Electrinic and Digital Media Paper Essay

Historically the role of media in our society was one of delivering news and information for the sake of knowledge. According to Vivian, the news media served as the major watch dog in the gathering and sharing of information across the world. Traditions of a culture, such as China, have long been created an opportunity for free creative and artistic expression as a means of media exposure in countries where there is great government regulation. Now in a more contemporary role, media has become so integrated in people’s lives that many are swimming in a mass media ocean of communication. Media multitasking has become such of a normal routine for most people, that without media their lives would be empty (Vivian 2011). Over the years mass media has advanced in so many areas, becoming the technological assisted transmission of messages to mass audiences (Vivian 2011) of photography, sound, and transmission. Technology has been the foundation of mass communication in the media industry for years. If not for the invention of the printing press, books and newspapers may have never been published. Mass media has become almost solely dependent on the technology of today. Technological development of the Internet offers the potential, if appropriately utilized, to be an enabler of a more sustainable future (Ahmed 1999). Mass communication has evolved through the years with the emergence of various technologies such as printing, chemical, digital, and electronics. These technologies have contributed to media growth far beyond what anyone could believe early in the history of Mass communications. Particularly with the emergence of Chemical and Electronic technologies movies became popular and the radio and television mediums sky rocketed in popularity. Photography early on helped to increase the power of the printed word by bringing words to life by leading the charge in producing pictures in books, newspapers and magazines. The recording industry has evolved from the phonograph to the iPod allowing for radio to be everywhere and communication being transferred through airwaves for audiences which printed sources could not reach. Much of the technologies from above have become more of a necessity rather than a luxury by which only a few persons can benefit. With the invention of the printing press the newspaper industry has been able to mass produce a product from an initial template of an idea. Cameras and projectors have moved past capturing a moment into creating a moment vision, by understanding the eye retains a vision of a period of time, and if multiple photos could be taken, linked together, and flipped quickly, the human eye could be tricked into visualizing motion of an object. Creating a continuous motion, which later became known as â€Å"Film† and now digital photos. With the development of digital technology there has been great efficiency brought to various aspects of many people’s lifestyles. (Vivian 2011). Bell Labs lead the way in revolutionizing a new media avenue known as â€Å"The Net†. The internet in the early 1990’s was vastly evolving into the next means of mass communication. Bell Labs was in the forefront of the digital age by walking us into a media convergence. Where bits of data, we commonly refer to as messages, could be transmitted over the internet in large capacity at a certain rate of speed and reassemble as readable text upon reception at its destination. Now in 2012 because of the efforts of Bell Labs the digital age has advanced throughout time to where we once dialed a phone number from memory, we now speak a name and our phones dial for us. Smartphone devices have opened up a new world where everything is truly at your finger tips. Where Companies once relied on Trucks and warehouse for logistical need for distributing their products, they now have cut cost by utilizing the internet. Products such as books, magazines, and newspapers, printed media, have bought in to the immediate delivery of their brands in a matter of minutes versus days or weeks even. In the last 20 years all of the new trends and developments within the electronic and digital media industry the role of mass media has changed but yet still remains the same in its function. Persons, who once in casual conversation referred to their business as the newspaper business, now have restricted their verbiage and now work in the news business. References CREATIONISM — Study & teaching; MASS media; GREAT Britain; ROYAL Society (Great Britain); RELIGION & science; REISS, Michael Ahmed, Pervaiz K.; Hardaker, Glenn. Business Strategy & the Environment (John Wiley & Sons, Inc). Jan1999, Vol. 8 Issue 1, p75-81. 7p Vivian, J. (2011). The media of mass communication (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Kranzer

Dear Sir:For the last 16 years I have taken on ever greater responsibility for nurse management at the University of Chicago hospitals.   Currently, I am director of their critical care departments and oversee both the pediatric and adult emergency departments.   Currently, I am responsible for continuing education and research activities for 350 FTEs and I love my job. But I have reached the pinnacle of my career with this hospital organization and would like to now move on to greater challenges and responsibilities.As you will note on the enclosed resume, in addition to 23 years progressively more responsible nursing and nursing oversight positions, I have recently begun work on my master of science in nursing. Eventually, I hope to educate other nurses and assist with progress in the field of nursing. But as much as I might enjoy teaching in the future, I also enjoy departmental management.You might well imagine that in my position in Chicago, I have seen a bit of everything. I have helped implement the sexual assault advocates program at the University of Chicago hospitals, planned budgets and hired staff. I have worked with staffing agencies to maintain needed nursing levels while staying within budget. I have helped the university of Chicago hospitals to achieve and maintain quality patient care.My experience is broad-based and extensive, making me the perfect addition to your staff.   I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you and discuss my vision for your hospital.   Thank you for your time an consideration.Sincerely,  Susan French Kranzer

Healthcare Organization Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare Organization Management - Essay Example For a health care administrator, it is clear to utilize a strategy that assesses policies within the environment of the organization. Each organization faces different challenges. One of the heavy reflections that was taken from the article is the administration of Social Security within the context of HIPAA. This strategy is more for a standardized approach and does not cater to an individual organization. Hence, a more integrated approach is needed in order to understand and acknowledge the perspectives all stakeholders is illogical because every case is different. This article is relevant because it discusses the intricacies of healthcare field, which is the focal point of discussion in our class. Since this class discusses the impacts of healthcare, it is highly crucial to understand the current environment of healthcare and how it correlates with this discussion. processes are placed. Another important aspect within the realm of 120,000 eligible healthcare professionals and more than 3,300 hospitals have qualified to participate, which allows a seamless access of patients to extract their information online â€Å"outpatient lab reporting† as a menu option for hospitals and â€Å"recording clinical notes† as a menu objective for both physicians and hospitals. Stageful 2 is a supplementary transition for organizations from stageful. The purpose is to also facilitate regulation in an organizational environment. One thing I took away from the article is that in order to be more lucrative in this field, education is extremely

Third World Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Third World Countries - Essay Example Accordingly, underdevelopment emerges as a consequences of culture, politics, dependency and colonialisation, although not necessarily in that order. Dependency theorists look towards history for the clarification of the reasons why some countries have successfully attained economic development while others have displayed a persistent failure to do the same and, are immediately influenced by Wallerstein's world systems theory. The aforementioned may be defined in the following terms (DuPlessis, 1988: 222): "Wallerstein's method, is premised on two linked propositions: first that social change occurs only in social systems and second, that the social system appropriate as an object of analysis is a world system Hence, his concern is with the evolution of structures of the whole system,' understood as entirely distinct from its component parts, rather than with the histories - even if treated comparatively - of the various regions, nations or people that it includes. A world system, is a real, identifiable, analyzable thing: bounded and substantially self-contained, it consists of a unified economy founded on a well-developed division of labor yet incorporating a multiplicity of cultures." As may be deduced from the above quote, the World Systems Theory (WST) defines the global political economy as a single whole, but comprised of numerous distinct categories. The first category is the core, who "benefited the most from the capitalist world economy," because they were the colonial powers and motivated colonialism in order to expand both their economic and political influence over the globe, using their strong military forces to do so ("Modern History Sourcebook", n.d.: n.p.). The second category, the Periphery, can be defined as the exploited and the oppressed compared to the exploiter and oppressor status of the core. As Lachman (1988) argues, the periphery countries did not have the strong and stable political systems which the core did, also lacking the military force which the core had. Consequently, this left them vulnerable to forced political and economic exploitation. Even with the demise of colonialism, the systems theory remains very active for two reasons. The first is that the economic effects of imperialism are long-term. This historical era gave the North or the core, a tremendous head start over the South in terms of development, even culminating in the regression of the economies of the South and limiting their potential for development. As stated in the "Modern History Sourcebook," according to Wallerstein's systems theory, "an analysis of the history of the capitalist world system shows that it has brought about a skewed development in which the economic and social disparities between sections of the world economy have increased rather than provided prosperity for all." The second is that colonialism was ultimately followed by neo-colonialism, whereby the multinational corporate representatives of the core continued the drainage of the south's resources and its transference to the North (Li, 2000). As per the presented argument, representing the stand of the dependency theorists on the question of the South's continued underdevelopment, underdevelopment is rooted in historical circumstances which effectively ensured the impoverishment of the South and its

A Semiotic Analysis of a Story Published in Newspapers on April 18th Term Paper

A Semiotic Analysis of a Story Published in Newspapers on April 18th 1998 in Britain - Term Paper Example After the formulation of a research question, the next dilemma faced by a researcher is the methodology to be used to answer that question. Qualitative and Quantitative methods are two ways of research (Stokes, 2003, 51-97), which further branch into specific modes of analysis in order to make the research more specific. From amongst these categories, semiotic analysis method, first introduced by Ferdinand De Saussure (Saussure, 1916) from the branch of textual analysis is concerned with all those things which can be recognized as a sign, and also encompasses anything that symbolizes something else (Eco, 1976, 7). Semiotics is applied mostly in the analysis of texts; here text refers to any message that has been recorded with the intention of conveying it to the receiver. There are also other forms of textual analysis besides semiotics, namely rhetorical analysis, discourse analysis and content analysis (Chandler, 2005). As according to the images, it is quite evident that the story occupies most of the front page in The Sun, whereas this is not evident in the other newspapers. While determining which the front page is, the customer may on the font size of the headline or the size of the picture, and this varies from individual to individual. This is due to the varying code sets of every individual with which they decode a particular text, and hence the interpretation of the entire story is dependant upon the ideological stance of the consumer as well as the familiarity of the reader and the authenticity with which they are able to decipher the meaning being conveyed by the particular brand in accordance with the set of codes used by the manufacturer. A connotation is ‘the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning’ (Dictionary, 2010). Hence connotations are crucial to the reader since they portray the meaning of the text, which can be interpreted according to easily recognizable codes within the various newspapers.  Ã‚  

Rationale For Performance Based Assessment Essay

Rationale For Performance Based Assessment - Essay Example I believe that the role a teacher plays can shape the students’ lives. Hence, a teacher’s role is of foremost importance. To advance teaching skills, teachers must continually keep track of the recent researches and pedagogies and should use them in helping the English language learners improve on their English skills. It is also very important that the assessments taken by ELLS are fair by all means. A fair assessment is a necessary step in the progress of ELLs. I am responsible for teaching basic level English listening / speaking skills to my students who mainly speak Arab. A proper performance based assessment should be preceded by a proper imparting of learning to the ELLs. Hence, firstly, I would be highlighting the appropriate strategies that are used across the world for teaching the English language learner population. The advancement in technology has proved to be a great help in imparting learning to the ELL population since it has led to an increase in the m odes of teaching. Some effective strategies to impart effective learning to the ELL students are described below (Richard J. Stiggins, 2004): †¢Ã‚  Use of non-lingual representation†¢Ã‚  The students should be helped in recognizing the varied patterns†¢Ã‚  Different activities should be organized wherein the English language learners are given a chance to express compound ideas. †¢Ã‚  Another approach is to relate the learning to the students’ culture in some way. Arab music and pictures can be used as digital media for imparting learning to students.

Fine Arts research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fine Arts research paper - Essay Example Also Vecellio’s Venus is more humane while Botticelli’s Venus has a divine aura about her Venus, the Goddess of Love has been an object of much study and admiration in the art circles of all times. Venus is basically a Roman goddess of love who is often linked with sensuality, beauty, fertility and desire. It is the aura and desire of Venus that has attracted the attention of many. Venus was often the central figure in religious festivals during the Roman era. Even as society progressed, Venus did not lose her charm since artists of almost all generations were inspired by her mystery and popularity. It was because of this that Venus was chosen as a subject for painting by most artists in almost all eras including Roman, Hellenistic and Renaissance periods. With the apparent sensuality of Venus, it became acceptable for Venus to be painted nude among the social elite of the Renaissance times. As a result, Venus was usually portrayed nude in her painting and even those painting that depicted nude females, most usually relate them with the Goddess of Love, Venus. Two painting of Venus by two artists belonging to different eras may have the same element of nudity for their Venus but the character, persona and background of Venus differs from one painting to another. In this paper, we attempt to compare the Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli in her ‘Brith of Venus’ with Tiziano Vecellio’s Venus of Urbino. These artists belong to different time settings and thus have explored Venus in a completely different context. In both the paintings, Venus is shown as a sexual being. However, the similarity ends here. Botticelli’s Venus is modest as compared to the wanton Venus of Vecellio. Also Vecellio’s Venus is more humane while Botticelli’s Venus has a divine aura about her. Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter who gained popularity during the Early Renaissance period for his linear grace and

Health Informatics and Emerging Technologies Research Paper

Health Informatics and Emerging Technologies - Research Paper Example Electronic Health Record (HER) is a form of a longitudinal computerized health record that comprises of digitalized health information about a population or individual patients (Smaltz, 2007). Statement The health data in electronic form is generated and stored in medical institutions with the help of microchips, smart cards, etc. Then, such records can be accessed or be shared across within several healthcare settings through a network connection of information systems. The data contained in such records are in summary form and may include; laboratory test results, billing information, medical history and other essential medical data. This advancement in technology in medical field has enabled competent health record keeping, streamlined work flow, quality management, and safety and evidence based decision with supporting documents. Effective maintenance of electronic health records is a key component for the efficient functioning of healthcare organizations. As these records contai ns very sensitive information and personal details about the patients, leakage of which could adversely affect the patients’ personal as well as the professional life and also the organization’s standing. However, there are certain disadvantages with this Health informatics based system particularly related to high cost involved in installing and implementing the system, legal issues, etc. Although, there are demerits, there are many more merits for this system, and this paper will discuss how those merits can aid in the optimal functioning of Healthcare organizations. In addition, even the demerits can be managed, if correct steps are taken. Reduced Health Care Costs Imaging is a major contributor towards the increase in health care costs. Irrespective of the medical insurance safeguards, spending on imaging makes a lot of people avoid accessing medical services. However, this problem can become a thing of the past if the health care providers adopt the electronic hea lth records system, as it is an effective way of averting the normal at the same time expensive duplicating imaging procedures. Apart from the cost factor, by going for electronic storing and transfer of imaging outputs will also increase the efficiency of the doctors in correct diagnosis. This was validated by a study conducted by Garrido et al. (2005) in Colorado and Northwest regions of Kaiser Permanente, a US integrated healthcare delivery system, using the population of 367, 795 members in the Colorado region and 449, 728 members in the Northwest region as the sample size. The results showed that after â€Å"more recent increases in general use of imaging inside and outside Kaiser Permanente†¦The chief of radiology in the Colorado region believed strongly that availability of electronic records to all carers improved interpretation of films.† (Garrido et al. 2005). Storage of physical records requires large amount of space which translate to expensive storage, costs which can be easily cut down with the usage of EHRs. In addition, physical medical records may be stored in different areas and therefore induces the cost of transporting them where they are required. Bringing them to a single location for usage by health care providers is not only time consuming but also costly. Some times such records might be needed in multiple locations at the same time whereby there must be faxing or transporting costs incurred. All these can be taken care of by using the EHRs. Quality Health

Diversity Ability in the work place Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity Ability in the work place - Term Paper Example In developed nations like the United States and UK where diversity is the major facet of democratic setup, the concept of workplace diversity is mandatory. Researchers are deeply at odds regarding the pros and corns of maintaining diversity in workplace. Many are of the opinion that diversity will intensify the organizational issues including conflict of interest, increasing HR costs, and communication barriers. On the other hand, others believe that diversity will enhance the potential of labor force. For instance, according to the latter concept, a workgroup that consists of senior, experienced individuals would ease the managerial tension as these individuals are familiar with every activity of business operation. In the same way workers from different cultural background can easily identify the potential customer segments of their region or culture. A company can make use this diversity for acquiring knowledge on various legal, ethical, cultural aspects of its business destinatio n. Acquiring diverse workforce will help a firm to preserve a pool of diverse skills too. For instance, elders with work experience and practical knowledge are equally important to youngsters with creative ideas and higher level of adaptability.

Meaning of Life and Australian Cultural Identity Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Life and Australian Cultural Identity Essay â€Å"From separate catastrophes, two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing a great, breathing, shuddering joint called Cloudstreet, where they begin their lives again from scratch. For twenty years they roister and rankle, laugh and curse until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts. † (Winton, 1991) Tim Winton’s critically acclaimed novel, Cloudstreet is a masterful tale of love, meaning and heartbreaking tragedy that speaks strongly of a post war Australian society that was essentially rebuilding itself after years of political upheaval and financial struggle. Good Morning/Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman. I am a representative of the National English Curriculum board and today I am here to demonstrate to you how Cloudstreet is authentic and believable, and as Marieke Hardy suggests: â€Å"It is Australian. Reading it felt like coming home. † Throughout Cloudstreet, there are numerous concepts that portray the Australian cultural identity; and the theme of religion and spirituality is especially prominent and appealing. The concept of luck, Aboriginal spirituality, and the search for the meaning of life, are all Australian ideas that Winton expertly portrays. Spirituality can be defined as â€Å"a concern for that which is unseen or intangible; as opposed to physical or mundane. † (Greenberg, 2008) It encourages a sense of peace and purpose within an individual and promotes a feeling of belonging. Additionally, religion can be defined as â€Å"the belief in, and worship of a superhuman controlling power. † (Religion) Both concepts are widely integrated into the core of the novel and are depicted through the Australian notion of luck. Luck, which some would argue has long been etched into the Australian consciousness as a common working class superstition, is, whether they are conscious of it or not, a form of religion for both families. The Pickles family, most notably Sam, rely on the â€Å"shifty shadow of God† (p 12) to warn them about future events, while the Lamb’s simple game of â€Å"spinning the knife† (p 53) acts as their metaphorical life compass. â€Å"The Lucky Country† (Horne, 1964) is a phrase that originated from a book of the same name written in the 1960’s, and since then, has gained widespread popularity and thus, been attached to the Australian culture for a long time. Winton has cleverly examined this historical background to incorporate an accurate facet of the Australian identity into the novel and its characters. Also related to the concept of luck, is the fact that after Fish drowns, Oriel, once a devoted and â€Å"god fearing† Christian, begins to question her faith and the reliability of believing in God. When Fish is resuscitated, but only â€Å"some of him comes back†, (p 32) both she and Lester are emotionally forced to abandon God and Christianity and instead, turn to luck, hard work and the idea that â€Å"life and death, was all there was,† (p 65) in order to endure their circumstances. This draws on the common â€Å"Aussie battler† tradition, of which a working class person overcame challenging situations through perseverance, faith and steadfast determination. In terms of the Australian cultural identity, Winton has again taken an important and recognized historical Australian idea and shaped it to evoke feelings of familiarity and intimacy between the readers and the characters of Cloudstreet. The frequent appearance of the â€Å"Blackfella† is yet another example of how the Australian cultural identity is portrayed through examination of Aboriginal Spirituality. However, in many scenes throughout the novel, the blackfella signifies both Christian and Aboriginal spirituality through allusion and comparison. For example, he is likened to Jesus by walking on water and again when he produces a never ending supply of wine and bread in Quick’s car. This comparison is particularly effective as it symbolises the â€Å"coming together† of Christianity and Aboriginality, which was a particularly delicate Australian issue during the time period of the novel, due to Aboriginal marginalisation and the rise of Christian ideals. Essentially, the Blackfella acts as a reminder of the original religion inherent to Australia and its development, during a time when social and political change was overtaking that of its native beliefs. The â€Å"Blackfella† also acts as the conscience of the characters when they have lost their way or their family unit is threatened. This can ultimately be seen when he leads Quick back to Cloudstreet after he runs away to the country, knowing that Quick feels secretly lost without his family, and needs them to feel fully alive. He also persuades Sam not the sell the house and states that â€Å"you shouldn’t break a place. Places are strong and important,† (p 406) referring to not only the house and its tragic Aboriginal history, but also to the fragile families who live inside it. In doing so, he ensures that the families stay whole and together, which is an important and dominating religious value for Aboriginality and Christianity, both during the time period of the novel and in our modern Australian society. Consequently, the â€Å"Blackfella’s† role in Cloudstreet is a significant contribution to the novel’s relevancy to the Australian cultural identity. The Australian cultural identity is also illustrated in Cloudstreet through the spiritual symbolism and personification of the river, and its connection to the character’s search for the meaning of life. This is particularly significant for Quick Lamb, who, is spiritually linked to the river in a number of ways. The river acts as a place of peace, purpose and belonging for Quick. Connecting with his mother when they go prawning, glowing after fishing in the country, and most importantly, falling in love with Rose Pickles, are the most significant spiritually defining events that Quick experiences while on the river. Through realising just how symbolically important the river is to him, Quick finally understands the true meaning of his life, and gains a feeling of belonging that allows him to finally shed his self-degrading title of â€Å"the lost lamb. † (p 310) Australia is a country that values the water. Geographically, we are surrounded by it, with most of our population residing close to the shores. As a result of this, the water is seen as a common gathering place, from which one cannot easily escape nor regard as irrelevant to the Australian way of life. Winton has taken this idea and incorporated it into Cloudstreet, to emphasise and promote a relevant part of Australian culture. Finally, the river’s spiritual and religious connection to Fish Lamb is perhaps the most important concept of the novel. After Fish drowns and has his soul ripped into two separate pieces (spiritual fish and physical fish), the river that he so desperately longs for, essentially becomes his gateway to the spiritual world; to the place where he belongs. It is not until the end of the novel when Fish is finally free to reunite with the water that he is truly whole again. â€Å"I burst into the moon, sun and stars of who I really am. Being Fish Lamb. Perfectly. Always. Everyplace. Me. †(p 424) For many, water in Australia is culturally considered to be the blood of the country; a place of cleansing and rejuvenation. Likewise, for Fish, the river embodies the epitome of the spirit of Australia in the form of life giving water. Although his life was initially taken by the water, it is eventually returned to him when his physical self re-joins his spiritual self. In conclusion, Winton flawlessly encapsulates the cultural identity and spirit of Australia in Cloudstreet through symbolic representations of luck, Aboriginal spirituality and the search for the meaning of life. The characters’ connection with religion and spirituality resonates strongly with the reader and successfully evokes feelings of belonging and familiarity that confirms Cloudstreet is indeed a classic Australian novel. Bibliography Associates, R. Q. (2008, September 16). Ideology in Cloudstreet . Retrieved 2013, from www. englishcurriculum. com. au Cloudstreet Notes. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring: http://www. sydneyhometutoring. com. au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Details-Cloudstreet-notes. pdf. Dot Point Notes Cloudstreet. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring : http://www. sydneyhometutoring. com. au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Dot-Point-Notes-Cloudstreet. pdf. Greenberg, N. (2008, October 8). Retrieved 2013, from Can Spirituality Be Defined: http://notes. utk. edu/bio/unistudy. nsf/935c0d855156f9e08525738a006f2417/bdc83cd10e58d14a852573b00072525d Horne, D. (1964). The Lucky Country. Penguin Books Australia. Religion. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Google Definitions: https://www. google. com. au/search? q=religion+definition Winton, T. (1991). Cloudstreet. McPhee Gribble.

Programming Independence Essentially Protects The Auditor S Ability Accounting Essay

Programming Independence Essentially Protects The Auditor S Ability Accounting Essay Programming independence essentially protects the auditors ability to select the most appropriate strategy when conducting an audit. Auditors must be fair to approach a piece of work in whatever manner they consider best. As a client company grows and conducts new activities, the auditors approach will likely have to adapt to account for these. In addition, the auditing profession is a dynamic one, with new techniques constantly being developed and upgraded which the auditor may decide to use. While investigative independence protects the auditors ability to implement the strategies in whatever manner they consider necessary. Basically, auditors must have unlimited access to all company information. Any queries regarding a companys business and accounting treatment must be answered by the company. The collection of audit evidence is an essential process, and cannot be restricted in any way by the client company. Reporting independence protects the auditors ability to choose to reveal to the public any information they believe should be disclosed. If company managers have been misleading shareholders by falsifying accounting information, they will strive to prevent the auditors from reporting this. It is in situations like this when auditor independence is most likely to be compromised. Independence is fundamental to the reliability of auditors reports. Those reports would not be credible, investors and creditors would have confidence with them, if auditors were not independent in both fact and appearance. To be credible, an auditors opinion must be based on an objective and disinterested assessment of whether the financial statements are presented fairly in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. On the other hand, Frank claimed that Auditor independence helps to ensure quality audits and contributes to financial statement users reliance on the financial reporting process. An auditor who is independent in fact has the ability to make independent audit decisions even if there is a perceived lack of independence or if the auditor is placed in a potentially compromising position.(2007) Nonetheless, even when the auditor is in fact independent, one or more factors may lead the public to believe the auditor does not appear independent. This may cause u sers of financial statements to believe they cannot rely on financial information. At mean time, auditor should take responsibilities for detecting material errors and material fraud. Because in Xerox, they are many accounting manipulations can easily cause fraud, the audit should find out those fraud, identified and reported those fraud risk. Q6: The first questionable accounting manipulation is acceleration of lease revenue recognition from bundled leases. This manipulation will affect revenues account, because Xerox accelerated the lease revenue recognition by allocating a higher portion of the lease payment to the equipment instead of the service or financing activity. By reallocating revenues from the finance and service activity to the equipment, Xerox was able to recognize greater revenues in the current reporting period instead of deferring revenue recognize to future periods. There are two auditor procedures can suit for this environment. First is use internal procedure, recalculation: checking the mathematical accuracy of documents or records. Second it external procedure, confirmation: the process of obtaining a representation from a third party. For questionable accelerated of lease revenue from lease price increase extensions, increase in the residual values of leased equipment and acceleration of revenues from portfolio asset strategy transactions. All those three manipulation will increase revenue account and income statement. Because in short term it will immediate increase reverse, but it sacrifice the long term profit. To protect company long term profit, auditor should observation all the processes and procedure the performed. On the other hand auditor should re-performance, it means the auditors independence execution of procedures previously performed by entity staff. For questionable manipulation of reserves. This manipulation will affect equity account. Because Xerox established an acquisition reserve for unknown business risk and unrelated business to the reserve account to inflate earning. It means Xerox put money in equity account to prevent potential risk, but it unrelated to expenses. It easy causes fraud. Auditor can use observation procedure, to looking at processes and procedures being performed or use inquiry procedure, to seeking information from knowledgeable persons. For questionable manipulation of other income. This manipulation will affect cost and expenses account. Because Xerox elect to recognize most of the interest income during period years. The cost and expenses account will reduce in period years, and meantime make that years report look better. To appropriateness of this practice, audit should use analytical procedure. Compare the date with similar prior-period date, to keep the report justice. For questionable failure to disclose factoring transactions. This manipulation will affect revenues account and asset account. From material, we can know Xerox sold future cash from receivable account to local banks for immediate cash. It made Xerox have a strong cash position in the present year, like the revenues account will increase, on the other hand sold receivables to bank must take some lost. The asset account must decrease. It also easy cost fraud. Audits can use inspection of tangible assets and analytical procedures. Inspection of tangible assets can find out the total asset increase or decrease. Xerox company failure to disclose factoring transaction should record in annual report, so use analytical procedure will disclose this problem. REF: Arens.,Best., Shailer.,Fiedler.,Elder.,Beasley. (2010). Essentials of Auditing, Assurance Services Ethics in Australia. Chris Richardson Frank D. (2007). CPAs Views on Auditor Independence. Society of Certified Public Accountants

High School Education in America :: Free Essay Writer

High School Education in America Education in America has a large range of differences. Many kids attend High schools that have a different culture, or way of doing things. Some students attend school in an independent school district, while others either attend private schools or school in the privacy of their own home. Students attend public high schools all over the world. Some kids attend them because their parents either can’t afford a private high school, or do not believe in private education. Public schools are growing in number of students each year, which are causing schools to become overcrowded. In the last three years, school shootings have become very popular. There have been a number of student/ teacher relationships that start as early as seventh grade. Violence is the number one issue world wide in public High schools. An estimated 30-35% of students in the world attend private schools. It has been a proven fact that kids that attended private high schools are better prepared for college. This is possible because there are fewer disturbances, and a less populated building. Students are tested before being accepted into private schools so therefore, most kids who are not college prep. material are filtered out. Another proven fact about students attending private high schools is that they are sheltered from the public. When the kids graduate and go off to college they have a better chance making it academic wise, but not socially. They have not been exposed to public school life as much as a public school graduate would have been. Private schools spend more one-on-one time with students helping them with homework, or even studying for a test. Some private schools are Christian schools, which range from different religions. These schools require that you take a religion class.

Utilitarianism Essay -- criticisms of utilitarianism

This essay will present the key features of Utilitarianism and identify the problems of Utilitarianism to the extent to which they make Utilitarianism unacceptable. Jeremy Bentham founded Utilitarianism. He lived at a time of great change. With revolutions in France and America, demands were being made for human rights and greater democracy. Bentham worked on legal reform. Utilitarianism is associated with the principle of utility. Utility means the amount of satisfaction or pleasure that somebody gains from consuming a commodity, product, or service, i.e.; useful. The hedonic calculus, which is his system for measuring how good or bad a consequence is: At the time Bentham put forward the theory it was instrumental. It changed the way society was run and the way society now thinks for the better. It dramatically made changes to the poverty in Britain positively. Theories that are interested in the ends are known as teleological. Telos is Greek for the end. Therefore teleological means that the ends justify the means, utilitarianism follows this rule. Utilitarianism is the greatest goodness for the greatest number of people. The rightness of actions depends on their utility, and the utility is measured by the consequences, simply meaning the greatest good by moral actions. If the consequences are good, then the moral actions are not as relevant. A positive example is â€Å"Lucy wins the lottery. Instead of keeping it all to herself, Lucy decides to share it out with some of her friends, because she thinks it will make them happy.† Lucy is doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people and is doing it using goodness ... ...people’s common agreement about what is pleasure and what is pain. There are problems concerning what some people would consider pleasurable and what others would consider not pleasurable. Problems arise such as taste in music, hobbies and beliefs. In conclusion Utilitarianism has its political benefits, but is not clear enough with some aspects. It doesn’t show what is unacceptable in utilitarianism. Utilitarianism doesn’t have the flexibility of considering individual circumstances and moral values have no consideration in this theory. Utilitarianism is focused on quantity rather than quality. It seems rather a simple theory ‘the greatest good, for the greatest number of people’, however when you delve into the theory it becomes rather too complicated. For people to live by a theory it needs to be simple and clear.

Controversy Over Full-Body Scanners

Having security inside an airport is a necessary and important safety precaution, but there is controversy as to how to achieve an effective airport screening system, and yet provide privacy to travelers. A recent national debate has arisen on the topic of installing new Full Body Scanners into airport security systems nationwide. The scanners are thought to be an invasion of privacy, have a very high cost, and are an ineffective security method.One of the key issues for the usage of full body scans is that it can be a major invasion of privacy to people being screened during the airport security process. For instance in the article â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares After Incident,† the author John Schwartz explains that â€Å"images produced by the machine can be startlingly detailed†(1). So despite claims of â€Å"blurry and opaque images† they can in fact have the potential to become detailed images.This could potentially make th e security process a humiliating experience and discourage some people from air travel. In another article by U. S. A today â€Å"Our View On Transportation Security: Airport Body Scanners Balance Safety and Privacy,† they found out that â€Å"TSA sought to buy scanners that can store and send images in test mode†(1). If the scanners that can store photos are utilized by airport security systems, then it is possible that the images could be copied or shared.People should not have to worry that their semi nude images are going to be shared, however slight the risk. Is it not true that travellers should feel comfortable during the check in process and not need to be concerned about a humiliating or undignified experience? Another important argument against the instillation of full body scanners is that they can be overly expensive relative to traditional screening methods. Jessica Ravidz supports this argument in her article â€Å"Airport Security Bares All, or does it? ,† saying â€Å" each machine can cost up to a total of $170,000 per scanner†(1). It is a costly and unnecessary project because there is already a effective security system in place. It would be cheaper to stay with the current methods of security, such as metal detectors and pat downs than to incorporate a much more costly alternative. A story in The Wall Street Journal â€Å"TSA Pressed on Full-Body Scans Despite Concerns,† Cam Simpson and Daniel Michaels say in the paper that â€Å"The U. S.Transporation Security Administration plans to buy 450 body scanners, and that the Department of Homeland Security announced that they are purchasing 300 more this year†(1). This is a large fund of money that could be used for better training, different technologies, and more efficient systems moving people through the airport security process. Another way the money could be used is to fund investigations and intelligence work and detect threats before they even arr ive at the airport. The financial costs vs benefits to airport security does not appear to support adding Full Body Scanners to our current methods.A different debate on the usage of body scanners is that they are an ineffective security system and cannot detect certain objects. An example is in the story â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scanner vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident,† by John Schwartz states that â€Å"the machines cannot, for example, detect objects stowed in bodily orifices or concealed within folds of an obese person’s flesh†(2). This proves that the scanner technology is limited and can be deceived under certain circumstances. Therefore the scanners are only useful against a limited number of threats.In the same article Bruce Schneider, a technological security expert is interviewed and says â€Å"If there are a hundred tactics and I protect against two of them, I’m not making you safer, if we use full body scanning, they are going to use something else†(2). He brings up a point that even though the scanners can detect certain concealed objects they still only protect against a few specific threats. And now that people know about the scans and how they work they now also know how to get around them. Those are the reasons on why it is an inefficient security method and should not be put into use as primary airport security.In conclusion this proves that the usage of Full Body Scanners in airports would not be a conventional method to replacing current security processes. The reasons being on why they would not be viable solution are that they are an invasion of privacy to travelers, a costly national project, and would be an ineffective method for increasing security. The solution to the problem dealing with body scanners is to not install them in airports at all, but to stay with traditional methods and finding other means to improve on the current system.

Compare and contrast ‘Of Mice And Men’ and ‘The Pearl’ Essay

Compare and contrast ‘Of Mice And Men’ and ‘The Pearl’ looking especially at how Steinbeck has interwoven the social and political concerns of that time. The story ‘Of Mice And Men’ is quite similar to the story of ‘The Pearl’. Both stories deal with the social and political issues of that time. The stories deal with the issues of sexism, racism, greed, loneliness, hardship but also with friendship and ambitions. John Steinbeck was born in 1902, Salinas Valley, California. In 1929, aged 27, he completed his first novel ‘Cup Of Gold’. He did work as a labourer and journalist for five years. After writing his first novel, he moved back to California where he wrote many more novels and short stories. Steinbeck often wrote about what he understood or what issues he felt were important to him. For example, he wrote many novels about the labouring people, he wrote ‘Bombs Away: The Story Of A Bomber Team’, he wrote about his travels and even a saga about his family history. He even studied marine biology so that he could write the ‘Sea Of Cortez’. He won the Nobel Prize in 1962. John Steinbeck died at the age of 66, in 1968. This essay will discuss the various themes of the two novels written by John Steinbeck. These themes include the hardship and suffering endured by the characters of both of the novels, racism, sexism, greed, dreams, loneliness and friendship. The first book we read, ‘The Pearl’, had two main characters, these were Kino – the man of the family who was husband to Juana and together had a baby boy called Coyotito. The book begins with a description of the scenery and of the daily routine of the family. The story really starts when Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion. Juana takes control of the situation and in turn does a heroic thing by asking for the doctor. Of course the doctor refuses to go down to the brush houses, so when the family decide to go to the doctor, the whole village goes with them for support. The doctor refuses to treat baby Coyotito because of the fact that Kino and Juana couldn’t pay for the treatment. Also, the fact that the doctor was racist didn’t help either. Kino and Juana were left helpless. Soon after that incident with the doctor, Kino found the ‘pearl of the world’. It should have brought them riches and happiness, but instead led them to the destruction of all their possessions and even to the death of little Coyotito. When Kino gets the pearl, he dreams of all the wonderful things he could do with the pearl. They weren’t extravagant dreams, but of simple things, such as giving Coyotito an education, a wedding for Kino and Juana in a church and new clothes. It all goes horribly wrong though, when Kino decides that the pearl buyers are trying to rip him off. This leads to the decision that Kino, Juana and Coyotito will go to the city to try and sell their pearl. The townspeople were split into two: the people that thought Kino was a brave man fighting for a better future, and they supported Kino’s family, but then there were others who thought Kino was a fool and they tended to be the jealous people. The story ends with Kino and Juana going back to their village after Coyotito’s head was violently shot away. The couple had lost everything, they had lost their home, their boat, and their baby son. Kino ends up throwing the pearl back into the ocean where it came from. The story ‘Of Mice And Men’ starts off with Lennie and George, two white men who are on their way to a ranch. They have a dream that they will one day own a little place. This would provide them with security and comfort. Lennie and George travelled together, unlike many other ranchers. George looked after Lennie, as Lennie seemed to have the mind of a child, even though he was much smaller. As the story goes on, we learn that the pair were working at a ranch in Weed, when Lennie wanted to feel this girl’s dress. The girl panicked, as did Lennie, who then wouldn’t let go of the dress. When he did, the girl told the men at the ranch, who then wanted to lynch Lennie. As a result Lennie and George had to hide to in an irrigation ditch for a day. They got a job though a few miles south of Soledad. However, when they get there, they can sense there’s trouble ahead. The bosses’ son Curley, has it in for Lennie, because Curley is a little guy who hates Lennie as he is a big guy. Not only is there Curley they should have to look out for, but also Curley’s wife. She had been described a ‘tart’ and after Lennie and George had meet her, George called her ‘jail bait all set on the trigger’. Lennie quite liked her, but George tells Lennie to stay away from Curley and his wife. Of course, there was the incident which involved Lennie crushing Curley’s hand which almost broke every single bone in it. Luckily he was blackmailed into not telling anyone about the incident but there was a lot of anger and resentment. When old Candy, the one-armed swamper and Crooks, the black, disabled, stable-buck, hear of Lennie and George’s dream, they too, want a part of it. However, when Lennie is left alone with Curley’s wife, he accidentally kills her. He runs off to the brush as George had once instructed him to do if he ever got in to trouble. When Curley finds out, he leads the other men to go out with him to shoot Lennie. Curley really didn’t seem upset that his wife had died, but it was more to do with the fact that Lennie was the one who had killed her. George knew where Lennie was and went over there. George realised that Lennie had very few choices left. George decided to shoot Lennie. Soon after Lennie’s death, some of the men found George. Slim tried to comfort George. The novel ended with Carlson saying something trivial to Curley. The main characters in the books lived in poor conditions. Kino and Juana and Lennie and George had little money, but the characters are strong in the novels as a result. The hardship they had suffered and endured made them stronger as characters. Both migrant workers and Kino’s people had few rights and little respect. Kino’s people were mainly fishermen and they looked for pearls. Kino’s family just barely survived. Everyday they ate the same things for breakfast – a corn-cake and a little pulque. They couldn’t afford to eat anything different, even if they wanted to. There is a description of Kino and Juana, in the story that the beggars in the city had made. They saw Juana’s old skirt, ‘the tears in her shawl’, the beggars even saw through the age of Kino’s blanket and they saw the amount of times his clothes had been washed was a lot and so the beggars, who were ‘great experts in financial analysis’ came to the conclusion that Kino and Juana were ‘poverty people’. In the beginning of the story, the family seem to be happy and comfortable. Steinbeck describes their mourning routine s though Kino and Juana didn’t mind being poor, but we learn that isn’t true. When Coyotito is stung by the scorpion, Juana and Kino feel helpless as they cannot afford to treat their son. To make the situation worse, Coyotito is their first born son, and so it is very important that they are able to provide adequate medical treatment for him. When Juana has to make do with the seaweed poultice, we learn that the traditional methods of treating a scorpion bite were frowned upon by Juana, as the remedy lacked the doctors ‘authority’ just because it was simple and it didn’t cost a penny. Not only that but they couldn’t afford to get married even. Lennie and George were very poor too. On average they got 50 dollars a month, but they got accommodation and food. The migrant ranch workers, tended to live in filth conditions and many had body lice. For example, in ‘Of Mice And Men’ when George is being introduced to the place by Candy, George gets angry when he sees a bottle of lice-killing stuff above his bed. Candy tells George that the previous guy that stayed there, was the kind of guy that would ‘wash his hands even after he ate’. This gives off the impression that most of these men didn’t think much of personal hygiene. These migrant workers never had permanent jobs, so when they were in-between jobs they lived in real poverty. They had no security in their lives, and they must have got very lonely all by themselves, so at least Lennie and George had each other. In ‘The Pearl’, it was very difficult finding the pearl that would change a person’s life. Finding on would be like winning the lottery. Even if they were to find one, who’s to say that they’ll be able to cash it in? the pearl buyers bought the pearls cheaply from the naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve village people, who thought they were getting a good deal, and in Kino’s case, when he tried to stand up for himself, he paid the price of his son. In the case, ‘Of Mice And Men’, the migrant workers would never get a cut of the profits. They do all the work but they don’t ever get to reap what they sow. This is the reason why Lennie got so excited from living of the fat of the land. ‘The Pearl’ didn’t seem to concentrate too much on the theme of racism. Steinbeck looked at the affects of the persecution of Kino’s people, generations ago and on Kino’s generation now. Steinbeck focused on the collapsing of Kino’s people. For example, after the European settlers moved in, they took over almost everything leaving the Indians with very little rights. The doctor did make a comment though, that showed his racism. The statement he is saying that these ‘little Indians’ are not even human but animals instead. The novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ though, did discuss racist themes. The men at the ranch call Crooks – the only black man on the ranch – ‘nigger’. All but the exception of Slim who had won the respect of every man on the ranch. Slim called Crooks by his name and in turn Crooks showed respect for Slim. At that particular time in America, separation of whites and blacks was widespread. As a result, Crooks had to live by himself. He wasn’t allowed in the bunkhouse purely because he was a Negro. Apparently the men at the ranch say that he stinks. Crooks is bitter towards these men. In fact, when Curley’s wife comes in Crook’s room, and Crooks warns her not to come in there she threatens Crooks, by claiming that she can have Crooks lynched so easily that it would be no bother to her. Juana and Curley’s wife are not treated equally by the men around them. However, it is fair to say that Juana was treated with a lot more respect by her husband. Juana was a strong woman and Kino recognised and respected her for that. For example, when Coyotito was stung, Juana took charge of the situation it was her who decided to call the doctor and her who decided to go to see the doctor. Although she was ‘obedient’, she had an important part of the relationship. She kept the family together but one of the sad things of Curley’s wife’s life was that nobody respected her of loved her – not even to Curley. He seemed to have no respect for her. The men at the ranch called her a ‘tart’, a ‘looloo’ and all sorts of other names. I think that both women were misunderstood and weren’t given enough respect. The dreams that Juana and Kino had were quite different, from what Lennie and George dreamt. However, we learn that there are many similarities in both the characters’ dreams. For example, Kino and Juana just want to get married in a church and Lennie and George would love to have the choice of not going to work. Both dreams are affected by what was the most important belief, ‘The Pearl’ saw that Kino wanted an educated son because through his son, his people could learn. Whereas Lennie and George wanted their little place, because land meant power, and in their case, freedom. The difference between the two stories though, is Lennie and George’s dream is told throughout the story and we know it and understand what they want, but Kino’s dream is only told to us when Kino believes that they can be a reality. Loneliness is something that almost every character felt. Kino and Juana went through such a lot, that after having gone back to the village, I doubt they will ever full fit in again. They will feel alienated from the village people and the community that was so close was ripped apart by Kino’s pearl so the community was trying to pick up its own pieces. George’s loneliness doesn’t play that big a part in the novel. He is lucky to have Lennie and he realises that, but George needed more that just companionship from Lennie – he needed to talk to someone. This was why George was so quick to tell Slim some of his most innermost thoughts, and secrets. Lennie was just like a child, and children cannot have adult conversations. This is far better than the others on the ranch. Crooks isn’t allowed to make friends with others because he isn’t anything more than just a ‘nigger’ to them. Candy too, is discriminated against because of his disability and his old age. The shooting of Candy’s dog was a fine example of how if something isn’t of any use any more – then just kill it. I think Steinbeck tried to get his readers to be more aware and understanding towards the underprivileged. Steinbeck understood these people, so he wrote about them. There is a hidden moral here to be learnt, that I feel Steinbeck was trying to give across. I believe Steinbeck was saying that in those times and even now, money doesn’t always equal to prosperity. Take for example, the doctor, he was a wealthy man in ‘The Pearl’, but he wasn’t actually happy and content. Kino and Juana were by far better off than the doctor, as they had love, not money, even though money can seem to solve problems. As for George and Lennie, they seemed to be happy enough in their dreams and ambitions, far happier than Curley, who had inherited his father’s wealth. Curley could have even been jealous of the ranch men and their freedom. Steinbeck showed that none of his characters, in either book, were fully content with their situation. This could be saying something about the nature of humans, how the grass is always greener on the other side, and how nobody is going to fully happy with wealth.

Reflecting on self an an entrepreuner

Introduction The first half of this report is written about one of the famous German entrepreneurs Klaus KobJoll. It will include personal, societal and environmental antecedent that influenced KobJolls' decisions during his life. In addition, his strengths and weaknesses will be determined and compared against my own ones. Second half of report will describe on what kind of venture I will do my Opportunity Analyses Report. It will include 5 key disciplines and 2 key personnel required to be source, as well as skills and competences needed for the start-up of the venture Background Information on Klaus KobJollBeing born on 13 June 1948, Klaus KobJoll is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Europe (Schindlerhof n. d. ). His business portfolio ranges from restaurants to hotel business. His entrepreneurial career began when he was 22 by opening a â€Å"Creperie rennaise† restaurant in Erlangen in 1970. From then on, he established several more restaurants and hotels in Erlangen and Nuremberg. 1 1984, he opened the most successful venture in his career, the â€Å"Landhotel Schindlerhof†. Schindlerhof has become one of the best hotels in Europe and won several awards.Klaus KobJoll himself sees business as something that is very personal and should be handled with care. He is the author of books, lectures, and articles on hotel management (CSA Celebrity Speakers n. d. ). In what ways Klaus KobJoll can be considered an entrepreneur? KobJoll is believed to be highly successful and rare entrepreneur. He deserved that status through his hard work and dedication to his ventures. The rigidly high standards that Klaus imposed on himself for running his business, earned him recognition and numerous accolades.Moreover, his unique way of dealing with mployees, giving them as much empowerment as they need to learn being independent, made his company one of the Germanys most productive places. His desire to grow and make Schindlerhof a better place broug ht the expansion of an originally 19-room hotel into a nearly 100-room hotel with $7mln turnover in 2012 (Wildberg, R 2013). He is also a member of German Hotel and restaurant Association and became first full member of the Swiss Hotelier's Association (CSA Celebrity Speakers n. d. ).Personal Influences of Klaus KobJoll The establishment of entrepreneurship is highly influenced by individual's personal raits and characteristics (Morrison, A, Rimmington, M ; Williams, C 1999). From that point of view, Timmons (cited in Morrison, A et al. 1999) suggests that leadership, along with commitment and determination are among desirable traits for an entrepreneur to possess. It can be seen that Klaus KobJoll is truly is an inspirational and motivational leader. He prompts his employees to be independent by empowering them to discover their individual talents.Klaus KobJoll sees his hotel â€Å"as a school in which they grow' (Wildberg, R 2013). In addition, being a leader Klaus KobJoll admits that every leader has a select group of qualities. He states that every man can be a manager, but not everyone can become a leader. He highlights several points such as self-confidence, need for achievement, and responsiveness to Those factors in turn correspond with entrepreneurial traits suggested by Schumpeter, McClelland, Baty and Chet et al. (cited in Morrison, A et al. 1999).

Patriot Act, Pros and Cons

The Patriot Act was signed into law by President Bush in response to the tragedy of the events of 9/11. This report explains the issues that warranted this law, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the Patriot Act of 2001. Passed in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, the law expanded the government's powers in anti-terrorism investigations. And as expected, controversy is always an issue when such laws are passed. The Patriot Act in no exception. Although the law was designed to counter terrorism within the borders of the United States, some provisions of this law are controversial due to infringements on civil liberties. The following are a list of pros and cons based on information provided by the United States Department of Justice, and ACLU. The Pros: †¢Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror †¢Law enforcement can conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists †¢Federal agents ask a court for an order to obtain business records in national security terrorism cases †¢The Patriot Act facilitates information sharing and cooperation among government agencies so that they can better â€Å"connect the dots. †¢The Patriot Act reflects new technologies and new threats †¢Law enforcement officials may obtain a search warrant anywhere a terrorist-related activity occurs The Cons: †¢FBI can demand â€Å"any tangible thing,† including books, letters, diaries, library records, medical and psychiatric records, financial information, membership lists of religious institutions, and genetic information without your knowledge or conse nt a. The FBI needs only to tell a judge (no need for evidence or probable cause) that the search protects against terrorism. The judge has no authority to reject this application. †¢Section 213: a. It expands the government's ability to search private property without notice to the owner †¢Violates the 1st and 4th Amendments to the Constitution †¢Does not work: a. 0 out of 5,000 suspects detained for terrorism have been convicted Opponents of the Patriot Act argue that this law was pushed through Congress with some measure of haste and opportunistic tones. The debate and controversy will obviously continue as is with most laws passed within the halls of the United States Congress. As guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States with respect to the right of protest, the Patriot Act will continue and amendments will sure to follow. The act’s own framers admit that it reduces peacetime liberties but argue that it is must continue in order to fight terrorists. As is the case with a law such as the Patriot Act, once it is implemented the government is always reluctant to relinquish its additional powers regardless of whether or not the original threat that prompted the act still exists. Such laws are sometimes viewed as too harsh or simply appalling and sometimes a person feels that his or her privacy is being violated. Sometimes all one has to do is to remember the tragic events of 9/11 to renew their sense of well being, security, and the freedom that is afforded by this great nation, the United States of America.

John Dewey on Education Essay

John Dewey, Mortimer Adler and Nel Noddings impacted our system of education in very profound ways. Dewey believed that there should be communication between the student and the teacher. Adler believed that schools should only teach the traditional courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language). Noddings believed that teachers should be more caring towards their students. John Dewey’s idea of education greatly affected our system of education today. John Dewey’s ideas for education were to concentrate on students’ psychological and sociological qualities. Dewey believed in promoting an â€Å"unconscious education† where â€Å"the individual gradually comes to share in the intellectual and moral resources which humanity has succeeded in getting together. He becomes an inheritor of the funded capital of civilization† (Dewey 261). In other words, he thought this was a good method for teachers to analyze a student’s behavior in order to teach them more effectively. This also provided an opportunity for the student to learn without even realizing it. Dewey stated that a student’s psychological needs were the basis of his method of education. The child’s own instinct and powers furnish the material and give the starting-point for all education† (Dewey 262). Dewey stressed the idea that, â€Å"Without insight into the psychological structure and activities of the individual the educative process will†¦be haphazard and arbitrary† (Dewey 262). Dewey was also extremely interested in the social aspects of a student. He said that the, â€Å"knowledge of social conditions, of the present state of civilization, is necessary in order to properly interpret the child’s powers† (Dewey 262). This was a new technique for an educator to see and distinguish the instincts and tendencies in a student. Therefore, in order for an educator to know more about a student he/she must first study the student’s psychological traits in order to understand the unique characteristics of a child’s capacities, interests and habits. Then the teacher must translate their findings into terms of what they believe the child is capable of in a social setting. In my opinion, Dewey showed a balance between the dialectic of academics and affective goals. This is also known as transaction, which is having both the teacher and the student interact in the classroom. Dewey believed that the academic goals of education should be, â€Å"a process of living and not a preparation for future living† (Dewey 263). He stated that the teachers’ job is not to influence him but to help guide the student into successfully forming with the community by letting the student experience some life occurrences. â€Å"The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child† (Dewey 263 – 264). Dewey also believed that tests should only be used to examine a child’s social capabilities in the real world. â€Å"Examinations are of use only so far as they test the child’s fitness for social life and reveal the place in which he can be of the most service and where he can receive the most help† (Dewey 264). In my opinion, this would be more of a conceptual test where the child can voice his or her own opinions. Dewey’s main affective goals were to deepen the child’s meaning of himself and his values. It is the business of the school to deepen and extend his sense of the values bound up in his home life† (Dewey 263). Dewey believed that it was important for the school to implement lessons that related to what a child would do at home. The school would also be responsible for simplifying their social life because; â€Å"existing life is so complex that the child cannot be brought into contact with it without either confusion or distraction† (Dewey 263). Therefore, if the child is exposed to too much social stimulation he will become, â€Å"either unduly specialized or else disintegrated† (Dewey 263). I believe that Dewey’s views show that he is against standardization in schools. He believed that there was a lack of conscious states in schools. He asserts that children are, â€Å"thrown into a passive, receptive, or absorbing attitude† (Dewey 265). Dewey’s viewpoint is still an active discussion topic in today’s education system. However, some school districts insist on rote learning because their schools receive more funding when there is a high percentage of passing students on standardized tests. According to Linda McNeil, students are taught on how to pass these tests without really learning. For example, McNeil states that, â€Å"students report that in the drills on the TAAS reading section, they frequently mark answers without reading the sample text. They merely match key words in an answer choice with key words in the text† (McNeil 218). According to Dewey, this is â€Å"not permitted [in following] the law of nature† (Dewey 265), resulting in â€Å"friction and waste† (Dewey 265). Dewey believed that proper instruction should be exemplified by, â€Å"the preparation and presentation of lessons [which] might be more wisely and profitably expended in training the child’s power of imagery and in seeing to it that he was continually forming definite, vivid, and growing images of the various subjects with which he comes in contact in his experience† (Dewey 266). Standardization is not they key component of education, even though the state and federal government believe this is an important element for success. According to Gerald Bracey, when students are applying to college, the SAT exam should be used as a guideline and not the final decision in acceptance. Bracey stated that the, â€Å"SAT scores had been falling for fourteen years† (Bracey 47). He also stated that, â€Å"While the developers of the SAT still called their test a ‘mere supplement,’ the public now saw it as the platinum rod for measuring school performance. And that performance was getting worse† (Bracey 47). Somehow over time, a student’s SAT score developed into an extremely significant number which seemed to become the overall determination of a student’s intelligent. It seems harsh and unbalanced to put so much emphasis on one test. Of course, applicants are told that in combination with their SAT scores; their grades and outside activities are taken into consideration for college admittance. But the truth is these SAT scores still remain a huge factor for college applicants. Studies have shown that a high SAT score does not guarantee high grades in college however the politics behind these tests are stronger than the public’s opinion in order to get these tests repealed. Standardized tests do not lead the student to come into contact with the subject at hand or the experience related to it. They also do not show the overall picture of an individual or what he or she can contribute while attending college. Scott Thompson is against the test-based reform of today’s society. Thompson claims that, â€Å"The human hearts and minds of others, I believe, are simply too complex and too inaccessible to read as a book† (Thompson 160). Thompson argues that the differences between test-based reform and standards-based reform. He concluded that standards-based reform involves more cooperation from parents, teachers and the students. It also gives the students a high-quality method of learning and not simply learning techniques for test taking. â€Å"We should be interested in students who can produce high quality work rather than students who have mastered the ability to take standardized tests† (Thompson 159). Thompson would love to see that the idea of standardized tests be abandoned in the future. Thompson argues that by giving these students standardized tests that they are reducing their potential of demonstrating their intellect, social and personal sides to the community. Test-based reform, through its focus on high-stakes test, narrows the curriculum to what is included on the tests and reduces instructional practice to test preparation† (Thompson 159). In contrast, â€Å"standards-based reform†¦involves a complete abandonment of the bureaucratic, ‘seat time’ approach to education and replaces it with a system of learning communities dedicated to helping all students reach their intellectual, social, and personal potential† (Thompson 159). To summarize, without requiring students to take standardized tests they will greatly increase their academic potential and affective abilities. Bill Bigelow also stresses his concern of standardization. He believes that, â€Å"social studies knowledge is little more than acquiring piles of disconnected facts about the world† (Bigelow 231) and that â€Å"the world can’t be chopped into multiple choice questions, [in] that you can’t bubble in the truth with a number-two pencil† (Bigelow 239). Bigelow would be ecstatic to see the state do away with standardized tests. He demonstrates some strong educational goals that the state should follow that show a balance between academic and affective goals for education. He claims that teachers should, â€Å"construct rigorous performance standards for students that promote deep thinking about the nature of our society. These efforts should acknowledge the legitimacy of a multicultural curriculum of critical questions, complexity, multiple perspective, and social imagination. They should recognize that wisdom is more than information† (Bigelow 239). I agree with his statement. When considering the famous quote, â€Å"knowledge is power†; have we gained knowledge when we have learned the means by which to pass a standardized test? Or has knowledge been gained when a student has the sense of understanding conceptual ideas about society and civilization as a whole? I feel that standardized testing is something elected state officials want because these tests provide numbers and numbers are easy to put into a spreadsheets and show which schools are getting high scores and which schools are getting low scores. It is an easy format to determine budgets; one test is suitable for all students. It is harder to define guidelines on how or what teachers should teach conceptually because that leads to a broader spectrum of learning. In conclusion, I believe that standardized tests are the â€Å"dumbing down of America†. These tests inhibit our abilities to question and reflect. The state and federal governments do not really want the American public to get smarter. They want a simple way to control what students learn and how they learn it. While many people agree that standardization is not improving learning, we are still unable to do away with these tests due to all of the politics involved. I would love for high schools to be more like colleges in that, teachers can use whatever methods of teaching they like just as professors do. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Obviously, there are essential fundamental topics that much be taught that are necessary in order to have the basic foundation on which to grow intellectually. I feel that once a student has mastered the basics, it is crucial to one’s development to discuss controversial issues and to intelligently question the ways of the world. I agree with Bill Bigelow; I do not believe that one test is a thorough determinant of a student’s ability and mastery of various concepts. A famous quote by George Santayana states, â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it†. With all the controversial issues and problems in the world, shouldn’t learning how to use one’s mind and think â€Å"outside the box† be considered an integral part of learning? Isn’t it important and valuable to society to be able to intelligently discuss solutions rather than just be considered smart because you aced the SAT?

When Harry Met Sally and Mark Knapp's 10 Stages of Relational Movie Review

When Harry Met Sally and Mark Knapp's 10 Stages of Relational Development - Movie Review Example This research will begin with the statement that a relationship between two individual always passes through different phases. Rob Reiner's romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally  is a movie which gives an idea about how a relationship can grow between two strangers, what are the different phases their relationship can pass through and what are the common characteristics that a relationship can have. When Harry Met Sally is a romantic movie directed by Rob Reiner, released in 1989. The main two characters of the movie Harry and Sally were played by  Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. The movie begins with two unfamiliar persons Harry and Sally, newly graduated from the University of Chicago jointly travel in a car from Chicago to New York, a place where they would find their living. In this movie, for a period of 11 years, during the basic stage of their relationship, both Harry and Sally debated about a common fact and that was can a man and women be a non-sexual friend or not. If we ana lyze both the characters, Harry give the impression of carefree attitude, but is doubtful enough to â€Å"read the last page of a book first†; in case he dies, he says, â€Å"at least he'll know how it ends. And know-it-all Sally insists that Ingrid Bergman really wanted to leave Humphrey Bogart. From the dialogue of Sally, ''I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Casablanca with a guy who owns a bar† her attitude towards life becomes very clear and also clearly represents who she is at that point of time. It presents the story of ten years down the line when Sally had a break up with her boyfriend and Harry’s wife left him and they again become best friends. Mark Knapp's 10 stages of Relational Development and the movie Harry Met Sally: To analyze the relationship development, Mark Knapp discussed10 different stages associated with it. Adler and Rodman in their book discussed all these stages. Although it is not an interpersonal theory still according to his concept the ten stages of an interpersonal relationship are â€Å"Initiating, Experimenting, Intensifying, Integrating, Bonding, Differentiating, Circumscribing, Stagnating, Avoiding, and finally Terminating†. If one analyzes the movie When Harry Met Sally, it is very clear that relationship development not always follow Knapp’s 10 stage of development. If we analyze the movie then it is clear that out of first five stage of relationship development initiating was started when they first meet, then they were trying to find out whether a friendship among boys and girl can happen without any sexual relation, that is the experimenting phase. Later on, their friendship intensifies but it was split asunder after a spur-of-the-moment night of passion when she was upset about an ex-marrying someone else. The flow of the movie also resembles the way Adler and Rodman mentioned in their book about the flow of stages of relationship development among them. Their relationships have the stages of initiation, then integration of their thought process, and then they slowly started to like each other as their bonding grew. The main thought process which they were thinking about was related to whether friendship only related to sex or not. As they started to get involved in own personal life, slowly their interaction decreases, as mentioned by Adler and Rodman, it was the circumscribing stage. This was followed by avoiding. But when in their own life both of them separated from their partners they meet again, and during that time they do not have the necessity to start the relationship from the first stage again. Another key point associated with this movie is the self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is a key part of the integrating stage of the relationship development. When any couple reaches the integrating stage they are already very close to one another.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Leadership - Essay Example As pointed out by Hughes et al(2002), â€Å"Leadership is a complex phenomenon involving the leader, the followers and the situation.†(p 6). Therefore leadership cannot be assumed to be a position, rather it is a process of interaction between a leader, followers and the situation. In maintaining a competitive advantage, organizational leadership in health care districts must ensure efficient utilization of funds and other resources, ensure patient safety while also providing a positive health care environment to effectively manage health care services.(Waters 2005). The deficiencies that exist in both districts must be identified and addressed before formulating the new team. Peter Senge (1990) presented several ways of thinking and acting of the leadership of an organization in such a manner that learning systems within it can be changed to address the weaknesses. Cathon(2000) has applied these principles in a health care context, through the perspective of an interdepartmental health manager. On this basis, he challenges first all the preconceived notions of job limitations – for example, once a radiologist for example, always a radiologist. While moving into a new context, redefinition of roles may be necessary. As pointed out by Glen (2003), increased technological advances have also introduced the concept of physician intervention through video conferencing, which enables a physician to attend to several of his patients at various stages of recovery at one time. This has necessarily imposed greater responsibility on nurses who now make triage decisions, perform minor surgical procedures, administer drugs and manage treatments, some of which were the exclusive province of a physician’s job [Glen, 2003]. From 1996, the Government has empowered nurses to fill the gaps that have resulted as a result of reduction of hours for junior doctors, which has

Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism - Research Paper Example However, in a survey conducted among Moroccan respondents, it was noted that they perceived suicide bombings as a reasonable strategy against westerners such as the Americans. Islamic communities, in their support for terrorism, may be influenced by their opinions about western countries or their attitudes regarding the ways to deal with wars and the larger world. Due to such significant factors, they may perceive that Islam is greatly under threat. Differences that are specific to each country may be considered as relevant conditions with which to base one nation’s support for terrorism, particularly their political, social, and religious aspects. Such findings, however, may not be completely consistent with other investigations about the establishment and expansion of Islamic terrorism. Majority of relevant studies demonstrate differences when it comes to focus, emphasizing the underlying motivators of the members of terrorist organizations such as certain groups focusing on suicide bombing especially when most of their strategies have failed (Crenshaw, 1998) or when they have the need to compete and obtain public support (Bloom, 2005). It has also been found that countries who are in the transition process from being authoritarian to democratic are at an increased risk for supporting terrorist activities (Abadie, 2004).It has also been suggested that countries who are governed through authoritarianism may have most of the resources needed to combat terrorism (Gause, 2005). Nonetheless, many still perceive that support for terrorism among Islamic countries are mainly driven by their strong opposition against the policies of powerful western countries such as the US. Specifically, Islamic countries that are in agreement with the suicide actions against Americans do not necessarily oppose their cultural freedoms; rather they object the US foreign policies especially those that concern the Middle East. Other factors may or may not be influential to the su pport of Islam for terrorism; for instance, it was found out by Haddad and Khashan (2002) that younger individuals who support political Islam tend to approve more of the September 11 attacks on the US. However, educational attainment and income do not affect their support for such terrorist attempts. In another study by Krueger and Maleckova (2002), poverty and low educational attainment do not contribute to the Islamic citizens’ support for terrorist activities. Interestingly, it was found out that young individuals, especially women, who frequently make use of their computers, strongly perceive that Islam is being threatened, and desire for religious leaders to have a more important function in political activities are most likely to provide support for terrorism against civilians (Fair and Shepherd, 2006). Moreover, those who are living in poverty are less likely to be supportive of such activities. In a 2005 survey for measuring Islamic countries’ support for terr orism, certain factors were considered such as the respondents’ views on Islam, their opinions regarding democracy, and their attitudes toward the US (Wike, 2006). Demographic variables were shown to not have strong influence on Islam support for terrorism; however, it was indicated that gender played a role among Islamic citizens and their support

Economic Profile of the US Airline Industry Research Paper

Economic Profile of the US Airline Industry - Research Paper Example This had negative impacts on the industry. The elasticity of demand is affected by the reason the passenger travels. Three reasons that can be accounted for travelling by airplanes are business necessity, time saving and pleasure. The financial crisis forced many travelers to opt for other modes of transport leading to loss of revenue for the industry as a whole. While calculating the price of tickets the airline companies use a formula that takes care of the yield as well as inventory cost. Sometimes customers look to book tickets that are close to the departure dates. There is certain amount of risks to the airline industry as if the seats are not filled the flight will have to travel with vacant seats which again brings revenue loss to the consumers. In order to mitigate such kind of risks the airlines have to increase the price of tickets. The high volatility of the prices of crude oil leaves the airline operators at greater risk of cost fluctuations. Therefore the demand conditi ons are highly affected by the fluctuations in the crude oil prices. The travel by airplanes is considered as luxury and luxury tax is added with the price of tickets. The demand conditions can be affected by the existence of such taxes too. The price elasticity of supply for the airline industry is elastic. The availability of seats in the airplanes responds substantially to the changes in prices which prove the elasticity of the airline industry. Elastic supply can also be witnessed in the price wars that are initiated by the competitors. The drastic changes in the prices of tickets bring about large or small changes in the availability of seats on airplanes. Monetary and/or fiscal policies that have affected the airline industry The...This research paper offers comprehensive analysis of the current trends on the American market, where the airline companies operate. Also, effectiveness of the economic policies of the US government toward the industry is evaluated. The airline industry is a cyclical one. The industry witnesses bankruptcy as well as M&A activities every decade. The estimates of the International Air Transport Association and that of Federal Aviation Administration expect a rise in cargo traffic and passengers along with decline in profits for the airline companies. The airline industry is dependent on the conditions of the market.. The demand for the industry was greatly influenced by the global financial crisis and the fluctuations in the oil prices. It is a competitive industry as many players have emerged into the market. The other modes of transport provide competition to the industry. The monetary and the fiscal policies can influence the aggregate demand. Monetary policies can influence the shift in the aggregate demand for goods as well as services by increasing the supply of money. The economy can also contribute in the industry through lack of competition or through increased competition. The same factors that determines economic performance also affects the growth of the international airline industry. The factors includes growth in international trade, the rise of GDP and the growth of the industries that use air services. Sustained economic growth of international trade has strong positive impact on international traffic.

Should cigarette smoking be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Should cigarette smoking be banned - Essay Example Even though cigarette smokers may derive satisfaction from the act, they expose themselves to a number of substances that are harmful to their health and they expose non-smokers to these substances. While it would be moral to justify their utility if the adverse effects were limited to their bodies, cigarette smoking causes harm to non-smokers and this calls for its restricted use, that can be better achieved through a legal ban. This is because regulating smoking in public places alone is not sufficient to protect non-smokers from components of tobacco that they can encounter from smokers’ breath. Substances that cigarettes contain are also harmful to smokers and the adverse effects cannot be compared to the temporary feeling that a person attain after smoking. The net effects of such components are adverse to justify a legal ban on cigarette smoking. One of the components of cigarette is tar that has long term staining effects on fingers, teeth, and respiratory tissues. It a lso sticks on respiratory linings to hinder exchange of gases, a factor that has adverse effects on other body processes. Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, a gas that is odorless and yet toxic. As a result, the gas can accumulate in an environment and threaten people’s life without being noticed and this is one of the ways in which cigarette smoking causes deaths. Cigarette also contains hydrogen cyanide, free radicals, and radioactive components that are harmful to the respiratory system and other body systems (Better Health Channel, 2013). Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also supports the need for illegalization of cigarette smoking. According to the federal agency, smoking is responsible for 20 percent of reported deaths in the United States. The data further explains that cigarette smoking causes more deaths than the combined effects of â€Å"Human

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement Case Study

Arbitration on Buyer-Seller Disagreement - Case Study Example There are situations in the international market where the buyer and the seller disagree on their transactions. The basis of such dispute could range from the supply of inferior quality goods, failure of the goods delivered to meet standards and specifications or failure to deliver such goods or services in good time (Cornell, 2001). Under all these circumstances, the laws governing the international market provides an avenue through which such disputes can be resolved (Frank, 2009). In our case where the American businessperson ships livers to the German trader that do not meet all the specifications, then a need for dispute resolution arises. While the sex of the animal from which the livers are obtained is no cause for concern to Americans, the case is different in Germany. The livers obtained from different sexes of animals will fetch different prices in their markets. Since the attempt by the traders to resolve the dispute by them has failed completely, then a need for arbitrati on arises. The most important thing that the arbitrator should consider in this dispute resolution is the fact that a company is guided and under obligation to follow both the domestic laws regulating business transaction and the laws of the foreign country where the company is undertaking its business. In this case, owing to the fact that in Germany livers fetch different prices, based on which sex of the animal they come from, then the German importer has a reason to require the American supplier to pay a price allowance of $1000 (Cornell, 2001). Owing to the fact that the German importer issued instructions to the effect that the livers shipped should be of customary merchantable quality, it was the responsibility of the American trader to seek to understand the particular requirements of customary merchantable quality livers in the German market. Therefore, in this case, the arbitrator will rule in favour of the German importer, and establish an agreement with both of the traders, for the American exporter to reduce the price of the livers he shipped, so that the German importer does not run at a loss wholesomely.     

Scenario input table economics evaluation Assignment

Scenario input table economics evaluation - Assignment Example The best values of Pr SIDE are those of people who are least affected by PEP. The side effects are disastrous and therefore the least values of the side effects are the best values for this case scenario. (Aaker, 2001) Base and worst case scenario analysis involves the analysis of either the most positive or most negative outcome of a decision or action. Both positive and negative outcomes are evaluated in this analysis. These scenarios are considered in relation to the Base value. The base value is therefore the initial value or the average value of the case scenario or case. The best and worst case scenario analysis allow the parties involved to make better decisions about the case under study. (Aaker, 2001) The table of results shows that the best case has a higher cost than that of the worst case. Under the best curve, the cost of No-PEP was higher than that of when PEP was administered. The cost of No-PEP in the worst scenario was lower than the cost of PEP administration. These values indicate that for the best scenario to occur, the policy maker must spend a comparatively higher amount of funds than that of worst case scenario. (Aaker,

Special Educational Needs Essay Example for Free

Special Educational Needs Essay This is a transition time for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – new legislation in the form of a green paper â€Å"Support and Aspiration† is advancing through the necessary stages and considerable changes are promised to be implemented by 2014. An understanding of the historical perspective and the future proposals contained in â€Å"Support and Aspiration† will therefore be helpful. Definitions: (From the current SEN Code of practice 2001) The Educational Act 1981 laid down a legal definition of Special Educational Needs in schools. That definition was repeated in the Educational Act 1993 and in the consolidation Education Act 1996. According to law: 1. A child has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. 2. A child has a learning difficulty if he or she: a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age b) has a disability which either prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority c) is under five and falls within the definition at (a) or (b) above. The following children fall outside the legal definition of Special Educational Needs a) Those whose language at home is different from the language in which they are taught at school b) gifted children Anticipated changes Summarized from https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Green-Paper-SEN.pdf The Green Paper, Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability, sets out the government’s intention to radically reform the current system for identifying, assessing and supporting children and young people who are disabled or have SEN, and their families. The Green Paper proposals and the Government’s wider reforms in education and health will make the best use of limited resources through better planning, streamlining assessment processes, making the system less adversarial and focusing on achieving better outcomes. Reforms are already being tested through local pathfinders, developing the knowledge and skills that will be needed for their successful implementation, and making sure that the right measures are in place to hold services to account. The lessons learnt from the pathfinders will help shape the changes. In the Green Paper the government pledges by 2014 to introduce: †¢ A single assessment process which is more streamlined, better involves children, young people and families and is completed quickly; †¢ An Education, Health and Care Plan which brings services together and is focused on improving outcomes; and †¢ An offer of a personal budget for families with an Education, Health and Care Plan. The government intends to introduce legislation through a Children and Families Bill to implement the changes to the law required for the Green Paper reforms. A draft bill will be published in summer 2012 for consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny. Application It is not yet clear how the changes will impact schools or what adjustments will be required in administration and â€Å"grass-roots† provision. Tutors will inform students of changes as they emerge.