Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament Essay

Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament - Essay Example This essay stresses that Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) comprises of representatives of the Parliament and construction professional to work with the SPCB. The mission of this body is to finalise the design, control the progress of the building, complete the project in time and make periodical reports to the SPCB. In turn SPCB will advise the Members on the total amount spent so far on the project and the estimated time and cost for completion of the project. There were regular meetings and reports of the HPG since summer 2000 compiled and presented by the project director and key consultants. In June 2001, the Scottish parliament advised the SPCB to make quarterly reports to the Parliament’s finance Committee on the progress of the Holyrood building Project, highlighting especially the escalation in the costs of completing the project for getting the concurrence of the Committee for the increase in costs in the annual budget sanctions. The Chief Executive of the project made m onthly reports to SPCB on issues relating to program budgets and quality. All these reports were based on the regular meetings and discussions between HPG and the SPCB. This paper makes a conclusion that aesthetic construction features and usage of high quality materials the Scottish Parliament building project was made to a complex construction project. The project saw a lot of slippages during the progress, due to multifarious reasons.

BP Domestic and Global Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BP Domestic and Global - Essay Example BP needs to be strategic. A scenario where by there is a plan of action that channels an organization’s resources so that it can effectively differentiate itself from competitors and accomplish unique and viable goals. Strategies are organized based on the organization’s strength and weakness relative to the competition and assessing opportunities. This can be done by reducing risk. Though no business can prosper without taking risks, it is necessary to take a calculated risk so that the risk itself is managed. The company social investment can be too increased.There should a tangible demonstration of companies’ corporate citizenship philosophy. For example, Indonesian government and BP have embarked on a major initiative to develop one of the major gas fields on a partnership basis. Extracted gas is converted into liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export to global market. The firm is located in mangrove ecosystem of about 300000 hectares of land which support appr oximately 300000 households and can create conflict. To avoid this conflict, 70% of post tax revenue from the project is returned to the community improving infrastructure and government services aimed at providing lasting socio-economic benefit. Indonesia government, BP, and UNDP formulated Diversified Growth Strategy (DGS) for the community and affected project area. They have also placed special emphasis on linking Millennium Development Goal MDG1 poverty reduction and MDG7 protection of the environment (Tims, 2007).

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs According to Ainscow et al. (1999:1) the Green Paper Excellence for All Children and the follow-up document Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action place inclusion at the centre of policy and practice and politicians now emphasise their commitment to social justice and inclusion rather than competition. This new mood has facilitated an increased demand for mainstream schools to include children who would have in the past been sent to special schools (Thomas et al. 1998:1). There are a number of strategies that schools and parents can adopt to enable all children to be accommodated in an inclusive setting and make learning a more enjoyable experience. Inclusive practices adopted in mainstream settings focusing on secondary schools, will be critically evaluated in the following paragraphs using specific case studies to inform the analysis. Obstacles which hinder effective practice and policy will also be examined. History of Inclusion According to Walker (2009:3), during the 1980s and 90s, new special schools were given much investment to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. The justification for this approach was that mainstream schools could not provide these children with additional support needed. However, there has been a clear shift in thinking since the beginning of the 21st century with many secondary schools closing or merging with mainstream schools. Champions of this development have asserted that the social element of education is critical to all children and that childrens learning requirements are best met in an inclusive setting. Consequently, mainstream schools have developed a number of strategies to help cope with the requirements of children with special educational needs and they have to demonstrate that they are addressing the educational needs of all their pupils. Additionally, since September 2008, all schools have added a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to their Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Defining Inclusive Education According to Stubbs (1998:1) inclusive education is a strategy contributing towards the ultimate goal of promoting an inclusive society, one which enables allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to participate in and contribute to that society. Difference is respected and valuedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus, inclusive education is child-centred, acknowledging that children are individuals with different learning requirements. As well as improving schools, inclusive education increases awareness of human rights and reduces discrimination. According to the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE, 1996, cited in Thomas et al. 1998:15) an inclusive school is community based; is not exclusive or rejecting; is barrier-free; is accessible to all members both educationally in terms of curricular and physically in relation to buildings; and promotes collaboration between other schools and all those involved in the childs welfare (Thomas et al. 1998:16). Ainscow (2005:15) asserts that inclusion is characterised by four key elements. The first one defines inclusion as a process. In other words, inclusion is an endless search to find better ways of responding to diversity. Here, differences are viewed as a stimulus for cultivating learning for children. Secondly, inclusion focuses on identifying and removing barriers. This involves collating and analysing information from a range of sources so as to plan for improvements in policy and practice. Thirdly, inclusion is concerned with the participation, presence and achievement of all students. Children must frequently and punctually attend school, their views must be listened to and acted upon and they must be provided with the tools for achievement in learning across the curriculum. Finally, inclusion focuses on those groups of children who may be a risk of exclusion, marginalisation or underachievement. This involves careful monitoring of those statistically most at risk and a commitmen t to ensuring their presence, participation and achievement in mainstream schools. However, Ainscow (2005:14) asserts that there is still confusion about what inclusion actually means which is rooted in central government policy statements. The term social inclusion has been associated primarily with improving attendance and reducing exclusions. The concept of inclusive education on the other hand, has appeared in most national guidance in connection with the rights of individual children identified as having special educational needs to be educated in mainstream schools. More recently, Ofsted has introduced the term educational inclusion, noting that effective schools are inclusive schools. The minor differences between these ideals, contributes to a lack of common understanding amongst stakeholders and leads to subsequent difficulties in implementing educational reform (Fullan, 1991, cited in Ainscow, 2005:14). Defining Special Educational Needs According to DirectGov (2010:1) the term special educational needs refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it more difficult for them to learn than most children of the same age. According to Frederickson and Cline (2002:35) a child has a learning difficulty if they have a far greater difficulty in learning than most pupils of a similar age and have a disability which hinders them from being able to make use of school facilities of the kind provided to pupils in schools in the local authority area. According to Topping and Maloney (2005:3) the old system of categorisation of children located the problem within the child, conceiving it is as a deficit in the individual, and applying a medical tool as if learning difficulties were some kind of disease with labels such as educationally subnormal being applied. However, from 1980 onwards political pressure from disability groups had begun to change societal values and pathological models were replaced by social and educational models of disability, which acknowledged that educational difficulties are dependent upon the educational context in which the child is situated, and the of quality teaching they receive. However, although inclusive discourse encompasses ideas that appear to be contrary to the medicalisation of special educational needs, evidence reveals that this is not a message that has been delivered effectively to pupils leading to the discriminatory treatment of children who are not obviously different from so-called normal children. According to Abberley (1987, cited in Florian et al. 2006:38) the medical model sees difference in relation to disease and endeavours to quantify individual impairments in terms of implications for standard treatments. Oliver (1990, cited in Florian, 2006:39) argues that educational assessments have historically identified the particular dysfunctional characteristics of a child in order to prescribe treatment. Inclusion on the other hand, views children with special educational needs as valued members of society who are totally normal people who just happen to have these extra differences. All schools in the UK have a register of pupils with special educational needs which holds details of pupils learning needs and includes information regarding any emotional and behavioural difficulties they are experiencing. This information goes towards the development of an individual education plan (IEP), which outlines learning targets for staff to include in their teaching (Visser, 2000:8). The biggest increase of special educational needs in mainstream school has been for children presenting learning difficulties. However, teachers express most concern about pupils with emotional and behaviour difficulties perhaps because they are viewed as most likely to damage the education of their classmates as well as being most stressful for the teacher. It is also evident that some children who are perceived to have special needs in one classroom are not necessarily seen as having special needs in another. Moreover, teachers tend to perceive learning difficulties more readily in children of South Asian origin (Topping and Maloney, 2005:6). Inclusive Practice in Secondary Schools So far, this paper has outlined the historical development of inclusion and provided a definition of inclusive practices and special educational needs. The following paragraphs will illustrate how inclusive practices can be used effectively in mainstream secondary education, using specific case studies as examples. According to Ainscow et al. (1999:2), as a result of half-day conferences with key stakeholders including parents and pupils, it was concluded that there are a six inter-connecting themes which are critical to the development of more inclusive practices within LEAs, which include policy development; funding strategies; processes and structures; the management of change; external influences and partnerships. There was general support for the view that an LEAs policy for inclusive practice should contain a review of future basic principles; capable of being applied to other policy areas; clear, despite differences of opinion between stakeholders; and supported by central government. Funding was perceived to be a significant factor in creating more inclusive arrangements. Across the LEAs, there was great disparity of funding between the most and least needy schools which influenced the extent to which each school was able to meet the needs of their pupils without external support. Hence, it was felt that LEA funding policies would facilitate progress towards inclusive practice and contribute towards more coherent funding strategies (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). In relation to processes and structures, it was felt that existing arrangements could inhibit inclusive practice and so there was an identified need to set up various interim arrangements to help move things forward. For example, some LEAs viewed the work of classroom assistants as integral to inclusive practice. Others felt that this arrangement led to further segregation within mainstream schools. Some LEAs had set-up training for classroom assistants and for teachers on working with another adult in the classroom (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). The conference revealed a strong feeling that management processes should be reviewed. It was identified that there are frequently dilemmas arising in decision-making amongst officers, advisers, educational psychologists and parents because they all have their own interpretations of what inclusive policies mean. This requires closer scrutiny so that there can be closer agreement between all those involved in the childs welfare (Ainscow et al. 1999:3). There was considerable focus on the importance of partnership working with particular reference to the role that LEA support services can play in cultivating effective partnerships with parents. It was considered crucial for there to be good communication between teachers and parents in order to iron out differences and misunderstandings. This view is supported by Beveridge (2005:95) who adds that in order for reciprocal support to occur, communication must be underpinned by mutual trust and respect if it is to be regarded as a genuine partnership. Appleton and Minchoms (1995, cited in Beveridge, 2005:95) empowerment model, focuses specifically on promoting parental control and highlights the need for professionals to tailor their involvement in ways that are responsive to the needs of individual parents and families. At a classroom level, there are a set of conditions which form the foundation of inclusive education for pupils with learning difficulties. Such conditions include: an opportunity for pupils to participate in the decision-making process; a positive attitude about the learning abilities of all pupils; teacher knowledge about learning difficulties; skilful application of specific instructional techniques; and parent and teacher support (Tilstone et al. 2003:22). However, Tilstone et al. (2003:22) assert that a positive attitude alone is not sufficient to achieve inclusive education. If a teacher is unskilled, regardless of how open-minded they are, they will fail to provide adequate education for pupils with special educational needs if they are unsupported. Similarly, skill in the various teaching methods needs to be supplemented with knowledge of pupils learning difficulties and the belief that such pupils can learn. Ainscow (1999:4) has observed that teachers who appear to be effective do pay attention to certain important aspects of classroom life. They recognise that the initial stages of any lesson are crucial to help pupils to understand the meaning of what is about to occur and they help children to recall previous experiences to which new learning can be related. They also acknowledge that the two most important resources are themselves and the children. Thus, pupils are frequently encouraged to think aloud, either with the class as a whole or as a result of the teachers questioning. However, in order for teaching methods to be truly effective much of it needs to be directed at the whole class. According to Ainscow (1999:5) individualized responses, based on systematic programmes of intervention, are now a thing of the past and the planning frame now needs to be directed at the whole class. When integration efforts rely on importing practices from special education they are likely to lead to new forms of segregation within mainstream settings (Fulcher, 1989, cited in Ainscow, 1999:5). English schools have experienced a significant increase in largely untrained classroom assistants who work with vulnerable children and their individualized programmes in mainstream education. When such support is withdrawn teachers feel they can no longer cope (Ainscow, 1999:5). Another important aspect of inclusive education is to ensure that all pupils have access to the National Curriculum. According to Rose (2003:28) the introduction of entitlement of all pupils to a curriculum which is broad and balanced has enabled a widespread recognition that all pupils have a right to receive a curriculum which contains some common elements. Pressure to apply the national curriculum has meant that a number of schools have addressed the ten subjects in such a way that the importance of the extra curricular elements has been diminished. Therefore, establishing a balance so that those with special educational needs can benefit, may demand that greater emphasis is placed on subjects that lie outside the core curriculum (Rose, 2003:32). In the Dearing Review of the National Curriculum in 1994, Richard Byers wrote pupils personal and social development: the cross curricular skills, themes and dimensions; methodological and practice-related notions like group work and prob lem solving must continue to be seen as of prime importance (Byers, 1994, cited in Rose, 2003:32). Improved formative assessments, according to Black and Williams (2001:3) are another way of ensuring a more inclusive environment for children with special educational needs. Many studies show that improved formative assessment helps low attainers more than the rest, and so reduces the spread of attainment whilst also raising it overall. One investigative study devoted to students with learning difficulties revealed that frequent assessment feedback helps both groups enhance their learning (Fuchs et al. 1997, cited in Black and Wiliams 2001:3). So far, this assignment has focused on the ways in which mainstream schools can successfully implement inclusive education. The following paragraphs provide some examples of the way in which inclusive practice has been introduced in mainstream secondary schools. Elias et al. (2002:1) conducted an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive school in the south west of England. The findings revealed a number of positive results. Respondents expressed positive attitudes towards inclusion to the extent that the general school ethos could be viewed as inclusive. To illustrate: students with special educational needs were not excluded from any activity in their class, there was very little withdrawal from lessons with most support provided in-class, all pupils participated in the mainstream life of the school, and there was a heavy focus on terminology and language with curriculum and learning support being replaced by SEN. Additionally, parents were exceptionally pleased with the communication they received from the teachers and the students with SEN who had been integrated benefitted academically. It was not clear whether they benefitted so much socially although this might have been because they had to take a bus and had less opportunity to b uild friendship out of school hours. School participants were pleased with the way that the physical environment was restructured and professionals felt personal satisfaction in implementing inclusive practice. However they did feel that the policy should be LEA-wide rather than restricted to a few schools. As the deputy head commented because we have a very good reputation for including students with additional needs, we have got the label that the school is good for SEN, and that is not the label that we want because we are losing the brightest of the students locally. Another example of a successful inclusive school is Hillbank, a state Secondary High school that serves a poor area in the North of England.  Ã‚   Reportedly, an estimated quarter of the local population draw some form of welfare assistance there (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Ainscow and Kaplan (2005:1) collaborated with a group of sixteen year old students to record their views of the school in the hope that it would bring them deeper insights into what happed in the school.   Generally speaking, the students made a number of positive comments about the school and its inclusive practices, and this was supported by the impressions given by staff who also confirmed that the school had a good reputation in the local community and achieved good grades (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1).   However, they did indicate that there were a number of aspects that made the school a less welcoming place. The students argued that the best and worst students were exempt from certain rules, leaving those in the middle, sometimes feeling unfairly penalized (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Students also felt it was difficult to outlive a poor reputation in the school, even when pupils changed their behaviour and improved their academic performance. One student exhibited frustration at feeling that the teachers sometimes picked on the pupils and asserted that if you had a bad reputation one year, the teachers would still hold a grudge against you and make you feel that it was impossible to do anything right the following year (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005). The above case studies are an illustration of the way that some schools have managed to implement inclusive practices effectively. However, the last case study especially, shows the importance of gaining the perspective of students in examining inclusive schools if one is to go beyond literal interpretations of inclusion. It also has the added benefit of allowing the students to feel that their voice is important (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). As Ainscow and Kaplan (2005) assert, inquiry based approaches can be a powerful way of stimulating the development of inclusive practices and evidence provided by students can be a powerful lever for change although this does depend on forms of leadership which encourage a willingness to address the challenges that emerge as a result of listening to the voices of young people. Obstacles An analysis of the previous paragraphs shows that there are clearly a number of practices and policies that can be introduced for a school to become sufficiently inclusive. However, there are a number of challenges that schools can face in order to fulfil the criteria needed to become an inclusive school. According to Evans and Lunt (2002) the conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. Elias et al. (2002:1) assert that the introduction of performance tables and the pressure to raise standards means that pupils with special educational needs may not be welcome in schools. The authors therefore debate whether education can be separated from the social, cultural and political context in which the school is embedded. Another issue is associated with a lack of resources within schools. Teachers often cite a lack of resources as a barrier to mainstreaming pupils with special needs. Sufficient and appropriate expert practitioner time, appropriate physical space, and the required learning and teaching materials have also been perceived to be lacking in a number of mainstream schools (Topping and Maloney, 2005:11). There is a plethora of research evidence which points to the fact that everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with short-comings. Although teachers have a conscientious approach to marking they frequently fail to provide guidance on how work can be improved. Instead, marking often appears to reinforce underachievement by being too generous or unfocused and inadequate information of the pupil received by the teacher is insufficiently used to inform subsequent work (Black and Wiliams, 2001:3). There are intrinsic dangers associated with using specialist support in inclusive schools and this is evident through Depeller et al. (2005:117) analysis of Australian secondary schools where inclusive education provision relies heavily on specialist support from outside the classroom. Students with special educational needs are taught within the mainstream classroom and additional specialist services such as counselling, special education teaching and psychological assessment are required to support their placement. This type of support usually relies upon a diagnostic- prescriptive viewpoint whereby the specialist plays a central role in shaping practices. This approach can serve to marginalize pupils even further. Thus, the authors suggest that a prospective alternative may be to shift the focus from the students who are different, to the community of learners in the school. This approach uses collaborative practices to support inclusive ideals and grounds improvement efforts in c hanges in teachers knowledge as well as the cultural and organisational conditions of the school. It is important that teachers be aware of the dangers of pathologising educational difficulties as inherent within students, even when those same difficulties are employed effectively to interrogate some aspects of school practice (Ainscow, 2005:13). This is not only relevant to students with disabilities but also of those whose socioeconomic status, language, race, and gender renders them problematic to particular teachers in some schools. In view of this insight, it is necessary to develop the capacity of those within schools so as to challenge deeply ingrained deficit views of difference, which define certain types of students as lacking something (Trent et al. 1998, cited in Ainscow, 2005:13). As Ainscow (2005:14) asserts, even the most advanced teaching methods are likely to prove ineffective in the hands of those who subscribe to a belief system that views some pupils, at best, as disadvantaged and need of fixing, or worse, as deficient, hence, beyond fixing. An analysis of individual types of special educational needs reveals an understanding of how a commitment to inclusive practice can present challenges in mainstream settings. According to Wender (2000:10/11) ADHD is characterised by a range of learning disorders, shortness of attention span and hyperactivity. However, there are a number of external influences that could impact on a normal childs emotional status and behaviour which may result in them displaying behaviours with ADHD. According to the journalist Garner (2008:1) an independent Royal Commission is being called by teachers to examine why a number of children in Britain seem to be so unhappy. One theory proffers that family breakdown and social dysfunction are detrimental to the educational attainment of children and the performance of schools and colleges. Moreover, more and more pupils are resorting to suicide because of academic, social and peer pressure and the Governments obsession with standards, performance targets and testing. The implications of this finding are that if teachers are to be truly inclusive of children with special educational needs they need to try and gain a full understanding of where these needs originate from and not just assume that because children convey a certain set of systems, that it has a specific medicalized cause as the wrong diagnosis can inevitably lead to the wrong treatment and misguided teaching practice. Conclusion In conclusion, a critical evaluation of inclusive practice for children with special educational needs in secondary mainstream schools has revealed that there are a number of strategies that can be employed both at a policy level, and in classroom teaching practice that can contribute towards effective inclusive schooling. These include improved funding mechanisms and management processes; better communication and partnership working with parents and children; a positive attitude and appropriate skills held by teachers; full involvement in curriculum subjects; and improved formal assessments. An analysis of some case studies within secondary schools has also revealed the importance of taking seriously childrens viewpoints in order to inform future inclusive practice. However, there are a number of obstacles that schools face in implementing inclusive practice. The conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. There are also complaints from teachers about the lack of resources available and everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with shortcomings. In addition, there is a danger of placing too much emphasis on outside specialist support which could marginalize pupils even more. Nevertheless, the case studies of inclusive practices in secondary mainstream schools do clearly show that inclusive school development is a social process and clarify the importance of engaging with different views on schools practices and policies. Thus, if educational commentators continue to collect these different forms of evidence, this may enable them to analyse barriers to learning and participation and make thoroughly informed recommendations for future inclusive practice.

Technology of LADS - Laser Airborne Depth Sounder :: essays research papers

An aeroplane flies about 400-500 metres above the water at a speed of approximately 60 - 70 m/s. Then the aircraft will send out a pulse which is moderately reflected off the surface of the water and moderately broadcasted into the water and reflected off the oceans floor, as a result two pulses are sent back to the aircraft. The pulse which was reflected of the surface of the water is a red beam (infrared) which measures the aircraft height above the water and is directed vertically downward. The beam which reflects off the seabed is a green colour and is examined over a semicircle of +/ -15 degrees to the planes bearing and pulsates at approx 160 pulses per second. The aircrafts equipment will record the speed of the wave and the travel time during air to calculate depth . Therefore LADS must be flown during hours of darkness to eliminate the errors caused by the reflection of the sun off the water, which return false reading to the aircraft causing inaccurate depth. The calculate the green beam (which travels to the seabed and back up) you must obtain the speed of light in water which is given by Maxwell?s equations which basically show that When passing through a transparent or translucent material medium, like glass or air, light will have a slower speed than in a vacuum . Therefore the extra time and distance traveled by the green pulse can be calculated, giving the depth of the water. The aircraft needs to use two beams to ensure that the pulses return to the aircraft. In certain situations the pulse may not return to the aircraft due to flat glassy water surface (because of the law of reflection) . The Lads software automatically compiles arrival times and fixes errors in the data like tidal variations. Maps can be made after data is compiled from the aircraft by using Global Positioning Satellites, which constructs coordinates and data collected. The green laser is used due to its incorporation of light in murky waters is the slightest at these wavelengths. One laser is applies which creates an infrared laser. A frequency double then changes the frequency of a fraction of the beam by a aspect of two , resulting in a green light laser. Some Advantages and Disadvantages of LADS include: Advantages Disadvantages ? A quick and effortless way of measuring depth of waters. ? Can compile its data and send it to satellites, which create map images.

Intro to University Studies Reflection

Introduction to University Studies Course Reflection Jonatan Damon McCreary-Harris US/101 – INTRODUCTION TO UNIVERSITY STUDIES January 27th, 2013 Deanna Miller Introduction to University Studies Course Reflection I really enjoy commuting via Amtrak train whenever I go to visit my sister in Killeen, Texas. It’s a wonderfully exciting journey that lasts about a three and half days when departing from my home in Baltimore, Maryland. There are stops aplenty along this journey; it goes through: West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, finally Texas and my final destination.In the same way, our lives are journeys, each goal successfully attained prompts us to stop, evaluate our course and ensure our present path is in line with our intended destination. What are my long-term professional goals and how do my academic aspirations factor into reaching them successfully? What solutions and tools have been provided in this course, and how will they help me obtai n and reach my life goals? I believe this course has been the beginning of not just my academic experience, my professional career, but my life journey.I began my education journey several months ago with a fierce determination and firm resolve to obtain a master’s degree. I am aware it is a long-term commitment, understood the potential long-term benefits and the rewards of completion essay writers for hire. Charles Huckabee, a writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, reviews the financial rewards; in an online blog know as The Ticker. He writes, â€Å"Based on an analysis of census and education statistics, the report says Americans who complete a bachelor’s degree have a median income of $50,360, compared with a median of $29,423 for people with only a high-school diploma.Those with an associate degree earn some $9,000 more than those with only a high-school diploma. Those with a graduate degree have a median income of $68,064, about one-third more than those with a bachelor’s degree† (Huckabee, 2012,  paragraph 2 and 4). In summation, higher education generally equates to higher pay. Which, I believe over time, with proper budgeting and planning, and intelligent investments, eventually leads to financial security. Other than the clear financial gains, one must also onsider the skills and lessons taught while pursuing a higher education. It is commonly known that proper communication skills are imperative to academic success. In my opinion, this has been a recurring theme in regards to academia. Furthermore, excellent written communication skills are important due to the audience being unable to rely on important visual (e. g. ; body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures) and helpful auditory indicators to correctly interpret the writer’s intended message and determine the desired tone.The long-term value of excellent academic writing skills are the direct correlations to professional writing. Yes, the aud ience may be different, but the skills acquired are still very relevant and important in the workplace. Through this course I have been challenged to refocus and prioritise my responsibilities and obligations since returning back to college. Of course, with the increased amount of obligations came more stress, and the daunting task of how to deal with the resulting stress.I realised my current processes were inadequate and my stress levels were rising to very unhealthy levels. So, I started with what I knew and chose to incorporate various solutions, suggested by my peers and colleagues, into my time management system. I have always used a calendar to keep myself organised, but this was not effective, so I started to keep a detailed agenda. This is, sort-of, budget for time. This has allowed me to, at any moment, see where I needed to be, what I needed to be doing, and what exactly I needed to accomplish.During which, I felt it easy to get overwhelmed, so, the next order of business was to ensure sufficient time for some sort of physical activity. My preference for maintaining a relatively low stress level is by running, biking, or swimming. I believe that having a solid system of support is equally important. Actively promoting my health and wellness, as well as managing my time effectively, are two key elements that will allow me to achieve success in my educational and professional endeavors.Furthermore, this course has provided me with ample time to perfect my daily routine and time management process. This course has also inspired me to not just consider my personal and professional goals, but also now understand the importance of how to achieve those goals and how integral a well-conceived plan actually is. Moreover, it has impressed upon me how imperative it is to remain steadfast and focused, committed to the actual execution of the determined solution until you have reached fruition. One cannot simply run a marathon, a total of twenty-six miles, only to quit in the last five miles.Goal setting provides much-needed direction and goal planning allows us to clearly understand what is required for us to effectively reach them. It is necessary to remain flexible and open to altering the route to success. Circumstances may change, as they frequently do, and it is often necessary to reevaluate your goals and appropriately respond to the variables at hand. Through proper planning, remaining steadfast to my resolve for excellence, and the overall vision, it is my belief that I can achieve my highest goals.My success in the healthcare field directly relies on my continued pursuit of a higher education and my academic successes (e. g. ; Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees). I have a passion for excellence in the service industry and this is why I chose the healthcare industry. My life goal is to strategically position myself within the healthcare industry, wherein I will have the capacity to touch to and change the lives of other s, for the better on a much grander scale.As of now, I am relegated to lower tiers of the corporate ladder and am limited to working within the perimeters set by my organization. I hope to one day rewrite that game and bring the focus back to, what I’ve penned as â€Å"patient first care†. I want to raise the standards of excellence, in regards to patient care, in my organization. Ultimately, I would like to see them more aligned with that of my own. In order to get there, I must learn academically (obtain a degree) and gain the required professional experience to make this happen. Passion for excellence; excellence in service. † Over the past nine weeks I have grown to enjoy and appreciate the online classroom the collaborative learning environment it provides; I believe the value of such cannot be understated. Along with teaching important self management and critical thinking skills, this style of learning encourages students, as well as instructors, to active ly share their thoughts and questions freely, discuss and clarify these ideas, as well as evaluate others; whereas I may be less versed on a topic, my classmate may be an expert.Each online classroom is, in a sense, a small community or support system that in turn challenges our thought process and promotes personal growth. In order to succeed we, the students, are required to think critically and assume responsibility of our collective learning experience. I am extremely excited to take the knowledge I have learned from this course and apply it to my subsequent courses, as well as my professional career. In summary, Introduction to University Studies has provided me with a clear understanding of the online learning environment and effectively prepared me for future successes.The writing techniques, skills, and lessons taught, including also the resources that the University of Phoenix provides are truly advantageous and will surely help me achieve my long-term educational and caree r related goals. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from, and with such an incredible group of individuals. I am proud to be a Phoenix! Reference Page: Huckabee, C. (2012, December 19). Analysis Adds to Data Showing the Economic Benefits Of a College Degree. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from: http://chronicle. com/blogs/ticker/new-analysis-adds-to-data-showing-the-economic-benefits-of-a-college-degree/53267

Carrying a Heavy Load

Carrying a Heavy Load The word carry means to hold, contain, or support something and to take that something you are holding or supporting to another place. In many cases when people talk about carrying things they speak about physically carrying an object with some amount of weight from one place to another. Many times however people carry things with them throughout life that have no physical weight, weighing themselves down with the â€Å"heavy† burdens that life brings.Both Wideman and Obrien’s short stories exemplify a common theme of persevering through struggles and relieving oneself of the weight of life’s struggles. The soldiers in O’Brien’s short story â€Å"The Things They Carried† carry heavy physical loads necessary for them to survive out in war, but they also carry heavy emotional loads which will be with them for the rest of their lives if they are unable to let them go. Some things the men carry are universal, like a compress in case of fatal injuries and a two-pound poncho that can be used as a raincoat, groundsheet, or tent.Most of the men are common, low-ranking soldiers and carry a standard M-16 assault rifle and several magazines of ammunition. Several men carry grenade launchers. All men carry the figurative weight of memory and the literal weight of one another. They carry Vietnam itself, in the heavy weather and the dusty soil. The things they carry are also determined by their rank or specialty. Each mans physical burden consisted of weapons, cigarettes, C rations, and packets of Kool-Aid, and the more intangible things, such as fear and silent awe, that weigh these soldiers down.As leader, for example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries the maps, the compasses, and the responsibility for his men’s lives. The medic, Rat Kiley, carries morphine, malaria tablets, and supplies for serious wounds, and the responsibility to save lives. The things they carry depend on several factors, including th e men’s priorities and their constitutions. Because the machine gunner Henry Dobbins is exceptionally large, for example, he carries extra rations; because he is superstitious, he carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck.Nervous Ted Lavender carries marijuana and tranquilizers to calm himself down, and the religious Kiowa carries an illustrated New Testament, a gift from his father. With the amount of space that the author gives to enumerating the weight of these objects, one might assume that these objects are what are really important to these soldiers, but in reality it is the incalculable weight of their burdens that truly weigh them down. The â€Å"things† of the title that O’Brien’s characters carry are both literal and figurative.While they all carry heavy physical loads, they also all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing. Each man’s physical burden underscores his emotional burden. Henry Dobbins, for example, carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose and, with them, the longing for love and comfort. Similarly, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, of the Alpha Company, carries various reminders of his love for Martha, a girl from his college in New Jersey. Cross carries her letters in his backpack and her good-luck pebble in his mouth.He carries her photographs, including one of her playing volleyball, but closer to his heart still are his memories. Lavender, one of the soldiers in the story, gets shot on his way back from going to the bathroom. That night the soldiers sit in the darkness discussing the short span between life and death in an attempt to make sense of the situation. The morning after Lavender’s death, in the steady rain, Cross crouches in his foxhole and burns Martha’s letters and two photographs.By burning the physical reminders of Martha Cross believes that he will be able to forget about his past with her, and stop fantasizing about their future. O’Brien wrote â€Å"Besides, the letters were in his head. And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball in her white gym shorts and yellow T-shirt. He could see her moving in the rain. † Even without the pictures and the letters he was still carrying Martha. These emotional burdens are the heaviest because they are intangibles and therefore cannot be disposed of.Physical burdens are no more than that; if necessary they can be discarded. Emotional burdens, on the other hand, must be endured. O’Brien, speaking of cowardice in particular, says, â€Å"in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down. † The soldiers know there is no easy way to rid themselves of their fears because of their abstract nature, but they dream escapist dreams of flying away in a plane and â€Å"falling higher and higher,† free of weight.Jimmy Cross tries to rid himself of intangible burdens by di sposing of tangible ones that, to him, represent intangible qualities. He does this by burning his letters from Martha. He knows, though, that this simple act cannot rid him of his memories. â€Å"He realized it was only a gesture†¦ Besides, the letters were in his head. † His love for Martha is also represented by the small pebble, which she gave him, but the easily disposable pebble, which weighs merely an ounce, represents a much heavier emotional burden that he cannot rid himself of.Though in Wideman’s short story â€Å"Newborn Thrown in Trash and Dies† a tiny baby is cast down a rubbish chute with no tools to survive, no physical load except for her own weight, she carries a heavy emotional load and reflects on what her life might have been had she lived on each floor of the tenement building where her 19-year-old mother lives. In the first paragraph of the story Wideman quickly expresses the theme of carrying burdens. Wideman writes, â€Å"Your life rolled into a ball so dense, so super heavy it would drag the universe down to hell if this tiny tiny lump of whatever didn’t dissipate as quickly as its formed.Quicker. The weight of it is what you recall some infinitesimal fraction of when you stumble and crawl through your worst days on earth. † Here the newborn speaks about burdens and mishaps that come about in life. She explains to the reader that she will not be able to receive much of a life but that people would have nothing to live for if they did not forget about the struggles and problems that were flashed before their eyes before they were born into this world. The rest of the short story tells a complete play-by-play of the flash of life she had before she was brought into the world.Each floor represents another stage or point in her short life. The floors of this story disguise the days of life, and the newborn that will have no chance to experience them explains the days of life perfectly in these words; â€Å"I believe all floors are not equally interesting. Less reason to notice some then others. Equality would become boring, predictable. Though we may slight some and rattle on about others, that does not change the fact that each floor exists and the life on it is real, whether we pause to notice or not. †People cannot have a good day everyday or everyday would become boring and predictable. In many instances of life people are put into situations such as the war that the soldiers in â€Å"The Things They Carried†, that they have no control over, and that they could not even begin to explain to people for the mere fact that the situation that they are in no one should ever have to think about let alone experience. On the other end of the spectrum good days and good experiences are most often remembered and reminisced about for the rest of peoples lives, which they should be.The thing that people don’t realize is that very often people carry around the burden s of their pasts and the bad days that they have had which make the rest of their lives less enjoyable. After the war, the psychological burdens the men carried during the war will continue to define them. Those who survive will carry guilt, grief, and confusion, although the heavy backpack filled with tools to survive will be gone. In both stories the characters carried emotional burdens, the soldiers carried fear and hope as well as the newborn baby.The soldiers hoped to see another day, and were scared that the opportunity might not come. They had lived lives before the war and feared that they might never get the opportunity to live happily with their loved ones again so they carried belongings of their loved ones physically trying to keep their loved ones close and not forgotten. The same holds true with the newborn girl. She never gets the opportunity to experience her family, or to even establish a connection with anyone before she dies. Still she fantasizes about what it mig ht have been like, what might have happen.The emotional burdens of fear of death seem to be unbearable for the soldiers mainly because they know that they are losing the opportunity of life. The newborn however doesn’t seem bitter about dying, she feels sympathy for the mother who put her in the trash and accepts her life as being â€Å"how it is,† as she doesn’t know any better. All in all the characters of both the stories carry their emotional loads till death, or until they go back home which even then the psychological affects of the war will still haunt them until they learn to let them go.So as the newborn surrenders to her death she lets go of her emotional burdens floor by floor never looking back, so to should the soldiers realize that their days are numbered and tomorrow is never promised so just as Wideman wrote at the end of his second paragraphs about how people try to forget the flash of their life that occurs before they are born people should al so try to forget the bad days and the burdens of life as they happen and, â€Å"live your life as if it hasn’t happened before, as if the tape has not been punched full of holes, the die cast. †

Asia Pacific Security Study Essays

Asia Pacific Security Study Essays Asia Pacific Security Study Essay Asia Pacific Security Study Essay ASIA PACIFIC SECURITY STUDY 1. The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is a one of two U. S. Department of Defense regional studies centers (The other is the Marshall Center in Europe.). It was established on 4 September 1995 as a direct reporting unit to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. The center is a multilateral, non-war fighting, academic institution which focuses on security at the national policy level. It explores how the increasingly complex interrelationships of military, economic, political, and diplomatic policies interact to create regional stability or instability. 2. The centers mission is to foster understanding, cooperation, and the study of security-related issues among military and civilian representatives of the U. S. and other Asia-Pacific nations. This mission complements and supports the U. S. Pacific Commands Cooperative Engagement Strategy. The center is also a manifestation of former Defense Secretary Perrys concept of preventive defense. Approach 3. The center takes a two-prong approach to the study of security issues. (a) first through the College of Security Studies which focuses on future leaders. (b) second through a Research and Conference Center which focuses on current leaders. 4. The center provides a focal point where national officials, decision makers, and policy makers can gather to exchange ideas, explore pressing issues, and achieve a greater understanding of the challenges that shape the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region. The Colleges Curriculum 5. Security is the major theme, and the relationship among future military and government civilian leaders from 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region is the focus. a. The Core Curriculum provides grounding in significant issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, including diplomatic and military matters, economic issues, and socio-cultural concerns. The emphasis of the core course is on studying ways to create and maintain cooperation in Asia-Pacific relations. b. The Advanced Studies Program (electives) complements the core curriculum. The college offers graduate-level courses designed to provide participants the opportunity to broaden and deepen their studies on selected topics. Each participant takes at least four electives during the 12-week program of study. c. Group Study Projects supplement the classroom components of the curriculum. Participants form small study groups (three to five members each) to examine selected aspects of specific geographic areas or specific regional themes. d. The Field Studies Program expands the centers academic analyses of important regional issues (military, scientific, economic, and political) through site visits that may involve interviews and discussions. Some examples are the underground operations of the Hawaii Civil Defense Center, a visit to all the military commands in Hawaii, and an off-island trip to the Maui High Performance Computing Center and Pacific Disaster Center. e. Skills Courses provide voluntary specific training in areas such as use of computers and various software programs, accessing the Internet and other practical subjects. F. The Professional Enhancement Program provides an opportunity for involvement in personal and professional enhancement sessions with visiting dignitaries and experts in a variety of fields. Some of the topics are: Asian Security Issues; International and Regional Organizations; Nations, States, and Ethnic Identity; Access to and Competition for Resources; Demographics; Ethics, Rights, and Security; The Media and National Security; The Policy Process; Confidence and Transparency; Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. Participant Nomination and Selection 6. Nominations for foreign representative participation in the 12-week College of Security Studies courses come through the American embassies for final approval at the Asia-Pacific Center. The U. S. nominations come from the various military commands and government organizations through the college registrar. The participants are high-ranking military and government civilians (Lt. Col./Cmdr., Col./Capt., and equivalent civilian rank) who are involved in regional security issues and are identified as the future leaders of their respective militaries or defense institutions. Candidate from Malaysia for year 2010 was attended APCSS course in Hawaii are as follows. a. Kol Mohd Zaki bin Hamzah, Army HQ 29 Apr-6 Jun 10. b. Lt Col Khairi Asri bin Baharin RMAF, Air Forces HQ 8 Jul â€Å" 5 Ogos 10. c. Cept Yeow Ho Siong RMN, Joint Force HQ â€Å" 21 Oct â€Å" 10 Dec 10. Alumni Associations 7. Alumni Relations APCSS has more than 4,500 graduates and more than 40 alumni associations in locations such as: Australia, Afghanistan, American Samoa, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia (informal association), Canada, Chile, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Lebanon, Maldives, Madagascar (w/Africa Center), Malaysia (127 Officers From MAF are APCSS Alumni members), Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and United States (DC Hawaii). 8. APCSS continues to engage more than 4,000 graduates as part of an Alumni Program. Fellows serve as future guest speakers and assist in outreach efforts in their countries. They also have access to the APCSS Alumni Network to share information and research regional and global security issues. Conferences APCSSâ„ ¢ tightly focused conference program attempts to anticipate the most challenging regional and transnational security issues and cooperation tasks ahead. These serve as a forum for key regional interagency, multinational security policy drafters and decision makers to develop cooperative approaches to these problems. 9. The Alumni Program. Povides a forum for former graduates and faculty to maintain contact with the Center and with each other. We maintain a data base of all graduates and former faculty members to help you stay connected with APCSS and each other. Additionally, we provide information on the whereabouts of our alumni to our Center director and deputy director so they may meet with you socially during their travels throughout the Asia-Pacific region. 10. Focused Outreach Events. APCSS staff and faculty routinely travel throughout the Asia-Pacific region to conduct mini-courses, conferences and research that address specific needs identified by host nation and U.S. Embassy officials 11. Research. APCSS faculty members conduct research that strengthens communities of influence via partnered research on future security issues. In addition, APCSS coordinates and reports on a series of annual consultations with counterpart organizations in regional countries. Reports, papers, articles and books, are available on our website at www.apcss.org 12. Visit Program More than 1,000 visitors come to APCSS each year including senior leaders from the U.S. and other countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Visitors participate in roundtable discussions and serve as guest speakers. 13. College of Security Studies. Fellows in the College come from throughout the region and consist of senior military and government civilian equivalents in security-related positions. The course under college of Security Studies are as follows: a. Senior Executive Course:?   Transnational Security Cooperation (SEC).Description. An intensive program for current leaders on the upward track for positions of significant national (and possibly international) responsibility. Designed for senior security practitioners from the Asia-Pacific region now serving in positions that require experience and rank at the one- to four-star military and civilian-equivalent level (intent is to replicate a forum consisting of practitioners who influence security cooperation). Curriculum emphasizes the impact of change in the region, as well as capacities leader and institutional to manage change. The course integrates a challenging program of guest speakers, along with interactive seminar workshop dialogues and action-planning Course attendees join an expanded network of contacts among regional security practitioners that include their fellow classmates and APCSS faculty, as well as a regional community of expertise via a dedicated web portal used by APCSS alumni and others. b. Advanced Security Cooperation?   (ASC). The Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC) course is designed to advance knowledge, skills and networks related to multilateral security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region among mid-career security practitioners representing national government agencies and other influential regional and national entities. The course intends to stimulate strategic analysis and understanding of major security trends and challenges in the region, available and desirable tools and processes of their mitigation as well requirements for developing adequate national security sector capabilities to support regional effort of confidence-building, preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and crisis management. Additionally, the course seeks to enhance individual leader skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration and decision-making in complex multinational and culturally diverse environments. c. Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism Course.This course provides CbT security practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as other designated countries around the world, the operational and strategic-level skills necessary to enhance their ability to understand and combat terrorism and transnational threats.?   Through faculty lectures, guest speaker presentations, real-world case studies, seminar discussions and tailored ?  exercise scenarios, CSRT Fellows explore the nature of todayâ„ ¢s terrorist threats, better appreciate the challenges associated with countering ideological support for terrorism and violent extremism, achieve a more common understanding of global and regional terrorism challenges, analyze tools and capabilities for combating terrorism and transnational threats in order to promote appropriate strategies.?   The CSRT course is designed to build relationships between and among the United States and current and future CbT practitioners of participating countries in order to develop trust, confidence and specific methods necessary for increased information sharing, reduction of obstacles to cooperation in the international collaborative effort against those who use terror to achieve goals.?   The curriculum focuses on the non-warfighting aspects of security and is divided as follows:?   ?  Understanding; Framing and Assessing the Challenge; Formulating Responses to the Challenge; and Strategy Application.?   After leaving the Center, CSRT graduates are able to continue their collaborative efforts through IT/ET enabled portal connectivity. d. Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM). Description: The Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM) Course is a 4-week course that focuses on developing leader skills in five core areas: Comprehensive understanding of the complexity of crisis situations, strategic assessment, cooperation and collaboration, communication and use of appropriate technology. Offered once a year, the course is ideal for practitioners whose current or future responsibilities lie in the field of crisis management and recovery. Mid-career to senior practitioners including 0-4 (Major) to 0-6 (Colonel)- level military personnel, and civilian equivalents from diverse backgrounds such as law enforcement, government ministries and disaster management authorities are welcome to attend. Participants are also encouraged from NGOs, regional and international agencies and organizations, and academia. Participants come from all over the Asia-Pacific region, and in any one course may be drawn from as many as 45 nations and entities. Crises are dramatic disruptions in the political, economic and social life of a nation. Their causes are diverse and range from conflicts to natural disasters, but they can seriously disrupt a populations capacity to survive and the ability of national authorities to respond. Reflecting their complexity and scale, crises require a response that is well-coordinated and multi-sectoral in nature. Very often, the assistance of international actors may also be needed. Therefore, the course will emphasize broad, strategic-level themes and considerations rather than tactical prescriptions. e. Asia-Pacific Orientation Course (APOC). Course Description.?  The course provides an introduction to Asia-Pacific culture, politics, protocols and challenges, while addressing U.S. interests in the region. The curriculum is focused by day and examines: Day One) Regional Perspectives, Day Two) Treaty Alliance Partners Security Challenges, Day Three) Key Regional Players Security Challenges, Day Four) Regional Issues, and Day Five) Transnational Challenges. Attention is given to both historical and emerging issues. The course includes a rigorous program of lectures and interactive sessions, and three break-out seminar sessions. f. Senior Executive Asia-Pacific Orientation Course (SEAPOC). The course provides an introduction to Asia-Pacific culture, politics, protocols and challenges, while addressing U.S. interests in the region.?   The curriculum is focused by day and examines: Day One) Regional Perspectives, Day Two) Regional Issues, and Day Three) Transnational Challenges.?   Attention is given to both historical and emerging issues.?   The course includes a rigorous program of lectures and interactive sessions, and three senior-leader seminar sessions.?   ACTIVITIES 14. FY 2011 College Calendar. |Course |Course # |Start |End | |Comprehensive Security Responses to | | | | |Terrorism (CSRT) Course |11-01 |24-Feb-11 |25-Mar-11 | |Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM) | | | | |Course | | | | | | | | | | |11-01 |07-Jul-11 |05-Aug-11 | |Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC) Course | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |11-01 |28-Apr-11 |15-Jun-11 | |Transnational Security Cooperation (TSC) | | | | |Course | | | | | | | | | | |11-01 |07-Feb-11 |11-Feb-11 | | |11-02 |11-Apr-11 |15-Apr-11 | | |11-03 |19-Sep-11 |23-Sep-11 | |Asia-Pacific Orientation Course (APOC) | | | | | | | | | | |11-01a* |05-Oct-10 |09-Oct-10 | | |11-01b |24-Jan-11 |28-Jan-11 | | |11-02 |11-Jul-11 |15-Jul-11 | | |11-03 |26-Sep-11 |30-Sep-11 | |Senior Executive Asia-Pacific Orientation | | | | |Course (SEAPOC) | | | | 15. Summaries Of Past APCSS Activities has been Involved by Malaysian Armed Forces. The detail activities are as follows: a. Workshop: Southeast Asia Regional Multi Sectoral Pandamic Perparedness and Response Table Top Exercise: b. Date : 16-20 Aug 2010. c. Functional Theme: Cooperative Effort in Support to US Pacific Command. d. Geographic Focus : Southeast Asia/ASEAN Nation. e. Objective are as follows: (1) Gain common understanding by all participants of existing regional preparedness and response plans and mechanisms; (2) Confirm essential services sectors and identifying planning and response elements and issues that influences the preparedness and continuity of operations by government and civil society and the national and regional level, including sectoral interdependencies that may result in additional effects; (3) Determine when an initial health crisis response changes to a multi-sectoral crisis severely impacting the functioning of society and interaction among countries within a region; identify key trigger points for actions by ASEAN (as an organization), ASEAN Member States and other regional and international organizations and assisting states; (4) Identifying the gaps in how ASEAN (as an organization) and ASEAN Member State coordinate and cooperate amongst themselves, and with UN and other key international agencies including donors, develop strategic option for regional cooperation when the response requires broader efforts; (5) Examine the regional communications strategy, protocols and plans for possible improvements; and (6) Identify recommendation strategy, protocols and plans for possible improvements to existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and plans for interagency and cross-border cooperation. g. Location: Phnom Penh Cambodia h. Participant. Participant from Malaysian Armed Forces and National Security Council (NSC) as follows: a. Col Mohd Halim bin Khalid (3002599) Director of Defence Operations Training Division. b. Col Dr A. Halim bin Hj Basari (3005657) Director of Pharmacy Health Services Division. c. Lt Col Mohd Sakri bin Hj Hussin (NSC)

Essay about Anatomy Notes

Essay about Anatomy Notes Essay about Anatomy Notes 10/19 Notes 4. Recovery a) Excessive post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) 1. Oxygen reserves of myoglobin (oxygen storage molecule in muscle) 2. Lactic acid build up 3. Glycogen stores 4. ATP and creatine phosphate b) Heat production -only 40% of energy is used, the rest is lost as heat -sweat and heat radiation diffuse excess heat E. Strains, Tears, and Sprains 1. Strain-the muscle is over stretched and may be torn. Also called a â€Å"pulled muscle.† Inflammation of muscle can cause joints to be immobilized. 2. Tear- a tear can occur on the cartilage, muscle tendons, or ligament and also causes inflammation. 3. Sprain- the reinforcing ligaments of a joint are strained or torn. Healing takes longer because ligaments are poorly vascularized. I. Smooth Muscle A. Structure -spindle shaped cells of various sizes -only have endomysium which contain blood muscle and nerves -generally arranged in 2 layers 1. Longitudinal- fibers run parallel and constrict the organ and cause dilation 2. circular- fibers run around the circumference and cause constriction of the lumen and elongation -Peristalsis- is the alteration of circular and longitudinal contraction that moves substances through the lumen (intestines, uterus, bladder) EX: Chinese finger trap B. Microstructure -Varicosities-bulbous swellings of the autonomic nerve fibers -Caveolae-extensions of sarcolemma -actin/myosin in diagonal pattern (no sarcomere) -calmodulin instead of troponin for calcium binding -dense bodies-intermediate filaments act as an anchor -less sarcoplasmic reticulum -Myosin kinase-(phosphorylates the myosin) C. Contraction 1. Varicosities release a neurotransmitter across diffuse neuromuscular junction (synaptic cleft) 2. AP is generated across muscle fibers to initiate synchronized contraction 3. VR channels open, Ca++ flows into cytosol from extracellular fluid or SR 4. Ca++ binds to calmodulin (actin binding sites available) 5. Calmodulin activates myosin kinase 6. Myosin kinase activate myosin ATPase 7. Contraction coupling continues until Ca++ is released from calmodulin and is pumped back into SR and ECF. D. Same game, Different Name Smooth Skeletal -Varicosities-in diffuse -Axon terminal in synaptic cleft neuromuscular junction -Caveolae-extensions of the -T-tubules and terminal cisterns Sarcolemma -Most Ca++ comes from ECF -Most Ca++ comes from SR -Actin/Myosin in diagonal pattern - Actin/Myosin in horizontal pattern -calmodulin -dense bodies -myosin

Proven Ways to Lose Weight in College

Proven Ways to Lose Weight in College According to statistics, about 70% of college students gain weight during study years. With the escalating, the issue of obesity, the health of modern youth is threatened by fast food and harmful chemicals in products people consume every day. There is a common expression which applies to eating habits of college students – freshmen 15. It means that an average student gains about 15 pounds during the first year of education. Though its not supported by any statistical data, this expression is widely used for describing the beginning of college life. After graduating from high school, many students have their first experience of cooking on their own. The availability of various unhealthy foods and lack of parental control play a significant role in gaining weight. So, its not surprising that many students start working on their diets with an intention to lose weight in college. Here are a few tips that will help you stay healthy and fit. Exercising Movement is the essence of life. So, stop lying in bed and look at some of the most effective exercises which wont take too much time to do but will positively affect your body, such as the 7-minute workout. Which kind of sport do you like the most – swimming, football, dancing or maybe horse riding? Choose the best option for your studying schedule and for your liking. Encourage your friends or roommates to join you to make this more fun. Also, dont forget to check out apps that are designed for you to get fit: Aaptiv Fitbit Coach Asana Rebel Fitbod Some of the most common types of activities for weight loss are listed below. Yoga Yoga is a widespread discipline which integrates physical and mental practices. It helps to burn calories and calm down at the end of the intensive day or to boost vitality in the morning. Even 20 minutes of yoga training will make you feel more energized. There are plenty of types of yoga practices – you can definitely find the most suitable one for you: Hatha yoga Iyengar yoga Restorative yoga Hot yoga, etc. Yoga can be performed in a group or individually in a studio or at home. You can also do yoga with an instructor or using educational videos and manuals. For example, you can find yoga lessons at Do Yoga With Me, Daily Yoga, etc. Working Out Sport is great for your health – it gives you a good sleep and keeps your energy high. If you want to lose some weight, search for the nearest college health center (they are usually free) and find the most suitable schedule that wont damage the studying process. The best option would be working out with your friend; this way youd feel less awkward and can always get a helping hand. Do I need any equipment? You can also try out video lessons for exercising at home. You wont need specific equipment as you can use heavy books or bottles with water as weights. You can find useful lessons on YouTube or at platforms like Make Your Body Work. Running Running is a great cardio exercise. Its free, and you can run wherever you want. Choose the most suitable time for this (usually, it is morning before classes), pick some active music that gives you positive vibes and go for a run. Many people say that running for 30 minutes alternating with walking is a good and energetic start of the day. And we think so too! Track the distance and burnt calories with fitness trackers. They can also show you if your heartbeat is dangerously high. Use apps like Strava or Runkeeper to keep up with your progress. Adjusting Your Meals When it comes to healthy eating, many people think about exhausting diets and constant hunger. However, this is not the case when you have your meals balanced and nutritious. Putting yourself in tough frames is not good for your health. Thats why you should never exhaust yourself with strict diets and starvation. Many students ask â€Å"How to lose weight in college without exercise?† You need to balance your schedule and take care of your eating habits. First, go and see a dietitian. Only an expert with vast experience and in-depth knowledge of the digesting processes can develop a meal plan for your body type. This way you can get a personalized scheme with an explanation of what and when you should eat in order to lose weight. But if you want to get some hints on how you can eat healthy food and lose weight while not starving all day long, take a look at our useful eating tips that we have prepared for you. Stop Eating Junk Food Fast food, chips, and sugary drinks are not healthy. They contain a lot of chemical ingredients and urge food craving. While snacks are meant to fight off hunger, most of them make you even more hungry. This is the first reason why you eat much larger portions of food than your body actually needs. You can cook healthy snacks that are perfect for your daily routine filled with brainstorms and stressing tests: Nuts (quarter cup per one meal) Sugarless fruit bars Raw veggies with hummus (baby carrot is a perfect match) Dry roasted edamame Kale chips Apples with peanut butter Dont let fast food control your life – find the inner strength to say â€Å"No† when someone invites you to have lunch at McDonalds. Avoid drinking alcohol, as it contains tons of calories. And try not to use dorm vending machines – they rarely carry healthy food. Especially be careful with eating foods directly from packages, bags, and cartons. Eat Smaller Portions The more you eat, the more you crave for food. This is a vicious circle that you need to break. Your body doesnt know when you need to stop eating, but you can slowly teach yourself to understand and distinguish the real hunger from boredom or sadness. Here are some quick tips on how you can eat less: Use smaller plates. The portion you get will look bigger if there is less free space on the plate around it. You can trick your mind that you eat just as much as earlier. If youre eating in a dining hall, ask for a smaller salad plate. Eat slowly. When you consume food in a hurry, you dont give your body enough time to understand when it is full. Eat slowly, and you will catch the moment when your body tells you thats enough for you. Dont eat everything you put on your plate. Finishing your meal no matter what is what most people do because they dont want to throw the food away. However, you need to get a habit of stop eating when youre full, not when your plate is empty. If you follow these simple maxims, you will soon see that smaller portions are enough for a productive day. Adjust Your Schedule Everyone knows that eating at night is bad for your body. While youre sleeping, your body is resting too and isnt spending energy to digest all the food you ate before going to bed. This makes you gain weight while youre sleeping. Creepy, huh? Important: Skip meals that you usually have late at night. Yes, snacks count too! We know that it might be challenging at first, so, of course, you need a good motivation. Think not only about the benefits for your body but also about the chance to avoid health problems. Obesity provokes diabetes, heart and brain problems and fragile bones. You need to keep yourself fit. Healthy eating is what will help you in your journey. Caution: Remember, that all of these tips are strictly general, please get advice from a professional dietitian. And remember, that people gain weight not only during the freshman year, so you need to be attentive to your meals all the time.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Philosophy - Essay Example This personal philosophy emanates from the changes over the years which have moved away from publicity to â€Å"school public relations† and finally to the current concept of â€Å"school-community relations† (Bagin and Galleger 2005, p. 12). This is because, school as an intricate part of the community cannot adjust to transformations within the â€Å"social order† or make corresponding improvements in the delivery of its services without citizen participation (Bagin and Galleger 2005, p. 13). Leadership in school and community relations therefore aims to encourage participation by operating a transparent organization so that citizens and the community at large are fully informed. They in turn can share concerns and opinions among themselves and with the school administrators. As Bagin and Galleger (2005) inform, by taking this approach, citizens will grow to know the school directly and they are in a better position to participate in the administration of the s chool (p. 13). Citizen participation will naturally involve asking questions, sharing ideas, considering proposes projects and taking a stance relative to important matters.

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example The healthy lifestyle includes good feeding practices by eating a balanced diet, avoiding junk food†¦ doing regular exercise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Landow, 76) Thus, adopting a healthy lifestyle is important to resist different kinds of health problems and it is only possible if we eat a balanced diet, exercise and avoid stress. A balanced diet is essential for adopting a healthy lifestyle. Everyone has certain food preferences and perhaps this is one of the reasons why our diets are mostly comprised of a certain type of food. We tend to omit a lot of healthy foods just because we do not like their taste. For instance, people who like meat-based dishes are prone to consume lesser amounts of fresh foods like vegetables and fruits. Similarly, there are a lot of people who do not like dairy products. These are typical examples of imbalanced diets. Our meals should ideally comprise of healthy amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, good fats and water. Thus it is important to explore new tastes and foods in order to include all the essential components of a balanced diet. Fast food like deep fried chicken or fish or potatoes, are richer in calories but low in nutritional value. We need to adapt our bodies slowly to a healthy lifestyle because it is not easy to curb our cravings for our favorite fast food. Alternately, we can also make some healthy changes to the ways our food is normally cooked. Our recipes can be made healthier if we reduce the number of fats and sugar in our everyday meals. Opting to grill or stir fry our meat and vegetables can greatly reduce our caloric intake and retain their nutrition. Eating fresh food is healthier than eating preserved, canned or processed food. This is because preserved food contains certain additives that may be unhealthy. Moreover, preserved foods are high in sugar or salt, which is also not healthy. It is indeed tempting to buy a can of peeled and diced fruits or vegetables rather than purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables and going through the trouble of washing and  peeling them.  

Annotated Bibliography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Annotated Bibliography - Research Paper Example For prehending, students learn through a concrete experience. In transforming, students are geared more towards active experimentation. These two processes can be placed onto a quadrant in which each quarter contains a certain learning style. The learning styles used by Kolb are â€Å"Assimilators,† â€Å"Divergers,† Convergers,† and â€Å"Accommodators.† For this study, participants were chosen from the Taxes and Personal Finance course at the Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A total of 159 participants were given two versions of WBI that had the same content and were only different with the accessibility on the platform. The results found that for each WBI module, each learning style was balanced. For student reaction, the participants were given an eight question Likert-type scale ranging from Did Not Like (1) to Liked Very Much (4). The results of this survey found that there was little difference between participants o f both WBI modules. Overall, the study found that with WBI, there is not any difference between the learning styles of students and type of online instruction. When it comes to construction projects in Hong Kong, there are certain criteria that are used to determine the success of the project. However, the definition of the success of a project depends on the view of a number of stakeholders, such as clients, consultants or designers, and contractors. This study aims to compare the responses of all of these stakeholders based on a set of criteria used to measure a project’s success. After reviewing literature, nine specific performance criteria were chosen for this study: profit, time, no claims or contractual disputes, job satisfaction, quality, safety, environment, generation of innovative ideas, and effectiveness. The definition of performance criteria is given as a benchmark to evaluate

Sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability - Research Paper Example The implication of this is that everything on earth depends on the natural environment in order for them to survive either through direct or indirect means. Therefore, sustainability helps in maintaining the conditions that will ensure that humans and nature continue to coexist in productive harmony that will be essential in fulfilling the needful requirements for the present and the future generations. One of the key environmental issues that have continued to attract the sustainability concern is water as many view this as a precious resource. Ideally, water is crucial in the operations of an environment and for supporting the life of a community. Many of the water sustainability efforts rely on the policies that regulate the use of water, and the protection of the water resources. With this, this essay will delve into water sustainability as a relevant issue within the physical environment through a detailed research of the same. Water access as an environmental issue Over the rec ent years, the climatic changes have not been favorable on water resources, hence influencing the rapid implementation of policies that would preserve water for this generation and the next. Water as a natural resource has been the center of conflict among several communities while those that have access to this commodity may not have clean and consumable water. In urban areas, the population levels have increased in recent times hence creating water access challenges as many of these centers lack proper planning. The over exploitation of natural resources has also spread to water towers hence minimizing the areas that provide water to many of the global populations. In many researches, respondents have intimated that access to fresh water and maintaining a constant supply of the same top the list of issues that are affecting most of the global population. In most of the economically challenged nations, the access to clean water has forever been low because of the privatization of t he water resources. The implication of this is that the price of this precious commodity has increased in these areas meaning that a resident in a slum in Manila may be paying high amounts for water access as compared to an individual living in London. According to statistics, at least 1.1 billion of those living in developing nations do not have adequate access to clean water, which has created a direct relationship between poverty and access to water (Shah, 2006). Mostly, the population that lacks access to clean water live in high poverty levels meaning that they have other costs to meet such as those associated with health care spending and labor diversions. On the contrary, water covers at least 70% of the earth’s surface but the supply and access to the same is not as adequate as required by the needs of the population. Moreover, water problems are unique and specific to every region, meaning that the water problems of a farmer in Australia may not be the same as those of villager in Pakistan. The decreasing access to water for consumption draws relevance from the fact that the demand for this commodity is increasing while the supply of the same continues to decrease as the years progress. In the end, there would not be any significant or sustainable development if there were no

The bible and Quran common teaching about voilence and faith Essay

The bible and Quran common teaching about voilence and faith - Essay Example From Arabia and Persia: The World of Islam and the Near East: The Spread of Christianity written in the Bedford Anthology of World Literature, it talks about the history of how Islam, the youngest religion, and Christianity, was established and formed. In the deserts of Arabian Peninsula during the seventh century, a prophet named Muhammad, at the age of 30 while he was in a cave, believed to have received a calling from Allah, the Islamic name of God, and that he was the last of the prophets. From then on, he began to preach and share Allah’s revelations presented to Muhammad to the rest of the world. The revelations, said to be the precise words of Allah himself is preserved in its text called the Qur’an. Muslims practice the teachings in it, including the Five Pillars such as fasting and alms-giving, and other practices such as Jihad, also known as struggle. Christianity, on the other hand, was created roughly 30 A.D. All its teachings and the practices done by Chris tians are based on Jesus Christ’s life and teachings. In the Rise of Christianity, it explains and retells the spread of Christianity, starting from the Roman Empire. Jesus’ teachings are all presented in the different texts and scriptures mainly the Hebrew Bible, which talks about Jesus’ birth, his life including his death and resurrection. Its main teaching is that Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah, died for the world’s sins and if anybody accepts Him as their Lord and personal Savior, they will be able to go to heaven and be with God. Christians practice worshipping and praising the Lord, praying and fasting, and baptism. Even though they are two totally and completely different religions, Christianity and Islam are considered and regarded to be the closest between all other religions in terms of their faith, beliefs as well as some of their values, sharing several similarities and likeness. The main similarity that both religions share is the monotheis tic belief in the same God. In Islam, this is shown through several verses in Islam’s most sacred book, the Qur’an. In one of the verses written, particularly in Qur’an 3:64, it says â€Å"Say, ‘O followers of the scripture, let us come to a logical agreement between us and you: that we shall not worship except GOD; that we never set up any idols besides Him, nor set up any human beings as lords beside GOD.’ If they turn away, say, ‘Bear witness that we are submitters.† And in the Holy Bible, it says in the book of first Corinthians in the New Testament, â€Å"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.† The Qur’an and the Bible also believe in the existence and presence of angels who are the messengers of God, endlessly glorifying Him. Both holy books also tell of the same prophe ts such as Adam, the first human on Earth, Noah, Abraham whom is highly given importance to in Islam and is believed to be one of, if not the most important prophet and messenger of Allah who has followed all of the Lord’s commandments and who has overcome all the trials that God has given, Moses and Jesus, but in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God, not just a prophet in which Islam believes. The Day of Resurrection and Judgment and the belief that it is predetermined by God but unknown to anyone else in heaven and on Earth is also a common and a shared belief written in both texts.

Analyzing mills saying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing mills saying - Essay Example From the aforementioned statement, the English philosopher suggests that happiness or satisfaction is not the ultimate objective of performing an action or making a decision. This means that he does not quite agree to the principle of utility because he maintains that there would be a difference in the kinds of such individual. Meaning, a thing might be good, acceptable and brings happiness to someone but not to another. For the first person may be happy however, when someone looks deeper into what the former is satisfied about, it could be because that person’s standards are way below what his humanity demands of him. For example, one may find pleasure in sex but another finds it displeasing because the person acts immorally. That certain person acts like an animal which simply satisfies his wants. For Mill, he is likened to a pig. It is known that a pig does nothing but eat, sleep and relieves itself from the heat by swimming in the mud or worse, in its own dirt and it is sa tisfied with such kind of life. Therefore, the philosopher argues that he would rather be an unhappy human being than an animal which acts in such a manner but is still satisfied about itself. For the second person, he might be dissatisfied and unhappy but considers himself of higher morality than the former. This contradicts the philosophy of Bentham who says that a person is moral when his actions bring him happiness. Similarly, Mill believes that it is better to be a dissatisfied wise man than a satisfied fool. It is assumed that he argues that when a wise man is unhappy or dissatisfied about his actions or decisions, it is not only because he has done unacceptable things. Rather, the unhappiness and dissatisfaction might be the result of unmet high standard one has set for himself to achieve. In the same way, one cannot say that a person who is satisfied and happy with

The bible and Quran common teaching about voilence and faith Essay

The bible and Quran common teaching about voilence and faith - Essay Example From Arabia and Persia: The World of Islam and the Near East: The Spread of Christianity written in the Bedford Anthology of World Literature, it talks about the history of how Islam, the youngest religion, and Christianity, was established and formed. In the deserts of Arabian Peninsula during the seventh century, a prophet named Muhammad, at the age of 30 while he was in a cave, believed to have received a calling from Allah, the Islamic name of God, and that he was the last of the prophets. From then on, he began to preach and share Allah’s revelations presented to Muhammad to the rest of the world. The revelations, said to be the precise words of Allah himself is preserved in its text called the Qur’an. Muslims practice the teachings in it, including the Five Pillars such as fasting and alms-giving, and other practices such as Jihad, also known as struggle. Christianity, on the other hand, was created roughly 30 A.D. All its teachings and the practices done by Chris tians are based on Jesus Christ’s life and teachings. In the Rise of Christianity, it explains and retells the spread of Christianity, starting from the Roman Empire. Jesus’ teachings are all presented in the different texts and scriptures mainly the Hebrew Bible, which talks about Jesus’ birth, his life including his death and resurrection. Its main teaching is that Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah, died for the world’s sins and if anybody accepts Him as their Lord and personal Savior, they will be able to go to heaven and be with God. Christians practice worshipping and praising the Lord, praying and fasting, and baptism. Even though they are two totally and completely different religions, Christianity and Islam are considered and regarded to be the closest between all other religions in terms of their faith, beliefs as well as some of their values, sharing several similarities and likeness. The main similarity that both religions share is the monotheis tic belief in the same God. In Islam, this is shown through several verses in Islam’s most sacred book, the Qur’an. In one of the verses written, particularly in Qur’an 3:64, it says â€Å"Say, ‘O followers of the scripture, let us come to a logical agreement between us and you: that we shall not worship except GOD; that we never set up any idols besides Him, nor set up any human beings as lords beside GOD.’ If they turn away, say, ‘Bear witness that we are submitters.† And in the Holy Bible, it says in the book of first Corinthians in the New Testament, â€Å"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.† The Qur’an and the Bible also believe in the existence and presence of angels who are the messengers of God, endlessly glorifying Him. Both holy books also tell of the same prophe ts such as Adam, the first human on Earth, Noah, Abraham whom is highly given importance to in Islam and is believed to be one of, if not the most important prophet and messenger of Allah who has followed all of the Lord’s commandments and who has overcome all the trials that God has given, Moses and Jesus, but in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God, not just a prophet in which Islam believes. The Day of Resurrection and Judgment and the belief that it is predetermined by God but unknown to anyone else in heaven and on Earth is also a common and a shared belief written in both texts.

Classroom Assessment in Fifth Grade Science Essay Example for Free

Classroom Assessment in Fifth Grade Science Essay A study was conducted to explore the hypothesis that performance assessments foster a more positive motivational orientation for students than supplied-response assessments which tend to truncate students’ learning strategies (Parkes Stefanou, 2003). This was in response to general dissatisfaction arising from large-scale, high-stakes multiple choice testing, particularly among the older students who experienced higher levels of anxiety and mistrust with respect to standardized tests.   It partook of a cost-benefit analysis of the consequences of this particular type of assessment procedure to determine whether the positive outweighed the negative. Traditional paper and pencil tests (PP), a laboratory task format of assessment (lab), and a performance assessment (PA) were imposed on three different fifth grade science classes, particularly involving Goal Orientations to supply quantitative data.   Qualitative output was also obtained through taped interviews of the three classes.   Quantitatively, goal orientation seemed to be influenced by the type of assessment used. When paired with the qualitative data, students seemed to perform well in PP testing because they equated a good grade with competence and ability, and they believed that performing well in PP testing reflected this competency (Parkes Stefanou, 2003).   However, if receiving grades was removed from the equation, students became more receptive to PA testing and were motivated to take risks and explore actually doing science rather than just knowing science (Parkes Stefanou, 2003). One of the limitations of the study was that qualitative information was necessary to complete the picture presented by the quantitative data.   Although the study was by no means definitive as to whether or not assessment types contributed to student motivation, it clearly showed that when paired with the stakes or consequences attributed to the assessment results, it affects the students’ goal orientations. Reference List Parkes, J. and Stefanou, C. (2003). Effects of classroom assessment on student motivation on fifth-grade science. The Journal of Educational Research, 96 (3), 152-162.