition is the one included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act from 2004 (Flanagan, Alfonso), which unlike most definitions, it refers to a specific learning disability: The term specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological process involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Such a term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Such a term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of an environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. (IDEA, 2004, 602.30, Definitions) The number of students who are in such a situation is much higher than one might think. In England for example 2% of the population has a learning disability according to the British Institute of Learning disabilities, which also mentions the fact that the term learning difficulty is preferred to learning disability, because the society we live in is harsh and often the issue of learning difficulties is misinterpreted and identified with mental problems. Although a learning disability can often accompany such a problem, it is not a rule as specified in the definitions given by Kirk or stated in the IDEA. The distinction between the two terms can be seen rather at a cultural level (Americans prefer using disability and Europeans difficulty) rather to the specificity of the problem: Learning disability- is a general term that refers to individuals who find it harder to learn, understand and communicate. Other terms that are used to describe an individuals situation include complex needs or high support needs. Learning difficulty -is often used in educational settings and refers to individuals who have specific problems. Children and young people requiring special education needs are often described as having a learning difficulty. Throughout the world, learning disabilities affect at least 1 in 10 children. But nowadays a learning disability isnt considered anymore a handicap. People have learned to accept those with such conditions, and the personas from the public life had a great contribution. Apart from the classic examples of Albert Einstein who was unable to speak to the age of three, or the great Demostene who was a powerful public speaker in the ancient times, but who in his youth faced serious problems of stammering, there are also modern public figures who acknowledge freely that at a certain moment in their lives have been confronted with such a malady, such as actor Tom Cruise, singer Cher or director Steven Spielberg. Causes of learning disabilities The exact causes leading to these types of disabilities have not been clearly stated by specialists in their research. However, some reference was established for both parents and for teachers I order to use them in diagnosing children with LD. There are several factors that could possibly be blamed for such a disorder. Among these, the most important to remember are: genetic factors, organic factors and environmental factors. Genetic factors Evidence has shown that learning problems run in families. The odds that a child is learning-disabled are much higher when the in the family was previously reported at least one such case. There are maternal factors such as the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy that have negative effects; it is well-known that mothers who smoke during pregnancy for example, are more likely to bear small babies, who are at a higher risk for learning disabilities; poor prenatal medical care and nutrition and prenatal injury or delivery complications can also be responsible. Organic factors Organic factors refer to dysfunctions that may appear in the central nervous system and damage the brain known as Minimal Brain Dysfunctions. Environmental factors There are several factors in the childs environment thought to affect his abilities of learning, such as nutritional deficiencies, inadequate learning experience or environmental toxins such as mercury or dioxins released into the childs body within his first year of life. For example, in economic deprived families there exist the possibility the child is never given the opportunity to go to school, and so he is a stranger to the domain of linguistic and cognitive activities. Unfortunately, such cases are becoming more and more common, especially in poor or developing countries. When it comes to the experience achieved in schools, researchers agree that poor quality teaching in schools may also cause a learning disability. There are cases when the use of inappropriate materials or a teaching style that does not allow the learner enough time to acquire basic skills, moving too fast can contribute to the unsuccessful activity of the student. There are many cases when students are labeled unconsciously by their teachers or peers as being lazy or stupid, but in fact their only problem is that their brains are designed to process information differently. Myrna Orenstein thinks these children are smart but stuck. So far there no treatment has been found to cure this condition, but children can be helped to learn successfully with the appropriate support from both parents but especially from teachers. However, it is necessary for a learning disabled child to be discovered in time. How do we recognize a learning disabled child? Because types of LD vary from child to child, so do the symptoms. Yet, there are some peculiarities in each case which can be very useful to the parents in the process of identifying this disorder, because after all they are usually the ones who first noticed abnormalities in their children. According to Siegel, there are some gestures and moves that a child should be able to do in the first years of life, upon which the pediatricians agree: A one-year-old should be able to reach for objects, roll over, stand with some support, follow objects, laugh, respond to no, and use a crayon. By the age of two, a child should respond to other children, walk, use some words, recognize familiar persons, point, and understand some simple shapes. A three-year-old should be able to move easily and go up stairs, be understood when speaking, use scissors, and draw pictures. By the age of four, a child should be able to catch a ball, copy shapes, count, identify some colors, dress without help, and play appropriate with peers. (Siegel,28) The first signs that parents and educators should be concerned of are: 1. Children often prefer to get isolated, they are shy, insecure, avoid playing with other children or sharing things. 2. The child has difficulties understanding and follows different instructions or memory issues, such as not remembering what he is saying. 3. He/She has difficulty distinguishing the left from the right, in identifying words or has an emphasized tendency to reverse letters, words, or numbers. 4. He/ She lack coordination while walking, in sports or much easier activities such as holding a pencil in the hand or tying his/her shoe lace. 5. Often, the child fails to understand the concept of time, is confused regarding yesterday, today and tomorrow. Obviously, the early the disorder is discovered, the better for the child, because we all know it is better preventing than remediating further effects. But if the child has already entered school without being diagnosed with a LD, then the signs should be more obvious for those surrounding him because he usually draw attention to himself: 1. He/she might get confused and wander homework, school books and other things. 2. The appearance of disruptiveness when in school- some LD children continuously bother, distract or in some way disrupt others-even the entire class. Their behaviour differ- some get engaged in some type of physical contact which disturbs classmates, while others make faces, talk or laugh at inappropriate times.(Blanton 29) 3. The child might have difficulties paying attention or staying focused, in processing, understanding, and expressing information through language.(Siegel 29) 4. He/ She might have trouble copying or getting ideas onto paper. 5. He/ she isnt very skilful, but it is usually creative in his/ her own way, and it is considered to be a constant source of amazement and delight by their teachers. Although at a first view it may seem a minor problem, the misdiagnosing of a LD child, or worse, ignoring his condition can lead to catastrophic effects later in his teenager or adult life. There are statistics which showed that juvenile delinquency can be easily associated with learning issues. Also, the child that is not being properly treated and helped and considered to be a laisser faire at school, may later abuse drugs or alcohol to pass more easily over the issue. When the world is as black as theirs is, anything that will allow a few hours of pleasure is welcomed. Suicide of course, is the ultimate out. But its rare. (Stevens 59) Testing for learning disabilities Many specialists refuse to test preschoolers for such condition, considering that they should first come into contact with the school environment and achieve some sort of results, and only after this basic steps they can further determine if a child needs therapy or not. Others, on the other hand, say otherwise, the statistics showing that a correct and careful testing may have an accuracy of 82% to 95% in determining whether a child aged five or fewer is dealing with LD. On the other hand, those who suffer from severe Attention Deficit Disorder, commonly associated with a specific learning disability can be more easily recognized even before starting kindergarten. Indeed, it is difficult to determine if a child under school age is learning-disabled. What is certainly though is the fact that no learning- disabled child should be ignored and that he should be given the necessary support beginning his early days of school. According to New and Cochran, another important factor standing in the way of the diagnosis of LD in children is the fact that learning problems or developmental delays can be precursors of other cognitive, behavioral, sensory, or developmental disorders, not just a learning disability.(New, Cochran,481) In order to diagnose children with LD there have been conceived a series of achievement tests meant to verify the intellectual and practical skills of the children. An achievement test represents a standardized measure of knowledge, information, or procedural learning which may asses general academic areas such as reading, writing, or mathematics, used by school systems to provide a standard measure of individual student performance, and to provide an aggregated measure of performance that enables school systems to evaluate their effectiveness. Achievement testes are also used as part of the diagnosis assessment of individuals to determine whether they have a learning disability and qualify for special education services. (Turkington and Harris 4) Types of specific learning disabilities There are several types of Learning Disabilities that prevent young students to lead a normal life both at school and outside, which may be related to the organization, storage and subsequent description of the information or knowledge gathered in the classroom. 1. Dyslexia is the first general term used to describe various learning problems. Eventually, these problems were subdivided and categorized to describe different learning disabilities. Because of this matter, Davis and Braun referred to dyslexia as the Mother of Learning Disabilities. Nowadays, the term designs only the disability related to reading. Characteristics of dyslexic students: The main problem of a dyslexic is that he is facing troubles reading words fluently; Dyslexics are more curious than average students; Students may find it easier to think mainly in pictures instead of words; Most dyslexics have a vivid imagination; Dyslexics are highly intuitive. Famous Dyslexics: Hans Christian Andersen, Winston Churchill, Leonardo da Vinci, Jay Leno. 2. Dyscalculia refers to problems of arithmetic and math nature, which are considered to be caused by a visual perceptual deficit. Characteristics of students with dyscalculia: At an early age they have problems organizing things logically, such as separating round objects from square ones; They have difficulties when learning to count or align numbers; They often have problems recognizing printed numbers; They have persistent issues in learning number facts such as multiplication tables or doing even the simplest numerical tasks; They have difficulties dealing with time and money notions. 3. Dysgraphia is the type of learning disability manifested through a writing disorder resulting in illegibility and of which cause is still unknown to this time. Acccording to Maria Chivers, there are two types of dysgraphia: a. Phonological dysgraphia- writing word as a pure sound spelling which is incorrect (especially seen on language learners). b. Visual dysgraphia- writing words, which are correctly spelt apart from some letters being reversed (ex: brink instead of drink). Characteristics of students who are facing dysgraphia: At an early age they avoid writing and drawing; They have trouble shaping the letters; It can be observed an inconsistent spacing between their letters or words; They often mixt cursive and print writing; They pronounce words out loud while writing. 4. Dyspraxia also known as the sensory integration disorder, is specific to students who have problems with motor coordination. Characteristics of students with dyspraxia: Young learners may have problems with picking up small items; during a sport class they may fall over for no apparent reason; They have problems following instructions, reading maps; They can change hand very often when writing because they are confused about whether to use their right or left; They have problems telling the time. 5. Central auditory processing disorder- consists of a difficulty processing and remembering language-related tasks. Characteristics of students: They are unable to take notes in class; They have difficulties in listening instructions and thus doing what they are being asked; They cant concentrate when someone is talking to follow the words in their correct order; They face great troubles when trying to learn a foreign language. 6. Non-verbal learning disorders The students who fall in this category are usually having troubles understanding nonverbal cues as body language or the association of pictures with words. They normally lack coordination, and thus, are being very clumsy. 7. Visual perceptual/ visual motor deficit- students have problems copying accurately, they complain about eye itching, they struggle with cutting things. 8. Language disorders, also referred to as aphasia or dysphasia are described as problems of students who are having troubles understanding and using spoken or written language. Language disorders represent the most common type of learning disabilities. Characteristics of students with a language-based disability: They have troubles expressing their ideas clearly; They may have problems learning the alphabet, new vocabulary and understanding questions; They have difficulties writing from dictation if the teachers lips cannot be seen. All of the above mentioned learning disabilities can be also included in the category of students dealing with memory disorders. Most of the characteristics of these students can be also found among the description of the others disabilities, such as: Inconsistency of the student when learning new information; The inability of them to follow instructions; The inability of delivering a correct message. The difficulty remembering what has been said or asked from them in class. Conclusions Throughout my whole paper I aimed to draw attention on students with learning difficulties, trying to point out the key elements of this condition and what should be considered when dealing with such children. I have tried to address myself especially to future teachers, the young generation, to whom is in their power to change the mentality and traditional methods so widely used in schools at the moment and which unfortunately fail to meet the students needs. To be able to cope with a student with Learning Disabilities, informing and training the parents and teachers is essential in order to provide solutions to specific issues related to the disability, targeting especially the teaching methods, behavior management strategies, as well as elements that can lead to the development of the collaboration between the school and the family, and, if required, the medical community. Along with behavioral intervention strategies, a coherent set of educational methods adapted to the condition are required. Also, it is recommended that this set of interventions and approaches to be backed up by individual and family counseling.   Ã‚   In terms of action principles and solutions for teachers, especially for the beginners, I tried to devote an entire chapter, the final one, because it was actually my goal from the very beginning to help to the development of new techniques , able to bear the special needs of a child with learning difficulties. Works cited Andrews, J. E., Carnine, D. W., Coutinho, M. J., Edgar, E. B., Forness, S. R., Fuchs, L. S., et al.(2000). Bridging the special education divide. Remedial and Special Education, 21, 258-260, 267. Anderson, P. L., Meier-Hedde, R. (2001). Early case reports of dyslexia in the United States and Europe. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34, 9-21. Anonymous. (1966). Minimal brain dysfunction in children:Terminology and identification.Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. (1986). ACLD definition: Specific learning disabilities. ACLD Newsbriefs, 15-16. Barsch, R. H. (1967). Achieving perceptual-motor efficiency: A space oriented approach to learning.Seattle, WA: Special Child Publications. Lyon, G. R. (1995a). Toward a definition of dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 45, 3-27.

Rural HIV/AIDS in Southeast Ohio :: Case Management

Rural HIV/AIDS in Southeast Ohio History Of all the known cases of HIV / AIDS in the United States "†¦5.5 percent were reported from nonmetropolitan statistical areas (non-MSAs). The Office of Management and Budget defines a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as a county or group of counties that includes a city of 50,000 residents or an urbanized area with at least 50,000. Nonmetropolitan counties are all remaining counties (Gwinn & Wortley, 1996). "†¦6 percent of the female AIDS cases reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) during 1994 were residing in non-MSAs at the time of AIDS diagnosis (CDC, 1996). This is the case in Southeast Ohio where the nearest metropolitan area is Columbus an hour and a half away from Athens. Rural HIV/AIDS patients tend to be diagnosed in later stages of the disease because their physicians do not consider them to be at risk for HIV (Calonge, Petersen, Miller, & Marshall, 1993; Miller, et al., 1995). Many of the clients that apply for services at the Athens AIDS Task Force do so only after a referral from a medical professional after they have been hospitalized with a serious illness. Most already have Center for Disease Control (CDC) diagnosis for AIDS (T-Cell count below 200, normal count is 800 – 1500). Even as the spread of AIDS into small towns escalates, HIV-infected patients who live outside urban areas continue to confront significant obstacles to effective care. Nearly all doctors who specialize in the treatment of HIV are located in cities. Quality of life for HIV-infected rural residents is potentially worse, often for reasons that involve a lack of person-to-person contact both at the medical level and at the personal support level. Researchers have noted that rural HIV/AIDS patients often travel two or more hours to obtain medical care because they lack confidence in their local physicians, are unable to find a local physician who will see them, and are concerned about confidentiality. (Mainous & Matheny, 1996; Rounds, 1988; Rumley, et al., 1991). This is certainly the case in Rural Ohio, many clients travel to Columbus, Akron, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Parkersburg, West Virginia for medical treatment. Many fear that they will run into acquaintances or relatives if they should visit physicians closer to home. People living in rural areas are still generally afraid of casual contact with anyone with the AIDS virus. We also see less intervention and prevention efforts directed toward rural areas, in part because they tend to be more conservative and not as open to sexuality education and safer sex education.

Romaticism and Religion in German Nationalism Essay -- Analysis, Hans

Growing out of the romantic movement of the 19th century, there were many factors and various groups that contributed to the rise of German nationalism. With the nation fragmented, and Europe in social turmoil, the German people were lusting for spiritual and emotional unity that Enlightenment thinking could not provide. The population turned to existing religious groups, romantic thinkers, and secular political religions to fill the emotional gap that existed in a modernizing Europe. In the article, â€Å"Romanticism and the Rise of German Nationalism,† Hans Kohn attempts to show how romanticism developed from a completely artistic movement, into a crucial component in the rise of German nationalism. In the first of five sections, Kohn begins by describing the origins of the romantic movement's opposition toward Enlightenment thinking, and of the French Revolution. He argues that the romantics revered history – namely the middle ages – which was the foundation for the development of the â€Å"national community.† This idealization of history that Kohn argues rejected the current times and had the emotional effect of instilling hope to the people, a point he makes clear when he states, â€Å"The romantic movement began as an artistic revolt against eighteenth-century culture which seemed not to satisfy the soul and not to warm the heart.† (FN, 445). The second section of the article focuses mainly on Novalis, who Kohn calls, â€Å"The first great German romanticist.†(FN, 447) He contends that Novalis wished the state played more of an intimate role in people's lives, but makes clear that this was not a political concept, but poetic.(FN, 448). He elaborates by stating that Novalis did not stress unification on a national basis, but based on the sp... ...an denominations – namely Protestantism. Williamson makes this abundantly clear when he states, â€Å"Indeed, I maintain in this study that the longing for myth is best understood not as a secularization of traditional religion or as a form of 'secular religion,' but rather as a development within Christian (especially German Protestant) culture...†(FN, 4) Williamson takes the time to discuss the reforms within Protestantism and keeps religion central in the study. This is a good study for anyone interested in nineteenth-century German intellectual history, and how religion played such a great role in the development of national ideas. In the midst of great change on the European continent, Germany was left in a position of uncertainty. With the arrival of modernization, the population was looking for order and emotional fulfillment in a fragmented and changing nation.

Cola Wars: Porters 5 Forces

Michael Porter developed five different forces in a framework he felt influenced industries. This framework was designed to help companies find ways to off-set a rival company and to help develop a more solid business plan. It has been known over the years a rivalry has existed been two of the biggest soda companies, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Three of Porter’s forces that are exemplified in this â€Å"coke war† are buyer power, barriers to entry, and rivalry which will be explained and elaborated on in the following essay. Buyer PowerThe retailers have a low to moderate buyer power over the consumer soft drink industry, due to the producer’s ability to forward integrate, the sheer number of buyers, and the buyer’s ability to forward integrate. Buyer power is the degree of influence customers have on the producing agent. Soft drink companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi have used forward integration to take over their channels of distribution. They created contra cts that gave them the ability to set concentrate prices for their bottlers; in turn bottlers would respond to price fulgurations by adjusting retail pricing.In 2000, when Coca Cola raised concentrate prices by 7. 6%, bottlers raised the retail prices by 6 to 7%. This demonstrates that buyers have limited control over the price changes. Coca Cola has also made great efforts to take over the bottling of their product, by establishing the independent subsidiary Coca Cola Enterprises. They began by acquiring bottlers to produce one third of their volume during 1986 which increased to 80% in 2004. This gave Coca Cola more control over retail pricing, and distribution of their products to retail stores.Since there are so many retail stores that carry products that consumer soft drink, CSD, companies make, it is hard for buyers to create a collaborative effort to resist price increases. Buyer power also suffers if retailers are fragmented and are not concentrated to a single type. Almost any type of store will carry a CSD product, which makes sales very spread out across the board. The different kinds of intermediaries involved in retail sales are Fountain and Vending machines, Super-markets, Convenience and Gas, Super Centers, Mass Retailers, and Club and Drug Stores.To put things in perspective 34 % of sales comes from Fountain and Vending, while 31% are from supermarkets. Fountain and Vending machines are mostly controlled by the CSD bottlers. Even though supermarkets may sell the second largest volume, CSD companies make up 5. 5% of their sales and also bring customers to their door. Not enough to convince you? Consider this: CSD companies such as Coca Cola produce a wide variety of products ranging from sports drinks to water, all the way to energy drinks. Coca Cola most likely will not sell a product to a supermarket unless they carry their full line of products.If the retail prices increase on the Coca Cola product they may have little control over resistance , because they rely on the other products they provide. Lastly, Coca Cola is considered the most valuable brand in the world, with 10 major successful brands and substantial power in the realm of business. Although Coca Cola may have a significant amount of power over their buyers, companies with much smaller market share, and product lines are taken advantage of by larger retailers. For example, mass merchandisers make up 14% of Pepsi’s total revenue, making that intermediary crucial to the company’s profitability.In some cases retailers do have power to resist price increases because they purchase a large number of outputs. Typically there are far more buyers than concentrate producers, which can give them leverage over smaller brands that rely on the sales they generate. Barriers to Entry When entering a market there are certain barriers that prevent a firm from becoming established, or gaining market share. In the consumer soft drink industry there are high capital requirements, unequal access to distribution channels, and brand loyalty which translates to high barriers to entry.In the text it states the price of a concentrate manufacturing plant is fairly reasonable. Manufacturing facilities cost around $25 million, and $50 million including machinery, overhead, and labor. For established companies with separate revenue streams, generating this kind of money could be fairly reasonable, especially since one of these plants can serve the entire country. Coca Cola and Pepsi operate around 100 plants each for adequate distribution of their product. New entrants would have a hard time investing enough capital that would be required to keep up with Coke and Pepsi’s istribution. Advertising and promotion costs are also high in 2004; Coca Cola spent $246,243 just on advertising their cola product. This shows that in order to compete in this industry, entrants are forced to spend large sums of money on advertising, packaging, proliferation, an d widespread retail price discounting. The high capital investment also translates to lowers profit margins, which makes entry even more unappealing. Another factor that creates a barrier to entry is the unequal access to distribution channels.Coke and Pepsi created agreements with their franchised bottlers that prevent them from handling competing brands of other concentrate producers. This prevents companies from entering an industry and using a Coca Cola bottler to get their product on the market. Also as Coca Cola and Pepsi grow in size so does the shelf space they require. As stated previously Coca Cola and Pepsi produce around 10 brands each, this constricts the amount of shelf space an entry producer will have access to. The top two cola companies have also made a significant amount of acquisitions, to boost the distribution of their products relative to their competitors.Coca Cola won 68% pouring rights against Pepsi’s 22% and Cadbury Schweppes 10%, across the United States. The reason Coca Cola has a majority of the pouring rights is because their agreements with Burger King and McDonalds, as well as their exclusive pouring rights and contracts around the world; whereas entry producers do not have the capital to invest, in buying out pouring rights. The ability to use vending machine technology requires a high capital investment from incumbent firms. Coca Cola and Pepsi offer their bottlers incentives to develop vending machine technology which accounts for 34% of the industry sales volume.Entry companies would have to invest in this technology to compete with the volume sales figures. One of the marketing goals of a company is to establish brand loyalty. When brand loyalty is achieved, customers will most likely not switch to a competitors brand. As a barrier to entry, brand loyalty is affected by many factors, such as presence in the market, or advertising and promotion efforts, to name a few. Both Coca Cola and Pepsi were created in the 80â €™s, as pioneers of the cola industry. Coca Cola was the first to invent the original cola recipe, and patent the 6. -oz bottle. Coca Cola also used strong promotional efforts in World War II, which contributed to brand identity. The case does not supply information regarding the sales across different age groups, but I believe figures would suggest higher sales levels across the ages compared to newer brands. It is apparent that the companies with the longest presence in the industry have the highest market share, which also directly correlates with the amount of advertising each company has expended over time.Another perfect example of this trend in the CSD industry is energy drink company Red Bull, having the largest market share while also spending the most on advertising. This goes to show by having consistently strong promotional efforts and advertising both Coca Cola and Red Bull have excelled in their markets. It is difficult for new entrants of soft drink market to matc h the brand loyalty Coca Cola has established through aggressive advertising over the course of the company’s existence. Rivalry In the beverage industry rivalry is at best a mechanism that drives profits and keeps the industry in motion.Coca Cola explains that they are in the position they are in today because of their rivalry with Pepsi. Rivalry is high because of the competition between top brands, low product differentiation and slow industry growth. It is clear that there is a substantial rivalry between Coca Cola and Pepsi that alone claim 74. 8 % of the U. S. CSD market as of 2004. Not only does this information tell us that there is a small amount of major competitors in the industry, but it also says that there is a fight for market share with the top two brands. This is most exemplified in the advertising expenditure of the two companies.During 2003 Pepsi spend a total of $236,396 on advertising while Coca Cola spent $167,675; the year after Coke responded by raisin g their advertising expenditure to $246,243. This trend also happened in 1981 to 1984, when coke doubled its advertising spending; as a result Pepsi did as well. The next variable that contributes to the high degree of rivalry is the low product differentiation. Although there are many efforts made by beverage companies to differentiate their product from others, there are no truly unique attributes about a single CSD brand. Each cola company provides a elatively similar option in packaging, container size and ounces per container. It is typical for companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi offer 10 different brands, 17 container types and provide many discounts and promotions. For example Coke make Sprite and Pepsi has Sierra Mist and Dr Pepper owns 7UP; this creates a rivalry over who has the best lemon lime soft drink product. To show my point, Pepsi launched â€Å"The Pepsi Challenge†, which gave customers the ability to try out the different brands and see how they compare. Pepsi knew they needed to find a way to show consumers the difference between their brand and the competitors.This approach fueled the rivalry among other CSD companies especially Coca Cola. Slow industry growth spurs rivalry because it calls for companies to develop new competitive advantages and core competencies to keep sales alive. The market share for cola products has dropped from 71% in 1990, to 60% in 2004. Other products such as energy drinks and bottled water are increasing in market share, as consumers switch their focus to more functional and healthy alternatives. Goizueta said, â€Å"The product and the brand, had a declining share in a shrinking segment of the market. Signifying the need for soft drink manufacturers to find new ways to boost sales and increase rivalry. To put a number on these increasing trends, bottled water volume sales grew by 18. 8% in 2004, compared to 7. 6% non-carb CSDs and1% CSD growth. Top companies now have to find ways to proliferate their CSD products in relation to their rivals. It is also a definite possibility with the slow sales volume growth of 10 billion cases in 2001 to 10. 2 in 2004 that companies will invest in new beverage arenas such as the functional category, thus creating new rivalries.