A) Describe 2 Studies Of Perceptual Development (12 Marks). Essays

a) Describe 2 studies of perceptual development (12 marks). b) Assess the way in which such studies help to explain the development of perception (12 marks). In the following essay I intend to describe two studies of perceptual development. I then intend to assess such studies and how they help to explain the development of perception. By perceptual development, I mean how animals and humans alike develop their seeing capabilities. This development of perception could be learnt or innate. By innate, I mean to be born with the ability. a) Gibson and Walk conducted a study in 1960. The study was investigating Depth Perception. The study involved a 6-month-old child, 24-hour-old chicks, kids and lambs. Gibson and Walk used a 'Visual Cliff' to conduct the study. The 'Visual Cliff' was comprised of 2 floors. On one side there was a check-board pattern, on the other side there is glass floor. Below the glass floor there was another floor with check-board pattern. This was placed so that an illusion of a cliff and depth was created. At first the child was placed and was found to be reluctant to go onto the glass. The child's reluctance could be seen as even with encouragement from the child's mother, the child refused to go onto the glass. The study was continued on chicks, kids and lambs. All subjects studied refused to go onto the glass. Held and Hein conducted a study in 1965. The study was investigating Depth Perception. The study involved two kittens. The kittens were kept in the dark for a period of eight weeks since their birth and for three hours per day they were kept in a 'Kitten Carousel'. The kittens were given appropriate name. 'Passive Kitten' and Active Kitten' were their names. The Active Kitten was given the ability to move freely at it's own discretion, during the eight weeks. The Passive Kitten was unable to move freely during the eight weeks. Both Kittens were released into the light. The Passive Kitten showed no evidence of perceiving depth. The Active Kitten did far better then the Passive Kitten. b) Studies like the above two help explain the development of perception. Studies do this by allowing us to understand if perception is learnt or an innate process. The first study suggested that their subjects could perceive Depth Perception. However the study did not clearly identify whether perception was innate or learnt. This could not be identified as the child's age created a 'time period' were perception could be learnt. To clarify this the study was conducted on animal subjects. All of the subjects could perceive depth. However the animal subjects walk from almost birth. This ability to walk suggests a different process of perception to the human perception. Perception in the animal subjects seems to be an innate process. The second study was confined to 'Kittens'. The study suggested that depth perception is learnt. This was suggested by the 'Passive Kitten', restricted from movement was unable to perceive depth once free. The kitten was unable to use sensory motor co-ordination. This suggests a link between perception and sensory motor co-ordination. The study suggested perception is learnt in kittens. Environment factors also may affect perception. The study had ethical concerns, the 'Passive Kitten' was 'crippled'. The Kittens parents may have a genetic affect on their behavior. The study does not suggest what type of kittens was investigated. For Example; 'Domestic or Non-Domestic'. There are other variations of Kittens (cats) and therefore this may be claimed as a variable. Hence making the results invalid. . Different types of Kittens usually require their parents for a varied period of their early life. This may affect the results. Both studies did not suggest what depth perception is like in 'Humans'. The studies were confined to animals, which can not communicate through any human created language and therefore misinterpretation can occur. Hence, the validity of the results comes into concern. Other studies of perception have occurred. However conducting studies of human perception is complicated, as it is not easy to generalise. Commonly studies are done on westernised subjects rather than subjects from third world countries. Studies suggest that cultural variation, environment and social aspects can have an affect on perception. Therefore many studies conducted up to date are invalid for

How to Make Flavored and Colored Rock Candy

How to Make Flavored and Colored Rock Candy Rock candy is another name for sugar or sucrose crystals. Making your own rock candy is a fun and tasty way to grow crystals and see the structure of sugar on a big scale. Sugar crystals in granulated sugar display a monoclinic form, but you can see the shape much better in homegrown large crystals. This recipe is for rock candy that you can eat. You can color and flavor the candy, too. Materials Basically, all you need to make rock candy is sugar and hot water. The color of your crystals will depend on the type of sugar you use (raw sugar is more golden than refined granulated sugar) and whether or not you add coloring. Any food-grade colorant will work. 3 cups sugar (sucrose)1 cup waterPanStove or microwaveOptional: food coloringOptional: 1/2 to1 teaspoons flavoring oil or extractCotton stringPencil or knifeClean glass jarOptional: Lifesaver candy Instructions Pour the sugar and water into the pan.Heat the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. You want the sugar solution to hit boiling, but not get hotter or cook too long. If you overheat the sugar solution youll make hard candy, which is nice, but not what were going for here.Stir the solution until all the sugar has dissolved. The liquid will be clear or straw-colored, without any sparkly sugar. If you can get even more sugar to dissolve, thats good, too.If desired, you can add food coloring and flavoring to the solution. Mint, cinnamon, or lemon extract are good flavorings to try. Squeezing the juice from a lemon, orange, or lime is a way to give the crystals natural flavor, but the acid and other sugars in the juice may slow your crystal formation.Set the pot of sugar syrup in the refrigerator to cool. You want the liquid to be about 50 F (slightly cooler than room temperature). Sugar becomes less soluble as it cools, so chilling the mixture will make it so there is less chance of ac cidentally dissolving sugar you are about to coat on your string. While the sugar solution is cooling, prepare your string. You are using cotton string because it is rough and non-toxic. Tie the string to a pencil, knife, or another object that can rest across the top of the jar. You want the string to hang into the jar, but not touch the sides or bottom.You dont want to weight your string with anything toxic, so rather than use a metal object, you can tie a Lifesaver to the bottom of the string.Whether you are using the Lifesaver or not, you want to seed the string with crystals so that the rock candy will form on the string rather than on the sides and bottom of the jar. There are two easy ways to do this. One is to dampen the string with a little of the syrup you just made and dip the string in sugar. Another option is to soak the string in the syrup and then hang it to dry, which will cause crystals to form naturally (this method produces chunkier rock candy crystals).Once your solution has cooled, pour it into the clean jar. Suspend the seeded string in the liquid. Set the jar somewhere quiet. You can cover the jar with a paper towel or coffee filter to keep the solution clean. Check on your crystals, but dont disturb them. You can remove them to dry and eat when you are satisfied with the size of your rock candy. Ideally, you want to allow the crystals to grow for 3 to 7 days.You can help your crystals grow by removing (and eating) any sugar crust that forms on top of the liquid. If you notice a lot of crystals forming on the sides and bottom of the container and not on your string, remove your string and set it aside. Pour the crystallized solution into a saucepan and boil/cool it (just like when you make the solution). Add it to a clean jar and suspend your growing rock candy crystals. Once the crystals are done growing, remove them and let them dry. The crystals will be sticky, so the best way to dry them is to hang them. If you plan to store the rock candy any length of time, youll need to protect the outer surface from humid air. You can seal the candy in a dry container, dust the candy with a thin coating of cornstarch or confectioners sugar to reduce sticking, or lightly spritz the crystals with non-stick cooking spray.

What classroom strategies can be implemented to help a child with ADHD Literature review

What classroom strategies can be implemented to help a child with ADHD - Literature review Example The child easily gets distracted very first even by the sounds of the artwork on the classroom board (Brown, 2009 p. 134). Difficulty in remembering tasks and also organizing the schoolwork: When a teacher, for example, directs the students to turn to page 55 and work out exercise 1 to 3 and then art textbook page 44 and work out exercise 4 to 6 to the child with the disorder can be difficult. The child finds it very confusing, and the assignments can be done in different pages and exercises too (Mash & Wolfe, 2010 p. 77).   The child experiences difficulty in sitting and remaining seated in class: The child with ADHD usually does not understand why they should stay in one place without moving in class. They experience the problem of not being able to be attentive in class, even after being reminded to sit down so many times they forget, and they find themselves standing and moving around again. A teacher with such student who rarely knows anything about the disorder can be in a situation whereby she cannot be able to control the child (Rief, 2005 p. 98).   Impatience: The child is usually so much relentless, for example, this child cannot be able to line up like other children in the line. In the traditional schools, whereby the teachers can mistake, the child and get annoyed easily. These children usually insist on being the first always. Also in class, these children never wait for their turns to answer questions, but they just answer with outing waiting for their turn. The teacher can get very annoyed and punish or even develop a negative attitude towards the child. It can affect the child emotionally since the child does not see any problem with her or his behaviors; to them they are healthy (Deruvo, 2009 p. 45).   Hyperactivity and fidgeting: The child who has ADHD usually in most cases is not able to control the impulses in the class. That is they keep on moving up and

Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Oral Presentation Research Paper

Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Oral Presentation - Research Paper Example The five boroughs make up the counties. The Staten Island is in Richmond County, Brooklyn is in the King County, the Bronx is in the Bronx County. The Queens is found in Queens County and Manahattan, New York County. In 1898, the five boroughs were merged to form a single city. In area,Queens is the largest County, because it holds 108 square miles,while Brooklyn has the highest population containing 2.3 million residents as estimated by the census conducted in 1990. The 2012 census in New York estimated the population to be 8,33697 within an area of 783.8 square kilo meters. New York City is referred to the most diverse city in terms of linguistics because residents there speak over 800 different languages. The Metropolitan Area, in New York City is the most populated in The United States, with 18.9 million residents occupying an area of 17,1400 square kilo meters (Carroll, 2012). See the illustration below Retrieved on March 26, 2013, from, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ances try.com/~genealogylinks/dmst/%20-dmstgfx/NY/NYC-5B.gif Population New York is the third greatest state in population. California and Texas take first and second place respectively. As portrayed by the 2010 census, the population of New York residents was at 19,378,102, an aggrandizement of more than 400,000 people. The 2000-2006 transition in population was as a result of natural causes such as birth and death. During that period, the total population was 601,779 persons in that; the number of births which was 1,576,125 deduct the number of deaths which was 974,346 less the residents migrating who added up to 422,481 persons. Retrieved on March 26, 2013, from, http://climatechange.thinkaboutit.eu/scripts/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/files/nyc_population.png Geographic New York City is situated at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and River Hudson, South East of The State Of New York. The city is surrounded by three islands, Staten Island, Manhattan And Wester n Long Island. This is the reason why the city is densely populated due to the scarcity of land. River Hudson flows the Hudson Valley and enters New York Bay, resulting to a tidal bay, demarcating Northern New Jersey from Manahattan and Bronx. Harlem River, is another tidal anchorage, separating the Bronx from Manhattan. The New York City counties sprawl between two Eastern North American provinces bordering each other. Long Island, the location of Queens and Brooklyn are constituted in the plains of East Coast. Long Island, a huge ridge was formed at the Southern Borderline of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the last glacial period. Newark Basin is an incrustation of the earth that subsided during the decomposition of the Supercontinent Pangaea in the Triassic period. The area which New York City occupies is approximated to be 831.4 square kilometers. Be that as it may, an estimation done more recently states that the area is now at 784.4 square kilometers. Todt Hill is said to be the most apical natural point situated on Staten Island at 124.9 meters above sea level. Retrieved on March 26, 2013, from, http://www.ny.com/images/nycmap-s.gif Physical Features The City Of New York has many physical features including The Broklyn Bridge, a historical landmark which has an earth bound footer and a bicycle alley set above the avenues of traffic. The bridge is used by residents and tourists to cross from one view point on the river to the other.

Childhood Obesity Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Essay What is making the next generation fat? Just a decade or so ago the debate of childhood obesity was not even a matter to be discussed. Our grandparents never even questioned the weight of their children. Their children, our parents, ate healthy foods at the family dining table and played outside all day long, but the subject of childhood obesity has gained quite a bit of interest since those days. With the ever so growing popularity of fast foods, the introduction of Play station and Xbox games and the more demanding careers of todays parents, the overdevelopment of both urban and suburban areas our kids are living sedentary lives and are becoming very overweight. The epidemic of childhood obesity is rapidly rising in America. The number of children who are now overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence of obesity in younger children has more than doubled. Overall, approximately 17% or 12.5 million of the children in the United States between the ages of 2 and 19 are already obese (_C_ _enters for Disease Control and Prevention_ _, 2012_). This finding is very disturbing to many Americans and has caused many debates on who is responsible for this rising epidemic and how can we control it. Childhood obesity is measured by the body mass index (BMI). The BMI is calculated using a childs height and weight. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it is a reasonable indicator of body fatness for most children. A childs weight status is determined using an age and sex specific percentile for BMI rather than the normal BMI categories which are used to determine an adult BMI. These are used because a childs body composition varies as they age and also varies between boys and girls. Overweight in a child is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.  Obesity in a child is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. The causes of childhood obesity are multi-factorial. Obesity in children is caused by a lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating habits, media and marketing campaigns, adverse family conditions, stress and the availability of technology. Most Americans agree that childhood obesity is more prevalent today than ever before. If you look into the bedroom of an average American child you find video games, a computer, usually a television and possibly some other electronic gadgets. Today American children have access to just about anything they could ever want. They just ask and most parents will buy them whatever they want. If you looked into the same childs room thirty or forty years ago you would have probably found baby dolls, toy trucks and probably even some books. You would have found the neighborhood children outside playing in the kickball or hide and seek in the yard. Children played outside from sun up to sun down. The playing of these physical activities outside has unfortunately been replaced by the inactive high tech toys of today. The kick ball and hide and seek games of thirty years ago have now been replaced with games being played on the Play Station, Xbox or Wii. It is estimated that children in the United States are spending at least twenty five percent of their waking hours watching television and statistically children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. If you take another look inside the house of 30 years ago you would find a dad who went to work every day and a mom who stayed home to tend to the household duties and the children. With the rising cost of our day to day living expenses in America, most homes now must have both dad and mom working full time to make ends meet. Over the last two decades there has been an increase in the number of dual income families as more women have entered the workforce and more women become the sole supporter for their single parent family. This new way of living has caused American children to eat whatever is convenient for mom or dad to fix or for some children to eat whatever is easiest for them to fix for themselves. Constraints on time has made working parents rely more heavily on prepared, processed, and fast  foods, which are generally high calorie, high fat, and low in nutritional content. Usually these easy meals come in greasy bags from fast food establishments or in plastic wrappers within a frozen cardboard box and have to be cooked in the microwave before eating. In some homes the stove never even gets warm from preparing a meal more than once a week. These easy meals are contributing to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Todays youth are considered the most inactive generation in history and the marketers of fast food have taken full advantage of it. American children are exposed to some 40,000 or more food advertisements per year. (_U.S. D_ _ept. of Health Human Services_ _, 2011_). Most of these advertisements promote fast food. Therefore, the expanding fast-food industry is another cause for the rising childhood obesity epidemic. Fast food companies like McDonalds or Burger King are not only selling their food, but also have a way of marketing which is not fair to consumers. Most fast food restaurants offer a toy together with a childrens meal. Usually the toy is from a popular new movie or television show so it is very appealing to children. Children are stimulated to eat junk food because they know they will be rewarded with a toy. Psychological issues and stress are said to cause obesity in adults, but they both can cause obesity in children as well. Some children have a difficult time dealing with stress, so they use food to comfort them when they feel unsure of things. Like adults, they too use food as a comfort when they feel, bored, anxious or angry. Children in the past did not have to worry so much about parents being divorced and remarried, mothers that worked long hours or fathers that traveled for most of the week. Todays economy has put financial strain on parents and children cannot help but to hear and feel the results of these tough economic times. The children of this generation are all too familiar with all of these situations. Each child has to contend with different factors in their lives and they too turn to food as a solution. Our environment too has an effect on the growing number of obese children. Experts are now looking to at our environment as a cause of the rapid  increase of obesity in children in the United States. In urban and suburban areas the overdeveloped environment can create obstacles for children to stay physically active. In urban areas the space for outdoor recreation can be scarce, which prevents kids from having a protected place to play. Neighborhood crime, lack of street lighting and busy traffic can impede children from being able to run and play or ride bicycles as a means of daily exercise. In the suburban areas, the evolution of sprawl can prevent children from walking or biking and contributes to the great amount of dependence on using motor vehicles to get around. Suburban neighborhoods too lack resources for physical recreation and many suburban neighborhoods do not include sidewalks. Genetics and DNA are also contributing factors in the causes of childhood obesity. A group of British researchers checked the DNA of 300 children who were overweight. They looked for extra copies or deletions of DNA segments. They found evidence that a deletion of DNA may promote obesity. The deletion of chromosome 16 is thought to cause obesity in children because it removes a gene that the brain needs to respond to the appetite controlling hormone leptin. Children with a chromosome 16 deletion appear to have a very strong drive to eat. These children are very, very hungry and always want to eat. (_British Medical Association, 2005_) This very slim chance may be the only cause that we cannot change. Unfortunately, some children are destined to obesity. These children are born with the genes that cause them to put on weight more easily and quicker than other children. These children end up storing the fat more easily than other children. There is not anything these children can do about their genes. Despite the strong influence that genetics can have on the epidemic of childhood obesity, studies show that our genetic makeup has not changed dramatically over the last couple of generations. Therefore the increases and prevalence of childhood obesity has to be mostly from other behavioral and environmental factors, not genetics. There are a number of root causes of obesity in the children of the United States. Selecting one or two main causes is next to impossible because the potential influences are multiple and intertwined. With the contributing factors of technology, family structure, advertising, stress and our  physical environment we are making the next generation fat. We can make small changes that will have a significant impact on the issue of childhood obesity. Parents and caregivers can encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits and be more physically active. We need to focus on overall good health, not necessarily a certain goal weight. We should teach and model healthy and positive attitudes toward food and physical activity. We should establish daily meal and snack times, and eat together as families as much as possible. When we shop for groceries we should purchase foods that will give children a wide variety of healthful foods to choose from. We should try to plan meals and serve them in sensible portions. Allowing children to scoop their own food can promote them eating in unhealthy amounts. These are just a few ideas of small change that can make a huge difference. We also need to promote exercise as much as possible. Having children walk to school when distance and safety allows is great exercise. Children should be encouraged to play outdoor games rather than just be allowed to sit in front of the television. There are plenty of activities that our children can do to get exercise. Remember even household chores like raking leaves or running the vacuum cleaner constitute as exercise. Washing the car on a hot summer day can be fun while they are getting exercise. Some children will jump at the chance to earn a few bucks. Children can be rewarded with a few dollars and they will never know they are being bribed into getting some exercise. Eating out is another place to be mindful of our decisions. When eating out is it important to be conscious of our food choices and try to keep healthy eating in mind. Lots of fast food places now offer healthy alternatives. The obesity issue is prevalent in the next generation, but it is not too late for us to work together to reverse this epidemic. REFERENCES British Medical Association, June 2005. _Preventing Childhood Obesity._ London: British Library Catalog. Centers for Disease Control, July 16, 2012, _Overweight and Obesity_. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html Ford-Martin, Paula. _(2005) The Everything Parents Guide to the Overweight Child._ Massachusetts: Adams Media Hassink, Sandra G, MD, FAAP. (2006) A _Parents Guide to Childhood Obesity._ United States: American Academy of Pediatrics. Herscher, Elaine, Woolston, Chris and Tartamella, Lisa. (2004) _Generation Extra Large._ New York, New York: Basic Books. Ludwig, David, MD, Ph.D. (2007) _Ending the Food Fight._ New York: Houghton Mifflin Co. Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne, Ph.D. (2005) Im Like, So Fat! New York: The Guilford Press U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, April 19, 2011, _Childhood Obesity._ Retrieved from: http://www.hhs.gov

Outdoor Play and Learning | Analysis

Outdoor Play and Learning | Analysis Discuss with reference to curriculum documentation and relevant research literature the importance of effective provision and planning for outdoor play and exploration in UK early years settings. In this assignment I am going to look at why it is relevant for effective provision and planning for the outdoor environment in the early years in the UK. Outdoor play is a vital element of young childrens physical, social and emotional development. Play is a young childs activity for learning. Therefore making the most of outdoor play is essential, providing plenty of experiences in a varied manner for children, early years settings are in a unique position to offer these, fully integrated with the indoors. The four aspects of Birth to Three Matters Framework include examples of experiences that very young children should have both indoors and outdoors. Similarly, the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage includes many ideas for taking learning outside. All six areas of learning can be effectively promoted, from the earliest stepping stones through to the early learning goals at the end of foundation stage. The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation stage: setting and standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. (DCSF 2008) states the following in relation to the outdoor environment; ‘Wherever possible, there should be access to an outdoor play area and this is the expected norm for providers. ‘The indoor and outdoor environments (should be linked) so that children can move freely between them. ‘A rich and varied environment supports childrens learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces. ‘Children must have opportunities play indoors and outdoors. All early year providers must have access to an outdoor play area which can benefit the children. If the setting does not have direct access to an outdoor play area they must make arrangements for daily opportunities for outdoor play in an appropriate nearby location. ‘Being outdoors has a positive impact on childrens sense of well-being and helps all aspects of childrens development. (See EYFS Statutory Framework (p.35 and 37); EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and ‘Principles into Practice card 3.3: Enabling Environments- the Learning Environment). The EYFS statutory framework for the EYFS is put in place so that every child in a setting environment has the best possible experience of the outdoors, as so much learning and development goes on within the outdoors and to cover the six early learning goals. The outdoors offers a unique environment, which is very different from the indoors. It offers space and freedom to try things out, to explore and experiment without the constraints associated with an indoor environment (Tovey 2007). Some opportunities for learning can only happen outside. The experience of a change in the weather, finding insects, making a large scale construction/painting all of these motivate children into mental and physical engagement, and can only be done outside. In fact all learning goals can be achieved outside while the childrens health and well-being are also being boosted. Outside children can run fast, shout and squeal and find out what their bodies and voices can really do (Ouvry, 2008). The space is more open, less confided and the greater space; the more unrestricted the movement possibilities. Indoors is a space where adults are in control, but outdoors as fewer restrictions, where children can escape the controlling eyes of adults (Stephenson 2002). The four main thinkers of early childhood towards the curriculum, advocating outdoor provision as essential for childrens learning and development are; Friedrich Froebel , Margaret McMillan ,Susan Issacs and Maria Montessori. â€Å"These four all held the view that the young child is first and foremost a whole person, with thoughts, feelings and imagination that need to be cared for and cherished† (Curtis 1986. P.5).They all believed in a child centred approach and free-flow play. Young children are motivated and wish to learn, they dont have to be sat at a table quietly (Curtis 1986). Friedrich Froebel argued that play was a serious and significant activity for the young child. David Cohen (1987) suggests that Froebel was the first educator to use childrens play for practical purposes. In order to help children learn through play Froebel devised series of playthings and games (Bruce 1991). As Curtis (1986 p.6) points out, he used the ‘timeless playthings of childhood in his curriculum. ‘Balls, boards, sand, clay, for example, have made up childrens play throughout the ages. The role of the adult is crucial in Froebels approach to play. Cohen however doesnt agree that children should learn particular things, as that would be to advocate play as preparation for life. Froebel valued play because it helped children to make meaning, and as Janet Moyles (1989 p.168) points out the importance of adults and children being ‘equal partners in play, as in conversation (Bruce 1991). Janet Moyles (1989, p.24) points out that Froebel pioneered the theory of firsthand experience as the basis of play, but this was entirely different to that, Seguin (1812-1880), who developed learning though the senses for disabled children. This curriculum was aimed towards a particular direction. However, Froebels approach to play was targeted at all childrens needs, rather than Seguin, who concentrated on disadvantaged children (Bruce 1991). As Yvonne Conolly (1983) points out (OMEP), ‘A good Curriculum is a good curriculum for all (in Bruce, 1987, Ch.9). Margaret McMillan, pioneer of nursery education campaigned for an education centred on the garden. She was the first person to model a nursery with children flowing freely between the inside and outside environment she quoted; ‘The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed by the sky. She put so much emphasis on the outdoor environment that it has been recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in its good practice guidelines for the early learning goals, which repeatedly stress those young children, should have access to a well-planned outdoors (Ouvry 2008). McMillan expanded on the ideas of Froebel, to see children playing as the integrated activity. It was through the garden that we see her begin to develop the free-flow play side of the curriculum. It is interesting to see that for Froebel, McMillan and Issacs, it was the childs free play in the outdoors that led to their greatest contributions to the early childhood educational curriculum (Bruce 1991). Issacs valued free-flow play because it gave children freedom in their actions, thoughts and emotional expression. Issacs further stressed that play also meets the emotional needs of a child, as they express all emotional during play (Bruce 1991). Montessori, who was also a pioneer for education, she thought it was an insult to children to suggest they should play. Montessori provided children with specific sense training apparatus which she expected them to use in an exact manner within the classroom, whereas McMillan believed children gained better sensory experience by playing in the garden (Bruce, 1991). Surely if practitioners are planning and setting up the activities that a child plays outdoors it is not really the childs freedom of choice, in a way it is still like the Montessori approach. Both Sylva and Bruner argued, in the 1980s, that structure is a characteristic of materials and activities themselves. Structured activities such as construction are the most challenging and unstructured materials, such as sand and water, and open ended resources, outdoors lack any clear goal structure and, therefore, do not challenge childrens minds (Bruner 1980; Sylva et al 1980). Ouvry (2008) suggests making the most out of the outdoor area is also important, so that the children in that setting have the best opportunities possible and the changing of resources provided should be different daily. Also, it is important that the children have the opportunity to explore different resources and not stick with their favourite all the time i.e. bicycles. So Bruner and Sylvas research isnt very clear as all settings have a number of different opportunities for children to do in the outdoors environment, structured and unstructured. Children learn from them all in different ways and they are all targeting the six areas of learning. Piaget saw movement and physical development as the provision for higher levels of thinking. However Smith (p.68) argues this point and believes ‘it is stillness we have to justify, not movement. Early Years children cant be sat down all day they need freedom to express themselves and explore their environment in order to learn new things, sitting down is going to make them more likely to disengage with what is going on. If movement is such an important aspect of a childs development, access to outdoor space must be part of a daily routine in order to nurture this mind-body growth. ‘Children want space at all ages. But from the age of one to seven, space, that is ample space, almost as much wanted as food and air. To move, to run, to find things out by new movement, to feel ones life in every limb, that is the life of early childhood. So said Margaret McMillan (1930) Childrens entitlement to high quality outdoor play experiences is strongly supported throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and early years providers have a statutory duty to facilitate daily outdoor opportunities all year round for the children in their care. (See EYFS Statutory Framework (p.35 and 37); EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and ‘Principles into Practice card 3.3: Enabling Environments- the Learning Environment). When children are denied adequate space they often feel desperately frustrated and this can lead to uncooperative behaviour. Research has shown that in environments that enable children to move about, to collaborate with others and take frequent breaks during calm activities, the behaviour of children who have a tendency to lose their temper or get over excited is less disturbing (Berk, l. E and Winsler, A 1995). This therefore shows that the tendency for children to shout and squeal and run around and be very ‘hyperactive is taken outside there that type of behaviour is accessible (Ouvry 2008). Ouvry (2008) states that boys brains mature in a different sequence to those of girls and in some areas, at a slower rate. Boys first develop the parts of the brain for knowing about movement and space in which they have to move themselves and other things. Other areas of the curriculum then arise meaningfully out of play. Girls, stereotypically like playing imaginatively in the home corner and working with and alongside adults. Girls come to an understanding of adult world through domestic play and talk; they use reading and writing in their play because their brains are more developed for language at the three to five year old stage. The whole emphasis on activities that focus on children who are good at talking, fitting in, quick at learning and understanding other peoples intentions. Boys can tend to feel uncomfortable because they tend to feel more secure in the outdoor environment, where they can be themselves and still learn from their experiences just in a different manner. By the setting giving less attention to the outdoors environment and quality of outdoor play, they may be denying access to education to a significant number of boys (Bilton, H. 1998). The outdoor space must be viewed as an essential teaching and learning environment which is linked with the learning that goes on inside, but with even greater status because it allows for children to learn through movement. If we believe that young children learn through play and that play is thought in action- then offering children a playing space outdoors would seem the most effective means to fulfil their need to play, learning through first hand experiences and cooperate with others, that also cover the six main learning goals (Ouvry. 2008). Despite the much higher profile given to outdoor play in recent years with the introduction of the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage (QCA 2000), there is still evidence that the ‘purpose and value of outdoor play is not well understood'(Tovey. 2007). Many practitioners have an unconscious belief that effective learning only happens when children are still, quiet and calm, with a pencil and paper at hand and with a teacher nearby to offer instruction. The idea that when children are physically active, many people believe they cant be learning anything to do with the curriculum (Ouvry 2008). But then what about forest schools, they are based outside all of the time and are still based on the curriculum and the learning intentions are still met and this is all due to planning for the six areas of learning. It is certainly true that if the outdoors is not well planned and the setting does not have clear aims for the childrens learning outside, then practitioners may find it difficult to see any worthwhile learning going on outside. This is however true when considering any environment for young children inside or outside. Without clarity of aims and learning intentions for children in play situations, it is impossible to know what to look for when observing the children or to know how to further the childrens learning. Structuring the environment and supporting childrens learning is as important outside as in (Ouvry 2008). The key person working with a four-year-old child may have observed on several occasions that the child is rather unsteady when moving around the outside area. The practitioner then plans to build an obstacle course to give the child lots of opportunities to use a wide range of physical movements. These then support the planning for enhanced provision. In many cases, this planned adjustment and enrichment of some aspect of the settings provision will also be relevant to other children in a group. Many of the other children in the group will enjoy helping to build and develop the obstacle course and will join the focus child in actively using and enjoying the challenges it offers. ‘The right of the child to rest and leisure and engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and arts. (UNICEF 1989). There are constraints and fears that limit childrens opportunities for play particularly outdoors, deprive children of essential childhood experiences and opportunities- opportunities to develop friendships and to make relationships, to experience all emotions, to take risks, have adventures and misadventures, to have contact with nature and the environment (Casey, T. 2007). Children need to climb, run, jump, an bash balls against walls (Lewis Howdle, lecture, RIHE,1980). http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/83976 http://www3.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/childcare/providers/childcarepublications/horizons/horizons-issue-16/outdoor-learning-and-the-eyfs.htm http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/151379 http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/132681 http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/planning-quality-provision-early-years-5276

Mrs Fields Cookies Essay

Mrs. Fields Cookies was founded by Debbi Fields in the late 1970s. She and her husband Randy Fields opened their first store in 1977 in Palo Alto, California, selling homemade-style cookies which quickly grew in popularity. Products Mrs. Fields Cookies came in 14 varieties. All baked products were made on premises in the individual stores and the company especially focused on the fresh cookies. If the cookies are not sold within two hours, they were given away and discarded. Competitors Mrs. Fields competitors included New York’s David’s Cookies, Atlanta’s Original Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Company, and the Nestle Company’s Original Cookie Co. Challenges 1. Low barriers to entry and mall locations competition In the early 1980s, cookies were cheap to make and the barriers of sweet snack industry to entry were low. There were many cookies producers and many consumers in the market, and no business had total control over the market price. Because some 80% of Mrs. Fields outlets were in shopping malls, so the competition for the most favorable mall locations was fierce. 2. Franchising Financing and performance of exchange market  Mrs. Fields had consistently refused to franchise their stores, because â€Å"she viewed franchising as a loss of control over the end product and loss of touch with the customers†. To find bank financing and additional capital for expansion, Mrs. Fields tried to go public and made initial public offering on the London exchange in 1986, but this experience was not successful, because buyers did not know the company and did not believe that Mrs. Fields’ business could be sustained growth without franchising. The result was that the stock price rose slowly. Business Strategy Organizational strategy Mrs. Fields had a non-hierarchy organization with decentralized decision making. Typically, there was no official organization chart in company which means Mrs. Fields wanted to take advantage of the intelligence and trust the judgment of employee throughout the company, instead of relying on a small set of decision makers. The employees at Mrs. Fields were given much more responsibilities such as local marketing decisions were made by the regional and district managers, because they needed to be able to respond quickly to the demands of target customers. Mrs. Fields also encouraged employees to be wacky and personable, so that customers feel comfortable purchasing cookies. The company placed high value on employees by using â€Å"promote from within† strategy, employees were rewarded for their performance with a bonus system. Information System strategy Information technology played a very important role at Mrs. Fields. MIS enabled Mrs. Fields to have â€Å"network structure† and use centralized information system out of Utah and distribute it to every store as needed. Mrs. Fields’ approach of information technology was consistent with an ad-hoc cost/benefit analysis. All stores were running under implementation of information systems at Mrs. Fields to promote sales and control labor and cookies cost. Mrs. Fields also believed that it was not necessary to expand staff to accommodate business growth, and smaller groups of people at Mrs. Fields could make decision to solve business problems faster and better if people could work very well with the information technology to develop more new and creative applications, because a useful information system in company could save time and labor cost, and make business operations more accurate, effective and efficient. Operations strategy First, Mrs. Fields used very friendly and organized design style for their stores to attract more customers. Customers always were drawn into the store by the openness of the design and by the aroma of hot cookies fresh from the ovens. Second, sophisticated management information system also played a very important role on the business operations. Store management system designed by Randy and the MIS organization was integrated with each business process for day planning, production schedule, time clocks, store accounting, inventory, interview scheduling, skill testing and electronic mail. Controller at headquarter in Utah was also integrated with system collecting sales information received from all stores. The information system helped controller in generating reports for management review. â€Å"Expanded store† strategy/ diversification strategy From 1980s, Mrs. Fields started a series of acquisitions to expand their businesses including a 119-store French Bakery/sandwich chain, La Pette Boulangerie and Famous Chocolate Chip Company. These acquisitions brought a combination of full lines of both cookies and bakery products and presented an opportunity to carve out a niche in a highly fractionalized market, and the size of the operation constituted an investment barrier to competition. But the same time, the acquisition also brought many of overhead functions into the existing organization, including accounting, finance, personnel, human resources, etc.

Digital Fortress Chapter 27

On the Crypto floor, the shadows were growing long and faint. Overhead, the automatic lighting gradually increased to compensate. Susan was still at her terminal silently awaiting news from her tracer. It was taking longer than expected. Her mind had been wandering-missing David and willing Greg Hale to go home. Although Hale hadn't budged, thankfully he'd been silent, engrossed in whatever he was doing at his terminal. Susan couldn't care less what Hale was doing, as long as he didn't access the Run-Monitor. He obviously hadn't-sixteen hours would have brought an audible yelp of disbelief. Susan was sipping her third cup of tea when it finally happened-her terminal beeped once. Her pulse quickened. A flashing envelope icon appeared on her monitor announcing the arrival of E-mail. Susan shot a quick glance toward Hale. He was absorbed in his work. She held her breath and double-clicked the envelope. â€Å"North Dakota,† she whispered to herself. â€Å"Let's see who you are.† When the E-mail opened, it was a single line. Susan read it. And then she read it again. DINNER AT ALFREDO'S? 8 PM? Across the room, Hale muffled a chuckle. Susan checked the message header. FROM: [email protected] Susan felt a surge of anger but fought it off. She deleted the message. â€Å"Very mature, Greg.† â€Å"They make a great carpaccio.† Hale smiled. â€Å"What do you say? Afterward we could-â€Å" â€Å"Forget it.† â€Å"Snob.† Hale sighed and turned back to his terminal. That was strike eighty-nine with Susan Fletcher. The brilliant female cryptographer was a constant frustration to him. Hale had often fantasized about having sex with her-pinning her against TRANSLTR's curved hull and taking her right there against the warm black tile. But Susan would have nothing to do with him. In Hale's mind, what made things worse was that she was in love with some university teacher who slaved for hours on end for peanuts. It would be a pity for Susan to dilute her superior gene pool procreating with some geek-particularly when she could have Greg. We'd have perfect children, he thought. â€Å"What are you working on?† Hale asked, trying a different approach. Susan said nothing. â€Å"Some team player you are. Sure I can't have a peek?† Hale stood and started moving around the circle of terminals toward her. Susan sensed that Hale's curiosity had the potential to cause some serious problems today. She made a snap decision. â€Å"It's a diagnostic,† she offered, falling back on the commander's lie. Hale stopped in his tracks. â€Å"Diagnostic?† He sounded doubtful. â€Å"You're spending Saturday running a diagnostic instead of playing with the prof?† â€Å"His name is David.† â€Å"Whatever.† Susan glared at him. â€Å"Haven't you got anything better to do?† â€Å"Are you trying to get rid of me?† Hale pouted. â€Å"Actually, yes.† â€Å"Gee, Sue, I'm hurt.† Susan Fletcher's eyes narrowed. She hated being called Sue. She had nothing against the nickname, but Hale was the only one who'd ever used it. â€Å"Why don't I help you?† Hale offered. He was suddenly circling toward her again. â€Å"I'm great with diagnostics. Besides, I'm dying to see what diagnostic could make the mighty Susan Fletcher come to work on a Saturday.† Susan felt a surge of adrenaline. She glanced down at the tracer on her screen. She knew she couldn't let Hale see it-he'd have too many questions. â€Å"I've got it covered, Greg,† she said. But Hale kept coming. As he circled toward her terminal, Susan knew she had to act fast. Hale was only a few yards away when she made her move. She stood to meet his towering frame, blocking his way. His cologne was overpowering. She looked him straight in the eye. â€Å"I said no.† Hale cocked his head, apparently intrigued by her odd display of secrecy. He playfully stepped closer. Greg Hale was not ready for what happened next. With unwavering cool, Susan pressed a single index finger against his rock-hard chest, stopping his forward motion. Hale halted and stepped back in shock. Apparently Susan Fletcher was serious; she had never touched him before, ever. It wasn't quite what Hale had had in mind for their first contact, but it was a start. He gave her a long puzzled look and slowly returned to his terminal. As he sat back down, one thing became perfectly clear: The lovely Susan Fletcher was working on something important, and it sure as hell wasn't any diagnostic.

attack on 911 essays

attack on 911 essays There have been many changes in the United States following the attacks of September 11th. In order to better understand the impact and resulting changes of the attacks, we must compare the mentality of citizens and political leaders now as well as during times of war previous to September 11th. We must not only look at our country's reactions but also to how other countries view our inclinations towards fear of bombs and other attacks. By looking at more than one cultures idea's on one situation, we are able to compare and make more informed decisions, and opinions about this difficult time. This is what this paper will attempt to do. At 8:45am, a plane departing from Boston was hijacked and flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center, located in New York City. The flight was later revealed to be the American Airlines Flight 11. This airline was carrying ninety-two people aboard when it crashed into the north tower. There were no survivors from this flight. At 9:03am, a second plane departing from Boston was also hijacked. This plane was flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center, in New York City. This flight, the United Airlines Flight 175, was carrying sixty-five people when it crashed into the south tower. There were also no survivors on this flight. At 9:39am, a third hijacked plane, departing from Washington, was flown into the Pentagon. This flight, the American Airlines Flight 77, was carrying sixty-four people when it crashed. There were also no survivors of this flight. At 10:10am, a fourth plane was hijacked. This plane was departing from Newark and crashed sixty miles south east of Pittsburgh. It was stated in one article that this was not the intended destination for this flight, and that it may have been meant for three possible destinations, Camp David, the White House, or the U.S. Capitol Building. This flight, the United Airlines Flight 93, was carrying forty-five people when it crashed...

Essay on Internal Control

Essay on Internal Control Essay on Internal Control CASH CONTROL GUIDELINES General The term â€Å"cash† includes currency, coin, checks, money order, credit/debit cards, ACH online payments and electronic file transfers. All departments receiving any form of cash, including cash receipts, change funds and petty cash funds must be authorized by the Director of Student Accounts. This authorization is established through a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines the responsibilities of the cash site and assigns accountability to an individual – usually the Director or Manager – within the department who must sign the Memorandum. All cash sites are subject to audit and the authorized individual at those sites must ensure that the department complies with all governmental regulations, university policies/procedures and the recognized standards for internal controls as related to cash. All employees assigned cash handling responsibilities must be instructed regarding the cash regulations and guidelines that the department must followed. INTERNAL CONTROLS Strong internal controls are necessary to prevent mishandling of funds and safeguard assets. They protect both the university and the employees handling cash. The standard internal control categories that authorized individuals should be aware of are: Safeguarding Cash, Cash Receipts, Reconciliation, Segregation of Duties, and Other. Safeguarding Cash Youngstown State University’s cash control guidelines are governed by Ohio Revised Code, Section 9.39, and require that the funds held overnight be minimized. It requires that all public moneys received be deposited â€Å"on the business day next following the day of receipt, if the total amount of such moneys received exceeds one thousand dollars. If the total amount of the public moneys so received does not exceed one thousand dollars, the person shall deposit the moneys on the business day next following the day of receipt, unless the public office of which that person is a public official adopts a policy permitting a policy permitting a different time period, not to exceed three business days next following the day of receipt, for making such deposits, and the person is able to safeguard the moneys until such time as the moneys are deposited.† 1 Access to cash should be restricted at all times. It should be kept in a locked, secure storage facility to which only designated individuals have access. This could be a lockable cash drawer, safe, safe compartment or filing cabinet. The degree of security provided by the storage facility should be commensurate with the amounts being stored. Combinations or keys to safes and other storage facilities should be restricted to the custodian of the cash and designated back up. Combinations or locks should be changed as necessary, and whenever a person with the combination or key is separated. Appropriate precautions † commensurate with the amounts being transported † should be taken when transporting cash from the department to the Office of Student Accounts. All large deposits or those deposits made on a regular basis should be arranged by the department for transport by the YSU Police. Under no circumstances should cash be sent through campus mail or carried by an employee in an obvious container or after dark. Cash Receipts All cash should be recorded immediately upon receipt by use of: cash register, data entry to computer system, pre†numbered receipt or handwritten log. Each individual cash receipt should be identified and controlled by a unique, sequential transaction number, such as a cash register or hand receipt number. Checks should be made payable to YSU (department name optional) and restrictively endorsed (departmental name required) immediately upon receipt. An endorsement stamp may be obtained from the Office of Student Accounts and University Receivables for this purpose. Cash receipts should be

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Advertising - Essay Example They used Spanish for Argentina market, English for US and German language for advertising in Germany, although rest of the Ad had the same symbols and logo throughout globally. The tag lines were entirely different as they were too solely tell the story about the particular country such as tagline or message for Argentina was â€Å"change the day, start within†, tagline for Germany â€Å"give (offer) yourself a break†, whereas for US market they opted tagline as â€Å"make the smart choice† Nescafe followed the emotional appeal for Germany and Argentina, and Ad had rational appeal for the United States market. For Argentina they show what would be one life without have a Nescafe coffee to start his/her day in a dramatic way with loads of vivid colors. For Germany campaign they drew the feeling of coolness, relaxing and calmness, they basic idea was to let know that after having Nescafe coffee they will be relaxed, this was clean and clear Ad, they showed a female is holding steaming Nescafe coffee mug. The coffee is sprinkled with the crushed coco bean or cinnamon with a brew down there. So it is not a busy Ad that will overpower the stimuli of viewer, this simply uses the psychological effect and an emotional appeal that those hands are of beautiful cool and calm mother who is relaxing after house chores or is back from office. As United States Ad is concern it was a rational ad campaign as it was in reference to an argument with Starbucks. It had to show that Nescafe is a better product. It just changed the copy and the mug, rest of the Ad was same with the message of â€Å"Make a Smart Choice†, jus to make sure viewer doesn’t jumble up with the Starbucks. Nescafe totally ruled with the global advertisement. All it need was a kick in fewer markets and they grew the financials. Nescafe have grown in different cultures and have advertised itself the way that particular country required.

CLC EMR Business Plan-Executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

CLC EMR Business Plan-Executive summary - Essay Example 11). That is, organizations all around the globe are doing all their best to promote their competitive advantage in their respective industries. To be specific, hospitals and other institutions all around the world are fighting tooth and nail to remain up to date with all major technological advancements that influence their success in the health industry (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). It is hereby clear that for any organization to triumph in the current and future status of different industries, technology has to be in the forefront of the day-to-day operations (Kate, 2012). In this sense, this paper aims to provide a market plan for promoting the adoption of Healthland EMR software via an account of Inner City Care LLC. To ensure that the business plan succeeds in promoting the targeted area of concern, this paper is divided into five major sections (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). The first section analyses the background of the company that this paper aims to lay on its major mark eting strategy. This is followed by a thorough analysis of the market that this industry dwells on. Thirdly, a well-planned sales and marketing strategy is described to clarify how exactly the business is going to promote its competitive advantage. ... e at the companies two main areas concern, namely, the Inner City Care Hospital (ICCH) and Inner City Care Clinic (ICC) (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). In addition, recent acquirement of 4 satellite clinics create a clear background of how the company’s focus has greatly benefited from technology (Kate, 2012). To be brief, Inner City Care LLC is made up by a membership of thirty (30) people whom have enjoyed the fact that the company has an expansive customer base. That is, through its technologically focused health care services, the company has created a great customer base, which keeps on expanding day in day out. This great background of Inner City Care hospital has played a huge in ensuring that a more strategized business plan has to be in place to guarantee the company’s vision. The chief vision at Inner City Care LLC has been to create a full service medical centre along with clinics. This is to ensure that Inner City maintains its focus on the use of technologic ally advanced medical services and advanced learning and research opportunities for the respective stakeholders (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). Essentially, this vision has been playing a very huge role the partnerships between the company and other education institutions. This is to provide a platform for novices and other advanced members in the industry to get well prepared to be successful in promoting the globally accepted standards of high-tech health care professionals. Among some of the most notable advancements in the United States’ health industry is the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). Several health care organizations are taking advantage of the fact there is a large number of software development companies that deliver these products and at